Australia to honor outstanding Australian-educated Filipinos

Nominations for the 2018 Australian Alumni Excellence Awards are now open. The awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of outstanding Australian-educated Filipinos in their field, industry or community. Thousands of Filipinos have completed undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Australia since the 1950s, and the Australian Alumni Excellence awards sets out to acknowledge their successes.

“The awards showcase the diverse individual achievements of Australian educated Filipinos. They are current and future leaders, influencers and change-makers. Alumni make a crucial contribution to the strong bonds of friendship between Australia and the Philippines” said Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely.

The Australian Alumni Excellence Awards features three award categories:

Alumni of the Year - Demonstrated visionary leadership and best practice at a local or international level

Excellence in Innovation Award - Demonstrated innovation in his/her field or industry. This can include: creation of a successful enterprise or project; creative new ideas, designs or products for industry or government; or innovative research findings.

Young Achiever’s Award - Demonstrated excellent achievements and/or contribution in his/her chosen field that shows initiative and innovation and is 35 years old or less at the time of nomination

Dr Maria Corazon de Ungria, head of the DNA Analysis Laboratory at the University of the Philippines Diliman, was awarded the 2017 Alumni of the Year for her pioneering work in DNA forensic science in the Philippines. She received her Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Biology from Macquarie University and completed her PhD in Microbiology at the University of New South Wales.

Dr Roy Ponce, Vice President of Research and Extension at the Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology, received the 2017 Excellence in Innovation Award for his afterschool care project for children in underprivileged communities. He earned his PhD in Education from the University of Melbourne.

Mr Milton Medina, Director of Qualitative Studies and Biodiversity Research at Mindanao University, received the 2017 Young Achiever’s Award for his work on science education materials using flora and fauna endemic to the Philippines. He received his Master in Science from Curtin University.

Outstanding Filipino graduates of Australian universities will be recognised at the 2018 Australian Alumni Awards Night in May, hosted by the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines, Amanda Gorely.

For more information on the 2018 Australian Alumni Excellence Awards, and to lodge a nomination: visit www.australiaawardsphilippines.org/alumni. Nominations close 30 April 2018.