USQ graduate wins Queensland Young Engineer Award

A University of Southern Queensland (USQ) engineering graduate has been recognised as a leader in his field, picking up the Engineers Australia Queensland Young Engineering Officer of the Year Award.

Russell Bunn has been working for a national consulting organisation, Lambert and Rehbein, in Brisbane since he graduated with an Associate Degree in Civil Engineering in April this year.

Engineers Australia Queensland Division President, Richard Morgan, said that Mr Bunn excels in all facets of his profession.

'He has gained experience in both private and government projects, including design tasks for Reedy Creek Interchange, Hope Island Road Duplication and numerous urban developments.

'Russell's desire to gain a rich variety of experience and strive for success has made him a fantastic role model and candidate for the 2006 Queensland Young Engineering Officer of the Year.'

The selection process for the award was stringent, with only the best of the best under consideration for the honour.

'The award winners have been judged based on their academic achievements, work undertaken since graduation, engineering achievements, professional development and promotion of engineering in the community.'

Mr Bunn's achievement is even more remarkable considering that he completed his degree externally and is a testament to his determination and ability as an engineer.

'It was a challenge completing my degree externally, but the course that I undertook at USQ gave me a good grounding in engineering,' Mr Bunn said.

'To win the award was a great honour and the result of a lot of hard work.'

Other projects Mr Bunn has worked on include the Gold Coast Bikeway Network and the Wadi Dayqah Dam in Oman.

The Queensland award was sponsored by Brisbane City Council and is one of the most prestigious honours that the industry offers young engineers. Russell accepted the Award at an Engineers Australia corporate luncheon in Brisbane that was attended by more than 300 industry professionals.

Russell Bunn is available to speak to the media on request.

Media Contact:  Josh Ada, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 1628 or 0403 643 192