The Allan Reid Scholarship: supporting the next generation of engineers

In 2018, Anna Magennis applied for and was awarded the Allan Reid Scholarship, a scholarship established in perpetuity by Allan and Janet Reid of the Reid Malley Foundation.

The Allan Reid Scholarship gives talented students a transformative opportunity to flourish at Melbourne School of Engineering, easing financial burden and enabling the recipient to embrace their whole university experience.

Anna Magennis smiling
Anna Magennis, Allan Reid Scholarship recipient

Anna was honored to be a recipient of the 2018 Allan Reid Scholarship, and wrote to the Reids to express her gratitude.

I would like to personally and sincerely thank Janet and Allan for their generosity. Not only will it help in allowing me to follow my passion in the biomedical engineering field, but also to become the best engineer I can be.

She acknowledged that her time at the University of Melbourne provided her with boundless opportunities while also presenting her with challenges in balancing work and university commitments.

Based on her aptitude and passion for mathematics and science, Anna's high school teachers advised her to study engineering. In 2006, she enrolled in a double degree studying for her Bachelor of Mechatronics and Bachelor of Computer Science. Although it was a challenging experience, in her last year Anna identified an area she truly enjoyed – biomedical engineering. She found the real-world applications of the field truly fascinating.

My final year project on low cost prosthetics for below-knee amputees took me to Vietnam where I assisted in patient clinical trials. It was exhilarating watching patients enter the clinic with crutches and leave using their own two limbs, one of which I had helped engineer.

Upon graduation she had various opportunities, which led her away from biomedical engineering, but she found herself inevitably drawn back to this field, a field she found to be fascinating, inspirational, and awesome.

In 2017, Anna commenced her Master of Engineering (Biomedical), her interest piqued by the exciting range of subjects on offer. In order to fund her university fees and living expenses she worked part time during the semester and full time during the holidays. While her workload was difficult at times, her determination saw her ultimately achieving high grades.

When her work contract ended, she faced her next challenge - finding a job which could be balanced with her university commitments. Not having a source of income strained her financial resources and searching for jobs in between studying and completing assignments became an added stress.

This added stress was soon to be alleviated, with Anna receiving the Allan Reid Scholarship.

My plan is to divide the scholarship into two parts: half will contribute towards my university costs, and the other half will help me to pursue my biomedical engineering interests - for when I have an innovative idea I want to develop or prototype, or if I find a conference I wish to attend.

Learn more about applying for a Scholarship at the Melbourne School of Engineering.

Discover how you can support our students by establishing a scholarship or donating to the scholarship fund.

  • Profile