Engaging Communities 2011

ACHIEVING MORE TOGETHER

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2011

Like minds lead alike

Connecting with schools

Hearts of Lions

Degrees of hope

A brave new world

Fathers take the lead

ENGAGING COMMUNITIES | 01

CONTENTS

02 A message

04 It’s a small world after all

05 Like minds lead alike

06 Connecting with schools

08 Connecting across continents

10 Awards honour alumni achievers

11 Alumni advantages

12 Saltwater in her blood

13 Hearts of lions

14 Overcoming the tyranny of distance

16 The heart of history

18 Degrees of hope

19 Life lessons lead to scholarship

20 Paying it forward

21 Holidays that make a difference

22 Fathers take the lead

23 Making the connection

24 A brave new world

| ENGAGING COMMUNITIES02

A message from the Vice-Chancellor and

Pro Vice-ChancellorExternal Relations


Spearheading our effort is the Office of External Relations (formerly Corporate Development and Community Partnerships), which was established to develop and strengthen the University’s relationships with alumni and local, regional and national communities.

External Relations identifies and supports mutually beneficial activities with a focus on building skills, capacity and knowledge in the community across five key areas: teaching and learning, research, commercial engagement, leadership and philanthropy.

The University promotes engaged teaching and learning that meets the needs of both our communities and our students. Our efforts aim to produce graduates who are knowledgeable, work-ready, society-ready and active global citizens. The University of Newcastle’s Industry Scholarships are one example of our work in this area. You can read about one of its scholars, Angela Parfitt and her extraordinary journey on page 19 of this edition of Engaging Communities. Volunteering work through the Lions Club is another example of preparing our students to be active global citizens. Read this story on page 13.

As the most research intensive university outside of an Australian capital city, our partnerships with industry, government and the community are vital. Delivering quality research that provides results for our regions is an important driver of our research program. The University has a strong track record of research collaboration: as one example, read about Professor Paul Dastoor and his groundbreaking solar paint on page 24. Newcastle Innovation, the University’s commercial arm, plays a pivotal role in connecting our researchers with business, industry and commercial partners. Their work is described on page 23.

Linking our students to leadership opportunities in the community and the University is a central role for the Office of External Relations. The 2010 winner of the Leadership Award presented by the University of Newcastle, Shayne Connell, is one of Newcastle’s youngest politicians. You can read more about Shayne and the Leadership Award on page 5.

One of the most important assets of a university is its alumni. We are no exception with thousands of graduates spread across the world who contribute generously to the University in many different ways. Read about the impact they have had on the University from page 8.

Philanthropic engagement is an important point of connection between the University and its staff and students, as well as the wider community. The many acts of selfless giving – time, talent as well as gifts – to the University are remarkable. The following pages offer a glimpse of our supporters’ generous gifts.

We hope you enjoy reading this edition of Engaging Communities and the stories that illustrate the University’s diverse connections and the many mutual benefits they deliver.

The University of Newcastle is recognised by our counterparts in Australia and overseas as an ‘engaged university’.

Professor

Nicholas Saunders

Vice-Chancellor and President

Professor

Stephen Crump

Pro Vice-Chancellor

External Relations


The world is becoming a smaller place for University of Newcastle students thanks to an international initiative making civic opportunities across oceans as attainable as those across cities closer to home.

With high numbers of students seeking opportunities to become conscientious leaders, the University is equipping them for future global challenges by stepping up and creating civic engagement programs in four corners of the world.

Newcastle is one of a group of universities across five continents working together to help ‘shrink’ the world into a community in which students and staff can engage as citizens beyond the borders of their own countries.

In early 2010, leaders from more than 100 international universities came together at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in Italy to develop a vision for worldwide mentoring, knowledge exchange, professional development and international partnership opportunities.

It is a vision that would build on the University of Newcastle’s established staff and student exchange agreements with more than 300 international universities by taking similar programs into the realm of civic engagement.

Former Pro-Vice Chancellor of Corporate Development and Community Partnerships Associate Professor Martin Fitzgerald says it is vital University of Newcastle students are given the opportunity to engage with the global community.

“Unlocking the world to students is a constructive way of building leadership and it is the University’s role to facilitate that,” he says.

Fitzgerald, who is also the immediate past President of the Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance, attended the inaugural Talloires Network Convention at the Bellagio Center and was inspired by the diversity of initiatives presented.

The Talloires Network was established in 2005 to ignite civic engagement in higher education institutions. It now represents 170 universities in 56 countries.

Under the banner ‘Higher Education Responding to Social Needs’, the conference enabled leaders in higher education and civic engagement to exchange ideas and chart a course for the Talloires Network.

“Universities and colleges house enormous potential to respond to the most pressing needs of communities around the world,” Fitzgerald says. “Students have shown their desire to take that responsibility on and Bellagio was about making it happen.”

In June 2011 members of the Talloires Network will gather in Spain for the Leaders Conference. With a theme of ‘Building the engaged university, moving beyond the ivory tower’, the conference will bring together leaders in the higher education sector to focus on the future of civic engagement, community outreach and social responsibility.

University Presidents, Vice-Chancellors and rectors from across the globe will: develop proposals for new projects; assess the current state of civic engagements and social responsibility in higher education; and share knowledge about implementing policies and programs that advance human and social development.

Another important focus of the conference will be to develop programs and policies to increase partnerships between universities and communities. It will also celebrate the fifth

anniversary of the founding of the Tallories Network.

IT’S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL


Stepping up as Deputy Lord Mayor of Newcastle in late 2010 came a bit more naturally to 30-year-old Shayne Connell than it would for most people.

After all, Connell has been representing ward four of Newcastle as an independent councillor since 2008, making him one of the city’s youngest politicians.

Falling so easily into such a prestigious role is typical of Connell, winner of the 2010 Leadership Award, presented by the University of Newcastle. The annual award encourages and recognises emerging leaders under the age of 35 in the Hunter, Central Coast and Mid-North Coast regions.

The award recipient receives a package of prizes including participation in a mentored leadership program and a $10,000 leadership development scholarship nominated by the University.

“This was a huge honour for me,” says Connell. “To be given validation that the road I am on is worthwhile and considered valuable is very encouraging.

“The opportunities the Leadership Award has already given me in terms of mentoring and networking have been enormous.”

After graduating from the University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Connell paved a career in the not-for-profit sector, working for Kaiyu Enterprises coordinating its mental health drop-in centre at Argenton.

Today, he is the Regional Operations Coordinator at the Cancer Council NSW and team leader (training) for Lifeline Australia, a role leading on from five years as a volunteer telephone counsellor.

Quick to point out the calibre of his fellow nominees, Connell says that common among them is the knowledge that striving for leadership and holding steadfast to your convictions can be a lonely and doubt-filled journey.

