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Level 1, Bennelong House ABN 78 099 065 184 9 Queen Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia www.monashawards.org t 613 9620 2428
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ General Sir John Monash Foundation Directors:
Ms Jillian Segal AM (Chairman), Mr Steven Skala AO (Deputy Chairman), Mr David Clarke, Emeritus Professor Peter Darvall AO, Mr Stephen Gerlach AM, Mr Leon Kempler OAM, Mrs Jan McCahey, Professor Alan Robson AO CitWA, Dr Jane Wilson, Dr Peter Binks
Immediate past Chairman: His Excellency the Honourable General Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK MC; Founding Chairman: General Peter Gration AC OBE
GENERAL SIR JOHN MONASH FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2015 SCHOLARS
November 26, 2014
The General Sir John Monash Foundation today announced the 2015 recipients of one of Australia’s most prestigious scholarships, the John Monash Scholarships, which recognise leadership capability, academic excellence, and potential contribution to Australia.
The Scholarships, which have been awarded annually for the past 12 years, provide recipients with financial assistance of $60,000 a year, as well as an international return trip via Singapore Airlines, to undertake post graduate studies at the world’s leading universities.
The Scholarships honour Sir John Monash, regarded as Australia’s finest military and civic leader. A civil engineer and lawyer, Sir John Monash was the most successful and admired general on the Western Front in World War One; led the electrification of Victoria in the 1920’s; was Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne; and helped found both the CSIRO and the Shrine of Remembrance. The sesquicentenary of Sir John Monash’s birth will be marked in 2015, which is also the Centenary of ANZAC.
The Chair of the Foundation, Jillian Segal AM, said that since the establishment of the Scholarships in 2003, a total of 112 young Australians had been selected for further studies, with many of these returning home in leadership positions in business, science and medicine, policy and public administration, the arts, and natural resources management.
“Demand for this Scholarships continues to be very high,” she said. “This year we received nearly 300 applications for the John Monash Scholarships, with applicants coming from 38 Australian universities, seeking places at nearly 100 higher education institutions overseas.
“The continuing high level of interest is testament to both the prestige of the Scholarships, and to the growing pool of exceptionally talented young Australians who are interested in furthering their studies globally and in contributing to their country.”
Ms Segal said 14 Scholarships had been awarded for 2015, with support from a range of public and private sector sponsors, including the Commonwealth Bank, the Australia Council for the Arts, BHP Billiton, Origin Energy, Woodside, the Myer Foundation, the Australian and NSW Governments, many of Australia’s leading universities, and a group of philanthropic supporters.
P a g e | 2 More than 100 expert panelists across Australia reviewed the applications over an eight week period before nominating the final list to the Board of the General Sir John Monash Foundation.
Among the 2015 John Monash Scholars, nine women and five men were chosen. Of these, eight will study in Europe; five in the USA; and one in China. The 2015 group are notable for the focus on health, and science and technology. The Foundation’s focus on Asia continues, with two Scholars directly working in Asian business or policy. As in 2014, the support to the fine arts continued with two more Australian Cultural Scholars selected.
The John Monash Scholars for 2015 are (in alphabetical order):
• Lydia Braunack-‐Mayer (SA) using big data solutions to model epidemics; also an artist • Victoria Cox (SA) doctor with focus on indigenous health; also an athlete and musician • Claire Daniel (QLD) applying big data to town planning; Australian representative fencer • Laura Diment (SA) engineer with an focus on mobility technologies; also an artist • Grace Keesing (NSW) law for the disadvantaged; also state champion rower • Dylan Morris (QLD) doctor with 9 publications; research in cardiovascular surgery • Jack Muir (ACT) studying geophysics and seismology; a bassoonist • Brent O’Carrigan (NSW) cancer researcher developing technologies for blood-‐based detection • Hugh Passmore (VIC) former advisor to Prime Minister, expertise in Asian policy • Macushla Robinson (NSW) writer and curator who will explore ‘dissident aesthetic’ in art • Alies Sluiter (SA) film maker and violinist with a passion for Australian stories • Lauren Ward (TAS) developing advanced engineering for hearing aids; radio presenter • Phoebe Williams (NSW) doctor active in global public health; 2013 “100 Women of Influence” • Tom Williams (WA) established leader of Australian youth engagement in Asia
The Scholarships are formally announced today at a gala reception at the Sydney Opera House. The reception for over 150 guests will be addressed by the former Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir AD CVO, the longest-‐serving patron of the General Sir John Monash Foundation. The Presentation of the Scholarships by the Governor-‐General of Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC, will be held at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on February 18th 2015.
