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UNSW spearheads list of Australia’s most influential women

Six high-achieving UNSW academics and four alumnae have been recognised in the '100 Women of Influence Awards for 2015’, the most of any institution in Australia.

Published on the 24 Sep 2015 by Dan Wheelahan
Scientia Professor Jane McAdam. Photo: Tamara Voninski
Scientia Professor Jane McAdam. Photo: Tamara Voninski

Six high-achieving UNSW academics and four alumnae have been recognised in the '100 Women of Influence Awards for 2015’.

The prestigious annual awards, bestowed by The Australian Financial Review and Westpac, select 100 women across 10 categories: board/management, innovation, public policy, business enterprise, diversity, young leader, local/regional, global, culture and social enterprise/not-for-profit.

UNSW’s strength as an innovation hub has been acknowledged with three UNSW researchers named as women of influence in the innovation category.

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Professor Maria Kavallaris. Photo: Quentin Jones

The 500 entrants for 2015 were assessed by a panel of judges and have been recognised based on 'their outstanding ability to demonstrate vision, leadership, innovation and action in and beyond their fields’.

The UNSW women of influence for 2015 are:

  • Professor and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology, Veena Sahajwalla (Innovation)
  • Professor Maria Kavallaris, the co-director of the Australian Centre for NanoMedicine and Program Head at the Children’s Cancer Institute (Innovation) 
  • Conjoint Professor Karen Canfell, based at the Cancer Council NSW (Innovation)
  • Scientia Professor Jane McAdam, Director of the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law (Global)
  • Conjoint Professor Theresa Jacques from the St George and Sutherland Clinical School (Public Policy) 
  • Associate Professor Barbara Junghans from the School of Optometry and Vision Science (Local/Regional)

The UNSW alumnae women of influence for 2015 are:

  • Business School alumna Julie-Anne Mizzi (Board/management)
  • Business School alumna Lucinda Brogden (Public policy)
  • Faculty of Law alumna Claire Hammerton (Social enterprise/not-for-profit)
  • School of Mining Engineering alumna Turia Pitt (Young leader)

The overall winner and category winners will be announced on Thursday October 15, 2015.

Read more in the Australian Financial Review.

For more on UNSW's trailblazing women, see 15 women changing our world.

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Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla. Photo: Tamara Dean