2022 Alumni Awards Highly Commended

Charles Sturt University wants to celebrate and recognise the outstanding field of nominees who were awarded a Highly Commended in each Alumni Award category. Congratulations to the following Highly Commended alumni for 2022!

Professional Achievement

Emma Harrison

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood), 2009

Emma has a passion for early childhood education and is committed to providing quality care and education to children. She founded Millthorpe Little Learning Centre (MLLC) in 2018 and Bathurst Little Learning Centre in 2021, both of which are dedicated to providing exceptional infant and toddler care.

As the overseer of both centers, Emma is a dedicated leader who has received numerous accolades for her work. Under her leadership, MLLC has received eight awards in four years at local, regional, state, and national levels. Emma's commitment to providing a supportive and nurturing work environment for Early Childhood Professionals has resulted in excellent quality of care and education for the children in her care.

Emma is also a busy mother of three, renovating her family home, project managing an extension of MLLC, pursuing her Master's in Early Childhood Leadership and facilitating a networking group for entrepreneurial mothers.

Professional Achievement (Research)

Michael Moodie

Bachelor Applied Science (Agriculture) and Honours, 2015

Michael is the owner of Frontier Farming Systems (FFS), which has become a leading figure in the low rainfall cropping regions of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. His dedication to the practical application of cutting-edge research has helped to ensure the ongoing profitability and sustainability of farming in these regions.

Michael's team at FFS undertakes applied research, development, and extension projects to support broadacre agriculture. Collaborating with a wide range of industry stakeholders, they provide contract project services to public and private clients. Their focus is on innovating and growing Mallee farming systems.

With a passion for farming, Michael is committed to helping farmers and organisations develop agriculture practices in the region. Through innovation, trials, technology, and partnerships, he and his team are making a significant contribution to the future of Mallee farming.

International Alumni Grissel

Crastro

Master of Nursing, 2022

For over six years, Grissel has been a driving force behind some of the most innovative work in the field of neuroscience nursing. As an inpatient nurse in Neurology, Epilepsy and Neurosurgery at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH), she has seen first-hand the challenges faced by patients in need of specialised care. Grissel has taken on a leadership role in both research and quality improvement initiatives at the University Health Network-TWH.

Her hard work has paid off, receiving the prestigious Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network’s Fellowship Awards. Grissel has also been recognised internationally for her contributions to the field.

Grissel teaches neuroscience nursing at the University of Toronto in the inpatient setting and serves as the Councillor for the Ontario Central Chapter for the Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses.

Young Alumni

Anna Unger

Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons), 2008

Born and raised on an organic and biodynamic property at Peak Hill, Anna lives with her husband and children on their Australian Stockhorse stud farm in Walcha. Anna is the founder of PharmOnline, the first pharmacist-led telehealth service in Australia. PharmOnline connects people with experienced pharmacists to discuss their medication and health goals. PharmOnline is particularly valuable to people that are isolated and are unable to easily access their local health services.

Anna was recently awarded the PSA 2021 NSW Pharmacist of the Year, the 2021 UTS Innovative Pharmacist of the Year, the 2022 NSW Premier's Woman of the Year and 2022 NSW Mineral's Council Regional Woman of the Year for her health and wellbeing innovation.

Anna is also Pharmacy Practice Lecturer in the School of Rural Medicine at the University of New England.

Service to the Community Kieran

Bridger

Bachelor of Social Science (Social Welfare), 2014

Kieran is a youth motivator and the founder of Speak Life (now a part of LifeChanger Foundation), a social organisation that partners with schools across Australia to build better wellbeing and resilience programs. Kieran has over a decade of experience in student leadership and has trained over 80,000 young Australians in the areas of leadership, communication, and resilience. He has worked in over 500 schools and organisations across many countries, inspiring people to discover their calling and live out their potential.

Kieran aims to improve awareness of mental health issues and equip young people with the necessary skills to be resilient in the face of adversity. He has extensive experience counselling and mentoring teenagers within the Sydney and Hunter regions, and his organisation runs workshops for students, teachers, and parents.

Kieran has just had his first book published, Character Assassination, aimed at anyone who has suffered from bullying, designed to help victims overcome their trauma.

Indigenous Alumni

Dr. Linda Deravin

Doctor of Philosophy, 2019

Linda had always dreamed of going to university, but as a proud Wiradjuri woman from western New South Wales, it seemed like an impossible dream. That was until nursing education moved to the university sector and was offered for free to students of all backgrounds. Linda seized the opportunity and has now amassed over 30 years of nursing experience, including working in specialties such as aged care, emergency care, and nursing management.

As Head of School for Nursing, Paramedicine, and Healthcare Sciences at Charles Sturt University, Linda continues to make strides in Indigenous health and nursing workforce issues. She is also a founding member of Muliyan, a group committed to improving cultural safety education in nursing and midwifery.

Outside of her impressive career, Linda is a devoted mother of two and a world champion in martial arts, having represented Australia four times and earned multiple gold and silver medals.