Never Stand Still The Magazine for Alumni and Friends June 2014 • Issue 20 Cover story MEANS FOR CHANGE UNSW commerce alumnus Corrin Varady channels philanthropy CHARTING into Ugandan and Tanzanian schools, empowering former child soldiers BUDDHISM to forge their future BY SEA Page 10 Page 12 A VIVID REFLECTION Page 15 ALUMNI AWARDS Page 20 CARING IN THE COMMUNITY Page 23 pOBC-OFC_UNSW Cover_#20_FINAL_Jo.indd 3 17/06/14 5:11 PM p22_Pageturners CONTENTS “These kids wanted 12 an education; to get out of their villages … and do something 15 productive.” CORRIN VARADY, UNSW COMMERCE ALUMNUS 10 THIS ISSUE 12 4 HIGHLIGHTS // The latest on campus and beyond 15 IMPACT // A Vivid reflection 6 MESSAGE // Jennie Lang, Vice-President Advancement 17 ALUMNI APPEAL // Gift of study 7 THEN & NOW // Campus memories 18 GLOBAL CONNECTIONS // Alumni around the world 8 REWIND // Jonathan Barouch: Getting the measure of it all 19 IN MEMORY // Vale Emeritus Professor Fred Ayscough 10 RESEARCH // Professor Sarah Kenderdine: Charting Buddhism 20 ALUMNI AWARDS // Applauding success by sea; Scientia Professor Stuart Wenham: Solar eclipse 22 PAGETURNERS // Caring in the community 12 COVER STORY // Means for change: Corrin Varady, commerce 23 MESSAGE // Stergitsa Zamagias-Hill, Director Alumni and alumnus, builds schools in Africa for former child soldiers Community Engagement p2-3_Contents and VC Message__FINALFINAL.indd 2 16/06/14 11:42 AM p22_Pageturners MESSAGE elcome to the first UNSW researchers, including making a dramatic difference issue for 2014 the team that for the first time to campus life. of UNSWorld, used electrical pulses delivered To update you on our the bi-annual from a cochlear implant to decision to set a minimum Wmagazine that keeps our deliver gene therapy. This Admission Rank of 80 from alumni and other friends heralds a possible new way of 2014 for all courses (except up to date with news and treating a range of neurological those with entry through developments on campus. disorders, including portfolio): this was fairly A particular highlight of Parkinson’s disease. A unique radical in the Australian the year so far has been the partnership between cancer context, but it’s paid dividends. recognition awarded to some researcher Professor Peter Far from suffering any of our star researchers. Gunning and a fundraising decline in enrolments, we’ve CONTENTS Scientia Professor of former bus driver is leading to had increased demand and Physics Michelle Simmons, a new treatment for childhood our median ATAR has risen a world leader in quantum cancer – you may have seen this across the board. The move “These kids wanted FREDERICK G computing, joined the likes remarkable story on ABC TV’s has important implications an education; to get of Stephen Hawking, Albert Australian Story. for the future, preserving 12 HILMER Einstein and Alexander out of their villages Graham Bell as an elected Geneticist David Sinclair, who heads labs … and do something member of the American President and at Harvard and UNSW Medicine, was 15 productive.” Vice-Chancellor Academy of Arts and Sciences. Geneticist David Sinclair, named by Time as one of the 100 most who heads labs at Harvard and influential people in the world. UNSW Medicine, was named by Time as one of the 100 most CORRIN VARADY, UNSW influential people in the world. COMMERCE ALUMNUS Citing his work in identifying a potentially reversible cause Meanwhile we won the quality of our student of ageing, the magazine noted $22.8 million in the latest body and in the longer term, that it makes possible the idea round of NHMRC grants, keeping our student numbers of “living more years with the second largest amount at a sustainable level. Bonus a body that’s robust enough Australia-wide and far ahead points have been retained for to make the most of them”. of any other university in New disadvantaged students. Our photovoltaic engineers South Wales. So a great year As you may be aware, are the current world record to date on the research front! I informed staff at the beginning holders in silicon solar cell In other news, we of the semester that I’ve efficiency, and it was pleasing successfully launched our decided to step down as to see Scientia Professor Stuart first Massive Open Online Vice-Chancellor at the end of Wenham awarded a top Course (MOOC) in April 2014, after more than eight international prize. Closer to and, despite funding cuts to wonderful years in the job. The home, the Australian Academy the sector, we’ve been able to Chancellor expects to be able of Science selected marine continue to improve the on- to announce my replacement ecologist Professor Emma campus experience. When the in the near future. Meanwhile Johnston as the inaugural Kensington Colleges reopen I hope to be seeing many of winner of the Nancy Millis this year we will have close you in