Acting royalty the rise of UQ alumnus geoffrey rush

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contact centenary edition

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Engineer turned biologist Srini, along with fellow researchers, is investigating the flight behaviour of bees to develop an aircraft guidance system using biology inspired robotics.

The UniversiTy Of srini

A recipient of the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science, Srini came to UQ for the opportunity to conduct ground breaking research. He was also attracted to UQ’s unique, collaborative environment which encourages researchers working across many teams and institutes, to achieve their best.

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FullPageAd_Srini_forCONTACT.indd 1 14/01/10 11:52 AM + from the chancellor

Welcome to this special Centenary edition of Graduate Contact. An Act of State Parliament established The University of Queensland in December 1909, contents and this year we are celebrating the diverse 06 17 achievements of alumni like yourselves, who will continue to shape UQ’s future well beyond 2010. I experienced my first graduation ceremonies as Chancellor in July, and repeating these duties in December brought home the extraordinary achievements of UQ students across many different fields. Particularly pleasing has been presenting awards to a growing number of research higher degree graduates, people whose original work paves the way for others to follow. Fittingly for a Centenary edition, this issue abounds with stories of UQ people doing great 1818 30 things, with the presentation of the annual Alumnus of the Year awards to three high + features + regulars achieving women being just one example. 2009 was a productive year on many fronts, whether 06 unlocking island secrets 04 strategic Moves that be measured in attendance figures at the Archaeologist Professor Ian Lilley is Professor Paul Greenfield ponders UQ Art Museum, the funding secured for major unveiling the secrets of a tiny Pacific UQ’s second century. projects such as the Translational Research island to learn more about an ancient 10 Cutting Edge Institute Queensland (see page 12), or new culture. advances in animal and plant sciences realised at 14 Campus News our evolving Gatton campus. 17 Mermaid watch At the centre of the magazine you’ll find an A UQ research team is undertaking 32 Graduate News eight-page feature which includes a snapshot a unique project to learn more about 40 Keep in Contact of UQ history, and flags the major Centenary dugongs and the health of marine events taking place this year. This edition also ecosystems. introduces you to UQ’s first Pro Vice-Chancellor (Advancement), Clare Pullar, who is a leading 18 king of the stage and screen + WEB EXCLUSIVES advocate for Australian universities. Clare and I Australian acting legend and University Cambodian adventure joined Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield of Queensland drama alumnus Elephants, malaria and a rare animal to thank UQ donors at a special event in Geoffrey Rush has secured a rare feature in the story of student Carly Starr October. These people – many of them alumni awards trifecta. – prove that getting behind an institution like UQ A lasting legacy does lead to positive outcomes. 30 Thunder and lightning Tracking thunderstorms is all in a Discover how a backyard friendship is Speaking of engagement, the previous helping UQ researchers fight dengue fever edition of Graduate Contact saw the launch of the day’s work for Associate Professor Hamish McGowan and Joshua magazine’s website, which has been a successful Queensland history mapped Soderholm. venture. I’m told readers from 95 different countries Learn about the rich history of have logged on since June; proof that we are living Queensland on a new UQ website in a globalised world which extends well beyond South-east Queensland. + centenary feature www.uq.edu.au/graduatecontact It is certainly a great time to be part of the UQ UQ celebrates 100 years of excellence in community, and we hope many of you can make 2010. Learn more about the University’s Cover: Geoffrey Rush performs his Tony- the Alumni Reunion Weekend at St Lucia from July history, alumni and upcoming events in winning role on Broadway. Image Joan 2–4, or attend the affiliate functions a special feature starting page 20. Marcus. Courtesy Boneau/Bryan-Brown planned for interstate and overseas locations. GRADUATE CONTACT Editor: Cameron Pegg Happy reading. is produced by the Office of Marketing and Deputy Editor: Eliza Plant Communications, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia Co-Editor (Centenary feature): Shannon Price Telephone: (07) 3365 3367 Proofing: Shirley Glaister and Penny Robinson Email: [email protected] Design: Wendy Oakley and Paul Thomas Editorial Board: Chair: Jack Lunn (Former Deputy Contributors: Allison Croggon, Erik de Wit, Andrew Chair, Queensland Press Pty Ltd) Dunne, Jessica Freiberg, Shirley Glaister, Jody Harwood, Michele Helmrich, Fiona Kennedy, Jan Members: Dr John Desmarchelier (Former General King, Melinda Kopanakis, Andrew Quek, Penny Manager, Sugar Terminals Limited) Robinson, Tegan Taylor, Travis Taylor, Alessandra John Story Shaun McDonagh (Director, Office of Marketing and Torrisi, Leanne Wyvill, Tara Young and Anna Zoeller Chancellor Communications) Photographers: Stewart Gould and Jeremy Patten Clare Pullar (Pro Vice-Chancellor (Advancement) Photographic Librarian: Karen Poole Shane Rodgers (Group Project Director, News Limited) Advertising: Tina Hannan ([email protected]) Professor Ian Zimmer (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Printing: DAI Rubicon External Relations) CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please telephone: (07) 3346 3150 Facsimile: (07) 3346 3901 Email: [email protected] The international code for dialling Australia is +61 www.uq.edu.au/graduatecontact Cert no. DNV-COC-000014 Material in this publication does not necessarily reflect the policies of The University of Queensland. + strategic moves

Second century confidence by Vice-chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield AO stewart gould stewart

It is my privilege to be Vice-Chancellor (adjoining the hospital), the Pharmacy and President of UQ at the start of our Australia Centre of Excellence (soon to new century. We all owe a great deal “The achievements of our include a general practice “super clinic”), to the people before us who created a foundation century did and the Boggo Road Ecosciences strong platform for the future, particularly Precinct (presently a collaboration of the by attracting fantastic students, recruiting not spring from luck. Queensland Government and CSIRO). and holding on to exemplary staff, and They were born out UQ’s 280 hectares at Pinjarra Hills, establishing stunning infrastructure. of intelligence, hard in south western Brisbane, may become The Centenary is an opportunity to another campus, perhaps a research/ picture the University some years from now; graft, and relationships industry/village campus on the proviso that for the sake of argument, in 2025. with exceptional the site is sensitively planned to respect Of one thing I am very confident: the community and environmental values. global appetite for high quality tertiary organisations and UQ Gatton is destined for a education will not wane. The nations that individuals – many of tremendous future. It is well on the way are now labelled “developing” will clamour whom were UQ alumni” to being the best place in the subtropics for well-informed professionals, and for learning, discovery and development Australia will need an educated populace related to animals, and the ambition is for to face up to aggressive rivalry for markets a similar concentration of excellence in and allies. the study of plants, agriculture and food. The bulk of UQ’s undergraduate students UQ Ipswich will have multiple will be Generation Z, whose original traits will the Pro Bono Centre for law students – all strengths. Health sciences will be spur the institution in unforeseen directions. of which are current UQ projects. its teaching and research specialty, At the same time, school-leavers will not Among staff, I envisage more conjoint and students, staff and the regional dominate the undergraduate community to industry and government appointments, and community will benefit from an on- the same extent as today, because more more full-time researchers. Both schemes will site general practice super clinic. The people who already have careers will seek be needed to maximise the results of greater campus will have a unique relationship additional education. investment in collaborative projects. with the neighbouring Bremer State High Global learning and mobility will be non- Partnerships with industry and School, and will host UQ’s first university negotiable by 2025. Ideally, at least half of our government invariably lead to questions college, offering associate degrees. students will complete part of their programs about the role of a university. For UQ, St Lucia will continue as a overseas, either studying or working as the fundamentals will not alter: academic stronghold for learning, research and interns – or both. We will have more inbound integrity, independence and quality will commercialisation, and will be an efficient exchange students, and a larger proportion of remain sacrosanct. entry point for corporations, charitable PhD candidates from overseas. Where will the UQ people of 2025 study groups and governments seeking high- The socio-economic and cultural and work? A year ago Herston was made our level expertise. backgrounds of UQ students will be more fourth official campus. It is already expanding, The standard of campuses that the diverse than is the case in 2010, due largely to with the $104 million Oral Health Centre in the University is able to build and maintain scholarships and long-term strategies such as advanced stages of planning. will circle back to the quality of its people. the new Wotif Young Achievers program (see I envision one or two new campuses in The achievements of our foundation opposite). the foreseeable future. The developments at century did not spring from luck. They More students will volunteer for and around the Princess Alexandra Hospital were born out of intelligence, hard programs comparable to Engineers are so substantial that this may well rate as graft, and relationships with exceptional Without Borders and Emergency Architects a campus by 2025. It would be a collegial organisations and individuals – many of Australia. Greater numbers will drive campus involving partner institutions and whom were UQ alumni. initiatives similar to Manali Medical Aid, businesses, and would potentially take in the This is a formula for success that the post-tsunami hospital care in Samoa, and Translational Research Institute Queensland University will carry into its second century.

4 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 Nurturing achievement

Benefactors Andrew and Jennifer Brice believe provide them with opportunities for personal that a university education should be a realistic growth and social and academic enrichment,” dream for all children in Queensland. she said. This sense of community responsibility The Young Achievers will receive significant is what motivated Mr Brice, co-founder of scholarship support in Years 11 and 12, student online accommodation website Wotif.com, and industry mentoring, have opportunities to to approach UQ with an idea of a scholarship participate in aspiration-building experiences and program that would make higher education be guaranteed a place at UQ upon completion of more accessible for disadvantaged students. high school. Students taking up their place at UQ The focus of the program is to build will receive a scholarship valued at $6000 a year the tertiary aspirations of secondary school for up to four years. students who are disadvantaged through Aligning with the motivations of the financial hardship, rural isolation, and those benefactors, developing a sense of civic identifying as Indigenous or the first in their responsibility among participants is also family to attend university. an important goal of the program. On “I’m not worried about the wealthy kids or transitioning to UQ, the Young Achievers will the exceptionally intelligent kids, I know they will be encouraged to assist others by serving as be fine. I want to offer an opportunity to children mentors for future students in their regions. who, due to some form of disadvantage, may “If I can see just one child take this not have considered a tertiary education as a opportunity and reach their potential, then it legitimate option,” Mr Brice said. will all have been worth it,” Mr Brice said. Director of UQ’s Office of Prospective Students “It’s a chance to inspire and motivate and Scholarships Margaret Fairman said this year young Australians to take every chance they the scheme would help an inaugural cohort of 85 get in life to be their best.” students from 20 schools in the Moreton, Darling // www.uq.edu.au/wotifachievers Downs and South West Queensland regions to complete Years 11 and 12.

“The overall focus of the program will be to adford Young Achiever and Forest Lake State High School R nurture and develop these young people and student Trent Bosgra with his mother Gwen Blom le Ly

Campus experience for young scholars

Current students are an integral part of science laboratories, sampling economics, “Feedback from participants, their parents the new UQ Young Scholars Program music and astrophysics, handling ancient and the UQ student mentors has confirmed animal bones, learning about climate change that this was a very valuable experience for which is attracting high-achieving Year and reporting the news. students, providing them with an opportunity 11 students to the University. The UQ Young Scholars also have access to become familiar with university life and to an online community to exchange ideas study options, before they make their final Office of Prospective Students and and receive information from the University. decisions in Year 12,” Ms Fairman said. Scholarships Director Margaret Fairman said the program was designed to nurture and support exceptional students while they were still at school, without compromising their ability to focus on their senior studies. The initiative is subsidised by UQ to minimise costs to families, with support available to students experiencing financial hardship. The program was launched at the St Lucia campus in November, with a welcome event for parents and students preceding a four-day residential camp. The on-campus, live-in experience provided a great opportunity for students to meet their peers from throughout Queensland, gain valuable insights into university life, and be exposed to subject areas they had not previously encountered Melissa at school. Twenty-two mentors volunteered to F enwick supervise the students and guided their UQ experience. Activities included touring

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 5 An island odyssey

Learning from the past is a passion for Professor Ian Lilley, who is leading a major archaeological dig in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

By Eliza Plant

Living in primitive surrounds with no proper A graduate of UQ’s School of Social “There is no surface water on Tiga shower or bed for a month would have many Sciences, Professor Lilley has worked in Island…though you can occasionally find people on the first flight back to Australia, but archaeology and cultural heritage management water leaking out of the bottom of the coral for UQ’s Professor Ian Lilley, the search for a in Australia and the surrounding region for cliffs at low tide.” breakthrough find is too overpowering to ignore. nearly 30 years, and is currently based in the Professor Lilley was captivated by the For days on end, the archaeologist can Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies intelligence of the harvesting system, which be found confined to a small pit in some of Unit (ATSIS). in some caves included structures that the world’s most remote and undeveloped A recent project saw him pack up his resembled modern-day bathroom basins. destinations. tool kit and set flight for Tiga Island, a rugged Along with the water systems, the team “You’re living in very close and usually speck of raised coral in the South Pacific also discovered Lapita and other pottery, very public quarters with people and it can be – commonly referred to as the “lopsided human remains and ash mounds from extremely basic, no shower for a month, no wedding cake”. fire torches used by the caves’ previous toilet for a month, no proper bed for a month,” 2009 marked the fifth year he had visited occupants. Professor Lilley said. Tiga, first on a pilot study jointly funded by the “Lapita pottery is highly distinctive and “My kids wonder why we don’t camp for French and Australian Governments, and since was used by the first humans to colonise the leisure – you’ve got to be kidding!” 2007 on an ARC Discovery project he directs. remote Pacific beyond the end of the main Most of the time, a single dirt airstrip One aspect of the work has been the Solomon Islands. It is found from New Britain is his only escape back to civilisation – a discovery of a unique ancient water harvesting near New Guinea out to Samoa and Tonga,” reassurance as his travels can sometimes take system, found deep within the island’s many Professor Lilley said. him through regional conflicts. caves. “The earliest Lapita dates from 3300 years “When whites first went there, there were ago in New Britain to around 2900 years ago probably 200 to 300 people living on this tiny in Tonga, tracking the west-east movement of island with no water,” Professor Lilley said. the colonisers. “The human remains are being studied by specialists with the permission of the Tiga community. This work will reveal a great deal about diet, disease, social relationships and migration patterns.”

“Lapita pottery is highly distinctive and was used by the first humans to colonise the remote Pacific beyond the end of the main Solomon Islands”

6 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenarsummer 2009y edition 2010 Left, Professor Lilley (centre) with Jacques Bole and UQ student Silas Piotrowski on Tiga Island. Above, Professor Lilley works with research assistant Michelle Langley sieving sediment in a cave. Main image, the east coast of Tiga Island

“I was by far the most junior person involved as a team leader. I took time out of my PhD…it was all pretty thrilling.” Professor Lilley has recently reached several career milestones, including being elected a I i mages c Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, the UK’s second most ancient Royal scientific o

urtesy society, and becoming Secretary General of the ICOMOS International Committee on i an Archaeological Heritage Management. lill

ey ICOMOS is the statutory advisory body to UNESCO on cultural heritage. “I remember two of my very senior colleagues being elected as Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries when I was doing my PhD. It was really quite a big deal and it’s been in the back of my mind since then as something that you aspire to,” he said. In late 2007, Professor Lilley was chosen by ICOMOS to assess Papua New Guinea’s The thrill of helping piece together the “We were taken off to a cave deep in the first World Heritage nomination, at Kuk in the history of ancient civilisations is the “elixir” that mountains…just as we were finishing up we highlands near Mt Hagen. keeps the World Heritage Assessor searching. found this very thin little layer and it turned out “Kuk is a site of immense importance “There’s always some little quirk…there’s to be from the end of the last Ice Age. because it demonstrates that people in New always the unexpected, it usually always “It was the first time anyone had found Guinea independently invented agriculture at the comes on the last day of the trip,” he said. evidence that old beyond mainland New same time as people in the Middle East,” he said. “The work I did in New Britain in the early Guinea. There are lots of sites in the islands “Although I worked in PNG for many years, 80s with the Australian Museum…it was the much older than that now, but at the time it was I was last in Mt Hagen when I was about nine- whole Indiana Jones trip, it was 20 people very impressive, especially to a 22-year-old. years-old, so it was a fascinating trip!” carrying big boxes on their heads walking “Not long afterwards I was part of a big Professor Lilley is currently working with through the jungle for days. international National Geographic project on his New Caledonian and French colleagues Pacific colonisation. We hired a sailing boat on two bilingual publications about Tiga, one from Dick Smith and went cruising in French and English, and the other in French through the islands. and Maré, the language of Tiga. He is also co-authoring a new book on Australian archaeology for Cambridge University Press.