“Getting to know the other nominees and building supportive networks from the experience of the Award has been a reward in itself.”

Like Connell, the recipient of the Encouragement Award, Lee Shields, says the Leadership Award experience has been invaluable in giving him access to “similarly motivated minds”.

As Newcastle Police and Community Youth Club (PCYC) Manager, Shields’ passion for working with young people and helping them find their place in the community is inspiring.

His focus is youth leadership, sports programs and reducing youth

homelessness in the Newcastle area. Shields is also leading the commissioning of a new PCYC branch in Morriset.

“Nothing is more important to me than being able to make a difference in our community,” says the 30-year-old. “Being given this award is such a boost. It has helped me realise that other people believe in what I am doing and want to help make it happen.”

Shields received a $3,000 prize from Newcastle communication consultancy FordComm, which is a partner of the University on this initiave.

The Leadership Award was sponsored by the University of Newcastle, FordComm and the Coal and Allied Community Trust. It is also supported by the Hunter Business Chamber, Regional Development Australia, Newcastle Business Club, The Herald, NBN and 2NURFM.

In 2010, the Awards were presented at the Newcastle Business Club by the University’s Chancellor, Professor Trevor Waring. The presentation lunch included an address by Justice Michael Kirby AC.

Waring says the local regions are fortunate to have such a large pool of leadership talent to develop. “Today’s young leaders are the key to a strong future for our regions. Investing in our young people today will reap rewards for tomorrow.”

LIKE MINDS LEAD ALIKE


School ties

The University of Newcastle values its strong relationships with primary and secondary schools, and other training institutions across New South Wales and Australia.

A range of programs and workshops are held annually to encourage positive experiences for students by familiarising them with how the University can enhance their educational experience. They include HSC Study Days, the Gifted and Talented Program, the Science and Engineering Challenge and Experiment Fest.

The University also conducts several equity programs for school students, including the Indigenous Engineering Summer School, the Year Nine Girls Summer School and the Making Educational Goals Sustainable program.

Opening the door to dreams

One small girl’s ambition to become an archaeologist sowed the seed for a unique program that has resulted in almost 2,000 primary school students and their families visit the University.

Megg McMinn was 11 when she sat in the grounds of the University of Sydney eating lunch with her mother after seeing an exhibition on Egyptian artifacts at the Nicholson Museum.

Her mother, NSW Department of Education and Training Priority Schools Program Partnership Officer Liz McMinn, says she will remember the moment forever. “As we sat on the grass, Megg turned to me and said she could imagine herself having lunch in the same spot with her friends when she came here to study archaeology,” recalls McMinn.

“As soon as the words came out of her mouth, a light bulb turned on in my head and I realised that if Megg truly wanted to go to university and become an archaeologist she would need to be encouraged to look seriously at science subjects from early on in high school.

“It was the first time I considered that supporting and sustaining primary school children’s career goals and academic ambitions will help them achieve those goals and keep them in school longer.”

It was from this moment that the Making Education Goals Sustainable (MEGS) program was born and McMinn worked tirelessly with the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) to establish partnerships to make her idea come to fruition.

Initiated in 2007 at Merriwa Public School, MEGS is a partnership between the University of Newcastle, NSW DET and Hunter TAFE that involves Year Six students and their families from selected schools visiting the University and TAFE sites.

The program incorporates activities aimed at increasing students’ and their parents’ understanding of the links between classroom learning and career aspirations.

During the visits, students participate in workshops, go on a scavenger hunt, eat lunch in the grounds and meet with university students. The visit is followed up with school activities, an industry visit and further workshops at the University from years seven to nine at high school.

McMinn says parental participation is a vital part of the program. “MEGS is unique because it starts conversations about education between students and their parents who have in many cases never seen a university before.”

Year Eight Kurri Kurri High School student Rhianna Connelly and her father Peter visited the University as part of the program in 2008 when Rhianna was in Year Six at Kurri Kurri Public School.

For Rhianna, who hopes to have a career that involves sport, it was a visit that opened her eyes to an exciting future full of possibilities. “I always imagined university would just be a bigger school and I was surprised there were shops and other places on campus,” she says.

“The visit made me realise that I can have a career involving sport – maybe a PE teacher or a sport scientist – and that if I want to do that I need to think about what I am studying at school now.

“I just finished studying forensic science, which I loved and did well in. I may not have chosen that if I had not been to the University in primary school.”

CONNECTING WITH SCHOOLS


Opportunities to discover

A week at the University of Newcastle for the Indigenous Australian Engineering Summer School changed student Dakoda Bradford’s life.

As the busy schedule of site visits, engineering activities and social events rolled on, his plan to leave school as soon as he could and land wherever the hand of fate flicked him became a distant memory. Instead, a clear vision of a tertiary education and a career in engineering began taking shape.

“Attending the Summer School changed everything for me,” says Bradford. “It showed me that people like me could go to university, have a career and possibly make life better for other Indigenous Australians.”

Heading into Year 11 at Dubbo College at the time, Bradford was encouraged to attend the annual summer school in 2009 by teachers who believed he was a perfect fit for the program. It was a nudge in the right direction he will be forever grateful for.

Thanks to the experience, not only has Bradford finished his Higher School Certificate but he has also completed two stints of work experience with leading planning, environment and infrastructure firm Parsons Brinckerhoff.

The Indigenous Australian Engineering Summer School was established in 1998 by Engineering Aid Australia, a philanthropic organisation providing engineers and their skills to assist disadvantaged communities in Australia and overseas. Since its inception, about 30 former Summer School students have graduated as engineers.

Sponsored by engineering companies, the NSW Government and private donors, the five-day, live-in program is alternately hosted by the Universities of Newcastle and NSW. Approximately 20 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students participate each year.

For Bradford and other students like him, the Summer School is an opportunity to discover engineering and a pathway to a career in the field.

It was at the Summer School that a representative from international engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, a sponsor of the program, noticed Bradford and offered him the opportunity to team up with the company through work experience.

Bradford now plans to go on to university, with the ultimate aim of studying drafting. What is more, the 18-year-old has become a mentor to students at Dubbo College, encouraging them to attend the Summer School.

Engineering Aid Director, Australian journalist Dr Jeff McMullen AM, says it was with students like Bradford in mind that Engineering Aid’s founder, the late Jeff Dobell, established the Summer School.

“Jeff was a retired engineer who had a vision of nation building, community by community, with every young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learning how to shape their own future,” says McMullen.

“He believed successful education involved creating good relationships for Indigenous students with a whole variety of skilled and experienced people.”

McMullen, who was the keynote speaker at the 2009 graduation dinner, says the Summer School has given Indigenous students the opportunity to see how their hard work can enable them to help their communities.

