Dr Meredith Doig, President of the Rationalist Society of Australia, has been admitted to the Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia, General Division, in the 2017 Australia Day Honours, for her service to community, higher education and business.

Meredith has served as President and Secretary of the Rationalist Society of Australia since 2008, is a director of Dying with Dignity Victoria, and is the Chair of PathWays for Diversity Education, a faith and freethought coalition.

In addition to her career in higher education and business directorship and PhD, Meredith is on the board of Taradale Music, and was a long-time moderator for The Cranlana Programme, an organisation dedicated to cultivating wisdom in leadership.

The award marks an official recognition of the value of service to freethought and rational thinking in the nation’s honours.

“It is an honour to receive this award, both for myself and for the importance of the work we do with the Rationalist Society, campaigning for freedom from arbitrary religious and moral influences, and moving towards a more logical, sensible basis in public policy,” said Meredith.

“Rational thought brings together so many of the community causes I’m passionate about and have worked for throughout my life: the liberating and transformative power of education,  equal opportunity and anti-discrimination, voluntary euthanasia and personal autonomy, and the need for fairness in a genuinely pluralistic and secular society.”