// www.uq.edu.au/atsis

UQ – GRADUATEUQ – GRADUATE CONTACT CONTACT // centenar // summyer ed 2009ition 7 advancement office looks to the future

The University of Queensland has entered a new era in community and corporate engagement by welcoming Clare Pullar as its first Pro Vice-Chancellor (Advancement).By Cameron Pegg

Ms Pullar joined the University in September “We’re at a stage in UQ’s history where the past 15 years to include philanthropy as a after Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield we’re launching into a second century which is viable funding source. created the position to build UQ’s long-term going to be very different from the first,” she said. “We’ve seen them transform their higher philanthropic vision. “This century is about being a university education sector and the way that’s happened is She brings to UQ 20 years of experience for a globalised world and tackling some of the that they have turned their institutions into asking in the higher education sector including very big issues requiring some very big ideas.” institutions. You’ve got to be bold and ask for leadership roles at Melbourne Business School New UQ projects such as the Global Change help and ask for partnerships,” she said. and the University of Melbourne’s Trinity Institute provided exciting opportunities to confront Ms Pullar said building relationships was College. these challenges via collaboration, she said. not a “one-way street” however, and UQ “Clare’s advocacy across two decades Ms Pullar said the University had benefited needed to better inform graduates about the has seen educational institutions and their from major acts of philanthropy during its history, opportunities on offer. communities directly benefit in numerous including a £55,000 donation by the Mayne “I think the biggest opportunity for ways, and we want to generate the same family to establish the St Lucia campus in 1926. outreach to our alumni is the Centenary. During sense of possibility and achievement at UQ,” More recently, groups such as Atlantic 2010 there are going to be many ways that we Professor Greenfield said. Philanthropies had set the agenda for fundraising will engage with our community and invite their by matching personal contributions with those participation and involvement,” she said. from government and university sources. “There will be opportunities for people to Ms Pullar said it was now time for others not just connect with part of the University that “There’s many to use their skills, networks and resources to they’re most familiar with, but to engage with ways our alumni and help build UQ for future generations. some of the cutting edge thinking that has She said Australian universities could learn emerged since they were students here.” community partners can much from their Canadian counterparts, which become involved with the have restructured their business models in // www.uq.edu.au/centenary future of the University and it’s important that we start inviting people to make this happen”

During her time at Trinity, Ms Pullar successfully led a major capital raising campaign which included new scholarships to admit the college’s first Indigenous students. She said such projects illustrated the transformative nature of giving, with the college able to see its past, present and future through the prism of helping others. In recognition of her achievements, Ms Pullar has received both the Trevor Wigney Award and the Peter Crook Award for outstanding service in Advancement in Australasian education. Born in Scotland, Ms Pullar attended school in Victoria before studying at La Trobe University. After completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in philosophy and history and a Diploma of Education she commenced what would be her first fundraising challenge – helping a school in Goulburn out of debt to build new classrooms and facilities.

The ten-year project involved working en

closely with the local farming community to patt secure support during tough financial times. jeremy Ms Pullar said she had been attracted to UQ by the Vice-Chancellor’s vision and the commitment of the senior executive to make Advancement a priority in the long term.

8 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 online success

Graduate Contact is reaching a growing Graduate Contact global audience after the successful launch online stories are of the magazine’s own website. categorised with “tags” for easy searching, and are The website, which includes all content also open to comments. from the hard copy version plus online extras Readers can email articles such as podcasts and videos, went live in of interest to others with the June to coincide with the Winter 2009 edition. click of a button, and share Since then, more than 14,000 page

them via social networking leon views have been recorded from readers in 95 sites such as Facebook. a rd

different countries and territories. Among these “We are very proud c h a are Iran, Palestine and Suriname – the smallest of the magazine, and the n country in South America. website means we can Australian users are recording the majority engage with a larger and of hits, with those from the USA, UK, Singapore more diverse audience,” Mr Pegg said. and Malaysia rounding out the top five. “We want the website to evolve with our “Creating a custom-built Graduate Contact editor Cameron Pegg readership, so I encourage alumni to log on website has been the said he was pleased to see the diversity of and let us know their thoughts via the survey UQ’s alumni community reflected in the uptake linked on the homepage.” biggest change in the All graduates with known e-mail addresses of the website. magazine’s 20-year history, “We hoped this resource would appeal to also receive an e-newsletter version of the graduates and readers around the world and magazine at the time of printing. and we are glad to see this is proving to be the case,” Mr Pegg said. Following this special Centenary edition, alumni getting behind the the Summer 2010 Graduate Contact will be “Creating a custom-built website has been published in November as usual. online version and making the biggest change in the magazine’s 20-year history, and we are glad to see alumni getting ONLINE // To receive the Graduate Contact e- the most of its features” behind the online version and making the most newsletter, update your profile at www.alumni. of its features.” uq.edu.au or www.uq.edu.au/graduatecontact

Survey feedback

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 9 + Cutting edge MARRIAGE EQUALITY

A national survey conducted by UQ researchers has found that the majority of same-sex attracted Australians reported marriage to Camels GET THE HUMP on rivals be their personal preference for relationship recognition. UQ research has found when it comes to “But what we saw cannot be for saving The findings dispel the myth that most camels, staying cool may be the key to water as we saw it only in winter, only in bulls same-sex couples do not wish to marry or are reproductive success. during rut and they had water freely available content with de facto status, and form Emeritus Professor Gordon Grigg, from and used it routinely,” he said. part of the larger Not So Private Lives UQ’s School of Biological Sciences, and “So we speculate that by lowering their survey. a team of colleagues working in Central minimum temperature each morning during The study is the first national Australia, have found male camels have an rut, bulls increase their chance of winning a survey to investigate the ability to drop their body temperature which harem. relationship recognition may help them last longer in rutting displays. “By starting the day cool, a bull preferences of same-sex “Rutting involves very energetic daily will enhance his capacity to store heat attracted Australians since the display ‘fighting’ during which bulls contest generated by the strenuous activity, thus introduction of de facto status ownership of a herd of females,” Professor prolonging the onset of heat stress. for same-sex couples at a Grigg said. “A bull that can sustain a contest Federal level. “By starting each day cooler, a bull can for longer is more likely to win it and, so, Findings showed that postpone heat stress, compete for longer, control a herd of females and get more the majority (54.1 percent) of win more contests and potentially sire more matings. same-sex attracted participants offspring.” “That is, the daily hypothermias we selected marriage as their personal stock.xchng He said the ability of camels to drop observed could have a direct bearing on choice and close to 80 percent felt body temperature in the mornings, invoking reproductive success.” marriage should be an option for hypothermia, was once thought to be only a Professor Grigg said the rutting same-sex couples in Australia. mechanism for conserving water in very hot habits of male camels were fascinating Researcher Sharon Dane, and dry conditions. as competing bulls performed elaborate, from UQ’s School of Psychology, ritualised and intense competitive said marriage was still the behaviour including posing and strutting personal choice of the majority, side-by-side, inflating and exposing the irrespective of the current legal dulaa (a sac-like extension of the palate), status of participants’ same-sex jostling, exhibiting flehmen (curling the relationships. upper lip), running together and fighting. “Importantly, the majority Professor Grigg was joined by showing a personal preference for marriage Jürgen Heuke and Birgit Dörges from the was even more substantial among those University of Braunschweig, veterinarian currently in a state or municipal civil partnership Jocelyn Coventry, cattleman Alex or an overseas civil union,” Ms Dane said. Coppock and School of Biological Science “This suggests that alternatives to marriage, colleagues Lyn Beard and Simon Blomberg such as civil unions, can be important for those for the project. Their findings have been who do not wish to marry but are clearly not a published online in scientific journal Biology substitute for the many who do.” Letters. // www.notsoprivatelives.com courtesy gordon grigg courtesy

Botanical cologne A bottler gould stewart

Ever wanted to bottle the fresh “green” “I didn’t realise at the time that it was the aroma of a forest? UQ researcher Dr Nick actual combination of feel-good chemicals Lavidis has done just that, launching a released by the pine trees, the lush vegetation new “eau de grass” spray. and the cut grass that made me feel so relaxed. Serenascent, which smells “Years later my neighbour commented on like cut grass and claims to make the wonderful smell of cut grass after I had the wearer happier and less mowed the lawn and it all clicked into place.” stressed, was launched by the Dr Lavidis said the aroma of Serenascent State Treasurer and Minister for worked directly on the brain, in particular the Employment and Economic emotional and memory parts known as the Development, Andrew Fraser. amygdala and the hippocampus. Mr Fraser congratulated “These two areas form the limbic system Dr Lavidis and retired that controls the sympathetic nervous pharmacologist Associate system,” he said. Professor Rosemarie Einstein “They are responsible for the ‘flight or for their seven-year research project. fight’ response and the endocrine system. Dr Lavidis said he first had the idea for The new spray appears to regulate these Serenascent on a trip to Yosemite National areas.” jeremy patten Park in America more than 20 years ago. Serenascent can be puchased online. “Three days in the park felt like a three- month holiday,” he said. // www.serenascent.com

10 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 Dino Sores green boost

University of Queensland research is opening UQ PhD candidate up a new insight into the lives of the mightiest and nutritionist of all dinosaurs, and it isn’t pretty. Christine Houghton UQ palaeontologist Dr Steve Salisbury, is investigating whether together with American colleagues, has found broccoli could help in the stock.xchng Tyrannosaurus rex and its close relatives fight against diabetes. suffered from a deadly infectious disease Ms Houghton’s research focuses similar to one that occurs in birds today. on sulforaphane – a substance Dr Salisbury said the evidence came from produced when broccoli sprouts are unnatural holes in the back of their lower jaws. cut or chewed that has been found to The research has been published in scientific protect against heart disease, some journal PLoS ONE. types of cancers and act as an anti- “Some of the world’s most famous T. ageing agent. rex specimens have these holes in their “Sulforaphane essentially talks to the jaws, including ‘Sue’ at the Field Museum in DNA within your cells and can help to Chicago,” he said. optimise several of your body’s natural Dr Salisbury said tyrannosaurs were defence systems,” Ms Houghton said. known to have marks on their heads from “Studies have found that biting each other, presumably during territorial sulforaphane influences about 200 disputes or mating, but the holes he and his genes of the cell’s defence system. colleagues were interested in were at the back “Regular consumption of broccoli C of the jaws, too far back to be bite marks. hris or broccoli sprouts is a simple way to G

“These holes don’t show any of the normal len activate your body’s own protective characteristics of bite marks,” he said. mechanisms which naturally decline as “It’s as if someone took to the jaws with we age or are unwell.” a hot poker. Some specimens look like Swiss Ms Houghton is currently trying to Dr Salisbury said the link in disease cheese. find out exactly how much sulforaphane was not surprising given the evolutionary “We now believe that these holes are is produced in 500mg of encapsulated relationship of dinosaurs to birds, but the caused by an infectious disease called broccoli sprout powder. discovery represented a major step forward in trichomonosis.” Using this product, she hopes to understanding of disease history in birds and He said trichomonosis was a modern start a clinical trial this year for patients their dinosaurian precursors. avian disease caused by a parasite and is with impaired glucose tolerance. most prevalent in pigeons, which are generally Dr Salisbury said the disease appeared “Evidence in in vitro and animal immune. to be quite common in tyrannosaurs and studies indicates that sulforaphane can “Birds of prey are particularly susceptible would have been deadly to those that were reduce the complications of diabetes, to trichomonosis if they eat infected pigeons,” infected. with improved biochemical markers he said. “Fighting and specifically head-biting evident,” Ms Houghton said. Dr Salisbury and fellow researchers would have been an ideal mechanism for Ms Houghton is completing her Ewan Wolff, from the University of Wisconsin- spreading the disease among tyrannosaurs. PhD through the School of Human Madison and Jack Horner and David We can see similarities with what has been Movement Studies, and discussed Varricchio from Montana State University, happening to Tasmanian devils recently, the potential health benefits of examined many T. rex fossils as part of their where a malignant and debilitating oral cancer sulforaphane at the 2009 Australasian study including ‘Sue’, the most famous and is being spread by animals fighting and biting Academy of Anti-Ageing Medicine complete specimen of all. each other’s faces,” he said. Conference in Melbourne.

island residency inspires exhibition I A new form of scientific collaboration was etchings, paintings, works on paper, video mages courtesy unveiled at UQ when Indigenous artist Judy and a sound work,” museum Director Nick Watson exhibited her latest works in October. Mitzevich said. The exhibition built on previous projects,

Ms Watson was artist-in-residence at the U Q

Heron Island Research Station in February particularly the Indigenous use of native A rt

2009, her visit coinciding with the official plants, but also the idea of a subterranean M useum reopening of the facility, which was destroyed water source. by fire in 2007. “I was fascinated by the idea of a lens- Staged at the UQ Art Museum, Judy shaped body of fresh water that lies beneath the coral cay above the salt water, the fresh Natural beauty (clockwise from Watson: Heron Island explored findings made above): manta, Heron Island water helping to sustain the plant life and the by scientists the artist met during the residency number 13 and freshwater and featured graphs about ocean acidification, island ecology,” Ms Watson said. lens maquette changes to sea-surface temperature, El Niño “The freshwater lens is an amazing weather patterns and global warming. resource, whose purity is threatened by rising sea levels and storm surges, so even though it’s “Watson turned her attention to what something you can’t actually see, I decided it scientists are saying is happening in the would be the perfect floating sculptural form.” marine environment, with works ranging from an extraordinary ‘freshwater lens’ – a large ONLINE // To view a behind the scenes blue-green brass sculpture suspended in the video of the exhibition, visit www.uq.edu. gallery space – to a series of brilliantly coloured au/graduatecontact

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 11 Singled out for success

UQ has received two prestigious new national fellowships, targeting research into coral reef management and an alternative to antibiotics. UQ’s Australian Laureate Fellowships are among only 15 selected from a nationwide field of 148, and are the only fellowships awarded to a Queensland university. One of the University’s fellows, Professor Peter Mumby of the United Kingdom, is the sole expert to be attracted to Australia under the “foreign nationals” category of the scheme. Professor Mumby and Professor Jenny Martin, of UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, will each receive a major package of grant support, with average funding stewar exceeding $2.7 million over five years for each t

g

successful fellow. o u l Professor Martin (pictured), will aim to d develop a new class of antibacterial drugs that may avoid the problems of antibiotic Funding for the future: (from left) Helga Feeney, Charles Feeney, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh resistance. and UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield at the funding announcement “Bacteria develop resistance because antibiotics work by killing most bacteria, leaving only the resistant bacteria alive,” Professor Martin said. Historic funding secured “My research will address this by developing compounds that won’t kill bacteria, but rather will inactivate a specific bacterial Australia will have a stronger role in years of fundraising efforts. “This is a machinery responsible for causing disease.” global efforts to address major diseases great day for Queensland and a great day She said bacteria caused disease by such as cancer and diabetes following a for Australia,” he said. producing molecules called virulence factors, $50 million gift, the biggest donation of TRI Queensland will be built at the which required a type of chemical bond known its kind in the nation’s history. Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH, a as disulfide bonds to function. The gift is a Founding Chairman’s UQ teaching hospital) by a joint venture Professor Martin will develop drugs grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies to comprising UQ, QUT, PAH, the Mater targeting the bacterial machinery that triggers the $354 million Translational Research Medical Research Institute and the the insertion of disulfide bonds into virulence Institute Queensland in Brisbane. Queensland Government. factors. TRI Queensland will enhance and Eventually housing more than 700 “Infectious bacteria with mutations in their accelerate the translation of medical researchers, it will be an Australian first, disulfide bond machinery are incapable of research breakthroughs into better and one of only a few places in the world causing disease, highlighting the importance patient care. where new biopharmaceuticals and of this machinery in bacterial virulence, and It is the largest ever gift from a non- treatments can be discovered, produced, the potential to develop an entirely new class government source to a single Australian clinically tested, and manufactured in one of antibacterials that may avoid bacterial medical research/higher education location. resistance mechanisms,” she said. institute. Atlantic’s contribution is part of Professor Mumby’s research, which Atlantic’s founder, Mr Charles F. a $102 million parcel for Brisbane- sits at the interface of remote sensing and Feeney, was instrumental in encouraging based research, unveiled together. ecology, has wide-ranging applications to the a co-ordinated approach to the The other gifts are $27.5 million for conservation of natural resources. project, which also has funds from the the Queensland Institute of Medical Queensland and Australian Governments, Research’s Smart State Medical UQ and the Queensland University of Research Centre, and $25 million Technology (QUT). towards QUT’s Hub for Sustainable and Mr Feeney, who shuns the Secure Infrastructure. limelight and never seeks thanks Total value of the three projects for his generosity, made a rare exceeds $700 million. public appearance in Brisbane when Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan announced Atlantic’s gift in July. Paying tribute to his late friend Ken Fletcher, a tennis star who introduced “I can’t think of him to Queensland and Australia in the any place in the 1990s, Mr Feeney said: “I can’t think of world where I have any place in the world where I have made such good, honest friends.” made such good, TRI Queensland Chairman, Dr David honest friends” Watson, praised Atlantic’s unprecedented chris gift, which crowned more than three

stace y

12 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 Exciting times for uq medicine

Student places at the new UQ Ipswich medical school are expected to be in demand due to the boutique nature of the educational experience, Head of the School of Medicine, Professor David Wilkinson said. The Ipswich medical school was launched by Her Excellency Dr In scape Penelope Wensley AO, in conjunction

