The School’s most senior alumni and most recent graduates have recently celebrated the 150th anniversary in style through the Engineering reunion program.

50 Years and Over Lunch, 29 April 2011

The annual 50 Years and Over Lunch was held on Friday, 29 April at Trinity College, giving our engineering graduates from 1961 or earlier a chance to celebrate the anniversary together. Almost 170 alumni and their guests joined us for what we believe to be the largest 50 Years and Over Lunch to date, including a number of guests from interstate and regional Victoria.

Engineering Alumni at the 50 Years and Over Lunch in the Trinity College Dining Hall

After welcome drinks in the Junior Common Room, guests moved to the Dining Hall and were welcomed by Roy Hardcastle AO (BCE 1948) as a representative of the 150^th working group, and by the host of the lunch and Acting Dean of the Melbourne School of Engineering, Professor Peter Scales.

The ‘young ones’ who finished their degrees in 1961 were given a warm welcome by the wider group, and the most senior alumni present were also recognised for their commitment in attending the lunch, including special guest Sir Archie Glenn OBE (BCE 1933).

Professor Scales also acknowledged the passing of a number of engineering alumni from the cohort, including John Hamilton, Dr Bill Bonwick and Sir James Foots AO and more recently, Victor Jennings OBE.

After lunch Professor Geoff Stevens addressed the audience on Australia’s potential role as an ongoing energy superpower, followed by a lively question time with the audience. Emeritus Professor Leonard Stevens AM (BCE 1950) also addressed the group and spoke about the importance of providing opportunities for students to broaden their experience and networks through extra-curricular activities. He asked fellow alumni to share in this vision by supporting the Len Stevens Scholarship Appeal, established to celebrate the 150^th anniversary.

Alumni examining the 'mystery object' at the 50 Years and Over lunch

A highlight of the lunch was the circulation of a mystery object found in the Cultural Collection of the Geomatics Department – guests were asked to submit informed guesses as to what the object might be. For the first time, guests had the opportunity to be seated with others who completed their degree at a similar time, leading to a number of ‘mini reunions’ throughout the event.

Three Master of Engineering students were also present to meet with alumni, as recipients of the Master of Engineering Scholarship program supported by the Melbourne University Engineering Foundation and made possible through the generosity of many attendees at the lunch.

Guests were also encouraged to share their stories and memories of engineering at Melbourne by sending in stories for the 150^th blog – available at http://mse150.wordpress.com/ and asked to express interest in attending the black tie 150^th Gala Dinner at the National Gallery of Victoria on Friday, 28 October 2011.

An online photo gallery from the Lunch is at http://www.eng.unimelb.edu.au/alumni/images/events/50YearsandOver2011/

Some members of the working group for the 2006-2010 Alumni Reunion

2006-2010 Engineering Alumni Reunion

The Prince Alfred pub, known to many as PAs, has long been a favourite of engineering students at the University of Melbourne. So it was fitting that undergraduate and postgraduate graduates from 2006 – 2010 converged on the upstairs function room on Friday, 20 May for their reunion.

A large working group (19 in total) helped to promote the event on Facebook and resulted in 85 alumni from all disciplines attending a great Friday night drinks. Many came straight from work and all enjoyed catching up with old friends and making some new contacts, over a beer or two.

Recent engineering graduates celebrate 150 years of engineering education upstairs at PA's

A highlight of the evening, or a “new tradition” as it was deemed, was a performance of a reworked version of the 80s classic “Summer of 69” that included references to BBQs on South Lawn, cramming for exams and lengthy graduation ceremonies.

Performed by Professor Jamie Evans (Electrical and Electronic Engineering), Professor Andrew Ooi (Mechanical Engineering) and Dr Gavin Buskes (Electrical and Electronic Engineering), the song was videoed and can be found on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvk-sYaYaMQ. The lyrics are below.

The night continued with some impromptu karaoke and a guitar solo from Nicholas McKay (Civil 2009) and left many of our more recent engineering graduates asking when the next Friday night catch-up would be…

Got my first real textbook
Stole it from the Baillieu lib
Read it up ‘til Chapter Two
And then it was lecture time

You and some guys from school
Sat up the back and talked real hard
Couldn’t believe, Ooi was married
(You) didn’t think he could’ve got that far

Oh when you look back now
Those lectures seemed to last forever
But if you had the choice
Yeah, you’d always wanna be there
Those were the best days of your life

Ain’t no use complaining’
When you have assignments due
Spent your evenings doing nothing
And then copied from Prue!

