Celebrating 2026 Honours in Education
2026 Honours in Education honoured top student achievement, recognised staff excellence, and celebrated a remarkable 60-year connection.
At the heart of the evening were the students named on the Dean’s Honours List – a distinction recognising the top-performing students in the Faculty.
Representing the top three per cent of students, the recipients have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, but their success represents more than grades. They are developing the knowledge, curiosity and critical thinking needed to contribute to education in a rapidly changing world.
The Faculty also recognised the people who make excellence possible every day through the Staff Excellence and Honorary Contribution Awards.
These awards celebrate academic and professional staff whose dedication, expertise and leadership strengthen the Faculty and contribute to education well beyond the University. The quality and breadth of nominations reflected the extraordinary talent across the Faculty.
Together, the student and staff awards offered a powerful reminder that education is a collective endeavour. Achievement is rarely achieved alone. Behind every student are teachers, supervisors, mentors, colleagues, family and friends who encourage, challenge and support them.
But this year’s celebration carried another layer of significance.
The evening also marked Emeritus Professor Kwong Lee Dow AO’s 60th anniversary of association with the University of Melbourne.
From student, teacher and lecturer to Professor, Dean and Vice-Chancellor, Kwong’s career embodies a remarkable life in education and service. It was particularly fitting that the celebration took place in the building that bears his name.
Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis AC joined the Faculty to reflect on Kwong’s contribution and legacy, recognising a career distinguished by leadership, scholarship and sustained service to education.
The evening also celebrated Kwong’s longstanding appreciation of music – a passion shaped during his years playing clarinet with the Australian Youth Orchestra.
Among the Dean’s Honours List recipients was Master of Education student Chloe Wylie who performed Leo Brouwer’s Suite No. 2 during the evening to honour Kwong whose influence has extended across decades. A classical guitarist and educator, Chloe combines her passion for music with a commitment to inclusive teaching.
Dean Professor Marek Tesar said during the evening, the Faculty’s greatest strength is its people – the collective expertise, imagination and commitment of its students, staff, alumni and wider community.
The evening’s takeaway was that the past provides the foundations, the people we celebrate today shape our present, and the students receiving their honours are already beginning to define what comes next.
If you attended 2026 Honours in Education, we would love to hear about your experience. Submit to the Event Experience Survey. Closes 31 October.
Staff Excellence and Honorary Contribution Awards recipients
Excellence in Mid-Career Research Achievements, Dr Alex Bacalja, with Dean, Professor Marek Tesar
Award | Recipient(s) |
Honorary Contribution | Professor Bridie Raban |
Excellence in Graduate Researcher Supervision | Professor Hernán Cuervo |
Excellence in Early-Career Research Achievements | Dr Rafaela Cleeve Gerkens; Dr Shu Ohki |
Excellence in Mid-Career Research Achievements | Dr Alex Bacalja |
Teaching Excellence | Dr Michelle Andrews Luke; Dr Rosie Yasmin |
Teaching Innovation | Team: Fostering Belonging and Connection through Contemplative, Experiential Pedagogies: Dr Christopher McCaw, Dr Mahtab Janfada, Dr Mobina Sahraee, Sue Salamito and Dr Anneliese Gill |
Professional Excellence | Kelly McDermott |
Professional Excellence: Commendation | Faye Xu |
Mentor Excellence | Dr Stanley Koh; Professor Yvette Slaughter |
Partnership and Collaboration for Public Benefit | Team: ARTP Lab: Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership: Associate Professor Julie Choi and Dr Rafaela Cleeve Gerkens |
Outstanding Team Contribution | Team: Developing Teacher’s Spatial Competency: Rethinking PLD: Dr Bree Hurn, Associate Professor Marian Mahat, Dr Amanda Samson, Dr Chris Bradbeer and Yue Pan |
