Academy Awards

The Educator of Merit award is awarded in the following categories:

• SET Supervisor/SIMG Supervisor of the Year is to recognise an exceptional contribution toward supporting Trainees or Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) and will be awarded in each state/territory and New Zealand.
• Facilitator/Instructor of the Year is to recognise an exceptional contribution by a course facilitator/instructor teaching on Professional Development or Skills Education courses and will be awarded to one participant across Australasia.

The Educator of Commitment Award acknowledges the contribution of RACS-registered SET supervisors, SIMG supervisors and facilitators over a sustained period of time. Upon Board accreditation as a supervisor they are awarded a certificate and bronze lapel pin.

Upon completion of nine years of service as a supervisor they are awarded a gold lapel pin and Certificate of Outstanding Service by RACS. 

One of the Educator of Merit awards, the SET Supervisor/SIMG Supervisor of the year is an award presented by the Academy of Surgical Educators to recognise an exceptional contribution by a SET supervisor/SIMG supervisor toward supporting Trainees or Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) to fulfil the goals, values and mission of the College. 

The SET Supervisor/SIMG Supervisor of the Year award will be awarded in each state or territory of Australia and New Zealand, where there is an appropriate candidate nominated.

This award will be judged on the following criteria:

• Demonstration of the Colleges' goals, values and missions
• Inspirational role modelling as a supervisor
• Understanding and commitment to training and surgical education
• Involvement in training and continuing professional development
• A Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons or Board accredited supervisor

The SET Supervisor/SIMG Supervisor of the Year award may be nominated by a member of the regional training board or committee, clinical team, surgical educator colleague, SIMG, Trainee or College staff member.

An award presented by the Academy of Surgical Educators to recognise an exceptional contribution by a course facilitator/instructor teaching on Professional Development or Skills Education courses.  The Facilitator of the Year Award may be nominated by a staff member of the College, surgical educator colleague, Fellow, Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG) or Trainee.

This award will be judged on the following criteria:

• Demonstration of the Colleges' goals, values and missions.
• Inspirational role modelling as a facilitator of professional development programming.
• Understanding and commitment to surgical education.
• Demonstration of a proactive approach to leadership in professional development program delivery.

Nominations for Educator of Merit are NOW OPEN. 

The following is required when submitting nomination.

• your name and RACS ID
• the name of the person you are nominating and for which category (SET Supervisor/ SIMG Supervisor of the Year or the Facilitator/ Instructor of the Year category)
• the reason why you are nominating this person
• name and contact details of a seconder.

Nominate here

Educator of Merit 2022
The ASE would like to congratulate the winners of the 2022 Academy Recognition Awards.

Educator of Merit - Supervisor of the Year (by region)

Dr Sarah Aitken                      New South Wales 
Dr Angela Butler                     Aotearoa New Zealand
Dr Rick Catterwell                   South Australia
Dr Joseph Hockley                  Western Australia
Dr Paul Joice                            Aotearoa New Zealand
Dr Murray Ogg                        Queensland
Dr Jens Peters-Willke             Tasmania
Dr Rebecca Read                    Australian Capital Territory
Dr Adam Zimmet                    Victoria

Facilitator/Instructor of the Year Award
Dr David Sainsbury         South Australia

Educator of Commitment 2021
Thank you to all of our SET Supervisors, SIMG Supervisors and PD Facilitators who have contributed to surgical education and training in the RACS community.  We wish to acknowledge the following educators in achieving these service milestones (as of 31 August 2021*):

Those who have served nine years or more

S/N Designation First name Last name Role

1 Dr Ollapallil Jacob SET Supervisor
2 Dr David Koong SET Supervisor
3 Assoc Prof Vincent Lam SET Supervisor
4 Dr Hugh Lukins SET Supervisor
5 Dr Sarah Martin SET Supervisor
6 Dr Quentin Ralph SET Supervisor
7 Dr Michael Chin SET Supervisor
8 Dr Francesco Piscioneri SET Supervisor
9 Dr Renata Bazina SET Supervisor
10 Dr Henry Dowson SET Supervisor
11 Assoc Prof Frank Miller SET Supervisor
12 Dr Michael Edger SET Supervisor
13 Dr Stephen Pearson SET Supervisor
14 Prof Stephen O'Leary SET Supervisor
15 Dr Ian Jacobson SET Supervisor
16 Dr David Pohl SET Supervisor
17 Dr Michel Neeff SET Supervisor
18 Dr Simon Dempsey SET Supervisor
19 Dr Scott Ferris SET Supervisor
20 Dr Elias Moisidis SET Supervisor
21 Dr John Preston SET Supervisor
22 Dr Jonathan Masters SET Supervisor
23 Dr Graham Coombes SET Supervisor
24 Dr Ravi Huilgol SET Supervisor
25 Dr Mathew Sebastian SET Supervisor
26 Prof Ruurd Jaarsma SIMG Supervisor