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For more information about the Foundation or the Scholars, please contact: Dr Peter Binks CEO, General Sir John Monash Foundation Tel: (0407) 364 570 www.monashawards.org or Sarah De Nicolo Marketing Manager, General Sir John Monash Foundation Tel: (0409) 521 602 Email: [email protected] Follow us at:
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2015 JOHN MONASH SCHOLARS
CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE JOHN MONASH SCHOLAR
Victoria COX
MPhil
Oxford University, UK
Victoria has an MBBS and B MedSci with 1st Class Honours from Adelaide University. She is a former SA Open Breastroke Champion (holding current state swimming records) and plays violin with the Australian Doctors Orchestra. She has undertaken work placements in the Northern Territory and at the World Health Organisation in Geneva. Victoria will focus on evidence based social intervention and policy evaluation.
AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES’ JOHN MONASH SCHOLAR
Laura DIMENT
PhD
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
Laura holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering with 1st Class Honours from Flinders University. Her current employment involves innovative medical devices at Flinders University, as well as lecturing in Biomedical Instrumentation. She is a recognised artist, and developed Splashboard, an art program for people with disabilities, which has gained international recognition. Laura also captained South Australia’s Schools Orienteering team.
ZELMAN COWEN JOHN MONASH SCHOLARS
Grace KEESING
BCL
Oxford University, UK
Grace has a Bachelor of Laws with 1st Class Honours, a Bachelor of Economics and Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies from the ANU. Grace has worked as Associate to Chief Justice French AC at the High Court of Australia and lecturer at ANU. She is currently a solicitor at Gilbert & Tobin Lawyers. She is a State champion rower, amateur actor, classical ballet dancer and teacher, and long distance ocean swimmer.
Dylan MORRIS
DPhil
Oxford University, UK
Dylan holds an MBBS (Hons) from James Cook University, and is completing a Graduate Diploma of Applied Anatomy and Dissection. He has published nine papers on cardiovascular disease including a first author paper in Heart. Dylan was Editor-‐in-‐Chief of the Australian Medical Student Journal, Co-‐founder of the James Cook University Surgical Interest Group. He is a pianist, enjoys Taekwondo, and speaks conversational Mandarin.
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ORIGIN FOUNDATION JOHN MONASH SCHOLAR
Jack MUIR
PhD
California Institute of Technology
(CalTech), USA
Jack is completing a Bachelor of Philosophy (Science) with Honours from the ANU. He is active in the Australian Conference of Undergraduate Research, and has worked with Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), and the Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO). He is a bassoonist with local orchestras, and a sportsman. Jack’s interests are in the interface between statistical methods and the natural sciences.
NSW PREMIER’S JOHN MONASH SCHOLAR
Brent O’CARRIGAN
PhD
Cambridge, UK
Brent has completed a Masters in Medicine at University of Sydney and is a medical oncology registrar. He graduated with BSc, MBBS (1st class Hons) at UNSW and won the Bryan Hudson AO Medal for the Royal Australian College of Physicians specialty examinations. Brent will focus on the role of circulating tumour DNA in breast cancer. This has the potential to be used as a 'liquid biopsy' in diagnosis and treatment of breast and other solid cancers.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY JOHN MONASH SCHOLAR Supported by John Roth and Jillian Segal AM
Hugh PASSMORE
Masters of Public Policy
Harvard University, USA
Hugh has a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Asian Studies with 1st Class Honours and the University Medal from the Australian National University. He has worked as a policy adviser in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and is a co-‐founder of the Australia-‐Indonesia Youth Association. He participates in a wide variety of sports, speaks fluent Indonesian, and is currently learning the ukulele.
