Retired veterinarian Syd Miller has a special interest in The University of Queensland graduation at the UQ Centre, St Lucia on Monday (Dec 9) at 3pm.
The world-renowned practitioner from Warwick completed his degree studies 52 years ago but through a quirk in the system until now has never worn the gown and mortar.
He was one of five students who qualified for a BVSc after World War 2.
There was no Veterinary School in Brisbane at the time. Queensland students undertook three years of science study at UQ with the final two years at the University of Sydney. But it was not considered a Sydney degree.
“We had to make do with a piece of paper in the mail,’’ said Mr Miller who pioneered cattle embryo transfer surgery after retiring from private practice in 1982.
Almost 200 students from the Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science will be graduating at St Lucia in 2002.
Among 90 Veterinary Science graduates will be outstanding student Christine Trezise who this year won a place in the prestigious leadership course at Cornell University in the United States.
New PhD graduate Scott Norman will be taking up a position as lecturer in livestock reproduction at the Veterinary School next year. He has spent much of his time since graduating in 1983 working at the Goondiwindi Pastoral Veterinary Centre.
His thesis dealt with the nutritional requirements of beef cattle heifers.
Among the graduates from the School of Land and Food Sciences will be Bradley Campbell, winner of the prestigious Bell Medal for a molecular genetics project studying grain sorghum.
Dr Hilton Deeth said there was strong demand for graduates from the Food Technology and Food Science and Nutrition degree courses.
The discipline has also produced PhD graduates including Brenda Mossel of Ipswich who completed her thesis on the medical benefits of honey collected from bees feeding on flowering jelly bush.
Outstanding animal science student Cindy Trevor of the Atherton Tableland will deliver the valedictory address at 3 pm on Monday.
Media: For further information on the St Lucia graduation contact Anthony Smith on 07 5460 1229.
