Two deserving Queensland University of Technology (QUT) students were today awarded the first Powerlink-funded scholarships.
Divya Joy was awarded the Else Shepherd scholarship, an award in honour of the late Else Shepherd AM, the first woman to graduate as an electrical engineer in Queensland.
Else Shepherd was also Powerlink’s first – and longest serving – Chair and a life-long advocate for women’s participation in engineering fields.
Ike Randall was awarded the Powerlink Scholarship for First Nations Engineers, an award which recognises the unique challenges faced by First Nations students in accessing higher education.
Powerlink Chief Executive Paul Simshauser congratulated Divya and Ike during a visit to Powerlink’s Head Office earlier this week.
“Else Shepherd would be incredibly proud to be here today to see her legacy live on through this scholarship,” he said.
“Divya is now in her sixth and final year of university and has previously been a part of Powerlink’s intern program.
“She is studying a double degree in applied and computational mathematics and software engineering, recently presenting her thesis at the Supercomputing Conference in America.”
Ike Randall is a proud Gubbi Gubbi man studying civil engineering at QUT.
“We are honoured today to be awarding a scholarship to a proud First Nations student,” Mr Simshauser said.
“This is part of Powerlink’s broader commitment to supporting First Nations communities, removing obstacles and setting First Nations students up for a long and successful career.
“Ike recently worked on the Wambo Wind Farm through a subcontractor, completing the civil construction works for more than 40 wind turbines.
“The future is bright and it’s great to see two young Queenslanders leading the way.”
QUT is the highest-ranking university in Australia for Indigenous engineering student enrolments and is also the top feeder university for Powerlink’s graduate programs.
QUT’s Head of School Firuz Zare thanked Powerlink for the generous scholarships.
“It is fantastic to see Powerlink leading the way in recognising women and First Nations people in engineering,” he said.
“We have a strong partnership with Powerlink and these scholarships build on this relationship.
“We look forward to seeing the Divya and Ike’s success well into the future.”
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