At our recent Academic Excellence Prize event, Deakin Business School celebrated our top performing students. Our congratulations to all who were recognised for their achievements – our Bowater Trust Medal winners and Brooks Medal winners, our unit prize winners and our Dean's Merit List graduates.
Dean’s Merit List – Undergraduate
Joseph Anticev – Bachelor of Commerce
Bhavya Rakesh Bagaria – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Business Analytics
Harriet Alexandra Bencic – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
Joel Phillip Blashki – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
Kingsley Box – Bachelor of Commerce
Campbell Regan Burns – Bachelor of Commerce
Elana Rose Clarke – Bachelor of Human Resource Management (Psychology)
Matthew Colosimo – Bachelor of Commerce
Elliot Daniel Conway – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
Hugo Charles Cumming – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
Madeleine Jane Cunliffe – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Business Analytics
Daniela Difrancesco – Bachelor of Commerce
Pham Thien Ha Dinh – Bachelor of Business Analytics
Brad Patrick Edwards – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
Rachel Lea Eydelshteyn – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
Noah Foster – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
James Grant – Bachelor of Commerce
Zoe Paloma Grant – Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts
Nash Greasley – Bachelor of Commerce
Kellen James Harper – Bachelor of Commerce
Chas Edward Karpala – Bachelor of Commerce
Gregory Philip Garvey Kendall – Bachelor of Commerce
Evelyn Regina Kniesel – Bachelor of Commerce
Stephanie Grace Kyriacou – Bachelor of Commerce
Darcy Tayla Larkin – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
Murray Aaron Lovass – Bachelor of Human Resource Management (Psychology)
Sharon Maher – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
Jade Mckenzie – Bachelor of Commerce
Jessica Roy Nippers – Bachelor of Commerce
Joshua O’Dowd – Bachelor of Commerce
Alistair Lewis Quinn – Bachelor of Commerce
Pranav Rana – Bachelor of Commerce
Lakshana Ravi Ratnasabapathy – Bachelor of Property and Real Estate/Bachelor of Commerce
Jack Andrew Skinner – Bachelor of Commerce
Hetal Solanki – Bachelor of Commerce
Matthew Tecchio – Bachelor of Information Systems
Ebony Trewick – Bachelor of Business
Clarissa Walker – Bachelor of Commerce
Erin Welsh – Bachelor of Marketing (Psychology)
Emma Jane Westerman – Bachelor of Business
Sarah Jennifer Williams – Bachelor of Business
Riley Mathew Wilson – Bachelor of Business
Cooper Lee Zammit – Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
Dean’s Merit List – Postgraduate
Tracey Aberle – Master of Business Administration
Zaid Ali – Master of Business Analytics
Joachim Kvade Bardrum – Master of Finance
Cassandra Quinta Bird – Master of Information Systems
Allison Michelle Bradley – Master of Business Administration
Karandeep Chadha – Master of Information Systems
Wai Yee Chu – Master of Business Analytics
Kimberley Maree Coventry – Master of Human Resource Management
Bradley Kenneth Dixon – Master of Leadership
Sharon Anne Favero – Master of Business Administration
Andrea Gayle Floyd – Master of Leadership
Aaron Troy Gill – Master of Business Administration
Ann Elizabeth Grimwade – Master of Financial Planning
Jayne Gurton – Master of Leadership
Jacinta Maree Hanrahan – Master of Business Administration
Kelly-Anne Harding – Master of Leadership
Amy Rebecca Harris – Master of Human Resource Management
Kali Harris – Master of Business Administration
Ming-Yun Hsieh – Master of Business Administration
Joshua Iser – Master of Business Administration
Geoffrey James Lane – Master of Business Administration
Bethany Mackintosh – Master of Business Administration
Michael Peter Marshall – Executive Master of Sport Business
Yulia Martynenko – Master of Information Systems
Stephanie Moroz – Master of International Finance
Emily Jacquelin Muxlow – Master of Business Administration (Healthcare Management)
Lorraine Ann Beatrice O’Brien – Master of Leadership
Kate Paterson – Master of Human Resource Management
Julie Anne Payne – Master of Business Administration
Fiona Telford – Executive Master of Sport Business
Kathryn Maree Tohill – Master of Business (Arts and Cultural Management)
Karen Lesley Van Geelen – Master of Leadership
Todd Raymond Wade – Master of Business Administration
Liesl Rebecca Westberry – Master of Business Administration
Manuel Christopher Wieser – Master of International Finance
Basia Barbara Ewa Wozny – Master of Business Analytics
Geoff Neilson Prize
Awarded to the highest achieving Bachelor of Commerce student (Geelong-
based) completing third year.
