The veterinary profession is shaped by individuals who see a need and act on it, driving the change they want to see.
The President’s Award recognises outstanding practical contribution to the profession, with a focus on activities undertaken in the preceding five years. Selected personally by the current AVA President, it honours those who create real and lasting impact regardless of the resources available to them.
First awarded in 2008, recent recipients have demonstrated just how broad that impact can be.
- Established
2026 Winner – President’s Award
Professor Bill Tranter
Past prize winners
2025 Winner- President’s Award
Dr Alex Harrison
Dr Alex Harrison is Australia’s first profoundly deaf veterinarian and a trailblazer for inclusion, with over 20 years of clinical and advocacy experience. Dr Harrison has built a distinguished career not only in veterinary practice but also as a passionate mentor to students and professionals living with disability, neurodivergence, and chronic illness.
Dr Harrison’s leadership has shifted national conversations on ableism in veterinary culture, moving the focus from individual “resilience” to systemic accountability and inclusive practice. He has been a key advocate for normalising closed captioning at veterinary conferences. His advocacy efforts have also led to reforms in regulatory language around “impairment” on registration forms, reducing stigma and promoting clarity for practitioners with disabilities.
Serving on corporate DEI councils, Dr Harrison has encouraged organisations to broaden their focus beyond gender and race, championing the inclusion of disability, neurodiversity, and chronic illness, and supporting initiatives like the Gender Identity Bill of Rights. As an executive committee member of The Veterinary Kaleidoscope (TVK), he helps lead inclusive summit design, student outreach, and mentoring programs, while building international partnerships to share best practices in accessibility and inclusion.
A frequent speaker and panellist, Dr Harrison has worked with veterinary practices to improve both physical and digital accessibility. His work has fundamentally changed the veterinary profession in Australia, making it more accessible and inclusive for all, and earning him the 2025 AVA President’s Award for his outstanding practical contributions to the profession.
2024 Winner- President’s Award
Dr Alicia Kennedy
Dr Alicia (Lissi) Kennedy has been a trailblazer in integrating social services with veterinary care, pioneering a transformative model that places the human-animal bond at its core. Since graduating from Murdoch University in 1981, Lissi has developed her career as a Social Hearted Vet®, creating a unique, community-centered approach to veterinary social services. This model, which emphasises the social value of veterinarians, has become the foundation of her organisation’s mission to bridge the gap between animal welfare and human health.
Throughout her career, Dr Lissi has observed firsthand the profound, positive impact that companion animals have on people’s emotional and mental well-being. However, she also recognised the significant challenges faced by vulnerable individuals in caring for their pets.
She identified key gaps in services available to clients facing complex social issues, including ageing, disability, domestic violence, homelessness, and mental health. In response, she developed the Cherished Pets model of care, which pairs a Veterinary Social Worker with a multidisciplinary care team to provide comprehensive support. This model bridges the divide between veterinary and social services, ensuring that vulnerable clients and their pets receive holistic care.
As a passionate advocate for the social value of veterinarians, Dr Lissi emphasises the critical role they play in fostering stronger, more resilient communities. She has been a leading voice in advocating for the integration of animal welfare and human health services, highlighting the importance of addressing social issues within veterinary practice.
2023 Winner- Kesteven Medal
Dr Jacqui Norris
Jacqui graduated with a BVSc (Hons) from the University of Sydney. She completed a small animal medicine and surgery residency program and clinical Masters at the University of Melbourne before returning to the University of Sydney to complete a PhD on the aetiology of periodontal disease in domestic cats with the late Professor Daria Love while maintaining her clinical work as a veterinarian. After several years in small animal practice, Jacqui returned to the Sydney Vet School to work on the development of a new curriculum in veterinary infectious diseases and to continue her research in this area.
She is a full time academic staff member at the Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney where she coordinates the teaching of veterinary microbiology and has previously overseen the veterinary curriculum as the Sub Dean for the Bachelor of Veterinary Science and later the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. She is passionate about teaching clinically relevant infectious disease courses for veterinary postgraduates, veterinary practitioners and companion animal breeders. Jacqui leads the microbiology area of the school’s Veterinary Pathology Diagnostic Service and is the current Head of School at Sydney School of Veterinary Science.
| Recipient | Year |
|---|---|
| Kennedy, Alicia | 2024 |
| Norris, Jacqui | 2023 |
| Sangster, N | 2022 |
| Warburton, C | 2021 |
| Cotton, M | 2020 |
| Nicholls, JM | 2019 |
| Beetson, S | 2018 |
| Fawcett, A | 2017 |
| Page, SW | 2016 |
| Beggs, David | 2015 |
| Jones, HM | 2014 |
| Thornber, P | 2013 |
| Lightowlers, M | 2012 |
| Barton, MD | 2011 |
| Heath, Trevor | 2010 |
| Nunn, M | 2009 |
| Gilkerson, J | 2008 |
Nomination guidelines
The President’s Award is open to AVA members who have made an outstanding practical contribution to the veterinary profession, with a focus on activities undertaken in the preceding five years. The achievement should reflect well on the person, the profession and the AVA.
Nominations may be submitted by AVA members. Self-nominations will not be considered. Secrecy should be maintained throughout the process. If it is necessary to speak with the nominee to gather supporting information, please do so discreetly and make clear that a nomination does not guarantee success.
The AVA Awards Committee receives and assesses all nominations against the published criteria. The AVA Board ratifies all recipients prior to announcement. Winners are notified confidentially before the AVA Gala Dinner.
The President, Committee, Judges and Board assess nominations against the following criteria:
- Impact of the contribution on the profession
- Sustained effort and initiative demonstrated
- Ability to create and develop opportunities without reliance on significant resources
- Activities carried out in the preceding five years, primarily in Australia but potentially of benefit to the global veterinary community
If unsuccessful, the same nominee may be put forward for a further two years following their initial nomination. Subsequent nominations are not automatic and must be resubmitted with accurate and up-to-date information. After two years, the nominator must contact the AVA Awards Committee at awards@ava.com.au to request consideration for a further nomination. The Awards Committee does not provide feedback on unsuccessful nominations as all submissions are strictly confidential.
Recipients of the Kesteven Medal receive:
- An engraved trophy
- One complimentary ticket to the AVA Gala Dinner where the award will be presented
Submit a nomination
Nominations for the President’s Award are now closed. Nominations will open later this year. In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact awards@ava.com.au