Standin’ on the South Lawn
You thought that keg would last forever
And when you jumped the moat
You thought that you were very clever
Those were the best days of your life

Cramming at exam time

Man we were wastin’ time
You were young and feckless
Your life was so sublime
I guess nothin’ can last forever –

And now that you’re out workin’
Can’t go home until your boss has gone
Sometimes when you see your old textbook
(You) think about life wonder what went wrong

Graduatin’ (at) Wilson Hall
You thought that it would take forever
And when they shook your hand
You knew that you were very clever
That was the best day of your life

Cramming at exam time

As part of the Melbourne School of Engineering’s celebration of 150 years of engineering education at Melbourne, the Melbourne School of Engineering has provided two FA Kernot Scholarships for first year Master of Engineering students, worth $25,000 each.

Fergie Romero

The scholarships were awarded to first year Master of Engineering students, based on an application and interview process, as well as on academic merit for results obtained in the undergraduate degree and the first semester of the Master of Engineering program.

Congratulations to Fergie Romero and Martin Lee, who were awarded the scholarships, from a group of 20 outstanding applicants. Both also received Master of Engineering scholarships for academic merit at the commencement of their graduate programs.

Fergie Romero is a Master of Engineering (Civil) student, who also received the ExxonMobile Award for Excellence, earlier in the year, which will lead to a summer internship with the firm.

“ExxonMobil is a global leader in engineering, the prospect of working for them is an exciting and invaluable part of the scholarship,” Fergie said.

She complements her studies with voluntary work for the Melbourne University Community Development Club, and recently participated in the University’s expedition to Ilahita, a remote community in Papua New Guinea, where she was involved in community consultation on water, sanitation, health and gender issues.

“As a devoted volunteer, the scholarships I have received have meant that I have been able to allocate financial resources towards projects that I am passionate about, without having to compromise other aspects of my academic and working life.”

“Throughout my time here at the University of Melbourne I have had the great fortune of being continually supported in my endeavours as a volunteer and student. I feel honoured to have been awarded these scholarships and it is my sincerest intention to use them in such a way as to enrich my studies and give back to the university through my vocation,” she said.

Martin Lee

Martin Lee is a Master of Engineering (Mechatronics) student, who also earlier this year received the inaugural Noel Mather Memorial Prize for mechanical engineering.

Martin said that it was an absolute honour to receive the FA Kernot scholarship.

“This scholarship has really given me the flexibility to pursue my interests and further my commitments in extra-curricular activities. Not only does it relieve the financial pressure inherent in a fulltime course, but it frees up time for me to involve myself further in community work and to take my studies further,” Martin said.

In addition to awarding academic merit, the panel interviewing the short-listed candidates for the FA Kernot award took into account, community engagement, such as voluntary work and passion for creating a better world through engineering.

Martin and Fergie scored well on both fronts, with a balance of excellent grades, and participation in extra curriculu voluntary work and humanitarian engineering projects.

Thanks to its donors and sponsors the Melbourne School of Engineering offers a generous range of scholarship opportunities for international and local students.

Visit the Melbourne School of Engineering Scholarships site to find out more about engineering scholarship opportunities.

Young Australian of the Year, Marita Cheng, visited The University of Melbourne today as a guest speaker at an International Women’s Day morning tea.

The morning tea and talk was hosted by the Association for Women on Campus.

Marita was awarded the 2012 Young Australian of the Year on Australia Day. She was recognised for her role inspiring young women to pursue careers in engineering and technology through her organisation, Robogals, a worldwide association of volunteers who run robotics workshops for school-age girls. Robogals now has 19 chapters in 6 countries.

Marita discussed how she was initially inspired to pursue a career in engineering and how Robogals was conceived.

She also discussed how winning the Melbourne School of Engineering’s Paterson Scholarship helped her during her course, as it meant she no longer needed to work to meet her expenses, meaning she was free to pursue her passions, including Robogals.

For further information about Robogals and Marita’s work, visit the Robogals website.

Sandra Oveissi

In 2011, Iranian Master of Engineering (Software) student Sandra Oveissi was awarded a Master of Engineering (ME) Merit scholarship, thanks to the support of donors and the Melbourne School of Engineering (MSE) Foundation.

Sandra said that receiving the scholarship was one of the most important achievements of her academic life.

“It has encouraged me to be more ambitious in my studying and in my future career.”

