Scentre Group, owner of Westfield destinations in Australia and New Zealand, and Western Sydney University is pleased to announce Tully Lynch as the first recipient of the new Brian Schwartz AM - Scentre Group Scholarship for Excellence.

Created in recognition of the leadership and contributions of Mr Brian Schwartz AM, the Scentre Group Scholarship for Excellence was first unveiled to coincide with Brian’s retirement as Scentre Group Chair in 2023.

The 2024 recipient, Tully Lynch, will use the fully funded scholarship to assist in the completion of his Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine) / Doctor of Medicine (MD) at Western Sydney University.

On being awarded the scholarship Tully said it will provide the freedom to fully focus on his studies, and ultimately deliver social good.

“I chose to study Medicine at Western because I believe medicine is our best attempt at addressing how humans become and stay healthy.

“I am the first generation in my family to attend university and this has come with its own set of challenges. Throughout my undergraduate degree, I studied full time and worked full time concurrently; as a consequence burn out and stress were ongoing issues.

“Receiving this scholarship is practically a gift as it will allow me to allocate more time to study, but more importantly provides a sense of reinforcement that what I am doing is worthwhile,” Tully said.

Former Scentre Group Chair, Mr Brian Schwartz AM said: “I’m delighted that Tully has been awarded this scholarship and hope it supports his pursuit of knowledge.

“The benefit of higher education goes beyond a student’s time at university, it enables people to directly contribute to the future of communities and economies.

“Tully is an incredibly talented young person and I’m confident he will go on to become a competent and compassionate doctor and will provide immense support for the broader community.”

Professor Alphia Possamai-Inesedy, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Engagement and Advancement) at Western Sydney University said.

“We are pleased to welcome Tully Lynch to Western Sydney University as the first recipient of the Brian Schwartz AM – Scentre Group Scholarship for Excellence in 2024. We express our sincere thanks to Scentre Group and Mr Brian Schwartz AM for their generous contribution through this scholarship program.

“Western Sydney University is a place for driven and high-achieving students from across Western Sydney and the greater region to learn and excel in their higher education. We look forward to supporting Tully throughout his degree and future career endeavours.”

The scholarship will be awarded to a second student ahead of the 2025 academic year.

Western Sydney University has been named number one in the world for its social, economic and environmental impact in the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings for the third year in a row.