Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Jeannette Young PSM, has received an Honorary Doctorate from Griffith University for services to public health and the community.

Dr Young is one of two recipients of the title of Doctor of the University, alongside Vice Chancellor of the Queensland University of Technology, Professor Peter Coaldrake–whose PhD was the very first conferred by Griffith Universit.

The doctorates were conferred at Griffith’s Gold Coast campus by University Chancellor Mr Henry Smerdon AM DUniv.

Dr Jeannette Young PSM DUniv

A tireless health advocate and administrator, Dr Young’s abiding message is that good health and wellbeing are fundamental to a thriving and prosperous state.

After graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery in 1986, Dr Young was awarded a Master of Business Administration from Macquarie University in 1995.

She began her medical career as an Intern and Resident Medical Officer at Sydney’s Westmead Hospital, holding a number of senior roles until appointed Assistant Director of Medical Services in 1994. In December that year, Dr Young moved to Central Queensland as Director of Medical Services at Rockhampton Hospital.

In 1999, she was appointed Executive Director Medical Services at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital and remained in that role until becoming Chief Health Officer for Queensland in 2005.

Dr Young has been an Adjunct Professor at Griffith University since 2010 and a member of Griffith’s Health Group Advisory Board since 2011.

In the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours list, Dr Young received a Public Service Medal for her contribution to public health in Queensland.

Professor Peter Coaldrake AO DUniv

Professor Peter Coaldrake AO DUniv

Professor Peter Coaldrake AO DUniv

Honoured for his contribution to Australian higher education, Professor Coaldrake grew up as the adopted child of Anglican missionaries in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. He later attended boarding school in Charters Towers, where he has acknowledged his academic performance was at best only average.

However, once the opportunities provided by higher education were impressed upon him, he thrived and now stands as Australia’s longest serving incumbent university leader.

Vice-Chancellor of QUT since 2003, Professor Coaldrake was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor and also spent four years as Chair of Queensland’s Public Sector Management Commission, the body established by the late former Premier Wayne Goss to transform Queensland’s public sector.

Professor Coaldrake’s expertise in public policy stems from research conducted for his PhD, which holds a unique place in history as the very first doctorate conferred by Griffith.

A former lecturer in Griffith’s School of Social and Industrial Administration and later Dean of the School from 1984-87, Professor Coaldrake is a dual Fulbright Scholar, a former Chair of the Board of Universities Australia and, at international level, has chaired the OECD’s higher education governing board since 2011.

That same year he was recognised in the Australia Day Honours List for achievements including his distinguished service to higher education.