A pioneering sports scientist and an eminent Indigenous leader are among the seven high achievers recognised at this year’s University of the Sunshine Coast’s alumni awards.
Dr Danielle Doyle, who works with Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic swimmers, and Dr Hope O’Chin, an educator, artist and author, received UniSC’s Outstanding Alumni Awards for 2025.
Jody-Sherie Godfrey, whose work supports the Stolen Generations, and Carly Forrest, who helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led businesses, were recipients of the First Nations Award.
Health worker Luke Snabaitis won the Local Impact Award, digital innovator Aastha Giri took home the International Award and family lawyer Jessica Popple was named the Rising Star.
UniSC Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global and Engagement) Alex Elibank Murray said it was a privilege to recognise and celebrate the achievements of the University’s graduated students.
“We are extremely proud of our alumni and the impact that they have locally, nationally and globally.
Dr Danielle Doyle
For more than two decades, Dr Doyle has been a driving force in high-performance swimming, and as Brisbane 2032 approaches, she’s shaping Australia’s next generation of Olympians and Paralympians.
As the inaugural High Performance Manager for swimming at the Queensland Academy of Sport based at UniSC, she leads a sport science and medicine program for more than 100 categorised athletes across Olympic pool, Olympic open water, and Paralympic streams.
“I work directly with athletes and coaches, but also manage the performance support team, to deliver the athlete plan that the coach and the athlete work on, so that they can be the best that they can in their sport,” Dr Doyle said.
“I’m absolutely grateful to the University of the Sunshine Coast for what it’s given me and what it can provide students with the Queensland Academy of Sport being based here.”
Dr Doyle was the first female Sport Science manager for Paralympic Swimming Australia and has contributed to every Olympic and Paralympic cycle since 2008, with her leadership directly supporting multiple international medals.
She completed her PhD in swimming biomechanics at UniSC and the Australian Institute of Sport in 2012.
Dr Hope O’Chin
Dr O’Chin, a proud Kabi Kabi, Wakka Wakka, Gugu Yalanji and Koa woman, is the founder of the Hope Dreaming Foundation which is behind the establishment of The Hope Dreaming Information Centre, opening in 2025, to promote First Nations culture and language.
With a career in education spanning more than 40 years, Dr O’Chin was instrumental in establishing culturally supportive spaces for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in university campuses throughout Queensland.
“It was really important work to establish those centres right across the university sector right across Queensland,” Dr O’Chin said.
An Elder in Residence at UniSC’s Buranga Centre since 2014, Dr O’Chin experienced firsthand the significant role the centre plays for First Nations students while studying for her PhD which she completed in 2021.
“One of the things that spurred me on to finish this doctorate was having the support of our First Nations Buranga Centre. I cannot explain how supportive they truly are,” she said.
A renowned artist, Dr O’Chin’s collections have been exhibited in Queensland and across the globe. Her book, An Epistemology of Belongingness: Dreaming A First Nation's Ontology of Hope, published in 2024 explores Australian First Nations culture and learning.
Jody-Sherie Godfrey
A proud Meanjin woman, Ms Godfrey is an assistant director with Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme at the National Indigenous Australians Agency in Canberra.
The scheme aims to recognise the harm and trauma experienced by Stolen Generations survivors removed from their families and communities in the Northern Territory, ACT and Jervis Bay Territory.
She has heard firsthand people’s stories of removal, the impact that it had and their healing journeys and, since 2022, has processed more than 1,000 claims under the scheme.
“What I enjoy about my role is working with Stolen Generation survivors. I admire the courage that they have to share their story with me,” Ms Godfrey said.
She’s also an accomplished artist, with her artwork featured on the Australian team uniforms for the Invictus Games held in Canada in February this year.
“They told me that it would be the first time that they’d had Indigenous artwork on their uniforms,” she said.
She was also commissioned to create artwork for uniforms and merchandise for the 20th Australian Masters Games held in Canberra last month.
“It’s nice to be acknowledged for the hard work and commitment that I have put into my career since finishing university. Uni was definitely a challenging time for me and it’s good to now be able to reap the rewards of all that hard work,” Ms Godfrey said.
She completed a Bachelor of Occupation Therapy (Honours) in 2019.
Carly Forrest
A proud Mandandanji woman living on Kabi Kabi Country, Mrs Forrest was the first in her family to attend university, completing a Bachelor of Business (Management) in 2013 as a mature-aged student.
