2018 Annual Report | 11 Forrest Scholar: Photo Credit: Frederik Seersholm Mike Bunce
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Annual Report 2018 FRONT COVER IMAGE: MANOU ROSENBERG Contents Foreword 05 Message from the Chair 06 Warden’s report 09 Forrest Scholar: Frederik Seersholm 12 Forrest Scholar: Karissa Lear 16 Selecting our scholars and fellows 20 PhD Scholarships 22 Post-doctoral Fellowships 23 Scholar recruitment 24 Fellow recruitment 27 Scholar update 28 Fellow update 34 Forrest Scholars and Fellows come from around the world 36 Forrest Hall opening 38 Life in Forrest Hall 41 Forrest Hall events 42 Visiting fellows 45 Governors 46 Financial update 47 “ To find solutions we must nurture and empower our brightest minds.” DRS ANDREW FORREST AND NICOLA FORREST, CHAIRMAN AND DIRECTOR OF THE MINDEROO FOUNDATION AND GOVERNORS OF THE FORREST RESEARCH FOUNDATION 5 FOREWORD ANNUAL REPORT | ANNUAL Sir Martin Rees, distinguished astrophysicist, 2018 has argued that we are in a unique, geological era - the Anthropocene. In this new era, the future of the earth The Forrest Research Foundation exists for this depends on the decisions humanity makes, purpose. The Foundation supports the current or fails to make, to address existential generation of outstanding young researchers, challenges. These challenges include rising post-doctoral fellows and highly esteemed CO2 levels, oceans where plastic could academic visitors from around the world. destroy most of its wildlife, and the reality Here in Perth, Forrest Hall is both a place of feeding nine billion people by 2050, as of learning and a home, where researchers well as the danger of an artificial intelligence gather to pursue their work and be part of arms-race. a lively community that is actively engaged To find solutions we must nurture and with social justice issues, industry and the empower our brightest minds. We must local community. support their intellects and encourage Research breakthroughs do not happen collaboration and compassion - these overnight. It takes years, sometimes decades challenges won’t be solved by individuals of hard work and consistent research to form working on their own. the basis of lasting change. We are proud The research environment is rapidly changing. of our Forrest Scholars and Fellows, and we In today’s increasingly interconnected world honour their dedication, their commitment we can no longer draw a hard distinction and their humanity. Their work will enable us between the humanities and science. Given to stand up and tackle whatever challenges the ethical and social implications of areas we come across, and with such solid such as artificial intelligence, automation groundwork we can overcome each one, even and genetic editing, we need philosophers, the extreme challenges, we now face. anthropologists and historians to work hand Andrew and Nicola Forrest in hand with research scientists. We need to enable and encourage our best minds to work across disciplines and geographies. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR THE HON ROBERT FRENCH AC It has been a pleasure and a privilege to chair the Board of Governors of the Forrest Research Foundation in 2018. I would like to express the thanks of the conducting their research and scholarship Board to Michael Chaney for his work as at any of the five Western Australian the inaugural Chair of the Board and for his universities. continuing involvement as a member and as I would like to thank all of the members of Chair of the Finance Committee. the Board for their contribution to its work The Board is, in effect, a committee of the and particularly to Grant Donaldson SC who Senate of The University of Western Australia chairs the all-important Selection Committee. but creates a framework for collaborative My thanks also to the Warden, Paul Johnson, oversight of the selection of scholars and for his work over the past year and to fellows and the operation of Forrest Hall. Rochelle Gunn for the efficient and diligent The collaboration is between all five Western secretarial support which she has provided. Australian universities and Andrew and The exciting and inspiring stories of the past Nicola Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation which year’s activities are set out in the body of the provided the funds for the establishment of Report. As the Warden says in his report, 2018 Forrest Hall, the scholarships and fellowships marked the coming of age of the Foundation for its residents and for the establishment which is now home to 14 Forrest Scholars of Forrest Hall 2, which will shortly be and three Post-doctoral Fellows, numbers underway. which will rise over the next three years. The subject areas of research being carried out The Forrests’ vision of Forrest Hall as a by those in residence are diverse, important centre of excellence benefiting the whole and exciting. They create an environment of the Western Australian community favourable to cross-disciplinary conversation, and developing an international profile is the development of networks and potential reflected in the engagement of the Vice- opportunities for future collaborations. There