2019
FULBRIGHT AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT
"Of all the joint ventures in which we might engage, the most productive, in my view, is EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE. I have always had great difficulty--since the initiation of the Fulbright Scholarships in 1946--in trying to find the words that would persuasively explain that educational "Of all the joint ventures in which we might engage, the most productive, in my exchange is not merely one of those nice but marginal activities in which view, is EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE. I have always had great difficulty--since the we engage inFulbright international affairs, but rather, from thewords standpoint of initiation of the Scholarships in 1946--in trying to find the that would future world peace order, probably MOSTone IMPORTANT persuasively explain thatand educational exchange isTHE not merely of those niceand but marginal activitiesREWARDING in which we engage in international affairs, but rather, from POTENTIALLY OF OUR FOREIGN-POLICY ACTIVITIES." the standpoint of future order, probably MOSTand IMPORTANT "Our future is not inworld the peace starsand but in our ownTHE minds hearts. and POTENTIALLY OF OUR which FOREIGN-POLICY ACTIVITIES." Creative leadershipREWARDING and liberal education, in fact go together, are "Our future is not in the stars but in our own minds and hearts. Creative leadership and the first requirements for a hopeful future for humankind. Fostering liberal education, which in fact go together, are the first requirements for a hopeful these--leadership, learning,these--leadership, and empathy between cultures--was future for humankind. Fostering learning, and empathy between and remainsandthe purpose of the international scholarship program cultures--was remains the purpose of the international scholarship program that I was privileged to sponsortoin sponsor the U.S. Senate years ago. is a modest that I was privileged in theover U.S.forty Senate overItforty years program with immodest aim--the achievement in international affairs of a regime ago. It is a an modest program with an immodest aim--the achievement more civilized, rational and humane than the empty system of power of the past. in international affairs of a regime more civilized, rational and I believed in that possibility when I began. I still do." - Senator J. William Fulbright humane than the empty system of power of the past. I believed in that possibility when I began. I still do." - Senator J. William Fulbright
FULBRIGHT.ORG.AU
FULBRIGHT AUSTRALIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Honorary Co-Chair (Australia) The Hon Scott Morrison Prime Minister of Australia
Honorary Co-Chair (U.S.) Ambassador Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr U.S. Ambassador to Australia
Peter de Cure (Chair) Chairman, Gifford Hill Pty Ltd; Non-Executive Director, Variety, The Children's Charity SA Gavin Sundwall (Treasurer) Minister–Counselor for Public Affairs U.S. Embassy, Canberra Christian Bennett Group Head of Government Relations & Industry Affairs Woolworths Limited, Melbourne David Gainer Consul General U.S. Consulate, Perth Professor Barney Glover AO Vice Chancellor and President Western Sydney University
Sara James Author and Journalist Dr Varuni Kulasekera Consultant Scientist, Hobart Larry Lopez Director, Accelerating Commercialisation, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Partner, Australian Venture Consultants, Perth Karen Sandercock Group Manager, International Group, Australian Government Department of Education Greg Wilcock Assistant Secretary, U.S. Branch Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
FULBRIGHT AUSTRALIA OFFICE STAFF Thomas Dougherty Executive Director
Lyndell Wilson Relationships Manager
Mark Hardy Business Manager
Lauren Bullman Scholarships Officer
Tara Hawley Scholarships Manager
Karen Coleman Scholarships Officer
Dr Pablo JimĂŠnez Alumni Relations Manager
Tracy Thomas Administration Officer/Executive Assistant
Alex MacLaurin Communications Manager
Karen Goedecke Finance Officer
2 Astronaut Col. Pamela Melroy delivers the keynote speech at the 2019 Fulbright Presentation Gala Dinner, Parliament House, Canberra
CONTENTS ABOUT FULBRIGHT 05 Note from the Board Chair & Executive Director
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PROGRAM 07 2019 At A Glance 08 Fulbright Selection Committees 10 Program Highlights 11 Scholarship Enrichment 22 Fulbright Specialist Program 26 PARTNERSHIPS 28 Fulbright Scholarship Sponsors 29 New Awards 31 2019 FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS 32 Australia 33 U.S. 39 PROFILE 42 Fulbright Event Highlights 43 Alumni Highlights 44 New Communications Initiatives 46 Social Media Highlights 50 ADMINISTRATION 52 Financial Statements 53
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J. William Fulbright
Remarks at the 30th anniversary of the Fulbright Program, 1976
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"International educational exchange is the most significant current project designed to continue the process of humanizing mankind to the point, we would hope, that men can learn to live in peace--eventually even to cooperate in constructive activities rather than compete in a mindless contest of mutual destruction....We must try to expand the boundaries of human wisdom, empathy and perception, and there is no way of doing that except through education."
ABOUT FULBRIGHT THE FULBRIGHT PROGRAM The Fulbright Program is the flagship foreign exchange scholarship program of the United States of America, aimed at increasing binational collaboration, cultural understanding, and the exchange of ideas. Born in the aftermath of WWII, the program was established by Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946 with the ethos of turning ‘swords into ploughshares’, whereby credits from the sale of surplus U.S. war materials were used to fund academic exchanges between host countries and the U.S. Since its establishment, the Fulbright Program has grown to become the largest educational exchange program in the world, operating in over 160 countries. In its seventy-year history, more than 370,000 students, academics, and professionals have received Fulbright Scholarships to study, teach, or conduct research, and promote bilateral collaboration and cultural empathy.
FULBRIGHT AUSTRALIA Fulbright Australia encourages binational collaboration and knowledge-exchange between Australia and the United States through a program of competitive, merit-based scholarships. The Australian program is unique, thanks to a diverse list of sponsors from the higher education, not-for-profit, government, and private sectors. This generous funding enables students, professionals, and academics of all disciplines to study, conduct research, and collaborate on projects of significant global import. Since its inception in 1949, Fulbright Australia has awarded over 5,000 scholarships to Australian and American candidates, promoting individual and institutional interconnectivity, fostering cultural empathy, and creating countless enduring bilateral linkages.
OUR VISION As the leading scholarship program between Australia and the United States, the Fulbright name is synonymous with academic excellence, thought leadership, and mutual understanding, and reflects the uniquely deep relationship between Australia and the United States. •
When people hear the term “Fulbright Scholar”, they will associate it with academic and professional excellence.
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The term “Fulbright Scholar” will be recognised as shorthand for thought leadership.
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The Fulbright Scholarship Program will invoke a strong and productive relationship between Australia and the United States.
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Future leaders will see Fulbright as a pathway to excellence and recognition, a conduit for cultural exchange, and an opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the Australian-American relationship.
GOALS PROGRAM:
Promote academic and professional excellence
PARTNERSHIPS:
Foster strategic relationships to maximise sponsor opportunities
PROFILE: Advance Fulbright’s influence and impact PERFORMANCE:
Cultivate best practice
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FROM THE BOARD CHAIR 2019 was a momentous year for Fulbright Australia as we worked to commemorate the legacy of the program, continue our mission to foster learning on an international scale, and to reinforce our commitment to developing the next generation of Australian and American leaders. November 26, 2019 marked 70 years since the signing of the Fulbright Treaty (the first treaty between the United States and Australia) by the fifth U.S. Ambassador to Australia, The Hon. Pete Jarman, and Australian Minister for External Affairs, The Rt. Hon. Dr H.V. Evatt. The treaty formalised the uniquely close bilateral relationship, one that has evolved and expanded to have a presence in every aspect of Australian society and government. Senator Fulbright himself wrote: “The most sensible way to [build trust and confidence] is to engage the parties in joint ventures for mutually constructive and beneficial purposes, such as trade, medical research, and the development of cheaper energy sources. To formulate and negotiate agreements of this kind requires well-educated people leading or advising our government. To this purpose the Fulbright program is dedicated." The Fulbright treaty has established a clear place in our bilateral history, and with it comes a responsibility to continue encouraging the best of our two countries to undertake collaborative academic and social exchange. Enabling programs of international learning and the development of future Leaders has been the foundation of Fulbright’s 70-year mission. In 2019 we saw more Australian and American Fulbright Scholars awarded than any previous year. Generous university and government funding together with philanthropic funding from the Kinghorn Foundation enabled us, for the first time, to offer fullyfunded programs of study and research, covering tuition and visiting researcher fees thus making Fulbright Scholarships more accessible than ever before. This investment has already begun to pay dividends, as the first of the 2019 Future Scholars begin to return from their programs of research with new collaborative linkages in fields such as regenerative medicine, improving our ability to treat “untreatable” diseases; data security, enabling greater control over digital assets in the quantum age; and materials science, increasing the efficiency and efficacy of the technologies we will rely on more and more for renewable energy production.
Later in 2020, our student cohort will graduate from master’s degrees at some of the world’s most prestigious universities and return home to continue their careers, rich with knowledge, wisdom, enhanced professional networks and new friendships. They will share their stories and connections, inspiring a new generation to take their own leap of faith across the Pacific, and the cascading benefits of the Fulbright Program will continue exponentially. The Fulbright Program has always been about educating and creating opportunities for leaders. Across the globe, approximately 40 Fulbright alumni have served as heads of state or government, and countless others have become leaders in local, state, and federal government. Two of our alums in fact, Greg Hunt and Paul Fletcher, are currently ministers in the Australian Cabinet, and alumna Clare O’Neil is Shadow Minister for Innovation, Technology and the Future of Work. Yet leadership is not confined to government. Fulbright alumni are spearheading crucial research projects, leading culturally important institutions, and developing and refining policy to inform government, industry, and business alike. In December 2019 the Australian Government backed all ten recommendations from the Coaldrake Review, aimed at improving our higher education system, written by two-time Fulbright alum (and former Fulbright Board Chair) Professor Peter Coaldrake. A month prior to this, 2019 Fulbright Future Scholar and former Paralympian Dr Paul Harpur addressed the United Nations to put forward recommendations from his research concerning disability rights and inclusion in the global job market. In September, 2002 Fulbright alum Stacy Jupiter was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, recognizing her work leading marine conservation research in the South Pacific. There are myriad examples of Fulbright leadership, and there will be many more as our 5,000-strong alumni network continues to grow. I’d like to thank my fellow board members, and bid a grateful farewell to those who finished their terms in 2019 – Laura Anderson, Rachel Cooke, and Greg Wilcock. A warm welcome to David Gainer and Sara James. I’d like to thank the entire Fulbright Commission team, too, for their hard work managing a rapidly-expanding and increasinglycomplex scholarships program. A special thanks goes to Scholarships Manager Tara Hawley, after four years of service to Fulbright. Finally, a sincere and heartfelt thank-you to all of our supporters, volunteers, and well-wishers, without whom the Program would not have lasted a year, let alone seventy. Peter de Cure Chair, Australian-American Fulbright Commission Board of Directors
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Fulbright Australia continues to grow and flourish, promoting the exchange of knowledge and ideas at a time when mutual understanding globally is as important as it was when the program was established in the aftermath of World War II. We awarded more scholarships in 2019 than ever before in our 70-year history, and we are poised to have an even larger cohort of awardees in 2020. Our new Strategic Plan provides a road map for the next five years leading up to our 75th anniversary. Our vision: “Fulbright is the leading and most innovative international scholarship program in Australia. Our scholars are making enduring contributions for the betterment of Australia, the United States, and the world.” Our mission: “We provide opportunities to exceptional Australian and American students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds to enrich their education; advance their careers; establish productive and lasting connections and collaborations; foster mutual understanding, and deepen the unique bilateral partnership between Australia and the United States.”