Sandra is in her second year of the Master of Engineering and is currently investigating overseas career opportunities in software engineering, although she suspects she will work in Australia upon graduation.

“Melbourne has some great events and festivals and there are lots of multi-cultural restaurants. I love to try new foods,” she said.

Sandra enjoys the interactivity of the Master of Engineering, the academic group discussions and the group project work with fellow students.

“The course gives us the opportunity to develop technical skills and the ability to apply engineering principles to solve real-world problems.”

Sandra feels the project work she is undertaking is particularly important.

“Each year we need to complete a project for real clients. This has helped me to improve my knowledge, in a formal and practical sense, while increasing my confidence through experiencing software engineering projects in real environment,” she said.

Receiving the ME Merit scholarship was a deciding factor for Sandra in studying at the University of Melbourne. She received the scholarship offer only days after arriving in Melbourne to attend another institution.

“I am so glad I had the opportunity to come to Melbourne, not only because I’m doing a great course, but also the fantastic range of university and student run organisations available here.”

Sandra is working as an IT Manager for Teachabout, an organisation dedicated to improving the education of children from aboriginal backgrounds. She is also helping to encourage young women to study engineering and technology through her membership of the Melbourne chapter of Robogals. She is a team member of the Cancer Council’s Relay for Life event, which raises funds for cancer research and is also a member of the Engineering Student Society.

“Getting involved in these organisations is a way of giving back to the university community. I am really happy that I can have a chance to show my support in this way,” she said.

Since 2011, engineering students at the University of Melbourne have had access to an even greater range of scholarships, due to the support of donors and the MSE  Foundation.

The MSE Foundation Board of Management is a committed group of volunteers who work with senior staff both in the MSE and across the University to help generate financial and community support for the School.

In 2012,  Master of Engineering scholarships will be awarded to high-performing Engineering students across disciplines, both locally and internationally, offering them financial support during their course. Access scholarships are also available for local Master of Engineering applicants who have experienced significant disadvantage during their education, or who are members of a group under-represented in higher education in engineering. Women are a priority group for access scholarships as they are under-represented in engineering in higher education as well as in the profession.

International and local students who apply for the professional Master of Engineering (ME) by the appropriate application deadlines are automatically considered for ME Merit Scholarships. More information about engineering scholarships are available online.

To find out more about the MSE Foundation please visit http://www.eng.unimelb.edu.au/alumni/donors-giving/, or contact the Foundation secretariat Wendy Zhao on +61 3 9035 9704 or by email.

The University of Melbourne offers a range of scholarships to local and international Engineering and IT students, acknowledging academic excellence and providing support to those students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue their studies.

These scholarships have been made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors and the MSE Foundation. All scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis with academic merit scholarships given to academically excellent students.

A number of $20,000 MSE Foundation Scholarships are awarded to high achieving international students in our professional Masters degrees; the Master of Engineering, the Master of Information Technology and the Master of Information Systems.  The foundation also offers $10,000 bursaries to high achieving local students.

Students do not need to apply separately for these scholarships. All eligible students who have applied to the Masters programs will be considered.

There are also scholarship opportunities for University of Melbourne undergraduate students intending to pursue graduate studies in Engineering.

The Loxton and Tewksbury Aspiring Engineer Scholarships offer students in the final year of their Melbourne undergraduate degree financial support through their Master of Engineering course.

Master of Engineering (Civil) student Lydia Moll (pictured above) was awarded the Tewksbury Scholarship in the final year of her Bachelor of Science degree.

Now as she is mid-way through the second year of her graduate course, Lydia is looking forward to working in a graduate engineering role in the geotechnical or structural sector.

“Receiving the Tewksbury Scholarship allowed me to fully immerse myself in the challenging coursework without the additional distraction of time consuming part-time work.

“This scholarship provided much appreciated acknowledgement of the hard work demanded at university and motivated me in the pursuit of my Masters qualification.”

Fergie Romero

Master of Engineering (Civil) graduate Fergie Romero received an impressive five scholarships and prizes during her studies at the University of Melbourne.

The financial support the awards offered gave Fergie the freedom to focus on her studies, and to pursue her interest in humanitarian engineering projects both locally and internationally. One of the awards she received was the ExxonMobil Award for excellence, which is open to all penultimate year engineering students. The $5000 prize was established to recognise and support the achievements of outstanding students.

“As a devoted volunteer, this scholarship has meant that I have been able to allocate financial resources towards projects that I am passionate about, without having to compromise other aspects of my academic and working life,” Fergie said.

