The Mortar Board
Alumni E-Newsletter: February 2013

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Social Networking and Alumni Networks
• Alumni News and Activities
• Where Are They Now?
• Benefits
• University News
• Future Events
  

SOCIAL NETWORKING AND ALUMNI NETWORKS

Connect with us and with each other on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. General information and discussion topics are shared regularly.

ALUMNI NEWS AND ACTIVITIES

New alumni website coming soon!

The Development and Alumni Relations Directorate (DARD) is very happy to announce that we are currently making changes to the alumni website to improve our services to you so you can be connected and be involved for life!

The alumni website is being updated to provide access to more information and resources from the Alumni Relations program. The development of the website is expected to be completed by early March.

Work already completed includes new pages where you can register your interest to be involved with Your University, the addition of a ‘find friends’ service, and information about events and reunions. There is a page detailing the new annual CQUniversity Alumni Awards Program, which will be launched in March, and we would love to add more alumni profiles to the Our Alumni page. Have a look at the new website today and let us know what you think. Your feedback is important, so if you have any suggestions for website improvements please email alumni-enquiries@cqu.edu.au. 

CQUniversity Alumnus lands first lead movie role

Performing Arts Graduate Belinda Crawley has landed her first leading role in the movie 3 Mile Limit which is due to be released in the second half of 2013. Belinda plays the wife of a man who crusaded to open up the state-controlled airwaves by starting a pirate radio station off the New Zealand coast. Belinda recently reflected on the twists and turns that led her to the role in the film.

After graduating from CQUniversity, she was accepted for NIDA (the National Institute of Dramatic Art) to complete a Singer, Dancer, Actor program and stayed on to complete the Screen Actor program. Based in Sydney, Belinda secured roles in a cabaret show called Flaw Play and a comedy show called Not Quite Cabaret.

Her film career started when she landed the lead female role in a feature film called Frozen Moments. Although production later stalled, Belinda had caught the eye of director Craig Newland. More than a year later, the lead actress on another of Craig's projects – 3 Mile Limit – dropped out at the last minute and Craig got in touch again.

"I was getting ready to go to my day job as a retail assistant and the next minute I have a director on the phone saying to me we need you to send us some screen tests as soon as possible, we need to cast this role," Belinda said.

Belinda says she can't give too much away but the 'rollercoaster' role of her character (Judy) is to shed light on how much someone is willing to sacrifice to see the person they love succeed.

"My study at CQUniversity taught me the foundations of my craft and helped shape me into the actor that I am today. I owe thanks to lecturers Emma Killion, Jane Bacon, Ricki Fisher and Howard Cassidy for teaching me about discipline and professionalism," she says.

Alumnus Barry Levy publishes new books

The future looks bright for CQUniversity alumnus and award winning journalist Barry Levy as he adds two more books to his list of published works, both receiving excellent and insightful reviews.

Barry, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1987, has already published numerous works and now adds another strike to the tally with his latest novel, The Terrorist.

With bombs and missiles going off in flashpoints in the Middle East, an Arab Muslim student is dropped into a Western Jewish home. What follows is a search for meaning, values, identity and truth. This is the story of The Terrorist.

As well as The Terrorist, Barry has co-authored, alongside Deborah Kay, a non-fiction book called Sawdust: a memoir. Set against a background of regional Australia, in Gladstone, Queensland, Sawdust takes us deep into the heart of a child who grew up with sexual abuse so profuse, in her mind it was a cultural norm. Professor of Clinical Psychology at Queensland University of Technology, Ian Shochet, said the book is an essential read for all counsellors, psychologists and other professionals working with survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

“It provides a detailed and confronting account of the lived experience of relentless sexual abuse and the complex myriad of emotions, thoughts, perceptions and relationships that unfold through this violation. It sharply captures the challenges this poses to development and the triumph of resilience,” he said.

Sawdust: a memoir is expected to be published by June. For more information about The Terrorist, click here.