Winner:
Lochlan Thomas Smith
Brookes Medal
Awarded to Deakin’s top two MBA Graduates, the Brookes medals honour Sir Wilfred Brookes,
grandson of Alfred Deakin, after whom Deakin is named.
Winners:
Allison Michelle Bradley
Geoffrey James Lane
Deakin Business School Prizes
Deakin Business School Prizes recognise students and graduates who have achieved the highest overall academic standard in their coursework in the 2024 academic year.
Undergraduate Course Prizes
Best First-Year Business Student Award
Ben Deague-Moran
Highest Result in International Work Integrated Learning
Patrick Flynn Bulloch
Pravina Sashini Liyanapathiranage Amelia Rose Russell
Erin Welsh
Best Graduate in Bachelor of Commerce
Hetal Solanki
Best Graduate in Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting major)
Hetal Solanki
Best Graduate in Bachelor of Business
Emma Jane Westerman
Best Graduate in Bachelor of Property and Real Estate
Lakshana Ravi Ratnasabapathy
Best Graduate in Bachelor of Business Analytics
Bhavya Rakesh Bagaria
Best Graduate in Bachelor of Human Resource Management (Psychology major)
Elana Rose Clarke
Best Graduate in Bachelor of Marketing (Psychology major)
Erin Welsh
Best Graduate in Bachelor of Business (Sport Management major)
Ruby Kathryn Lewis
Best Graduate in Bachelor of Sport Development
Sebastian David Woodlands
Postgraduate Course Prizes
Best First-Year Business Student Award
Dee Orgill
Highest Result in International Work Integrated Learning
Mondal Kathakali
Best Graduate in Master of Business Analytics
Zaid Ali
Best Graduate in Master of Commerce
Nuzhat Islam
Best Graduate in Master of Marketing
Xiao Zhou
Best Graduate in Master of Professional Accounting
Nicola Huan Hsiang Hsu
Best Graduate in Graduate Diploma of Property
Massimiliano Andrighetto
Best Graduate in Master of Business (Arts and Cultural Management major)
Kathryn Maree Tohill
Best Graduate in Master of Business Administration (Healthcare Management major)
Emily Jacquelin Muxlow
Best Graduate in Master of Business Administration (International)
Anthony Karakai
Best Graduate in Master of Information Systems
Cassandra Quinta Bird
Best Graduate in Master of International Finance
Manuel Christoph Wieser
Best Graduate in Master of Human Resource Management
Kate Paterson
Best Graduate in Master of Leadership
Bradley Kenneth Dixon
Best Graduate in Master of Business (Sport Management major)
Leigh Robert Dooley
Best Graduate in Master of Finance
Joachim Kvade Bardrum
Financial Planning Prizes
Course Prizes
Top Graduating Student in Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Planning major)
Sharon Maher
Top Graduating student in Master of Financial Planning
Ann Grimwade
Top Graduating student in Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning
Rebecca Hadland
Unit Prizes
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Undergraduate Unit – Advanced Financial Planning
Muyeang Seng
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Undergraduate Unit – Financial Planning
Anthanasios Vavitis
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Undergraduate Unit – Estate Planning and Insurance
Jake Kelly
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Undergraduate Unit – Superannuation Planning
Ryan Pfitzner
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Undergraduate Unit – Ethics for Financial Professionals
Georgia O’Gorman
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Undergraduate Unit – Client Behaviour and Decision Making
Chloe Ferguson
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Undergraduate Unit – Principles of Income Tax Law
Kirstie Suleman
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Postgraduate Unit – Financial Planning Development
Carey Bykersma
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Postgraduate Unit – Superannuation and Retirement Planning
Sarah Leslie
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Postgraduate Unit – Investments and Portfolio Management
Abbasi Behrooz
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Postgraduate Unit – Financial Planning and Economic Fundamentals
Vanessa Nguyen
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Postgraduate Unit – Ethics for Financial Services
Alison Waldron
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Postgraduate Unit – Estate Planning and Risk Management
Strategies
Emma McKenzie
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Postgraduate Unit – Financial Behaviour and Decision Making
Enoch Chiu
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Postgraduate Unit – Financial Advice Regulation
Ayten Ozder
Outstanding Achievement Prize in Postgraduate Unit – Ethics for Financial Services Intensive
Marcello Rogliano
Bowater Trust Medal
Since 1988 the Bowater Trust Medal has been awarded each
year to the best all-round undergraduate student or students.
