News Archive

Six staff members and 10 graduates of The University of Western Australia have been honoured by their inclusion on the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Professors Nigel Laing, Karen Simmer, Paul Abbott and Paolo Ferrari were appointed Officers in the General Division (AO) of the Order of Australia.

Senior Principal Research Fellow and head of the Neuromuscular Diseases Group at UWA’s Centre for Medical Research, based at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Professor Laing was recognised for “distinguished service to medicine in the field of neuromuscular disorders, as an academic and researcher, to medical education and through contributions to professional associations”.

Professor Simmer is co-director of UWA’s Centre for Neonatal Research and Education and Professor of Newborn Medicine in UWA’s School of Paediatrics and Child Health. She was recognised for “distinguished service to medicine in the field of paediatrics, particularly neonatal and perinatal nutrition, to medical education as an academic, researcher and clinician, and to the community”.

A former head of UWA’s School of Dentistry and director of the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia, Professor Abbott was recognised for “distinguished service to clinical dentistry, and to higher education, as an academic, researcher and author, to endodontics as a practitioner, and to professional organisations”.

Based at Fremantle Hospital with UWA’s School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Clinical Professor Ferrari was recognised for “distinguished service to medicine in the discipline of nephrology, as a clinical scientist, to the establishment of innovative renal transplantation programs, and to medical education”.

Two staff members were awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division: Emeritus Professor Dennis Haskell and Clinical Professor Richard Herrmann.

A senior honorary research fellow in UWA’s School of Humanities, Emeritus Professor Haskell was recognised for “significant service to literature, particularly poetry, as an academic, author, editor and critic, to tertiary education, and to inter-cultural understanding”.

Professor Herrmann, from UWA’s School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, was recognised for “significant service to medicine, particularly to haematology as a clinician, to bone marrow transplantation services, and to education”.

Four graduates were also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division: Law alumni Keith Chapman and Laurie James, Science graduate Tony Tate and Sabina Shugg (MBA).
Another six graduates were awarded a Medal (OAM) in the General Division: Anita Chong (BA, DipEd), Diana de Vos-Beck (BA), Denise Follett (BA, BPsych, DipEd, MPsych), Patricia Kotai-Ewers (BA, MPhil), Dr John Yiannakis (BA, PhD) and dental science graduate Dr Peter McKerracher.

Media references

David Stacey (UWA Media and Public Relations Manager)    (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716