To find out more about scholarship opportunities in Engineering and IT at The University of Melbourne, visit our scholarships page.

Engineering pathway student Adam Pyke admitted that he was very excited when he found out he was the inaugural recipient of the Indigenous Engineers: Engineering Pathway Scholarship at The University of Melbourne.

“I’ll be honest, I was jumping up and down. It was rewarding me for what I wanted to do.”

This year, Adam begins his Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Geomatics, with a plan to continue into the Master of Engineering (Geomatics).

The University of Melbourne is offering the new scholarship thanks to funding support from the Commonwealth Department of Education, formerly the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education. The scholarship is intended to support an Indigenous Bachelor of Science student undertaking pathway subjects to graduate engineering.

The scholarship is valued at $75,000 over three years and comprises a $10,000 per annum living allowance and $15,000 per annum fee remission.

Adam said the scholarship offered a great incentive in reducing financial pressures and enabling him to focus on his studies.

“It certainly takes a big burden off in terms of my HECS debt. The scholarship is going to be a massive help, especially later on down the track.”
Adam said he was always interested in Maths and Science, particularly Physics, throughout his schooling at Highvale Secondary College and later Wesley College where he transferred on a scholarship.

“I was interested in design and architecture originally. I always liked building things. I had a massive Thomas the Tank Engine train set as a kid that I used to build. I would spend hours and hours watching documentaries about construction.”
Adam said he started considering his career options when he was 14 and 15.

“Given my skills with mapping, and through talking to curriculum advisors, Geomatics kept coming to the surface and I thought, that’s what I want to do.”

Adam said he was particularly encouraged by the fact that Geomatics graduates are in high demand, with a wealth of career opportunities in the field.

Adam also competes nationally as a middle distance athlete, and is aiming for the World Junior Championships later in the year.

“It’s going to be a bit of a challenge to balance it at first but once I get into the rhythm of study, I’ll be ok.”

For further information about undergraduate scholarships available for Engineering students, visit the scholarships page of The Melbourne School of Engineering’s website.

Electrical Engineering PhD student Faezeh Marzbanrad will work with a top research team in the USA, looking at improved methods for evaluating foetal wellbeing, thanks to a prestigious scholarship from the Melbourne School of Engineering.

Faezeh is the third recipient of the Len Stevens Scholarship, and the school’s first female winner of the prize.

The Len Stevens Scholarship is an award for high-performing graduate engineering coursework and research students, currently offering $15,000 in financial support in order to fund a local or international project or experience.

Faezeh’s research is looking into improved and cost-effective methods of foetal heart assessment in order to apply these techniques in developing countries, where foetal mortality is high.

“The major cause of foetal mortality is congenital abnormalities. Assessment of the foetal heart enables us to evaluate the foetal well being in general,” said Faezeh.

She said that currently, the most effective way of foetal heart assessment to detect congenital heart disease was via echocardiology.

“There are highly specialised and expensive techniques, but they are only performed in special cases and high risk pregnancies.”

“In developing countries these tests are very expensive and require a medical specialist. There are not enough centres that have those facilities.”

Faezeh said that at present there were cheaper methods of foetal monitoring that were available in developing countries, but that these techniques were not as accurate, often failing to catch abnormalities in otherwise “low-risk” pregnancies.

“We are looking for alternative techniques that are inexpensive and accurate enough and will give us sensitive markers of foetal wellbeing.”

“I hope that in the future I will develop some new devices that can be used in developing countries.”

Faezeh will travel to the Children’s National Health System in Washington DC, in order to work with a leading research team in the area of foetal heart assessment. She said the scholarship would give her an opportunity to view the latest technology in the field, and to collaborate with world leading researchers, which would be invaluable for her future work.

“I had a dream to go and work with other top research teams that work on this problem and now I see myself closer to those goals.”

Faezeh completed her Undergraduate and Masters studies in Electrical Engineering at Shiraz University in her home country of Iran, before travelling to Australia on IPRS and APA Scholarships in order to pursue her PhD with the Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Networks and Information Processing (ISSNIP) group, in the Department of Electrical Engineering.

She said that she first became interested in engineering as a career path thanks to her father, also an electrical engineer.

“When I was a child, my father had a room full of electronic components. He made things for me, and could see how exciting things could be created from these components.”

Faezeh said that her mother, a doctor, also inspired her to apply her engineering knowledge in a medical field.

