Media releases

More than 430 Federation University Australia students will celebrate their education milestones across three graduation ceremonies in Ballarat this week.

Among them will be University Medallist Kara Sewart, who is being recognised for embracing a range of study and research opportunities that have come her way.

When Kara began her undergraduate science degree, she was not sure where she wanted her career to ‘land’, just that she hoped her passion for wildlife and sustainability could one day help contribute towards large scale conservation.

Now, with that degree completed, including two overseas study programs, Kara is taking her passion to the next level, working with the New South Wales government on the release of captive-bred threatened species the Eastern Bristlebird as part of honours studies.

Her overseas study programs included a New Colombo Plan (NCP) fellowship to study in Sri Lanka in 2023 where she was immersed in local culture and learnt about the environmental challenges of the region and restoration projects being championed by the University of Peradeniya.

This was followed by a prestigious NCP scholarship to undertake a semester-long overseas study program where she completed a tropical biodiversity research project at the University of Brunei.

“I had some incredible experiences, including visiting a research centre situated in a remote rainforest only accessible by boat, spotting hornbills, setting up camera traps to search for carnivorous cats, and even delivering a lecture to Bruneian high school students on Australian biodiversity,” Kara said.

“Saying yes to unique and interesting opportunities has been a consistent choice throughout my degree and exposed me to some amazing experiences in both an academic and personal capacity.

“I am proud of the work I have put in over the last few years and feel honoured to have it recognised at such a large scale. I had to make some sacrifices while trying to balance my professional, personal, and academic life but am happy I committed to university and got the most I could out of my degree.”

Federation University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Duncan Bentley said Kara’s willingness to make the most of the experiences available during her studies, her excellent academic record, and constructive collaboration with her peers, made her a worthy recipient of this year’s University Medal.

“We offer our congratulations to Kara and all students graduating this month and hope they take a moment with family and friends to reflect on all they have achieved,” Professor Bentley said.

“We are delighted to see our graduates celebrate their success and carry their knowledge and passion into their communities.”

Graduation ceremonies will be held at Founders Theatre, Mt Helen Campus, on Tuesday, 8 October and Wednesday, 9 October.

More than 620 graduates across the University’s campuses will mark the academic milestone in front of family, friends and classmates in October.

For more information about studying science at Federation University, visit www.federation.edu.au/science.