Dr Bronwyn Herbert is the embodiment of lifelong learning.
At the age of 90, the long-time social worker has graduated from The University of Queensland after completing her PhD thesis on the generational impacts of homelessness.
“Over many years I noticed that some young people who’d been homeless as children with their parents were falling into homelessness as adults, and I wondered what we could have done differently to prevent this intergenerational problem,” Dr Herbert said.
“There was little written about how early homelessness affected their relationships, education, and employment, so I decided to follow that up and try and close some of those gaps with information.”
Dr Herbert stopped working in the field at 81 – a time when most people are well into retirement.
During Dr Herbert's PhD candidature she was advised by late Emeritus Professor Jill Wilson AO, Dr Jemma Venables and Professor Cameron Parsell.
Professor Parsell, from the School of Social Science, paid tribute to her achievements describing them as “ truly outstanding”.