CQUniversity alumnus awarded scholarship in hunt for cancer treatments

CQUniversity alumnus and honours student Gwenda Chapman has received a scholarship, valued at $6700, that will enable her to spend 10 weeks in a laboratory evaluating Queensland rainforest-sourced plant extracts for their anti-cancer potential.

Gwenda will get to work alongside anti-cancer natural product pioneers Professor Peter Parsons and Dr Glen Boyle at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), where she will learn to use a variety of technologies - including laboratory robotics - to screen the action of plant extracts on cultured human cells.

Back in 2010, Rockhampton East Rotary Past President Mike Gorman instigated a project to support the search for cancer treatments and generous donations from the public have assisted the scholarship, established under support from Dr Andrew Fenning and Associate Professor Nanjappa Ashwath at CQUniversity.

CQUniversity's Director, Development and Alumni Relations, Suzi Blair says the scholarship is a great example of how our community can support research at the University.

"This is a project that will provide beneficial outcomes for the scholarship recipient and the Central Queensland community while creating links and opportunities with leading researchers at the Queensland Institute for Medical Research, which will enhance the skills and experience of researchers at CQUniversity", Ms Blair says.

Gwenda recently graduated from a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at CQUniversity. She appreciates support from her employer Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, where she works as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.

"I was able to get extended leave from work to attend QIMR. Hopefully this sort of experience will help in my goal to move into a laboratory research career," she says.

Alumnus Alan White seeking information on past lecturers

Alumnus Alan White is looking for an update on his past lecturers David Thomas (lecturer in structural engineering who was involved with the design of the singing ship at Emu Park) or Bill Gregg (lecturer in water and sewerage engineering). If anyone has information about either of these two past CQUniversity lecturers, please contact the Alumni Relations Manager via email.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Kathy finds joy in student progress ‘from raw to roaring’

As she retires after 35 years with CQUniversity, Kathy Ramm has much to be proud of as she reflects upon her fondest memories.

"My joy from my teaching days was to meet shy, raw students in first year, and see them again in third year as they prepared for interviews – confident, organised, capable. And to see them again at graduation and see how much more they had grown in the months since they left us. It is great that I am still getting LinkedIn requests from these students, and I can track how much more they have grown in the intervening years. Our students and our alumni are our University, and it is wonderful to see the work that the Development Office does in maintaining contact with our alumni.

"In the good old days, I taught up to four courses per term with 20 hours contact time, as well as preparing study materials for the next term, and undertaking the role of program advisor for the Associate Diploma of Business and the Bachelor of Business. As well, we would travel for a week or so each year supporting the marketing effort of the Institute. We conducted outreach sessions (classes at outposts) on weekends in places like Mt Isa, Townsville, Brisbane, Sydney, for distance education students," Kathy recalls.

Kathy has held numerous positions with CQUniversity, including being the head of the School of Accounting and Law for around 18 years, and says it’s the difference to students’ lives that kept her going. 

"Knowing that what we do is important in individual lives has made my time at CQUniversity so enjoyable.  There will always be bumps as well as the smooth rides, and one of my colleagues set the standard: ‘Kathy, we will do whatever we need to do, and we will do it with style!’"

Student voice heard, staff recognised

CQUniversity introduced the Student Voice Awards for 'On-Campus Educator of the Year' and 'Distance Educator of the Year' to recognise the student perspective through course evaluation surveys. The awards go to course coordinators whose course attracts a good survey response rate while achieving the highest overall satisfaction score from students.

Dr Kumari Fernando (top left) won the 'distance educator' award as coordinator of a Psychology course, Professional Practice of Cognitive Therapies. Her course had a response rate of 71% and satisfaction score of 4.8 (out of 5). Darrin Cournoyea (below left) won the 'on-campus' award as coordinator of a Medical Science course, Clinical Sonography, Abdomen & Superficial Structures. His course had a response rate of 88% and a satisfaction score of 4.8 (out of 5).

