ALC students awarded and rewarded

Staff and students from across the various colleges of the University of Divinity, including ALC, gathered in Melbourne at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, 25 March to celebrate the accomplishments of 375 graduates from the class of 2021. (UD graduates currently have a choice of graduating either at an Adelaide ceremony in early December of the year they complete their studies or in Melbourne in March of the following year.)

ALC graduates in attendance were presented by Professor Wendy Mayer and included a number of students from the initial intake of the Discover program. Amongst those graduating in absentia was Executive Director of Lutheran Education Australia, Associate Professor Lisa Schmidt.

As part of proceedings, two of ALC’s doctoral graduates, Roger Whittall and Katherin Papadopoulos, were both awarded the University Medal for their research efforts. (The University Medal is awarded by the Academic Board of the University to a student of the University who has completed a doctoral thesis of exceptional quality). Katherin was also one of two graduates who gave a Valedictory Address.

Roger’s thesis, Martin Luther’s ‘Common priesthood’ Its boundaries and horizons: a study in Luther’s ecclesiology’, comprehensively traces the concept of the priesthood of all believers through a range of Luther’s writings, contributing to contemporary debate on the relationship of the priesthood for the baptised and the calling to public ministry.

Katherin’s thesis, 'Patterning the past: memory studies and late antique Syriac martyrologies', applies various sociological theories of memory to the practices of remembering the past as presented by Syriac martyrologies (calendars of saints) in order to uncover the values and master narratives about the past which were important to the groups that compiled the calendars, how they changed, and the socio-cultural currents that may have shaped them.

Also receiving a doctorate at the Melbourne Ceremony was ALC Research faculty member, Dr Michelle Eastwood.

ALC students, Daniel Nordbrock (who graduated at the Melbourne ceremony) and Jeremy Smith (who graduated at the Adelaide ceremony) were both named as Vice Chancellor’s Scholars in recognition for demonstrating excellence in their studies.

Congratulations to all of our graduates!