The Fulbrighter AUSTRALIA
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The newsletter of the Australian–American Fulbright Commission VOLUME 23 | NUMBER 1 | APR 2010 promoting educational and cultural exchange between Australia and the United States. the fulbrighter AUSTRALIA The 2010 Fulbright Australian Scholars with Professor Glyn Davis, VC University of Melbourne (11th from left), Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich (13th from left), Dr Joe Hlubucek, Executive Director, Fulbright Commission (centre) and Mr Tom Pascarella, Chair, Fulbright Commission (13th from right). Presentation dinner photos: Timothy Burgess Fulbright presents the 2010 Australian Scholars Almost 300 people came to the National great alliance,” Ambassador Bleich said Gallery of Victoria for the Fulbright about the Australian-American program. 60th Anniversary Presentation Dinner He also presented the Scholars with their and the announcement of the twenty-five certificates, signed by himself and the Fulbright Australian Scholars for 2010, Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Kevin on Thursday, 18 March 2010. Rudd, as the two honorary Co-Chairs for The Scholars will work in the U.S. on a the Commission. range of interesting Fulbright projects, Mr Tom Pascarella, Chair of the Fulbright inside including a non-invasive imaging system Commission Board presented the Scholars Executive Director’s Update 02 to screen newborn babies for sight with letters signed by the Prime Minister, threatening conditions, renewable energy and Dr Tony Worby, National President of Major genome breakthrough 03 technology, addressing fear of failure the Australian Fulbright Alumni Association for Fulbright Scholar for students, new ways to treat breast presented them with Fulbright pins. Queensland Fulbright Scholars 03 cancer, and improved security for portable American-born Fulbright Alumnus Dr Donna meet their community electronic devices. Coleman, an internationally recognised and 2010 Fulbright Australian 04-05 The event was co-hosted by awarded pianist, was the invited guest artist. Scholars Vice-Chancellor and President of She spoke about the significance of the The University of Melbourne, Professor Flinders awarded prestigious 06 Glyn Davis, and the recently arrived continued pAge 2 Fulbright Distinguished Chair U.S. Ambassador, Jeffrey Bleich, a in American Political Science special guest and Honorary U.S. Co-Chair Sustaining societies in the tropical 06 for the Australian-American Fulbright world – Fulbright Symposium Commission, gave the keynote speech. Fulbright Scholarship for the 07 Professor Davis highlighted the Northern Territory significance of the Fulbright Program over Anne Wexler Scholarships 07 its sixty years, and spoke about its value to The University of Melbourne and the International Fulbright Science 07 impressive number of graduates who had and Technology Awards been awarded Fulbright scholarships, and New Fulbright Scholarship in 07 the large number of U.S. Fulbrighters who Nuclear Science and Technology had come to the University. Events & dates for 2010 08 Ambassador Bleich congratulated this year’s Scholars and commented about the vision of Senator Fulbright in bringing people together to see the world in new ways. “Today, 60 years later, we celebrate the wisdom of that vision – which has Dr Donna Coleman performing at the dinner spawned 4600 scholars and produced our the fulbrighter | VOLUME 23 | NUMBER 1 | APRIL 2010 The 25 scholars are a very impressive scholarship, for a Fulbright Professional group with broad interests ranging from or Senior Scholar for study or research medicine, science, technology, law, and in nuclear science and technology music, and I encourage you to review their applications. There are more details profiles on our website. about these new scholarships on We were very pleased to have the new pages 6 and 7. U.S. Ambassador to Australia, Jeffrey Bleich, Another new development is that we have as a guest of honour at the event, along with selected Flinders University in Adelaide our co-host for the evening, Professor Glyn as host and co-sponsor for the Fulbright Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor and Principal Distinguished Chair in American Political of The University of Melbourne. Science for five years from 2011. Almost 300 people attended the dinner, Our events and celebrations to mark our including sponsors, senior university and 60th Anniversary Year are also continuing. federal and state government representatives, The Fulbright event scheduled for the Scholars and their families, and Fulbright visit by the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary ED’s Update Alumni. The evening also included an Clinton was cancelled because she accomplished piano recital by Dr Donna had to return to the U.S. before coming Coleman. Donna came to