Those who have served six years

S/N Designation First name Last name Role
1 Dr Yishay Orr SET Supervisor
2 Dr Sheen Peeceeyen SET Supervisor
3 Dr Sean Galvin SET Supervisor
4 Assoc Prof Navin Niles SET Supervisor
5 Dr Christos Apostolou SET Supervisor
6 Dr Grace Lim SET Supervisor
7 Prof Richard Turner SET Supervisor
8 Dr Christian Sutherland SET Supervisor
9 Dr Julian Choi SET Supervisor
10 Dr Corinne Ooi SET Supervisor
11 Dr Sanjeeva Kariyawasam SET Supervisor
12 Dr Susan Taylor SET Supervisor
13 Dr Peter Stiven SET Supervisor
14 Dr Jeremy Rossaak SET Supervisor
15 Dr Jane Strang SET Supervisor
16 Dr Mark Dexter SET Supervisor
17 Dr Jacob Fairhall SET Supervisor
18 Dr Simon John SET Supervisor
19 Dr Ananthababu Sadasivan SET Supervisor
20 Dr Timothy Makeham SET Supervisor
21 Dr Piera Taylor SET Supervisor
22 Dr Faruque Riffat SET Supervisor
23 Dr Brent McMonagle SET Supervisor
24 Dr Halil Ozdemir SET Supervisor
25 Dr David Hall SET Supervisor
26 Dr Angus Alexander SET Supervisor
27 Dr Shane O'Neill SET Supervisor
28 Dr Michael McCleave SET Supervisor
29 Dr Cheng Lo SET Supervisor
30 Dr Terrence Creagh SET Supervisor
31 Assoc Prof Peter Chin SET Supervisor
32 Dr Kevin Bax SET Supervisor
33 Dr Mischel Neill SET Supervisor
34 Dr Philippe Wolanski SET Supervisor
35 Dr Jen San (Jason) Lee SET Supervisor
36 Dr Rohan Hall SET Supervisor
37 Dr Kathryn McLeod SET Supervisor
38 Dr Marion Andrew PD Facilitator
39 Dr Adrian Anthony PD Facilitator
40 Dr Rex (Hin) Chan PD Facilitator
41 Dr Gowan Creamer PD Facilitator
42 Dr Andrew Malcolm PD Facilitator
43 Dr Phil Morreau PD Facilitator
44 Dr Ros Pochin PD Facilitator
45 Dr Patrick Bade SIMG Supervisor


Those who have served three years

S/N Designation First name Last name Role
1 Dr Christopher Cole SET Supervisor
2 Dr Pankaj Saxena SET Supervisor
3 Dr Johannes Stroebel SET Supervisor
4 Dr Keshav Bhattarai SET Supervisor
5 Dr Igor Konstantinov SET Supervisor
6 Dr Eric Slimani SET Supervisor
7 Dr Saad Al Mahaidi SET Supervisor
8 Dr Anubhav Mittal SET Supervisor
9 Dr Christopher Lehane SET Supervisor
10 Dr Michael Donovan SET Supervisor
11 Dr Pranavan Palamuthusingam SET Supervisor
12 Dr Angela Robson SET Supervisor
13 Dr Peter Hodgkinson SET Supervisor
14 Dr James Roberts SET Supervisor
15 Dr Robert Pucius SET Supervisor
16 Dr Chon Hann Liew SET Supervisor
17 Dr Sarah Abbott SET Supervisor
18 Dr James Tietjens SET Supervisor
19 Dr Alexander Lengyel SET Supervisor
20 Dr Amal Abou-Hamden SET Supervisor
21 Dr Neil ThoDron SET Supervisor
22 Assoc Prof Nirmal Patel SET Supervisor
23 Dr Graeme Crossland SET Supervisor
24 Dr Paul Paddle SET Supervisor
25 Dr Richard Kennedy SET Supervisor
26 Dr Stewart Lee SET Supervisor
27 Dr Darin Bilish SET Supervisor
28 Dr Roy Craig SET Supervisor
29 Dr Lyndon Bradley SET Supervisor
30 Dr Salil Pandit SET Supervisor
31 Dr Pierre Navarre SET Supervisor
32 Dr Carolyn Russell SET Supervisor
33 Dr John Atkinson SET Supervisor
34 Dr Zet-Sheng (Michael) Ee SET Supervisor
35 Assoc Prof Sebastian King SET Supervisor
36 Dr Michael Kernohan SET Supervisor
37 Dr Paul Belt SET Supervisor
38 Dr Alexandra Turner SET Supervisor
39 Dr Jonathan Heather SET Supervisor
40 Dr Fiona Smithers SET Supervisor
41 Dr Mohan Arianayagam SET Supervisor
42 Dr Clair Whelan SET Supervisor
43 Dr Michael Holmes SET Supervisor
44 Dr Johannes Goosen SET Supervisor
45 Dr Daniel Lenaghan SET Supervisor
46 Dr Alister Jones SET Supervisor
47 Dr Jill O'Donnell SET Supervisor
48 Dr Carsen Ritter SET Supervisor
49 Assoc Prof Andrew Davidson PD Facilitator
50 Dr Mark Hamilton PD Facilitator
51 Dr Joseph Lizzio PD Facilitator
52 Dr Andrew Luck PD Facilitator
53 Dr Juanita Muller PD Facilitator
54 Dr Stuart Philip PD Facilitator
55 Dr Henry Duncan SIMG Supervisor
56 Dr Peter Woodland SIMG Supervisor
57 Dr Isolde Hertess SIMG Supervisor
58 Assoc Prof Gary Morgan SIMG Supervisor
59 Assoc Prof Christopher Young SIMG Supervisor
60 Dr Anthony McDonald SIMG Supervisor
61 Dr Andrew Mitchell SIMG Supervisor
62 Dr Brendan Mooney SIMG Supervisor
63 Dr Harsh Kanhere SIMG Supervisor
64 Dr Benjamin Parkinson SIMG Supervisor