Keep an eye on social over the coming weeks as we get to know the finalists in each faculty.

RESEARCH AWARD FINALISTS

The Jim Piper Award for Excellence in Research Leadership
Associate Professor Malcolm Choat
Professor Roger Chung
Associate Professor Paul Sowman

Excellence in Research: Five Future-shaping Research Priorities
Associate Professor Paul Beggs
Professor Karu Esselle
Dr David Bulger
Dr Maria Kovaleva
Dr Celia Harris
Associate Professor Kate Lloyd
Associate Professor Sandie Suchet-Pearson
Professor Deborah Schofield
Professor Phillip Taylor

Excellence in Higher Degree Research Supervisor of the Year Award
Professor Kirstie Fryirs
Professor Jennie Hudson
Professor Chris Patel

Macquarie University Early Career Researcher of the Year
HASS
Dr Miriam Forbes
Dr Milena Gandy
Dr Katrina Hutchison

STEMM
Dr Mohsen Asadnia
Dr Devika Kamath
Dr Bingyang Shi

Excellence in Higher Degree Research
HASS
Mr Nicholas Everett
Ms Cathleen Taylor-Rubin
Dr Lina Teichmann

STEMM
Dr Affan Aziz Baba
Mr Ali Lalbakhsh
Ms Stephanie Rayner

LEARNING AND TEACHING AWARD FINALISTS

Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Student Nominated Award
Dr Sonya Willis
Mr Roderick Smith
Associate Professor Tiffany Jones
Associate Professor Naomi Sweller
Dr Joel Fuller
Ms Alexandra Bhatti
Dr Bruno Alves Buzatto
Dr Gaurav Gupta
Dr Paul Crosby
Dr LayPeng Tan
Mr Daniel Lombardo
Mr Aleksandar Stefanovic

Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Sessional Staff Award
Dr Saartje Tack
Miss Lauren Ehrenfeld
Ms Charanya Ramakrishnan
Dr Frances Chang

Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Early Career Award
Ms Alexandra Bhatti
Dr Christopher Lustri
Dr Chong It Tan

Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence
Dr Yves-Heng Lim and team members: Fred Smith and Dr Adam Lockyer
Associate Professor Matt Bower
Dr Matthew Bulbert and team members: Serene Lin-Stephens, Fiona Jones and Associate Professor Martin Whiting
Dr Prashan Shayanka Mendis Karunaratne

Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Learning Innovation
Associate Professor Kira Westaway and team members: Michael Rampe and Matthew Cabanag
Dr Robyn Westcott
Dr Mauricio Marrone
The Foundation and Diploma Direct Entry Program Team lead by Ms Alejandra Vazquez

Vice-Chancellor’s Educational Leader Award
Professor Catherine Dean
Dr Matthew Bulbert
Dr Prashan Shayanka Mendis Karunaratne
Dr Pamela Humphreys

SAVE THE DATE

The Academic Staff Awards will be held on Monday 18 November from 3pm to 5.30pm in the Graduation Hall (14 Sir Christopher Ondaatje Avenue).

Our previous Special Events and Projects Officer Alistair Booth entered Ubar as a submission from Campus Life and it was endorsed by both Property and Peter Fasogiannis, Manager of Campus Services, who was on hand in Melbourne at the Gala Awards Dinner to accept the trophy.

In addition, the National Barista Competition was held the day before and Stephen O’Mara represented Campus Life after winning the NSW University Barista Comp in late April for the second consecutive year.

Stephen was up against some tough competition but did extremely well and was placed 4th. Congratulations to both Campus Services and Stephen on their accomplishments!

We asked those honoured at the University’s 2018 Alumni Awards ceremony held on 22 May what studying at Macquarie meant to them and how it helped shape their career paths.

Adam Hills 
Bachelor Arts 1991
Gold Logie nominated host of hit TV series Spicks and Specks, Adam Hills has a string of international awards to his credit. When Hills is not hosting his UK talk show, The Last Leg, he can be found globetrotting as a stand-up comedian and advocating for the rights of people with a disability.

Described as ‘effortless’ and ‘brilliant’ by The Guardian (UK), and internationally awarded for his work in arts and culture, Hills graduated from Macquarie with some “incredibly strong friendships”.

“Macquarie was an excellent place to grow and learn, and from which to head out into the world,” says Hills. “It was a time to find out who I really was, and it gave me the confidence to try comedy.”