To see other lecturers who were commended, click here.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Queensland Flood Disaster - Message from the Vice-Chancellor

I have been shocked and saddened by the images and stories coming out of Bundaberg and other towns along the Queensland coast as a result of the recent floods.

It is horrible to see such strong and vibrant communities being tested in this way. It is, however, heartening to see such a fantastic community spirit shining through, even before the clean-up really begins.

To our staff, students, alumni and their friends and families who have been impacted by this unexpected and disastrous event please know that you are not alone - the whole CQUniversity community is thinking of you at this time.
CQUniversity Bundaberg has already been assisting the community by allowing staff from Bundaberg NewsMail (which was badly affected by the floods) to use our computer labs, ensuring the community is kept up-to-date with the latest news. Bundaberg Regional Council is also using the science labs for water testing and campus kitchens have been made available to the Salvation Army so they can provide food to those stranded in nearby evacuation centres. It's times like this that I am glad we are such an 'engaged' university.

If you wish to help, donations can be made directly to the 2013 Flood Appeal.

Best Regards
Scott

Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme

Are you interested in tutoring Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students undertaking a tertiary qualification?
The Commonwealth government provides funding to CQUniversity to administer the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS). Under this scheme, CQUniversity engages Learning Advisors to tutor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who require learning assistance in their formal program of study. 

If you are interested in being engaged as a Learning Advisor in 2013, please email itas@cqu.edu.au to register your expression of interest. You will need to supply a copy of your curriculum vitae and a certified copy of your qualifications. Scanned copies of the documents can be sent to itas@cqu.edu.au however, original documents (including certified copy of your qualifications) will need to be sent to the Office of Indigenous Engagement, if you are selected to participate in the program.

Your Expression of Interest is not a guarantee of work.  CQUniversity will not authorise payment for tutoring without the relevant appointment paperwork being completed.
Please note the following in regard to ITAS:

• Rates for Learning Advisors are - Academic Other - Step1 ($37.71 per hour) and Academic Other - Step 2 ($44.98 per hour).  Learning Advisors will only be paid at an Academic Other – Step 2 rate if they have completed a PhD. This is in line with CQUniversity’s Enterprise Agreement.

Fellowship Opportunity

CQUniversity is currently seeking potential candidates who may be interested in undergoing a fellowship with the University. The Australia Awards Fellowships aim to develop leadership, address priority regional development issues, and build partnerships and links between Australian organisations and their partner organisations in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East.For more information about eligibility please click here.

If you are interested and meet eligibility criteria, please contact Dr Susan Kinnear from CQUniversity at s.kinnear@cqu.edu.au, +61 (0) 749309336.

Tequila plant fuels interest

CQUniversity has been at the forefront of research into Agave tequilana, the plant which produces the tequila drink, as a potential source for bioethanol fuel production in Queensland. At the recent Bioenergy Australia conference, research student Deepa Rijal won best poster for describing her establishment of techniques for converting Agave plant biomass into ethanol, in collaboration with the NSW Department of Agriculture.

Deepa has also been testing the use of a Near Infrared Spectroscopy device to detect the maturity of Agave for bioethanol production.Meanwhile, other CQUniversity researchers including Associate Professor Nanjappa Ashwath, Phul Subedi and Grant Stanley have been collaborating with Agave grower Don Chambers of AUSAGAVE and bioethanol researcher Tony Vancov of NSW DPI.

Field trials have been established to demonstrate the plant's potential to serve as alternative raw materials for ethanol production units located around sugar mills. Associate Professor Ashwath says preliminary results show significant variations between different cultivars and different species.

"This indicates that significant gains can be made by testing a larger number of cultivars and other species in Queensland," he said.

"We believe this is the first time the growth potential of various genotypes of Agave has been evaluated in Queensland. Also this seems to be the first attempt to determine ethanol production potential of the leaves of Agave tequilana in Australia."