Selected on the basis of academic merit, extracurricular activities and ambassadorial qualities by a panel of Bowater Trust representatives and Deakin Business School academics, the Bowater Trust Medallists are Bhavya Bagaria and Noah Foster
Bhavya Bagaria
Bowater Trust Medallist
Bhavya’s journey has been guided by the belief that leadership is about creating opportunity and connection for others.
During his time at Deakin, Bhavya distinguished himself through academic excellence, global representation, and an unwavering commitment to service. He threw himself into every opportunity that came his way, even when it felt intimidating.
He represented Deakin internationally at the CASEIT MIS International Case Competition in Vancouver, where his team placed sixth globally, and at the University Scholars Leadership Symposium at the United Nations in Bangkok, joining more than 1,300 delegates from over 90 countries. He also secured podium finishes in Deakin’s Bowater Business Challenge and Stock Pitch competitions, experiences that reinforced his passion for combining finance, analytics, and strategy to deliver meaningful solutions.
Beyond the classroom, Bhavya has made a lasting contribution to student life. Across eight mentoring and ambassadorial roles, he dedicated more than 1,200 hours to supporting over 1,000 fellow students. As a Success Coach and Team Leader, he provided guidance to help students navigate the challenges of transition and growth. As a Wellbeing Ambassador, he led Deakin’s Walk and Talk program, encouraging connection and mental wellness. His commitment to community extended beyond campus as a Study Melbourne Ambassador and through the Rotary Club of Box Hill, where he supported the delivery of more than 5,000 meals to students experiencing food insecurity.
Professionally, Bhavya gained early experience through internships in strategy consulting and technology, where he developed skills in analytics, problem-solving, and digital
innovation. Today, he works as a Management Consultant with MacGregor Advisory Group, advising on strategy and valuation in the energy transition sector.
By placing himself in diverse and sometimes uncomfortable environments, Bhavya discovered new areas of interest, built lifelong connections with fellow students and staff, and grew in ways he had not thought possible. Bhavya is excited to continue his connection as a Deakin ambassador and hopes his story will encourage future students and graduates to immerse themselves fully in all that Deakin — and life — has to offer.
Noah Foster
Bowater Trust Medallist
Noah graduated from Deakin University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Economics. By completing additional units in Trimester 3, Noah was able to complete his studies a year ahead of schedule whilst working in the legal industry, participating in Deakin’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program and contributing to various volunteer and pro bono initiatives.
An engaged member of the Deakin community, Noah served as a Deakin University student ambassador, sharing his experiences with prospective students at campus open days and contributing to various university publications. Since graduating he has maintained a strong connection with the university, returning to participate in various networking and industry events as a representative of his employer, supporting current students and contributing to Deakin’s professional network.
Noah is currently a law graduate rotating through the Real Estate team at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. He aspires to leverage his legal and commercial knowledge to make a meaningful contribution to the community, with a particular focus on the not-for-profit sector and social impact initiatives related to housing affordability.
Noah credits his time at Deakin with equipping him not only with strong academic foundations but also the practical experience necessary to confidently embark on the first step of his career journey. He looks forward to continuing to apply the skills he developed at Deakin and to maintaining his connection with the university.
Thank you
Deakin Business School extends its sincere appreciation to the sponsors of the 2024 Academic Excellence Prizes for their ongoing support.
Positive HR
CPA Australia
Knight Frank
Australian Marketing Institute
Story Wealth Management
Herron Todd White
UniSuper
Viridian Financial Group
GMHBA
Apt. Wealth Partners
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
Australian Computer Society
SGN Financial
The Principals’ Community
Hamilton Morello
Basketball Victoria
Deakin Co
Barwon Health
Wattle
Warakirri Asset Management
Striver
Akambo Financial Group
Entireti
Height Capital