Hills still recalls his uni days as an “exceedingly positive” experience. “The last time I drove past Macquarie University, it made me think how far I’d come and how much of what I’d learned there was still with me.”

So, advice for current students? “I’d say, soak it all in. Every little drop,” says Hills. “Because you never know which bits will be useful in the future.”

The Wiggles 
Dr Murray Cook AM, Diploma of Teaching 1991, Doctor of Literature (HonorisCausa) 2009
Dr Anthony Field AM, Diploma of Teaching 1991, Doctor of Literature (HonorisCausa) 2009
Dr Greg Page AM, Diploma of Teaching 1993, Doctor of Literature (HonorisCausa) 2009
As children’s entertainers, the The Wiggles have enjoyed unprecedented success. Awarded honorary doctorates from Macquarie in 2009, three Wiggles, Dr Anthony Field, Dr Greg Page and Dr Murray Cook, all studied Early Childhood together at Macquarie.

While much has been made of their extraordinary accomplishments and popularity, Page says “something that usually goes unheralded is the fact that four blokes from Australia got together and created something that didn’t really exist before – and we did it with the knowledge we gained thanks to Macquarie University and the lecturers and tutors who shaped us.”

The three referred to their studies as “the cornerstone” of everything they did. “Understanding the way children think was vital to what we did,” says Cook. “The whole philosophy behind early childhood education was based on empowering children. As teachers, and later as performers, we always kept that with us.”

The Hon Dr Robert (Rob) Stokes MP 
Bachelor of Arts 1995, Bachelor of Laws 1997, Master of Laws 1999, Doctor of Philosophy 2008
Dr Rob Stokes MP started his career as a lawyer and an academic in environment and planning law prior to entering the political arena in 2005. At Macquarie, he studied at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and worked as an academic. “As an early proponent of interdisciplinarity in education, Macquarie University powerfully influenced my contribution at the intersection of law, education, environment and planning,” he says.

Stokes believes his studies at Macquarie also opened “incredible doors” and “provided opportunities to translate research and thinking into pragmatic policy”, which would have been beneficial during his time as NSW Minister for Environment as well as NSW Minister for Planning. “I was fortunate to be able to implement a lot of my thinking that I gained at Macquarie University in my professional life,” he says.

Stokes wholeheartedly encourages those currently studying or considering studying at Macquarie to “use the knowledge that you gain here to make the greatest contribution you can in your chosen field”.

Matt Barrie 
Master of Applied Finance 2011
Matt Barrie is an award-winning entrepreneur, thought leader, speaker and influencer. He is the CEO and chairperson of Freelancer.com and has a myriad of degrees in engineering and business. Having a multifaceted approach to life, learning, technology and business, Barrie is familiar with setbacks, but not deterred by them, and he believes that “it is never too late to reinvent yourself and upskill”.

That was exactly what Barrie had in mind when he enrolled at Macquarie. During his studies, Barrie made interesting and influential connections at Macquarie, including a colleague of Director of Applied Finance Phil Dolan, Professor George Foster, who became a board director of Barrie’s company for six years.

Barrie has advice for aspiring graduate entrepreneurs: “You don’t want life to be handed to you on a platter – forge your own destiny,” he says. “There is a huge amount of opportunity in the world. Go out there and seize it. Take risks and try things. Most of all, take initiative and recognise opportunities when they arise.”

Professor Alan Mackay-Sim 
Bachelor of Arts 1973, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) 1974, Doctor of Philosophy 1980
The 2017 Australian of the Year, Emeritus Professor Alan Mackay-Sim is a biomolecular scientist who has dedicated his life to stem cell research. His groundbreaking work in the treatment of spinal cord injuries has miraculously changed the lives of many.

At school, Mackay-Sim was interested in how the brain works, so he chose to study at Macquarie because it allowed him to choose his subjects, rather than being limited to a defined set of subjects offered at other universities. “I was interested in physiology, biology and psychology – what is known as neuroscience now – but back then, it wasn’t a subject as such.” Mackay-Sim says he “deliberately chose Macquarie, which was tiny – just 3000 students”, because of the options available.

“It was a great decision because, although I moved away from psychology, it gave me really good training in experimental design and statistics. My first research projects were in behaviour and subsequently cell biology, which I have continued to pursue.”

Dr Andrew Scipione AM APM 
Master of Management 1998, Doctor of Literature (HonorisCausa) 2013
Dr Andrew Scipione retired in 2017 after a lifetime of police service and nearly 10 years as NSW Commissioner of Police. His time as commissioner was one of unprecedented change across police operations. His contribution was far-reaching, and his leadership style was highly respected.