“At Newcastle one brilliant young Aboriginal student explained with a gleam in her eye that the Summer School had put her in touch with educators who deeply believed in her talents and were willing to listen to her aspirations,” he says.

“When a group of young people see a brighter future they inspire so many others. The Summer School is part of a growing movement towards equality for all Australians.”

Professor Edy Baskoro, PhD Computer Science, 1996Bandung, Indonesia

There aren’t many who can boast being a professor of mathematics and an Olympian. Dr Edy Baskoro, who is based in Indonesia as Professor of Mathematics at the Institut Teknologi Bandung, was the winner of the Gold Medal in the 2009 Professorial Olympics, considered Indonesia’s top academic award. He was also the co-winner in the 2009 Australian Alumni Award for Excellence in Education. Baskoro is an adviser to the Indonesian Government through the Board of National Education Standards.

Dr Beibei Zhang, PhD Business Administration (Management), 2006Shenzhen, China

Since leaving the University in 2006, Dr Beibei Zhang has worked in a number of positions in the world of finance. Now based in Shenzhen, China, Zhang is the Assistant General Manager at the China Merchants Property Development Co Ltd, where she is in charge of the company’s research and research management. Zhang was the winner of the 2010 Australian Education International Young Australian Alumni of the Year.

Dato’ Sri Ar HJ Esa HJ Mohamed, Bachelor of Architecture (Hons), 1973Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Since graduating from the University in 1973, Kuala Lumpur-based architect Dato’ Sri Esa Mohamed has won numerous international awards for planning and architectural projects in Malaysia. Founder of architectural firm Akitek Jururancang (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Mohamed’s portfolio includes designing the Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi international airports. He was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Architecture by the University in 2005.

University of Newcastle graduates may span the globe, but their connection remains strong through the Alumni Network. Reaching the furthest corners of the world, the network brings together graduates whose contributions are varied and rich – from building and supporting the infrastructure of the countries where they live to leading research, innovation and projects.

CONNECTING ACROSS CONTINENTS


Dr Gary Quinlan, Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Doctor of Letters (2007)Washington, USA

Based in Washington, USA, Dr Gary Quinlan is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN). After 36 years in a range of positions with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, Quinlan now leads a team of diplomatic officers and staff in the UN. He is working on a range of issues, including climate change, food and energy security, development, peace keeping, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

Trenton Oldfield, Bachelor of Social Science (Recreation and Tourism), 2000London, UK

As an urbanist located in London, Trenton Oldfield’s work involves shaping the future of the cities of the world in the context of issues such as globalisation, migration and discrimination. Oldfield has recently co-edited a collection of research papers (Critical Cities), visual essays and transcripts of conversations between well-known urbanists.

Yasser Hamed, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, 2003A world citizen: born in Egypt, Newcastle raised and educated, now based in the United States

Travelling the world and the excitement of making movies keeps life interesting for Yasser Hamed. A senior digital effects specialist for feature films at Sony Pictures in Culver City, California, Hamed is responsible for Technical and Look Development on animated films and live action films with special effects. His credits to date include Happy Feet, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Beowulf and Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland.

Ryan Andriessen, Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) Hons Class 1, 2001New York, USA

Senior project manager and civil engineer with global engineering and consulting firm Arup, Ryan Andriessen is currently based in New York where he is the design team leader for the Vaughan Corporate Centre Station being built in Toronto, Canada. In 2008, Andreissen was named one of five young Australians to be awarded an Australian Construction Industry Forum Young Leaders Scholarship.

09ENGAGING COMMUNITIES |

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With such a large number of alumni who have achieved excellence in their field, the calibre of nominations is always outstanding and 2010 was no exception. With more than 70 nominations for awards in eight categories, the selection panel’s task of deciding the winners was not as unenviable as it may sound.

“The quality of candidates is getting stronger each year and it is a pleasure to be reminded of the amazing achievements of our alumni as we read through the nominations,” says President of Alumni, Brian Kennaugh.

One of the premier events on the University calendar, the annual Alumni Awards brings together University staff, business and community leaders, and alumni. The 2010 Gala Dinner was a ‘sold out’ affair, with many travelling long distances – some from overseas – to attend.

Kennaugh says as well as honouring alumni achievers, the awards provide the opportunity to build relationships and stay connected with the University.

“The 2010 finalists came from a wide range of backgrounds and had a diversity of educational and professional experiences,” says Kennaugh. “Their influence reaches beyond the Hunter region to all corners of Australia and the globe.

“Many took advantage of returning to Newcastle for the awards to reconnect with former colleagues, faculties and schools or to host special seminars. There was a real sense of the alumni ‘giving back’ to the University and the broader Hunter community.

“It was a clear demonstration of the purpose of the University’s alumni network and the strong connections and relationships it nurtures and encourages.”

The Alumni Awards reached new milestones in 2010, with the addition of two awards and the 35th anniversary of one of the most acclaimed alumni awards – the Newton-John Award.

For the first time early-career achievers were recognised with the introduction of the Young Alumni Award for outstanding achievement and contribution by a graduate aged 30 years or younger. The inaugural winner, Sarah Kemp, was honoured for her work in promoting ecologically sustainable social development and creating change for a sustainable future.

AWARDS HONOUR ALUMNI ACHIEVERS

Each May a challenge is put to the University’s 105,000 strong global alumni network – identify the cream of the crop and nominate them for the annual Alumni Awards.

The Indigenous Alumni Award was also introduced to recognise outstanding achievement and contribution by an Indigenous graduate that demonstrates initiative and excellence. Dr Jaquelyne Hughes was named the inaugural winner for her research into diabetes treatments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

First presented in 1975, the Newton-John Award is one of the most sought-after honours in the alumni network. Professor Brin Newton-John, the Foundation Professor of German and former Deputy Warden and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University, is remembered for his support of academic, collegial, cultural, social and political aspects of the University in its early days.

The award is presented to a graduate displaying innovation and creativity in any field that has improved life for the community. To mark the 35th anniversary of the award a number of former winners, including the inaugural recipient Allan Morris, joined the 2010 finalists at the event. Professor Newton-John’s wife and son had the honour of presenting the award to Yasser Hamed for his research and development behind producing high-end digital animation and effects for feature films. At 29 he is the youngest recipient in the awards’ history.

The other Alumni Award winners were:

■ Convocation Medal for Professional Excellence – Cheong-Chua Koon Hean, CEO, Housing Development Board of Singapore

■ Exceptional Community Service - Robert (Bob) Nelson, Founder, University of Newcastle Science and Engineering Challenge

■ Regional Leadership - Dr Andrew Hedges, Medical Director, Hunter IVF

■ National Leadership - Nick Mitzevich, Director, Art Gallery of South Australia

■ International Leadership - Associate Professor Wang Shuguang, Conjoint Professor and Deputy Director, Centre for Cross Cultural Studies, Sichuan University

“The Alumni Awards are a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate innovation and creativity, exceptional leadership and those who inspire others through their achievements whether they be at the peak of their careers or as emerging young leaders,” says Kennaugh.


