Academic, lecturer and lawyer Dr Kala Mulqueeny is the 2011 University of Queensland Young Alumnus of the Year.
Dr Mulqueeny is Senior Counsel at the Asian Development Bank in the Philippines.
She has contributed to legal, policy and development work in the Asia Pacific region, in the areas of legal empowerment, environmental and energy policy regulation.
She is a 2011 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, 2010 Yale World Fellow and was named one of the top 40 lawyers in Australasia by Australasian Legal Business: Legal News.
In Sri Lanka, Dr Mulqueeny designed and oversaw a post-tsunami Ministry of Justice legal empowerment and equity project which directly assisted about 80,000 tsunami victims.
Dr Mulqueeny was honoured at The University of Queensland's annual Courting the Greats gala dinner on September 24 at the UQ Centre, St Lucia.
The black tie event also honoured UQ's joint winners of the International Alumnus of the Year, Dr Yuichi Murakami, Associate Professor at the Fukushima University Faculty of Administration and Social Sciences in Japan; and Edwin Khew, the co-founder, CEO and Managing Director of IUT Global Pte Ltd.
The 2011 UQ Alumnus of the Year is Dr Dimity Dornan, AM — the founder and Executive Director of the Hear and Say, whose lifetime has been devoted to helping lives of hearing-impaired children and their families.
Dr Dornan’s award was presented at the event in association with Alumni Friends of The University of Queensland Inc.
The 2011 Young Alumnus of the Year Vice-Chancellor’s Commendation was awarded to Dr David Noon, Dr Chadden Hunter and Ms Anna Kloeden.
The Courting the Greats event celebrated UQ's alumni community and paid tribute to exceptional alumni who have achieved distinction in their chosen fields and recognition among their peers.
For the first time, five Graduates of the Year from the class of 2011 were awarded. The five winners received perfect grades all the way through their degrees. They are:
• Amy Chan - Bachelor of Science in the field of Mathematics with Honours Class 1
• Christian Hoermann - Bachelor of Engineering in the field of Software Engineering with Honours Class 1
• Nicola Stromsoe - Bachelor of Science in the field of Geographical Science with Honours Class 1
• Ernest Tee - Bachelor of Biotechnology in the field of Drug Design and Development with Honours Class 1
• Jack Valmadre - Bachelor of Engineering with an extended major in Mechatronic Engineering with Honours Class 1
The University received a large number of nominees in all categories.
“The diversity of this year's applicants is testament to the success of our graduates both here and overseas in a wide range of disciplines,” UQ Pro Vice-Chancellor (Advancement) Clare Pullar said.
“The calibre of our nominees has certainly reinforced the strong innovation and leadership our alumni community have demonstrated since graduation,” Ms Pullar said.
A photo of the winners can be downloaded from: http://omc.uq.edu.au/images/courting%5Fgreats/
Media: Jan King 0413 601 248
CITATION
Dr Kala Mulqueeny
Bachelor of Commerce 1991
Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) 1994
2011 Young Alumnus of the Year
Dr Kala Mulqueeny graduated from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1991 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1994. She was awarded a University Medal, was Vice-President of the University of Queensland Law Society, Director of the International Student Clerkship Exchange and served on the Law Faculty Board.
She went on to receive a Masters of Law (waived) and a Doctorate of Juridical Science from Harvard Law School and was awarded the Laylin Prize for both her Master’s thesis and Doctorate of Juridical Science dissertation. She is one of only two persons to have won this prize twice.
After University, Dr Mulqueeny clerked for a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia and worked for Fairfax Pty Ltd. She has practiced law with leading firms in Australia, New York and Hong Kong and interned at the Centre for International Environmental Law in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2010, she was named one of the top 40 lawyers in Australasia by Australasian Legal Business: Legal News.
Dr Mulqueeney is a 2011 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and a 2010 Yale World Fellow. She has taught widely. She was an Adjunct Professor equivalent at the University of the Philippines and a lecturer at Hong Kong University and the Asia-America Institute in Transnational Law.
Today Dr Mulqueeny is Senior Counsel in the Office of General Counsel at the Asian Development Bank leading law, policy and regulation relating to the environment, energy and climate change. Her work has seen her at the forefront of environment and energy policy and regulation, including energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon capture and storage technology.
Dr Mulqueeny is truly an alumnus of the modern age with a career that is both dynamic in its scope and global in perspective. She exemplifies the University’s values of diversity, teaching and research excellence, and community engagement. It is with great pleasure that The University of Queensland awards the 2011 Young Alumnus of the Year to Dr Kala Mulqueeny.