P with the celebration of the 10th h o

t anniversary of the UQ Ipswich o graph campus. The first student cohort

y commenced their studies in 2009. Professor Wilkinson said positive Professor Helen Chenery and Professor Alan Rix mark 10 successful years of UQ Ipswich feedback being received about the four- year degree was an indication the new study option would be in demand. “What has been created and will Ipswich anniversary be maintained is a boutique medical education experience,” he said. Research had shown that medical UQ Ipswich celebrated its 10th anniversary Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery students students who experienced clinical in 2009 with a special event which also are now based at the campus, along with practice in a rural or regional setting launched the teaching of medicine at the students in nursing, midwifery, health were more likely to remain working in campus. sciences and dietetics who are using those areas after graduation, so the Guests at the July event included the campus’s growing range of teaching new teaching node would also help Her Excellency Dr Penelope Wensley AO, facilities and clinics in health,” he said. alleviate the national doctor shortage. Governor of Queensland. Professor Rix said that while UQ “Students will also benefit from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan celebrated its past, it was always looking establishment of a GP Super Clinic Rix said the opening of the UQ Ipswich towards the future. on campus, which will offer increased campus in 1999 signalled a new era in “Plans for two new lecture theatres are opportunities for clinical experience,” higher education in Queensland. being finalised. Specialised health teaching Professor Wilkinson said. “The campus was born out of the facilities will also be further developed University’s support for long-term growth in on campus, including the new GP Super // www.som.uq.edu.au South-east Queensland’s western corridor,” Clinic recently announced by the Federal he said. Government,” he said. “It blends the best elements of the old “A University college is proposed in and the new, with 19th century heritage 2011 to offer associate degree courses. buildings sensitively rehabilitated to The college will use the facilities of UQ accommodate 21st century technology, new Ipswich while teaching independent courses and student-centred learning.” courses.” Professor Rix said today’s UQ Ipswich Professor Rix said UQ Ipswich would students were able to study in arts, work closely with Bremer State High School business, human services and increasingly and Education Queensland following the health, all with choices of specialisation. announcement that the State Government “A cohort of first-year Bachelor of had decided to relocate the school next to UQ Ipswich. stewart

// www.uq.edu.au/ipswich

g o u l d stewart g o u l d

UQ – GRADUATEUQ – GRADUATE CONTACT CONTACT // centenar // WINTERy ed 2009ition 13 + Campus news

schindler’s ark TOP educator author visits st lucia joins UQ team

More than 200 people attended a free public lecture by Australian literary legend and UQ honorary doctorate recipient Thomas Keneally as part of a page-turning program at the 2009 Brisbane Writers Festival. The University was again a major sponsor of the festival, and presented multiple sessions exploring issues ranging from the global financial meltdown, to saving the world’s rainforests and reviving dying languages. UQ’s Fryer Library contains je

a significant body of Mr Keneally’s work r em y

including several of his early manuscripts. patte Canadian author Andrew Westoll joined n UQ ecologists Professor Hugh Possingham Professor Emeritus Brian Wilson at the front of the UQ Art Museum and Dr James Watson at the State Library for “Tropical forests on the brink: can we save them?”. uniquest’s silver celebration

Former UQ Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian which was central to the development of the Wilson AO, recently returned to Brisbane to University. discover an investment he made in the mid- “During the Wilson years, the University 80s has well and truly paid off. has strengthened its position as Queensland’s Professor Wilson, who served as UQ’s premier institution and also earned its place Vice-Chancellor from 1979–1995, visited among the national leaders,” Sir Llew said. South-east Queensland to celebrate the silver After retiring, Professor Wilson has been anniversary of UniQuest Pty Limited, UQ’s living in the South of France with his wife, main commercialisation company. distinguished immunologist and former UQ Professor Wilson was instrumental in Y staff member Dr Joan Opdebeeck, and twin R A R the development of UniQuest, as it was sons Cormac and Fergus who were just 15- his vision during the 1980s that helped

UQ LIB months-old when he retired. Y the company become one of Australia’s

TES His eldest son, Conor, has since R largest and most successful university commenced tertiary studies at Cambridge COU commercialisation groups. Sales of products University. based in UQ technology and licensed by Since retirement, Professor Wilson proudly Mr Westoll’s travel memoir The UniQuest are now running at $5.24 billion claims that he has enjoyed being a father. Riverbones was published by UQP (see per year. As UQ celebrates its Centenary year, page 38), and documents the shrinking “The overall results, after these 25 years Professor Wilson joins the many dedicated forests of Suriname in South America. of collaboration are remarkable, reflecting the people who have contributed to not only the Other events included “The Urban application of professional and academic staff success of UQ, but to local, national and Revolution” at GoMA chaired by UQ and the dedication of board members and global communities. Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield University administrators,” Professor Wilson Professor Wilson’s special 100-year birthday and “Reporting Islam: Representation said. message to UQ alumni, staff and students can and Reality”, hosted by the School of At the time of his retirement in 1995, then be viewed at the Centenary webpage. Journalism and Communication. Chancellor Sir Llew Edwards said Professor Wilson provided outstanding leadership // www.uq.edu.au/centenary

EARTH CREATIONS BRINGS CHRISTIAN ART TO LIFE T GOULD R

STEWA While not an avid churchgoer himself, 81-year- the birds – for an artist, it’s fantastic. You’ve old artist Leonard French has drawn upon got a ready made story,” Mr French said. Christian symbolism to inspire a new painting The work, which has been installed in the for St John’s residential college at UQ. St John’s chapel, is comprised of three sections Commissioned by the St John’s College – the base features three turtles coming out Council, Earth Creations (pictured), is a of the earth, the middle panel depicts salmon commemorative piece marking the jubilee swimming up and downstream, and the top celebration of the college’s relocation from its portrays three doves. original site at Kangaroo point to the St Lucia Earth Creations was hung in the St John’s campus in 1956. chapel by the UQ Art Museum installation “I think the Christian imagery – the fish, team.

14 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 COU R TES Y SJC t r spo uq y tes r cou images Journalism student Jillian Poulsen in one of the new radio studios UQ’S OLDEST LIVING BLUE TO ATTEND DINNER JAC radio gives students voice

In 1836, students from Cambridge and The UQ community is enjoying tuning in to “JACradio allows our journalism students Oxford universities competed in a boat its own digital radio station after a successful to sharpen their skills in news writing, race that inspired the varsity tradition and launch by the School of Journalism and interviewing and presentation before entering the awarding of exceptional athletes with Communication (SJC) last year. the workforce,” Mr Frangi said. a “Blue”. JACradio is run entirely by students and “It is distinctly non-commercial, providing It is these grand achievements that based at St Lucia, broadcasting 24 hours a university students with a special brand of UQ celebrates every year at the UQ day, seven days a week. programming targeting the 18–24 age group, but Annual Blues and Sports Awards Dinner, Participating students have been trained also embraces others who share similar tastes.” with the 2010 event also recognising the in broadcasting by UQ Industry Consultant SJC Head Professor Michael Bromley said achievements of Graeme Wilson, the Anthony Frangi and a team of SJC academic the station was broadcast from the school’s University’s oldest living Blue. and industry staff. new home in the Joyce Ackroyd Building, which An outstanding hurdler and all-round Mr Frangi has managed and programmed includes state-of-the-art production facilities and sportsman, Mr Wilson entered University radio stations for the ABC in Queensland, the latest audio digital editing software. in 1936, a time where sandstone walls Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania, and “Our school believes in the future and wants were a thing of the future and no sporting currently shares the role of Program Director at to equip our students for the uncertain but facilities existed. 612 ABC Brisbane. exciting times ahead,” Professor Bromley said. Despite having no formal athletics He said students had “shaped and built training, he was awarded a Blue in JACradio from the ground up”. // www.jacradio.com.au 1936 and captained an elite Australian universities team to New Zealand in 1939. Seventy years on, UQ is still producing athletes of the highest calibre. Chosen to carry the Australian flag at the INSTITUTE STRENGTHENS TIES WITH CHINA 2009 World University Games in Serbia, water polo player Robert Maitland proudly The University of Queensland has established led the 184 Australians who competed the nation’s first Confucius Institute focusing at the international sporting meet, as Mr on China’s contributions to the advancement Wilson did in 1939. of science, engineering and technology. On March 19, UQ will celebrate past UQ formalised the partnership with Tianjin and present sporting talent at the Blues University on October 2 – one day after the 60th awards dinner at Hillstone, St Lucia. The anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. University extends an invitation to all UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul who have played a part in UQ’s sporting Greenfield and Chairman of the Tianjin history to be part of the occasion. University Administrative Council Professor

Keeping this tradition alive, UQ Sport Liu Jianping (pictured), signed the agreement je r is committed to maintaining contact with on behalf of their respective universities at em y past and present athletes. Those wishing UQ’s St Lucia campus. patte

to attend the dinner or update their Inaugural Director, Professor Ping n sporting records Chen, said the UQ Confucius Institute can contact would strengthen education and research Danielle Stein on cooperation between Australia and China, (07) 3365 8205 particularly in the fields of language, culture, or email science, engineering and technology. [email protected] “It will be a gateway to Chinese language with Chinese universities, hosting visiting // www.uqsport. and culture, and a gateway to China for researchers and scholars, and arranging uq.edu.au UQ students and staff, and for the broader community,” Professor Chen said. high-level delegations and connections with The UQ Confucius Institute will aim Chinese universities, research institutions, to generate increased interest in Chinese governments and corporations. studies by Australian students, and The institute will be situated within strengthen science, engineering and the Faculty of Arts at St Lucia, and will technology linkages. also involve the Faculties of Science and Activities will include promoting Engineering, Architecture and Information exchange between UQ staff and students Technology.

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 15 Jellyfish JOYRIDE ins

Over-fishing and pollution are fuelling exploding jellyfish populations, ll co

which could have devastating consequences for the world’s oceans. j

Early action could be crucial to addressing grow up to two metres in diameter and weigh the problem of major increases in jellyfish 200 kilograms.” numbers, which appears to be the result of The new research, by Dr Richardson and human activities. colleagues at the University of Miami, Swansea New research led by UQ and CSIRO University and the University of the Western scientist Dr Anthony Richardson presents Cape, was published in the international journal convincing evidence that this population Trends in Ecology and Evolution in time boom is associated with over-fishing for World Oceans Day in June. and excess nutrients from fertilisers and “Fish normally keep jellyfish in sewage. check through competition and predation “Dense jellyfish aggregations can be a but overfishing can destroy that balance,” natural feature of healthy ocean ecosystems, Dr Richardson said. but a clear picture is now emerging of more “Mounting evidence suggests that severe and frequent jellyfish outbreaks open ocean ecosystems can flip from being worldwide,” Dr Richardson, of UQ’s School dominated by fish, to being dominated by of Mathematics and Physics, said. jellyfish. “In recent years, jellyfish blooms have “This would have lasting ecological, been recorded in the Mediterranean, the economic and social consequences. Gulf of Mexico, the Black and Caspian Seas, “We need to start managing the marine the Northeast US coast, and particularly in environment in a holistic and precautionary way Far East coastal waters. to prevent more examples of what could be “The most dramatic have been the termed a ‘jellyfish joyride’.” outbreaks in the Sea of Japan involving the gargantuan Nomura jellyfish which can // www.cell.com/cellpress/trends

stations, usually found among the rocks and Using behavioural trials, the researchers seagrass of the reef. By using visual models, also showed reef fish were more likely to the researchers were able to “look through the visit cleaners whose bodies contained blue eyes of potential clients”. patterns. Clean “We were actually able to see what “We tested the response of wild client fish message the cleaner fish is sending from the to seven fish models made from resin and perspective of the client,” Professor Marshall painted with a range of colours and patterns,” said. Professor Marshall said. living “We measured the visual response of three Reef fish – which ordinarily would eat the coral reef fish: the barracuda, the UV-sensitive smaller cleaner fish – swim up and pose in a planktivorous damselfish and the herbivorous way which indicates they are ready for cleaning. Coral reef cleaner fish that live off parasites surgeonfish. “The reef fish needs to be cleaned and the use the power of colour to protect “For all three visual systems, blue cleaner fish needs to eat the parasites in order themselves and attract potential clients. categories were the most contrasting colours to survive, so there’s a mutually beneficial against an average coral background, and relationship that exists between the cleaner Even parasite-eating fish recognise the benefits yellow is the most contrasting colour against a and the host,” Professor Marshall said. of good advertising, UQ research has found. blue water background. “What we think the cleaner fish are saying Dr Karen Cheney and Professor Justin – with colour – is that they have a service to Marshall, along with colleagues from the offer. What we’ve managed to do is decode School of Biological Sciences, found cleaner the language of the club.” fish – which are in the business of Professor Marshall and Dr Cheney are removing parasites from larger reef fish also co-authors of a – used colour to catch the attention paper featured on

of potential clients. the cover of the courtes Published online in scientific Journal of Experimental

journal Current Biology, their y Biology. The study

study showed how cleaner fish justin found Elacatinus

had evolved a specific advertising mars gobies, a species of STOCK.

signal involving a blue and yellow h cleaner fish found in the

a X ll C H colouration, combined with conspicuous NG Caribbean, had developed stripes. blue and yellow stripes so “A combination of colour and pattern is they stood out to passing an important component of cleaner signals reef fish. and helps attract client species to cleaning “Therefore, blue and yellow appears to be “Yellow and blue are the two colours stations,” Professor Marshall said. the most conspicuous colours when signaling which transmit best in the ocean,” Professor Cleaner fish operate out of cleaning to potential clients.” Marshall said.

16 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010

images

stewart

gou l Dugong dash d

UQ and Sea World scientists took to Moreton Bay last year for a unique project to discover more about a marine mammal’s secrets.

By Andrew Dunne

Biologists from UQ have teamed up with selection of dugongs that was representative association data gathered during mark- Sea World and Sydney Aquarium to assess of both sexes and from adult, sub-adult and recapture studies, to determine the the health and reproductive status of wild juvenile size classes. Over seven days the reproductive status of individual dugongs,” dugongs in Moreton Bay. group took approximately 30–40 minutes to Dr Lanyon said. Leader of the UQ Dugong Research sample each animal. Sea World Director of Marine Sciences Team Dr Janet Lanyon (pictured top right), Researchers collect blood to look at Trevor Long said the sampling involved said determining reproductive status of haematology, blood biochemistry, immune lifting wild dugongs out of the water using individuals was one of the most important factors as well as screen for disease. Urine a specially designed stretcher to hoist the factors for population modelling and effective and faecal samples are also collected to animals from the water on to the deck of management of a vulnerable species. be cultured for microbes and screened for research vessel Sea World One. “Once we understand seasonality and parasites and disease. “This is a very exciting study, and allows timing of reproductive patterns, we will be Dr Lanyon said blood and urine sampled us to capture data that will help to establish able to develop useful models of population from this study were important because it had reference blood parameters for the species,” dynamics for vulnerable dugongs,” Dr Lanyon been shown to represent active circulating Mr Long said. said. hormone levels in other species. “Along with Sydney Aquarium, a “Assessing the health of these animals is a As well as collecting samples, partnership with dugong experts such as Dr valuable tool in determining the fitness of wildlife comprehensive medical examinations by Lanyon and The University of Queensland is populations, and marine mammals such as biologists and vets were carried out to assess an ongoing priority for Sea World.” dugongs may be used as sentinels for emerging the body condition of the animals, including threats to coastal seagrass ecosystems.” girth and weight measurements. ONLINE // To view a video of the UQ The team of researchers completed field “The hormone data will be used along Dugong Research Team at work, visit research in Moreton Bay last May, sampling a with gender, body size and social www.uq.edu.au/graduatecontact

“Marine mammals such as dugongs may be used as sentinels for emerging threats to coastal seagrass ecosystems” Rush secures theatre’s triple crown

Acting royalty: Geoffrey Rush as King Last year Geoffrey Rush joined an elite Berenger in the original Australian group when he added a Tony award to production of Exit the King, and opposite, at the renaming of the his previous Oscar and Emmy wins. In UQ Cement Box Theatre this special feature, award-winning arts foyer in his honour critic Allison Croggan details Rush’s in 2005 evolution from a drama student at The University of Queensland to his position today as one of the world’s most versatile actors. e tr a se The u ho t l Ma esy urt o c e ag Im

18 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenarsummer 2009y edition 2010 Rush secures theatre’s triple crown ka When Geoffrey Rush won a Tony award for his Until he won the 1996 best actor Oscar for yle n e

Broadway performance in Eugene Ionesco’s his role in Shine, prompting an avalanche of bigg

