Arts and Education Prizes

Geoff and Lyn Field Prize in Australian Studies

Student: Kersti Niilus

Awarded for: The best honours dissertation on an Australian topic.

Donors: Geoff & Lyn Field (pictured)

"The prize was inaugurated in 1996 following our decision to mark my 25 years work with Murdoch University. We chose an award in Social Sciences because at the time that discipline offered few prizes and none aimed specifically at Australian Studies. We feel that the prize continues to give worthy students appropriate recognition and provide an incentive as demonstrated by the most recent winner who stated, this prize is a great motivator to strive for further academic excellence. She has now commenced her PhD."

With the kind permission of Geoff & Lyn Field

Irene Searcy Prize in Literature

Jennifer Searcy with Professor Andrew Taggart

Student: Eloise Cheney, accepted by Professor Andrew Taggart, Faculty Dean Arts and Education

Awarded for: The best essay in a Part II English and Creative Arts unit.

Donor: Jennifer Searcy

"After the untimely death of my son Nicholas, a Murdoch honours student, Murdoch staff asked how I’d like him remembered. As I had been a beneficiary of donor generosity when a student at UWA, I expressed a wish for a bursary and prizes. The result was the Nicholas Searcy prizes and bursary.

When my father Ronald Searcy died it was natural that further prizes were created in his memory and finally when my mother Irene died she too was remembered with prizes. In particular my students in the After school program in Mathematics and Physical Sciences gain great confidence in their own abilities when they are recognised for their efforts by winning a prize.

I worked many hours a day, usually seven days each week, to bring in an income and raise my children, and they accompanied me and learnt what I taught. I eventually achieved financial independence, and was in a position to give back not just knowledge and skills, but opportunities and the joys of learning.

I like to recognise a job well done, and students love to be recognised for their efforts; it spurs them on to greater effort, but it also gives them confidence in their own abilities."

With the kind permission of Jennifer Searcy