Graduation ceremonies for the University of Newcastle will be held on the Callaghan campus over the next week.

Ceremonies are scheduled for Thursday 12, Friday 13, Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 April. 3,769 students are eligible to graduate.

Following is information regarding the ceremonies, occasional speakers and honorary doctorate recipients.

Thursday 12 April

10am: Faculty of Education and Arts

Occasional speaker: Dr Wayne Tinsey, Director of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. Dr Tinsey holds several tertiary qualifications in teaching and theology including a Master of Education, Master of Arts (Theology) and Doctor of Education from the Australian Catholic University. He has worked in Catholic education at all levels throughout Australia, as well as in South America and India.

2pm: Faculty of Education and Arts

Honorary degree recipient and occasional speaker: Dr John Drinan. Dr Drinan has worked extensively in the field of higher education teaching and learning and has held many advisory and consultant roles for commercial and government institutions. Many of these relate to his interest in the betterment of rural Australia, including advising federal ministers, contributing to the 1993 UNESCO conference on the agricultural training needs of Asia and working with the Dairy Research Council, Land and Water Australia Selection Committee and Australian Animal Welfare Strategy Advisory Committee.

6pm: Faculty of Education and Arts

Occasional speaker: Professor Terry Lovat, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Education and Arts, the University of Newcastle. Professor Lovat’s background is in theology, philosophy and education. Before coming to the University, Professor Lovat taught in high schools in three Australian states and lectured at what is now the Australian Catholic University, and later at the University of Sydney. Professor Lovat has been involved in many research projects in humanities, arts and social science, including current research on Islam in Australia.

Friday 13 April

10am: Faculty of Science and Information Technology

Occasional speaker and Exceptional Service medallist: Dr Colin Keay. Physicist Dr Keay has built a career in astronomy research. He joined the University in 1965 and for more than four decades has been a member of the International Astronomical Union, the world's top astronomy body. Dr Keay retired in 1993 and in retirement has engaged in the nuclear energy debate as a speaker and writer of four booklets. The ultimate recognition of Dr Keay's research in astronomy came in 1997 when a minor planet was named in his honour, Minor Planet 5007 KEAY.

2pm: Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment

Occasional speaker: Professor Michael Ostwald. Professor Ostwald is Dean of Architecture at the University of Newcastle. He is interested in how buildings shape the social and cultural fabric of cities. His research investigates how people understand and interact with buildings, and how architects design buildings that are appropriate for the modern world. Professor Ostwald is the only current architectural academic in Australasia to be awarded a Doctor of Science - the highest degree an academic can earn in a university. The higher doctorate will be presented to Professor Ostwald at this ceremony.

6pm: Faculty of Science and Information Technology

Occasional speaker and Exceptional Service medallist: Brian Atkins. Mr Atkins has held the position of Chair of the Newcastle Science and Engineering Challenge since 2001. Developed by the University's Faculties of Science and Information Technology and Engineering and Built Environment, the Challenge takes science and engineering problems to Year 10 students, to encourage an interest in science. Mr Atkins is a tireless fundraiser, arranges venues for the Challenge and organises the filling of over 150 volunteer positions.

Tuesday 17 April

2pm: Faculty of Health

Occasional speaker: Professor Alan Pettigrew, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the University of New England. Professor Pettigrew's research interests focus on the nervous system. As a highly successful researcher, he has been heavily involved in the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) and from 2001, was appointed by the Commonwealth Minister for Health as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the NHMRC. He has also been a member of the Australian Physiological and Pharmacological Society, Australian Neuroscience Society, Australian Society for Medical Research and the Australian Perinatal Society.

6pm: Faculty of Health

Occasional speaker: Emeritus Professor Saxon White AM, Foundation Professor and Head of the Discipline of Human Physiology at the University of Newcastle, from 1976 to 1999. His career has been dedicated to understanding how the heart, lung and circulation are controlled by the nervous system. Emeritus Professor White retired from the University of Newcastle in 2000 but remained closely associated with the Faculty of Health as Chairman of the Hunter Heart-Lung Research Guild from 2002 to 2005. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. In June 2005, his achievements were recognised as he was named as a Member of the Order of Australia.