10,000 Steps project grows in leaps and bounds

CQUniversity researchers and staff from the Institute for Health and Social Science Research have been awarded an Engaged Research and Innovation award for their project 10,000 Steps.
10,000 Steps is a freely accessible physical activity promotion project that has helped many Australians increase their physical day-to-day activity.

It was a year of celebrations for the 10,000 Steps team, with the project reaching over 200,000 members and recording a combined total of more than 112 billion steps.The program has secured its 11th year of funding from the State Government.

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Community & Engagement) Professor Pierre Viljoen said the project is a prime example of how our University staff are making a difference to their communities far and wide.
Lead researcher Dr Mitch Duncan said the project was gaining momentum over time as the team continuously looked to improve processes.

"We will be increasing our work with employers to increase the physical activity levels of their workers. Being active in the workplace, regardless of occupation, is vital to employee health, well-being and productivity."

For more information about 10,000 Steps, visit http://www.10000steps.org.au/.

2012 Research Reflections – A Year of Successes

In 2012 CQUniversity made substantial progress towards fulfilling our strategic goal of becoming a research-focussed university. Our outcomes for the 2012 Australian Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) demonstrated our high level of expertise and accomplishment across a range of fields. We achieved seven fields of research greater than or equal to world standard. CQUniversity was also ranked in the SCIMago 2012 World rankings (which compares research organisations including Higher Education, Health System, Government Agencies, Corporations and Others). CQUniversity ranked 2250 in the World and 59 in Australia against all organisations. When compared with Higher Education Institutions alone, CQUniversity ranked 1620 in the World and 33 in Australia.

Our 2012 research income was about $7.1 million, largely due to a number of highly competitive and prestigious grants being awarded to the University and an expanding portfolio of contract research projects as CQUniversity’s reputation as a quality research provider continues to grow.
CQUniversity also partnered with researchers from other institutions to advance our research activities. Some of these collaborations include:

• The Health Collaborative Research Network, a formal relationship between CQUniversity, Queensland University of Technology, University of Queensland and Curtin University, with funding from the Commonwealth;
• The National Indigenous Research and Knowledge’s Network funded by the Australian Research Council;
• A Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) signed between Charles Darwin University and CQUniversity to develop a “Tropical Energy and Engineering Alliance”;
• The developing relationship between CQUniversity and Queensland University of Technology in the environment and engineering space;
• In principle agreement for an MOU between CQUniversity, Griffith University and the University of Queensland to establish the Gladstone Waters Research Partnership;  
• In addition we continue to participate in a number of consortia including the Queensland Social Science Consortium, the Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation, and the Smart Water Research Centre.

Our research training has grown as well. We currently have over 180 equivalent full-time research higher degree student load. We have welcomed establishment of the new School of Graduate Research, and arrival of the new Dean, Associate Professor Owen Nevin. It should be noted that this year is the 20th anniversary of our first PhD completion at CQUniversity (then Central Queensland University) in 1993.

FUTURE EVENTS

21 February, 6pm – 7pm, Research Unplugged, ‘Exercise, sleep and sit your way to better health’, presented by Dr Mitch Duncan, Criterion Hotel Rockhampton, RSVP j.douglas@cqu.edu.au

7 March, Alumni Dinner, 6:30pm - 9:30pm, Beijing Xiaowangfu Restaurant, Ritan Park(北京小王府餐厅日坛店), North Gate of Ritan Park, Ritan Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing (朝阳区日坛公园北门内), Contact: 138 1189 8559(Richard Li).
11 March, 5pm – 8pm, CPA Australia Career Expo, Hilton, 190 Elizabeth St, Brisbane. 

17 May – CQUniversity Alumni Event, Brisbane
1 August – CQUniversity Alumni Event, Mackay
26 August – CQUniversity Alumni Event, Bundaberg
19 September – CQUniversity Alumni Event, Sydney
22 October – CQUniversity Alumni Event, Rockhampton

Gladstone will also be holding 35th anniversary celebration events throughout the year. Dates to be confirmed.