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In order to fully realize our vision and mission, we will ensure that our broad range of scholarship programs in all disciplines and at all levels promote academic and professional excellence. We will establish enduring partnerships between individuals and institutions, thanks to the generosity and support of all our sponsors and of The Kinghorn Foundation. We will elevate the Fulbright experience to a wide audience in order to promote thought leadership and enable Australians and Americans to solve problems and work together to achieve common goals. Finally, the small but highly dedicated and productive Commission team will continue to maintain the highest level of performance in managing one of the most vibrant Fulbright programs in the world. Thomas Dougherty U.S. Ambassador (ret.) Executive Director Australian-American Fulbright Commission
PROGRAM:
PROMOTE ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE
Ben Sparkes 2019 Fulbright Future Scholar
The Fulbright Program has an outstanding global reputation, owing to our high standard for applicants, our enduring history of social impact, and our 70-year commitment to facilitating life-changing exchange opportunities to scholars from all academic backgrounds. What sets Fulbright apart from other exchange programs is our commitment to facilitating academic and professional exchanges that specifically address issues of bilateral impact and foster meaningful collaboration between Australia and the U.S.
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2 0 1 9
A T
A
G L A N C E
90
Fulbright Scholarships Awarded
7 34 16 33
24
66
Americans
Australians
45
Distinguished Chair Scholar Postdoctoral
Fully-funded Fulbright Future Scholarships Awarded
Postgraduate
137
2.3m 5.8m
$ $2.3m $
2018 2019
Unique Home / Host Institutions
Funding towards bilateral study / research exchange
Australian Scholar - Home / Host U.S. Scholar - Home / Host
66
2
1
1
9/1 2/1
2
1 7
1
2
1/2
3
3
1/2
1/1
6/2
1
1/1
1 1
1 3/1
1 2
8
9/1 2 2
1
AWARDEE DISCIPLINES Social Sciences / Humanities / Arts / History: 30% Policy / Political Science:
16%
Medical Sciences / Psychology:
13%
Life Sciences:
Physical Sciences: Law:
13%
Business / Economics / IT: Education:
13%
8%
5% 2%
AWARDEE DISTRIBUTION United States Arizona: 1 Connecticut: 2 Colorado: 1 DC: 2 Indiana: 2 Kentucky: 1 Louisiana: 1 Maine: 2 Massachusetts: 1 Michigan: 1 Missouri: 1 Montana: 1 New York: 2 North Carolina: 1 Ohio: 1 South Carolina: 1 Rhode Island: 1 Texas: 1 Utah: 1
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3 8/2 4/1 3/4 18/5 12/6 16/6
2
Australia Australian Capital Territory: 12 New South Wales: 18 Northern Territory: 3 Queensland: 8 South Australia: 3 Tasmania: 2 9 Victoria: 16 Western Australia: 4
2 0 1 8 / 1 9
F U L B R I G H T
DISCIPLINE COMMITTEES Arts/Social Sciences (Students) Stephane Shepherd Swinburne University Chris Dixon Macquarie University Margaret S, Barrett The University of Queensland Arts/Social Sciences (Scholars) Ross Woodrow Griffith University Stuart Cunningham Queensland University of Technology Nicky Solomon University of Technology Sydney STEM (Scholars) Todd Oliynyk Monash University Rose Ahlefeldt Australian National University David Bishop The University of Technology STEM (Students) Ralf Dietzgen University of Queensland Martin Thoms University of New England Vanessa Adams University of Tasmania Public Health Heidi Zeeman Griffith University Kathryn Field Royal Melbourne Hospital Medical Sciences Iona Novak Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Inst Peter Stanwell The University of Newcastle Peter Laggat AM The University of Newcastle Law Sundhya Pahuja University of Melbourne Judge Paul Howard Federal Court Judge Robert Fowler The University of South Australia Anthony McLeod U.S. Supreme Court Ross Buckley University of New South Wales
S E L E C T I O N
Politics/International Relations Anna Samson Australian National University Haig Patapan Griffith University Fergus Hanson International Cyber Policy Centre Vafa Ghazavi Oxford University INTERVIEW COMMITTEES U.S. Distinguished Chair (STEM) Brigid Heywood University of Tasmania Melissa Straffon CSIRO Ian Petersen Australian National University Lisa Andonovski U.S. Embassy, Canberra U.S. Distinguished Chair (Arts) Stephan Fruehling Australian National University Rae Frances Australian National University Min Gu RMIT University U.S. Anne Wexler Veronica Taylor (Chair) Australian National University Gavin Sundwall U.S. Embassy, Canberra Anthony Bowden Department of Education Australian Capital Territory Frances Shannon (Chair) University of Canberra Mary Kelly Charles Sturt University Ben Goldsmith Australian National University Jenny Christmass Department of Education Ian Petersen Australian National University Gabriele Bammer Australian National University
Western Australia Kate Wright (Chair) University of Western Australia Rachel Cooke U.S. Embassy John Pluske Murdoch University Peter Dean University of Western Australia Tim Dolin Curtin University Business/Computing Andrew Lu Daniel McNamara Jarman McKenna Australian National University Allison Hymus (State Secretary) Annette Stewart Murdoch University Bush Heritage Australia Andrew Tyndale Northern Territory Grace Mutual Sue Carthew (Chair) Dharmendra Sharma Charles Darwin University University of Canberra Steve Morton Nick Wyman CSIRO (Alice Springs) Australia Foundation Alan Cass Menzies School of Health 10
Debra Liddiard Department of Education Allan Christie Department of Education Maryanne McKaige (State Secretary) Charles Darwin University
C O M M I T T E E S
Kaye Basford Griffith University Ian Turner Queensland University of Technology Donald Maynard U.S. Consulate Sydney Susan Gasson (State Secretary) Tasmania Queensland University of Technology Brigid Heywood (Chair) University of Tasmania Postdoctoral Varuni Kulasekera Rod Hill (Chair) Board Member Charles Sturt University Fulbright Australia Margaret Thornton David Sudmalis Australian National University Arts Tasmania Anne Baly Anya Reading Fulbright Board Member (fmr) University of Tasmania Andrew Young Richard Eccleston CSIRO University of Tasmania Larissa Hjorth Tanya Adrych (State Secretary) RMIT University University of Tasmania Scholar/Distinguished Chair Victoria Deb Hodgson (Chair) Brenda Cherednichenko University of Newcastle (Chair) Jennifer Hendriks Deakin University Australian National University Zlatko Skrbis John Leslie Monash University Kansas State University Colin Scholes Sean Barrett The University of Melbourne Origin Foundation Swee Mak RMIT University Coral Sea Diane Kirkby April Palmerlee (Chair) La Trobe University AmCham Debra Lee (State Secretary) Larry Lopez The University of Melbourne Fulbright Board Member Christian Bennett South Australia Fulbright Board Member Pascale Quester (Chair) University of Adelaide Alliance Studies Jason Whittle Greg Wilcock (Chair) Universty of South Australia Fulbright Board Member Kate Douglas Clare O'Neil Flinders University Office of the Chief of Army Andrew Abell Jo Cowley University of Adelaide Dept. of Foreign Affairs & Trade Anthony Maeder Flinders University Non-Profit Leadership Rosie Wilkes (State Secretary) Paul Murnane (Chair) University of Adelaide Australian Scholarships Foundation New South Wales Sam Sayers Lesley Hitchens (Chair) Australian Scholarships University of Technology Sydney Foundation Deb Hodgson Tessa Boyd-Caine University of Newcastle Justice Partnerships Brian Wilson Jane Richmond University of New England Perpetual Ltd. Adam Lockyer Macquarie University Donald Maynard U.S. Consulate, Sydney James Arvanitakis Western Sydney University Jordi Austin (State Secretary) University of Sydney Queensland Ned Pankhurst (Chair) Griffith University Sandra Harding James Cook University Caitlin Byrne Griffith University
P R O G R A M
H I G H L I G H T S
FULBRIGHT FUTURE PROGRAM Thanks to the exceptional generosity of the Kinghorn Foundation, the Fulbright Future Scholarships have grown to be the most comprehensive and generous of the Fulbright catalogue.
FULBRIGHT FUTURE SCHOLARSHIPS
These scholarships include full tuition or visiting research fees, a living allowance, return international airfares, dependent allowance, and insurance coverage. The awards are available to talented Australian and American students to undertake study or research in the partner country, in areas that will positively impact the lives, livelihoods, well-being and prosperity of Australians. Their study or research projects aim to advance cutting edge applied science, kick start business collaborations that foster job creation or further the development of impact-driven emergent technologies.
In 2019, 30 Australian and 15 American students, researchers and professionals were awarded and commenced their Fulbright Future Scholarships.
An unprecedented 65 Australians have recently been selected as Fulbright Future Scholars for 2020, more than doubling the size of the program. We are most grateful to the Kinghorn Foundation for their support and generosity.
#THISISFULBRIGHT PHOTO COMPETITION At the beginning of 2019, we launched a photo competition, asking Fulbright Scholars and alumni to send us photos that best encapsulate their Fulbright experiences. We had an incredible response, with close to 100 photos submitted from various alumni on both sides of the Pacific. Each photo was shared on our social media pages via the hashtag #ThisIsFulbright. The submissions were assessed by a panel of 'experts' at the Fulbright office, with scores awarded based on photo composition, caption quality, storytelling, and the 'Fulbright factor' of the image. The panel were divided over the winner, so it was decided to award two candidates a joint-victory. The joint-winners were Jessica Kretzmann, 2018 Fulbright Western Australia Scholar (University of Western Australia to University of Massachusetts, Amherst), and Lily van Eeden, 2018 Fulbright New South Wales Scholar (University of Sydney to University of Washington). Images: (left) “Snow-shoeing my six-month pregnant belly into Yellowstone to find wolf-killed elk carcasses with students from UWA." - Lily van Eeden, Yellowstone National Park, WY (above) “‘Reflecting’ on the past 8 months in the U.S. thanks to 11 Fulbright. Looking forward for what the future has to bring!” - Jessica Kretzman, Coyote Buttes, AZ
F U L B R I G H T
D I S T I N G U I S H E D
C H A I R
P R O G R A M
The Fulbright Distinguished Chair Scholarships are the most prestigious awards within the Fulbright Scholar Program. All awardees are recognised as eminent figures in their fields, with world-leading research and professional credentials. The Australian-American Fulbright Commission currently administers seven of the approximately forty Distinguished Chair Scholarships on offer around the world.
THE MOON IS UPSIDE DOWN, AND OTHER UNEXPECTED DISCOVERIES Professor William Schonberg, Distinguished Chair in Advanced (Defence) Science & Technology Home: Sponsor/Host: Field:
Missouri University of Science and Technology Defence Science and Technology Group (DST) Engineering
When I first learned of my acceptance into the Fulbright program, I was thrilled! Amazed! Astounded even! And in Australia! Wow. Of course, eventually the reality of all that was required to make The Move set in. However, throughout those hectic few months leading up to the beginning of my program with the DST Group, there was always a pretty steady level of excitement simmering below the surface. Not only will I have the opportunity to work on an important technical project, but also, as a Distinguished Chair, there will be the opportunity to travel in Australia and visit with colleagues and meet with members of the general public to discuss not only my research project but also other contemporary scientific and technical issues of interest. My original research proposal targeted the development of mathematical models to more accurately predict how structures and other systems can withstand a physical attack. Following my arrival in Melbourne, the focus of my work soon zeroed in on the failure modes that could be experienced by land vehicles under physical attack.