Exit the King in June, he was anointed as praised film roles, Rush was simply one of the s acting royalty. He is one of only 16 actors best stage actors in Australia. – and the first Australian – to win the so-called It is this background that generates triple crown: an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony. the richness of his screen roles. He was The triple crown means mastery in three born in 1951 in Toowoomba, Queensland, Rush played a brilliant John Worthing in media: film, television and stage. In 1953, and took an arts degree at The University Simon Phillips’s celebrated 1988 production Thomas Mitchell, best known for his role of Queensland. He was talent-spotted in a of The Importance of Being Earnest, in as Scarlett O’Hara’s father in Gone with university revue by the Queensland Theatre which he co-starred with his new wife, the Wind, was the first actor to put all three Company, where he began his theatre Menelaus. The play was effectively their trophies on his mantelpiece, and since then career. He made his debut in 1971 in a QTC honeymoon and, as he famously said, he triple crowners have included Paul Scofield, production of Wrong Side of the Moon. He got to propose to his wife each night and Vanessa Redgrave, Ingrid Bergman, Maggie worked with the company for four years, was paid for it. Smith and Al Pacino. This puts Rush in some appearing in roles ranging across classical Rush’s collaboration with Armfield, which distinguished company. plays to pantomime, from Juno and the culminated in his award-winning performance It is the culmination of a career that, after Paycock to Hamlet on Ice. as King Berenger in Exit the King, has its achievements, is striking in its modesty. After that he followed a trail trod by many produced some of his most lauded stage For all his fame and multiple honours, Rush Australian actors and travelled to Paris, where roles. Memorable among many remarkable has always been an actor first. he studied with famed acting teacher Jacques performances are his roles in productions Unlike Russell Crowe or Nicole Kidman, Le Coq for two years, developing his clowning of works by Russian writer Nikolai Gogol. In Rush has never embraced the celebrity circus and mime skills. When Rush returned to Armfield’s 1989 production of Gogol’s Diary of of Hollywood. He lives in Melbourne with his Australia he began his theatre career in a Madman, Rush played the downtrodden and wife, actress Jane Menelaus and their two earnest, becoming one of the leading figures comically deluded clerk Poprishchin. children. Of our internationally celebrated in Australian theatre on and off the stage. Rush’s entrance on stage in an improbably home boys and girls, Rush is perhaps In the following years he starred in a high red wig was one of the great moments in most like Cate Blanchett. Perhaps this isn’t variety of plays, most famously with Mel Australian theatre. Armfield and Rush followed surprising; Rush picked Blanchett to co-star Gibson in Waiting for Godot. up with a carnivalesque production of Gogol’s with him in David Mamet’s Oleanna, her first The Government Inspector. big stage role, recognising her luminous It’s easy to see how this collaboration, talent when she had barely graduated. They which demonstrated that Rush is one of the are actors who have never forgotten their “Until he won the greatest theatre clowns working today, led to theatrical roots and who, perhaps for this his Tony-award winning performance as King reason, display a virtuosic versatility in their 1996 best actor Berenger in Armfield’s production of Exit the work, with movie performances ranging from Oscar for his role King. A co-production between Company serious roles to outrageous popcorn villains. B and Malthouse Theatre, the show began Rush’s over-the-top swashbuckling as in Shine, prompting life in the workshops of the Malthouse in Captain Barbossa in the box-office smash an avalanche of Melbourne, with a new translation nutted Pirates of the Caribbean guaranteed his hero out by Armfield and Rush. It received rave status to a generation of 10-year-old boys. praised film roles, reviews in its Melbourne and Sydney seasons, But what made his international reputation Rush was simply one but Ionesco’s existential comedy seems an were his portrayals of sensitive, disturbed unlikely Broadway hit. The central theme is, men on the brink of sanity: his Peter Sellers of the best stage after all, death. in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, the actors in Australia” However, Rush’s role as the egocentric marquis de Sade in Quills (which garnered him 400-year-old king who refuses to die exploits an Oscar nomination) and his Oscar-winning his considerable capacities as a clown and, role as pianist David Helfgott in Shine. just as crucially, his ability to explore the These roles demonstrate Rush’s meticulous darker regions of the human psyche. attention to detail, a clue to his versatility and In 1981 he joined Jim Sharman’s Lighthouse The final 10 minutes of Exit the King, in the kinds of depth he can bring even to a part troupe, an ensemble of outstanding actors that which Berenger’s world gradually vanishes such as Barbossa, surely one of the most premiered radical interpretations of classics and around him as he enters the final kingdom of charismatic villains on the contemporary new works by Patrick White, Louis Nowra and death, is some of the most powerful theatre screen. For the role of Helfgott, for example, he Stephen Sewell. I’ve seen. It’s the kind that makes you hold befriended the pianist and closely studied his When the Lighthouse foundered, he was your breath with a joy that’s like anguish. speech and mannerisms for years. one of the syndicate members who bought Anyone who has seen Rush on stage will Rush brings to these roles a lot more the Belvoir St Theatre, then fallen on hard know he is first of all an animal of the theatre, than virtuosic skill, although he has plenty of times with the folding of the Nimrod, and at his best at play in his natural habitat. And that. He suffered a breakdown in 1992 from was, with Neil Armfield, one of the founding the Tony, the final jewel in Rush’s crown, is overwork and anxieties over his career, and members of Company B. In the mid-80s he perhaps the award that most justly reflects there’s little doubt this experience feeds into also directed Adelaide’s Magpie Theatre for his talent. the emotional complexities of the characters Young People, where he directed and starred he creates. International fame came late. in the hit play The Small Poppies. Article reproduced courtesy The Australian

UQ – GRADUATEUQ – GRADUATE CONTACT CONTACT // centenar // summyer ed 2009ition 19 UQ Celebrates its centenary www.uq.edu.au/centenary

Looking forward: Vice- Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield with UQ students Cameron Turner and Rebecca Martens outside the iconic Great Court

20 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 Centenary Messages

The poet John Mansfield wrote: “There are yearly bloom of vivid jacarandas were the few earthly things more beautiful than a backdrop of my young family’s life. Picnics university.” Whenever I think of The University by the lakes, going to Campus Kindy, were of Queensland, it is with a very special essential experiences in their growing up. affection and respect, deep in my heart. These days, when I walk through the UQ has been a part of my life since I was quad, memories flood back even as I take in 17. I still remember how I felt as I stood in my the University’s remarkable evolution. The art white dress, black gown and mortar board gallery, the world-class research institutes, on the day I matriculated – the only one from the partnerships with business and industry my small year 12 to be there. I had a sense make me feel very proud of my alma mater. then of what noble portals I was entering, and The ethos I fell in love with in 1960 is it never left me in those halcyon student days. still there: an unswerving value for learning, In 1960, my first year, everybody knew scholarship, reflection and human wisdom. everybody, and we made what would UQ remains a place for elevated thinking, become lifelong friendships. We were where students discover themselves and a generation who went to university on their world, where teachers inspire them to Commonwealth Scholarships, truly fortunate engage with society in thoughtful, articulate to have the time to read and think, to sit and ethical ways. in the refec talking about Plato or Keats or I am so thankful for everything UQ Kennedy. We had the luxury of learning, and has given me across half of its life, and consequently we have a great responsibility five decades of mine. With all its alumni, I to give back. On graduating in law, I set off, acknowledge its Centenary year in 2010 with as we all did in those days, for Europe. pride, gratitude and love. When I returned in 1968, I was given an

opportunity to teach in the Law School that chri Australia’s first female Governor-General,

had taught me so much. At first I was the s Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, tac

only woman on the staff. I loved every minute e graduated from UQ with a Bachelor of Arts of my teaching, my students so eager and y in 1962 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1965. engaging, my wonderful colleagues, many of Ms Bryce has made many contributions them active in legal and social reform. to human rights and equality, the rights of I always lived close to St Lucia. The QUENTIN BRYCE women and children, and the welfare of the magnificent sandstone buildings and the Governor-General family throughout her distinguished career.

It was the end of February in 1959 when I to this day there are still some Australian arrived in Brisbane from Hong Kong. I visited sayings that I just do not understand. the St Lucia campus with a few of my friends It wasn’t all study, and the University one Sunday afternoon after we had been and the Brisbane community gave me the accepted into our first year of medicine at opportunity to continue my lifelong passion UQ. for both kung fu and the Arts – this to some The architecture both impressed and is an interesting combination. I was also delighted us; the modern and yet ancient the founding President of the Hong Kong style, the many sandstone columns with Overseas Students Association of The grotesques, motifs and the crests of University of Queensland, and we organised universities and colleges from around the many social functions, and fundraising world. It was most unexpected, given we activities for various charities. were in Queensland, Australia, and at the My relationship with the University has time the University had not even turned 50. continued well after my graduation. I still have Most of my first year was spent at St many friends from my study days, and I am Lucia, constantly moving amongst the blend now the Patron of the Hong Kong UQ Alumni of modern and ancient architecture, from Association. one lecture hall to another, learning about I am proud to say I am a graduate of UQ, various subjects. By the end of each day I and congratulate the University on its 100- was exhausted. year milestone. I wish the staff and students Adding to the physical and mental all the very best for the next 100 years. exhaustion was the complexity of the Australian idiom. The language barrier was Dr Natalis Yuen graduated in medicine chri s

quite an obstacle, and I must confess, I from UQ in 1965 and was awarded a UQ tac e

spent a great deal of time merely copying Honorary Doctor of Medicine in 1995. He is y my English-speaking friends’ notes with little an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Australian comprehension of what I was writing. College of General Practitioners, a great But after six years of studying at UQ and grandmaster of kung fu and an accomplished DR NAT YUEN working in hospitals as part of my medicine calligrapher. In 1994, the Nat Yuen Collection program, I was able to meet many locals, of Chinese antiquities was kindly gifted to UQ Alumnus and and great friendships were formed. Although, The University of Queensland. benefactor

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 21 1911 students, including Eighty-three 23 women, attend the first classes in the Faculties of Arts, Science and Engineering. Since this day, UQ has gone on to play a UQ has gone on Since this day, As we enter our second century of learning

3 pivotal role in the education of many. pivotal role our Centenary year is a time to and discovery, on how far we have come and to look reflect achievements yet to the many more forward to come. On December 10, 1909, The University of Queensland was established by an Act of State Parliament to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Queensland’s separation from the colony of New South Wales. the years the 1910 The University is founded officially when the Queensland Government Gazette publishes a notice listing the 20 members of the first UQ Senate. gh u

PHOTO

e and the oldest: Oxford was e and the oldest: Oxford 1909 The University of Queensland is established by an Act of State Parliament to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Queensland’s the colony of New separation from Government House South Wales. is dedicated to in George Street University purposes.

Queensland Premier William Kidston, 1909 1909 William Kidston, Queensland Premier al al

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istori ighlights established by a King; The University of Queensland established by a King; The University of Queensland is established by the people” There is this difference between the youngest is this difference There University in the Empir

1 2 h H uq “ 4

5 10

6 1 The Forgan Smith Building was completed in 7 Some things never change: students hang out in 1939, and remains one of the University’s iconic the Student Union complex in the 1970s, just as buildings. Source: UQ Archives they do today. Source: UQ Archives

2 In 1909, the State Government gave the people 8 The award-winning Ipswich campus library of Queensland a university in celebration of opened in 2003, and blends nature with the state’s Golden Jubilee. An inauguration technology while accommodating spaces for ceremony took place on December 10, 1909 at multiple learning styles. Source: OMC what is now Old Government House in George Street, Brisbane City. Source: State of Library of 9 The next generation: students of today enjoy Queensland modern study facilities, such as those in the First Year Engineering Learning Centre. Source: OMC 3 The first four UQ Professors with their wives outside Government House in 1911; (back left to 10 The Queensland Brain Institute is one of UQ’s right: Professor J L Michie, Professor B D Steele, seven research institutes which continue to deliver Professor H J Priestley, Professor A J Gibson; ground-breaking outcomes for our local, national front left to right: Mrs Priestley, Mrs Steele, Mrs and global communities. Source: OMC Gibson). Source: Fryer Library

4 An aerial view of the St Lucia campus, taken In celebration of our in 1946, seven years after the Forgan Smith Centenary, University Building was completed. Source: UQ Archives of Queensland Press is 5 The UQ Medical School, as seen here circa publishing a pictorial 1959, is now known as the Mayne Medical book which will be School and is located at the University’s Herston campus. Source: UQ Archives available in 2010.

7 6 The University of Queensland consolidated with Queensland Agricultural College (QAC) in // To view photo galleries and additional 1990. This photo of the dormitories and dining hall was taken at QAC circa 1898. Source: UQ details of UQ’s history, visit Archives www.uq.edu.au/centenary

8 9

1926 1948 1990 1999 Dr James O’Neil Mayne and his The move from George Street to The University of Queensland UQ Ipswich opens as one of sister, Miss Mary Emelia Mayne, St Lucia begins and is completed consolidates with Queensland Australia’s first totally web- provide £55,000 to the Brisbane in 1972. Agricultural College (now UQ enabled campuses and about City Council to resume 210 acres of Gatton, a 1068ha campus 80km 500 students commence studies. riverside land at St Lucia to provide west of Brisbane). a new site for the University.

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 23 a proud family tradition

teaching a princess in nepal and pursuing an investigation into Vitamin B are just some of the achievements of a family of Uq graduates spanning four successive generations.

Members of the White family have attended of taking the Rhodes Scholarship or the 1851 employee representative to the University UQ since 1923, when Montgomery White Exhibition scholarship,” recalls granddaughter Senate. commenced his studies in a Bachelor of and UQ graduate Jenny White. Sadly, Monty passed away in 1955 after Science on an Open Scholarship. “The Rhodes Scholarship would allow battling a long illness. In 1930, Monty was the recipient of the only him to go, but on the Exhibition Jessie, who was then left with five 1851 Exhibition Scholarship, and travelled to scholarship he could take his wife. But they dependent children, commenced her UQ London to pursue a chemical investigation weren’t married, so he went running up to Diploma of Education at the age of 53. into vitamin B2. her at the University and said, ‘Let’s get At the time of Monty’s death, their eldest “My grandmother, Jessie, who was also a married now, and let’s go to London’”. son David had already commenced studying UQ student and staff member, They returned to Brisbane in 1933, medicine; one of three from this generation of told me that Monty had the choice and Monty was appointed a Government White children to attend UQ. David’s daughter Jenny said it was clear from an early age that her father had inherited Shalini Ale represents the his parent’s passion for education and study. youngest of four generations “Dad tells a story when his high school of UQ graduates. Pictured maths teacher asked the class to reveal their top right and centre are Montgomery White. Below: test results,” Jenny says. Mr White with son David and “One classmate said 99 percent, and the wife Jessie, and Mrs White teacher erupted with congratulations and at her graduation commented at how marvellous he was. Dad was asked next, and when he told the class 100 percent the teacher said, ‘You’ll make no friends showing off, White’. I use that saying now, when he gets too cocky during our weekly crosswords.” After graduating from UQ in 1982 with a Bachelor of Speech Therapy, Jenny went trekking through Nepal. Having felt a connection with the country, she returned a second time and fell in love with a Nepalese police officer. Eighteen months later they married, and soon after welcomed their daughter Shalini. During her time in Nepal, Jenny was given the opportunity to teach English to the royal family in Kathmandu. “I taught the Princess for six months. The army would come and pick me up every day, and escort me into the palace,” she said. Jenny and her husband, together with their daughter Shalini, left the escalating conflict in Nepal and moved to Bundaberg, where David had his general practice. When Shalini announced she wanted to study psychology at UQ, her mother and grandfather couldn’t have been more proud. “I know they were very happy that I continued the tradition, as so many of Grandad’s family came to UQ, but it was probably my Dad who really inspired me to go here,” Shalini says. “Dad can’t believe how beautiful the St Lucia campus is. And education is so important to him.” And Jenny couldn’t be happier with her daughter’s academic achievements. “Shalini is far more studious than I ever was, which makes me very happy as a mother,” she said. “You can definitely see her father in her, and her father’s attitude that education is a s t e valuable tool, and can never be taken from wart you once you have it.” g o uld // To share your UQ story, visit www.uq.edu.au/centenary or email [email protected]

24 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 UQ Art Museum celebrates Centenary with Aurukun art and gems from its collection

Crest of the hill 1898 by W. Frank (William Frank) Calderon 1865–1943, oil on canvas. Gift of the Veterinary Students Society, 1979. Collection of The University of Queensland. 100 years on display

The juxtaposition of old and new is today: Art from Aurukun, a major exhibition “This exhibition allows us to gain better celebrated in two Centenary exhibitions and one of the key events to mark the insight in the life and culture surrounding showing at the UQ Art Museum in 2010. University’s Centenary year, from September Aurukun’s outstanding carving tradition, and The first, 100 Years: 100 Artworks, will run 10 to November 28. how this inspired a flourishing new chapter from April 16–July 4, and represents works The show focuses on the art from Cape of art production across a range of media in the University has acquired by gift, bequest York’s Aurukun community, involving Wik, today’s community,” Mr Mitzevich said. and purchase. Kugu and associated peoples. Initiated in response to collections of Among the pieces on display will be the Aurukun art held in the UQ Anthropology first artwork gifted to the University in 1929 Museum and UQ Art Museum, the exhibition – Mary Christison’s Self portrait. brings together historical pieces and examples Works will range from of contemporary Aurukun art from public art William Frank Calderon’s and cultural institutions. great Victorian picture Other UQ Art Museum exhibitions Crest of the hill throughout 2010 include (1898) to Rosalie Contemporary Queensland Gascoigne’s photography (January Dolly boxes 29 –11 April) and (1976) and the first major Lockhart River survey of artist Rosella Queensland- Namok’s Para based way not our way Indigenous artist Fiona Foley (19 February–2 (2001). May). “The exhibition will Highlights also include the Australian War showcase the University’s Memorial’s Sidney Nolan:The Gallipoli Series remarkable collection. It will feature our (September 17–November 14) and Australian old favourites and little-known gems portraits 1880–1960 from the Australian alongside very contemporary pieces that National Gallery (November 19–February 11). reflect life today,” UQ Art Museum Director Waaram (Dugong) 2008 by Horace Wikmunea 1963 – natural ochres with synthetic polymer binder on Nick Mitzevich said. milkwood. Collection of The University of Queensland, // Visit www.artmuseum.uq.edu.au for The museum will also present Before time purchased 2008. Photo: Mick Richards further details

