Alumni Awards 2024
UNSW Sydney is a leader in education and research. Meet the alumni who are turning bold ideas into global impact.
At UNSW Sydney, we take pride in our heritage of fostering progress and innovation. For 75 years, we've been at the forefront of education and research, dedicated to leaving our world better than we found it. Our alumni are pivotal to this mission—sharp minds that have taken brave ideas and turned them into actions with momentous impact worldwide.
Learn about the nomination process and discover the stories of our past winners.
2024 winners
Seb Chan - Art and Culture
"My world for the last 30 years has been about taking advantage of technological change, shifts in media, and how we interact with each other, to open up culture to more people."
Seb Chan is Director & CEO of ACMI, guiding a museum focused on screen culture and the intersection of media, technology, worldbuilding and storytelling. Prior to this, Seb was ACMI’s and the museum field’s first Chief Experience Officer (2015-22) and a key part of the team expanding ACMI into a multi-award winning, multiplatform museum.
Before joining ACMI, Seb led the digital transformation of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York from its award-winning interactive Pen to the acquisition of software-based works for the Smithsonian’s collection (2011–15). Beginning his museum career in Sydney, he led the Powerhouse Museum’s pioneering work in open access, mass collaboration and digital experience.
Seb is the National President of Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA), serves as an international advisory board member of Art Science Museum (Singapore) and a Board member of Tessitura Network (US). He’s served on the boards of National Communication Museum, Diversity Arts Australia, ICE Parramatta, and Music NSW. He’s been an advisor to National Museum of Australia, National Heritage Board of Singapore, Mellon Foundation’s Artstor, and a member of the Australian Government’s Gov2.0 Taskforce in 2009.
Before becoming known in the museum world, Seb had a successful life in electronic music as a performer, publisher and producer.
Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM - Professional Achievement
"I really believe that leadership is simply a series of moments, and every moment offers us the opportunity to lead with impact."
Dr Kirstin Ferguson is an internationally acclaimed leadership expert, author, columnist, and keynote speaker. Ranked as one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, Kirstin was also awarded the Thinkers50 Distinguished Leadership Award in 2023.
Kirstin began her career as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and has held roles including chief executive officer of an international consulting firm and acting chair and deputy chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. During a fifteen-year career as a company director, Kirstin sat on a range of large publicly listed, private company and non-profit boards.
Kirstin has a PhD in leadership and culture and honours degrees in Law and History. She is an adjunct professor at the Queensland University of Technology Business School, where she was named Outstanding Alumnus of the Year in 2020. In 2023, Kirstin was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to business and gender equality. Since 2021, Kirstin has written a popular nationally syndicated weekly column in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, in which she answers readers' questions about work, leadership, and careers.
Dr Jessie Christiansen - Research and Teaching Achievement
"If everybody is given the opportunity to do that one thing that they're good at, then all of society benefits."
Dr. Jessie Christiansen is the Chief Scientist of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute. After searching for exoplanets - planets around other stars - for four years at UNSW and obtaining her PhD in 2008, she accepted a postdoctoral research position at Harvard University and moved to Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr Christiansen moved to NASA Ames in California in 2010 to work on the NASA Kepler mission, for which work she was awarded the NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal. She subsequently joined the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at Caltech/IPAC in 2013, where she has worked on the NASA Kepler, K2, and TESS missions, and is helping plan for NASA’s next big flagship missions - the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
Dr. Christiansen’s research is in both the detection and characterization of exoplanets, and studies of their populations, and she is currently the most successful woman planet hunter in the world. She is married to fellow astronomer, Philip Hopkins, a professor at Caltech, and also wrangles nine-year-old twins, two cats, and a puppy in their house in the foothills of Los Angeles.
Yao May Wong - Research and Teaching Achievement
"For me, progress for all means for more people to teach. To have that opportunity to share knowledge and passion to the younger generation and contribute to society."
Yao May Wong is an accomplished educator with a passion for mathematics and science. Born in Malaysia, she moved to Australia to pursue her tertiary education at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). She holds three qualifications from UNSW: a Master of Education (Assessment and Evaluation) with Excellence, a Master of Teaching (Secondary), and a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics).