The results of my work will now allow DST researchers to better predict the response of different kinds of armoured vehicles to different types of small caliber arms fire. My time at DST also allowed me to branch out, and to use my expertise from the last 30 years in a slightly different area, which was obviously a lot of fun – it allowed me to flex my intellectual muscles a bit! The question in my mind was, “Could the work people did in years past be applied to Land Division’s problems of interest?” My thinking was that would be great to be able to use what’s already out there, without having to spend a lot of time and money developing an entirely new response predictor model. The answer I eventually arrived at was, YES! … at least to some extent. Taking established, sometimes decades-old scientific models of how certain types of structures respond to impact, I first had to figure out which of them were even applicable to land vehicle configurations today. In the end, I was able to find a handful of extant models whose predictions matched pretty well with the test data, after just a little bit of tweaking to some of their empirical parameters, for example. 12
I thought that was pretty cool because many of the materials we use now didn’t exist when these models were developed, but, as it turned out, they are sufficiently robust so that with a just a few simple modifications we can use them today. To me, that’s exciting! Because you can’t test all materials and all projectiles under all configurations, the ultimate goal of my work was to hopefully find a model that’s general enough, like some of the ones I’ve uncovered from decades ago, that can be continually updated so that it is applicable to the widest set of materials, impacts, etc. Hopefully, DST’s defence scientists will be able to take these models and insert them into their vulnerability and lethality assessments so that their approaches in these assessments can become more general and comprehensive. On the more personal side of my Fulbright experience, I was surprised and pleased to find that just about all of the Australian people I met continue to hold the U.S. in high regard with respect to its leadership in science, technology, and engineering. It also happened that it was the 50th anniversary of the moon landing while I was in Australia. I was really impressed by the number and variety of commemorative events taking place! Many people told me how proud they were that Australia was a partner with the United States, and was so instrumental in helping to realize that achievement.
"All in all, my Fulbright experience has left me with a renewed excitement for international collaboration to solve problems of mutual interest. More so than ever before, because of technology, the lives of everyone on this planet are incredibly interconnected." All in all, my Fulbright experience has left me with a renewed excitement for international collaboration to solve problems of mutual interest. More so than ever before, because of technology, the lives of everyone on this planet are incredibly interconnected. Sometimes this is a good thing – for example, knowledge can be shared almost instantaneously across the globe. If you have a question about something, chances are, someone else has either had the same question or may even have an answer out there for you! Unfortunately, sometimes this global interconnectivity can lead to unintended consequences – and we end up creating incredibly complex, global problems for ourselves and for our children who, more likely than not, will be the ones having to solve them. These interconnected, global problems cannot be solved by a single group of people or a single country on its own. To be successful at solving these problems, we need to be able to work across borders, across oceans, and across cultures. And, as we work with each other to solve these problems (or perhaps to prevent them from occurring in the first place?), being aware of and working with cultural differences is vital in developing useful problem solutions. To put it simply, people from different walks of life see problems from different points of view – interdisciplinary teamwork is key to developing innovative solutions to technical problems! My experiences as a Fulbright Distinguished Chair have also shown me that we all, whether engineers, or scientists, or faculty, or the citizenry in general, have similar concerns, problems, needs, wants and desires for ourselves, our families, our careers, and our lives. There’s a lot of commonality among us. We all want to feel secure, warm, fed, and at least content in what we do and where we do it. I think that many of the solutions to the challenges faced by people around the world revolve around realizing that this commonality exists among the people of different nations, especially those that don’t talk so much to each other. I have been lucky enough to experience an incredibly warm and healthy U.S.-Australia relationship, and I can’t help but feel it’d be nice if relationships between other countries were just as good. I am deeply grateful to everyone who worked so hard to get me to Australia, and to everyone at DST and the Australia Fulbright Commission for making me feel so welcome and at home. It was great to able to walk right into an environment that was as welcoming and friendly as DST and as Melbourne. My Fulbright experience was a truly wonderful experience, and I hope that future collaborations will arise as a result of my time and activities Down Under.
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Fulbright Research Brings Insights on Controlling Invasive Pests Professor Donald Shepard, Distinguished Chair in Advanced (Defence) Science & Technology Home: Sponsor/Host: Field:
Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University Flinders University / Carnegie Mellon University-Australia Public Policy
Research conducted by Fulbright Scholar, Professor Donald Shepard has shown that the continual release of sterile fruit flies is the most cost-effective method to protect South Australia’s multi-million-dollar Riverland agricultural sector and keep the region fruit-fly free. Professor Shepard spent five months at Carnegie Mellon University Australia as the third recipient of the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Applied Public Policy, which is jointly funded by CMU Australia and Flinders University. The Fulbright Scholarship enabled Professor Shepard to travel to Australia to continue his research into the methods and applications of cost and cost-benefit analyses in health, particularly regarding results-based financing for diseases spread by insects. While South Australia leads the way in researching and implementing sterile insect technology (SIT), Professor Shepard’s research is the first to be conducted into the cost-benefit of the technology. He collaborated with Biosecurity SA, a division within the SA Government’s Department of Primary Industries and Resources to undertake his research.
"The research has shown that investment in SIT has a benefit-cost ratio of 5.3 to 1, which means that every dollar invested in this technology, $5.30 of benefit is returned to South Australia’s economy.” He said. The Riverland agricultural sector is valued at up to $500 million, with produce exported around the world, and is a major employer in regional South Australia. “South Australia has vehemently protected its fruit-fly free status, as an infestation of fruit-fly could decimate the States’ agricultural economy and undermine backyard gardening”, said Professor Shepard. However, without a permanent sterile fruit fly program, Professor Shepard says there is an 83% chance that the Riverland will lose its fruit fly-free status within the next decade. The continual release of sterile flies could lower the risk by 40-fold, to just 2%.
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“I’ve been able to help the South Australian Government determine the best possible way to manage fruit-fly in terms of outcome, cost and benefit to consumers and producers using sterile insect technology”.
The Quest for Knowledge Through Science Communication Professor Robert DeSalle, 70th Anniversary Distinguished Chair Home: Host:
American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Questacon / Australian National University / CSIRO
Field:
Evolutionary Biology
The Fulbright 70th Anniversary Distinguished Chair Award was created as an opportunity to commemorate the legacy of the Fulbright Program in Australia through a unique, one-off scholarship designed to promote scientific engagement with the community. Professor Robert DeSalle was selected for his distinguished record as a researcher and creator of innovative, award-winning exhibits as a curator at the American Museum of Natural History. Likewise, Questacon was chosen as the host institution due to its outstanding reputation as one of Australia’s foremost centres of science communication.
“The kiosk survey method is very interesting and my observations tell me that they are well liked and used. This coincided nicely with some of my work at the AMNH where we have used similar methods to survey the public about microbes. The analysis of these results will most likely result in a publication.”
Rob’s Fulbright project had two primary goals -- to immerse himself in Questacon and work with staff to create new visitor experiences, and to interact and collaborate with colleagues at the Australian National Insect Collection. He worked closely with Questacon exhibition developers to create new exhibits as well as consult on ten of the existing science demonstrations, providing suggestions for potential improvements. Engagement with the National Insect Collection also dovetailed with his consultations, resulting in a new insect-based exhibition.
Rob also delivered several staff presentations on his own research to help to enhance Questacon’s knowledge of zoological topics, and organised a variety of demonstrations and panel discussions for the general public. One particularly well received event involved teaming up with local Canberra brewery, Bent Spoke, to discuss the history of Australia’s favourite fermented beverage.
One of Rob’s favourite experiences was working with the exhibition teams to help build a new exhibit, focusing on robotics and artificial intelligence, from the ground up.
Senior Manager of STEM Content and fellow Fulbright Scholar, Dr Rod Kennett played a leading role in Rob’s tenure at Questacon:
“The ‘Born or Built’ exhibition was by far the most interesting work I have done at Questacon. Here I observed visitors interacting with kiosks, and had the opportunity to analyse the surveys that were being taken, and to develop some new ideas about public awareness of science.
"Hosting Rob as our Mind-in-Residence was an amazing and rewarding experience for Questacon. He is a brilliant scientist and communicator from one of the world’s greatest museums and he really understood what Questacon was about.
"Rob was genuinely impressed by the diversity and quality of Questacon exhibitions and the experience we offer visitors, and his quiet and thoughtful mentoring has added immeasurably to our skills and pride. "Rob is the second Fulbright Scholar to have worked with us (Professor Amin Mozcek worked with us during his 2018 visit) and we look forward to the opportunity to host other Fulbrighters. Our relationship with Rob will be ongoing through collaboration on research, and exploring opportunities for other exchanges between Questacon and AMNH."
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D I S T I N G U I S H E D
C H A I R
H I G H L I G H T S
Professor Renee Newman Knake, 2019 Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Home: Sponsor/Host: Field:
University of Houston Law Centre RMIT University Law
It is impossible to pick just one single highlight. Professionally, it was incredible to present my research in so many different venues before wide audiences, and to see my work covered in media and shared widely through my publications. One of the most amazing moments was visiting the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory, where I was hosted by the Justices over lunch to discuss my Fulbright research. Personally, watching my children navigate a new school system in a foreign country, making new friends and becoming increasingly independent was another highlight. All of us leave Australia with new friends and colleagues, with significant ties that will endure and shape the rest of our lives. Another highlight was the Fulbright orientation, learning about the work of others and understanding the political and cultural importance of this ongoing exchange. It was especially memorable for my family to be included in the awards dinner held at Parliament.
Professor Geoffrey Cockfield, 2018 Distinguished Chair in Agriculture & Life Sciences Home: Sponsor/Host: Field:
University of Southern Queensland Kansas State University Agricultural Policy
The Scholarship enabled me to work on an area which I believe to be extremely important but receives only limited attention, and therefore funding, in Australia. While there is funding for specific agricultural policy design or evaluation, there is little interest in examining overall trends and very little contemporary comparative policy analysis. Through this award I now understand much more about the U.S. as a major trading partner and competitor for Australia. Second, I have broadened my theoretical range. In particular, I can now contribute to studies of postexceptionalism in agricultural policy, which is an area of research that is growing strongly. This should lead to further comparative work in conjunction with European scholars. Third, the program has enabled me to develop a series of recommendations around policy directions in Australia that I will be promulgating upon my return. Major benefits of conducting research in the U.S. were opportunities for immersion in U.S. society, exposure to U.S. politics and direct exposure to farming systems and landscapes. My project conclusions include that policy outcomes have been shaped by: the agricultural geography of the U.S.; regionalization and regional identity; attitudes to government; and particular political institutions. Being able to see those aspects of the U.S. and talk with people about them really supported the review of literature. It was particularly useful to see the structure of farming landscapes and rural communities.
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Professor Brian Silliman, 2019 Distinguished Chair in Science, Technology & Innovation Home: Sponsor/Host:
Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University CSIRO Ocean and Atmosphere Business Unit
Field:
Environmental Sciences
My Fulbright project consisted of collaborative research in Australia with CSIRO scientists to test if incorporation of positive interactions into real-world restoration can increase success. We willl globally disseminate these findings using a multifaceted, education and outreach approach. These efforts have the high potential to greatly increase success of coastal wetland conservation. This was a journey of a lifetime. It opened my eyes to Southern Hemisphere from an ecological standpoint and to the great Australia people and culture. We now have friends and colleagues for life here in Australia, and our futures will be greatly enriched because of this. The Fulbright allowed me the time and space to become closer with my family and develop my intellecual ideas in the absence of overwhelming adminstration. The time to build closer ties with my family and develop new and lasting friendships will provide the positive interaction network I need to thrive in the future and give back as much as I can be advancing the field of marine ecosystem restoration.