UQ merchandise now available at The Co-op Bookshop. Gatton campus Building 8123, Morrison Hall, Inner Ring Road, Gatton QLD 4343 Ph: (07) 5460 1451, Email: [email protected] Ipswich campus Building 12, Room 108, Salisbury Road, Ipswich QLD 4305 Ph: (07) 3381 1240, Email: [email protected] St Lucia campus Building 4, Staff House Road, St Lucia QLD 4067 Ph: (07) 3365 8585, Email: [email protected] Online www.coop-bookshop.com.au

University Co-operative Bookshop Ltd

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 25 UQ Senate meeting ushers in new century

We cannot reckon the life of a University in years, nor in ‘‘ decades, but in centuries ’’

Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts Professor Queensland Premier Anna Bligh with Vice-Chancellor Richard Fotheringham re-enacts extracts from Professor Paul Greenfield at the final UQS enate the debate of The University of Queensland Bill meeting of 2009

Members of UQ’s 31st Senate and special The Senate and guests then enjoyed a guests reflected on the original intentions of the re-enactment of extracts from the debate of University’s forefathers and anticipated the next The University of Queensland Bill, taken from 100 years at the final 2009 UQ Senate meeting the transcripts of parliamentary proceedings, on December 10. Hansard. To mark the start of UQ’s Centenary, the The Red Chamber was the site of these meeting was held in The Red Chamber at debates, 100 years ago, when it was home to Parliament House, Brisbane, and included the Legislative Council. congratulatory speeches from Queensland After the meeting, members of the UQ Premier Anna Bligh and Queensland Governor Senate and invited guests convened in the Dr Penelope Wensley AO. Parliamentary Annexe Speakers’ Hall for a Former UQ Vice-Chancellors Professor Emeritus Brian Other guests included Queensland celebratory dinner. Wilson (left) and Professor Emeritus John Hay (right) with Professor Greenfield University of Technology Vice-Chancellor At the event, Vice-Chancellor Professor Professor Peter Coaldrake, Central Queensland Paul Greenfield anticipated UQ would continue University Chancellor Mr Rennie Fritschy, and to have a great impact on global communities former UQ Vice-Chancellors Professor Brian across a number of disciplines. Wilson and Professor John Hay. “Kidston held that whilst not everyone UQ’s Chancellor Mr John Story opened could have the privilege of attending or directly the meeting and quoted William Kidston, sharing the advantages of a university, the the Queensland Premier in 1909, about the whole community should benefit from it,” he aspirations of UQ: said. “I would have the Senate always remember “The ‘whole community’ no longer means that it was the desire of our people that the people of Queensland – it is Australians inspired the crowning of our educational and people the world over.” system by the establishment of a University, // To view photos from the evening and watch that in very truth the Queensland University is the official proceedings, including the re- UQ Chancellor John Story with his predecessor Sir ‘of the people’.” enactment, visit www.uq.edu.au/centenary Llew Edwards

The crowd gathers on the Speakers Lawn of Parliament 26 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 House to enjoy the celebrations Thank you to all UQ alumni

The success and achievements of the University throughout the past 100 years simply would not have been possible without our dedicated and highly talented alumni. Since the first cohort of students arrived at George Street in the Brisbane CBD in 1911, UQ is proud to have played a pivotal role in the education of many. As we enter our second century of outstanding teaching and discovery, we would like to acknowledge those who have made UQ what it is today, and invite all alumni to help us celebrate in 2010.

Centenary Event highlights

16 April: 50+ Luncheon Interstate celebrations Share your The 50+ Luncheon will be held on the date Our interstate alumni are invited to the which marks 100 years since The University of following Centenary events: UQ story Queensland was gazetted. All graduates who May 19: Sydney completed their degree 50 years or more ago “Our first 100 years are underpinned will be invited to attend this reunion luncheon. May 20: Canberra by the stories of our alumni, and their September 28: Melbourne achievements and memories deserve to 18 April: Centenary be shared with each other and the greater Celebration Day International celebrations community” – UQ Pro-Vice Chancellor The UQ Centenary Celebration Day is our UQ is pleased to announce there will be (Advancement) Clare Pullar. way of saying thank you to the community several international events throughout our As part of the Centenary celebrations, the for supporting us over the past 100 years. Centenary year. University is inviting alumni to share their There will be activities and entertainment for UQ stories online. all ages and interests, including live bands, March 21: Bangkok If you have a story to share, or would market stalls, food stalls, kids’ games, and March 24: Kuala Lumpur like to tell us your fondest UQ memory, information sessions and workshops on health March 27: Singapore visit www.uq.edu.au/centenary or email and wellbeing, global change, innovation and [email protected] the Arts. May: Vietnam May: Los Angeles 2–4 July: Centenary Alumni October: China Reunion Weekend October: Hong Kong The Centenary Alumni Reunion Weekend will be held at UQ’s St Lucia campus and will provide alumni with the opportunity to catch For a full list of Centenary up with old friends. events and activities, visit Included in the program is a welcome www.uq.edu.au/centenary reception, the Courting the Greats dinner, and a thank you brunch. There will also *Dates and venues were correct at time be individual school and college reunions of printing. For the latest information, happening over the weekend. Check the please visit www.uq.edu.au/centenary, email Centenary website for details. [email protected] or call +61 7 3346 3166

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 27 Running for cancer research

What started as a challenging way to raise Despite the treatment, going from being a awareness and funds for two charities looks hyperactive 17-year-old to being made to lie set to become an annual run from Brisbane to in a bed all day was a transition that did not sit Longreach for an inspirational UQ student. well with Mr Summers. Monty Summers finished a 1200km run “The moment I could find a treadmill, I alongside 14 friends last July, with only a few jumped on it,” he said. aches and pains. Supporting him every step “I also strapped my arm with its tubes up in of the way was his twin brother and fellow UQ Glad Wrap and went for a surf.” alumnus Tighe. The group ran between 50km and 127km The 20-year-old human movement and each day, with Mr Summers praising local psychology student raised more than $50,000 residents for their strong support. and spoke to school groups and community gatherings in towns during the trek. The feat was to raise awareness and funds for the Leukaemia Foundation and AEIOU: Children with Autism. Mr Summers said it was good to complete the run, but was not prepared to close the door on further efforts down the track. “The name and our stories are out there. We could base everything on that. We could raise more money next time we do it. We could improve on things,” he said. Mr Summers was motivated to complete the ambitious task as part of his rehabilitation from a battle with lymphoblastic leukaemia while still at high school. “It was great to be out there meeting all those A devoted athlete who ran 13 times a people,” he said. week, he was diagnosed with the disease after “The communities along the way were collapsing at an athletics carnival in Tasmania. fantastic.” t gould

The reality of the treatment soon sank in as r ONLINE // To listen to a podcast of Mr Mr Summers underwent chemotherapy at the Above: Monty Summers during training Mater Hospital and a bone marrow transplant Summers discussing his journey, visit www. and left, with twin brother Tighe

at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. uq.edu.au/graduatecontact images stewa

28 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 media event to unite nations

UQ has secured a first for the pacific region to host a global media freedom forum in May.

In a first for Australia and the Pacific, UQ has “UNESCO is the only UN agency with a “UQ educates journalism students who won the right to host UNESCO’s global World mandate to defend media freedom, and too may one day work in places where their Press Freedom Day conference and Guillermo often it has cause to condemn the deliberate profession makes them targets, and we regard Cano World Press Freedom Prize-giving killing of a journalist or journalists,” Professor this conference as important for their safety ceremony in 2010. Greenfield said. as well as for the global flow of accurate Announcing UNESCO’s decision last “One of this conference’s purposes will be information.” year to stage the headline event in Brisbane, to honour reporters who were assassinated or As the University celebrates its Centenary Director-General Koichiro Matsuura said his harmed because they exposed or threatened in 2010, UQ’s journalism school also holds its organisation was “proud to hold this ceremony to expose the truth. own place in history as Australia’s oldest. in your wonderful country, and for the first time Head of the School of Journalism and in the Pacific region”. Communication Professor Michael Bromley said The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press he hoped the conference would also encourage Freedom Prize honours a person, organisation “One of a wider “fringe” program of activities in Brisbane or institution that has made an outstanding to promote the importance of media freedom to and courageous contribution to the defence this conference’s the general public. and promotion of press freedom anywhere in purposes will be to “Our school had been actively pursuing the the world. World Press Freedom Day project for about 18 To be held on May 3, the theme of honour reporters who months. This is a high-level, global UN Day, and World Press Freedom Day is “Freedom of were assassinated or it will attract large numbers of delegates from all Information: The Right to Know”, and UQ’s harmed because they around the world,” Professor Bromley said. conference will focus particularly on freedom of Those wanting to keep up to date with expression issues in the Asia-Pacific region. exposed or threatened World Press Freedom Day can visit the event Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield to expose the truth” website and subscribe to an e-newsletter. said UQ was proud to support UNESCO’s // www.uq.edu.au/wpfday2010 efforts to uphold and engender public accountability and media freedom. – Eliza plant

Women in central Afghanistan participate in a UNESCO literacy program ma r tin hadlow

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 29 Curtain raised on stormy production

The sound of thunder or a sharp crack of lightning would have most people running for cover, but a group of UQ researchers can’t help but revel in stormy weather. Eliza Plant followed the University’s own storm chasers for a day to see what makes them tick.

There is no denying South-east Queensland atmosphere in terms of temperature, humidity “Time continues and and storms are a match made in heaven and and wind speed and direction. on a field trip to Kooralbyn, near Beaudesert, “If nothing is kicking off by 3.30pm then more data is collected. in October, it was startling to see just how we can call it quits,” Dr McGowan says as he The sky is beginning quickly this destructive relationship could surveys the sky. unfold. At about noon, the latest in a series of to blacken as the During the 2009 summer storm season, radiosondes is released – a big red balloon clouds become thicker. a team of UQ researchers set up a site at the fading into the distance. Before we know it, country setting to collect real-time data for While the balloon becomes less visible, better storm warnings in the region. the monitor on the ground beeps to alert the the conditions have The project, headed by Associate Professor team to new information on the developing drastically changed Hamish McGowan and Bachelor of Science weather conditions. Honours student Joshua Soderholm, marked Every 20 seconds the optical telescope and a storm is on the the first time the researchers – from the School makes a measurement of the balloon’s horizon” of Geography, Planning and Environmental position and the information is scanned into a Management – placed themselves in the field computer for download. before, during and after a storm hit. Looking at the data on the screen, Mr The project aims to provide a greater Soderholm is excited by the balloon’s quick understanding of the relationship between ascent into the atmosphere. the pre-storm atmosphere and a storm’s “It’s blowing up to 40 knots at 500 metres evolution, direct impact areas and the weather now,” he says. it produces. “It’s gone over 1000 metres now.” “We collected a very wide set across A quick scan of the surrounding as many storm days as possible, thereby environment and it appears the clouds are allowing us to develop a climatology of starting to thicken. thunderstorm events. We were then able “Fingers crossed, it’s only 1.15pm, to better understand the relationship hopefully by 3pm things will be a bit more between pre-storm conditions and the organised and we’ll see some deeper ensuing thunderstorm weather,” Mr convection,” Dr McGowan says. Soderholm said. “We should be getting pretty impressive As I travelled to Kooralbyn, the storms under typical conditions but at present temperature was already about 26 degrees things are still relatively dry. and the wind was howling through the dry “That’s what you look for on thunderstorm terrain. days, conditionally unstable atmospheres that If you view a storm like a theatre remain stable as long as it’s dry but as soon production, the opening number had been as it becomes moist it becomes unstable and forecast for late afternoon. remains so.” “It’s a bit of a waiting game,” Dr McGowan Time passes and more data is collected. says as we arrived on site. The sky is beginning to blacken as the clouds “I’m still reasonably hopeful and optimistic. become thicker. Before we know it, the It’s a shame that the wind wasn’t more round conditions have drastically changed and it is in the north east rather than the north west to obvious that a storm is on the horizon. bring that moisture in.” Droplets of water begin to bucket down From about 8am, the team had been as the sound of rolling thunder echoes in the busy releasing radiosondes – small distance. instruments encased in foam which are While we take cover, Dr McGowan and attached to large biodegradable balloons Mr Soderholm are busy releasing another – every two hours. radiosonde into the atmosphere. The red The technology aims to provide balloon is immediately whisked up into the information on the ambient turbulence.

30 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 Mr Soderholm interrupts the conversation The more and more people that decide to excitedly to report that the radiosonde is reside in South-east Queensland, the greater caught in the storm’s updraft and is hovering the potential for severe impact on those urban at 8400 metres – “we’ve never tracked it this environments in those communities.” high before,” he says. It’s about 4pm and the build-up for As the storm passes, a quick glimpse another storm begins to gain momentum just at the radar shows a series of severe cells north of the research location. rolling in from the west towards Brisbane, the It’s amazing to see how selective the bayside and the Sunshine Coast. storm path can be. Even though we can see My ears remain pricked as talk of another the storm, it appears on the radar to be just storm passing through the Beaudesert area shy of our location. gains momentum. The storm’s ferocity is evident by the cloud “We’re measuring the structure of the dimensions and its increasing speed. Soon lower atmosphere from the surface to about the panorama of black clouds is but a distant 6000 metres,” Dr McGowan adds, peering sight, closing the curtain on our storm-chasing into a theodolite (a kind of telescope). adventure. At least until next time… The research will hopefully allow the team ONLINE // To watch a video of the storm to better identify what conditions are needed to chasers in action, visit www.uq.edu.au/ predict the type of developing storms. graduatecontact “For example, whether or not you are going to have a big super-cell thunderstorm or whether you are going to have a squall come through, a line of storms, that often passes through South-east Queensland in the spring.

Weather watchers: Associate Professor Hamish McGowan and Joshua Soderholm ready a radiosonde (left), and opposite page, Mr Soderholm gathers data with a theodolite images s t ewar t go u ld

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 31

+ graduate news

Donor thank you lyle radford The sandstone buildings of the Great Court provided a fitting backdrop for the 1910 Society and Chancellor’s Society thank you event held in the Alumni Court on October 20. 50+ meet and greet The evening was an opportunity to thank donors for their generous support to UQ and In June last year, more than 100 alumni who were to demonstrate how their gifts have directly graduates of the year 1959 or earlier attended the assisted students and researchers alike. annual 50+ Luncheon at Customs House. Donors who have given $100,000 or more Hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor are recognised with lifetime membership of Paul Greenfield, the reunion event was an The 1910 Society. The Chancellor’s Society image opportunity for alumni to rekindle friendships recognises donors who make an annual gift of s and to hear about new developments at the $1,000 or more. lyle radford University. Pro Vice-Chancellor (Advancement) Ms Guest speakers included Professor Frank Clare Pullar welcomed guests to the occasion Monsour RFD AM and Dr Noel Stephenson which she said “marked the celebration of AM – both graduates from 1959. 50+ philanthropy to The University of Queensland”. Top: Juliet O’Brien, Lisbeth Hopkins, Violet Kuskie, Betty Luncheon event manager Kylie McIntyre said Chancellor Mr John Story asked guests Crouchley and Rae Bridge. Middle: Pamela Videroni, Dr the day was a special occasion for all alumni not to be modest when talking about giving to Rosamond Siemon and Chancellor John Story. Above: involved, many of whom had not met since the University and to share their experiences to Trish Ashe, Brian Pendrigh and Maggie Hsiesh their campus days. encourage generosity in others. This year’s 50+ Luncheon will be held on Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield For Miss Ghaznawi, the scholarship April 16 in support of UQ’s official Centenary told attendees philanthropy was a pillar of UQ’s represented “the very latest in a long chain birthday. first century and that such contributions would of miracles”. play an important part of its future. “Education has given me back my life, Bringing this message into focus was my future and my hope,” she said. UQ-Link Scholarship recipient Zahra Ghaznawi, Guests were also able to meet with other who spoke about the difficulties of growing scholarship recipients to see firsthand the up in Afghanistan, living as a refugee and then impact of their contributions to the University. completing the final year of secondary school in Australia. // www.advancement.uq.edu.au

Maintain & extend intellectual interests Stress-Free in the company of like-minded others... Students

MindVentures is a not-for-profi t organisation which Students were encouraged to stress less on coordinates educational programs for mature age people the eve of their exams during an inaugural event hosted by the UQ Alumni team in – one-day courses October. – short breaks (3-5 days) The “Stress Relief” event took place at the – wide range of subjects (history, literature, St Lucia campus and incorporated displays science, social issues, politics...) from the UQ Union, UQ Sport, Student Services – different locations (Brisbane, Longreach, and the Faculty of Health Sciences. Byron Bay, Cooktown, Lorne, Heron Island...) – small groups The three-hour program kicked off with – expert and entertaining presenters live music, lucky draw prizes and giveaways. Students then took part in a range of activities tewart gould tewart ranging from relaxing in a stress-free lounge to s More information attending stress-relief workshops. Dr Bill Richmond – ph: 07 3878 4077; 0412 354 722 Other options included health assessments email: [email protected] and pilates and stretching demonstrations. Ms Thomas said she looked forward to www.mindventures.com.au Business management and arts student attending similar events in the future. Anja Thomas said the event allowed her to The Stress Relief project was an initiative pinpoint stress symptoms and know how to of the UQ Student Alumni Program, which also alleviate them in the future. launched the Backpack to Briefcase Career “I enjoyed sitting in the stress-free lounge, Breakfast Series in 2009. exchanging thoughts with other students and listening to the lovely live music,” she said. // www.alumni.uq.edu.au