“I was really interested in making and developing new things, and engineering facilitates that for me. But then at the same time I really wanted to help other people, especially babies, and now I see how I can use my engineering knowledge and skills to contribute to the health of babies.”

The Len Stevens Scholarship Appeal was established in 2011 during the 150th anniversary of engineering education at the University of Melbourne and named in honour of former Dean of Engineering, Emeritus Professor Leonard Stevens AM.

The Scholarship was established in perpetuity thanks to generous donors to the school, and with the support of the Melbourne School of Engineering Foundation.

Professor Stevens was himself the recipient of financial support during his studies; support he has said changed his life, enabling him to complete his undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering in 1950.

For further information about the award, and to make a donation please visit our alumni website.

A new scholarship has been created at the Melbourne School of Engineering to assist future engineers to embark on their dream careers, regardless of their financial circumstances.

The Jack Wynhoven Scholarship is being established as a perpetual award from a commitment of $500,000 from Dr Jack Wynhoven AM and his family. The inaugural scholarship will be awarded in 2016, to a Master of Engineering student in financial need.

Dr Wynhoven completed his Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) at the University of Melbourne in 1964 before gaining post graduate degrees, MSc and PhD, at the University of Alberta, Canada. He worked as a structural engineer in Canada and Switzerland before returning to Australia to join John Connell and Associates in 1972. From 1985 until retirement in 2001 he was either Chief Executive or Chairman. That company is now known as Aurecon.

In 1999 Dr Wynhoven was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for services to engineering and promotion and application of technological innovation. In 2001 he received a Centenary Medal for outstanding service to science and technology, particularly public science policy.

Dr Wynhoven said the University of Melbourne had played a pivotal role in his life and career.

“I believe that education is one of the major factors in making the world a better place.”

He said he hoped that others would be inspired by gifts like his, which may make them think about how they might contribute to help future generations.

“My donation is to support a scholarship that will allow the beneficiary to complete a Masters program, which without financial support they may not have been able to achieve.

“I think that many of the major problems facing the world require innovative and affordable engineering solutions. We need Australia’s clever people to help implement the solutions.”

Dr Wynhoven has previously been engaged with the school through his work with the MSE Foundation Board of Management, which he joined in 2006.

Dean of the Melbourne School of Engineering, Iven Mareels, said that through the new scholarship, the Wynhoven family would leave a lasting legacy, strongly supporting the School’s ambition to deliver a means blind entry philosophy.

“The Jack Wynhoven Scholarship will bring invaluable benefit to many students over coming generations, meaning our future industry professionals and research leaders will be able to pursue their studies without being held back by financial circumstances.”

“The Wynhoven family’s gift demonstrates tremendous vision and leadership and the Melbourne School of Engineering is very grateful for their support. We are honoured to partner with them to develop this ongoing scholarship for future engineers.”

The gift is part of Believe – the Campaign for the University of Melbourne, which aims to raise $500 million by 2017 to support the University’s teaching, research and engagement activities.

Quan Lau

The Menzies Foundation is looking for outstanding engineers who are shaping to become the next generation of leaders. Offering the 2016 Sir Robert Menzies Memorial Scholarship in Engineering, the Foundation supports students in undertaking postgraduate study overseas, which is valued up to $75,000 per year.

2015 recipient of the Menzies Scholarship and Melbourne School of Engineering alumna Quan Lau is commencing a Masters in Engineering for Sustainable Development at Cambridge University, which she hopes will advance her passion for social and environmental justice.

“I chose this course because I’d like to use my skills and energy to help create a better more sustainable world. I’m hoping this degree will give me the knowledge and understanding to achieve this,” says Ms Lau.

“The scholarship is an amazing opportunity because it provides full funding for me to attend Cambridge University, something I could never have afforded on my own. It also gives me access to a network of Menzies Scholarship alumni and mentoring opportunities. It means a lot to me and I’m really grateful. I feel really honoured the selection committee believed in me enough to award me the scholarship!”

Eligible applicants must be an Australian citizen and hold either a degree with first class honours or a Master of Engineering with a distinction average. Candidates should also demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities and a commitment to community service. Following their postgraduate study as a Menzies Scholar, students must plan on continuing their career in Australia.

Applications are now open and close July 31 2015. 

Google has awarded Department of Computing Information Systems PhD student Sarah Webber with the Anita Borg Scholarship, recognising her passion to engage women in computer science and technology.