After all, the University of Newcastle is not only where she completed her architecture degree, it’s also where she met her husband of 30 years, Cheong Heng Lim.

“I originally came to the University of Newcastle as a Colombo Plan Scholarship student in 1976,” says Cheong-Chua.

“The scholarship gave me the chance to study at an overseas university, which was an incredible opportunity for me because Singapore was not a wealthy country then.

“I lived at Edwards Hall for five years and made many friends I still keep in touch with. My ties to Newcastle were so strong the pastor of the church I attended in Mayfield when I was a student travelled to Singapore to marry my husband and I.

“Winning this Convocation Medal was a real honour because the University has a very special place in my heart.”

Since graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Architecture, Cheong-Chua has distinguished herself as a global leader in urban renewal, and is internationally recognised for her role in transforming Singapore into the dynamic city it is today.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) for the six years leading to August 2010, Cheong-Chua was in charge of the national land use planning of the country, the conservation of the built environment and the real estate market.

SPECIAL RETURNS FOR CONVOCATION MEDALIST

Her expertise lies at the heart of Singapore’s leading-edge urban renewal, but a part of Cheong-Chua Koon Hean’s own heart will always belong in Newcastle.

Under her leadership, the URA was recognised for many of its planning initiatives, winning a host of international awards. Cheong-Chua has personally received several Singapore National Day citations over the years, achievements that culminated in 2010’s Meritorious Service Award from the President of the Republic of Singapore.

Despite her stellar career, Cheong-Chua remains charmingly modest, quick to point out she is a member of a talented team.

“I am very proud of the work I have done in Singapore, but no one person can achieve such a job,” she says. “I have a wonderful team to work with.”

It is a personal characteristic that won many hearts while she was in Australia to receive her Convocation Medal at a special presentation at Newcastle City Hall in October.

Cheong-Chua’s award was one of eight presented to former graduates of the University from around the world.

University Alumni leader, Rosemary O’Neill Thomson, says Cheong-Chua received the award for her role in positioning Singapore as a world leaderin urban renewal.

The awards are presented annually by the Executive Committee of Alumni. Alumni are invited to nominate their peers from 1 May 2011 at www.newcastle.edu.au/alumni

Cheong-Chua is also the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate in Architecture from the University of Newcastle presented to her at the Singapore Graduation in November 2010.

ALUMNI ADVANTAGESHow to conquer job interview nerves and navigate the path to career satisfaction were tips shared by University of Newcastle graduates at one of 2010’s popular Alumni Advantage Breakfasts.

The unique breakfast conversation focused on the value of thinking outside the corporate box and how a fresh view can enhance and fast track graduate careers.

Alumni speakers shared their stories to success, offering insider information about how they achieved their own career goals.

Business and Law graduate Merridy Elphick who founded Burke, Elphick and Mead Lawyers in Newcastle with fellow graduates Michael Burke and Emma Mead, was one of three speakers addressing the early-morning group. She talked about the lessons she learned while establishing their law firm.

Introduced in 2010, the Alumni Advantage Breakfast initiative is a professional program bringing together current students and graduates from the same faculty. It is a joint initiative of the Executive Committee of Alumni, the University’s faculties and schools, and the Alumni Relations Office.

Associate Director, Office of External Relations, Rosemary O’Neill Thomson, says the breakfast program is a forum for current University students to meet with alumni who have walked in their shoes.

“The breakfasts are quite informal, but offer students a valuable opportunity to establish networks with University alumni that they will be able to draw on during their studies, as well as after they have graduated,” she says.

“Because they have graduated from the same school, alumni understand what the undergraduates are experiencing and can put a fresh face on the challenges ahead.”

The Business and Law Alumni Advantage Breakfast was the second in the 2010 series building on breakfasts by the Faculties of Education and Arts and Science and Information Technology. Due to strong interest, the program will be expanded in 2011.


“I have saltwater in my blood,” says the 84-year-old Moscheto Island native. “And even though I have never regretted my life in Sydney, I couldn’t wait to get back to the river.”

It is this connection to her birthplace that inspired Deacon to help the University of Newcastle’s Auchmuty Library unearth, rescue and restore local historical collections that may otherwise lie hidden from the community.

Deacon grew up on Moscheto Island – also known by locals as Mosquito Island and now part of Kooragang Island – with her parents and six siblings in the early 1930s. Despite suffering many of the era’s hardships, Deacon’s happy upbringing in an enquiring, knowledge-driven family created a lifelong thirst for history.

Her passion led in 2008 to the formal establishment of the Vera Deacon Regional History Fund under the umbrella of the University of Newcastle Foundation.

The Fund has allowed the University to not only acquire but also catalog many valuable regional history collections.

Library archivist Gionni Di Gravio likens Deacon’s generosity to throwing the community a lifeline to its past. “The archives of a library are like the kidneys of a region – history has to wash through us so we can recover, interpret and restore manuscripts that are relevant to our history.

“What Vera has done is take these collections and given them to the community. With her financial support, we can uncover, preserve and safeguard the Hunter region’s important archives and documentary heritage.

“Even though they were in our possession, the task of processing them properly was huge. We may never have done it without her generosity.”

Deacon’s generosity has enabled the University to acquire a number of collections, including the significant archives of local diarist, writer and newspaper article collector Mervyn Copley.

Others include the archives of South Maitland Mines Rescue Station, Hunter Regional Council for Social Development, the Chamber of Manufacturers of New South Wales and the personal Australian history and local studies library of late University of Newcastle stalwart Dr John Turner.

Deacon’s contributions to the University’s Cultural Collections began in 1995 while she was researching the history of the islands on which she grew up. In the 49 years since she left Newcastle for Sydney, Deacon has been involved in a variety of political and social movements, written works of fiction and raised a family. But her heart belonged to Newcastle.

For writer and philanthropist Vera Deacon, an idyllic childhood on one of the original islands of the Hunter River forged a personal connection with the region that endured almost 50 years of separation.

“I wanted to be near the river again, so after my husband died I returned to Newcastle,” she says.

“While my mother was very ill she had planted the seed about researching the history of the islands and that is how I came into contact with the University of Newcastle, especially the staff in the library.

“I came to know Gionni Di Gravio very well because he helped me so much with my research. When my dear friend Mervyn Copley died in 2001 I knew his collection needed significant organisation, so I gave some money to the library so it could be done.”

Humble about her contribution, Deacon simply hopes that valuable links to the region’s past will be strengthened for the benefit of all.

