UTS celebrates excellence in the 2026 Australia Day Honours

UTS staff, alumni and community members have been recognised in the 2026 Australia Day Honours for their outstanding achievements and service across a wide range of fields. 

 UTS Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Andrew Parfitt congratulated the recipients and said the awards highlight the significant contributions made by the UTS community in achieving a positive impact on society. 

“I’d like to extend my congratulations to all members of the UTS community whose exceptional achievements have been recognised in this year’s awards. Thank you for your continued commitment to excellence and service to the community.” 

Members of the UTS community named in the 2026 honours list include: 
 

Distinguished Professor Jim Macnamara

Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to tertiary education, to communications research, and to public relations.
 
Dr Jim Macnamara is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Communication at UTS, and recently acted as Interim Dean of the Faculty of Design and Society. He has also served as Deputy Dean of the UTS Faculty of Science and Deputy Dean of the UTS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. 

Professor Macnamara is an internationally recognised scholar and former communications industry leader whose research has transformed the evaluation and effectiveness of public communication. His work has influenced governments and global organisations, including the World Health Organisation, shaping public and health communication.
 
Adjunct Professor George Newhouse 

Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the law, to the legal profession, and to the community. 

George Newhouse is a leading Australian human rights lawyer and an Adjunct Professor of Law at the UTS Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research.  

He is the CEO and founder of the National Justice Project and a tireless advocate for social justice and law reform, particularly for people living with disabilities, the LGBTQI+ community, immigrants, prisoners, asylum seekers, youth detainees, and First Nations people. He is a designer and contributor to the ‘Call It Out’ First Nations Racism Register, a collaboration between the UTS Indigenous Law and Justice Hub and the National Justice Project. Read his statement.
 
Dr Michele Bruniges   

Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to public administration, to education policy and teaching practice, and to addressing educational disadvantage.   

Dr Bruniges was Secretary, Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2016-2023. As Industry Professor at the UTS Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion, she has conducted research on factors contributing to educational disadvantage, with support from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.  
 
Dr Dominic Morgan 

Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community through emergency response governance and leadership. 

Dr Dominic Morgan is Commissioner and Chief Executive of NSW Ambulance and an Adjunct Professor in Health Services Management in the UTS School of Public Health. He has over 30 years of experience with NSW Ambulance across operations, clinical practice and leadership. 
 
Maile Carnegie 

Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to corporate administration in senior executive roles, and to governance and advisory positions. 

UTS Business School alumna Maile Carnegie is former Chair of the UTS Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Board. She has held senior leadership roles at ANZ, Google and Proctor & Gamble, focused on customer centric innovation and design, and is a UTS Alumni Award winner. 
 
Dr Sarah Hill 

Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to public administration, to urban planning, and to public policy. 

Dr Sarah Hill is an Adjunct Professor at UTS, and Former Chair of the UTS Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building Industry Advisory Board. Dr Hill has held senior roles in the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, and was Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Sydney Commission. 
 
Desmond Freeman 

Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to interior design, and to vocational education. 

Mr Freeman was Professor of Design and Head of the Design School at UTS from 1993-1996. He also led the Design Institute of Australia as Federal President and was President of the Australian Academy of Design and Chairman of the Royal Society of Arts NSW. 
 
Professor Robyn Gallagher 

Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to nursing academia, to cardiovascular health and disease prevention research, to rehabilitation, and to tertiary education. 

Professor Gallagher was Associate Professor, Chronic and Complex Care, at UTS from 2005-2014, and Director of Research Students, where she received the UTS Postgraduate Supervision Award for Excellence. She is currently a Professor of Nursing at the University of Sydney.  
 
The full list of 2026 Australia Day Honours is available on the Office of the Governor-General’s website.