Congratulations to Shelley Parker, Jessica Male, Nicole Evans and Erica Bleakley who have each been awarded the 2023 Val Asche Memorial Prize for Academic Excellence.
The Val Asche Memorial Prize for Academic Excellence is awarded annually to recognise outstanding achievement by students undertaking public health and health research courses. Each of the recipients consistently achieved very high grades and are highly regarded by their lecturers.
Shelley Parker - Graduate Diploma of Public Health (GDPH)
Shelley Parker is currently working as a community based Child and Family Health nurse in the Top End, NT. She first worked in the NT in 1997 and since then has worked as a paediatric nurse, midwife and community child and family health nurse in a variety of settings.
She also holds a Diploma in Nursing, Post Graduate Diploma in Midwifery and Masters of Clinical Nursing (Child and Family Health). Her career highlights have included active involvement in the implementation of the evidence based Healthy Under 5 Kid’s programs (2009 and 2019), development of referral pathways following developmental screening and establishment of roles in paediatric and child and family health.
Jessica Male - Graduate Diploma of Health Research (GDHR)
Jessica Male has been registered as a nurse since 2017 and quickly found her passion working in the primary healthcare space in Adelaide. In 2022 she moved into a Project Officer role at a primary health NGO where she has had the opportunity to work across a wide range of community service programs including Aboriginal health, homelessness, and health promotions. Jessica has been able to apply the skills and knowledge gained from the Graduate Diploma of Health Research into her work by translating research directly into program design and evaluation.
Nicole Evans - Master of Health Research (MHP)
Nicole's Menzies journey began amidst the chaos of raising three children through the COVID-19 pandemic, juggling household responsibilities, and working full time as a laboratory technician in Sydney. Despite these demands, she harbours a deep-seated passion for understanding women's health dynamics and contributing to scientific advancements in this field. Nicole's desire to make a meaningful difference in the field of women's health has fuelled her ambition to pursue her interests into higher education.
Whilst researching a novel topic was challenging and there were plenty of hurdles, Nicole overcame them with determination and drive, and hopes to influence other women who might have an interest in higher research.
"I am immensely grateful for the support and resources provided by Menzies, which facilitated my academic pursuits. Charles Darwin University has equipped me with the tools necessary to conduct rigorous research and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in my field."
Erica Bleakley - Master of Public Health (MPH)
Erica is an Occupational Therapist who has been living and working in Darwin in the Northern Territory for over 16 years. She previously worked in burns and trauma at the Royal Darwin Hospital and now has a focus on rehabilitation in disasters and health emergencies. Her role takes her to countries across the Pacific and to Timor-Leste where she works alongside a range of health professionals to strengthen their ability to deliver rehabilitation services for their communities in times of emergency.
Completing a Master of Public Health has broadened Erica's perspective of health from the individual to population level, and has fostered a curiosity about the determinants of health at all levels. Erica is very grateful for the exposure the MPH program provided to a range of new topics, including child and adolescent health, epidemiology, and social anthropology. She looks forward to continuing to integrate her learning into her work in rehabilitation in health emergencies.
Erica thanks the academic staff at Menzies for their support throughout her studies.