Awarded annually to acknowledge female and computer science students, who empower women to use technology, Sarah received the award for designing and delivering technology for marginalised women. Developing a community skills training program in Thailand, Sarah worked closely with Burmese youth to expand education and life opportunities through technology.

“Although few had used a computer before, our tailored program soon empowered students to build websites and create digital media to share their stories with the world.”

Meeting inspiring women from across the region

“Unfortunately, a couple of our female students were unable to complete the program as they shouldered additional family responsibilities. As they left, we asked ourselves how we could provide them with continued access to learning and opportunities for self-empowerment. Our gifts of donated smartphones and books seemed wholly inadequate.”

Earlier this year, Sarah played a key role in investigating how technology could be used to support the work of Project Respect, a service for trafficked women in the sex industry.

“We put together a proposal for online resources and an online community providing peer support to women in need of assistance. This could drastically increase the capacity of this grassroots organisation to connect women to vital services and enable them to support one another.”

Following the announcement of the Anita Borg Scholarship, recipients are invited to a retreat that provides a number of workshops and panels related to personal, professional and technical development.

“It is an opportunity to learn about the work interests and achievements of other women in computer science. A key message was to continually reflect on our own abilities and interests, as it is all too easy (and too common) for us to hide our light under a bushel and defer to others. We must actively work against this,” says Sarah.

Building international networks with future tech leaders

“Although there are already many initiatives such as Robogals and CodeClub, these can be hard for teachers to access. We are planning to develop a web resource and contact system which can connect teachers with initiatives that meet their needs, and help them get started.”

Department of Computing Information and Information Systems PhD student Kayla Heffernan was named a runner up of the Scholarship.

Past recipients of the Scholarship include Kagonya Awori, who received the award for empowering women in rural areas to design technologies for use in their daily lives.

2015 marks the third year of Believe- The Campaign for the University of Melbourne and it has been a record year, philanthropically, for the Melbourne School of Engineering.

Our individual donors and industry supporters continued to provide opportunities for our students and strengthened our research capabilities, enabling the School to continue to shape advances in our community.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has donated to the school- those who have supported scholarships to honour friends and family, foundations who provided grants, donors who are committed to the school through regular giving and those who have chosen to leave a gift to the School in their will.
Please enjoy our 2015 update below:

Clifford Family Gift

Mr Leigh Clifford AO at the naming event for The Clifford Family Atrium at the Centre for Neural Engineering

Mr Leigh Clifford AO, Mrs Sue Clifford and their family made an historic contribution to the Melbourne School of Engineering this year, pledging $5million to endow the Clifford Chair in Neural Engineering. Professor Stan Skafidas was appointed to this role earlier in the year and will work to facilitate the development of new medical point of care devices, providing clinicians with the information they require to undertake faster, more reliable diagnoses and better management of patients especially those located in Indigenous and rural communities. Professor Skafidas will work across a number of disciplines to deliver new biotechnologies, treatments and improved engineered systems that replicate biological networks.

Mr Clifford graduated in 1968 from the Melbourne School of Engineering with a Bachelor of Engineering and in 1971 with a Master of Engineering Science. The Cliffords believe the combination of engineering and medicine can result in innovative solutions leading to better healthcare outcomes for the community.

Allan Reid Scholarship
The Melbourne School of Engineering is delighted to announce a new ongoing scholarship in support of Master of Engineering students which is being given by the Reid Malley Foundation.

After six years in petrol chemical and process plant construction in the UK, Holland, Belgium and Kuwait followed by 45 years in business, Allan Reid, a graduate of the University of Melbourne (BE 1963, MBA 1970) attributes his successful career to the training he received in his engineering and business degrees. Allan, along with wife, Janet Reid OAM, also a graduate of the University of Melbourne (BA(Hons) 1963, LLB 1977), hopes that the scholarship can lead to exciting opportunities, particularly for students coming from underprivileged backgrounds. The Allan Reid scholarship will be awarded for the first time in 2016.

The John Beaton Scholarship
The John Beaton Prize was established by the Beaton Family, in memory of their son and brother, John Beaton, an exemplary alumnus of the University of Melbourne, who graduated with a BE (Software) (first class Honours) and a BA (Art History) in 2010.

