Each year the Outstanding Alumni Awards program honours, acknowledges and celebrates our graduates who have achieved significantly in their field of expertise, since graduating at least two years prior with their first degree. We recognise them for the impact they have had at a local, national and sometimes international level.

Congratulations to all nominees for their notable achievements to date. A special thank you goes to the people who took the time and effort to nominate them including staff, family, colleagues, friends. Without their support this initiative would not be possible. 

We are delighted to announce that the 2025 Outstanding Alumni Awards recipients are... 

Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award 

Dr Hope O’Chin
PhD 2021

Dr Hope O’Chin graduated with a PhD in 2021 and is a proud Kabi Kabi/Wakka Wakka/Gugu Yalanji and Koa woman. A visionary leader, educator, and artist, she founded The Hope Dreaming Foundation which is behind the establishment of the Hope Dreaming Information Centre. In partnership with state and local government, the Centre promotes First Nations’ living traditions to preserve culture and language. Volunteering six days a week, her work spans curriculum design, language revitalisation, and community engagement, including projects with schools, hospitals, and galleries. Her acclaimed book ‘An Epistemology of Belongingness’ offers a framework for embedding Indigenous ways of being and doing. Hope is also an ethical consultant on many advisory boards, including an Elder-in-Residence at UniSC, where she led decolonising education initiatives. Through art, education, and advocacy, Dr O’Chin has profoundly impacted cultural sustainability as well as inclusive learning across generations.

Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award 

Dr Danielle Doyle
PhD 2012, Bachelor of Science (Honours) 2009

Dr Danielle Doyle, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in 2009 and a PhD in 2012, is the inaugural Queensland Academy of Sport’s Sunshine Coast Hub Manager, leading sport science and medicine delivery for more than 100 athletes across Olympic and Paralympic programs. Her pioneering PhD in biomechanics continues to shape coaching and athlete development. Seeing a critical gap in support for para-swimmers, she established the first National Paralympic Science and Medicine Lead role with Swimming Australia, directing performance science for Australia’s Paralympic program, leading to medal-winning success across multiple Paralympic Games. Danielle also contributes widely to governance and advisory roles. By ensuring equitable access to world-class support, she has helped transform the Sunshine Coast Hub into a nationally respected environment known for innovation, consistency and an important contributor to Brisbane 2032 preparations.

Alumnus of the Year, Local Impact Award

Luke Snabaitis
Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) 2013, Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science 2012

Luke Snabaitis graduated with a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science in 2012 and a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) in 2013. He is an Advanced Exercise Physiologist and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Preventative Health Pathways Clinical Team Manager at the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service. Luke is the first exercise physiologist in Queensland Health history to manage a multi-stream clinical team, achieving a significant reduction in hospital admissions and shorter stays. Luke introduced telehealth, has mentored future professionals, and supports Indigenous student pathways into health careers through the Deadly Start program. His leadership on key advisory networks spans state, national, and international levels. In 2025, Luke received the Members’ Impact Award from peak governing body, Exercise and Sport Science Australia.

Alumnus of the Year, International Award

Aastha Giri
Bachelor of Information and Communications Technology 2016

Aastha Giri graduated with a Bachelor of Information & Communications Technology in 2016 and is the Principal Technical Advisor and Solution Architect at Digital Metro North, Queensland Health, leading major digital health innovations across Queensland. Aastha led the rollout of a crucial system for measuring haemostasis in critically bleeding patients—earning praise from the Metro North Chief Digital Health Officer for its immediate impact on clinical decision-making. She is currently working on a trial of an AI application in radiology at Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital, the first public health facility in Australia to do so, 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, potentially enabling clinicians to make accurate decisions faster.

Alumnus of the Year, First Nations Award

Carly Forrest
Bachelor of Business (Management) 2013

Carly Forrest is a proud Mandandanji woman living on Kabi Kabi Country and graduated with a Bachelor of Business (Management) in 2013. In 2023, Ms 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. Through her extensive voluntary service, Carly has led major initiatives including the first NAIDOC Ball on the Sunshine Coast, and a national podcast amplifying First Nations voices. She also contributes her knowledge through governance roles with Deadly Science, Dream a Dream Foundation, The First Traders and Munimba-Ja Arts Centre.

Alumnus of the Year, First Nations Award

Jody-Sherie Godfrey
Bachelor of Occupation Therapy (Honours) 2019

Jody-Sherie Godfrey is a proud Meanjin woman and graduated with a Bachelor of Occupation Therapy (Honours) in 2019. She 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. Jody-Sherie has processed over 1,000 claims, engaging directly with Stolen Generation survivors and providing trauma-informed, person-centred care. Her leadership style fosters collaboration and inclusion, such as mentoring staff and supporting team development. Jody-Sherie is also an artist, whose artworks were chosen to appear on the uniforms for the Team Australia’s Invictus Games and Australian Masters Games, celebrating Indigenous culture through sport. Her work bridges healing, advocacy, and creativity.

Alumnus of the Year, Rising Star Award

Jessica Popple
Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts 2018

Jessica Popple graduated from UniSC with a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts in 2018 and is a Senior Associate at Pippa Colman Family Law where she advises clients about separation, domestic violence and child protection matters. Jessica has built a distinguished career in family law while making a significant impact across the Sunshine Coast community. In 2022, she was named the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland Emergent Woman Lawyer of the Year. She served three terms as President of the Sunshine Coast Law Association, the first UniSC law graduate to do so, has volunteered with the Suncoast Community Legal Service since 2017, and sits on the UniSC Law External Advisory Committee. Jessica also chairs the Mingary Care board, an in-home palliative care service, and was named Volunteer of the Year for Sunshine Coast Sports in 2023-2024.