32 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 in Vietnam, previously worked as a consultant to the Belgian Technical Cooperation on a project contributing to better sanitation for people living in the Tan Hoa-Lo Gom Canal area in Ho Chi Minh City. Alumni She studied at UQ under a full scholarship of The Atlantic Philanthropies Coursework Masters Scholarship Program funded by The of the year Atlantic Foundation and administered by The University of Queensland and Vietnam National University. Nominees for UQ’s Young Alumnus of the Year must be under the age of 40 and are judged on their post-graduation career Powerlink Chair and the first woman to graduate from electrical engineering at UQ, achievements and future plans, innovation and Else Shepherd AM, is the University’s Alumnus of the Year for 2009. creativity, involvement within their communities and how their career achievements have By Shirley Glaister benefited others. Dr Schuetze, who graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Biology from UQ in 1993 and a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1995, has since devoted her life and career to Ms Shepherd is part of the first trio of women Alumni Friends of The University of the cause of animal welfare. She founded and to win UQ alumni of the year awards in the Queensland Inc. President Dalma Jacobs is the current President of VetCharityOrg (now same year – the others being sanitation expert said the Alumni Friends were honoured Ms known as Vets Beyond Borders), and lives in Thi Ngoc Diep Nguyen (International Alumnus Shepherd had accepted the award of Alumnus India. of the Year), and animal welfare advocate of the Year for 2009. She spends her time developing strategic Dr Catherine Schuetze (Young Alumnus of the The International Alumnus of the Year partnerships with governments, animal welfare Year). Award was introduced in 2002 to recognise organisations and NGOs and has helped UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul the outstanding personal and professional establish several animal welfare programs Greenfield and Alumni Friends of The University achievements of the University’s international in India with a focus on national dog health, of Queensland Inc. Senior Vice-President alumni community. The criteria of the award population management and rabies control. Patricia Jones hosted the 2009 Courting considers contributions to the community and Dr Schuetze has worked with wildlife and the Greats lunch to recognise the winners at career achievements since graduating. domestic animals in veterinary practice in Customs House on November 26. Ms Nguyen, who different parts of the world (Africa, United Professor Greenfield said UQ was graduated with a Master Kingdom, India, Australia) over the past 14 years, honoured by a wealth of exceptional of Social Planning in both employed and voluntary capacities. graduates, who reflected positively on the and Development University and inspired the students who (Professional) from // To nominate a UQ graduate for the followed them. UQ in 2002 after International or Young Alumnus of the Ms Shepherd was motivated to pursue a completing her Year awards, contact [email protected] career in engineering by the 1957 launch of undergraduate studies Entries close March 28 the Russian satellite Sputnik. After attending Brisbane Girls Grammar School, she began studying electrical engineering at UQ from 1962, graduating in 1965. 2009 Alumnus of the She married and went to live in Mackay Year Else Shepherd for the next 18 years, working at the Sugar (left) with fellow award Research Institute as an operation research winners Thi Ngoc Diep Nguyen and engineer for 10 years and raising two children. Dr Catherine By the end of 1983, she moved back Schuetze to Brisbane and in 1986 formed Mosaic Information Technology, a company specialising in the design and manufacture of telecommunications products, particularly custom-designed modems. In 2002, she co-developed a new company, Microwave & Materials Designs, specialising in microwave filters for mobile phones. In 1994, Ms Shepherd was appointed to her current position as Chair of Powerlink – a new company set up by the Queensland Government to oversee the state’s electricity transmission system following the break-up of the Queensland Electricity Commission (QEC). Powerlink owns, develops, operates and maintains Queensland’s $3 billion, 1700km high-voltage electricity transmission network. For her contributions to engineering, education and the electricity generating industry, Ms Shepherd was appointed a Member in the General Division of the 2003 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 33

jeremy patten patten jeremy jeremy Shakespeare behind bars

Last year marked a milestone for Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar when it was performed by inmates of the maximum- security Borallon Correctional Centre. The performance to around 30 invited guests highlighted an innovative education program run by the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble i ma

(QSE), led by artistic director and UQ g e s

lecturer Dr Rob Pensalfini (pictured). je r The production was only the second em y time Australian prisoners had staged a patte

Shakespearean play, the first being The n Tempest, which capped off QSE’s pilot program in 2006. “In 2006, The Tempest’s themes of incarceration, isolation and loss of privilege and freedom were recognised as Diversity discussed important and relevant from the prisoners’ perspectives,” Dr Pensalfini said. What started as chatter between medical As the winning project, MMAP has raised “With Julius Caesar, the discussion wards has grown into an international aid more than $30,000 for the Lady Willingdon of the use and misuse of power, project that won the main prize at the 2009 Hospital and its clinics. betrayal, loyalty and violence has UQ Vice-Chancellor’s Equity and Diversity Co-founder James English said MMAP proved pertinent. Awards. addressed the medical and community needs “The heart of the program’s Presented as a feature of the University’s of the hospital by obtaining sponsorship and philosophy is that violent behaviour Diversity Week program, the awards celebrate support from donors in Brisbane and abroad. often comes out of an inability to staff, students and graduates who are Initiatives funded by the projects ranged in express negative thoughts and emotions pursuing inclusive initiatives. cost from $10 to $9000 and included school in words, so it’s been important to be Nearly 300 people attended the ceremony vaccinations, health camps in Nepalese able to discuss and dramatise violent to congratulate a group of medical students shantytowns, surgical interventions for at-risk situations in a safe environment, a who won the $10,000 prize for creating the subgroups and equipment for intensive care. task made easier by the passion and Manali Medical Aid Project (MMAP). Second place ($5000) went to student Alan precision of Shakespeare’s language.” Guests were also treated to a lively Huynh, who was recognised for his involvement Approximately 20 inmates worked panel discussion facilitated by the host of with refugees and people from culturally and with Dr Pensalfini and three of his QSE ABC Radio National’s Late Night Live, Phillip linguistically diverse backgrounds, while a colleagues who conducted weekly Adams, titled “In Others’ Shoes: Possible or Highly Commended prize was awarded to the theatre games and rehearsals over Pipedream?” UQ-United Nations Millennium Development several months. Panellists included Professor Carmen Goals Project. Called Arts in Community Lawrence, Australia’s first female State Dr Deborah Setterlund, from UQ’s School Enhancement (ACE), the project was Premier and former Federal Health Minister, of Social Work and Human Services, was the made possible by support from Borallon and Professor Kevin Clements, Director of the UQ Equity and Diversity Alumni Award winner staff and UQ, and also received financial Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at The for her long-standing volunteer work in Nepal. assistance from the Queensland University of Otago. A former long-serving staff member, Government through Arts Queensland. “Each year Diversity Week celebrations Dr Setterlund was featured in the Summer grow in magnitude and not only help 2008 Graduate Contact, and works for the // www.qldshakespeare.org strengthen the bond between staff and Nepal Australia Friendship Association – an students, but the University’s engagement with organisation of around 150 volunteers. the wider community,” Senior Deputy Vice- Chancellor Professor Michael Keniger said. // www.uq.edu.au/diversity-week

Professor Kevin Clements, Phillip Adams and Carmen Lawrence, and above, MMAP members Matthew Torbey, Ben Treffene, Juergen Landmann, James English and Arthur Cheung s tewa r t go uld

34 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 Music in the streets i ma g e s h a n a

al h adad

a n d

S v e n Cr uet z ma nn

Ms Alhadad with children in Timbuktu, Mali, at a music and dance workshop, and below, the performers of Capoeira Knights in action in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil

Whether in India, Brazil, Cambodia or Her artistic prowess and love for As Ms Alhadad embarks on a PhD in Mali, one UQ scholarship recipient is humanity has seen her work with youths UQ’s School of Social Work and Human helping open up the arts to everyone. in Thailand, Cambodia, Mali and Peru, as Services and the Australian Centre for Peace well as on the award-winning Children of and Conflict Studies, her interests move By Eliza Plant the Sea and Finding Marina projects in Sri closer to home. Lanka, which concentrated on the issues of With the help of a UQef scholarship, Ms When Oscar-winning music composer A the Boxing Day Tsunami and civil and ethnic Alhadad aims to examine the process of R Rahman, of Slumdog Millionaire fame, conflict. performance in the transformation of conflict. invited UQ PhD student Hana Alhadad to Ms Alhadad’s interest in the arts also One of Ms Alhadad’s research goals work alongside him in India’s impoverished took her to Brazil to work on the UNESCO- is to build a creative art for peace project slums, she accepted instantly. supported Capoeira Knights – which was where professionals train youths in the Ms Alhadad, who dons the hat of artist, based on a Brazilian martial art and dealt performing arts, culminating in a multicultural mentor, writer and producer, and who was with the issues of violence, drugs and Indigenous-themed theatrical production. awarded a UQ Endowment Fund (UQef) gangs. Founded in 2007, UQef is a means for scholarship, was last year chosen to work Capoeira Knights received critical donors to support academic initiatives in as a consultant in the A R Rahman Arts acclaim at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival areas of social need. Foundation in Chennai; helping to kick start while Children of the Sea received the its music and dance educational program. Spirit of the Fringe first prize at the 2005 // www.uqef.com.au “It was a surreal experience working event. with a musical genius, especially watching Finding Marina – a production that him patiently mentor a group of children tackles the civil conflict in Sri Lanka – won from the slums who have never before had the Amnesty International Award for theatre any form of education in music or the arts,” that changes people’s lives in 2006. she said. “Traditionally, education in arts and “The opportunity that he has opened up performance has ironically been a to the disadvantaged children of Chennai closed group available to those is immense and has certainly and quite who can afford it,” Ms Alhadad literally brought smiles, song and dance to said. the streets.” “Since 2004, I have Over the past eight years, Ms Alhadad endeavoured to open this group, has gathered many stamps on her passport, take performance training to the travelling the world promoting youth theatre streets and provide free education and the use of performance in building peace. in refugee camps.

UQ – GRADUATEUQ – GRADUATE CONTACT CONTACT // centenar // WINTERy ed 2009ition 35 + GRADUATIONS Honorary doctorates High Court Justice Susan Kiefel and Sciences ceremony at UQ’s Ipswich campus. tten

acclaimed poet Professor Emeritus Thomas He served as a Director of the Literature pa y Shapcott AO received honorary doctorates Board of the Australia Council for the Arts m at UQ’s December graduations. from 1983–1990 and has been a significant jere benefactor to the University through donations Justice Kiefel, Queensland’s first female of his personal literary archives. Queen’s Counsel and a graduate of Cambridge Also recognised was maverick arts dealer Banker and business woman Dr Helen University, received a Doctorate of Laws honoris Ray Hughes, who received a Doctor of the Nugent AO, orchestrator of the international causa at a Business, Economics and Law University honoris causa. Mr Hughes was expansion of UQ’s acclaimed Triple P graduation. an early supporter of Queensland artists – Positive Parenting Program – Des McWilliam, Professor Emeritus Shapcott (pictured) such as Davida Allen, Roy Churcher, Robert champion for animal health John Stewart AM, received a Doctorate of Letters honoris MacPherson, Madonna Staunton and William and former Chief Executive of MIM Holdings causa at an Arts and Social and Behavioural Robinson. Ltd Mr Nick Stump also received recognition. Beirne legacy continued

Genevieve Beirne’s recent graduation from it was his patchy education that drove UQ’s TC Beirne School of Law would have him to want to sponsor and influence the pleased her great great uncle. educational development of his new home, the state of Queensland, and in particular, its In April 1935, Thomas Charles Beirne, the only university at the time. proprietor of a large Brisbane drapery store in Philanthropists such as TC Beirne will Fortitude Valley and Warden of the Council of be especially commemorated this year as the University (1928–1941), pledged £20,000 part of Centenary celebrations. to establish a functioning law school at UQ. Ms Beirne said she was delighted to In gratitude, the then University Senate have such a connection to the past and was named the school in his honour and at especially proud to be the first Beirne from her graduation ceremony on December 8, her branch of the family to graduate with a Genevieve joined 155 fellow students to law degree from UQ – her great-grandfather receive her Bachelor of Laws (LLB). Michael was brother to Thomas. Mr Beirne (1860–1949), rose from being a Ms Beirne said she was excited about

tten scantily educated son of a farmer in Ireland to finishing her studies, and had recently pa

y one of the first millionaires in Australian history commenced a position with the Federal m after emigrating here in 1883–1884. Perhaps Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. jere

81-year-old rises to the challenge

UQ graduate Dr Ferdinand Brockhall has achievement, despite facing many proven no feat is ever too great, after challenges. “Having been away from studying for receiving his PhD in December. more than two decades, the technology Dr Brockhall, 81, studied post-war Greek advancements alone were completely foreign, and Cypriot migrants in Australia. not to mention research processes, and the “Most of the existing research stops once theories and concepts in his field,” he said. these people were assimilated – as though they Dr Brockhall admits he came close to had no story after this point,” Dr Brockhall said. throwing in the towel, but it was the support “If you talk to them today, you find that of his wife, to whom his thesis is dedicated, they are proud to be Australian, and despite that kept him going. globalisation and increased mobility, they “It was frustrating and challenging, and twice choose to stay here, in what they consider to I came close to giving up. But I didn’t know how be their homeland.” to tell Wilhelmina, so I kept going,” he said. Dr Brockhall’s supervisor, Associate Born in Indonesia to Dutch parents, Dr Professor David Ip, believed the research Brockhall and his wife migrated to Australia

could also assist with better understanding in the early-1950s. jere m

today’s multicultural Australia. “I just really wanted to keep learning, y pa

Professor Ip was also quick to and Wilhelmina supported me all the way,” tten congratulate Dr Brockhall on his he said.

36 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 Asia trip secures alumni links

In September a UQ delegation led by Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Michael Keniger travelled to China and Hong Kong for a series of business and alumni functions.

The purpose of the visit was to meet and re- engage with University graduates and business partners to provide an update on strategic priorities and developments at UQ. Representing UQ were several members of the executive including Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Research) Professor Max Lu, imag Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Relations) e s

Professor Ian Zimmer and Acting Deputy w er k

Vice-Chancellor (International) Professor z ph

Mick McManus. oto g r Beijing aph y Professor Keniger hosted a successful alumni and business function where he encouraged graduates to attend the Centenary Alumni Reunion Weekend in Brisbane on July 2–4, 2010. While in Beijing, the UQ delegation also visited the Chinese Academy of Science, Hanban (the executive body of the Chinese Language Council International), and Peking and Capital Medical universities.

Tianjin Shanghai Staff involved with UQ’s new Members of the executive met with colleagues Confucius Institute met with representatives from fellow Universitas 21 members Fudan from partner Tianjin University on September University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 9 to discuss academic and research New links in science and technology research collaboration. The Faculty of Engineering, were also explored with Fudan to complement Architecture and Information Technology also an existing collaboration in the area of public renewed an arrangement with the university, health. A well-attended alumni function also which provides year-long exchanges for took place, with business partners including engineering students between the two the editor of the Shanghai Daily attending. Guangzhou institutions. Hong Kong An alumni event was hosted by Professor Professor Zimmer hosted an alumni reception Tim Brailsford, Executive Dean of the Faculty on September 11 and a dinner the next evening of Business Economics and Law (BEL) on to thank the committee of the UQ Alumni September 11. The guest speaker was ANZ Association of Hong Kong for their dedication General Manager Guangzhou, Mr Allan Marlin. and hard work. He took the opportunity to Mr Marlin talked about the strong link between recognise the outgoing president, Dr Xtven Ng Australia and China and the significant growth for his contribution over the past 12 months and potential in the local banking and financial to welcome Ms Nixie Lam to the role. services industry over the next few years. As has become a tradition, a BEL employment seminar was also held. “Can the Dragon be Slain? The Financial Capital Clockwise from main image: Professor Keniger and Professor Lin Jianhua, Senior Deputy Director of Asia: Hong Kong or Shanghai?” explored of Peking University, Cecilia Fan, Jacky Lau and comments made by the Chinese government Jonathan Mek in Shanghai, and Michael Chen and that they would like to see Shanghai as a Ning Zhao celebrate in Beijing global financial hub by 2020.

