Congratulations to the four University of Tasmania Alumni Award recipients for 2024, who are making positive impacts in business and politics, international relations, creative technologies and the performing arts.
The recipients, across three categories, are: The Hon Warwick Smith AO (Distinguished Alumni Award), The Hon Lisa Singh (International Alumni Award), Dr Paris Buttfield-Addison (joint Young Alumni Award), and the musician and actor known as Naarah (joint Young Alumni Award).
The Hon Warwick Smith AO, a former Federal Government Minister and leader in business and international affairs, said receiving the 2024 University of Tasmania Distinguished Alumni Award was a profound honour.
“I hope this recognition inspires fellow alumni to leverage their university qualifications to make meaningful contributions to society and our global community, driving positive change and innovation,” he said.
Former Australian Senator and current CEO of the Australia India Institute The Hon Lisa Singh said she was honoured to receive the award.
“My studies in humanities at UTAS have given me some amazing opportunities to represent my State and country, in state and federal parliament and across the world,” Ms Singh said.
“I now apply that learning to leading a think tank at a university that promotes collaboration with India to address global issues. The research and policy work we do is crucial to supporting a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region we all want to live in.”
Dr Paris Buttfield-Addison said, “My time at the University of Tasmania meant the world to me; I learned so much, and made so many friends, especially through taking an interdisciplinary approach to my learning, combining my undergraduate history degree with a technology degree, and progressing through a PhD that explored the human- and social-side of computing.”
Naarah is an actor and musician. She won the 2024 Tasmanian Young Australian of the Year and is the first Aboriginal person to study a Master of Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Naarah also won the 2024 Creative Talent Award at the national NAIDOC Awards and the 2023 Creative Australia Dreaming Award.
“I’m so happy to receive this award as I’m so proud of my island home, Tassie. We have an incredible arts scene that deserves to be on the International stage and I’m doing just that,” she said.
More on each of the recipients follows. Full bios are on the Alumni Awards page online.
Distinguished Alumni Award
The Hon Warwick Smith AO
LLB ’78
Warwick Smith has made notable contributions across business, government and international relations. His advocacy within the Business Council of Australia as Immediate Past Chairman – Global Engagement and Security Committee, and his advisory roles in the Asia Society, the Australian American Leadership Dialogue, and the BOAO Forum for Asia have driven global economic cooperation and policy development. He was made a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs for his distinguished contribution to international affairs.
International Alumni Award
The Hon Lisa Singh
BA ’94, BA (Hons) ’96
As a former Australian Senator and current CEO of the Australia India Institute, Lisa Singh has championed human rights, climate action and international relations. She has strengthened ties between Australia and India, developing educational, cultural and economic partnerships that serve as a model for global collaboration. As the first woman of South Asian heritage to be elected to the Australian Parliament, Ms Singh has served as a role model for women and minority groups. She also served as a Tasmanian parliamentarian and government minister.
Young Alumni Award
Dr Paris Buttfield-Addison
BA-BComp ’07, BComp (Hons) ’08, PhD ’14
Dr Paris Buttfield-Addison, a world-renowned creative technologist, has had a significant impact on the global game development industry. As co-founder of Secret Lab, he has led innovative and award-winning projects for clients as diverse as Apple, Qantas, ABC, CSIRO, and the Port Arthur Historic Site. As a director of Yarn Spinner, he works to make interactive narrative creation accessible to all. He has published over 20 books on topics from AI to astrophysics.
Young Alumni Award
Naarah
BMus ’19
Naarah is an actor and musician. She won the 2024 Tasmanian Young Australian of the Year and is the first Aboriginal person to study a Master of Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Naarah also won the 2024 Creative Talent Award at the national NAIDOC Awards and the 2023 Creative Australia Dreaming Award. A Gija woman from the Kimberley who grew up in lutruwita/Tasmania, Naarah debuted the new First Nations role of Killara in Our Country’s Good on London’s West End in September–October 2024.