“When I was at UniSC, it completely changed the trajectory of my life. It opened my mind to critical thinking, and I had so many amazing lecturers in the Business School,” she said.
In 2023, Mrs Forrest founded The Dreaming Collective, a consultancy that partners with First Nations–owned and led organisations to strengthen strategic operations, governance, and business capability.
She also works with non-Indigenous organisations seeking to build cultural understanding, embed Indigenous governance principles, and form genuine partnerships with First Nations communities.
“I call myself their ‘business bestie’. I’m a trusted partner who helps break down western business systems and structures so that First Nations business owners can do better business, achieve their goals, and thrive in economic prosperity,” Mrs Forrest said.
Last year, she launched a podcast showcasing local First Nations stories after securing a NAIDOC grant through the National Indigenous Australians Agency.
“It’s been a project for community—an opportunity to interview First Nations people and amplify their voices and stories. I’ve had listeners from America, Canada, and Europe,” she said.
Mrs Forrest has also led major community initiatives, including organising the Sunshine Coast’s first NAIDOC Gala Dinner to celebrate and elevate Indigenous culture.
Luke Snabaitis
Mr Snabaitis co-leads the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Preventative Health Pathways Program at the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service.
“I became the first advanced exercise physiologist in Queensland Health’s history to manage a multi-stream clinical team,” he said.
His team supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the Sunshine Coast and in the Gympie region with health problems including long-term diseases, acute illness and diseases that can be prevented by vaccines.
His team has expanded from six to 26 staff, and includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health workers, nurses, a dietician, social worker and exercise physiologist who support sexual health, respiratory, diabetes, eye health and breast screening clinics.
“When I see someone who has been a patient in our program out in community and they’re stronger and they’re healthier, to know that we had an impact and that we were a part of their journey – that to me is really fulfilling,” he said.
The program he manages has reduced hospital admissions by 57 per cent and shortened length of stay by 88 per cent for patients re-entering hospital within two years.
Mr Snabaitis was the first in his family to attend university where he completed a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science in 2012 and a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) in 2013.
“It set me on a very clear path towards a bigger future. I had a realisation that I could do more, that I could be more. It set me on the path to today. It really helped entrench belief in myself.”
Aastha Giri
Ms Giri moved to the Sunshine Coast as an international student to study a Bachelor of Information and Communications Technology in 2013.
She’s now a Principal Technical Advisor and Solution Architect at Digital Metro North Health at Queensland Health where she leads the design, implementation and deployment of advanced medical applications, AI integrations and digital platforms.
One of her significant achievements has been the roll-out of a crucial system for measuring haemostasis in critically bleeding patients.
“This system is used in Emergency Departments, Intensive Care Units and other critical departments at Queensland Health. It was a huge success. We were supporting those in the frontline of healthcare by delivering systems that make patient outcomes better,” she said.
She is now working on a trial of an AI application in radiology at Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital to determine if it enables a reduction in time from scan to final report in instances where the AI solution identifies abnormal findings on a chest x-ray.
“I’ve loved my experience and my journey as an international student at UniSC. The UniSC community became my home away from home. Without this community I wouldn’t be here today,” Ms Giri said.
Jessica Popple
Ms Popple was among the Law School’s first graduates in 2018 and is now a Senior Associate at Maroochydore-based Pippa Colman Family Law where she advises clients about separation, domestic violence and child protection matters.
“What I really love about my work is being able to give back to the community. Not just through the work that I do as a family lawyer, and the important advocacy that we do for vulnerable members of the community.
“But also, by being able to use the skills that I learned through my degree, and then also post-graduation, to give back to community organisations,” Ms Popple said.
She was named the Emergent Female Lawyer of the Year in 2022 by the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland.
Ms Popple was the first UniSC Law graduate elected President of the Sunshine Coast Law Association and served three terms in 2021, 2023 and 2024; and is a volunteer at the Suncoast Community Legal Service providing free legal advice to those who might otherwise be unable to access it.
She also sits on the Law Program’s External Advisory Committee and returns to campus to mentor current law students.
“I’m really honoured to receive the award. My connection with UniSC is something that I don’t take for granted. I’m really proud to represent the graduates of UniSC, and in particular, that first group of law students who have come through,” she said.
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