University of Queensland Alumni Awards

The Honourable Dr Penelope Wensley AC is an Australian former public servant and diplomat who served as the 25th Governor of Queensland from 2008 to 2014. She was previously High Commissioner to India from 2001 to 2004 and Ambassador to France from 2005 to 2008.

• B. Arts (1967), The University of Queensland
• Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa (1994), The University of Queensland

• UQ Alumnus of the Year (1994)
• AC for eminent contribution to the people of Queensland, and to Australia’s international relations through senior diplomatic representational roles and as a key contributor to initiatives of the United Nations. (2011)

Dr Else Shepherd AM was a pioneer and role model in breaking through the barriers to women's professional acceptance particularly in "non-traditional" fields such as engineering. She was one of the first two women to graduate from electrical engineering at The University of Queensland, in 1965, and at one time she was one of only two female engineers working in Queensland. 

She was an Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. For three consecutive years, Engineers Australia ranked Dr Shepherd as one of Australia’s "Top 100 Most Influential Engineers", and in 2007, she was ranked one of Australia's "Top 25 Most Influential Female Engineers".

• B. Engineering (1966), The University of Queensland
• Grad. Dip. Music (1984), Queensland Conservatorium
• Doctor of Engineering honoris causa (2011), The University of Queensland

• UQ Alumnus of the Year (2009)
• AM for service to the engineering profession, particularly electrical and electronic engineering, to education, to the electricity distribution industry, and to the community (2003)
• Centenary Medal for service to Australian society in information technology (2001)
• Queensland Greats Award (2022)

Sallyanne Atkinson AO FAIM, FAICD, FAPI is a Business Leader and Former Politician.

Sallyanne began an arts degree at The University of Queensland, before becoming a journalist on the Brisbane Telegraph from 1960 to 1962, the Sydney Telegraph from 1962 to 1963, and The Courier-Mail from 1963 to 1964. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in History and Political Science, in 1967. She was Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1985 to 1991 and to date has been the only woman to have held this position.

Sallyanne was the College Council President from 2009 to 2020. In honour of Sallyanne’s leadership and service, in 2021 the College renamed ‘Old Wing’ – the building where she resided at The Women’s College in 1960 – to the Sallyanne Atkinson Building. 

• B. Arts (1967), The University of Queensland
• Doctor of the University honoris causa (2007), The University of Queensland

• AO in recognition of service to the community and local government (1993)
• Centenary Medal for distinguished service to local government and to business (2001)
• UQ Alumnus of the Year (2014)
• Queensland Greats Award (2014)

Marie Myers joined Hewlett Packard Enterprise as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in January 2024. She is a strategic and visionary CFO known for making financial decisions that fuel innovation and performance. Marie has been recognized by Women in Computing and was named to the Top 40 under 40 in Finance. She also was chosen as one of the Top 20 Most Powerful Businesswomen in Texas. In 2018, she was selected for Texas Executive Women on the Move and one of the Top 30 Influential Women of Houston. In 2019, she was recognized as one of Houston Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business.

• B. Arts / B. Economics, UQ
• M. Business Administration, University of St. Thomas (Houston)

• UQ Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Award 2016

Michelle Grant is a food systems specialist and educator who runs a world-leading research centre tackling the world’s most profound global food system challenges. She is the founding Executive Director of the World Food System Center (WFSC) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), an internationally top-ranked research university based in Zurich, Switzerland.

• B. Engineering (Hons) (2002), UQ

UQ Distinguished Young Alumni Award 2017

Helene Marsh AO is Emeritus Professor in Environmental Science and a Professorial Fellow at James Cook University. She is a Fellow of both the Australian Academies of Science and Technological Sciences and Engineering and has received international and national awards for her research. 

• PhD Zoology (1973), James Cook University
• B. Science (1968), The University of Queensland

• UQ Alumnus of the Year 2018
• AO for distinguished service to the biological and environmental sciences, to the conservation of marine mammals, and to tertiary education. (2021)

Sally McPherson has been a member of The Women’s College Council since October 2024.