Wednesday 18 April

10am: Faculty of Business and Law

Occasional speaker: Vivian Hayles. Director, Corporate Services, the Samaritans. Samaritans is the largest regionally based welfare agency in Australia, with 480 staff and 780 volunteers, providing services across the Hunter, Manning and Central Coast to children, young people, people with a disability and people experiencing disadvantage. Vivian is responsible for a wide range of functions within the organisation including human resources, information technology, marketing, fundraising and recycling operations. She has played a pivotal role in development of agency-wide strategic planning and has enjoyed seeing the benefits of staff developing a common vision and mission.

2pm: Faculty of Business and Law

Occasional speaker: Katherine Lindsay, Senior Lecturer, School of Law, the University of Newcastle. Ms Lindsay will also receive the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence and Learning Support, 2006, and the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence in the Faculty of Business and Law

Graduation Highlights

First architectural Doctor of Science in Australasia

Professor Michael Ostwald is the only current architectural academic in Australasia to be awarded a Doctor of Science - the highest degree an academic can earn in a university. A Doctor of Science - known as a higher doctorate - is awarded to candidates who have made an internationally recognised original contribution to knowledge and a substantial and distinguished contribution to their field. Higher doctorates are largely unheard of in the field of architecture and there are few known architectural academics in the world possessing such a degree. Professor Ostwald, who has been with the University for 13 years, is interested in how buildings shape the social and cultural fabric of cities. His research investigates how people understand and interact with buildings, and how architects design buildings that are appropriate for the modern world. Professor Ostwald is the occasional speaker in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment graduation ceremony on Friday 13 April at 2pm and will receive his higher doctorate at this ceremony.

Sister act

Amy and Sarah Chatburn are sisters who are both graduating with a Bachelor of Nursing degree on Tuesday 17 April at 2pm. The pair coped with the sad passing of their younger sister Jacqui while they were studying, yet managed to complete their degree programs on time and are both now employed by NSW Health at Gosford Hospital, under a graduate program.

Like father, like son

Frans Henskens Snr and Frans Henskens Jnr will both be honoured at the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment graduation ceremony on Friday 13 April at 2pm. Dr Frans Henskens (Snr), the Deputy Head of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University, will receive a 2006 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence. At the same ceremony, his son Frans Henskens Jnr will graduate with a Bachelor of Computer Science, following in his father's footsteps to become a computing professional.

Husband and wife team up

Chris and Karissa Baker like to set themselves challenges. This husband and wife team has spent the past five years studying for their degrees as mature age students - and somewhere they found time to have Grace, their first child, as well. On Thursday 12 April they will both graduate from their degree programs with First Class Honours and Faculty Medals. Chris will receive a Bachelor of Arts in History with First Class Honours and the Faculty Medal, while Karissa will receive a Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Early Childhood (Early Education) with First Class Honours and the Faculty Medal. Karissa completed the University's Open Foundation program in 2002 before starting her degree. Grace was born in 2004.

Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Teaching Excellence and Learning Support 2006

The Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Teaching Excellence and Learning Support 2006 recognise achievements in these fields among University staff. Recipients will receive their awards at the graduation ceremony for the Faculty in which they work. The 2006 recipents are:

Vice-Chancellor's School Teacher Award for 2006

These awards were introduced by the University this year to highlight the role of teachers in the choices students make about their future, including a decision to come to university. Three Hunter region high school teachers will be recognised during the graduation ceremonies of the students who nominated them, for their lasting positive impacts on the lives of students. They are Deborah Falconer and Ian Atkinson from Cessnock High School, and Marilynne Gledhill from Whitebridge High.

For interviews with any of the people featured in this media release please contact Katie Porritt.