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 37 + UQP bOOKSHELF

Omega park Amy Barker // RRP $24.95

chris stacey Award-winning writer and UQ alumnus Amy Barker returned to Emmanuel College last year to help launch her debut novel Omega Park. Ms Barker was awarded the Best

Emerging Author – Manuscript Award for Omega Park at the Queensland Premier’s uqp courtesy images Literary Awards in 2008, which included a Hats off to Bille publishing contract with The University of Queensland Press for the novel. When Bille Brown was honoured at the 2009 Faculty of Arts Executive Dean Helpmann Awards at the Sydney Opera House Professor Richard Fotheringham presided he was in fine company. over the launch in September. The theatre veteran and UQ Professor in Omega Park is set in a fictional public housing estate on the Gold Coast Drama received the Best Actor in a Musical and follows the lives of two young men as they struggle to overcome personal gong for his star turn in Monty Python’s and societal obstacles including rioting, discrimination and isolation. Spamalot, joining the who’s who of the Ms Barker can identify with the story, having once lived in public housing herself. Australian performing arts industry. “I felt compelled to write it, drawing on experiences from my own past Like the Tony awards on Broadway and and also weighing in on the controversies surrounding the riots in suburbs like the Olivier awards on London’s West End, the Macquarie Fields around the time I was writing,” she said. Helpmanns recognise excellence across the Ms Barker originally enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts/Laws degree at UQ, quickly performing arts in Australia. realising her passion wasn’t law moots but words. First held in 2001, the awards are named As a member of the UQ Link program, which assists school leavers from after Robert Helpmann, the legendary financially disadvantaged backgrounds, Ms Barker was given a 12-month Australian dancer, choreographer and theatre residence at Emmanuel College. performer whose birth centenary was last year ONLINE // To read an exclusive extract from Omega Park, visit and whose achievements are celebrated in a www.uq.edu.au/graduatecontact new biography released by The University of Queensland Press. Professor Brown appeared at Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre in the Australian premiere season of Spamalot, in the role of King Arthur. He has received a number of awards THE riverbones throughout his career including an Australian Andrew Westoll // RRP $34.95 Centenary Medal in the 2001 Queen’s New Not many people would swim through a river Year Honours List for his services to the populated with piranhas while researching their Australian arts. first book, but Andrew Westoll isn’t your typical Born in Biloela in Central Queensland, author. Professor Brown completed a Bachelor of The Canadian journalist travelled to South Arts at UQ and a Postgraduate Diploma of America to pen The Riverbones, and was one Education in the early seventies. In 2001, he of the featured speakers at the 2009 Brisbane was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Writers Festival. the University. The book traces Mr Westoll’s love affair During his student days at St Lucia, with Suriname, a tiny country in South Professor Brown acted with the student drama America that has the largest tract of pristine company Dramsoc and made his professional rainforest on earth and was his home for a year debut with the Queensland Theatre Company while researching capuchin monkeys in 2001. in 1971. It was during his time at UQ that After returning to Canada he couldn’t shake his experiences, and decided to Professor Brown also developed a long and enrol in postgraduate studies in creative writing at the University of British Columbia. significant professional relationship with fellow The book gives readers an insight into the former Dutch colony, its local alumnus Geoffrey Rush. inhabitants the Maroon people, and the scars remaining from civil unrest that Professor Brown’s career took him abroad shook the country in the 1980s. to Britain where he joined the Royal Shakespeare Woven through the narrative is the hunt for the bright-blue okopipi frog – an Company (RSC), and was the first Australian extremely rare species that lives only in Suriname. commissioned by the RSC to write and perform Mr Westoll said he hoped The Riverbones was a rollicking read that showed in their play The Swan Down Gloves. the importance of preserving what’s left of our planet. Professor Brown made his Broadway debut “First, I hope readers enjoy the adventure. Second, I hope my book can as a playwright with A Christmas Carol in 1984 somehow serve as a testament to Surinamese Maroon culture, a wake-up call and as an actor in Michael Frayn’s Wild Honey in for the Surinamese government to begin living up to the human rights treaties it 1986. He was also an Artist-in-Residence at the signed long ago,” Mr Westoll said. State University of New York in 1982. “But if nothing else, I’d like readers to learn and perhaps fall in love, as I did, with In 2007, UQ awarded Professor Brown a Suriname itself, a remarkable little land of rivers and jungles and monkeys and tiny joint UQ-Arts Queensland fellowship to develop blue frogs just north of the Amazon that may represent our last chance to save the new play The School of Arts, which recently what remains of South America’s once-sprawling rainforest.” completed a premiere season in Brisbane. The play follows the story of the “College Players” ONLINE // To read an exclusive extract from The Riverbones, troupe who toured Shakespeare through visit www.uq.edu.au/graduatecontact Queensland in the late 60s.

38 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 Piano man

Concert pianist Dr Liam Viney has travelled the world to hone his craft, and has now returned to Australia to help develop the talents of music students at The University of Queensland.

Dr Liam Viney has a truly international view of music, studying with a famous Russian teacher at Yale, teaching in California and performing in Europe. Now he is back in Australia, ready to share his skill and experience with students at UQ. Dr Viney is the new Piano Performance Fellow at UQ’s School of Music and has joined the school’s ensemble in residence. A love of music, an appreciation of the whole spectrum of genres and a wide range of skills are what Dr Viney hopes to instill in his students. He hoped his teaching would give students “a lifelong relationship with music that grows deeper over time” while arming them with the skills and versatility needed to establish a musical career. “I would like to attract creative young people to UQ who want to learn to be versatile musicians and truly be prepared for careers in this very competitive field,” he said. “This can include re-imagining a broader concept of being a pianist than the typical dream of being a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic playing Tchaikovsky. “While we do train pianists in that mould as well, I like to remind students that the piano can be used in so many different settings. “At UQ I hope to encourage serious chamber pianists to explore their craft, as well as pianists who love new music by living composers. “Participating in the creation of new musical work by helping composers create new sounds for your instrument is

a phenomenally exciting part of being a jeremy patten musician.” After studying at Yale under renowned teacher Boris Berman, Dr Viney taught at Yale as well as the California Institute of the Arts, “I believe we are more and more open- and performed in the US, Europe, Israel and minded in listening to music today. We can Australia. He also won the 2001 Lev Vlassenko embrace all kinds of music. Piano Competition and recorded solo work for “Music connects to something fundamental “Music connects to Australian radio programs. about being alive. It captures everything about His return to Australia has allowed him being alive in a beautiful way. Even if it is about something fundamental to share his knowledge and experience with something unhappy it is beautiful.” about being alive. It young up-and-coming musicians. Dr Viney’s two-year-old son Alex had captures everything “As an Australian musician, I feel a desire grown up around music and could now to give something back to the musical culture sit through a Beethoven concerto without about being alive in a that fundamentally shaped me,” he said. growing restless. beautiful way. Even if “The idea is to create artistic or But Dr Viney and his wife, pianist Anna performance music which can constitute new Grinberg, have no wish to push Alex and one- it is about something knowledge. It can be an important contribution year-old daughter Tema into a life of music. unhappy it is beautiful” to the humanities. “We would like them to love music in the “In some ways, the whole point of music same way they will hopefully love literature, is to pick up where words leave off. Music nature or art. But in terms of career, it’s up to deserves to be recognised as a unique form them to find out what will make them fulfilled,” of knowledge. he said.

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 39 + KEEP IN CONTACT

1975 “I love working with families from different CREATIVE APPROACH TO cultures and I really enjoy the fact that it is OVERCOMING TRAUMA a relatively new field which provides ample opportunities for experimentation with different Suzanne Staal, BSocWk, MMH approaches and ways of working.” According to Ms Staal, art therapy is also Helping people deal with their past and enjoy a useful tool for “observing family dynamics in a their future can be a difficult process, and for present context”, which “can be more revealing Suzanne Staal, working things out through art and useful therapeutically than talking about is a useful approach. what has been happening in the past tense”. After graduating from a Master of Mental “Children are often natural artists, so the Health at UQ in 2008, Ms Staal now works with creative activities are fun and relaxing, and able refugee children and their families to help them to be used in an uninhibited way,” she said. courtesy chris walton overcome trauma experienced in their home “The art and play provide the child with countries, often from the result of war. non-verbal activities that reveal issues the “Often there are no words to express the child is having difficulty mastering, and also trauma the client has experienced. The ability what they find unspeakable. The use of art in to express ideas, stories and feelings in a non- communicating troubling issues externalises verbal format is very useful to such people. In the problem insomuch as the problem is addition, they often have limited or no English, separated from the individual and is able to be so a non-verbal way of communicating is looked at as a separate entity.” 1977 particularly helpful,” she said. Ms Staal said language barriers formed Ms Staal said art therapy allowed her to the most challenging part of her job. AWARD-WINNING combine her social work skills with her interest “The use of interpreters and an ECOVILLAGE in art. understanding of the cultural background of Chris Walton, DipBus “It combined my love of working with the client adds a complexity to the work that people with a medium that allowed clients counselling someone from one’s own culture to work creatively. Therapeutically, the art does not usually have. When UQ Gatton graduate Chris Walton is particularly useful because it is a primary “The greatest reward is in offering and his partner Kerry Shepherd wanted to process which taps the unconscious directly interventions that can be utilised by the invent a way people could live in harmony allowing hidden or partly hidden material to be client in order to support a more successful with nature, The Ecovillage at Currumbin brought to the conscious,” she said. settlement into their new environment.” was born. The Ecovillage, an environmentally sustainable community located on the southern end of the Gold Coast at the entrance to Currumbin Valley, has attracted 26 industry awards including the 2008 FIABCI (International Real Estate Federation) Prix d’Excellence for World’s Best Environmental Development. The site provides for 147 eco-homes with a variety of living possibilities as well as extensive community facilities. Mr Walton said the Ecovillage achieved total water self-sufficiency through domestic potable supply and wastewater recycling. “People’s homes produce most of their required energy and the project targets long-term food and material self- sufficiency,” he said. “The Ecovillage philosophy aims for better biodiversity after development and it incorporates innovative social design which focuses on creating a sustainable community for diverse needs.” While the predevelopment state featured extensive Australian and overseas research, Mr Walton said most of the good ideas came from the skills and experience he acquired while at University and subsequently when he joined the Queensland Lands Department. In 2006, Mr Walton received the inaugural Minister’s Award for Leadership in Sustainability, and in 2008 as a property developer was awarded the city’s annual Environmental Citizen of the stewart gould Year Award.

4040 UQ UQ – – GRADUATE GRADUATE CONTACT CONTACT // // S centenarummer 2009y edition 2010 1986 that they have never had a chance to study in depth and MAINTAINING THE SPIRIT foster contact with others who OF INQUIRY enjoy doing likewise,” he said. MindVentures offers Bill Richmond, PhD regular courses and programs – in both a one-day and By the time Bill Richmond received a PhD in extended short break format

economic history in 1986 he had already been – that cover a wide variety of courtesy bill rich on the staff of The University of Queensland for subjects including the arts, many years. social sciences and science. Dr Richmond continues to teach part- The activities are held both in time in the School of Economics, yet since Brisbane and different locations m he has stopped working on a full-time basis, in eastern Australia. ond his interest in helping individuals to broaden “Many programs their horizons and pursue intellectual interests have drawn on staff and Dr Richmond outside the Stockman’s Hall of Fame at a has extended to the other end of the age postgraduate students of the MindVentures program in Longreach spectrum. University to present components, and we In order to expand the opportunities have also been able to showcase University of those searching for ways to maintain an facilities and provide a valuable link between inquiring spirit, Dr Richmond has established the University and the community,” Dr stimulating programs, for example, was on an independent not-for-profit organisation Richmond said. Heron Island and coordinated by staff of the under the title of MindVentures. “We’ve been particularly pleased also to University’s research station on the island. “People over the age of 50-something be able to use the services of many retired “And we have regularly drawn also on – particularly after they ‘retire’ from work and members of staff who have found an avenue current and retired classics and ancient no longer have the same family commitments to maintain their passion for communicating history academic staff, with some programs – are often looking for ways in which they can their knowledge to interested people. incorporating a visit to the University’s keep their minds active, delve into subjects “One of our most enjoyable and Antiquities Museum.”

1988 AUTHOR GOES BEYOND THE GRAVE Amanda Ashby, BA

Since graduating from UQ, Amanda Ashby has battled zombies and received messages from beyond the grave. As an author, Ms Ashby regularly delves into other worlds, and has had two novels published in the US. You Had Me at Halo is about a girl looking down on her funeral. Her latest novel, Zombie Queen of Newbury High, sees Mia, desperate to get school jock Rob to be her date for the prom, cast a love spell that accidentally turns out to be a zombie virus which infects her classmates. While still at university, Ms Ashby had no idea she would be writing novels, especially ones nominated for awards. “Of course when I look back now all the clues were there. I was good at English, loved reading and had a bad habit of rewriting television shows and books in my head—normally giving myself a staring role,” she said. But is the novelist and mother-of-two’s lifestyle all glamour? “I wish! In fact when I sold my first book I put in an order for a naked pool boy to come along and peel my grapes but he never turned up,” Ms Ashby said. “The truth is that I know a lot of authors and I’ve yet to see anyone who fits the stereotype. In fact most of them just look like normal people, apart from the vague look courtesy a they occasionally get as their mind wanders off to grapple with a pesky plot point or a

m misbehaving character.” anda ashby

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 41 + KEEP IN CONTACT

1991 PHD EXAMINES AMBUSH MARKETING Sarah Kelly, BCom, LLB (hons), MBA, PhD

For most of the world, the lighting of the “There are also more subtle ambushing Olympic flame in Beijing was a moment in practices of securing lower-tiered sponsorship history. of individual athletes or teams, while effectively But for University of Queensland diluting top-level sponsorship of the event by researcher Sarah Kelly, it was also a well- category competitors. planned ambush. “A key finding of the research is Dr Kelly graduated in July 2009 after that the presence of ambushing can spending three years studying the practice of potentially weaken consumer recall for true ambush marketing. sponsors and that adequate leveraging of Dr Kelly’s PhD, titled “Ambushers or sponsorships by legitimate sponsors can Sponsors? An Examination of Sponsorship combat the adverse effects of ambushing.” Linked Marketing”, looks at the impact Dr Kelly said her research showed upon consumers of sponsorship advertising companies could take steps to ensure their at major events and its relationship to sponsorship dollars were well spent by ambushing. budgeting for sponsorship-linked advertising Ambushing is a creative marketing to leverage the brand-event connection once strategy, where companies form an sponsorship was secured. association with an event without legitimately Dr Kelly’s journey to the podium to securing sponsorship. collect her PhD has been a long one – after Dr Kelly’s research focused on a career in law and completing an MBA, ambushing at sporting events and the effects she completed her doctoral research while courtesy ka of ambushing on the value of sponsorship juggling lecturing and tutoring and raising for companies. four young children. “You get free-riding competitors like Li “It was an inch-by-inch, incremental ylene biggs Ning, the Chinese sporting brand whose approach,” she said. namesake chairperson so memorably lit the “I wrote a lot in my pyjamas late at night Olympic flame,” she said. after the kids had gone to bed.”

1991 When asked about his wide range of Mr Newsome describes writing the book career choices, Mr Newsome reflected as his own personal Everest, saying that a YOUNG ADULTS FIND on changing career paths and the current childhood love of writing had now become the COMFORT IN BEDTIME economic climate. ultimate goal for the father-of-three. “I learnt many things in my degree but the Book one of The Billionaire’s Curse STORIES greatest lesson was that you don’t have to was released in Australia and New Zealand stick to one path in life,” he said. in August and will be published in the US, Richard Newsome, BEcon (hons) “I think the current global financial crisis Canada, Germany, Poland and Italy this year. will change the way people think about their Mr Newsome also appeared at the newso richard courtesy From bedtime story to bestseller, UQ careers. People will be reassessing their Graceville School Fete on August 29 to auction economics alumnus Richard Newsome has objectives and what they want to achieve off one character’s name for the upcoming bridged the literary gap with his award-winning in life.” instalment, raising funds for the school. debut novel The Billionaire’s Curse. After numerous rejections, Mr Newsome’s Richard Newsome toured India last m

offering took out the Text Prize for Young Adult year to research the sequel to e and Children’s writing at last year’s Melbourne The Billionaire’s Curse Writers Festival, which included a coveted publishing deal and $10,000. Initially told as a series of bedtime stories to his two eldest children, the grand adventures of Gerald and his ill-fated inheritance have taken the young adult genre by storm. Although the book was not scheduled for release until early August 2009, leaked copies returned rave reviews across North America and Europe leading to a promise of two more instalments. It wasn’t always a straight road for the ex-international strategy consultant, who deferred his first year of university to work for a local newspaper. Six years and several million words later, the now seasoned journalist finally made it back to the University to complete an honours degree in economics.