Professor Michael Hendryx, 2019 Distinguished Chair Home: Sponsor/Host:
School of Public Health, Indiana University University of Newcastle
Field:
Public Health
My project was titled, Women’s Health across the Lifespan: A Person-Centered Approach. The main objective of the project was to investigate environmental, social, behavioral and economic influences on women’s health across the lifespan. To do this I identified, merged and analyzed secondary data sets from multiple sources. The main data source I used was the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Others included the National Pollutant Inventory, hospital birth records, and data from the Australian Bureau of the Census. I worked on studies with Julie Byles and other colleagues in the Priority Research Centre on Generational Health and Ageing at the University of Newcastle. My time here has been akin to a “peak experience.” The term usually refers to transcendent moments in time but I feel that mine has lasted for several months. I’ve enjoyed my time here immensely, and have been professionally productive, but at the same time feeling relaxed, stress-free, and happy day to day. The people I've met and worked with have been welcoming, generous with their time and energy, commonly going out of their way to help me with something or look out for my well-being. The experience has impacted my life by providing the time and opportunity to build new skills (my abilities to do more advanced programming and conduct more advanced data analyses have improved), by immersion into a different culture and environment, and by a deeper understanding of myself – who I am and what is most meaningful to me. Although it is difficult to know exactly how this impact will play out in time to come, I think this better self-awareness will influence future decisions about how to spend my energy in ways that are most rewarding and meaningful.
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A U S T R A L I A N
S C H O L A R
H I G H L I G H T S
Dr Sean Martin, 2018 Postdoctoral Scholar (Epidemiology) University of Adelaide to New England Research Institute "Undoubtedly, many of the key opinion leaders in my field of urological epidemiology are based in the USA. This was a key advantage to my proposal. As a Fulbright recipient however, there were many doors opened that I firmly believe would have otherwise remained closed. This has been a key accelerant to my future career. It was also an informative experience to be based in the USA during a key period of research changes, where the drivers of research policy are in flux, and being able to speak to & hear from many people about the policy responses to this. This will also place me & my emerging research group in good stead as we face similar challenges in Australia."
Dr Anitza Geneve, 2018 Professional VET Scholar (Vocational Education and Training) TAFE Queensland to Massachusetts Institute of Technology "The benefit of being physically based with the US organization allowed for ad-hoc opportunities. These are important when tackling a complex problem such as digital literacy. Being able to freely and often informally discuss ideas, I believe, meant that much more could be covered in contrast to a formal communication method via web conference/phone etc. Having the time to follow-up recommendations to speak to other people/organizations that could help has been one of the key benefits. The project has allowed TAFE Queensland/VET sector to develop a network of friends/ experts that may have taken years to cultivate via other programs such as conferences, working groups etc."
Dr David Ireland, 2018 Professional Scholarship in Non Profit Leadership (Behavioral Sciences) University of Queensland to Stanford University "The Fulbright experience was amazing; to have the time to think deeply about the nature of the challenges underpinning some of the world’s most pressing and urgent challenges was incredibly useful. The people I met, the books and papers I read, and the work that I’ve done has given me fresh perspectives on what we can do to make positive and sustainable changes to our world, and work towards intergenerational wellbeing. In addition to an incredible amount of new knowledge and insights into why we have the world we have; I’ve built a wonderful network of connections here. I’ve also got to explore my own position in the world and think about what I want to do with my time on Earth. It’s also been a wonderful experience for my family. We’ve built some great friendships while we’ve been here, and it’s been a real eye opener for my young kids."
Professor Amanda Keddie, 2018 Scholar Award (Education) Deakin University to University of Pennsylvania
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"The Fulbright experience has been an immense privilege. Being awarded a Fulbright has led (and is continuing to lead) to the greater recognition of my work. Most importantly, it has strengthened the platform for important work in the area of gender/social justice and education in a time where such a focus remains ever timely and urgent. There continues to be enormous social and economic costs associated with gendered violence and we can always do more in our primary prevention of such violence in improving our educative approaches. I have broadened my understandings and learnt so much. It has been a really exciting and stimulating journey academically and personally. I am really looking forward to further immersing myself in the data so that I can share the learnings from this Fulbright in published work."
U . S .
S C H O L A R
H I G H L I G H T S
Madelyn Shaw, 2019 Scholar Award (Social and Cultural History) National Museum of American History to Griffith University It has been wonderful to travel beyond the normal tourist trail, and travel with a purpose. I've spoken with the owners of sheep stations in Tasmania about the impact of climate change and drought on their livelihoods, and people in Ipswich about their commitment to rebuilding their community as the old jobs and industries faded away. I listened to emotion choke the voice of a tour guide who had only recently learned of her indigenous heritage as she recounted the story of a 200-year-old massacre that helped replace people with sheep. This is one of the great privileges of pursuing historical research, talking to ordinary people about their extraordinary lives. It's impossible not to be changed, and strengthened, by these experiences.
Professor Michael J. Socolow, 2019 Scholar Award (Media Studies & Sports) University of Maine to University of Canberra There are two primary ways this experience has impacted my life. The first is professional. By allowing me to collaborate with a new network of Australian scholars, it has helped me to expand my research agenda and develop global collaborations. The lessons I’ve learned from Australian colleagues who have been generous about sharing their knowledge and experience will remain with me after my return to the United States. I will be expected, over the next decade, to Chair my Department at the University of Maine and assume new leadership responsibilities, and I will undoubtedly benefit from the wisdom I’ve gained in interactions with my Australian colleagues. Aside from the professional impacts, my Canberra experience has changed my life. It has personally impacted me in myriad ways, including encouraging me to expand my horizons, to explore and accept new opportunities, and to learn new perspectives on life and work from the Australian culture and lifestyle.
Lois R Lupica, 2019 Scholar Award (Law) University of Maine to University of Melbourne At the time I developed my Fulbright Proposal, I had the outlines of an idea about what I wanted to learn and achieve. I now look back in amazement at the number of people I have met, spoke with, interviewed and worked with. I have formed what I hope are lifetime relationships with a cohort of amazing people who care about the same things I care about - improving the lives of the poor, marginalized and disadvantaged. My attendance and participation in numerous conferences, workshops and meetings over the past months have led me to genuinely feel as if I am part of the fabric of the sector. Folks working in legal aid and community law centers have been reaching out, especially in recent weeks, asking me to speak to their organization or attend workshop. At each legal aid-related meeting I attend, I see increasing numbers of familiar faces. I have always had confidence in my ideas and my ability to connect with a diversity of people, but the overwhelmingly positive reception I have received has served to increase this confidence.
Dr Cindy Bethel, 2019 Scholar Award (Social Robotics) Mississippi State University to University of Technology Sydney There were many highlights of my Fulbright visit. I think the most positive experience was getting to know Mary-Anne Williams. I had heard of her but never met her. We have gotten along so well and she is amazing! She has been so helpful and I really enjoy working together with her and thinking about new research ideas to pursue together. I feel she has become a life-long friend and a continued and future collaborator. Actually the highlight of my experience was all of the lovely and incredible people I have met in Australia, no matter where I visited. Louise Wheeler has been wonderful and so supportive. I have also met with another group working in a research area related to my research with first responders and they want me to come back and work together on some projects as well. There are actually several groups at UTS that I feel I could develop ongoing research collaborations with. There was also strong interest in collaborations at Monash University following my invited talk and I hope that is a possibility as well.
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A U S T R A L I A N
P O S T G R A D
H I G H L I G H T S
Amy Dennison, 2018 Anne Wexler Scholarship in Public Policy (Public Policy – Environment & Energy) University of New South Wales to Harvard Kennedy School of Government The main thing I achieved (and is therefore my biggest highlight) during my time away was self awareness and confidence. A lingering message from my environmental leadership professor Rand Wentworth was "cherish your ambition". Ambition is something that I have always felt sheepish about. But, upon reflection, I am ambitious not for myself but for the things I care about: the Northern Territory, our precious environment, Indigenous people and their culture, and our climate. I am openly ambitious for these things and having the time away at Harvard has crystallised that ambition. I have built a strong narrative around what it means to be Australian and what it means to be a Territorian and that narrative will guide me through the challenging years ahead as a senior public servant.
Lily van Eeden, 2019 New South Wales Scholarship (Human-Wildlife Conflict) The University of Sydney to The University of Washington. Nine months of working in a research context in the USA allowed me to see how our two countries, with similar colonial histories and predominantly Western culture, have very different approaches to conservation. For example, conservation in the USA has been largely driven by hunting and a demand for game animals, while Australia devotes its limited conservation funding to killing introduced species. Recognising and exploring the different conservation histories and priorities for management has caused me to think critically about what conservation is and why I have chosen a career in it. I now think quite differently about what conservation in Australia means and why it has come to be this way. Such experiences are critical for self-reflection as a researcher, but also in helping me identify where I want to go with my career and what is ethical.
Peerce McManus, 2018 Postgraduate Scholarship (Law & Social Justice) University of New South Wakes to Harvard Law School I think the experience is nothing short of life changing. It is probably difficult to identify at this easily stage the ways in which I’ve developed and may continue to develop from having the opportunity to attend Harvard Law School. I have made some incredible new friendships who I am sure will stay with me for life. I have studied and lived with people who are truly inspiring and who I think have given me a new energy and sense of ambition for what might be possible in Australia and in my professional career. It has made me appreciate the different ways American law schools approach legal education and the law itself and the benefits of that approach, some of which we could learn from in Australia, as well as the downsides of that approach and the associated lessons we should be prepared to teach our American colleagues. Ultimately this experience has given me a newfound sense of confidence to be able to assert ideas, consider new techniques, ask different questions and challenge the status quo when the status quo is proving to be unhelpful or harmful.
James Hill, 2018 Queensland Scholarship (Chemistry) The University of Queensland to University of Michigan
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For me a 10-month period in the USA was the perfect preview to what it would be like to live abroad. This experience will undoubtedly be useful in deciding what opportunities I pursue in the future. My Fulbright program delivered all the research outcomes I was hoping for and more. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the world in my field. The skills I’ve learnt and the people I’ve met will undoubtedly help me forge a career in this space. Whilst living in Michigan, everything was new and exciting. But there is also something to be said for the routine and security of living in the same city for a long period of time. Next time I make a big decision about my future, my Fulbright experience will certainly provide me a great deal of guidance.
PROGRAM U . S .
P O S T G R A D
H I G H L I G H T S
James Peyla, 2019 Postgraduate Scholarship (Marine Biology) College of Charleston to University of Adelaide During my Fulbright experience I found myself farther from home for a longer period of time than ever before. Living by myself and working alone on a research project in a new country taught me self-reliance and independence on a personal and professional level. Having successfully navigated a foreign system, I now have confidence in my ability to live & work abroad. This past year, I spent a lot of time personally reflecting on my life and who I was. This year of introspection has been very useful as I prepare to start a Ph.D. program: I now have both a better understanding of my strengths & weaknesses and a clearer vision of what I want my future to look like. All in all, my Fulbright year was as transformative as it promised to be, and I will forever have fond memories of it.
