Innovation, Entrepreneurship Creativity
Charles Sturt University Distinguished Alumnus of the Year – Innovation, Entrepreneurship Creativity
This award recognises alumni who have made an extraordinary impact through innovation in their industry or profession. This encompasses all industry sectors, for example, agriculture, technology, allied health, the arts, culture, and/or creative sectors.
Winner
Winner: Sally-Anne Stollznow
Career: Social Worker / Author / Publisher
Course: Bachelor of Social Science (Social Welfare); Master of Social Work; Master of Child and Adolescent Welfare
Sally-Anne Stollznow is a Guppi Guppi woman and tireless social worker, working with Services Australia in the Port Stephens region since 2015. Her experience spans child protection, policy authoring, field education, out-servicing, families, disability, crisis support and disaster recovery. Her current focus is on the social impacts of disability, particularly neurodivergence.
Identifying a gap in the early intervention space, Sally-Anne has developed, authored and published two autism-specific books introducing children to interventional therapies and helping them navigate friendships. She founded Wellness Through Fortitude in 2022, and in 2024 was awarded the Port Stephens International Women’s Day Scholarship.
Sally-Anne holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Welfare), Master of Social Work, and Master of Child and Adolescent Welfare from Charles Sturt.
Highly Commended
Winner: Dr Alexander (Sandy) MacQuarrie
Career: Principal at Edge Human Performance Group, Paramedic, Lecturer
Course: Master of Business Administration; Doctor of Philosophy
A distinguished paramedic, educator and researcher, Dr Alexander (Sandy) MacQuarrie has driven significant innovation in paramedical education, research and practice over three decades. He has held numerous key leadership roles in emergency management services and education across Canada and Australia, including Chief Flight Paramedic at Canadian Helicopters EMS and Director of Educational Services at Medavie EMS. He has lectured at Charles Sturt and Griffith University, and in 2023 founded international consultancy service The Edge Performance Group.
Sandy’s research focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of paramedics and other first responders. He is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Paramedicine and the Academy of Extreme Environment Medicine, and holds an MBA and PhD from Charles Sturt University and a Bachelor of Science from McGill University.