Those interested in accessing the collections can visit the Auchmuty Library, phone 02 4921 5354 or email [email protected]. Anyone interested in contributing to the Vera Deacon Regional History Fund can contact the UON Foundation 02 4921 7453.

SALTWATER IN HER BLOOD


The 20-year-old is a third year Bachelor of Business student who has found an ideal outlet for her desire to help the community in the University of Newcastle Lions Club.

While the fledgling club’s membership base is still small, the passion of the dozen or so students involved has ensured a full calendar of fundraising and social activities.

Piggybacking the nearby Jesmond Lions Club as a sub-branch, the ‘University Lions’, as they are affectionately known, have access to the worldwide network of Lions Clubs in more than 200 countries.

The International Association of Lions Clubs has more than 1.3 million members and is the world’s largest and most active service organisation. The campus branch offers the perfect opportunity for philanthropic students to reach out and make a difference to the community as part of their university lives.

Worboys says she discovered the University Lions at Orientation Week in 2009. “When I was at high school I volunteered for St Vincent de Paul and it was something I really enjoyed,” she says.

“We used to visit aged care homes and take Easter eggs to the people living there. It always amazed me how we could make somebody’s day just by talking to them for a few minutes. It was such a simple thing for us to do and it made such a difference to them.”

Worboys says after she left school and finished volunteering at St Vincent de Paul she was looking for another way to help the community. “I was really excited to discover the new Lions Club at O-Week and being part of it has really filled a gap for me.”

The University supports the club by subsidising membership fees for students and offering fundraising and promotional activities.

In 2010, the campus club participated in a raft of University events, including the annual Cultural Awakenings Festival and HSC Study Days at both Callaghan and Central Coast campuses.

At a recent University Open Day, the club held a ‘coin trail’ and raised more than $200 for the Akal Charitable Hospital at Baru Sahib in India.

Putting a smile on the face of a person less fortunate than herself means the world to University of Newcastle student Patrina Worboys.

Third-year medicine student Daman Bhatia will take the proceeds to the hospital when he travels there in early 2011 to join a team of volunteer doctors performing free medical procedures for locals.

Worboys says the University Lions aim to raise funds for a variety of causes. “We are planning a drive to collect old spectacles and sunglasses around the campus which will be distributed to those in need in developing countries,” she says.

“It’s very fulfilling to be part of such an important cause, but the University Lions Club means more than that – it is a lot of fun and we meet some fantastic people.”

The Lions Club Local Zone Chairman, Jesmond Lion Peter Waymouth, says the University Lions have the potential to “take on the world”. “These students are top quality people and the work they are doing is incredibly valuable,” he says.

“Service clubs like ours are in need of an injection of youth and being connected with the University in this way is a win-win for everyone – for Lions Australia, the students and the world.”

HEARTS OF LIONS


OVERCOMING THE TYRANNY OF DISTANCE


Life on the land is harsh – watching cattle starve and crops wither during a drought are common scenarios for many – and isolation and lack of support take their toll.

The tragedy is that for some men living in the bush, the tyranny of distance – both physical and psychological – is fatal, with suicide rates among males from rural and remote areas significantly higher than the national average. Extremely remote regions, such as central Australia, have suicide rates of more than double major capital cities.

A research partnership established in 2009 between the University of Newcastle, the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), Xstrata Coal and national depression initiative beyondblue aims to close the chasm in mental health services between rural and city areas.

Called xTEND – eXtending Treatments, Education and Networks for Depression, the three-year project involves the University of Newcastle’s Dr Kerry Inder working with co-investigators from the University, HMRI and Hunter New England Health.

About 1,800 men will be involved in the research, which focuses on the role of social networks, relationship breakdown and depression as potential risk factors for suicide.

Inder, who grew up in regional New South Wales, says she is particularly interested in the effect of drought on men’s mental health and the availability of appropriate health services.

“There are all sorts of emotional factors that go along with the hardship of life on the land,” she says.

“Many of these men are hand feeding cattle and sheep because the drought has been so harsh. It’s a terrible thing to watch your livelihood starve before your eyes.

“A big part of the problem is the stigma associated with mental health issues so we hope this research will also work in ways toward reducing that as well.”

She says that in 2011, about 100 rural participants in the xTEND study will be targeted with two programs developed by Hunter-based research groups in partnership with University researchers.

SHADE (Self-Help for Alcohol/other drug use and Depression), developed by University of Newcastle researchers Dr Frances Kay-Lambkin and Professor Amanda Baker, is a program for people with alcohol and substance abuse problems who have depression. Soon to be available on the Internet, Inder hopes its availability on the worldwide web will provide some support for men in isolated areas.

The second program, Partners in Depression, is a workshop-based program developed by the Hunter Institute of Mental Health to address the support needs of those who love or care for a person with depression.

For further information, please contact Kerry Inder on 02 4033 5720 or 02 4913 8191or email [email protected]

There are all sorts of emotional factors that go along with the hardship of life on the land

“ “

While transport links between Australia’s remote and urban areas have never been better, for many living in rural areas the city and its support services may as well be on the moon.


The Newcastle Time Team may sound like it belongs in a science fi ction movie but, surprisingly, the opposite is true.

THE HEART OF HISTORY


An arm of the University of Newcastle’s Coal River Working Party, the team is made up of a group of dedicated historians, archaeologists, geologists, surveyors and community members whose mission is to go back in time and verify physical evidence of Newcastle’s past.

The team’s aim is to locate the original Macquarie Pier Foundation Stone, laid by Governor Macquarie on 5 August 1818 to herald the construction of the break wall linking the mainland to Nobbys Island.

Almost two centuries later on 4 August 2010, the Dean of Newcastle, Dr James Rigney, blessed the forthcoming archaeological works during a ceremony at Nobbys Beach. Her Excellency Governor Marie Bashir unveiled a bronze marker, representing the connection between land and people.

Coal River Working Party Chair and University Archivist Gionni Di Gravio says the dedication of the marker earmarked the Macquarie Pier as a “place of hope”. “Just as people walk the Sydney Harbour Bridge for reconciliation, it is our hope that the pier will become a new pathway of connection between people and places,” he says.

“Retrieving the original stone and rededicating it somewhere for everyone to enjoy will be very meaningful for the people of the region.”

The Coal River Working Party is a unique community collaboration of experts formed by the University in 2003 to restore Newcastle and the Hunter region’s significant contribution to the Australian story. It is just one of the many ways in which the University’s Cultural Collections staff pursue their labour of love for the Hunter’s historical evidence.

Bringing history alive drives Di Gravio, who works with Special Collections Librarian Lyn Keily in the centre of the

historical and cultural memory of the University.

