Vignette 87: Australian of the year

University alumnus, Dr James Muecke AM, made history in 2020 as our first graduate named Australian of the Year. A distinguished ophthalmologist, Muecke graduated with 
Honours in Medicine and Surgery in 1988.

Muecke’s career has taken him across the world, from Kenya to Jerusalem, where he has worked tirelessly to combat blindness. In 2000, he founded Vision Myanmar, which later evolved into Sight For All, a social impact organisation dedicated to fighting blindness globally. 

Muecke has established eye centres in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Ethiopia to treat cataract blindness, and Sight For All helps over one million people annually in Asia, Africa and Australia. He also advocates for preventive measures against leading causes of blindness, such as diabetes.

For his humanitarian work and blindness prevention, Muecke was named the 2020 Australian of the Year and in 2012, received the Member of the Order of Australia.

Muecke’s work in fighting blindness and restoring sight exemplifies the impact of our alumni. 

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Leading for the future. p.121