The annual Alumni Awards are an opportunity for the University of Sydney community to recognise strengths of our alumni community and celebrate their leadership, integrity, creativity, determination, leadership, resilience, compassion and achievement. Our alumni have a profound impact on the world around them and these awards are an opportunity for us to recognise their achievements and celebrate their strengths.
Read on to hear more from our six Alumni Award winners and six Graduate Medallists.
2025 Alumni Award winners
Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
Professor Tanya Monro AC (BSc(Hons) ’95, PhD ’98)
Chief Defence Scientist, Department of Defence
What is the most counterintuitive decision you've made in your career that turned out to be correct?
“Stepping out of the comfortable environments inhabited by others who share your expertise and background into spaces that jolt you into seeing different perspectives. Because it is in doing so that you can truly make the biggest difference – by creating bridges together to connect these worlds and teams that know how to traverse them for the benefit of all.”
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Dr Luke Gordon (BE(Hons) ’18, BMedSoc ’18, PhD ’22)
Neuroscientist and Study Director, Neuralink
What is the most counterintuitive decision you've made in your career that turned out to be correct?
“After completing my PhD with publications and strong academic momentum, I intentionally stepped away from conventional post-grad opportunities. Instead, I chose to start fresh, applying for industry roles globally – a decision that felt risky at the time. Despite a steep learning curve, this shift has led me to work that I am passionate about. Now at Neuralink, I'm developing technologies that hold promise for restoring autonomy to people with paralysis, creating immediate and meaningful change in their lives.”
Alumni Award for Cultural Contribution
David Handley AM (BA ’87, LLB ’89)
Founding Director, Sculpture by the Sea
What is the most counterintuitive decision you've made in your career that turned out to be correct?
“While some of my major decisions could be seen as counterintuitive by others – like starting Sculpture by the Sea as a free to the public cultural event, when I had no experience, no contacts or funding in place – most of my major decisions have been based on intuition. Sculpture by the Sea was born from a strong sense that our overly commercial world needs more free things. Free-to-the-public community events add to our sense of community and social good will. So, I do not think I have done anything counterintuitive – except for the mistakes I have made when I have not followed my gut instincts.”
Alumni Award for Service to Humanity
Kelly McJannett (MBA ’19)
CEO and Co-Founder, Food Ladder
What is the most counterintuitive decision you've made in your career that turned out to be correct?
“I don't believe we should fear being ’counterintuitive.’ When I left my PR job just six months into my career to bring an ed-tech solution to remote Indigenous communities in Australia, many saw it as an illogical move. But to me, it never felt risky. That leap of faith gave me unique insights that eventually laid the foundation for Food Ladder. It was then that I developed my ‘unreasonable’ determination that every community on Earth deserves the infrastructure to grow its own food. In my experience, when something feels counterintuitive, it might just mean you're on the right track.”
Alumni Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
James Ferguson (BCom '14, LLB '17)
CEO and Co-Founder, Immutable
What is the most counterintuitive decision you've made in your career that turned out to be correct?
“Swapping an investment banking internship for a bunk bed in a sketchy SF flat to learn software. Immersing myself in frontier tech and learning to code at the source felt reckless next to my friends’ banking gigs, but the most value is often made at the intersection of areas rather than just maximising one, and that intersection of finance and technology became the basis for most of my professional life.”
Alumni Award for International Achievement
Dr Steven V Zizzo (MPH ’05, MBBS'’08)
Obesity and Family Physician, Medical Director, Winterberry Family Medicine
What is the most counterintuitive decision you've made in your career that turned out to be correct?
“Not to follow the status quo just because it's popular or common.”
2025 Graduate Medallists
Medal for Undergraduate Leadership
Ben Hines (BCom '21, BAdvStudies(Hons) '22, LLB(Hons) '24)
Successes are fleeting and failures are temporary - no matter the outcome there is always something to come and a reason to aim higher.
Medal for Postgraduate Leadership
Grace Judah (MBA(L&E) '24)
Hold on to your values, and whenever challenges come your way, see them as stepping stones rather than roadblocks.
John C Harsanyi Medal for Innovation
Dr Edward Yang (PhD '24)
It's tempting to chase perfection, but that mindset often does more harm than good. Sometimes, good enough is perfect.
Rita and John Cornforth Medal for Research Excellence
Dr Daniel Balzer (BSc(Adv)(Hons) '20, PhD '24)
Don’t be afraid to choose a research problem that’s difficult, especially if solving it could have a significant impact.
Nigel C Barker Medal for Sporting Achievement
Rae Anderson PLY (BA(Hons) '25)
Keep taking every opportunity and embracing every moment of life, even the smallest of milestones.
Sister Alison Bush Medal for Contribution to Indigenous Community
Mahlia Garay (BA '24, BSW '24)
Growth comes from allowing yourself to make mistakes, asking questions and continuing to apply yourself to new opportunities even when they feel daunting.