Servant first, leader second was Scipione’s leadership mantra. It may not have been the most popular leadership style, but it was a natural fit for him – one that he was challenged to define while studying the Master of Management at Macquarie.

Scipione undertook his masters as part of a development program with NSW Police, an organisation he dedicated four decades of his life to. The alignment and congruence with the values and purpose in both his personal and professional life shines through.

“We are all called to be leaders,” says Scipione. “Whether that is within our families or within our professional lives, there are people who are looking to us. It is important to be part of an ongoing commitment to excel.”

Jennifer Star 
Bachelor of Arts 2009, Bachelor of Arts (Honors) 2010
Shaun Star
Bachelor Commerce / Bachelor of Laws 2011
Jennifer Star and husband Shaun Star are committed to making the world a better place to live for thousands of young people in impoverished countries. Jennifer is the founding director of Tara.Ed and is currently the Manager, Professional Learning (India), at the Australian Council for Educational Research. She has also represented Australia in Judo. Shaun is an Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean at the Jindal Global Law School. The couple met while studying at Macquarie.

The Stars now live in India. In Delhi, Jennifer runs Tara.Ed, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes quality education in rural and remote areas of India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan through teacher training and capacity building, infrastructure development and resource distribution.

She has dedicated her life and career to women and girls who have not had the same freedoms and privileges she has enjoyed. “The continued support and recognition from Macquarie University for all my pursuits is greatly appreciated.”

Shaun Star co-founded the Australia India Youth Dialogue, and fosters relationships between Indian and Australian lawyers through the publication of a comparative legal volume. He is the director and founder of the Centre for India Australia Studies. He says “being part of the Macquarie community has been an extremely rewarding experience and provided great value to both our lives.”

Bruce Gosper 
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) 1980
Bruce Gosper is the Australian High Commissioner to Singapore and is also a member of the Asia Society Australia Advisory Council. He was previously CEO of Austrade and ambassador to the World Trade Organization.

“My work and my passion are trade policy and negotiations. It’s taken me to interesting places across six continents and put me in contact with some great people,” he says. “The institutions, rules and norms that keep trade working, and that protect the weakest from the most powerful, have been tremendously important to the relative peace and prosperity of the past 70 years and to Australia’s welfare,” he says.

Gosper says his education at Macquarie University was good preparation. “The multidisciplinary approach equipped me with different perspectives and ways of looking at issues and problems. The rigour of the scientific method was supported by an appreciation of history and politics and culture!”

In Singapore, Gosper makes a point of meeting up with Macquarie alumni. “It brings together a great group of people, at different stages of their lives, but with a shared experience. The older, pioneer graduates and the new, younger graduates all have something to offer our gatherings.”

Liz Ellis AO 
Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Laws 1997
Former Australian netball captain and champion, broadcaster and media commentator, Liz Ellis was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia. Her reputation as one of Australia’s greatest netball players often precedes her academic achievements and other interests, but Ellis also studied law, has a double major in ancient history and politics – and is a die-hard history buff. “I still love it,” she says.

Although it has been 20 years since she left university, she says she is still grateful to the passionate lecturers and tutors who “shaped” her brain. “What I was taught didn’t give me answers; it showed me multiple ways of coming to an answer.”

It would seem the combination of history, law and politics complemented each other, and held her in good stead for the work she now does in general and with government. “I have an understanding of how things work, the mechanics behind the political process and the critical thinking skills to analyse a situation.”

Dr Abigail Allwood 
PhD in Earth Science 2007
Dr Abigail Allwood, astrobiologist and co-leader of NASA’s Mars 2020 rover mission, has a strong interest in the early Earth, microbial sediments, evaporites and the oldest record of life on earth. She has been outspoken on the need to invest in – not cut – funding for the sciences in Australia.

She is the first female and one of seven principal science investigators on a Mars mission. She will also be the first Australian, and hopes that this will light a path for other women.

Scheduled for 2020, Dr Allwood and her team pitched the inclusion of the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry, or PXL for short, a NASA-funded instrument that “scans rocks for chemical signatures of life.” To her and her team’s delight, she was accepted.

PXL will be operated remotely from earth, and will be able to analyse specimens in greater detail than ever before. But Dr Allwood is no stranger to Martian life. As an early career academic, she explored Australia’s Pilbara for signs of life from Mars. It took her three years, but she and her husband identified seven different-shaped fossil stromatolites, dated to 3.43 billion years old. One small step for PXL. One giant leap for womankind and our distinguished alumni.

