Inspired to give: Celebrating our Faculty donors
Our Faculty could not be where it is today without the support of philanthropy. Often, financial support for students and researchers provides life-changing opportunities, enables exceptional achievement and inspires recipients to pay it forward once they are able.
Here we spotlight and celebrate two longtime faculty supporters and a charitable foundation. Each has made different and meaningful contributions over many years to the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. We hear about their connections to the Faculty in their own words and what being a donor means to them.
Stuart Hall: Proud to be a part of Monash
Stuart Hall works as a pharmacist in Horsham and is a partner in three regional Victorian pharmacies.
He says he initially began donating to the Alistair Lloyd Scholarship for Excellence in 2013, after colleagues invited him to contribute.
“I remember what it is like to be a cash-strapped student and it’s harder and more expensive now,” Stuart says.
“Monash is a pretty important place to me, it shaped my career. So I felt it was important to keep this small donation going.”
After growing up in the country, Stuart decided to study pharmacy as it tied into his love of science and provided a clear career pathway that blended this with business and community involvement. He moved to Melbourne to enroll at the Victorian College of Pharmacy (VCP) and graduated from Monash in 1995, three years after the amalgamation.
Stuart says he was grateful for many of the experiences he gained as a pharmacy student. However, for him, one experience stands out above all others.
“I did a four week project in third year in a chemistry lab under Dr Ian Crosby,” he says. “We were running experiments and producing compounds that might lay some groundwork for a therapeutic use. It dawned on me that this was very important work that the University and the Faculty could do.”
While Stuart ultimately chose to go into community pharmacy rather than research, he says he can still see the way his education allows him to have an impact and make a difference in his community.
“Pharmacy gave me the opportunity to move back to regional Victoria, where I was from,” he says. “I get to walk to work each morning and my customers have got to know me not just as a pharmacist but also through other things I’ve been involved in, like volunteering with local sports groups or history preservation. I enjoy the community aspect.”
Stuart says he remembers VCP and Monash as a strong and competitive environment where striving for excellence was part of the culture.
“It always had a high standard, so it's not surprising that it has been recognised now as one of the best pharmacy education institutions in the world,” Stuart says. “I feel pretty proud to have come through that system, and still feel a small part of Monash, even though I haven't been there for years.”
Stuart hopes his support will help provide young people with the opportunity to follow their dreams and make a difference in whatever path they take after graduating.
“If I can help that to a small extent, that is great,” Stuart says. “There are a lot of paths you can take with a pharmacy degree and they are all worthy.”
Michael Halprin: The relationships are a real highlight in giving back to the Faculty
Michael Halprin with pharmacy student, recipient of the Michael Keith Halprin Scholarship.
Michael Halprin was motivated to start giving to the Faculty in 2005 for two main reasons.
Firstly, he wanted to help others access the same opportunities that shaped his own life and career. Secondly, he wanted to do his bit to ensure the future of pharmacy as a vital part of the healthcare system.
Michael has been a generous supporter of Monash Pharmacy students through the Michael Keith Halprin Scholarship and the Michael Keith Halprin Pharmacy Excellence Award.
“Pharmacists are embedded in the everyday fabric of our communities and are often the first point of contact for people seeking health advice,” Michael says.
“Supporting students through scholarships and prizes means helping ensure the future of that role remains strong. I wanted to give back in a way that could truly impact the next generation, especially for those who may not otherwise have the means to pursue their studies.”
Michael says he was drawn to a career in pharmacy after his early experience working with his pharmacist father and uncle left a lasting impression.
“I particularly remember how they helped newly arrived refugees settle into life in Melbourne, providing care and advice without judgment,” Michael says. “That ability to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives through knowledge, empathy and service was incredibly powerful.”
Michael graduated from what was then the Victorian College of Pharmacy in 1968 and credits his education at VCP with opening many doors, both professionally and personally.