Chancellors of The University of Western is much more to come. Australia, Curtin and Murdoch Universities on the Board and the fact that students The Hon Robert French AC and fellows may be appointed who are MARISA DUONG MARISA 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | 7 WARDEN’S REPORT 9 ANNUAL REPORT | ANNUAL 2018 2018 2018 marked the coming-of-age of the Forrest Research Foundation, with the completion and opening of Forrest Hall, the appointment of the first cohort of Forrest Fellows, the commencement of a further seven Forrest Scholars, and the inauguration of a visiting fellows program. Forrest Hall, the stunning home of the Forrest Research The lounge and glorious riverside terrace are well used Foundation, provides exceptional accommodation for PhD for barbecues, birthday parties and regular Forrest Hall Scholars and post-doctoral fellows. With 45 studio, one-bed breakfasts that bring all residents together to meet with and two-bed apartments, all with sweeping views across the short-term academic visitors who are staying in Forrest Hall. Swan River, the Kerry Hill-designed Forrest Hall provides what The Forrest Hall seminar room and library have been heavily must surely be the most impressive and exclusive home for used for research workshops, planning meetings, and early career researchers to be found at any university. networking events. Forrest Hall has also been used by the The Foundation was privileged to host the Hon Julie Bishop leadership groups of several of the WA universities for strategy MP, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, who officially opened meetings, and was the venue for an international gathering Forrest Hall on 29 March 2018. As part of the opening of university presidents and vice-presidents from the 23 ceremony, the building was dedicated to Andrew and Nicola university members of the Worldwide University Network. Forrest, the Minderoo Foundation, and their vision to improve Post-doctoral fellowships are a core element of the the world through outstanding research. Foundation’s support for world-leading research in Western But Forrest Hall is much more than an iconic building in a Australia, and this year saw the arrival of the first group of magnificent natural setting on Matilda Bay. It is home to a fellows, and the appointment of the second cohort. Dr Julie community of scholars in which the intellectual energy and Ji (PhD: University of Cambridge) joined the UWA School imagination of each scholar and fellow can be shared with of Psychological Sciences to pursue her work on the role others, and harnessed to challenge convention and advance of mental imagery in depression; Dr Giovanni Polverino knowledge. (PhD: Humboldt University, Berlin) joined the Centre for Evolutionary Biology at UWA where he is investigating the By the end of 2018, 14 Forrest Scholars and all three Post- role of phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental doctoral Fellows called Forrest Hall home, and this number change; and Dr Philipp Bayer (PhD: University of Queensland) will rise over the next three years as successive cohorts of is a bioinformatician working in the Applied Bioinformatics scholars and fellows are appointed. Two beautiful babies Group at UWA on the genomics of wheat and canola. were born to Forrest Hall residents this year, and they join three toddlers whose infectious laughter echoes around the building and grounds. Visiting fellowships are The second round of post-doctoral Visiting fellowships are part of the part of the Foundation’s fellowships, which opened in March, drew Foundation’s program to support world- program to support an extremely strong international field class research in Western Australia and world-class research of applicants. It saw the appointment of to build links with senior academics and in Western Australia three new fellows, who will commence major research groups in other countries. and to build links with their fellowships early in 2019: Dr Marcus In 2018 we welcomed to Forrest Hall 15 senior academics and Korb (PhD Chemistry: Chemnitz University) visiting fellows from 10 countries, working major research groups working on iron catalysis; Dr Alfie Tiley on subjects as diverse as marine science, in other countries. (DPhil Radio Astronomy: Oxford University) history, physics, science communication, working on galaxy formation; and Dr Chong anthropology, chemistry, medicine, Wei (PhD Marine Physics: Xiamen and Hawaii geography and life sciences. Every visiting Universities) working on marine noise and fellow gave at least one public lecture or marine fauna. graduate masterclass, developed research links with colleagues in one or more of the Forrest Scholarships for PhD students are WA universities, and interacted with Forrest the other core element of the Foundation’s Scholars and Fellows in Forrest Hall. academic support program. The first scholars were appointed in 2015, a second wave came Seminars and workshops are supported by in 2016-17, and the new scholars appointed the Forrest Research Foundation, particularly at the end of 2017 commenced their studies where they relate to the research of scholars, early this year.