42 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 2004 HUNTER OF ONLINE MUSIC Nick Crocker, BA

Record labels have previously been threatened by the rise of music sharing on the internet, but one UQ graduate is helping them put the online chatter to good use. The Arts alumnus is the co-founder of We Are Hunted, a website that uses blogs, forums and social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to track the 99 most popular songs online each day. Nick Crocker, who also runs internet innovation company Native Digital, said he came up with the idea for We Are Hunted after realising how much musical activity there was online. “I figured it would be worth somehow tracking all that chatter but the problem was, I didn’t know how,” he said. “It wasn’t until I sat on an industry panel with the founder of Wotnews, Stephen Phillips, until I realised that the technology was there and available and Brisbane-based. “Stephen and I chatted over a beer after the event and within a week we struck up a partnership that became We Are Hunted.” Mr Crocker’s first hints of his future in music and business came while he was a eter carr p student at UQ, writing about the local music scene and profiling young entrepreneurs for

courtesy courtesy the Sunday Mail. He became general manager at a digital music company before launching 1995 Mr Carr’s career started in book Native Digital, which consults to companies publishing after he studied literature at UQ including record labels, helping them evolve MILLION DOLLAR – an unlikely beginning, but one he said their presence and engagement online. QUESTIONS ANSWERED prepared him for his current role heading up As well as being a resource for recording the research company. companies to track what is popular, Mr Peter Carr, BA “Back then, I thought that reading 13 Crocker hoped We Are Hunted provided a novels a term and pumping out five or six way for music fans to discover new bands. A UQ graduate heads up an organisation assignments was intense,” he said. “If we can open people up to new music that is helping businesses make multi-million “That was before I started working and in new ways then we will have created dollar decisions. found I had to read and review at least one something very special,” he said. Peter Carr is managing director of book a week. Longhaus, an information communication “Since moving into research, I spend technology research and advisory company most of my time reading, reporting and that examines trends in the global ICT speaking, which requires an incredible market and advises companies on how amount of preparation. those trends impact the Australian economy. “While I wasn’t an honours student, Mr Carr said Longhaus had worked with I certainly can’t underscore enough the companies including IBM and Microsoft to analytical grounding and frameworks I develop strategies for the Australian market, received at University.” and recently signed a five-year partnership with the Queensland Government. The commercialisation agreement “Back then, I thought involves Longhaus having exclusive access to information about $2.3 billion worth of that reading 13 novels courtesy nick crocker Queensland Government ICT assets so the a term and pumping out company can provide detailed insights into the state’s portfolio, Mr Carr said. five or six assignments “As such, the Longhaus Baseline is an was intense. That invaluable service that assists researchers was before I started on both the government and supplier sides of the market to accurately plan everything working and found I from strategy development and procurement had to read and review activities to competitive tendering,” he said. “The commercialisation agreement with at least one book the Queensland Government is an Australian a week” and international first.”

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 43 + KEEP IN CONTACT

2004 TECHNOLOGY KEEPS UQ ALUMNUS SEARCHING Oscar Pozzobon, MPhil

Security concerns about the rise of music festivals where mobile security is surveillance technology has inspired a required. UQ graduate to form an award-winning The TIGER project involves building company. technology that will permit data access Oscar Pozzobon was named one of 50 and encryption based on a person’s leaders in 2006 by GPS World magazine for location obtained by GPS. his work with Qascom, which he founded “In addition, the technology can be in Italy after completing a masters degree in used to attest the position and time that telecommunications engineering. a document or email was digitally signed “Satellite navigation has become and can enhance security audits,” Mr the fifth public utility after gas, water, Pozzobon said. ond choo m electricity and communication systems,” GPS technology that we take for y Mr Pozzobon said. granted today became operational in 1995 “Every recent mobile phone sold after decades of research and development in the EU has GPS and a navigator by the United States Government. ra courtesy integrated. It helps for pedestrian and car “The fact that after the creation of navigation as well as to remotely locate the GPS and the Russian GLONASS your loved ones.” other countries such as China, Japan 2005 Qascom is currently involved in and those in the EU began to develop FULBRIGHT two major projects known as IMSK and satellite navigation systems proves the TIGER, with both feeding into a landmark importance of this technology both in the SCHOLARSHIP FOR European GPS initiative named GALILEO. civil and military domain,” he said. BUSINESS GRADUATE IMSK combines technologies for Mr Pozzobon said he was thankful for Kim Kwang (Raymond) Choo, GDipBA area surveillance, checkpoint control the opportunity to study under Emeritus and biological and nuclear weapon Professor Kurt Kubik, a world leader in the detection, and can also be used for VIP field, and hoped to return toU Q one day to UQ Business School Alumnus and cybercrime protection in places such as hotels and share his research with other engineers. expert Dr Kim Kwang (Raymond) Choo has been awarded a 2009 Fulbright professional scholarship. Sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australia-US Alliance Studies Scholarship will allow Dr Choo to undertake research into the current and future trends in cybercrime at Rutgers University’s School of Criminal Justice in New Jersey, and the Palo Alto Research Center in California. “Criminals and others with malicious intent have, undeniably, recognised the value of leveraging information and communications technologies to facilitate or enhance the commission of crimes and are dynamic in identifying new opportunities and ways to overcome counter-measures,” Dr Choo said. Dr Choo enrolled in UQ Business School’s MBA program part-time in July 2004 while undertaking his PhD in Information Technology at QUT. “I decided to undertake part-time studies with UQ mainly due to UQ’s reputation in delivering quality education and also UQ has a focused and targeted MBA degree with a flexible structure,” he said. “I would not have submitted one of my assignments to a journal for peer review if not for the encouragement from my lecturer, Dr Peter Clutterbuck.” The article was later published in the journal, Information Management & Computer Security. Dr Choo works for the Australian Institute of Criminology, Australia’s pre-eminent national crime and criminal justice research agency. ozzobon

p His research for the institute encompasses the criminological aspects of technology-enabled crime as well as money laundering and terrorist financing through exploitation. courtesy oscar courtesy

44 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 courtesy arthur kollaras 45

edition y centenar UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // CONTACT UQ – GRADUATE Mr Kollaras said he hoped his career Mr Kollaras said he hoped his career Smiling for Smiddy began three years Smiling for Smiddy began three The Adam Smiddy Cancer Fund at to be part of a fledgling industry working securing sustainable biofuels for towards transportation.” path would encourage chemical engineering friendly students to consider environmentally options. ago and since then has raised more than ago and since then has raised more $600,000 for cancer research. the Mater Foundation sees the money distributed to a variety of initiatives, including and melanoma cancer research prostate drug trials. illotson at a training session for last year’s challenge illotson at a training session for last year’s T lyett, Jade Myers and Phil E ill B “Many of my friends knew him well “The era of cheap oil for transportation fuel “Our demand and dependence on such cheaply “It can be converted relatively including corn,Crops wheat, “The challenge of developing “For ethanol to be considered “It is exciting and rewarding Q architecture graduates graduates Q architecture and the ride organiser was one of his a lot of emotional close mates and shares – he is memories with the ride group certainly missed by many.” to be involved because Adam was an guy and his death was such a incredible Mr Myers said. tragedy,”

U is coming towards an end,” he said. is coming towards is a highly charged political resource a finite football. Ethanol is a clean-burning and liquid fuel. renewable or glucose sugars starch and efficiently from into ‘beer’ using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the same type of yeast used for thousands of years for baking and brewing.” sorghum, cassava and sugarcane ethanol, can be used to produce and Mr Kollaras said Microbiogen through the process, was refining the adaption of non-genetically modified yeasts, to allow them to use plant shoots, stems, fruits and leaves. high volumes of cheap ethanol agricultural from and protein he wastes is being addressed,” said. as a true substitute to petroleum, the next generation of ethanol- plants need to be able to use the whole accompaniment of ‘wood sugars’ by converting them into which not value added products, only include ethanol, but high animal feed supplements. protein p also barry

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en Born from the grief is the annual Smiling Born the grief is the from Jade Myers, who UQ graduate architect works in the Brisbane The 27-year-old with 50 other riders Mr Myers set off “I was asked by a friend to join the ride Mr Smiddy, a UQ graduate and former Mr Smiddy, litical d ch r el a he M

Mr Kollaras’ role involves adapting traditional traditional adapting involves role Kollaras’ Mr The Master of Philosophy graduate has su is po fu an an “T fo King’s College resident, was only 26 when was only 26 when College resident, King’s an aggressive he lost a short battle to an indelible mark melanoma, leaving behind on those who knew him. a gruelling 1600 for Smiddy Challenge – the UQ Aquatic Centre cycle from kilometre in Brisbane to Home Hill to raise funds for in memory of Mr Smiddy. cancer research sudden death had on felt the impact Adam’s mutual friends, joined the trip last year. and rides to his studio of BVN Architecture Valley during the week. office in Fortitude on September 5 on a gruelling 1600km journey eight days, arriving in Home across north on September 12. Hill in the state’s this year and jumped at the opportunity When Brisbane physiotherapist Adam When Brisbane physiotherapist 2006 his death Smiddy passed away in shocked the UQ community. Jade Myers, BArch (hons) Jade Myers, BArch 2006 S

produced from wood-derived sugars. sugars. wood-derived from produced brewing to produce cellulosic ethanol, which is is which ethanol, cellulosic produce to brewing yeast-dependent processes used in baking and and baking in used processes yeast-dependent Microbiogen. Microbiogen. Engineering with yeast research company Engineering with yeast research green technologies as Manager of Bioprocess technologies as Manager of Bioprocess green turned developing his education into a career discovered. mining, UQ alumnus Arthur Kollaras has not necessarily spell a future in oil, gas or not necessarily spell a future A background in chemical engineering does A background Arthur Kollaras, MPhil FUTURE IS GREEN FOR chemical 2006 + KEEP IN CONTACT

2007 LOVE OF PHILIPPINES LURES LAW EXPERT Noel Ramiscal, PhD

When Noel Ramiscal completed his PhD in law in 2007, the decision to return to his adopted province Calamba, Laguna, in the Philippines proved the right one. Through his appointment as University Prosecutor and Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños College, Dr Ramiscal has close to 100 students under his leadership every semester.

His role includes teaching business law courtesy noel ra to graduate and undergraduate students, as well as literature and philosophy courses to undergraduate students.

He has successfully prosecuted m iscal hundreds of respondents in his time as University Prosecutor with cases ranging Dr Ramiscal with his mother Juanita from misconduct to murder. Now, he serves as special advocate for the university on selected crucial cases that involve faculty, Commission of Information Communications on the legal implications of electronic data employees and students. and Technology.” on business ventures at the Salzburg Global “At the moment, there are only three The Philippine Australian Alumni Conference. lawyers in this academic community of Association together with the Australian “At the beginning, there were times that more than 11,000 people and I am the Embassy in December 2008 awarded Dr I questioned why I came back, but the call only prosecutor and academic with legal Ramiscal the first Outstanding Alumnus Award of public service has always been strong expertise on electronic data,” he said. for his work in utilising what he learned in and my mother, Juanita Ramiscal, recently “I have been asked and I actually did a Australia for the service of his country. retired from public service after 36 years at critique of the cyber privacy and cyber crime Dr Ramiscal was also awarded the the Department of Justice. All these and bills and I also submitted my own version Freeman Foundation Fellowship in 2008, more reminded me why the Philippines is of the cyber crime bill as requested by the and travelled to Austria to deliver a paper worth coming back to,” he said.

2008 we can make sure that if a significant exotic disease were to enter Australia, it would be PROTECTOR OF detected sooner rather than later. AUSTRALIAN LIVESTOCK “The most exciting aspect of this job is the opportunity I have to be part of the first Amy Burroughs, BVSc (hons) response to incursions of exotic diseases which could have a negative impact on Working on the frontline of Australia’s exotic animal health, the productivity of Australian disease control is all part of a day’s work for animal herds and human health.” veterinary science graduate Amy Burroughs. Dr Burroughs knows too well the Based in Rockhampton, Dr Burroughs is industry implications of a disease outbreak a graduate veterinary officer with Biosecurity and is always on the lookout for likely points Queensland where she is employed to of entry into the country, a skill she learned protect Australian herds from diseases such during her time at UQ. as foot-and-mouth and mad-cow disease, “The outbreak of disease could threaten Equine and Avian Influenza and Hendra our ability to export and thus would affect Virus. the income of many producers,” she said. Dr Burroughs initially studied veterinary “On a domestic level, the Australian science with a view to pursuing small animal public may lose confidence in the safety practice, however in the last two years of of our food; again producers would lose her degree she developed a keen interest income. There would be a great cost to in public health and emerging infectious industry, the government and to individuals zoonotic diseases – those that can be in the control of such diseases. passed from animals to humans. “The degree at UQ provided me with courtesy a “My role so far has involved going the knowledge of diseases, how to obtain out to properties in central Queensland a thorough history from clients, how to go m

y burroughs experiencing significant losses in production out and perform a post-mortem and how to or a significant number of deaths in their investigate the outbreak of a disease – all animals,” Dr Burroughs said. very important in enabling me to perform my “By responding to such disease outbreaks, current role satisfactorily.”

46 UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 2010 2009 Ms Gould said being accepted as one of just 35 students internationally to attend OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE the IOA seminar would not have been FOR UQ GRADUATE possible without a bit of luck, hard work and the help of Planning Program Director Katherine Gould, BRTP (hons) Associate Professor John Minnery, and Dr Ian Jobling, Honorary Reader When Katherine Gould completed her and Director of the Centre for Olympic degree her sights were set on flying Studies. to the home of the Olympic Games to “UQ has opened doors I never attend the IOA 17th International Seminar thought possible and the School of on Olympic Studies for Postgraduate Geography, Planning and Environmental Students. Management in particular has been atten p Ms Gould, a Bachelor of Regional and extremely supportive, helpful and y m Town Planning graduate, was awarded a generous,” she said. ere j place in the month-long seminar, run by “Had I not attended UQ, the possibility the International Olympic Academy (IOA) in of being nominated for such an amazing Greece. opportunity would not have occurred. 2008 As a participant, Ms Gould was “UQ provides not just the knowledge involved in talks regarding all aspects of necessary to be successful, and the drive law and economics the modern and Ancient Olympic Games, to want to do so, but also the contacts to combine at Harvard and she also presented a paper regarding ensure that that knowledge and drive are the post-utilisation of mega-event put to good use.” Tom Gole, BEcon (hons), LLB (hons) facilities. Her prior research had indicated that Tom Gole’s vision to find the best economic the scale and impact of mega-events had and legal responses to the current global dramatically escalated in recent decades. challenges has won him a fellowship to study “The appropriate planning of mega- “Mega-events are at Harvard University. event facilities has become an increasingly extremely difficult to A graduate of UQ’s School of Economics important topic of discussion and debate,” plan for due to the and the TC Beirne School of Law, Mr Gole she said. departed for Harvard in August last year. “Mega-events are extremely difficult large scale multi- “Today’s society is encountering new to plan for due to the large scale multi- faceted nature of challenges on an almost daily basis and faceted nature of the project and the lasting economics and law are two of the primary physical impacts associated with their the project and the fields shaping how we respond,” Mr Gole said. development, which stretch decades into lasting physical impacts “We need to rethink how markets are the future of a city. associated with their designed, how resources are allocated, and “More often than not in recent decades, how to effectively handle the global cycles of the sport facilities used to host Olympic development, which boom and bust.” events become the landmarks of the host stretch decades into Mr Gole received one of three Australian city and in some cases the country. Frank Knox Memorial Fellowships earlier this “So it’s critical that facilities built the future of a city” year after completing a Bachelor of Economics to host the Olympics are appropriately and Bachelor of Laws dual degree program planned before, during and after the and economics and law honours years. Games to ensure these landmarks are The funding provides for students to functional and provide long-term benefits undertake graduate study at Harvard and for the host city.” fellows are selected on the basis of “future promise of leadership, strength of character, a keen mind, balanced judgment and a devotion to the democratic ideal.” Mr Gole credits his award of the Harvard Fellowship to the knowledge and skills he gained while studying at UQ. “Many academics at the School of Economics and the TC Beirne School of Law are recognised internationally as leaders in their respective fields and studying these two disciplines has given me a solid grounding for the future,” he said. “Economics is the study of how choices are made, while law is the study of how interactions are regulated, and the two make a comprehensive picture of how society is, and ought to be, regulated.” Mr Gole is undertaking a PhD in

economics at Harvard. courtesy katherine gould “Ideally I’d like to work in government, the private sector and academia as I believe that by moving between these three fields I’ll be able to make the most worthwhile and greatest contribution to the challenges of our day,” he said.

UQ – GRADUATE CONTACT // centenary edition 47

mage Mirror image

A Sydney artist has harnessed the power of surprise and the forces of gravity to win a major art prize established by UQ. Julie Rrap received the $50,000 University of Queensland National Artists’ Self-Portrait Prize on November 27, edging out 33 other entries from across the country and the Torres Strait. Judge Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, said Ms Rrap’s video entry, 360° self portrait, was the outstanding work in a strong field. “Julie Rrap’s entry is an ambitious and ambiguous piece. The viewer is drawn in by the emotional drama, as the morphing face appears to reflect some inner turmoil or react to something beyond the camera. In reality, the changes are the result of centrifugal force as the artist spins through 360°, the title of the work,” Ms Macgregor said. To create the self-portrait, the artist was installed into a machine which rotated the artist’s body as a camera recorded the action. The viewer watches the artist’s face as it contorts due to the forces of gravity, but is unaware of the mechanics behind the work. The biennial prize was established in 2007 and complements the University’s special collection of self-portraits, the only one of its kind in the country. “Entry to this award is by invitation only, and we were delighted by the high standard of works that artists submitted in 2009,” UQ Art Museum Director Nick Mitzevich said. Julie Rrap is one of Australia’s most prominent artists, working in the areas of photography, video, sculpture and installation. Her work has been featured in major Australian and international exhibitions including the Biennale of Sydney in 1986, Julie Rrap in front of her winning entry, 360° self portrait 1988 and 1992, with a major survey,

Julie Rrap: Body Double on show at the main

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years,” he said. seum The self-portrait prize exhibition was the UQ Art Museum’s final show of 2009 and attracted thousands of visitors between November and January.

ONLINE // View a photo gallery from opening night at www.uq.edu.au/graduatecontact Amanda Marburg’s entry Melbourne Longneck Humpy away from home by Christian Bumbarra Thompson