An early graduate is now a guest speaker, a pioneering Chancellor retires, the first Indigenous PhD graduate crosses the stage and three generations of a CQU family assemble. The three CQU Rockhampton graduation ceremonies on Friday and Saturday (March 5-6) this week have plenty of highlights.

A total of 374 graduates are expected to attend ceremonies on Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon at the Rockhampton Baptist Tabernacle in Norman Road. Highlights of the Friday ceremony (from 2pm) include a guest speech by QR CEO Mr Bob Scheuber, who was an early (1977) business graduate from CQU's predecessor, the Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education. Friday's ceremony for Business & Law, Informatics & Communication and Academic Board awards includes presentation of a Faculty medal for academic achievement to Karey Meyers (Business Admin with Distinction). The other Faculty medallist, Dr Andrew Johnston (InfoTech with Distinction), is not attending the ceremony.

Maria Raciti, heralded as CQU's first Indigenous PhD graduate, completed her thesis on relationship marketing in Australian higher education. Also being presented with PhD awards on Friday are CQU staff members Patrick Keleher (adaptive and sliding mode control of articulated robot arms) and Elizabeth Tansley (creating and understanding data models).

The Friday ceremony includes presentation of the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Emerging Researchers to Dr Ron Balsys for a distinguished career including leading research in the fields of computer graphics and computer science. Graduates' representative Bobby-Lee Kennedy will deliver a closing address to the Friday ceremony.

Saturday morning's ceremony (from 10am) for Education & Creative Arts, James Goldston Faculty of Engineering and Physical Systems and Academic Board awards includes a guest speech by her Excellency the Governor of Queensland, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, a former member of CQU's Council.

This will be the last graduation ceremony and final welcome address for Chancellor Hon Justice Stan Jones, who is retiring after long service with the institution. Justice Jones joined the Council of the Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education (CQU's forerunner) in 1974 and became Deputy Chairman of the Council of CIAE. He was Chancellor of the University College of Central Queensland from 1990-1992, during which time the institution was granted full University status. He has been Chancellor of the institution from 1992-2004.

Towards the end of this ceremony, Mr Rennie Fritschy, the former Queensland Alumina managing director, will be installed as the new Chancellor and give his first graduation address in that role.

The Saturday morning ceremony includes presentation of Faculty Medals for academic achievement to Luke McArthur (Bachelor of Science - Applied Physics - with Distinction).

Phd graduates on Saturday morning include Danielle Helbers (examination of low-scoring nine-year-old respondents in the IEA Reading Literacy study); Young Kim (classroom interaction in university settings); and CQU staff members Teresa Moore (the gap between hope and happening: feminist consciousness meets phallocentric smog in a regional Australian university); and Bernadette Walker-Gibbs (the search for visual literacy).

The Saturday morning ceremony will include pioneers from the first intakes of the Bachelor of Learning Management and Bachelor of Performing Arts degrees program. Graduates' representative Diane Daley will deliver a closing address to the Saturday morning ceremony.

Saturday afternoon's ceremony (from 2pm) for Faculty of Arts, Health & Sciences, Interdisciplinary Awards and Academic Board awards will include a guest speech by Chief Scientist at the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Dr Joe Baker, AO, OBE .

This will also be Mr Rennie Fritschy's first welcome address as Chancellor. Saturday afternoon includes a PhD conferral on CQU staff member Emma Killion, whose thesis was 'an interpretivist study of the Sisters of the Congregation of St Joseph and their experiences of visitor impacts following the beatification of Blessed Mary MacKillop'. The Saturday afternoon ceremony includes presentation of the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Emerging Researchers to Dr Larelle Fabbro (biological and environmental science) for a distinguished career including important water quality research into toxic blue-green algae. Graduates' representative April Morton will deliver the closing address to the Saturday afternoon ceremony. Meanwhile, the Saturday afternoon ceremony involves three generations of the Sadler family, who all have strong CQU connections.

Grandfather Doug Sadler was the first Chair of Humanities and Social Sciences at CQU predecessor the Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education. Doug, who was at CIAE between 1973-1986, designed the original Bachelor of Arts and was a renowned feature writer for The Morning Bulletin. Now retired in Dubbo, he is active in production of histories of local solicitors, the Rotary Club, the Liberal Party branch and the dairy industry. Father Peter Sadler graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from CIAE in the 1980s, worked at the institution for a while and is now news editor at Dubbo Radio 2DU. Peter studied under early journalism educator Mike Mellick, who was appointed by his father. Son Glenn Sadler will graduate on Saturday afternoon with a Bachelor of Science degree, in the presence of his father and grandfather. ENDS For details call Sandy or Irene via 4930 6535.

Photo (right): One of the graduate closing address speakers, April Morton.