the months remaining Medal for Women in Science. to 5000 student beds, more than and I thank you once again for We’ve also seen significant any other NSW university. This your support. I hope you enjoy 10 advances made by other thriving “city within a city” is this latest issue of UNSWorld. THIS ISSUE 12 4 HIGHLIGHTS // The latest on campus and beyond 15 IMPACT // A Vivid reflection 6 MESSAGE // Jennie Lang, Vice-President Advancement 17 ALUMNI APPEAL // Gift of study 7 THEN & NOW // Campus memories 18 GLOBAL CONNECTIONS // Alumni around the world 8 REWIND // Jonathan Barouch: Getting the measure of it all 19 IN MEMORY // Vale Emeritus Professor Fred Ayscough Alumni and Community Director Alumni and Community On the cover: Australia Post Print Post 10 RESEARCH // Professor Sarah Kenderdine: Charting Buddhism 20 ALUMNI AWARDS // Applauding success Engagement Office Engagement: from left to right Approved UNSW AUSTRALIA, Sydney Stergitsa Zamagias-Hill Jonathan Okwir and PP 255003/07978 by sea; Scientia Professor Stuart Wenham: Solar eclipse 22 PAGETURNERS // Caring in the community NSW 2052 Editors: Melinda Ham & Mike Hall Corrin Varady UNSW, Sydney NSW 2052 Phone: 61 2 9385 3279 Design: Magnesium Media CRICOS Provider No. 12 COVER STORY // Means for change: Corrin Varady, commerce 23 MESSAGE // Stergitsa Zamagias-Hill, Director Alumni and Fax: 61 2 9385 3278 00098G Email: [email protected] alumnus, builds schools in Africa for former child soldiers Community Engagement alumni.unsw.edu.au UNSWorld / Page 3 p2-3_Contents and VC Message__FINALFINAL.indd 2 16/06/14 11:42 AM p2-3_Contents and VC Message__FINALFINAL.indd 3 16/06/14 11:42 AM HIGHLIGHTS SUBTLE CUES CAN ALTER EVERYTHING t’s no coincidence that the He draws on an example of logos of McDonald’s and researchers who discovered “Although you might think I Hungry Jack’s are bright that on online dating sites, men yellow and red, says UNSW and women wearing red T-shirts you have a fixed personality, psychology graduate and were much more likely to get very subtle cues can change university medallist Adam Alter responses. “People think red is (BSc’04); people tend to eat the colour of love,” Alter says. everything.” more and spend more when As his book title suggests, they’re around those colours. pink is another important colour. ADAM ALTER At TEDxSydney in April, held Starting in the 1970s academics ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF at the Sydney Opera House, found that “very bright bubble- MARKETING AND PSYCHOLOGY AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY’S STERN Alter argued that while we hold gummy” pink calmed people down. SCHOOL OF BUSINESS particular opinions or points of Naval prison wardens in view, colour, religious icons, guilt Seattle in the United States and other influences can change painted the interior of holding our behaviour radically. cells – commonly referred to “Although you might think as “drunk tanks” – pink, in an you have a fixed personality, attempt to control aggressive very subtle cues can change inmates. This unusual tactic everything,” says Alter, who actually worked, says Alter. is now Associate Professor of “They swore the prisoners Marketing and Psychology at became calmer, well-behaved New York University’s Stern and more compliant.” School of Business. “They can In his TEDx talk, he also make you more or less honest. referred to an experiment They can make you more or less done at the coffee machine in generous. They can make you a staff room at the University more or less open-minded.” of Newcastle in the UK, where In his book Drunk Tank Pink: people were encouraged to drop And Other Unexpected Forces a few coins into an honesty jar That Shape How We Think, Feel, when they took a cup of coffee. and Behave (Penguin 2013), When the researchers put which is on the New York Times a photo of a pair of eyes over bestseller list, Alter maintains the jar, staff members gave three that colour is just one of many times more money than when strategies and ploys used to the researchers put a photo subliminally control people. of flowers there. World’s oldest fossil sperm found reserved giant sperm from the UNSW School of Biological, Earth tiny shrimps that lived at least and Environmental Sciences, who has P17 million years ago have been been excavating at Riversleigh for discovered at Queensland’s Riversleigh more than 35 years. World Heritage Fossil Site by a team “The Riversleigh fossil deposits including UNSW researchers. in remote north-western Queensland Scientists maintain that the giant have been the site of the discovery sperm were longer than the male’s of many extraordinary prehistoric entire body, but were tightly coiled Australian animals, such as giant, up inside the sexual organs of the toothed platypuses and flesh-eating fossilised freshwater crustaceans, kangaroos.