Meet Swinburne's 2026 Alumni Impact Awards finalists

Swinburne has announced the finalists for the 2026 Alumni Impact Awards, celebrating the remarkable achievements of alumni who are driving positive change around the world.

This year's finalists have been recognised for their transformative contributions across technology innovation, environmental sustainability, social impact and emerging leadership.

Their work spans a wide range of fields – from aviation to astrophysics, to innovative design and nursing – demonstrating the diverse and meaningful ways Swinburne alumni are shaping a better future. 

The winners will be announced in October.

Meet the finalists

The George and Ethel Swinburne Social Impact Award

This award is for a Swinburne alum who has demonstrated Swinburne’s passion for providing opportunities for all and making a real difference to the world we live in.

Adjunct Professor (Practice) Alison J McMillan PSM, Mark Beretta OAM, Michelle Maxwell 

Adjunct Professor (Practice) Alison J McMillan PSM

Adjunct Professor (Practice) Alison McMillan PSM is one of Australia’s most respected nursing leaders and serves as Commonwealth Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer. With more than 40 years’ experience as a Registered Nurse, she has led national reforms in healthcare, workforce policy and emergency response. Alison is a passionate advocate for nurses, midwives and equitable access to quality care. Her contributions have been recognised with the Public Service Medal, National Emergency Medal and Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal.

Mark Beretta OAM

Mark Beretta OAM is an award-winning broadcaster with more than 35 years’ experience in television and radio, and is best known as the long-time sports presenter on Sunrise. A passionate advocate for charity, Mark serves on the board of Tour de Cure Australia, and has completed 17 annual rides to raise funds for cancer research and treatment. During his tenure on the board he has contributed to the growth of an organisation which has raised more than $160 million for cancer research, support programs and preventative health initiatives. Beyond his work with Tour de Cure, Mark is also an ambassador for some important national charities including Butterfly Foundation, Raise Foundation, and the Run Army community run. In 2021 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the community. 

Michelle Maxwell 

Michelle Maxwell is a proud Koori woman, psychotherapist, educator and founder of Violet Dreaming, a culturally grounded wellbeing business dedicated to healing and empowerment. Alongside her work with the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing and as a casual teacher and tutor at Swinburne University, Michelle delivers trauma-informed programs that strengthen wellbeing, cultural connection and community capacity. She is passionate about creating opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and driving positive social change through education, healing and advocacy.

The Innovative Planet Impact Award 

This award is for a Swinburne alum whose exceptional endeavours have resulted in significant impact in environmental sustainability.

Dr Tennyson Chia, Andy Fallshaw, Frank Capurso & Ben Wood 

Dr Tennyson Chia 

Dr Tennyson Chia is a design strategist shaping how brands, businesses and communities experience the built environment through creating more sustainable, innovative and human-centred built environments across Southeast Asia. As the appointed Concept Architect for Mercedes-Benz Southeast Asia and Founder of Sachi Design, he unites global brand standards, cultural relevance and commercial strategy to create human-centred spaces with enduring social and economic impact. As an elected Council Member of the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers, he advances professional excellence, mentors emerging talent and strengthens global design influence across Southeast Asia and beyond.

Andrew (Andy) Fallshaw 

Andy Fallshaw is a product designer, engineer and brand shepherd with a global focus. As a Co-Founder at Bellroy, and Co-Founder of Carryology, he aims to inspire better ways to ‘carry’ our everyday things. With a background heading up two major divisions of global surfwear brand Rip Curl, starting an investment group, and spending years immersed in European design, Andy’s experience has built on his Product Design Engineering degree from Swinburne. Bellroy has been his major focus since 2008. With an approach to inspire better ways to carry, use business as a force for good, and help the world, and their crew, flourish, Bellroy has developed into a global brand and certified B-Corp sold in over 150 countries.

Frank Capurso & Ben Wood 

Ben Wood and Frank Capurso are the co-founders of Waste in Progress, a Melbourne-based sustainable design studio diverting textile and outdoor gear waste from landfill. Through their consumer brand Wipwrk, they upcycle discarded tents, rain jackets and technical fabrics into new products, and run hands-on sewing and upcycling courses that build lasting repair and making skills across the community. Their B2B arm, Wiptex, extends this work into industry, applying reclaimed technical textiles to high-value asset protection and robotics. To date they have diverted over 4,000kg of outdoor textile waste from landfill, proving that waste diversion can be practical, scalable and community-led.

The Technology Innovation Impact Award

This award is for a Swinburne alum who has made significant impact through technology and entrepreneurial innovation.