Incorporating the University Archives, Rare Books and Special Collections, it is here the historic evidence of the Hunter region is meticulously catalogued and shelved for the community to enjoy. Rare books, historic exhibitions, surveyors’ sketches and aged documents all have their place.

An ongoing project involves collating high-resolution digital replicas of original historic documents from museums around the world.

“These are important documents in the history of the Hunter and we need to have this evidence close,” says Di Gravio.

“The people of Newcastle and the Hunter region will never know who we are and where we belong on the world stage if we aren’t the keepers of our own history.”

Many of the materials held by Cultural Collections are also available to the wider public via the Internet – blogs, websites and Flickr – where a host of digitalised photographic collections have been posted.

The community’s response has been overwhelming. As more and more historic photographs make their way to cyberspace via Cultural Collections, the University has received countless correspondence from people thrilled to recognise relatives, often deceased, in the images.

“We have had emails from people who had very few photographs of relatives but have discovered more on our Flickr site,” enthuses Di Gravio.

“This ‘conversation’ with the community has enabled us to put names to faces and events. It’s been a great way to connect and build the story of the Hunter.”

Retrieving the original stone and rededicating it somewhere for everyone to enjoy will be very meaningful for the people of the region

“ “


More than 300 graduate and undergraduate students are enrolled at the University in Australia’s richest suite of theological degree programs, offered through the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

A new partnership between the University and specialist theological education provider The Broken Bay Institute (BBI) has enriched the University’s theological offering, which has been a regular discipline since 2007.

BBI Director/Principal Gerard Goldman says the current interest in theology at the University is indicative of a world in which people are searching for meaning. “Technological and communication advances, globalisation, political strife, war, climate change, and the aftermath of 9/11 have created a huge interest in spirituality,” he says.

“Even though this quest for meaning is simultaneously accompanied by a suspicion of institutions, it has given BBI confidence in our decision to join the conversation the University has with students across all disciplines.

“The University’s program has great support from the Anglican Church through the Foundation Chair of

Uncertainty and fear in a changing world have created a renewed interest in spirituality that is being refl ected at the University of Newcastle by growth in one of education’s oldest and most respected disciplines.

Theology and building that partnership into an even richer one is something we look forward to.”

The Anglican Diocese funds the founding University’s Professor of Theology position under a five-year agreement undertaken in 2007.

The Bachelor of Theology degree program offers a study of religious traditions and thought, designed to deepen and broaden understanding of theology in society and as an academic discipline.

Former University of Newcastle Pro Vice-Chancellor of Education and Arts Professor Terry Lovat says theology has never been more relevant and that religion is implicit in “almost everything that arises in the human community”.

“Religion and issues of faith are as prominent as any issue in the twenty-first century with the potential to make or break civilization as we know it.”

He says the global reaction to 9/11 and the events that followed is a pertinent example of why theology is so relevant to today’s world. “The eyes of the western world immediately turned to Islam when Muslim extremists were blamed for the event.

DEGREES OF HOPE

“Across the world, a lot of people suddenly became suspicious of anyone who looked like they might be a Muslim.”

Lovat says he believes much of the consequent fear and international hatred was fuelled by a widespread misconception about Islam. “The reaction to 9/11 was symptomatic of a society in which theology had been largely sidelined for what was considered more relevant disciplines.

“But if people were more informed about religion, history may have taken a different course.”

He says the University’s growing theology program was a positive way forward for humanity.

Goldman agrees. “In the fullness of time, we hope to envelope the traditions, religions and beliefs from the four corners of the world into our theology degrees, including Indigenous spirituality.

“Theology is about hope and the world has never needed it more.”

There are currently 60 undergraduateand 264 postgraduate BBI and University of Newcastle students obtaining Theology qualifications.


Now in her second year of a teaching degree, 37-year-old Parfitt is the recipient of one of the University of Newcastle Industry Scholarships (IS) scholarship, putting her squarely on track to become the high school teacher she has always wanted to be.

The $44,000 scholarship with not-for-profit education and training organisation youthconnections.com.au will involve her working with disadvantaged youth in a series of placements throughout her degree.

Work placement is one of the key elements of the IS program, which is a partnership between the University and industry that provides worthy students with the opportunity to make significant contributions to the workplace as well as their area of study.

At first glance, Parfitt’s journey has not been vastly different to that of many of her peers – high school, travel, marriage and a family – but scratch the surface and another story emerges.

Hers is an inspiring tale of a dedicated young woman working slowly and tenaciously through a life plan to rectify the shortcomings of her early education.

Brought up in the remote town of Balranald, New South Wales, where her parents ran a shearing business, Parfitt describes the quality of her early education as disappointing.

After leaving home, Parfitt spent the next eight years travelling around Australia working as a fruit picker and farm hand. A position as housemother at Catherine House in Broome gave her a taste of working with disadvantaged children – an experience that cemented her desire to teach.

In 1995, Parfitt broadened her horizons with a three-year overseas adventure, during which she met her South African husband Darren. The couple married in Scotland and returned to Australia in 1999.

Immersed in the pleasures and activity of being a mum to three young boys, it wasn’t until 2007 that Parfitt’s spirit of adventure called her again. But this time, with more bags to pack – for her expanded family of sons – her odyssey would be closer to home.

“As much as I loved being a mother, I felt as if I had forgotten what I was capable of beyond it,” she says. “Motherhood is the most important job in the world, but I needed a new challenge.”

Parfitt took her three sons – Michael, 11, Riley, 9, and Martin, 6 out of school and headed outback to Wilcannia for seven weeks to help out with her family’s business, cooking for a shearing team.

“The trip turned out to be a much bigger challenge than I thought it would be, but it reignited the fire in me. It reminded me of my strength and prepared me for the next step of my plan – my teaching degree.”

Being selected for the IS scholarship was “incredible”.

“As soon as I heard these IS scholarships with Youth Connections were available,I knew I had to do everything I could to be selected.”

IS manager Angela Samuels says Parfitt’s ambition stood out in the sea of scholarship applications. “Angela is not your typical student. Starting a university degree at 37 with three young children is an extraordinary achievement in itself,” says Samuels.

“But even on paper, her enthusiasm, determination and spark were immediately apparent. For her to have been selected for this scholarship and connected with such a well-matched sponsor is really rewarding – it’s what IS is all about.”

Unwavering determination to pursue a dream has led mother-of-three Angela Parfi tt on an extraordinary journey since she left her childhood home in outback New South Wales at 17.

LIFE LESSONS LEAD TO SCHOLARSHIP


The old rugby union expression “one in, all in” never rang truer than in 2008 when the University of Newcastle Rugby Union fi rst grade side took to the pitch wearing pink jerseys to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

PAYING IT FORWARD

But it was when the team’s opposition, long-time rivals The Wanderers, emerged from the sheds wearing pink socks in solidarity with the University side that jaws dropped.