Scholars were from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds making the event a wonderful opportunity for students and staff to connect and celebrate the scholars’ achievements.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor S Bruce Dowton, addressed the assembled scholars and encouraged them to get involved at Macquarie University and the importance in forming lifelong networks.

Nova Rubianti, a student from Indonesia studying a Master of Social Entrepreneurship, said connecting with other students was invaluable.

“It was such a great event to expand our network. We were delighted to meet many students from various nations. What a wonderful evening,” said Nova, who is a recipient of an Australia Awards scholarship.

Other highlights of the evening included an interactive social networking activity, Churrasco food station, scrumptious dessert bar and goodie bags. The networking activity required guests to unveil ‘The Fugitive’ by socialising with other guests and posting pictures on social media via #MQscholar, #MyMQ and #MQfugitive. Check out photos from the event on Instagram with these hashtags or by visiting the Macquarie Scholars Connect Instagram page.

Congratulations to all the scholarship recipients!

Photo credit: Effy Alexakis, Photowrite

Sport Scholar Esther Qin (pictured below right) won a gold medal at the women’s three-metre board synchronised diving event (with Georgia Sheehan, pictured below left) and a bronze medal in the women’s one-metre springboard final.

Esther and Georgia stepped up and nailed an inward two-and-a-half somersault to score 71.10 for a total of 284.10, which proved enough to win gold in the synchronized event.

The gold was Esther’s second at a Commonwealth Games, as she won the three-metre springboard event in Glasgow four years ago.

Tom Craig (pictured below) and the Kookaburras (our men’s hockey team) continued their extraordinary 20-year Commonwealth Games gold medal streak with a punishing 2-0 win over New Zealand in the final.

Dominique Du Toit (pictured below) and the Women’s Rugby 7’s team won silver against New Zealand who got their revenge claiming gold at the Commonwealth Games in an epic contest that had to go to extra time.

The trans-Tasman rivals couldn’t be separated at full time with both teams locked at 12-12 in front of a packed house at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast. It took until the end of the first passage of extra time for New Zealand to claim a 17-12 victory, with Kelly Brazier producing a length-of-the-field effort to score.

Fellow Sport Scholar Lachlan Anderson (pictured in top image) and the Men’s Rugby 7’s team finished fifth following a 26-0 win over Scotland.

Congratulations also to Sport Scholar James Boyer who represented Australia at the games as a basketball referee.

Read more about Macquarie University’s elite sport scholarship program.

Serge is one of four Macquarie University undergraduate students awarded a 2018 New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship. He’s part of an elite group of students selected to study at leading universities in Asia and represent Australia as student ambassadors. He recently left Australia to study at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and this will be his base for the next semester. He will also receive a monthly stipend, travel and moving allowances and language tuition.

It’s a prestigious recognition for Serge – as well as 119 other 2018 NCP Scholars from across Australia – who, late last year, all gathered in Canberra to accept their awards from the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Julie Bishop MP. Also in attendance was Macquarie’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), Nicole Brigg (picture below with Serge). She spoke of the “amazing experiences that come with spending time immersed in an Asian culture, as well as the importance of developing a sophisticated understanding and cultural competency with Australia’s regional neighbours”.

Ms Brigg also expressed the pride Macquarie has for these talented students, noting “During your studies you’ll be an ambassador for Macquarie and Australia, though on your return you’ll be an ambassador for host country as well.”

Serge says the NCP Scholarship will provide him and his fellow recipients with the opportunity to apply a unique and foreign perspective to academia and professional experience. “By applying this broader approach to my future endeavours in the professional sphere, this program will contribute substantially to my personal development and career aspirations,” he says.

While Serge was quickly noticed as a high-performing student worthy of the award, it’s likely that his work on the Bunji Initiative, his charity, raised the profile of his application. “In essence, the Bunji Initiative aims to improve education via the introduction of technology and digital learning resources,” explains Serge. He aims to first launch the project in Bangalore, by introducing electronic tablets into a learning and rehabilitation centre for youths with disabilities.

As well as ensuring the success of the Bunji Initiative and pursuing his legal studies, Serge also hopes to develop professional networks in his host country, where there’ll be NCP support for access to internships with multinational companies and multi-lateral organisations.