Nikita Roy, 2019 Postgraduate Scholarship (funded by Western Sydney University) (Public Health) University of Connecticut to Western Sydney University This experience has been absolutely pivotal in my understanding of what it means to be a global citizen and a student who is immersed in a new culture. At the beginning, I was extremely energized and "ready" to be here, and every experience was positive and exciting for me. After about 1-2 months, that feeling started to fade, and the novelty of Sydney and my life here wore off. Around this point, I started to feel a mixture of emotions, mainly isolation and some sadness. I think this happened because I have never been away from my home and support network for so long, and I really had to look inward and to the friends I have made here to re-discover the things that made me feel so passionate. I look back on that brief period of uncertainty as a moment where I grew as a person, in the sense that I was able to think about why I came here, what I am gaining and what I have left to gain. I went on to strengthen my friendships here, travel and reflect, and embrace the moments alone. It's truly been a transformative experience for me.
Stanley Schwartz, 2019 Postgraduate Scholarship (History) Cedarville University to Australian National University This experience was an excellent personal experience for me, and it has made a deep impact on my life. I had never spent this much time overseas or far from home before, and as a result of the challenges I experienced in that process, I was able to learn and grow in a way that was unique and valuable. I’ve been able to engage as a fully-fledged adult member of a community and have been very blessed to do so. Particularly, doing so in Australia, with many perspectives that I was unfamiliar with, allowed me to learn in ways that were unexpected and deeply beneficial. As a result, I’ve been consistently encouraging personally and academically excellent people in the United States to apply for a Fulbright postgraduate scholarship, so that they can experience the same benefits.
Kaleigh Rusgrove, 2019 Postgraduate Scholarship (Visual Arts/Photography) University of Connecticut to Western Sydney University (Sponsor) The highlight of my Fulbright experience was working in the Australian PlantBank. It is what started my entire Fulbright journey and ultimately made me choose to apply to Australia in the first place. Each time I walked into the Royal Botanic Garden or PlantBank I was reminded how lucky I was to have access to facilities fairly few people get to see inside of. I learned so much from the staff there, and my project was influenced by the conversations and remarks I heard over the course of the last few months. Everyone was so supportive and willing to help with each new step of my process, without asking anything of me in return. It was also inspiring to be in a space that many artists have worked in before me. As I was trained on the X-Ray machine in PlantBank I saw the folder of images made by Dornith Doherty, a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow and famous artist who has also explored seed banking. Her work was incredibly influential to me when I first started working in this sphere, and I felt a bit star struck standing in the same lab she worked in!
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S C H O L A R S H I P
E N R I C H M E N T
OZ TO OZ PROGRAM The Oz to Oz Program is a unique enrichment opportunity offered to all current Australian Fulbright Scholars by Kansas State University. Scholars are invited to submit proposals for collaboration with any relevant faculty at Kansas State University during their stay in the U.S, with all travel and accomodation expenses taken care of by the University. In 2019, 15 Fulbrighters travelled to Kansas State University via the Oz to Oz Program. Scholar
Affiliations
Oz to Oz Host
Project
Craig Baillie
University of Southern Queensland
Ajay Sharda (Agricultural Engineering)
Technology Game Changers in Global Agriculture
Karen Pedersen (Global Campus)
21st Century Skills Education and Training for Industry and Employment
Jeffrey Zacharakis (Educational Leadership)
Creating a Century of Impact to Generate Sustainable Jobs for UnderRepresented Minorities in the United States, Australia and Around the World
Gurpreet Singh (Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering)
Powering the Future: Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion
Don Kurtz (Social Work)
Market Stewardship in Social Care Markets and Innovation in Services and Supports for People with Disability
University of Iowa
Mark Haub (Food, Nutrition, Dietetics & Health)
The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Nursing Practice: A Realistic Evaluation
University of Newcastle
Mike Krysko (History)
A History of Human Violence: The United States and the Western World in Comparative Perspective
Bimal Paul (Geography)
Missions, Mandates and Morality: Saving Lives Through Effective Interaction Between Humanitarian and Military Actors in Emergencies
Yulan Xiong (Anatomy & Physiology)
Discovering the Genomic Causes of Cerebral Palsy
Gregg Hadley (Extension)
Families that Save Together: Using Behavioral Insights to Help Families on Low Incomes Australian Expatriate Writers in the United States and the Public Sphere: Geraldine Brooks, Peter Carey & Jill Ker Conway
Texas A&M University Louise Robinson RMIT University CUNY – Bronx Community College Adam Davids
Career Trackers Indigenous Internship Program InRoads, Inc.
Scott Donne
University of Newcastle Argonne National Laboratory
Gordon Duff
National Disability Services Human Services Research Institute
Jeremy Duff Philip Dwyer
University of Newcastle
University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign Beth Eggleston
Humanitarian Advisory Group U.S. Naval War College
Michael Fahey
Monash University Arizona State University
Vinita Godinho
Good Shepherd Microfinance Center for Financial Inclusion
Jennifer Anne Pender
University of New England Harvard University
Karin Westman (English)
Anna Ralph
Menzies School of Health Research
Nick Wallace (Biology)
Working Towards the Elimination of Rheumatic Heart Disease and Other Diseases of Disparity
Zhiwei Zhang (Politics)
Australia’s Strategy for an AI Future
New Mexico State/Ohio State
Karol Fike (Animal Sciences & Industry)
Remote Sensing Animal-Plant Interactions to Improve Production and Sustainability Outcomes for Ranchers
RMIT
Michael Flynn
Arms Control Association
(Political Science)
US Nuclear Weapons Modernization and the Future of the Nuclear NonProliferation Regime
University of California – San Francisco Olivia Shen
Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet Center for Strategic & International Studies
Mark Trotter
Aiden Warren
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Central Queensland University
FEATURED OZ TO OZ PROGRAM: Vinita Godinho, Fulbright Coral Sea Scholar (Business/Industry)
Reflections from Manhattan, Kansas The Fulbright program offers a unique opportunity to connect researchers and practitioners in Australia with like-minded professionals in the United States, to foster longer-term collaboration and exchange of ideas between the two countries. The Fulbright Oz to Oz Program led by Kansas State University (KSU), invites selected Australian Fulbrighters to the university campus in Manhattan, to share learnings and develop collaborative research partnerships on topics of common interest, whilst they are visiting the U.S. I was lucky enough to be offered this opportunity whilst on my Fulbright journey this year, as a guest of the KSU Departments of Geography and Political Science. I spent four action-packed days hosted by Gregg Hadley, Director of Research and Extension, participating in their Annual Conference along with more than 300 staff, and enjoying the warm southern hospitality of others such as program coordinator John Leslie. I found we shared many things in common – a deep commitment to applying the learnings from robust research to improve the lives of vulnerable groups (in KSU’s case agri-based evidence shared with those living in rural Kansas); a genuine focus on capability-building and fostering community resilience; and a growing team of passionate staff and volunteers who offer outreach services to those living in small communities.
Below -- Fulbright Coral Sea Scholar Vinita Godinho meets with KSU staff and faculty during her Oz to Oz visit.
In my day-job as the General Manager Advisory at Good Shepherd Microfinance, we too face similar micro-level organisational barriers such as limited resources and shrinking funding in the face of growing demand, within a comparable macro-level socio-economic context i.e. a mature, high-income developed economy which nonetheless has significant pockets of disadvantage with growing inequality, uncertain work, rising cost of living and stagnant wages. As studies note, challenges which were previously experienced in developing countries are now common across the developed world, including the U.S. and Australia. Yet I also found some specific areas where Australia can learn from the U.S. experience – in particular, the Cooperative Extension Service, which is a collaborative effort between the United States Department of Agriculture; KSU and local communities. Through this service, KSU’s research is extended into the local communities, informing and in turn being informed by, the priorities of everyday Kansans via education, research and experimental co-design. Local communities are also able to participate in the governance of this outreach program, through extension boards which represent the citizens. This cooperative form of governance offers invaluable opportunities to apply research in practice via collective advocacy, policy-making and action, as well as holds the university accountable to the needs of the communities they operate in. Whilst somewhat similar to the Cooperative Research Centres which operate in Australia, the extension service offers a very unique opportunity for the land-grant universities in the U.S. to truly foster community-led vitality and resilience.
The Oz to Oz program has provided me an invaluable opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by rural America, and some of the practical ways in which the government and academia are joining forces with the community to address them. Applications for the Fulbright scholarships reopen in February 2020 – I would strongly recommend you consider applying for one!
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LOIS ROTH ENDOWMENT The Lois Roth Endowment was established in 1986 to honour the life and work of Lois Wersba Roth. The aim of the award is to promote and encourage dialogue across national, linguistic, disciplinary and cultural boundaries. The Endowment commemorates the life of Lois Roth by supporting individuals who work in the places and fields of enquiry that she loved, which include humanities, visual and performing arts, and social sciences. Since the mid-1990's the Endowment has been awarded annually to a Fulbright U.S. Postgraduate student who is undertaking a program in Australia. 2018's Lois Roth Endowment was awarded to Dan Sherrell, Fulbright Postgraduate Scholar at the University of Adelaide. Wrapping Hearts Around Climate Change Dan Sherrell, 2019 Fulbright U.S. Postgraduate Scholar My generous Lois Roth Endowment grant took me to the tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu. All told, I spent eleven days there, facilitating a series of four workshops on creative writing and campaign organizing at the University of the South PacificFunafuti Campus. My host, campus director Rosiana Lagi, had asked me to impart some of the skills and experience I’d accrued both as a climate change advocate in the United States, and a Creative Writing Fulbrighter in Australia, so I decided the goal of the workshops would be two-fold: first, I wanted to introduce some creative writing exercises that would make space for emotional expression and engagement around the climate crisis; second, I wanted to share some of the tools I’ve used to plan successful campaigns that passed ambitious climate policies in the U.S. Though it was an odd fit on its face, I believe strongly that these two skill sets are complementary: fighting an issue as ubiquitous and dire as climate change requires both strategic acumen and emotional resilience. This is especially true in a place like Tuvalu, where the climate crisis poses an existential threat to the entire country, a threat whose timeline is measured in years, not centuries. My first workshop was a surprising success. I had about 30 people attend, from teenagers to septuagenarians--some of them students at the university, some of them staff members at Tuvaluan nonprofits, and some merely curious relatives. For the first day we focused on creative writing--to their knowledge the first ever creative writing workshop in the nation of Tuvalu. We wrote polemics to climate denying politicians, odes to things we feared losing to climate change, and miniature essays on their vision for the future of Tuvalu. One woman wrote an elegy to a favorite sunset beach, which rising seas had eroded away completely since her girlhood. Another man wrote a scathing response letter to the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, who had, not weeks earlier, suggested that it was okay for Tuvalu to drown because its people could always work as migrant fruit pickers elsewhere.
