Australia Day Honours for University community

Congratulations to the 118 alumni, staff and former staff who have been honoured in this year’s Australia Day Honours list.

Australia Honours Recipients come from a diverse background of qualifications and careers and received honours in four categories. Members of the University of Melbourne community were well represented in this year’s Honours. Just a small sampling of our incredible alumni who were recognised:

Professor Alison Ritter AO (PhD 1988, MA 1988) was named an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to education, to drug and alcohol research and social policy, and to professional medical societies. Professor Ritter, a drug policy scholar, is director of the Drug Policy Modelling Program at the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, and is an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow leading a multi-disciplinary program of research on drug policy.

Rosemary Addis AM (LLB(Hons) 1990) was made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to social innovation and impact investment, and to the law. Ms Addis is a strategist in social innovation and investment and is executive director of Impact Strategist, an organisation that helps businesses, governments, foundations and strategists find solutions to complex social issues. Ms Addis established and Chairs Impact Investing Australia and the Australian Advisory Board on Impact Investing. In 2015 she was recognised for her contributions to innovation as one of the AFR/Westpac 100 Women of Influence.

Cardiothoracic surgeon Mr Phillip Antippa OAM (MBBS 1991) received a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to thoracic surgery, and to music. Mr Antippa is currently Head of the Thoracic Surgery and Lung Cancer Service at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and principal clinician, Lung Tumour Stream, at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre. He was Chairman at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre from 2013-2017. In addition to his medical career, Mr Antippa is the founder, director and a viola player in Corpus Medicorum, a Melbourne-based orchestra of doctors, medical students and health professionals. Proceeds from Corpus Medicorum performances go towards funding lung cancer research at RMH.