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Celebrating Massey University alumni

Monday, February 23, 2015
Celebrating Massey University alumni

A nurse, a dairy industry stalwart, a food technologist and a social worker will named as Massey University's 2015 Distinguished Alumni at an awards dinner in Auckland next month.

The Defining Excellence Awards celebrate graduates who have made outstanding contributions to their professions, their communities, the nation, and Massey University. The awards take place at a black-tie gala dinner at the Heritage Hotel on March 12, with cartoonist and writer Tom Scott as the master of ceremonies.

Massey University Foundation and Alumni director Mitch Murdoch says the awards are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate with friends and family.

“These awards are such a special time for people to get together with their friends, colleagues and families to celebrate their success. We love hearing stories about our past students about their time at Massey and what they’ve gone on to do. Having alumnus Tom Scott as the master of ceremonies this year is just the icing on the cake of what will be a fantastic celebration of Massey success.”

The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to nurse Andrew Cameron for his work in war-torn and regions of the world. Mr Cameron graduated from the University with an advanced diploma in nursing in 1984 and subsequently had to move to Australia to train to be a midwife. In 2011, Mr Cameron became the 25th New Zealand in a century to win the prestigious New Zealand Red Cross Florence Nightingale Medal. He has worked for the Red Cross since 2005, and has been sent to Kenya, Sudan, Afghanistan twice, Iraq, South Ossetia in Georgia, as well as serving remote populations in Australia. He was also awarded the Order of Australia in 2013.

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This year’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award is being presented to clinical social worker Jane Haste. Ms Haste has a Bachelor of Social Work (Hons), Master of Philosophy (Humanities and Social Sciences) and a postgraduate diploma in social services supervision from Massey University. A director of Blue Couch Consultancy, Ms Haste’s work focuses on the treatment and promotion of mental health in women, youth and children, and the professional development of social and health service professionals.

Graduating from Massey with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science in Dairy Technology was the start of an illustrious career in food technology for the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. Melbourne-based Dr Alex Buchanan went on to work for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), creating the “Australian Milk Biscuit” and a range of high-protein biscuits for use in developing countries for infant feeding and disaster relief. As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship winner, his efforts have also been extensively recognised. He was awarded the Order of Australia in 2009.

The Sir Geoffrey Peren Award will be presented to dairy industry stalwart Graeme Milne ONZM, who graduated with a Bachelor of Technology (Hons). The former New Zealand Dairy Group chief executive prior to the formation of Fonterra, Mr Milne’s 30-year career includes a range of roles reflecting the evolution of the dairy industry. Currently the independent chairman of Synlait, Mr Milne is a farmer and a company director for a variety of sectors.

In addition to the Distinguished Alumni Awards, the annual teaching and research excellence awards will be presented to Massey University staff.

Proceeds from this year’s ticket sales will go towards the restoration of the historic Refectory building on the Manawatū campus. Opened in 1931, the Refectory was the second building on site – the first being the dairy research building. Designed by architect Sir Roy Lippencott, the building is classified with the Historic Places Trust and currently stands empty, as it needs earthquake strengthening.

“The Refectory used to house the dining hall for students, and in its day, it was the most important social space on the campus," Ms Murdoch says. "We want to restore the building’s original detailing and make it a space where meetings and celebrations can be held again."

For more details on the Defining Excellence Awards, and to purchase tickets, go to the website:
https://alumnionline.massey.ac.nz/event/2015distinguished-excellence-awards


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