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The further in we got, the more comfortable everyone became. Sometimes the classroom was silent but for the scratch of thirty pens, other times people were cracking up and reading theatrically, especially when we shared our collectively written sonnets. Once we’d grounded ourselves in the affective urgency of climate change--”wrapped our hearts around it” was the phrase we used--we moved on to the political element. The second night began with a discussion of the most pressing issues in Tuvalu: people had concerns about trash disposal, diabetes, women’s representation in government, and of course the rising seas. The workshop broke up into four teams, and together we planned a sample campaign for each issue, starting with a vision, then getting down to demands, targets, messaging, and tactics. Participants were excited enough by this deceptively simple strategic tool that I had two nonprofit workers come up to me afterward and ask if I could help them strategize more deeply on their particular organization’s work. For my remaining days in Tuvalu, I was shopped around as a kind of informal campaign strategist, and got a lot of insight into the issues facing this nation balanced on the surface of the sea. I learned so much during my time in Tuvalu, but these two things stand out most in my mind. First, the basic story that gets told about climate change in the Pacific is wrong. The Western media has snatched up cathartic stories about drowning islands and disappearing nations, but actual inundation is the least of anyone’s worries on the ground in Tuvalu (though it may still happen in decades or centuries, depending on how the geomorphology of the atolls evolves). Much more pressing are the effects climate change is having on food and water security. Saline sea water has so infiltrated the soil on the capital island of Funafuti that crops can no longer be grown there. And the increasing variability of rainfall due to climate change has made life even more tenuous, as rainwater is the sole national source of drinking water. Tuvalu might be said to be the most extreme food desert on the world, with no fresh veggies available save for a few bruised cabbages shipped in from Fiji, and the whole country just a couple-week drought away from having to import all of its drinking water.
The second thing I learned, though, is that people in Tuvalu have no intention of leaving. As a sign in downtown Funafuti put it: “This is where my parents lived. This is where their parents lived. This is where I will raise my children. This is where our culture resides. I will not leave, as this is my home.” And so they adapt-emotionally as well infrastructurally. The Tuvaluan people are working heroically to find adaptive solutions to the growing threats from climate change, from importing soil to improving water catchment to elevating houses. Everyone I met also projected an extreme resilience, a mixture of jaw-clenched determination and endemic Tuvaluan equanimity, an air of smiling grace and ease that seemed to permeate all interactions in Tuvalu. I was in awe of the emotional sustenance they’d found ways to muster, even in the face of overwhelming odds. My initial round of workshops were popular enough that word got around and ended up having to give to more rounds--one to about 40 local middle school students, and one to the group of ten young people who had formed the Tuvaluan youth delegation to the UN climate talks in 2018. I became fast friends with this latter group, and in addition to talking organizing strategy, we spent time cruising around the island on motorbike, playing soccer on the airstrip (the only place in the whole country large and flat enough for a full game), and visiting both of the island’s nightclubs (both of them glorified living rooms of some auntie or other). I even had a chance to take a 3 day, 26 hour boat ride to two of the nine outer islands of Tuvalu, including Niulakita, an island of just 24 inhabitants, where I was treated to a feast of roasted sea bird, coconut crab, condensed coconut syrup, boiled pulaka, and the freshest tuna sashimi I will likely ever eat. Niulakita is also the tallest of the Tuvaluan islands (a whopping 4m above sea level!), which means you can still grow things there. It was a privilege to see Tuvaluan life as it was once lived, before the seas began to rise.
Images: (left) Fulbright Postgraduate Scholar Dan Sherrell led various classes and workshops on climate change during his LREfunded visit to Tuvalu (above) the island of Tuvalu as seen from the air; Dan immersed himself in Tuvaluan culture, forging deep connections with locals.
I am leaving my Lois Roth experience with a newfound commitment to my climate activism--if young people on the very brink of catastrophe are refusing to give up, then certainly neither can I. I’m also leaving with some profound and still-percolating insights that will inform my writing. The point of my initial Fulbright project was to write a book about what it feels like to have come of age with the knowledge of climate change, what it means to look that knowledge unflinchingly in the face and still find a way forward. In Tuvalu, I was able to connect with young people who were grappling with the same questions, out of urgent necessity. The opportunity to talk to, learn from, and commiserate with them will likely inform not just this book, but all my writing and organizing to come.
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F U L B R I G H T
S P E C I A L I S T
E N G A G E M E N T
FULBRIGHT SPECIALIST PROGRAM (FSP) The Fulbright Specialist Program was established in 2001 by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is now run by non-profit education administrators, World Learning. The program is a field-driven initiative in which foreign host institutions conceptualise and design projects of interest within an eligible discipline that represent a priority for their respective organisations. These projects are then paired with a highly qualified U.S. academic or professional, who shares their expertise and assists with strengthening linkages between U.S. and foreign host institutions.
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Participating foreign host institutions benefit by: •
gaining global perspectives from experienced U.S. academics and professionals;
•
executing projects that require a rapid response or flexible timeline through short-term, year-round exchanges; and
•
building sustained relationships with individuals and institutions in the U.S.
In 2019, five Fulbright Specialists with diverse academic backgrounds ranging from Urban Planning to Engineering Education travelled to institutions across Australia via the FSP.
Applicant Institution
Host Institution Representative
Fulbright Specialist
Main Affiliation
Field
Curtin University of Technology
Peter Newman
Caitlin Cain
World Trade Center of New Orleans: Serving Louisiana
Urban Planning
CSIRO
Brian Spak
Chris Calwell
Ecos Research
Engineering Education
University of Southern Queensland
Jeffrey Gow
Daniel Muscovici
Stockton University
Economics
University of the Sunshine Coast
Lisa Chandler
Brita D'Agostino
New Mexico State University
American (U.S.) Studies
University of South Australia
Shane Dawson
Roger Azevedo
University of Central Florida
Education
FEATURED SPECIALIST PROGRAM: University of South Australia / Roger Azevedo
Fulbright Researcher Unpacks Future Learning When Professor Roger Azevedo considers our robot future, he is less afraid and more curious than most about how we can expect each wave of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to impact our learning.
He is also investigating collaborative research opportunities in a field that brings together psychology and new technologies to find how humans find their best fit, in what are new and rapidly evolving learning environments.
A visiting Fulbright Specialist Scholar from the Department of Learning Sciences and Educational Research at the University of Central Florida, Prof Azevedo’s research into how humans learn from different technologies, looks at everything from how children learn science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, right through to how cancer researchers are engaging with new technologies to better diagnose cancers.
“Any projection into future learning will show that it will be immersed in AI which will influence faster learning and stronger performance,” Prof Azevedo says. “AI offers so much potential to remove the mundane, not only from our lives but our learning – leaving time and space for the pursuit of excellence.”
Intelligent tutoring systems, hypermedia, multimedia, simulations, serious games and immersive virtual learning environments are increasingly part of both formal and informal teaching and learning environments. And while Prof Azevedo understands artificial intelligence and the immersion of robots in our learning lives may be a challenge for humans, he believes robots will become our collaborators and learning companions, delivering great benefits to education. Prof Azevedo is working with an international team of research leaders, students and early career researchers in UniSA’s Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning, headed up by Professor George Siemens. His Fulbright-sponsored visit included presenting an open lecture and special masterclasses for students researching in the field.
2019 Fulbright Specialist, Professor Roger Azevedo
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PARTNERSHIPS:
FOSTER STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS
The Hon. Christopher Pyne Minister for Defence
Fulbright Sponsors play a vitally important role in the Commission's long-term sustainablility. In order to advance Fulbright’s influence and impact, we must cultivate strong partnerships with our alumni, universities, current and potential sponsors, think-tanks and like-minded institutions, and the general public. 2828
F U L B R I G H T
S P O N S O R S
AUSTRALIAN FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIPS Sponsor
Scholarship/s
Universities Central Queensland University Australia
Fulbright Scholar Award
Charles Darwin University
Fulbright Northern Territory Scholarship (co-sponsor)
Florida Polytechnic University
Fulbright Scholar Award Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Kansas State University
Fubright Distinguished Chair in Agriculture & Life Sciences Fulbright Scholar Award
Monash University
Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship
RMIT University
Fulbright Postdoctoral (Vice-Chancellors Fellow) Scholarship
University of Tasmania
Fulbright Tasmania Scholarship (co-sponsor)
University of Wyoming
Fulbright Scholar Award
Federal Government Australian Government, Department of Education, Skills and Employment
Fulbright Scholarship in Vocational Education & Training Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholarship in Public Policy
Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Australia-United States Alliance Studies
Australian Government, National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA)
Fulbright Indigenous Scholarship
State Government Australian Capital Territory Government
Fulbright ACT Scholarship
Northern Territory Government
Fulbright Northern Territory Scholarship (co-sponsor)
Tasmanian Government
Fulbright Tasmania Scholarship (co-sponsor)
Private Organisations Australian Scholarships Foundation (ASF) Centenary Foundation
Fulbright Scholarship in Non-Profit Leadership (co-sponsor)
Blackboard Inc.
Fulbright Northern Territory Scholarship (co-sponsor)
Sparke Helmore
In-kind legal services
The Kinghorn Foundation
Fulbright Future Scholarships Program
John and Jill Kinghorn, founders of The Kinghorn Founation, with Fulbright Australia Executive Director Thomas Dougherty at the 2019 Fulbright Gala Dinner, Parliament House, Canberra.
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U.S. FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIPS Sponsor
Scholarship/s
Universities Carnegie Mellon University Australia Flinders University
Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Applied Public Policy (Democratic Resilience)
Curtin University
Fulbright Scholarship in Resources and Energy
Deakin University
Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship
RMIT University
Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Australian National University
Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
The University of Newcastle
Fulbright Distinguished Chair Fulbright Scholarship
University of Canberra
Fulbright Scholar Award
University of Technology Sydney
Fulbright Scholar Award
Western Sydney University
Fulbright U.S. Postgraduate Scholarship
Federal Government Australian Government, Defence Science and Technology Group (DST)
Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Advanced (Defence) Science and Technology
Australian Government, Department of Education, Skills and Employment
Fulbright U.S. Anne Wexler Scholarship in Public Policy
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Science, Technology and Innovation
2019 FULBRIGHT PRESENTATION GALA DINNER SPONSORS
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Sponsor
Level
Macquarie University
Major Sponsor
The University of Queensland
Platinum Sponsor
Edith Cowan University
Platinum Sponsor
The University of Melbourne
Gold Sponsor
Western Sydney University
Gold Sponsor
University of Canberra
Gold Sponsor
Monash University
Gold Sponsor
The University of Western Australia
Gold Sponsor
Central Queensland University Australia
Gold Sponsor
Murdoch University
Silver Sponsor
Perpetual Ltd
Silver Sponsor
The University of Notre Dame Australia
Silver Sponsor
University of Southern Queensland
Silver Sponsor
University of Newcastle
Bronze Sponsor
University of New England
Bronze Sponsor
Tim Adams Wines
Wine Sponsor
N E W / R E N E W E D
A W A R D S
RENEWED IN 2019 The Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Australian-American Alliance Studies, Funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade This scholarship has been renewed for a further 3 years and allows an Australian professional, academic or researcher to undertake research in the U.S. for 4 months. Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Science, Technology and Innovation, Funded by CSIRO This award was renewed for an additional 12 months and enables a full or associate professor to undertake research in Australia for a period of up to 6 months. Fulbright Scholar Award, Funded by University of Canberra This award was renewed for a further 5 years and enables annually, a distinguished U.S. academic to undertake research in Australia in areas of binational importance including; environment, governance, health, sport education and communication for 4 months. Fulbright Tasmania Scholarship, Funded by the Tasmanian Government and the University of Tasmania This scholarship was renewed for a further 3 years and offers Postgraduate, Postdoctoral and Scholar Award candidates to undertake study or research in the U.S. for a maximum of 10 months.
