Convocation of UWA Graduates

2015 Awards Ceremony

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Convocation Travel Awards presented to talented UWA researchers.

2015 Awards Ceremony

Convocation Postgraduate Research Travel Awards Ceremony 2015

On 14 August 2015, Nineteen talented postgraduate students at The University of Western Australia were presented with travel awards to further their research at a special ceremony on campus. The Convocation Postgraduate Research Travel Awards (PGRTA), which enable postgraduate research students to enhance, and to gain new perspectives on, their work through travel in Australia or overseas, were established by Convocation to mark the 75th Anniversary of UWA in 1988. 

"Since Convocation has been presenting these Awards, close to $450,000 has been distributed to UWA postgraduate researchers for interstate or overseas travel," according to the Convenor of the Awards Committee, Clinical Professor Lesley Cala. 

"In 2012 alone, PGRTA winners travelled close to a combined 250,000 kilometres, visiting the USA, Fiji, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia, UK, South Aftica and within Australia."

"We were pleased to see that for the 2014 Awards the field had increased considerably from last year, indicating growing interest from UWA's postgraduate research community.”

"While we only had the funds to award 19 prizes, many more postgraduate students had submitted applications detailing fascinating research they are doing."

SKY IS THE LIMIT FOR UWA CONVOCATION TRAVEL WINNERS

The impact of post graduate research travel awards in opening  up the future for students both internationally and nationally cannot not be underestimated, according to Adjunct Professor Warren Kerr AM.

Professor Kerr, Warden of UWA Convocation, was speaking at the 2015 University of Western Australia Convocation Postgraduate Research Travel Awards ceremony recently.

“The sky is the limit, as demonstrated by the experience of Ms Sarah Bruzzese, a 2014 recipient whose experience in travelling to the USA to Johns Hopkins to more deeply analyse her data about stars has opened up huge career opportunities for her in astrophysics,” he said.

“One cannot fail to be impressed with the intellectual talent and commitment of the many students undertaking high level research across all sectors of the community within Western Australia. All of this is for the benefit of society as a whole. These young men and women are truly inspiring.”

All UWA graduates are members of Convocation, generally defined as a gathering together for a large formal assembly.

Professor Kerr said nineteen travel awards were supported by donations from past graduates. In addition, the Bryant Stokes Matilda Award for Cultural Excellence is sponsored by another former graduate Clinical Professor Bryant Stokes AM RFD KSJ JP. The awards are a competitive scheme open to all Postgraduate Research Students at UWA who have submitted a research plan. They provide funds for travel aimed at enhancing the student’s research.

Please visit the  PGRTA Awards page  for a full listing of the 2015 Awards winners.

Image Gallery: 2015 Awards Ceremony