Six outstanding artistic, cultural, political, and scientific leaders have been named Murdoch University’s Distinguished Alumni Awards recipients for 2025.

The Murdoch University Distinguished Alumni Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding professional achievements, community service and personal journeys of our exceptional alumni. 

The 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards recipients are Clothilde Bullen OAM, Hon. Roger Cook MLA, Danny Loong, Dr Jonica Newby, Professor Philip Poole FRS, and Dr Rupert Woods AM. 

Last night, they were honoured at a prestigious event attended by Murdoch’s leadership team, the academic community, and guests. 

Held at Murdoch University’s award-winning building, Boola Katitjin, the ceremony was emceed by Murdoch University’s Associate Professor Garth Maker and Associate Professor Jenna Woods. 

The alumni were chosen for making a significant contribution to their profession and for demonstrating positive advancement in one or more of Murdoch’s key priority areas of Sustainability; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; and First Nations.   

Murdoch University Vice Chancellor and President Andrew Deeks said the event was the culmination of a significant year for the university, which included 50th anniversary celebrations and an extraordinary $100 million philanthropic gift for the veterinary school from businessman Ted Powell. 

“Our accomplished alumni remind current students of what can be achieved through determination, perseverance, and the strong academic grounding they received here,” he said in his speech. 

“Their accomplishments offer evidence of what’s possible, encouraging students to aim high and stay focused on their aspirations.” 

The first Distinguished Alumni Award recipient for the evening was Clothilde Bullen OAM. 

Clo is a prominent Indigenous curator, writer, advocate, and cultural leader who completed a Bachelor of Psychology at Murdoch in 2002.  A woman of Wardandi (Nyoongar) and Badimaya (Yamatji) heritage, she has spent over two decades shaping the arts and cultural landscape in Western Australia and nationally, particularly in the realm of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts.  

In her acceptance speech, Clo said her time at Murdoch University gifted her the skill of critical thinking.

“The next few decades, as we know, will be filled with challenges and I will continue to utilise the values and skillsets that this university provided me with so many years ago to meet them head on. Thank you for this award, I treasure it,” she said.

The second recipient of the evening was WA Premier Roger Cook, who graduated from Murdoch University in 1992.

Roger Cook is the 31st Premier of Western Australia and was elected as the Member for Kwinana in 2008. Prior to becoming Premier in June 2023, he served as Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and Mental Health, playing a pivotal role in Western Australia’s global-leading response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His leadership helped keep WA’s community safe, while ensuring WA’s economy remained the strongest in the nation.  

“Murdoch brought me alive and truly shaped my thinking and my values to make the person I am today. I had some amazing academic experiences here … but what I really learnt from Murdoch University is all the skills, the life experiences, the arguments had in the refectory day in day out, shaping your values, your feelings, your drive, your determination and the vision for the way that you think the world should be,” he said in his acceptance speech.

The third 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards recipient was Danny Loong.

Danny Loong is a Singapore-based entrepreneur, musician, curator, and cultural leader, best known as the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Timbre Group. Danny began his professional journey as a musician and bandleader. His deep passion for live music inspired him to create sustainable platforms for artists in Singapore, helping elevate local music from a hobby to a respected profession. 

In his acceptance speech, Danny Loong said Murdoch University empowered him to pursue his dream career.

“The people at Murdoch were the ones that really started my journey. I'm very thankful to Murdoch; it changed my life. It was a game-changer coming from Singapore, coming here, not being judged for the choices I made. People were crazy enough to support, and I owe a lot to the university to basically commit my life to music and eventually business,” he said.

The fourth award recipient of the evening was Dr Jonica Newby who is an award-winning Australian science communicator, author, speaker, television presenter, and director, whose work bridges rigorous science with deeply personal storytelling. Her television career is best known for her long tenure on ABC TV’s weekly science program Catalyst, where for two decades she reported, produced, and directed on a wide array of scientific topics.

Dr Newby said her time at Murdoch University’s veterinary school had taught her problem-solving skills that stood her in good steady throughout her accomplished career,

“This degree, from this university, it was infused with a can-do attitude. It was so practical. What other degree gives you exams on rope ties and how to throw a sheep. We were taught that if you did not have the staff or the equipment, make do… but the other great gift that others have mentioned was the intellectual rigour of our training,” she said.

Professor Philip Poole FRS was the fifth 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

Professor Philip Poole FRS is a leading figure in plant–microbe interactions, renowned for his pioneering research into how beneficial bacteria enhance plant nutrition and resilience. Based in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Somerville College, Poole’s work seeks to transform global agriculture by reducing dependence on synthetic fertilisers and improving sustainable food production.  

Professor Poole said it was Murdoch’s flexible entry pathways that lead him to study at the university and pursue his dream of studying life’s chemistry.

“Murdoch made by journey possible, so my deepest gratitude for a lucky and very, very privileged journey. Thank you, Murdoch, thank you everyone here. Thank you for this award I am really deeply honoured,” he said.

The final award recipient was Dr Rupert Woods.

Dr Rupert Woods is a veterinarian and long-standing leader in Australia’s wildlife health and One Health sectors. He is Chief Executive Officer of Wildlife Health Australia (WHA), a national body advancing wildlife health for a healthier future for all. Under his leadership, WHA has established and grown programs such as the Zoo and Sentinel Clinics (veterinary clinics that monitor wildlife disease in key locations) and National Avian Influenza Wild Bird Surveillance Program. 

Dr Woods, in his acceptance speech, said his time at Murdoch University had shaped his career and his life.

“Murdoch taught me to approach the world with curiosity, humility, and a sense of service. It was here that I began to understand the deep connects between people, wildlife and … the importance of collaboration across disciplines and communities. And it was also here that I met my wife Evelyn,” Dr Woods said.

Read the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards recipients’ full biographies.