NEW IN 2019 The Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Indo-Pacific Studies, Funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade and the U.S. State Department This special award aims to advance scholarship in the priority fields of strategic studies, technology, and innovation, specifically with relation to the Australia-United States Alliance. The award will promote exchange of ideas, research collaboration, and cultural understanding between Australian and American scholars, as well as the institutions that host them. The scholarship announced in 2019 by the U.S. Department of State and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the AUSMIN meetings in Sydney as a one-off award to celebrate the close bilateral relationship, as well as contribute in a practical way to contemporary scholarship on issues related to the Alliance, and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
WG WALKER AWARD - ALUMNI DONORS The Fulbright WG Walker Scholarship is awarded to the top-ranked Fulbright Postgraduate Scholar annually. The WG Walker Scholarship Fund is the proud legacy of the Australian Fulbright Alumni Association (AFAA). This fund is held and administered by the Commission and is open for donations by all alumni. Professor Bill Walker, a two-time Fulbright winner, was instrumental in launching AFAA during Australia’s 40th Anniversary Fulbright celebrations and served as the Association’s first president. Following Prof. Walker’s passing, at the 1992 AFAA Annual General Meeting it was decided that an annual Fulbright Scholarship would be offered in his name. Named the W G Walker Memorial Fulbright Scholarship, it was to be funded in part from annual member subscriptions and in part from the Australian-American Fulbright Commission. The first WG Walker Fulbright Scholarship was awarded in 1993 and has since been an annual award. Donor List:
John Buck
Jeff Howson
Harry Poulos
Luiz Almeida
Joel A. Fadem
Anne Howson
Neil Radford
Charles Barnes
Janet Flint
William Kelly
David Rawson
Renee Bartolo
Rod Gould
Charles Kuiper
Sonanm Tobgye
Alan H. Borning
Abul Hashem
John Loeser
Anthony Weiss
Tim Bralower
Robert Hewitt
Lynette McLennan
John Ziegler
Suzanne Buchta
Peter Homel
Anton Middelberg
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Nikita Roy 2019 Fulbright U.S. Postgraduate Student
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2019
AUSTRALIAN AMERICAN FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS
A U S T R A L I A N SCHOLARS
Distinguished Professor Jon Adams Fulbright Future Scholarship
Professor Craig Baillie Fulbright Future Scholarship
Dr Renee Bartolo Fulbright Future Scholarship
Professor Kate Dolan Fulbright Scholar Award
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: University of Technology Sydney Host: Boston University
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: University of Southern Queensland Host: Texas A&M University
Sponsor: Kansas State University Home: University of New South Wales Host: Kansas State University
Field: Public Health
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist Host: United States Geological Survey
Field: Agricultural Technology
Professor Scott Donne Fulbright Future Scholarship
Professor Philip Dwyer Fulbright Scholar Award
Dr Michael Fahey Fulbright Future Scholarship
A/Professor Eric Knight Fulbright Future Scholarship
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: The University of Newcastle Host: Argonne National Laboratory / University of California, Los Angeles
Home: The University of Newcastle Host: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Monash University Host: University of Arizona
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: The University of Sydney Host: Stanford University / University of California, Davis
Field: Chemistry
Field: History
Field: Environmental Assessment
Field: Neurology
Dr Julie McIntyre Fulbright Scholar Award
Jane Melville Fulbright Future Scholarship
Professor Catherine Palmer Fulbright Tasmania Scholarship
Home: The University of Newcastle Host: University of California, Davis
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Museums Victoria Host: Washington University in St Louis
Sponsor: Tasmanian Government / University of Tasmania Home: University of Tasmania Host: Florida State University
Field: Wine Science History
Field: Taxonomy / Conservation
Field: Sociology
Field: Prison Health Care
Field: Economics
Professor James A. Smith Fulbright Northern Territory Scholarship Sponsor: Charles Darwin University / NT Government / Blackboard Inc Home: Menzies School of Health Research Host: University of Michigan / Vanderbilt University Field: Public Health
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A U S T R A L I A N
A/Professor John Triantafilis Fulbright Future Scholarship
A/Professor Mark Trotter Fulbright Future Scholarship
Dr Joyce Wu Fulbright Scholar Award
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: UNSW Sydney Host: University of Arizona / Texas A&M / / University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Central Queensland University Host: The Ohio State University / New Mexico State University Field: Precision Livestock Management
Sponsor: Kansas State University Home: The Australian National University Host: Kansas State University
Field: Soil Science
Adam Davids Fulbright Scholarship in NonProfit Leadership
Beth Eggleston Fulbright Scholar Award
Vinita Godinho Fulbright Coral Sea Scholarship (Business / Industry)
Sponsor: Australian Scholarships Foundation / Perpetual Ltd Home: CareerTrackers Host: INROADS
Home: Humanitarian Advisory Group Host: United States Naval War College
Home: Good Shepherd Microfinance Host: Center for Financial Inclusion, Washington, DC
Field: Humanitarian Response
Field: Financial Services
Dr Paul Harpur Fulbright Future Scholarship Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: The University of Queensland Host: Syracuse University / Harvard University Field: Accessible Design
POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLARS
Captain Zach Lambert Fulbright Professional Scholarship in AustralianAmerican Alliance Studies
Louise Robinson Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Vocational Education and Training
Olivia Shen Fulbright Professional Scholarship in AustralianAmerican Alliance Studies
Sponsor: Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade Home: Australian Army Host: ABCANZ, Washington DC
Sponsor: Australian Government, Department of Education and Training Home: RMIT University Host: Bronx Community College
Sponsor: Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade Home: Department of Home Affairs Host: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Field: Vocational Education & Training
Field: Public Policy
Field: Mobilisation & Defence Industry
Sponsor: Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade Home: The Australian National University Host: Georgetown University Field: Strategic Studies
Field: Indigenous Entrepreneurship
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Field: Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies
Dr Andrew Carr Fulbright Professional Scholarship in AustralianAmerican Alliance Studies
Dr Jeremy Baldwin Fulbright Future Scholarship Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Queensland University of Technology Host: National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health Field: Regenerative Medicine
A U S T R A L I A N POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLARS (CONT.)
Dr Tim Connell Fulbright Future Scholarship
Dr Simon Cook Fulbright Future Scholarship
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: RMIT University Host: Carnegie Mellon University
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Swinburne University of Technology Host: Indiana University
Field: Chemistry
Dr Taryn Foster Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship Sponsor: Monash University Home: Australian Institute of Marine Science Host: California Academy of Sciences Field: Coral Restoration
Field: Sexual Health
Dr Michael Donovan Fulbright Indigenous Scholarship
Dr Mark Fabian Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship
Sponsor: Australian Government, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Home: Macquarie University Host: Kanu o ka Aina Learning Ohana
Home: The Australian National University Host: Brookings Institution
Field: Education
Field: Public Policy
Dr Georgina Gurney Fulbright Future Scholarship
Dr James Hamilton Fulbright Future Scholarship
Dr Erin Hoare Fulbright Future Scholarship
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation/ Western Sydney University Home: James Cook University Host: University of Michigan / Harvard University
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: University of Tasmania Host: University of Hawaii, Manoa
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Deakin University Host: Boston University
Field: Renewable Energy
Field: Public Health
Field: Environmental Governance
Dr David Klyne Fulbright Future Scholarship
Dr David Mizrahi Fulbright Future Scholarship
Dr Tui Hiraka Nolan Fulbright Future Scholarship
Dr Prasanga Samarasinghe Fulbright Future Scholarship
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation / Western Sydney University Home: The University of Queensland Host: Temple University
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation / Western Sydney University Home: University of New South Wales Host: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation / Western Sydney University Home: University of Technology Sydney Host: Cornell University
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: The Australian National University Host: University of Maryland
Field: Neuroimmunology
Field: Epidemiology and Cancer Control
Field: Science / Mathematics
Field: Audio/Acoustic Signal Processing
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A U S T R A L I A N POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLARS (CONT.)
Dr Benedict Scambary Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship
Dr Ben Sparkes Fulbright Future Scholarship
Home: Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority Host: Columbia University
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: The University of Adelaide Host: Columbia University
Field: Indigenous Land Rights
Field: Data Security
POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS
Dr Sajeda Tuli Fulbright ACT Scholarship
Sponsor: RMIT University Home: RMIT University Host: North Carolina State University
Sponsor: ACT Government Home: University of Canberra Host: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Field: Chemistry
Field: Urban Studies
Hyab Mehari Abraha Fulbright Future Scholarship
Graham Akhurst Fulbright W.G. Walker Queensland Scholarship
Victoria Austin Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Edmund Ruo Fan Bao Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Monash University Host: University of Chicago
Home: The University of Queensland Host: Hunter College
Sponsor: Western Sydney University Home: Western Sydney University Host: Cornell University
Home: The Australian National University Host: Stanford University
Field: Biomedical Science
Field: Creative Writing
Field: Behavioural Ecology
Field: Law
Timothy Blomfield Fulbright Future Scholarship
Liam Brownlie Fulbright Future Scholarship
Dr Khoa Cao Fulbright Future Scholarship
Dr Edward Cliff Fulbright Future Scholarship
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: The University of Sydney Host: Harvard University
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Australian Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology Host: Pennsylvania State University
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Monash University Host: Stanford university
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Royal Melbourne Hospital Host: Harvard University
Field: Medical Technology
Field: Nutrition and Obesity Policy
Field: Business / Public Policy
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Dr Vi Khanh Truong Fulbright Postdoctoral (Vice Chancellor’s Fellow) Scholarship
Field: Materials Science
A U S T R A L I A N POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS (CONT.)
Joshua Dunne Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Azariah Felton Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Alice Gardoll Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Home: The University of Western Australia Host: Georgetown University
Home: Edith Cowan University Host: California Institute of the Arts
Home: The University of Sydney Host: Columbia University
Field: Music Composition
Field: Human Rights Law
Athina Manakas Fulbright Future Scholarship
Callum McDiarmid Fulbright Future Scholarship
Home: Western Australian Department of Justice / AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. Host: University of San Diego
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: The University of Sydney Host: The Scripps Research Institute
Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Macquarie University Host: Cornell University
Field: Social Justice & the Arts
Field: Biochemistry
Field: Evolutionary Biology
Field: Law
Holly Ransom Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholarship
Dr Sebastian Rositano Fulbright South Australia Scholarship
Miranda Samuels Sir John Carrick Fulbright New South Wales Scholarship
Andrew Strano Fulbright Victoria Scholarship
Sponsor: Australian Government, Department of Education & Training Home: Emergent Host: Harvard University
Home: Royal Adelaide Hospital Host: Columbia University
Home: UNSW Galleries Host: The New School
Home: Victorian College of the Arts Host: New York University
Field: Politics / Public Policy
Field: Art, Education and Cultural Policy
Field: Musical Theatre Writing
Field: International Security
Angela Leech Fulbright Western Australia Scholarship
Field: Public Policy
Hugh Johnson Fulbright Future Scholarship Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: The Australian National University Host: University of California, Berkeley Field: Electrical Engineering
Nishadee Perera Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship Home: Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department Host: Columbia University
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A U S T R A L I A N POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS (CONT.)