“As soon as we saw that The Wanderers had come to the party and worn pink too, we knew we’d touched people,” says University of Newcastle Rugby Union Club President Barry Mullard.

“You have to remember this was before it was common for rugby teams to wear pink to support charity, so we caused a bit of a stir.”

The result of the “stir” was a $33,000 cheque for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

It was the first of many fundraising initiatives that have since been undertaken by the University’s oldest sporting club, founded in 1955. The Patron of the club and University of Newcastle Foundation Executive Officer, Dr Bernie Curran, says university sporting clubs have a long tradition of community involvement.

“Sport has been a major institution at the University of Newcastle since its beginnings,” says Curran. “Sport crosses all boundaries and when our clubs stage an event as significant as the Rugby National Breast Cancer fundraiser, it brings people together.”

The fundraising activities in 2008 raised more than $16,000 through the sale of jerseys, raffles and a barbecue. The UON Foundation also played a role in attracting donations and the support of a major donor, BHP Billiton, matched the amount. Other sponsorship on the day was provided by local businesses owners, most being “old boys” of the club.

“We firmly believe in putting something back in to the community,” says Mullard.

The club has also raised money for Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off The Streets, an organisation supporting homeless and drug-addicted young Australians, and the Mayumarri Healing Survivors of Childhood Abuse Program.

In 2010, the club turned its attention to a match-day fundraiser for a charity helping young people.

“About 75 per cent of our players are University students and the rest are graduates,” says Mullard. “It’s important for them to realise how lucky they are to have been able to go to school, university and probably on to promising careers.

“Not everyone is as fortunate and we want our players to learn compassion. We know that many of them will go on to be leaders in industry and business and our hope is when they are in those positions and people approach them for support – wherever they are in the world – that they can look back to their university days and remember the satisfaction of helping others.”

There are about 120 members of the University Rugby Union Club, which has five rugby union teams including a women’s side.

“We also have chapters of the Friends of the University Rugby – ‘the old boys’ – in Melbourne and Brisbane. They meet once a month and fundraise themselves,” says Mullard.

“Our small club is like a big octopus reaching out to the community with all of our arms.”

Photo: Allistar Torrence


For little Pangari Marrclark, a holiday in the sunshine with her beloved grandmother and three siblings was an unexpected gift.

HOLIDAYS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

For her “Nan” – Joyce McKinnon – it was almost too good to be true.

Even though her life in Taree with full-time guardianship of her four grandchildren is “busy and happy”, 70-year-old McKinnon’s dedication to her family means her plate is full.

Eight-year-old Pangari has Rett Syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental disorder requiring a high level of care. Adding to the difficulties of juggling four children and Pangari’s problems is the family’s distance from major medical centres, which can make McKinnon’s day-to-day routine overwhelming.

Unfortunately, their experience is not uncommon. Children with rare disorders, their parents and siblings face many challenges, especially those in rural communities. Visits to distant cities for specialist appointments must be planned with military precision, appointments coordinated and accommodation booked.

But a program of retreats designed to reduce stress and improve the wellbeing of families of children with rare disorders is throwing people like McKinnon a welcome lifeline in the form of a family holiday.

Led by special needs dentist Dr Peter King, the program is called the Special Needs Unlimited Group (SNUG). It is coordinated by the University’s Family Action Centre (FAC), a multidisciplinary organisation that strengthens families and communities by developing and implementing programs promoting sustainability, social justice and community leadership.

Thanks to SNUG, McKinnon’s family, and three others in a similar situation, were able to put some of those challenges aside for a week and enjoy a well-earned break at Myuna Bay Recreational Facility on the shores of Lake Macquarie.

“We had a ball,” says McKinnon, smiling at the memory. “It was the most wonderful thing we have ever done. The organisers don’t have wings and they don’t have halos but to us they are all angels.”

Each ‘camp’ brings together children with a similar syndrome or rare disorder, allowing specific needs to be met. Participating specialists provide free services to the children and help coordinate ongoing care between GPs, specialists and allied health professionals.

Staff members arrange activities for the children and student volunteers drawn from the University’s allied health and teaching programs provide support. The students gain valuable experience as well as an awareness of the challenges faced by the children and their families.

Each family has a private room and bathroom but everyone comes together for catered meals and recreation time, giving them the opportunity to relax and foster friendships with families in similar situations.

SNUG’s principal sponsor is the Steve Waugh Foundation and the program also received support from a host of organisations, including Hunter New England Health, Northern NSW Oral Health Network, and the University’s departments of speech pathology and occupational therapy.

For King, the program is inspiring.

“Siblings see other families coping in the same situations,” he says. “Parents feel less isolated and the children love it. Importantly, it streamlines the rigmarole of numerous specialist appointments, which can be very difficult when you live so far away.”


When David Connell’s excited seven-year-old daughter brought home a school newsletter appealing for fathers to sign up for the University-run Healthy Dads Healthy Kids program, he did so reluctantly.

“I wasn’t keen on being told to eat apples and run 10 kilometres a day, but the kids were really keen,” says the Singleton Mines Rescue site manager, now able to laugh at his preconceptions. “It turned out to be one the best things I’ve ever done and it should be mandatory for all fathers as soon as their kids start school.”

Healthy Dads Healthy Kids (HDHK) is the brainchild of Associate Professor Phil Morgan from the Faculty of Education and Arts and is designed to help overweight fathers shed the kilos and be a role model of positive health behaviour for their children.

Participants attend eight sessions, three with their primary school-aged children, and learn strategies to change unhealthy eating habits and involve the family in physical activity. It is the first program of its kind in the world to focus on fathers and their children.

Connell was pleasantly surprised by the depth of information offered and how it was presented. “I’ve been to health and fitness talks before, but they didn’t really work,” says the father-of-three. “The difference with this program is that Phil provides the family perspective and helps you understand the impact on your kids of what you do and say about food and fitness.

“We’re all eating far better and the tips he shared about meal times have turned our dinners from a battlefield to a joy.”

Growing international research has shown how influential fathers are in terms of empowering and motivating their children. Research has also shown that obese dads have been associated with a four-fold increase in the risk of obesity in both sons and daughters by 18 years of age, which further increases children’s risk to various lifestyle diseases in adulthood.

It is this research and a hunch Morgan had that led to the creation of the program in 2008. “The idea came from a couple of other research projects I was involved in including SHED-IT, which is a weight-loss program for men,” says Morgan.

“The men who lost weight who were fathers talked about how great it was to be able to play with their children and be more active. The positivity they developed had a flow-on effect within the family.”

Morgan’s hunch has proved to be spot on and the successful outcomes of the program have been published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2010. Morgan and his team were recognised in 2010 at the prestigious International Congress on Obesity in Sweden where they were awarded Best Research in Public Health and Policy.