Sally is an experienced executive leader and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in marketing, business funding, digital transformations, and governance within the technology and construction sectors. A graduate of the University of Queensland with degrees in Business (Marketing) and Arts (Economics & Media Studies), Sally has also completed executive leadership programs and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sally founded and led Constructiv Technologies Group, including it’s flagship brand iseekplant, transforming it into an integrated marketplace ecosystem. Under her leadership, the group experienced significant revenue growth, operational efficiencies, and transitioned from investor-funded to profitability. Sally spearheaded innovative financing strategies, capital raises, and organisational  restructuring., driving long-term growth and sustainability. Sally has served as a Non-Executive Director and head of investor relations and strategic projects for Constructiv Technologies Group since stepping down as CEO after a decade. Sally also collaborates with growth-stage companies through her involvement in private equity initiatives, contributing her extensive skills in scaling and operational optimisation. 

She brings expertise in corporate governance, strategic marketing, captial structures, and board leadership to the Council, with a track record of cultivating high-performing cultures.

Colleges’ UQ Alumni Award 2020

Amanda Johnston-Pell is Vice-President Marketing Services Center Asia (Bengaluru, India), leading the transformation agenda for IBM’s Artificial Intelligence, Cloud & Quantum computing business.

Member Chief Executive Women Australia, Advisory Board Member Sydney School of Entrepreneurship and Sparsha Trust, serving underprivileged children in India.

Prior roles include: Chief Marketing + Co-Customer Officer + Board Director IBM A/NZ; Co-Founder Tech Media Startup New York; Chief Marketing Officer Telstra; Executive Director BigPond; General Manager LANG; consultant for six Olympic Games; Non-Executive Director for AMP’s Self-managed Super Funds business; and Australian American Leadership Dialogue.

She is a graduate of University of Massachusetts, University of Queensland, Australian Institute of Company Director’s.

• B. Human Movement Studies (Education), UQ (1992)
• M. Science, University of Massachusetts (1995)

UQ Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Award 2021

Dr Bonny Cumming is a veterinarian and project manager whose work is focused at the intersection of human, animal and environmental health. Her career has been varied, from wildlife conservation to zoonoses research projects, community animal health worker training, and political advocacy.

B. Veterinary Science (Hons) (2008), UQ

UQ Distinguished Young Alumni Award 2021

The Honourable Anna Bligh AC resided at The Women’s College in 1978, during her first year of studying a Bachelor of Arts degree at The University of Queensland (UQ).

Before entering politics, Anna worked for various community organisations. She was then first elected to the State Parliament in 1995. In July 2005, Anna was promoted to Deputy Premier, and was subsequently promoted to Queensland Premier in 2007. In office from 2007 to 2012, Anna served as the 37th Premier of Queensland. After retiring from politics, Anna was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Banking Association, a role she held from 2017 to 2025.

• B. Arts (1981), The University of Queensland
• Doctor of Laws honoris causa (2010), The University of Queensland

• AC for eminent service to the Parliament of Queensland, particularly as Premier, to infrastructure development and education reform, as an advocate for the role of women in public life, and to the not-for-profit sector. (2017)
• UQ Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Award (2023)

Thirty years ago, Karina Holden was pumping crocodile stomachs and doing testicular biopsies on snakes as a graduate of The University of Queensland. She made the switch from conservation biology to film making when she joined the ABC’s Natural History Unit as a researcher, working her way up the food chain to work on blue chip wildlife series.

Since then, Karina has been a trailblazer in the field of factual television. As Commissioning Editor of Science and Natural History at ABC TV, she commissioned over 100 hours of documentary content. Currently Head of Factual at Northern Pictures, Karina has overseen more than 20 factual series including See What You Made Me Do, The Jury: Death on the Staircase, and the globally successful Love on the Spectrum, winner of six Emmy® Awards. Her environmental programming has taken many forms, including theatrical documentaries, blue chip natural history series, live broadcast and 360-degree immersive film making. 

Karina has been recognised in the 100 Women of Influence by the Financial Review. Her broad slate of programs was awarded the prestigious Human Rights Award for Media and Creative Industries in 2023. Karina has also received numerious nominations and awards from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Televsion Arts (AACTA).

• UNESCO Sydney City of Film film maker of the year (2021)
• UQ Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Award (2023)