Honorary Doctor of Science
Citation delivered by Senior Professor Eileen McLaughlin, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science Medicine and Health at the University of Wollongong on the occasion of the admission of Robert Geoffrey Moses as a Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on 1 November 2023.
Chancellor, I present Professor Robert Moses OAM.
Robert is a globally esteemed academic leader whose contributions have significantly advanced the field of diabetes care and elevated the University of Wollongong’s international reputation as a centre of excellence in medical education.
In over 30 years of engagement with UOW, Robert has played a pivotal role in shaping the academic landscape and fostering a culture of excellence in medical education.
Profoundly committed to teaching, research, and clinical supervision, he has enriched the academic experience of countless students, mentoring and guiding them to become exceptional medical professionals.
Robert completed a double degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Sydney in 1969. He then came to UOW and completed his Bachelor of Arts in 1991, and remained at UOW to complete his Master of Science (Hons) in 1996.
A renowned expert in gestational diabetes, Robert was made an Honorary Clinical Professor with the UOW Graduate School of Medicine in 1998. He also received an honorary Doctor of Medicine from the University of Sydney in 2000 for his work on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM).
As Director, Endocrinologist, and Principal Investigator in the Clinical Trial and Research Unit of the Illawarra Diabetes Service, Robert’s many decades of sustained research, publishing, collaboration, leadership, and advocacy have positioned him as a transformative figure in diabetes care. He has markedly expanded global understanding and management of this critical issue, improving the lives of countless people in the Illawarra, across Australia, and around the world.
He has and continues to bring his expertise to shaping international approaches to gestational diabetes care, including as Chair of the Writing Group for the International Diabetes Federation Diabetes in Pregnancy Guidelines in 2009 and Chair and Reviewer for the World Health Organization Gestational Diabetes Management Guidelines in 2012.
Robert is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) and the American Diabetes Association, and an honorary life member of the Australian Diabetes Society and the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society. He received the Australian Diabetes Society Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021 and recently retired as an Associate Editor of Diabetes Care and a prominent advisor on a range of national and international bodies related to diabetes in pregnancy.
Chancellor, Professor Robert Moses OAM’s exceptional contribution to the University, to scholarship and clinical excellence in his field, and to driving better outcomes for sufferers of diabetes around the world are an inspiration to us all.
It is a privilege to present Professor Robert Moses OAM for a Doctor of Science, honoris causa.