More than 1200 students are expected to graduate at University of Queensland ceremonies at Mayne Hall, St Lucia tonight at 6pm and Thursday at 6pm and 8.15pm.
President of the Court of Appeal Justice Margaret McMurdo will be guest speaker at tonight's ceremony which features the Business Economics and Law Faculty.
Speakers on Thursday will be honorary degree recipient Dr Graham Alexander AO at the 6pm ceremony and Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in Queensland Dr Glyn Davis at the 8.15pm ceremony.
o Arts/law graduate and recent cochlear implant recipient Marissa Ker will follow tonight's proceedings using real time transcription technology, and lipreading.
Ms Ker, who has been profoundly deaf since the age of 11, is adjusting to a life of sound after her cochlear implant was switched on in April.
Currently employed part-time with Minter Ellison lawyers, she will start articles in law next year with the firm. Ms Ker hopes to work in international law where she can put her Japanese linguistic skills to good use.
For the past two years of her six years at UQ, she has had access to the transcription technology arranged through the University's Disability Service, headed by Laura Duggan, and Reporters Ink.
Ms Ker will be awarded honours in law at tonight's ceremony, after graduating in Arts with a double major in Japanese in 1997. She performed in the University's Law Revue for four of her six years at UQ, and represented the University at an International Cultural Festival in Japan in 1996.
In June she will run in the Olympic torch relay in Bundaberg.
Her brother, Andrew will also graduate tonight in Commerce and Arts. In 1999 Andrew received a lucrative Monbusho scholarship from the Japanese government to attend Keio University - one of Japan's most prestigious universities - on the UQ exchange program.
Most of the University's recently announced 87 Medallists are expected to attend ceremonies this week.
They include tonight's student valedictorian, dual University of Queensland Medallist Scott Hirst, who has been awarded one of only six Australian Frank Knox Scholarships for study at Harvard University.
Mr Hirst, who graduated Bachelor of Commerce from UQ in 1996, was awarded honours in 1998, a University Medal last year and another this year, will study for a Masters of Law at Harvard Law School.
A winner of the Queensland Law Society Prize in 1999, Mr Hirst has recently been awarded the Freehill Hollingdale and Page Prize in Law for a Commerce graduate who recently has graduated in Law with top marks. His many other awards include the PriceWaterhouseCoopers RS Gynther Prize, Arthur Andersen Leadership Scholarship, Butterworths Book Prize, Corrs Chambers Westgarth Prize, Walter Harrison Prize, Association of Taxation and Management Accountants Prize and Australian Students Prize.
Mr Hirst, who was student representative on the University's Academic Board last year, is the former Vice-President of the UQ Law Society and last year was legal aid director of the UQ Union.
o Associate Professor Bernard Cairns of the TC Beirne School of Law, a recognised expert in the civil justice system and civil litigation, will be awarded a Doctor of Laws degree tonight for a distinguished corpus of work. Dr Cairns is the author of the standard reference book in civil litigation, the 740 page Australian Civil Procedure, now in its fourth edition since 1980. His books also include the Law of Discovery and he is joint author of Queensland Civil Practice. This is believed to only the third Doctor of Laws degree awarded by the University in recent memory.
o Dr Graham Alexander AO will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Veterinary Science degree on Thursday, May 25 at the 6pm ceremony in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the veterinary and agriculture industries, and to The University of Queensland. His service to his alma mater includes 21 years as a member of the University of Queensland Senate from 1978 to 1998. He was Deputy Chancellor from 1993-1995, and he chaired the 1994 Senate Review Committee on Agricultural and Related Education and Research.
o UQ Excellence in Teaching Awards will be made at tonight's ceremony to Professor Ron Weber of the UQ Business School and on Thursday at 8.15pm to Dr Virginia Slaughter of the School of Psychology.
Media: Further information, Jan King, UQ Communications, telephone 0413 601 248.
Enquiries can also be directed to communications@mailbox.uq.edu.au
