Naval captain to present Shoalhaven Campus graduation address
Captain Stephen Hussey from HMAS Creswell will present the Occasional Address at the University of Wollongong’s Shoalhaven Campus summer graduation ceremony tomorrow (Friday 19 December).
One hundred and twenty four graduands will be presented to the Deputy Chancellor, Dr Stephen Andersen, OAM, to receive their testamurs. The graduands are from the Faculties of Business; Law Humanities and the Arts; Science Medicine and Health; and Social Sciences.
The guest speaker originally hailed from England. After 10 years serving in submarines, including service during the Falklands War in 1982, Captain Hussey was commissioned graduating from Dartmouth Royal Navy College in 1985. He subsequently served in diesel, nuclear and missile submarines before joining the Royal Australian Navy in 2000.
Captain Hussey has commanded a Collins Class submarine – HMAS Rankin – and after promotion to Commander in 2006 he served on the staff of the Commander Submarine Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbour. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in January 2013 prior to attendance at the Australian Defence College, Canberra, where he completed a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from Deakin University.
Some newsworthy graduands attending on Friday evening are:
Elizabeth Wilson who is receiving a Bachelor of Nursing with Distinction. Elizabeth received a scholarship from the Shoalhaven Education Fund.
Rory Stevenson, whose father is Laurie Stevenson a former long-term Executive Officer from the Shoalhaven Campus, will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts. The Stevensons are a very old Shoalhaven family.
Stephanie Fletcher, one of two graduands in their seventies, will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts.
Alison Stewart who is receiving a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) started her diploma with a four-month-old baby and can relate the support she received to see her through her studies.
Bridie Fitzgerald is receiving a Bachelor of Nursing with Distinction degree. She gave birth mid way through her degree this year and she is already the mother of several children.
Note to media: The ceremony will begin at 6pm at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre. There will be photo/filming opportunities from about 5.15pm.
Media contact: For further information contact the Head of Shoalhaven Campus, Associate Professor Robbie Collins, on +61 2 4448 0878 or +61 411 547 832.