Currently serving as the Head of Mathematics & Science at Kincoppal – Rose Bay, Yao May has been instrumental in elevating academic standards and fostering innovative teaching practices. Her leadership is marked by her ability to inspire excellence and intellectual inquiry among both students and colleagues. Her career includes significant roles such as Head of Innovation at Frensham and Professional Learning Group Leader at Roseville College.
A committed Christian, Yao May plays the piano for her church band and attends Bible study every week. She is known for her excellent communication and organisational skills, and her commitment to lifelong learning. She is a member of several professional bodies, including the Highly Accomplished & Lead Teacher Association NSW and the Mathematical Association of NSW Inc.
Adjunct Professor Kieran Hynes - Social Impact and Service
"For people who have opportunity, they don't understand how challenging it can be for those who don't have the same opportunities."
Professor Kieran Hynes is a veteran with Aboriginal and Irish heritage. With over 35 years of experience in national security, he is a passionate cybersecurity advocate with a keen interest in the security of the national supply chain, from small businesses up to the primes. Kieran spent 13 years in the army working on classified information and IT capabilities, and the last 20+ years providing cybersecurity services to government and the commercial sector, predominantly in the defence and intelligence communities. In addition to the practical experience, he has numerous academic qualifications including an MSc IT.
His broad industry leadership is reflected in his appointment as an Adjunct Professor in Cybersecurity, as a member of the National Board of the peak Australian IT body, the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), as well as numerous industry and academic cybersecurity advisory positions. Kieran is also the founder and CEO of leading cybersecurity company, Willyama, which is responsible for managing the cybersecurity of over 1700 businesses in the defence supply chain. In his spare time, he is the chair of two NFP’s, one in the Indigenous sector and the other in disability and ageing sector.
Chanel Contos - Young Alumni Award
"The normalisation of sexual violence is upheld by attitudes and expectations that we have towards gender and sexuality. These attitudes and expectations are changeable."
Chanel Contos founded Teach Us Consent, a campaign that mandated consent education in all Australian schools, and later criminalised 'stealthing' in two Australian states. In order to achieve this, she worked closely with politicians from across the political spectrum, including prime ministers.
Chanel has a Bachelor of Commerce and Arts from UNSW, and a Master's in Education, Gender and International Development from University College London. She was appointed by Julia Gillard to chair the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership’s Youth Advisory Committee.
Chanel was the recipient of the Australian Human Rights Commission Young People’s Medal in 2021, listed as one of the BBC’s 100 inspiring and influential women worldwide in 2022, and named NSW Young Woman of the Year in 2023 for her persistent efforts towards eradicating rape culture.
In 2023, she published her first book, Consent Laid Bare, (Macmillan Australia) described by Marie Claire as “a blistering, unflinching – and therefore sometimes uncomfortable – look at Australia’s rape culture.” Also in 2023, Chanel spoke at the National Press Club, becoming one of the youngest people to ever do so.
Alexis George - Chancellor's Award for Exceptional Alumni Achievement
"When I first got promoted, there were hardly any women in senior executive roles. So, for me, gender equality is very important."
Alexis was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AMP Limited in August 2021 and is responsible for leading the AMP business.
Alexis has extensive experience in the financial services industry in Australia and overseas.
She spent seven years at ANZ, including as the Deputy CEO, working with the CEO to drive group-wide strategic initiatives with responsibility for the shared service centres and banking services. As Group Executive Wealth Australia, Alexis led ANZ’s ~$4 billion wealth divestment program, including the separation and sale of its life insurance and superannuation businesses. She oversaw the complex process of separating and migrating systems and data that supported the businesses so they would operate independently of ANZ.
Prior to ANZ, Alexis spent 10 years with ING Group. She was the CEO Czech Republic and Slovakia, responsible for banking, insurance and funds management, and Regional COO Asia, responsible for product, marketing, technology and operations.
Alexis is a member of the Financial Services Council Board, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She is a member of Chief Executive Women and is a passionate advocate for women in leadership roles