The Beaton family with inaugural recipient of the John Beaton Prize, Shiyan Lu

Throughout his exceptional career, John provided unique insights and challenged standard thinking. As a senior consultant with IBM, John was recognised as a visionary who designed and built solutions using leading edge technology in creative ways. Subsequently Amazon.com employed John as a software development engineer in its research arm Lab126 in California. John was described as an innovator and “driver” of ideas, who encouraged and inspired his colleagues to become a world class software team. He was promoted to lead Amazon’s new research team in New York. Tragically, John died in a car accident before taking up that position in July 2014.
This prize recognises academic excellence and exceptional teamwork in the Master of Advanced Software Engineering Project, honouring John Beaton, who was a high achieving student and well-known for his teamwork efforts in his course.

Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) (Victoria Branch) Endeavour Prize
In 2015, the IMarEST (Victoria Branch) established a student prize to honour the best final year project in the Melbourne School of Engineering’s Endeavour programme addressing the marine environment. This will include the areas of marine biodiversity, marine engineering, oceanography or fluid mechanics with the objectives of highlighting and expanding the knowledge and importance of engineering in the marine environment through the application of sound project design, rigorous research and technical engineering skills.

Founded in London in 1889, IMarEST is the first professional institution to bring together marine engineers, scientists and technologists into one international multi-disciplinary professional body embracing a wide spectrum of marine endeavours. It is the largest marine organisation of its kind with a worldwide membership based in over 100 countries.

The IMarEST (Victorian Branch) has supported the Melbourne School of Engineering in a number of capacities from donations to the School’s archive to the establishment of the IMarEST Endeavour Prize. The prize was awarded for the first time this year and will continue to be awarded over the next ten years.

John Collier Scholarship
The Melbourne School of Engineering would like to recognise the late John Collier and his wife Deirdre for the establishment of The John Collier scholarship. Thanks to John’s generous bequest, this scholarship will be awarded to PhD or Research Masters students in support of travel that furthers their research through international activities.

John, a Melbourne School of Engineering graduate (BE Mining 1959), enjoyed an illustrious career as a mining engineer, retiring as the Chief Executive of Gold and other Minerals Product group, Rio Tinto. He was held in the highest esteem by his colleagues and the community and was an enthusiastic attendee of Melbourne School of Engineering alumni events. John was passionate about supporting young students and we are delighted to be able to help him do just that through awarding this scholarship for the first time in 2016.

The John Styles Memorial Prize
The John Styles Memorial Prize has been set up by the Department of Infrastructure Engineering to honour John Styles, an academic staff member in the Department for over 30 years. John passed away in October 2014 after a courageous battle with illness. John spent the majority of his career at the University of Melbourne, commencing as a Lecturer in Soil Mechanics in the Department of Civil Engineering in 1976. He was the Deputy Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering between 1997 and 2001. He was also appointed as the Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Studies) in the Faculty of Engineering from 2004 to 2005. Throughout his career; John was very popular with students and a much loved and respected colleague.

The John Styles Memorial Prize was made possible thanks to generous friends of the School who would like John to be honoured in this way. The prize will be awarded to the highest performing student in the subject “Earth Processes for Engineering” annually for 20 years. A ceremony is to be held at the School on 7 March 2016 for the inaugural prize to be presented to the recipient by the Styles family.

The MSE Foundation Scholarship Program
Throughout 2015, the MSE Foundation has continued to offer scholarship support to Masters of Engineering students, enabling them to pursue their academic goals regardless of their financial circumstances.

Scholarships are available to both local and international students, and are awarded on the basis of academic merit or to support students in need or who have experienced disadvantage. 21 MSE Foundation Scholarships have been awarded through 2015, bringing our total number awarded through the program to 167.

Acknowledging Donors to the MSE in 2015

Friends of Melbourne School of Engineering at the 2015 Celebration of Support

At the time of writing, the total amount of philanthropic funds received by the by the MSE in 2015 is over $2.9 million with over $2.5 million more pledged to come in by the end of the year. This record year highlights the continued growth in community support and our subsequent growth in activities and initiatives for both staff and students. We would also like to acknowledge our alumni who support the University of Melbourne philanthropic community more broadly.

