Deakin congratulates those recognised in 2024 King's Birthday Honours

The late the Honourable Simon Findlay Crean was appointed as a Companion (AC) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for eminent service to the people and Parliament of Australia, to tertiary education, to business and to industrial relations. A former Deakin staff member and former Chair of the Deakin University Carbon Nexus Advisory Board, Crean also received a Doctor of Laws in 2014 for eminent public service.

Former Deakin staff member, Laureate Professor Kate Amanda Smith-Miles was appointed as an Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to tertiary education, to applied mathematical research and as a role model and advocate for women in STEM.

The below were appointed as a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia:

• Former staff member, Mr Craig Anthony Bennett for significant service to health administration in leadership and advisory roles.
• Emeritus Professor Thea Charlotte Brown for significant service to social welfare, particularly through family violence and child protection research. Professor Brown is the Co-Convenor of the Monash Deakin Filicide Research Hub, a joint venture between Monash University and Deakin University.
• Former staff member, Mrs Robyn Leigh McLeod for significant service to the community through social welfare and governance roles.
• Current staff member, Dr James Alexander Mullins for significant service to science and the community through an emergency response organisation. Dr Mullins is Honorary Associate Professor, Deakin Research Office, Office of DVC Research, and founding researcher and Chief Technology Officer of Deakin's FLAIM Systems. FLAIM's virtual firefighting training system is deployed with customers across emergency services, defence and training organisations in 45 countries. Dr Mullins is also an alum completing a Doctor of Philosophy in 2009 and a Bachelor of Engineering in 2003, and was the recipient of a 2024 Alumni Excellence Award.
• Mr Leonard Stanley Vary for significant service to the philanthropic sector, to the LGBTIQA+ community and to the arts. Vary is the Chief Executive Officer of The Myer Foundation and Sidney Myer Fund since 2011.
• Alum, Mr Talal Yassine for significant service to business and the community. Yassine completed an MBA in 2008 and is Executive Director of the Salaam Foundation which is a Deakin Donor to CREATE.

The below were awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division:

• Alum, Ms Alison Burns for service to community health standards.
• Alum, Mr Robert John Gartland for service to the community of Geelong.
• Alum, Ms Cecilia Rose Gore-Birch for service to the Indigenous community of Western Australia.
• Former student, Ms Niharika Suhas Hiremath for service to community health.
• Former student, Mr Bassir Qadiri for service to the multicultural community of Victoria.
• Alum and former staff member, Distinguished Professor Andre Masumbuko Renzaho for service to medical research, particularly refugee and migrant health.
• Former staff member, Mrs Helen Christine Summers for service to the community of the Northern Territory and to optometry.
• Deakin Donor, Mr Richard Leigh Watts for service to the arts and to the community of Victoria.
• Alum, Ms Yvette Landau Zegenhagen for service to international law.

Military Awards

The below were appointed as an Officer (AO) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia:

• Former staff member and student, Major General Matthew Richard Pearse was recognised for distinguished service in responsible positions as Commander 1st Brigade and Commander Forces Command.
• Alum, Major General Anthony John Rawlins was recognised for distinguished service in responsible positions as the Deputy Chief of Army and Head Force Design Division. Rawlins completed a Master of Arts (Strategic Studies) in 2014 and a Bachelor of Laws in 2008.

The below were appointed as a Member (AM) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia:

• Brigadier Duncan Leslie Hayward for exceptional service in reforming recruiting practices to build an adaptable, scalable, modern recruiting system for the generation of Australian Defence Force capability. Hayward is an alum completing a Master of Arts (Strategic Studies) in 2014 and a Bachelor of Arts in 2002.
• Brigadier Natasha Lea Ludwig for exceptional service towards the development of Army logistics capability as Director of Logistics - Army and as Commander of the 17th Sustainment Brigade. Ludwig is an alum completing an MBA in 2021.
• Air Commodore Veronica Marjory Tyler for exceptional service in personnel capability management, supply assurance, enterprise resource planning and joint logistics development. Tyler is a former staff member and student.

The below were awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross:

• Alum, Lieutenant Commander Alexander James Finnis for meritorious achievement as the Commanding Officer of HMAS Glenelg on Operations RESOLUTE, SOLANIA and SAVILLE, from December 2020 to October 2022.
• Alum, Colonel Richard Anthony Niessl for outstanding devotion to duty as the Commanding Officer of the 6th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment.
• Current student, Major Gregory Thomas Sargeant for meritorious achievement as the initial Commander of Rotation 1 of Operation KUDU over the period January to April 2023.
• Current student, Squadron Leader Rebecca Trembath for meritorious achievement as the Chief Instructor at the Royal Australian Airforce Security and Fire School.

Meritorious Awards

Alum, Inspector William Hamilton Duncan was awarded an Australian Police Medal.

Alum, Mr Paul Robert Johnstone was awarded an Australian Fire Services Medal.

The below were awarded a Public Service Medal:

• Alum, Ms Francine Michelle Eades for outstanding public service through improving health outcomes for Aboriginal people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Alum, Ms Leonie Holloway for outstanding public service in leading the National Cultural Policy Taskforce to deliver Australia's first cultural policy in over a decade.
• Alum, Ms Rachael Karen Moore for outstanding public service in leading Australia's humanitarian, reconstruction and consular response as High Commissioner to the Kingdom of Tonga.