A brief selection of the many awards and commendations received by Victoria University staff, students and graduates.
Best Community Engagement Collaboration program
in 2007 the Business Higher Education Roundtable announced VU as having the Best Community Engagement Collaboration program, recognising the University's work in bringing together community and government partners to support newly-arrived African refugees to the west of Melbourne.
Three Gold Stars
The Institute for Trade Skills Excellence gave VU's hairdressing program Three Gold Stars - its highest award. Ours is the only hairdressing program in Australia to get that score.
The Hair and Beauty Association of Victoria named Victoria University 2007 Educator of the Year after four VU hairdressing students won major awards.
Teacher of the Year
Megan Evans, who specialises in indigenous studies, won the Herald Sun Victorian Secondary Teacher of the Year award for 2007. Megan was one of the first participants in an innovative VU program that brings pre-service teachers to remote Northern Territory communities.
Fulbright Awards
Victoria University's Mark O'Rourke has been awarded a prestigious 2007 Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Vocational and Technical Education to research the acquisition of vocational skills by using game-based multimedia teaching and learning tools.
In 2006 Mark Brophy was named in as Victoria University's first PhD graduate to receive a Fulbright Award. Mark has a Masters and PhD in Education and Training from Victoria University where his research focused on innovative programs for the unemployed.
Australian Apprentice winner
TAFE student Kevin Baker was named Outstanding Student of the Year - Apprentice at the 2006 Victorian Training Awards. This is the third time in four years that VU has won a student category at the awards. Kevin was further honoured when he was named Apprentice of the Year at the 2006 Australian Training Awards.
(above - Kevin Baker)
Carrick Citations
Associate Professor Steve Selig and senior lecturer Dennis Hemphill, won nationally contested Carrick Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.
Charles Holmes Medal
Professor Colin Clark, FCPA, Executive Dean of VU's Faculty of Business and Law, joined esteemed ranks when he received the prestigious accounting industry's Charles Holmes Medal in March 2006. Professor Clark is a past president of the Victorian division of CPA Australia (2002) and has been a divisional councillor since 1996.
Honour for Elleni
VU Community Partnerships Officer, Elleni Bereded-Samuel was one of 24 women named on the 2006 Victorian Honour Roll of Women. In September 2005, Elleni was appointed a Victorian Multicultural Commissioner, providing the State Government with independent advice about the needs and views of Victoria's culturally diverse communities.
(above - Elleni Bereded-Samuel )
A different kind of enrolment
VU student Thomas Littleson won first prize in the Victorian Electoral Commission's (VEC) Make Your Design Count poster competition. The VEC called on the enthusiasm and talent of university and TAFE students to design a poster promoting enrolment for the Victorian State election.
It's a sign!
Victoria University's Department of Building Services and Special Trade's, Sign Industry Training program won the 2006 Gold National Award for Industry Training and Development - for the second year in a row. The award was presented to the Department by the Australian Sign and Graphics Association, in recognition of its ongoing commitment to youth training and its contribution to the sign industry.
ARC-ing up
Victoria University was awarded three new ARC Discovery Grants totalling almost $830,000 in October 2006. The areas of research are as diverse as Australian counter terrorism and homeland defence in detecting bio terrorism from privacy sensitive data; providing low cost broadband access to remote, rural and city fringe dwellings; and the production of novel optical fibre sensors.
Aboriginal Heritage Council
Victoria University's Karen Jackson was appointed a member of the new Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council, as part of a group of Victorian Indigenous people who will advise the Victorian State Government on cultural heritage. In her current role at Victoria University's Moondani Balluk Indigenous Academic Unit, Ms Jackson provides lectures and talks to students, staff and community groups about the importance of cultural heritage to the identity of Aboriginal people.
(above - Karen Jackson)
Melbourne Airport Developing Tourism Leaders Awards
Victoria University student Melissa Tabuteau won 1st Prize at the Melbourne Airport Developing Tourism Leaders Awards. Service Skills Victoria established the Awards which are aimed at students in their final year of a Certificate, Diploma or Bachelor Degree in Tourism and/or Hospitality studies in Victoria. Students were asked to develop an innovative business strategy focusing on small business within the tourism industry.
Good Evil Deeds
Victoria University TAFE Multimedia graduate Nino Aniceto won two awards in the prestigious 2006 ATOM awards. His work 'Good Evil Deeds' won him the 'Best Tertiary Interactive Game' category and the 'Best Tertiary Multimedia' category.
(above - still from 'Good Evil Deeds')
