Annual CQUniversity Alumni Awards

First published by CQUniversity

Their accomplishments benefit both society and the University, advancing the common good and inspiring others. The annual Alumni Awards acknowledge and celebrate these achievements by our outstanding alumni in their professional field or community service activities.

Alumni awardees 2026

Outstanding Alumnus of the Year

Jo Leveritt
GradCertDomFamViolPrac 2016

Jo Leveritt is a social justice advocate and human rights lawyer dedicated to creating accessible pathways to justice and driving systemic reform. She holds an Honours degree in Law, is a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland, and graduated from CQUniversity with a Graduate Certificate in Family and Domestic Violence Practice. Jo also brings more than 25 years of senior experience in human resources and industrial relations across private sector and public health organisations—expertise that shapes her strategic, people-centred approach to advocacy and leadership.

In 2021, she founded Wide Bay Advocacy, a not-for-profit registered charity that promotes, protects and defends human rights while working to influence laws, policies and community attitudes. Wide Bay Advocacy engages in systemic advocacy to remove barriers faced by disadvantaged and marginalised groups and is managed and supported by concerned citizens and allies committed to a fairer society.

Building on this mission, Jo opened Bundaberg Street Law in 2024 after a successful pilot. Funded through the Queensland Government’s Keeping Women Safe program, the service provides free, holistic legal assistance to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the Bundaberg region. In 2025 she launched “Steps Forward: Child Safety Advocacy Program”, a specialised service supporting women experiencing domestic violence while navigating the child protection system—a complex intersection where mothers protecting their children often face added scrutiny.

Jo’s commitment to community extends far beyond her legal work. In 2023, she was appointed Human Rights and Safeguarding Team Leader for the FIFA Women's World Cup in Brisbane, the largest global sporting event. She is a member of Regional, Rural and Remote Women Queensland (RRRWQ), advocating for women in regional communities. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Sunrise and Immediate Past Vice President of the Rotary Club of Bundaberg, and the Immediate Past President of Phoenix House Association Sexual Assault Service. She is the Chair, Advocacy Committee, Zonta Club of Bundaberg Inc, and in 2022, 2024 and 2025 she led the 16 Days of Activism Campaign Against gender-based violence in the Bundaberg region, leading Queensland in its impact. She is a Member of the inaugural DFV Free Matters To Me working group, a leading regional initiative that brings together community leaders and peak community and government organisations in the Bundaberg region to collaborate on addressing domestic and family violence. 

Through her regular newspaper columns, ‘Advocacy in Action’ in Bundaberg Today and ‘Justice Journal’ in Gladstone Today, and volunteer efforts with the Street Outreach Homeless Service at IMPACT Community Services, she raises public awareness and offers practical help.

Earlier in her career, Jo held numerous Board positions with Harvey Bay Financial Services Ltd (Bendigo Bank) and Fraser Coast Community Enterprise Ltd. Across every endeavour, she exemplifies how legal expertise, strategic vision and deep compassion can remove barriers, protect rights and create lasting social change.

Alumnus of the Year (Industry Excellence)

Tristan Barton
BMusic 2011

Tristan Barton is a proud Yorta Yorta man and CQUniversity music alumnus whose career as a composer, producer and session drummer has gone from strength to strength on both national and international stages since graduating with a Bachelor of Music. A multi-award-winning composer and musician, Tristan is celebrated for music that is emotionally rich and cinematic, bringing depth and atmosphere to every project he undertakes.

Tristan has established himself in the highly competitive world of screen music from his base in regional Queensland, exemplifying CQUniversity values and serving as an inspiring role model for students and communities. His compositions, which blend classical ideas with electronic and organic textures, are sought after by major global brands including Audi, Tiffany & Co., Salvatore Ferragamo, Hot Wheels, Bugatti and Palmolive, and are featured in film, television, public art installations and advertising.

In 2025, Tristan’s artistry was recognised with a Queensland Music Award in the Music for Screen category for his powerful composition Legend is Born. He has also collaborated on significant cultural projects such as the soundscape for Gulgi Burra (Ydinji – The Sand People), a Miriki production, which debuted at Cairns Festival in 2023. His ability to bring depth and atmosphere to moving images has made him a go-to composer for visual storytelling, such as the 2024 bespoke production FLOW, a large-scale digital visual arts production for Outernet London. 

Tristan composed music for the 2023 Life Films production The Grey Line, which tells the story of Stolen Generations Noongar woman Helen Dwyer. Deeply moved by her journey, he approached the score as both a privilege and a responsibility, ensuring the music honoured her experience. His commitment to authentic storytelling and his proud First Nations heritage infuse his work with cultural resonance.

Alongside his screen work, Tristan collaborates closely with Australian artists as a producer and performer, with credits alongside Greta Stanley, NEAV and Tayla Young. He also worked as a sound editor and producer with Usher and his musical director for the artist’s concert introduction at the 50th Anniversary of the Special Olympics performance in 2018, demonstrating his versatility across commercial, artistic and live performance settings. He is known not just for his musical skill but also for his generous and collaborative spirit in the studio. His work has garnered multiple finalist and highly commended recognitions at the Queensland Music Awards over several years.

