Five students completed their studies this month to become the first graduands in the new degree Bachelor of Science in Wool Science at The University of Western Australia. Professor Bob Lindner, Dean of The Faculty of Agriculture marked the occasion by awarding special medals to the five students, Jamie Climie, Jason Gibbs, Elisia Keppert, Emma Kopke and Anthony Smith.

The University makes use of the Wool CRC's units which are taken simultaneously with students in the Universities of Adelaide, New England and New South Wales by videolecturing technology. When these units became available, the University of Western Australia set up the new degree. The five students were from a group that enrolled in 1994. Students taking other degrees also took, and are still taking, the CRC's wool units but the group of 5 will be the first to have the new degree conferred on them. "This is a watershed for Western Australia." Professor Lindner said, "For the first time, this side of the country is in a position to provide locally trained sheep and wool scientists to bolster the large wool industry of the state."