“It provided the technical foundation I needed to build a successful career,” Michael says. “But it also connected me with an incredible network of peers and mentors.”
“I will always be grateful for the high standard of teaching, the practical focus of the course and the environment that fostered lifelong relationships and collaboration,” he says, noting that some of his VCP peers went on to become business partners and lifelong friends.
“If my contributions help even a handful of students reach their potential or take that next step, then I’ll feel I’ve played a small but meaningful role in the future of our profession.”
Michael says that some of the most rewarding things about being a donor have been meeting the students who have benefited from his support, as well as enjoying the camaraderie with the philanthropy and faculty teams.
“It’s a joy to hear the student’s stories, learn about their ambitions, and know that my contributions are playing a part in their journey,” he says. “These relationships are a real highlight for me.”
He hopes his example encourages others who have had rewarding careers in pharmacy, to think about how they can give back.
“Whether that’s through financial support, mentoring, or simply sharing their experience, there are so many ways to make a difference,” he says.
“But don’t just write a cheque and walk away. Speak with the philanthropy team, understand the different ways you can make an impact and be part of shaping how your contribution is used.”
The Cybec Foundation: How the legacy of antivirus software has transformed lives
David Middleton, Director of the Cybec Foundation Board.
The Cybec Foundation’s vision is to foster a world in which people live and work in communities that naturally help and support each other to be the best they can. David Middleton, Director of the Cybec Foundation Board, tells the incredible story behind the foundation’s establishment and its ongoing generosity.
David describes Cybec Foundation’s founder, Roger Riordan, as an incredible man who originally studied electrical engineering. Later in his career, Roger was teaching at Chisholm Institute of Technology in Caulfield (which later became Monash University Caulfield Campus) when he was asked to help students who had a problem with computer viruses. He ended up writing one of the very first antivirus programs, which became very successful. In 1999, Roger and Sally, his first wife, sold the company, known as VET, to Computer Associates and, after giving staff a share of the sale proceeds, decided to use a significant portion of the remainder for charitable purposes.
This was how the Foundation was first created.
“They wanted to make the world a fairer, more inclusive place, and had a particular interest in helping people with potential who may not have had the opportunity to express that, like low-SES families, refugees and people living with disabilities or health problems, and it grew from there,” David explains.
David, a veterinarian, met Roger and his second wife, Pat, in the late 1990s when he was working for Zoos Victoria. They were established supporters of the zoo and were visiting to gain a better understanding of the projects that were currently underway. This was the beginning of an enduring friendship which led in turn to David’s involvement with the Foundation.
“They started funding scholarships for students I was supervising and, over 25 years ago, I was invited to join the board,” David explains. “I went from being a receiver of the Foundation’s generosity to being a distributor of it. It's a great privilege to have the capability to support people who deserve an opportunity to achieve their goals."
The Cybec Foundation supports a range of initiatives and scholarships across Monash and beyond. One of them is The Cybec Foundation Scholarship, established in 2002. The scholarship is offered annually to three students who are facing hardship or disadvantage to undertake postgraduate research studies in the faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash.
“Roger had an interest in furthering medical knowledge, but was primarily focused on giving talented people with potential an opportunity to make the world a better place,” David explains. “The Faculty had a similar desire to create opportunities for talented and deserving individuals to pursue scientific achievements.”
David says the Faculty has always taken the time to understand what the Cybec Foundation are trying to achieve and has worked hard to make sure it's a mutually beneficial and rewarding collaboration.
“We enjoy the relationship because we know the people we support are very appreciative of what we're doing for them,” he says. “It's so satisfying to see clever people making the most out of our support.”
David hopes the Cybec Foundation can inspire more philanthropy in Australia.
“Australia is a young society in a philanthropic sense - we don’t have a well developed ethic of philanthropy,” he says.
“We’d like to start a bushfire and enthuse other people with resources to join the effort and collaborate to help those sections of the community who do need a leg up.”