Tristan also shares his expertise with emerging musicians, teaching and mentoring through the CQ Conservatorium of Music and providing insight into composition, production and the realities of sustaining a creative career.

Through award-winning compositions, collaborations and mentorship, Tristan demonstrates how world-class artistry can thrive from regional Queensland and convey both universal emotion and deeply personal First Nations stories. 

Alumnus of the Year (Social Impact)

Sheree Blackley
ADBldgDes 2013

Sheree is a proud Kalkutungu woman from the Mount Isa region whose life’s work is dedicated to strengthening culture, language and community. An accomplished artist and committed community activist, she has become a driving force for reconciliation and cultural renewal in north-west Queensland and beyond.

Sheree graduated with an Associate Degree of Building Design and is currently studying a Bachelor of Science and Environment, reflecting her interest in sustainable design and Country stewardship alongside her cultural work.

In 2015 Sheree began advocating for Mount Isa’s First Nations culture to be visible in every part of community life. Out of this vision she formed the Sundowner Kalkutungu Dancers, a group that now performs at multiple community events and cultural showcases each year. Building on that success, in 2017 she founded Malkarri Culture and Connection—from the Kalkutungu word meaning “come together”—to provide a permanent, community-led structure for sharing, protecting and celebrating Kalkutungu heritage.

Malkarri has since grown into a multifaceted organisation encompassing Muu Tjaa Warriors Kalkutungu Indigenous Rangers, Kalkutungu Art Services, and Kalkutungu Cultural Services, which incorporates the Kalkutungu Punpatitjin Language Project. Prior to Sheree’s efforts, there was only one Elder still fluent in the Kalkutungu language. Over several years she led a team of linguists to revive this nearly extinct language, developing a complete school curriculum from Prep to Year 9 that was introduced at Spinifex State College in 2024. The program is now being formalised by the Queensland Department of Education as a Languages Other Than English program offering for other schools and is also evolving into a nationally recognised TAFE Certificate I course, available both locally and online, and offers free community classes.

Malkarri’s impact extends to caring for Country through its Indigenous Ranger Program, which connects First Nations people to opportunities to care for and maintain their traditional lands. 

Sheree’s influence reaches well beyond her own community. Her leadership has brought new visibility and respect to Kalkutungu culture, strengthened opportunities for First Nations youth, and provided a model for language revitalisation nationally, ensuring that Kalkutungu identity not only survives but thrives through art, performance, education and cultural care for Country. 

Alumnus of the Year (Early Career Achievement)

Zalhi Hayden
CertIIICons&EcoMgt 2023

Zalhi Hayden is a proud Darumbal woman whose career reflects a deep commitment to caring for land, sea and culture. A graduate of the Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management, she utilises the skills gained through her studies to protect and manage Country across Rockhampton and Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast, extending to the outer reef of the Swains and encompassing the Darumbal Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement (TUMRA) area, including the southern reaches of Broadsound and Shoalwater Bay.

As an Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger, Zalhi combines traditional knowledge with contemporary conservation science. Her work spans fire management, feral animal and pest plant control, native and threatened species monitoring, and cultural heritage site protection. Equally important is her role in inter-generational knowledge sharing with community members and youth engagement programs.

Zalhi’s leadership and cultural advocacy have earned broad recognition. In 2025, she received the Indigenous Women Rangers Network’s Young Ranger Award, acknowledging her outstanding contribution to Indigenous land and sea management and her commitment to cultural and environmental stewardship. She was also nominated as the 2022 NAIDOC Entrant sponsored by the Darumbal People Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, reflecting strong community support for her service as a Cultural Facilitator and the guidance she provides as a “big sister” and role model to Indigenous children in care through the Darumbal Cultural Connections program.

Her commitment to language and storytelling is equally inspiring. Having learned the Darumbal language from an early age, Zalhi was selected to star in the short film adaptation of works by Judith Wright titled Generations of Men, the first narrative production to feature both the Barada and Darumbal languages. Created with the involvement of Elders and community representatives, including CQUniversity alumni Margaret Hornagold and Wayne Blair, the film screened at major festivals, including FlickerFest (Sydney), Darwin International Film Festival, and Melbourne International Film Festival during 2023 and 2024.

Outside her professional and cultural work, Zalhi is a keen sportsperson, playing Rugby League for the Fitzroy Sharks and representing various teams across Central Queensland.

Through her conservation expertise, cultural leadership and commitment to mentoring young people, Zalhi Hayden exemplifies how traditional knowledge and contemporary science can work together to care for Country and strengthen cultural identity.

Nominate an alum for the Alumni Awards

We congratulate all Alumni Award winners for their outstanding contributions and achievements. If you know alumni who are making a difference in their industry, role or community, please let us know so we can recognise them. Alumni can also be nominated by others or self-nominate for the awards using the Alumni Awards Candidate Proposal Form.