Graduations 2008

Graduations

Honorary degrees

Two of South Australia's most distinguished citizens have been awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Adelaide.

The Lieutenant Governor of South Australia, Mr Hieu Van Le, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, the Honourable John Doyle AC, were admitted to the degree of Doctor of the University (honoris causa) for their services to society.

Mr Le is the first person of Vietnamese background to be appointed to a vice-regal position anywhere in the world. The Lieutenant Governor and his wife Lan were among the first Vietnamese refugees to arrive in Darwin in 1977 in a small wooden boat.

The couple settled in Adelaide and within several years Mr Le had gained an economics and accounting degree from the University of Adelaide, following up with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2001.

As well as his vice-regal position Mr Le is the Chairman of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission - the first Australian of Asian background to hold the position - and a senior manager with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

He received a 1996 Australia Day Medal for outstanding service to ASIC and was awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal for service to the advancement of multiculturalism.

Chief Justice Doyle, who graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide in 1966, has been Chief Justice since 1995 following his nine years as the Solicitor-General of South Australia.

The Rhodes Scholar is one of Australia's most respected judges and was appointed a Queen's Counsel at just 36 years of age.

During his period on the bench, Chief Justice Doyle has worked to improve the community's understanding of the legal system. He has also taken a keen interest in legal education, tutoring and lecturing in various law subjects at the University of Adelaide over a 10-year period.

Chief Justice Doyle's contribution to higher education continued when he served as Pro-Chancellor of Flinders University from 1988 to 2000.

Both men received their honorary doctorates in Bonython Hall during the December graduation ceremonies.

Story by Candy Gibson


Above: Lieutenant Governor of South Australia and honorary doctorate recipient Mr Hieu Van Le with his family	Above: Bachelor of Laws graduate Hannah Doyle with her father Chief Justice John Doyle AC, who was awarded an honorary doctorate in the same ceremony

Above: Tony Scoleri with his sister and fellow new PhD graduate Nancy Scoleri

Tony's PhD comeback

When Tony Scoleri graduated with his PhD in computer vision, he was also celebrating a significant personal milestone following a near-fatal accident in March 2007.

Tony (pictured with his sister and fellow new PhD graduate Nancy Scoleri) was in the last months of his PhD from the Schools of Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science when he had an horrific bicycle accident. The passenger of a car opened his door in front of Tony, who received severe injuries to his neck and shoulder, and a perforated lung.

Not only did the accident put his PhD on hold, it halted a potential international sporting career as a triathlete. Tony had won state competitions in the triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon and, in 2007, was aiming to qualify for the world triathlon championship.

Tony was bed-ridden for two months and is slowly regaining the use of his right arm under intensive physiotherapy.

The first major goal he met was getting himself fit to start a position with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) as a research scientist just four months after the accident.

In November 2007, Tony resumed his PhD at the University of Adelaide and finished it in July 2008. This was the culmination of an outstanding academic record which has seen him become a member of the prestigious Golden Key International Honours Society for top students in their fields.

Tony and sister Nancy both graduated with their PhDs last December - Nancy's PhD was in organometallic chemistry.

Story by Robyn Mills

Left: 52-year-old macebearer Rosemary Clatworthy graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing, topping her course with five distinctions and seven high distinctions. She was part of the University's inaugural cohort of 37 nursing graduates, and is pictured here with her family.

Above: The Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Professor Justin Beilby, is pictured with 21-year-old Narjuess Jahangiri, one of the youngest medical graduates in the University's history

Photos by Candy Gibson and David Ellis

Above: Master of Science and Technology Commercialisation graduates Jamie Miller and Ty Yengi were among the winning team from Adelaide in the National John Heine Entrepreneurial Business Plan Competition.

Held in Queensland, the National Business Plan Competition capped off a successful year for the team, which is called Somnium Innovations (see previous story).

The team was Overall Winner of the Competition, with Jamie and Ty also winning individual awards.

Director of the Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre Noel Lindsay also won Best Academic Adviser at the awards.

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