Serge hopes there will be other projects completed under the umbrella of the Bunji initiative. “The idea here is that the entire initiative itself is not limited to tablets or to schools for rehabilitation but could, for example, be a project that may involve projectors or laptops for a different school or university in a different country or region,” he says.

What is the New Colombo Plan scholarship and how do I apply for it?
The NCP Scholarship Program provides an opportunity for Australian undergraduate students to undertake semester-based internships or mentorships in 40 participating Indo-Pacific locations. As a signature initiative of the Australian Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, gaining a place in the NCP Program is extremely competitive. As part of the Program, scholarship recipients undertake training from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and have access to exciting internship opportunities in Asia and Australia. The Program sees students – Australia’s future leaders – gain vital global competencies while acting as ambassadors for Australia. To date the NCP Scholarship Program has funded over 550 of Australian’s best and brightest students.

For more information on how you can apply 2019 NCP program, email mi.ncpmobilityprojects@mq.edu.au or visit the NCP webpage at DFAT. There will also be a 2019 NCP Scholarship Information Session on 6 April. Those invited to attend will need to RSVP to this event here.  

The night is a chance to celebrate and recognise the achievements of our clubs and societies here at Macquarie. Invitations are open to every student to join us for a catered night of celebration and live music. So come get dressed up in your finest threads, eat some tasty food and enjoy the company of a few hundred of your coolest peers and staff members.

For full details and to purchase tickets, click here.

Grad Season 2017, the outcome of a partnership between the ABC and film schools around the country, is the first initiative on Australian TV created to celebrate outstanding student films. The final showcase of the films includes the work of two Macquarie graduates, Being Jasper, and The 5 to 9.

Being Jasper, a short film by former media student, Maddy, is one of the two Macquarie student films selected to appear on Grad Season.

Being Jasper is a character profile of Jasper Newstead, a young Sydney man living life with two different identities as both himself and his drag alter, Krystal Kleer. It explores the struggles and strengths that Krystal provides Jasper and vice versa.

“I’m not sure what sparked my interest [in film] initially, but I do remember hassling my wonderful parents from the age of about eight, asking them to buy me a video camera so I could start making movies. It was a chunky camcorder, but it provided hours of entertainment for my sister, friends and me to recreate scenes from films and TV shows.

“Creating this documentary and the practical screen classes were highlights of my time at Macquarie. I met a whole bunch of amazing peers who I will hopefully work with again in the future.”

Kristy is also a media graduate and her short film, The 5 to 9, was also selected to appear on Grad Season.

“The 5 to 9 is a poetic documentary exploring the qualities of nighttime, through the perspective of three shift-workers. This idea was sparked during a 3am walk home with friends after a night out. I walked past a building and saw someone in a lab coat working through the middle of the night. I started wondering about the night and who keeps working through it whilst everyone else has stopped.

“My passion for film started when I was showing family and friends a short film made in the dark room of my high school. I was watching them all watching the film and feeling super nervous about their reaction. The response was mixed; some were smiling, some were serious and some were even crying. I realised the power of film and how you can instantly make someone feel something, see a different perspective or learn something new.

“The fellow screen students I studied with have provided a solid base of connections that I’ve stayed in contact with, post uni. We all look out for each other in regards to roles, work on extra projects to build our portfolio, and support each other’s work whether that’s helping out or going to screenings. I feel super lucky to have been surrounded by all these people and excited to see where we all end up.”

Congrats to both Kristy and Maddy on their outstanding achievements. You can stream the films, and browse the films of other students, on iview now.

At this year’s competition, held in Boston in October, Macquarie’s very own team managed to continue their winning streak, bringing home gold for the third time running. The team of 40 undergraduate biomolecular science students competed against 300 other teams from around the globe, three of which were also from Australia.

The project from the Macquarie team, titled “Chlorophyl II: Return of the Hydrogen”, tackled the biological challenge of producing hydrogen gas using bacteria.

“Our first goal was to synthetically engineer E.coli bacteria to produce chlorophyll – the molecule in plants that allows them to absorb energy from light – as the production of chlorophyll in organisms like E.coli has not yet been successful,” said team member Astrid Bennett. The team has been working on this project since 2013.

The students involved in the iGEM project get to experience the hands-on approach to the whole scientific process; from funding, to wet lab, to documentation and reporting. They’re also involved in outreach and education, which helps them to develop not only their technical and project design skills but also their science communication skills for the future.

Congrats to the team on continuing their impressive winning streak!

Interested in learning more? Check out the team’s wiki or Facebook page.