The School of Art, Communication and English celebrated the achievements of 48 outstanding students at its 2026 Prizes and Awards Ceremony, joined by donors, staff, family and friends.
On Thursday 7 May 2026, around 150 guests gathered in the Refectory of the Holme Building to recognise academic achievement across Art History, English and Writing, and Media and Communications (MECO).
Interim Head of School Associate Professor Andrew Lavery opened proceedings with an Acknowledgement of Country. In his welcome, Associate Professor Lavery thanked donors and benefactors for their long-standing support.
Reflecting on the past year, Associate Professor Lavery highlighted the School’s industry- and community-connected education and broader research impact, before praising the School's strong QS World University Rankings by Subject results. Art History ranked 26th globally and number one in Australia for the third consecutive year; English ranked second in Australia and 25th worldwide; and MECO ranked third nationally and 28th globally.
He also commended Art History's ARC-funded research and international collaboration, teaching innovation in English and Writing, and MECO academics for shaping public debate on Australia's under-16s social media ban.
Art History prizes
Associate Professor Donna West Brett led the Art History prize presentations, welcoming Jennifer Turpin and Amanda Rowell to award the Frank McDonald Travel Scholarship to Mia Francesca Di Mento and Maeve Sullivan.
Since 2013, the Frank McDonald Memorial Fund has supported travel for undergraduate Art History students within Australia and internationally. In recent years, the Scholarship has enabled students to explore museums, galleries, exhibitions, and the art districts of Paris or Berlin.
Professor John Carter joined the stage to congratulate Bineeta Saha, recipient of the Kathryn Carter Prize in Art History. The prize is in memory of Kathryn Carter, who studied Art History at Sydney.
David Mackay presented the Mary Mackay Prize to Sinead Border, a postgraduate student in Museum and Heritage Studies. The Prize was established in honour of Dr Mary Mackay, an art historian and alumna of the Power Institute.
English and Writing prizes
Associate Professor Frances Di Lauro, Chair of English and Writing, presided over the prizes across the discipline. Pia Curran received the Graduate Women NSW Prize, which was presented by Tricia Blombery. Donald Adams conferred the Janet O’Connor Postgraduate Scholarships on Chloe Frampton and Ruoyan Zhao.
Associate Professor Laura Ginters took the stage to present the Rosemary Samios Research Award to Bridget Mac Eochagain, a Higher Degree Research student in Theatre and Performance Studies.
Across the discipline, 24 prizes recognised achievements in Australian and English literature, creative writing, and critical scholarship.
Media and Communications prizes
The prizes in Media and Communications are named after Associate Professor Anne Dunn and Professor Catharine Lumby. Both were instrumental in establishing the discipline at the University in 2000. Professor Lumby awarded the Catharine Lumby Prize for Excellence in Media and Communication Studies to Gracie Allen for achieving the highest overall marks as a first-year student.
Dr Brittany Ferdinands oversaw the presentation of the Anne Dunn Memorial Prizes, which recognised 11 undergraduate and postgraduate students for excellence in radio and podcasting, video production, media writing, and television and video journalism. The prize commemorates the work of Associate Professor Dunn, a highly respected and widely loved Australian journalism educator, scholar, and broadcast media professional who had a passion for creative partnerships between industry and academy.
Associate Professor Lavery concluded the awards presentation by congratulating all prize recipients and thanking donors for their generosity and ongoing support of student success.
Following the awards presentation, staff, donors, students and their guests assembled in the Refectory's drawing room to network while enjoying drinks and a delightful selection of canapés.
We thank all donors and staff involved for making this celebration so enjoyable and successful. Congratulations to all winners!
View the event photo gallery on the FASS Student Affairs and Engagement Facebook page. Featured photos by Tammy Dang.