A particularly special mention must go to the following supporters of the School who currently support the University at the Chancellor’s Circle level:

Alumni & Friends
Robert Armstrong
Jennifer Beaton, John Beaton & Elizabeth Beaton
Eric Billman
Patrick Blain
Stefan Bradica
Anthony Burkitt
Justin Cleeland
Leigh Clifford AO & Sue Clifford
Ian Cochran & Dahlia Cochran
Jonathan Crockett & Sandra Crockett
Ian Curwen- Walker
Charles Day & Elise Everest
Jack Edwards & Jane Edwards
George Embelton & Laila Embelton
Jamie Evans & Jane Cohen
James Fleming & Julia Fleming
John Floyd AM & Carolyn Floyd
David Ford & Lona Ford
Peter Gerrand & Valerie Gerrand
Christine Tursky Gordon & Rodney Gordon
Roy Hardcastle AO & June Hardcastle
Keith Higgins
John Humphrey
Mark Johnson & Helen Johnson
Christine Kenworthy
Richard Kirsner
Eng Say Lau
Peter Laver AM
Tony Lee
Christopher Lester & Rosemary Lester PSM
William Lewis
David Lim & Hee Nyun Peng
John Mann
Iven Mareels & Sylvia Mareels
Jan McDonald
Rory Nathan & Julienne Kinna
Robert Niall
Thas Nirmalathas
John North & Sue North
Andrew Ooi
Marimuthuswami Palaniswami
Ian Paterson
Geoffrey Phillips & Jan Phillips
Low Ping Lin
Abbas Rajabifard
Allan Reid & Janet Reid OAM
Joyce Richards
Robert Robson CBE & Joan Robson
Peter Scales
Seng Wong
Roger Smith
Doreen Thomas & Gwynne Thomas
Roger Vaughan OBE
Peter Vulcan AM
Graham Watsford
Karen Wayne & Victor Wayne
John Webb & Susan Webb
Kingston Wong
The Late Charlotte Woodgate
Jacobus Wynhoven AM & Cynthia Wynhoven
6 anonymous donors

Organisations and Foundations:
The CASS Foundation Ltd
ATD Energy
Defence Health Foundation
Ford Motor Company (USA)
The Ian Potter Foundation
IBM Corporation
The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (Victorian Branch)
Intel Corporation
James & Vera Lawson Trust
Larsen & Toubro Infotech
The Late Diane Adrienne Lemaire
The Late Edith Stephenson Mather
Pro Medicus Limited
The University of Melbourne USA Foundation
Reid Malley Foundation
StarRez
Stiftelsen Promobilia
Wyntopia Investments Pty Ltd ATF Wyntonia Trust

We would also like to acknowledge the generosity of supporters who have established perpetual University Trusts that continue to benefit the School and our students, including:

The AE Perry Memorial Prize
The Aileen Sinclair Memorial Scholarship
The AAII Prize in Computer Science
The Clive Pratt Scholarship
The David Trezise Robertson Scholar Fund
The Diane Lemaire Scholarship
The Dr John Patterson Prize
The DJM Rankin Memorial Prize
The Len Stevens Scholarship
The Melbourne School of Engineering Foundation
The Noel Mather Memorial Prize
The Norman Westmore Memorial Prize
The Paterson Scholarship
The Sir Louis Matheson Prize

As the year draws to a close, the Melbourne School of Engineering and the Melbourne Accelerator Program (MAP) reflect on all that women in entrepreneurship have achieved throughout 2015.

Marita Cheng

Melbourne School of Engineering and MAP13 alumna Marita Cheng

Since founding 2Mar Robotics, Marita Cheng has worked with Singularity University to help develop a prototype for a telepresence robot. The robot, Teleroo, is a video phone on wheels that is designed to assist those who are mobility or challenged or living in remote locations.

Later in 2015, Ms Cheng was named the ambassador of the Tech Schools Initiative, a program enabling Victorian students to supplement their studies and acquire STEM schools. The initiative will see 10 new tech schools open across the state, accessible to students studying in both government and non-government schools.

MAP14 alumna Dr Rikky Muller, Cortera Neurotechnologies

This year electrical and electronic engineering lecturer Dr Rikky Muller was named an honoree of MIT Technology Review’s Annual Innovators Under 35 list. Joining recipients of previous years Larry Page and Mark Zuckerberg, Dr Muller was recognised for developing an electrical brain interface to alleviate the symptoms of mental disorders.

Sarah Webber, recipient of the Anita Borg Scholarship

PhD candidate Sarah Webber, Anita Borg Scholarship recipient

Sarah Webber, PhD candidate from the Department of Computing and Information Systems, received the Anita Borg Scholarship for work in engaging women in computer science and technology. Ms Webber developed a community skills training program in Thailand, working closely with Burmese youth to expand education and life opportunities through technology.

Female Founders Melbourne

Hosted by MAP, Female Founders Melbourne assists female entrepreneurs in starting their own business and pursuing leadership opportunities. The Meetups provide a safe, social environment to foster learning, innovation and networking opportunities.