Caitlyn Roberts and Australian OHS Education Accreditation Board registrar Susanne Teppe.
A recent Edith Cowan University (ECU) occupational health and safety graduate has received national acclaim, taking out a major occupational health and safety award.
Caitlyn Roberts graduated from ECU South West last December with a Bachelor of Health Science and accepted the Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) National OHS Education Award at a gala ceremony in Brisbane.
It comes after she also received the Environmental Health Australia (WA) Gold Medal for the 2022 academic year, which was awarded to the student with the highest overall grade.
AIHS Chief Executive Julia Whitford said the annual awards aim to recognise students who display consistently high academic standards, practical skills, plus a commitment to, and involvement in, occupational health and safety.
"The Institute strives to promote a culture of learning, where we all expect of ourselves to grow in capability, from the very beginning of our careers to the end," she said.
"The AIHS is proud to celebrate Caitlyn's achievements and we wish her the best of luck in her future endeavours."
Caitlyn said news of the win came as a surprise, but she was greatly honoured by the acknowledgement.
"I couldn't wait to share the news with my family, friends and lecturers," she said.
"There was no way I could have done so well in uni without their amazing support.
"I was already grateful to be recognised by my lecturers and that they thought that I would be a worthy candidate to nominate."
ECU’s presence in the South West has allowed Caitlyn to study and now pursue her career without needing to leave the region where she grew up.
She currently lives in Bunbury, where she works for the Shire of Harvey as an Environmental Health Officer.
"Studying my degree whilst remaining in the South West made it possible for me to remain with my friends and family," she said.
"If I had to move to Perth for uni, I definitely wouldn't be in the position I am now as I wouldn't have been able to focus on my studies as much as I did.
"It enabled me to pursue higher education in my chosen field of study — I am passionate about safety, as I just want to give something back and help to keep people safe in the community and while they're at work."
Lecturer Gregory Ho said Caitlyn had been a conscientious and dedicated student during her studies, and a wonderful advocate for ECU.
"Our department nominated Caitlyn not only because of her academic excellence but also her willingness to apply her knowledge in the real world," he said.
"This award is well-deserved, and we are glad she is pursuing a career in her chosen field."
OHS senior lecturer Dr Marcus Cattani said the AIHS National Education Awards are highly sought after.
"ECU has a proud history with the awards, and we congratulate Caitlyn for her achievements this year," he said.
"Completing a degree is challenging enough; to do so at a level worthy of being nominated by the University indicates an exceptional student."
