Announcing the MGA’s 2024 Supervisor of the Year!

On an afternoon in December, the wider MGA community gathered together at Monash Club on the Clayton Campus to celebrate the annual Supervisor Of The Year (SOTY) Award.

Established back in 1992, SOTY is a hallmark tradition of the MGA, and still remains unique to this day, with nominations made and winners selected solely by graduate students. SOTY is the chance for HDR students to show their appreciation for supervisors whose time and attention has helped transform their research journey.

The ceremony was hosted by MGA President Jonathan Robberts and International Students’ Officer, Saham Hettiarachichi at Monash Club on the Clayton campus. We were also joined by Monash’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Training), Professor Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis.

"The challenges of the post-COVID landscape have certainly shown us how important it is to have supervisors who support students both academically and emotionally,” Saham said in his welcome speech. “Supervisors have been mentors, motivators, and pillars of strength for their students during an especially difficult time.”

This year, the judging panel had a tough decision to make, with a total of 98 nominations celebrating the work of 80 different supervisors across the University. 

"One student shared how this supervisor encouraged them to shift their focus from a familiar topic to a more unconventional one—believing in their potential to become a leading expert in that field”, Jonathan said of the 2024 SOTY winner in his speech, while noting that that their contribution has not been confined to the realm of academia. “Another student recalled how their supervisor connected them with resources during a personal crisis, ensuring they could continue their studies while managing their wellbeing”. 

Jonathan went on to announce on behalf of all of the MGA that the 2024 Supervisor Of The Year was the Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies’ Professor Jakob Hohwy!

What’s more, Professor Hohwy was also the recipient of one of the prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards this year!

"The fact that this supervisor is being recognised at both the university-wide and graduate community levels speaks volumes about the depth and breadth of their impact,” Jonathan remarked.

But that’s not where the story ends. This year, we decided to introduce a Special Commendation Award! We receive so many nominations each year for outstanding supervisors that we felt it was only necessary to widen the pool of winners. 

Saham was happy to present the inaugural Special Commendation Award to the School of Curriculum Teaching and Inclusive Education’s Dr Kim Dang. 

"This supervisor is known for creating a strong sense of community, hosting regular group meetings that foster collaboration and mutual support,” Saham said in his speech.

One nominator shared how this supervisor transformed their approach to research, calling their mentorship "a magical adventure."

The MGA extends the highest praise to Professor Hohwy, Dr Dang and all the wonderful supervisors who were nominated. Your generosity and leadership does not go unnoticed!