Environmental Science graduate Mathew Davis's career has included launching two companies, creating life-changing charity projects, winning an innovation award — and being invited to Richard Branson's house.

As a marine scientist, Mat works in environmental management, specialising in water quality monitoring in South East Queensland and beyond. In 2013, he founded Australian Coastal and Marine Ecology and has lead his team of qualified environmental professionals on a multitude of infrastructure projects, including a seven-year contract for the Department and Transport and Main Roads working on the Moreton Bay Rail Link Project .

In 2017, Mathew won the Unitywater Moreton Bay Showcase Award for innovative education programs and fundraising efforts for important environmental projects under another company he founded, Coastal Protection Core. Some of these impacts include donating the equivalent of 140 days of education to disadvantaged children in Zimbabwe, 33,000 days of clean water to families in Cambodia, and 15,072 horticultural training sessions to children in India.

After winning this award, Mat was invited to join other entrepreneurs as a guest at Sir Richard Branson’s home at Necker Island in the Caribbean. He was also selected as a ‘Key Person of Influence in Climate Change and Global Environmental Challenges’ and will attend key events in London UK over a 12-month period with other influential people in the industry.

Mat was USC's 2017 Alumnus of the Year, Regional Achievement.

"We can all make a difference, but through educating our future generations about our most challenging environmental issues, and inspiring them to develop solutions, we can truly make a lasting impact," he said.