Australia as an to Australia following the disastrous American Fulbright Senior Scholar in 1992. earthquake in Haiti. The past few months have been In 1995 she joined the Victorian College of One of the highlights for me at this time busy and productive for the the Arts as Head of Keyboard. She is of the year is meeting many Scholars, Fulbright Commission. now Coordinator of Masters and PhD in the Alumni and friends of Fulbright at the Faculty of the VCA and Music (Southbank), annual university presentations, and Highlights have been the establishment The University of Melbourne. of several new sponsored Scholarships, receptions and events in the capital cities the arrangements for the Fulbright The Australian-American Fulbright Program generously co-hosted by universities Presentation Dinner and announcement is in the process of establishing several new and the U.S. Consul-Generals. This year of the 2010 Fulbright Australian Scholars, exciting scholarships for both Australian and we will sadly farewell Mrs Judith Fergin and the Orientation Program for the American scholars. In February the Fulbright and Dr Ken Chern, the U.S. Consul- Australian Scholars, and arrangements Northern Territory Scholarship was launched Generals in Sydney and Perth respectively. for celebrating the 60th Anniversary. to provide a special opportunity for residents We will miss their valuable support and of the Northern Territory for study or research contributions but look forward The Fulbright Australian Scholars were in the U.S. as part of the Fulbright program. to remaining in contact. announced at the Presentation Dinner on 18 March 2010 at a gala evening at the I am also pleased to announce that the spectacular National Gallery of Victoria. Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Joe Hlubucek Organisation (ANSTO) is to sponsor a executive director US Ambassador, Jeffrey Bleich, speaking at the dinner continued FRoM pAge 1 and opportunities, and 2010 Fulbright Victoria Scholar, Dr Elgene Lim, responded Fulbright experience which brought eloquently on behalf of the Scholars: her to Australia, and then entertained “We represent a diverse group of individuals and impressed the audience with two from various cultural and professional piano pieces selected for the evening: backgrounds, but are united in our gratitude Lullaby, from Tribute to Foster by Percy at being given this lifetime opportunity, and Aldridge Grainger, and Le banjo, Grotesque humbled to join the ranks of the Fulbright Fantasie (esquisse amèricaine) community, many who are world leaders by Louis Moreau Gottschalk. in their respective fields.” Mr Pascarella also spoke about the The photographs from the evening can be impact of a Fulbright on the lives of viewed online, contact commsmanager@ Scholars in terms of new directions fulbright.com.au for details. 2 Above: Professor Stephan Schuster, Mrs Tutu, Dr Vanessa Hayes and Archbishop Tutu. Left: Dr Hayes used genetic material from a number of Bushmen from the Kalahari Desert, as well as the Archbishop Desmond Tutu as representative of Southern African Bantu for the project. Major genome breakthrough for Fulbright Scholar Dr Vanessa Hayes, (2009 Australian The work ran as the cover story in Nature on Dr Vanessa Hayes is Group Leader of Cancer Professional Scholar) recently co-led a 18 February 2010. It was also celebrated at Genetics at the Children’s Cancer Institute team that created the first complete human an event in Namibia, involving the the Right Australia, University of New South Wales. reference genome of indigenous persons. Honourable Prime Minister Nahas Angula “It is truly exciting to see a spin-off of Dr Hayes was on her Fulbright Scholarship of Namibia with the special guests including this magnitude from one of our Fulbright at Pennsylvania State University in Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Scholars. It shows the power of collaboration 2009 working on a project applying next The discovery has significant implications and proves the benefits of programs such generation genome sequencing techniques for medical research and will help to develop as the Fulbright program in giving Scholars to examine human genomes, and prostate new tools to fight diseases. the opportunity to cross-fertilise with others cancer genomes. “This work will greatly assist medical efforts to in their research areas overseas,” said the Her scholarship gave her the opportunity to combat complex common diseases, including Fulbright Commission’s Executive Director, also collaborate on the indigenous genome cancer research. It means that we can assess Dr Joe Hlubucek. project with her U.S. host and co-leader, disease risk and responses to drugs among Professor Stephan C. Schuster. different genetic groups,” Dr Hayes said. Queensland Fulbright Scholars meet their community The annual Queensland reception for 2010