Published results showed that about 85 per cent of fathers in the HDHK pilot group achieved a clinically important sustained weight loss of more than five per cent of their body weight. Connell lost six kilograms. “The program got me back on track and definitely changed my bad habits.”

Now that the program has proven such a success, Morgan’s objective is to make it sustainable. Support from the University and funding from the Hunter Medical Research Institute and the Coal & Allied Community Development Fund enabled the community trials at Singleton and there are now plans to roll out the program across other Hunter towns including Cessnock, Muswellbrook, Scone and Maitland.

“We’re developing a facilitator’s manual and training local health and education professionals,” says Morgan. “There’s a very real need in the community. Dads learn that they matter and that spending time with their children is essential to their holistic health development.”

Interested fathers are encouraged to visit www.healthydadshealthykids.com.au or call Myles Young 02 4985 4038.

Associate Professor Morgan works in collaboration with Hunter Medical

Research Institute’s (HMRI) Public Health Program. HMRI is a partnership

between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health and

the community.

FATHERS TAKE THE LEAD


MAKING THE CONNECTION

When Yale University contacted Dr Frances Kay-Lambkin expressing a commercial interest in her groundbreaking online treatment for those battling depression and drug and alcohol problems, her fi rst response was “Help!”

grown to include grants from the Faculty of Health and the Hunter Medical Research Institute.

“When I first developed SHADE almost a decade ago, using computers to deliver treatment was regarded as a radical idea and the innovation scared funding bodies,” recalls Kay-Lambkin. “I was really committed to this platform because of the demand on mental health services and the need for people to be able to access information quickly and at all hours of the day. Jennie saw the value in what I was doing and was prepared to give me the opportunity to put my research into practice.”

The main advantage of the internet format is accessibility. With people increasingly turning to the web for health information, SHADE is a valuable resource that is available 24 hours a day.

Without the guidance of Newcastle Innovation, which helps businesses benefit from the leading-edge research being conducted at the University, Kay-Lambkin believes commercial agreements would have passed her by. “I didn’t want this application to sit in a drawer gathering dust, but I didn’t know how to disseminate it apart from the traditional avenues of conference papers and publications. Chris and Newcastle Innovation CEO Brent Jenkins have helped educate me.”

Trials of SHADE are currently being undertaken in Australian primary care settings, a Central Coast drug and alcohol clinical service and an early psychosis service in Sydney. Pending the results, New South Wales will then make a decision about taking up the application.

“We’re also focused on updating the technology which has advanced dramatically in the past decade,” adds Kay-Lambkin, who also wants to expand the modules to include information about weight loss and exercise as a way of reducing the high risk of cardiovascular disease among people with depression.

Adding to the progress of Kay-Lambkin’s project are 26 other developments being guided by Newcastle Innovation, making 2010 “an exciting year” according to Kelleher. The not-for-profit company is currently working with more than 300 businesses on University research projects totalling $10 million. “Our aim is to build relationships between researchers and the business community,” says Kelleher. “It’s all about making the connection.”

Dr Kay-Lambkin is a senior research fellow with

the University’s Priority Research Centre for

Brain and Mental Health Research and works

in collaboration with Hunter Medical Research

Institute’s (HMRI) Brain & Mental Health program.

Her research is supported by grants from HMRI

including Xstrata Coal and beyondblue. Dr

Kay-Lambkin was also a recipient of a scholarship

from HMRI Life Governor, Jennie Thomas.

The person on the receiving end of her plea was Newcastle Innovation’s Senior Business Development Manager Chris Kelleher. He has been pivotal in negotiations and acted as a knowledgeable, friendly sounding board for the researcher.

“I know my research inside and out,” says Kay-Lambkin, “but I was way out of my depth when it came to the business side. I had no idea what to do next, which is when I picked up the phone and contacted Newcastle Innovation. They guided me through each step – and there have been many.”

Newcastle Innovation helped formally register the intellectual property and sign a commercialisation agreement with Yale, which means Kay-Lambkin’s novel, evidence-based intervention known as SHADE (Self-Help for Alcohol/other drug use and Depression) could be assisting Americans by the beginning of 2011.

“We’re very excited about this project,” says Kelleher. “While Frances isn’t experienced in the commercial side of research, she has been very open-minded and eager to see her project out there helping people.”

It has been a long road for SHADE, which owes its development to a number of essential partnerships that began in 2003 with a $60,000 scholarship funded by University donor Jennie Thomas, and has


Dastoor’s daring vision for sustainable energy has taken more than a decade of development and has the ability to dramatically change the way we live.

“One of the most significant challenges confronting Australia is meeting our ever-increasing demand for energy,” says Dastoor, Director of the University’s Priority Research Centre for Organic Electronics. “Our vision is to cover every roof in Australia with a coating that satisfies most of the energy requirements of each home.”

Dastoor’s solar paint, which is made from semi-conducting polymers, was one of many University research projects showcased at the third Hunter Central Coast Innovation Festival in May 2010. The community-centred festival highlights what is happening in science, technology, research and design in the region.

“The University is very focused on researching alternative energy sources and we’re working with international colleagues as well as committed industry partners,” says Dastoor. “There’s an expectation from the community that we lead the way.”

The benefits of Dastoor’s solar paint include its easy application and affordability when compared to conventional solar panels. His team has built cheaper, more efficient solar cells that are flexible enough to be incorporated into water-based paint. It is estimated that these new polymer-based solar cells will be much cheaper than conventional technology.

A BRAVE NEW WORLD

Progress is also being made by researchers in the University’s Priority Research Centre for Energy, which is focusing on developing alternative fuels. “If you look at our dependency on fossil fuels and the associated problems such as greenhouse gas emissions, it is essential that we look for alternative sources of energy,” says Dr Michael Stockenhuber, a chemical engineer who works in the Centre.

“It is also important to diversify our energy supply,” he adds. “We have to look beyond coal and petroleum. Industry is also determined to overcome energy inefficiencies associated with these traditional energy sources.”

Working closely with industry partners, Stockenhuber and his team have been concentrating on fuel cell technology as well as testing waste products such as glycerol and woodchip as potential energy sources.

They have also had success in developing a more efficient energy system for aircraft by replacing the heavy and expensive hydraulic mechanisms that currently control aircraft with an electrical system based on fuel cells.

Fuel consumption could decrease by as much as 10 per cent and aircraft will be lighter and more efficient.

“The community is looking for solutions and University researchers are seen as enablers,” says Stockenhuber. “It’s a daunting task but it is extremely satisfying.”

If Professor Paul Dastoor’s timing is correct, in three years we will be able to cover our roofs with an affordable, environmentally-friendly coating that generates electricity for the household.

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