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USC to honour high-achieving alumni
The University of the Sunshine Coast will pay tribute to three high-achieving graduates at its annual Outstanding Alumni of the Year Awards celebration on Wednesday 16 September.
This year’s award winners are 2009 Young Australian of the Year Jonty Bush, Sunshine Coast Regional Councillor Keryn Jones, and Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine’s senior forensic technician Emily Orchard.
The awards recognise USC alumni (graduates) for significant achievements in their fields of endeavour, from professional and academic achievements to research and community work.
Jonty Bush graduated with a Bachelor of Business in 2002. She became the CEO of the Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group in 2006, and was awarded the 2009 Young Australian of the Year for her work on homicide prevention initiatives and law reforms to help homicide victims.
Jonty has led a successful push for a review of the State’s laws surrounding murder and manslaughter and has worked with families to develop the “One Punch Can Kill” campaign that has been adopted by the Queensland Government in a bid to prevent further tragedies.
Keryn Jones graduated from USC in 2005 with a Bachelor of Social Science. She has campaigned strongly for ecological sustainability in her role as Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s environment portfolio chair and previously as a Sunshine Coast Environment Council coordinator.
Keryn has been a driving force behind the annual World Environment Day Festival on the Sunshine Coast and has lobbied for the protection of endangered animal species and native coastal vegetation across the region.
Emily Orchard graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Science in 2002 and is the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine’s senior forensic technician and senior occupational health and safety consultant.
Emily made a significant contribution in the Victorian Bushfire Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) process earlier this year, including coordinating mortuary operations to help positively identify each of the bushfire victims.
USC’s Alumni Relations Officer Anita Edmonds said all USC graduates were invited to attend the awards ceremony at USC from 5.30pm on 16 September. Contact Ms Edmonds at <alumni@usc.edu.au.>.
— Terry Walsh