Distinguished Alumni Awards
The Distinguished Alumni Awards recognise alumni who have significantly contributed to their communities and professions.
Our Distinguished Alumni are a rich and diverse pool of leaders and innovators who, through their outstanding accomplishments, have improved the lives of others and significantly contributed to their communities and professions.
These are the contemporary and the legendary; the entrepreneurial and the humanitarian; the philosophical; the artistic and the technically talented. They are exemplars of the University of Adelaide success story and a great source of pride and inspiration.
2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients
Distinguished Alumni Award
Dr Sarah Cannard is a leading Australian aerospace engineer who has made pioneering contributions in defence and space. As Program Director at AROSE, she leads Australia’s first lunar rover mission with NASA. A passionate advocate for STEM education and gender equity, she inspires future innovators through visionary leadership, international collaboration, and space industry excellence.Read more.
Distinguished Alumni Award
David Lewis OAM is a globally respected leader in international development who has spent five decades working to alleviate poverty and advocate for those living with disability. From community-based programs in Africa to shaping Australia’s disability-inclusive aid strategy, his compassionate leadership has transformed global health, informed inclusive aid, and helped to change lives.Read more.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Dr Samantha Pillay OAM is a trailblazing urological surgeon, author, entrepreneur, and filmmaker committed to advancing healthcare, gender equity, and community empowerment. Founder of Continence Matters, she has broken taboos around bladder health, delivered global education, earning well-deserved recognition for her leadership, advocacy, and medical innovation.Read more.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Dr Geoffrey Thompson AM is a pioneer in sports and exercise medicine, who has been dedicated to advancing healthcare in the Northern Territory for five decades. From leading medical operations during Cyclone Tracy to delivering care in remote First Nations communities, his innovative and compassionate leadership has helped shape rural and Indigenous healthcare.Read more.
Outstanding Alumni Contribution to Sport Award
Matthew Cowdrey OAM MP is Australia’s most decorated Paralympian and a leader in disability advocacy and public service. With 23 Paralympic medals and a distinguished parliamentary career, his success and passion continue to inspire future generations in sport whilst championing inclusion, accessibility, and community empowerment.Read more.
Tirkapena Indigenous Award
Dr Jessica Manuela is a proud Palawa Tasmanian and Niuean Pacific Islander dental surgeon and a nationally acclaimed advocate for oral health equity. Founder of Dental South, Director of the Indigenous Dental Association of Australia, and 2018 Tasmanian Young Australian of the Year, she tirelessly champions culturally safe healthcare and advocates for important systemic change.Read more.
James McWha Rising Star Award
Dr Erandi Hewawasam is a nationally recognised researcher transforming maternal and renal health through her pioneering data innovation. Only seven years post-PhD, she has led major national studies, advanced clinical guidelines, and developed groundbreaking health data platforms, driving equity, policy impact, and improved outcomes for women with chronic kidney disease.Read more.
James McWha Rising Star Award
Natalie Wade is a nationally acclaimed human rights lawyer and disability rights advocate working to improve Australia’s legal and policy systems. Founder of Equality Lawyers and Associate Commissioner of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, she leads with vision and lived experience to advance disability rights and champion equitable leadership.Read more.
Distinguished International Alumni Award
Dr Eilly Lau is a renowned paediatric dental surgeon whose four-decade career has advanced oral healthcare for children with disabilities and improved healthcare access in underserved communities in Hong Kong SAR, mainland China, and beyond. Founder of Happy Dental Outreach, she is dedicated to exceptional clinical leadership, caring humanitarian service, and creating global impact through inclusive health advocacy.Read more.
Past recipients
About the award categories
The Distinguished Alumni Awardrecognises the outstanding and sustained contributions made by University of Adelaidealumni in their Australian communities.
The Outstanding Alumni Contribution to Sport Award recognises the outstanding and sustained contributions made by university alumni in sporting communities.
The Tirkapena Indigenous Award recognises anAboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderalum whose significant achievements have impacted their profession and/or community."վ첹Բ”means“a person inclined to learn, understand, know, perceive"in Kaurna language. The Kaurna People are the Traditional Owners and custodians of the Adelaide plains on which the University of Adelaide's three campuses are built.
The James McWha Rising Star Award recognises a young alum who is making a significant contribution as an emerging leader within their profession and/or community.
The Distinguished International Alumni Award recognisesthe outstanding and sustained contributions made by university alumni in internationalcommunities.The recipient must have enrolled to study as an international student and currently be residing overseas.
Further information
Nominations for the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awardsare now open.Nominate University of Adelaide alumni to recognise them for their outstanding work. For more information please see the Distinguished Alumni Awards Rules or contact the Alumni Relations team at alumni@adelaide.edu.au or +61 8 8313 5800.