Dr Philip Kinsella, Matthew Franzi and Abdollah Al-Huseini 

Dr Philip (Phil) Kinsella

Phil Kinsella moved from Ireland to Australia in 2012 to complete a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Swinburne, where he developed expertise in 3D scanning, geometry processing and applied research. Following his studies he founded H3D to commercialise research developed during his doctoral studies, creating H3D’s proprietary AI-powered design platform to solve a longstanding challenge in healthcare manufacturing: efficiently creating highly personalised medical devices at scale. Since 2018, he has grown the company from a single employee to a team of 33, processing more than 150,000 custom in-ear devices each month. Recognising the broader application of the technology, he has led the expansion of H3D’s AI-driven design capabilities into the dental sector, automating the creation of customised dental devices and supporting more efficient delivery of personalised healthcare solutions. He remains driven by a passion for innovation and building technologies that make a real-world impact.

Matthew (Matt) Franzi 

Matt Franzi is Chief Operating Officer of Jetstar Airways, part of the Qantas Group, with over 20 years' experience in aviation across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore. He holds full operational and safety accountability for Jetstar's domestic and international network, including approximately 6,000 frontline employees. Matt is the CASA-approved Accountable Manager for Jetstar's Air Operator Certificate and is a Qantas Group Crisis Chair. Previously, Matt led Qantas Group Safety, Health & Security, including a key role in leading the Group's COVID-19 pandemic response, where he led safety, health, security and business continuity functions across the Qantas Group, overseeing the development of a technology-enabled and evidence-based return-to-operations framework. At Jetstar, Matt continues to drive innovation through the integration of advanced technologies into airline operations, and has championed optimisation technologies to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability, embedded cyber resilience within safety governance, and driven the adoption of artificial intelligence and embedded technology teams within operational control functions. 

Abdollah Al-Huseini 

Abdollah Al-Huseini is an entrepreneur, engineer and technology innovator who has helped transform Oman’s fisheries sector through Behar, a digital seafood marketplace he co-founded and leads as Chief Operating Officer. His work has expanded market access for fishermen, improved supply chain efficiency and supported livelihoods, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. A dedicated Swinburne ambassador, he has also strengthened the university’s alumni, recruitment and partnership activities across Oman and the wider region.

The Emerging Leader Impact Award

For a Swinburne alum in the early stages of their career who has shown exceptional promise, leadership and impact across technology, entrepreneurial change or as a local and global citizen. 

Dr Debatri Chattopadhyay, Conor Bowden and Phoenix Santamaria 

Dr Debatri Chattopadhyay 

Dr Debatri Chattopadhyay is an astrophysicist whose research explores how black holes and neutron stars form, collide and shape our understanding of the universe. A Swinburne PhD graduate through OzGrav, she has led astrophysical analyses of some of the world’s latest gravitational-wave discoveries and now conducts research in the United States. Beyond her scientific work, she is a champion for diversity in STEM, having participated in the Homeward Bound leadership program, a global program building women's leadership for climate action, and co-authored the children’s book Women in Physics, to help give girls the role models she never had. Debatri is passionate about challenging stereotypes in science and inspiring the next generation of researchers.

Conor Bowden

Tagalaka and Gumatj man Conor Bowden is widely regarded as one of the most inspiring leaders from his region.  A Darwin schoolteacher, Conor first gained national recognition during the Voice to Parliament referendum campaign. Alongside First Nations advocate, Jaiden McGregor, he created TikTok videos that used humour, cultural references and accessible language to explain complex constitutional ideas. Reaching over 1.1 million views, the videos became a trusted source of information, especially for young people.  Conor teaches and mentors students from remote communities at a boarding school in Darwin while continuing his work at the intersection of local action and national reform. In 2024, he contributed to the Youth Voice Northern Territory Theory of Change, a strategic initiative to improve youth engagement, and is part of several other community mentoring programs. Conor is a powerful advocate for equity, truth and justice who never loses sight of who he represents. 

Phoenix Santamaria

Phoenix Santamaria is an award-winning Senior Art Director. His conceptual thinking and creativity have culminated in effective and award-winning ideas for a diverse range of clients, demonstrating the power of his creativity to drive meaningful social impact on an international stage. As a result, his work has earned recognition across multiple international stages, including Cannes Lions, and has featured on global platforms such as the BBC, NBC, and Saturday Night Live in New York. Phoenix continues to emerge as a creative leader, striving to produce work with both local and global impact. In addition to his creative achievements, Phoenix actively supports emerging talent, returning to Swinburne to mentor students and judge industry-based creative projects, demonstrating a commitment to developing the next generation of creative leaders.