Vice-Chancellor, Professor Helen Garnett with CDU students
Charles Darwin University (CDU) was represented by a number of past and present students at the Northern Territory Young Achiever Awards 2006, including Bachelor of Music graduate Katharina Fehringer, who won both the CDU Arts Award and The Young Achiever of the Year Award for the Northern Territory.
In accepting her awards, Katharina acknowledged the support she had received during her years at CDU.
"Without CDU, and especially the Music School, I would not have had the inspiration to keep on going," said Katharina.
Katharina learned her trade under the guardianship of Adrian Walter, the former Head of the School of Music and now CDU’s Dean of the Law, Business and Arts Faculty.
Already well-respected in Darwin as a classical guitarist, violinist, music teacher and performing artist, Katharina was recently accepted at one of England's most prestigious music institutions, the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (UK).
Katharina has performed around Australia and across Europe, having learned the flamenco guitar in Spain and studied under Carlo Barrone in Italy, Pavl Steidl in Belgium and Walfin Lieske in Germany.
Other CDU students recognised at the NT Young Achiever Awards Presentation for their achievements included:
ConocoPhillips Environment Award
Yasmin Antwertinger, 26, from Rapid Creek won the ConocoPhillips Environment Award.
Yasmin started her PhD research project at CDU in 2003, exploring the use of corals as bio-monitors of water quality and the marine environment.
This study focused on environmental management and will provide information about the past and current pollution levels of Darwin Harbour’s ecosystem. Yasmin aims to become a research scientist in the field of environmental chemistry.
She was also a finalist for the Power and Water Science and Engineering Award.
The Power and Water Science and Engineering Award
Casuarina resident Kate Mounsey, 26, won the Power and Water Science and Engineering Award.
Kate is a PhD student at CDU, investigating the issue of emerging drug resistance in scabies.
The molecular tools developed in Kate’s project will enable the assessment of drug treatment failures and assist the development of more sensitive methods of monitoring resistance in the community, including the potential for reversing it.
Kate’s work contributes to an overall Healthy Skin program which aims to eradicate endemic scabies in northern Australian Aboriginal communities.
She works with the Royal Darwin Hospital, monitoring treatment progress and increasing public awareness.
Minister for Young Territorians Excellence in Youth Leadership Award
The Minister for Young Territorians Excellence in Youth Leadership Award went to Alice Chang, 25, from Casuarina.
Alice is known throughout the community for her contribution towards advancing multiculturalism and counteracting racism through the Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory.
She is a representative of the Australian Medical Association and was a member of the 2005 Chief Minister’s Round Table of Young Territorians and the face of National Youth Week in 2005.
Recently, Alice was appointed as the youth delegate for the Australian National Commission to attend the 4th UNESCO Conference.
On her return, she set up a youth network for young Australians to advocate the rights of young people internationally.
The awards ceremony was held at the Holiday Inn, Esplanade, Darwin on Saturday 1 April.