Recognising student academic excellence in 2024
Celebrated annually, the VU Student Awards recognise academic excellence in all areas of higher education study, including undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
This year, students have received awards and citations across 65 categories, as well as four Dean’s Scholar Awards.
The awards are supported by VU’s generous industry partners and philanthropic donors.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Shoemaker extended personal congratulations to the award recipients.
You are the next generation of thinkers, leaders and entrepreneurs – and this award highlights all the wonderful places you will go.
Introducing the Dean's scholar award recipients:
Melinda Kate Dine
Awarded the Dean's Scholar Undergraduate Award for the College of Arts, Business, Law, Education and IT, Melinda Kate Dine completed her Bachelor of Laws/ Bachelor of Criminology in 2023.
Melinda has a profound commitment to improving victim experiences in the criminal justice system and has volunteered in this area for many years. In 2020, Melinda decided to take the next step and pursue this in a professional capacity – returning to study to begin her double degree in law and criminology after a 15-year career in the music industry.
In 2023, Melinda was awarded first class honours with her thesis on the public hearing power of the newly formed National Anti-Corruption Commission. In her first role post-graduation, Melinda is currently working as an associate to His Honour Judge Andrew Palmer in the County Court of Melbourne. Melinda has also been nominated for the 2023 Supreme Court Prize.
Natalia Sanchez
Natalia Sanchez was awarded the Dean's Scholar Postgraduate Award for the College of Arts, Business, Law, Education and IT, in recognition of her achievements in the Master of Enterprise Resource Planning.
Natalia moved to Australia from Colombia four years ago to pursue her studies, an experience that she described as “transformative”.
Professionally motivated by nurturing student growth, she holds a Bachelor's in Business Management and SAP certifications, including SAP Finance ERP 6.0. Recently, Natalia completed her Masters in Enterprise Resource Planning from Victoria University, and obtained the S/4 HANA Sales on Public Cloud certification. Natalia also led a Victoria University Business School team which came 3rd in the SAP University Alliances - Asia Pacific Japan final round competition.
Danielle Kanatas
Awarded the Dean's Scholar Undergraduate Award for the College of Science, Health and Engineering, Danielle Kanatas completed the Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2023.
Majoring in Human Physiology and Cell Molecular Biology, Danielle is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society, placing in the top 15 percentile of the Biomedical Science discipline in 2022.
In addition to her academic accomplishments, Danielle served on Victoria University Council as an elected student representative, is a panellist on the strategic review of the VU Block Model and has presented at an Academic Integrity and Assessment Security Symposium alongside professors and experts in academia.
Aline Bonifazzi
Aline Bonifazzi was awarded the Dean's Scholar Postgraduate Award for the College of Science, Health and Engineering, in recognition of her achievements in the Master of Public Health.
Throughout her academic journey, Aline particularly enjoyed applying theoretical knowledge in practical context, including a research project which considered the mediating factors between ADHD and eating disorders. She also developed a social media campaign promoting active transportation to Australian adolescents.
Aline dedicates her time to volunteering, having served as an Auskick manager and coach, as well as a junior football team trainer. She also contributes to the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation's programs and activities, including Daughters of the West.
Find out more about our 2024 Student Awards.