ANZAC CENTENARY JOHN MONASH SCHOLAR
Phoebe WILLIAMS
DPhil
Oxford University, UK
Phoebe has an MBBS (Hons) from the University of Sydney, a BCom and BSci from the ANU, and Masters in Global Health Science with Distinction from Oxford. She was the founder of the “Hands of Help” student organization. In 2013 Phoebe was one of Australia’s “100 women of Influence”. She plays in the Australian Doctors’ Orchestra and is currently a Clinical Paediatric Registrar. Phoebe will study the management of paediatric conditions in Oxford's Research Unit in Kilifi, Kenya.
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AUSTRALIAN CULTURAL JOHN MONASH SCHOLAR (supported by Australia Council For The Arts And Tim Fairfax AC)
Alies SLUITER
Masters in Fine Arts in Film
Columbia University, USA
Alies has a Bachelor of Music Performance from the Victorian College of the Arts and a Master of Arts from the Australian Film Television and Radio School. She is a composer for feature films, documentaries, television (CNN, ABC, BBC, Foxtel, SBS), music, theatre and dance productions and has guest lectured at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide and Central Saint Martins University of the Arts London. She founded The Picture Box Orchestra and is currently producing her first documentary and has written and directed two short fiction films.
CBA JOHN MONASH SCHOLARS
Lydia BRAUNACK-‐MAYER
Masters in Statistics
ETH, Switzerland
Lydia is completing a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Sciences from the University of Adelaide. She is an artist, and has been involved in voluntary activities in the Lutheran community, and in mathematics and humanities outreach. Lydia works with data from Australian primary schools in order to improve education outcomes for children.
Claire DANIEL
Masters in Spatial Analysis
University College, London
Claire has a Bachelor of Regional and Town Planning (1st Class Honours and the University Medal, and the Ministers Town Planning Prize) from the University of Queensland. She is a champion fencer (was #1 ranked women’s foil in 2012), and Athlete’s Commissioner for Australian Fencing. She is also a lay minister, plays violin and viola. She currently works with Australia’s largest council – Brisbane City Council.
BHP BILLITON JOHN MONASH SCHOLAR
Lauren WARD
PhD,
University of Salford, UK
Lauren is completing a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours, from the University of Tasmania. Lauren is a presenter on local community radio. She is active in music (piano) and sports (roller derby) and has worked at Cochlear and the ABC. She has had numerous leadership roles and led fundraising for the Leukaemia Foundation. Lauren will use spatial sound principles to develop improved digital signal processing methods for use in assistive hearing devices and in hearing testing.
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MYER FOUNDATION JOHN MONASH SCHOLAR
Macushla ROBINSON
Masters in Liberal Studies
New School, New York, USA
Macushla has a Bachelor of Visual Arts and a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy / Art Theory) from the ANU, and 1st Class Honours and the University Medal from the University of Sydney. She is Assistant Curator at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and is on the directorial and editorial boards of Runway Australian Experimental Art. Macushla will explore the ‘dissident aesthetic’ emerging in contemporary art. Born out of an exhibition she is curating at the Art Gallery of NSW “See you at the barricades”, scheduled for early 2015.
WOODSIDE JOHN MONASH SCHOLAR
Tom WILLIAMS
MBA in Finance
Tsinghua University, Chinese
University of Hong Kong
Tom has a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese (with 1st Class Honours in Asian Studies) from the University of Western Australia with a Fogarty Scholarship and a Prime Minister’s Australia-‐Asia Endeavour Award. He is the President of the Australia-‐China Youth Association, a member of the New Colombo Plan Reference Group, and was a delegate to the Australia-‐China Forum. He speaks Chinese and Spanish, has performed on Chinese TV and plays Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and basketball. Tom will undertake his MBA at Tsinghua's Graduate Campus in Shenzhen.