Lance Truong Fulbright Future Scholarship Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade Host: Columbia University Field: Public Policy / International Relations
Helen Xiao He Zhang Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholarship Sponsor: Australian Government, Department of Education & Training Home: Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade Host: Harvard Kennedy School Field: Public Policy
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Heydon Wardell-Burrus Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Blayne Welsh Fulbright Indigenous Scholarship
Home: The University of Sydney Host: Harvard University
Sponsor: Australian Government, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Home: La Trobe University Host: New York University
Field: Taxation Law
Field: Performing Arts
Dr William Yan Fulbright Future Scholarship Sponsor: The Kinghorn Foundation Home: The University of Melbourne Host: Stanford University Field: Ophthalmology
A M E R I C A N U.S. DISTINGUISHED CHAIRS
Dr Rob DeSalle Fulbright 70th Anniversary Distinguished Chair Sponsor: CSIRO Home: American Museum of Natural History Host: Australian National University Field: Evolutionary Biology
Dr Michael Hendryx Fulbright Distinguished Chair Sponsor: The University of Newcastle Home: Indiana University Host: The University of Newcastle Field: Environmental Health
Professor Renee Newman Knake Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Professor William Schonberg Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Advanced Science & Technology
Sponsor: RMIT University
Sponsor: Australian Government, Defence Science & Technology Group (DST)
Home: University of Houston Host: RMIT University Field: Law
Home: Missouri University of Science & Technology Host: DST Field: Engineering
U.S. SCHOLARS
Professor Donald S. Shepard Fulbright U.S. Distinguished Chair in Applied Public Policy
Professor Brian Silliman Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Science, Technology & Innovation
Sponsor: Flinders University and Carnegie Mellon University Australia (CMUA)
Sponsor: CSIRO
Home: Brandeis University
Home: Duke University
Sponsor: The Australian National University (ANU)
Host: CSIRO
Home: Tulane University
Host: UTS
Field: Marine Ecology
Host: ANU
Field: Social Robotics
Host: Flinders University / CMUA Field: Public Policy
Professor Ray Taras Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Dr Cindy L. Bethel Fulbright Scholar Award Sponsor: University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Home: Skidmore College
Field: Political Science
Marianne Boruch Fulbright Scholar Award
Dr Douglas Boyd Fulbright Scholar Award
Dr Mary Burrows Fulbright Scholar Award
Professor Kevin Robert Gurney Fulbright Scholar Award
Sponsor: University of Canberra
Home: University of Kentucky
Home: Montana State University
Home: Northern Arizona University
Home: Purdue University
Host: National Library of Australia
Host: University of Melbourne
Host: University of Canberra
Field: Library Science
Host: South Australia Research and Development Institute (SARDI)
Field: Poetry
Field: Plant Pathology
Field: Global Biogeochemistry
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A M E R I C A N U.S. SCHOLARS (CONT.)
Dr Lois R. Lupica
Dr. Wayne D. Pennington
Madelyn Shaw
Dr Michael J. Socolow
Award: Fulbright Scholar Award
Award: Fulbright Scholar Award
Award: Fulbright Scholar Award
Award: Fulbright Scholar Award
Home: University of Maine
Sponsor: Curtin University
Home: Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor: University of Canberra
Host: University of Melbourne
Home: Michigan Technological University
Host: Griffith University
Home: University of Maine
Field: Social and Cultural History
Host: Monash University
Field: Law
Host: Curtin University
Field: Journalism
Field: Geophysics
U.S. POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS
Dr Dan Ventura
Paige Lerman
James F. Peyla
Nikita Roy
Award: Fulbright Scholar Award
Award: Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Award: Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Award: Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Home: Columbia University
Home: College of Charleston
Sponsor: Western Sydney University
Host: Monash University
Host: University of Adelaide
Home: University of Connecticut
Field: Anthropology
Field: Marine Biology
Host: Western Sydney University
Home: Brigham Young University Host: University of New South Wales Field: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Public Health
Kaleigh Rusgrove
Jared Russell
Stanley Gibson Schwartz
Daniel Sherrell
Award: Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Award: Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholarship in Public Policy
Award: Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Award: Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship
Home: University of Connecticut
Sponsor: Australian Government, Department of Education and Training
Home: Cedarville University
Home: Brown University
Host: The Australian National University
Host: University of Adelaide
Host: Western Sydney University Field: Visual Arts/Photography
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Home: Colorado College Host: University of Melbourne Field: International Law
Field: History
Field: Literature
UNITED STATES
41 41
PROFILE:
ADVANCE FULBRIGHT’S INFLUENCE & IMPACT
Professor Julie McIntyre 2019 Fulbright Scholar
Fulbright Scholars are, by definition, thought leaders and cultural ambassadors. 4242
In order to advance Fulbright’s influence and impact, we must highlight the success stories of our awardees and alumni to showcase the contributions they make to their fields, and the wider community. We aim to achieve this through diverse, engaging events and high-quality publications.
F U L B R I G H T
E V E N T
H I G H L I G H T S
2019 Fulbright Scholar Gala Presentation Dinner, 27 February, Parliament House, Canberra
TEDxFulbright Adelaide, 20 March, University of South Australia, Adelaide
Questacon/70th Anniversary Distinguished Chair Events, June/July, Questacon, Canberra
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F U L B R I G H T
A L U M N I
H I G H L I G H T S
Julia Back (2007, Deakin University) co-published a new study in Nature Conservation on the effects of human interaction and ecotourism on an Australian fur seal colony in Victoria.
Michelle Rourke (2017, Griffith University to Georgetown University) published a new article in The Milbank Quarterly analysing the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, a pathogen-specific international access and benefit-sharing instrument that enables fairer distribution of vaccines and antivirals created using influenza viruses in developing countries.
Robert Park (2010, University of Sydney to United States Department of Agriculture) developed a new DNA test that can quickly detect and help farmers deal with wheat rust; a devastating disease affecting wheat crops in Africa and Europe. His team's findings were published in Science.
Pearse Buchanan (2017, University of Tasmania to Princeton University) co-authored a new article for the Geosciences Model Development journal, entitled Ocean carbon and nitrogen isotopes in CSIRO Mk3L-COAL version 1.0: a tool for palaeoceanographic research.
Chloe Hooper (1997, University of Melbourne to Columbia University) was nominated for the 2019 Stella Prize for her true crime book, The Arsonist, which looks at the investigation into Victoria's 2009 'Black Saturday' bushfires.
Armin Moczek (2017, Indiana University to CSIRO) recieved a National Science Foundation grant to study evolutionary development, using dung beetles to contrast two ways that new traits emerge in species.
Peter Newman (2006, Murdoch University to University of Virginia) published a new article, The Trackless Tram: Is It the Transit and City Shaping Catalyst We Have Been Waiting For?, discussing the potential of trackless tram technology to transform the public transport landscape in the Journal of Transportation Technologies.
Peter Dean (2015, Australian National University to Georgetown University) and Stephan FrĂźhling (2017 Australian National University to Georgetown University) co-edited a new book, After American Primacy, bringing together leading experts to examine the future of Australian defence policy.
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Dr Ranjana Srivastava (2004, Monash University to University of Chicago) published a new book, A Better Death, sharing her observations and advice on leading a meaningful life and finding dignity and composure at its end.
Jessa Thurman (2017, Washington State University to The University of Queensland) published her new research into weaver ants in Frontiers In Ecology and Evolution. Her study summarizes the effects of weaver ants on beneficial and pest insects and treecrop productivity.
Professor Stuart Cunningham (2014, Queensland University of Technology to University of California, Davis) co-authored a new book, Social Media Entertainment, chronicling the rise of the social media economy and its impact on media consumption and production.
Professor Richard Ziolkowski (2014, University of Arizona to Defense Science and Technology Group) won the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' Electromagnetics Award for his pioneering metamaterial-inspired research.
Marvin Brown (1977, Brown University to University of Melbourne) was recognised for his service to the community with the Port Washington Senior of The Year award, presented by North Hempstead Town Councilwoman Dina De Giorgio.
Barrie Pittock (1963, University of Melbourne to the National Center for Atmospheric Research) was awarded a medal of the Order of Australia, for his "significant role in ensuring the identity, culture, history and citizenship of Indigenous Australians is recognised".
Liz Dennis (1981, CSIRO to Stanford University) was appointed a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AC) for "eminent service to science as a researcher and academic in the area of genomics and plant development, and to professional organisations."
David Whiteman (2006, Queensland Institute of Medical Research to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center) was awarded a medal of the Order of Australia for “significant service to medical research in the field of cancer epidemiology.�
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N E W
C O M M U N I C A T I O N S
I N I T I A T I V E S
A NEW LOOK FULBRIGHT for a COMPLEX & CHANGING WORLD In May 2019, the U.S. Department of State launched a Fulbright brand update, refreshing our visual identity to commemorate 70 years of the program, and reflect our contemporary outlook for the next 70 years. The branding colours and logo have been redesigned in consultation with Fulbright Students, Scholars, and alumni; private sector and NGO partners; binational commissions around the globe; leaders in higher education, and many others. This is the new-look Fulbright Program, ready to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world.
The color blue represents ASPIRATION, ENERGY, and IDEAS. It is also steadfast, representing STRENGTH and PRESTIGE.
The logo itself is a perfect circle, representing the globe. The F-shaped latitude and longitude lines stretch across the globe to create multiple facets. This is a reminder that Fulbright is connecting PEOPLE and NATIONS throughout the world.
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Educational & Cultural EXCHANGE programs for passionate and accomplished people of all backgrounds to study, teach, or pursue important research and professional projects in the United States and in more than 160 partner countries worldwide. Lasting CONNECTIONS among the global network of scholars, alumni, global partners, and educational communities that lead to lifelong collaborations. Mutual UNDERSTANDING that counters misunderstandings and helps nations and people solve pressing problems and work together toward common goals.
The logo colors are shades of blue that brighten as they ascend. This is a visualisation of how Fulbright works toward a more peaceful world: one connection at a time.
The Fulbright Commission in Australia has also adapted country-specific logos to distinguish our program and showcase our 70-year legacy.
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Fulbright Website Update In order to complement the new Fulbright visual identity, we have updated our website with refreshed colours and a more streamlined site architecture. The new site features a whole suite of accessibility and user-experience updates, including alt-text options and distinguishable colour contrasts for sight-impaired users, and an improved page sequencing for more efficient navigation. The site now registers an AA rating according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG2) requirements. Other noteworthy additions include improved social media integration and dynamic content upgrades. The new site went live in September 2019. Visit fulbright.org.au in September to experience the new site for yourself!
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Fulbrighter App We're excited to announce the launch of a new networking platform for all of our Scholars and Alumni, created to help facilitate even more fluid collaboration within the global Fulbright community. Fulbrighter is an exclusive online social and professional networking platform specifically designed for Fulbright alumni and grantees. It is a space where you can connect, network and engage with the global community of Fulbrighters. As well as keeping up to date with the Commission’s news and activities, users can:
- Create a profile and connect with Fulbrighters from around the world
- Discover the dynamic research and practice going on around the world
- Build networks of like-minded thinkers, practitioners and professionals
- Offer support to new grantees and established Fulbrighters
- Share news, events and best practice
- Collaborate on projects and ideas to enrich understanding of our complex, changing world.
Find out more about Fulbrighter and join the platform by visiting fulbrighternetwork.com. The Fulbrighter app can also be downloaded from the Google Play and App stores.
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S O C I A L
M E D I A
U P D A T E S
@Jarvanitakis #FrontierDays in Wyoming with #Fulbright Executive Director Tom Dougherty. Yee-Haw!
@GrahamAkhurst Great to join the @QldGovernor at Qld’s Government House for #NAIDOC2019 celebrations this evening along with Elders & others from gov, NGOs, universities, business & community.
@SarahBoyd We did it! Our little fam at Harvard's 368th Commencement in Harvard Yard and 2019 graduation ceremony at the Kennedy School. My Mum, Chris, Aidan and my parents-in-law were all there, and it was a dream come true.
@JeffBleichCA Our @FulbrightBoard shared the new logo to Fulbrighters at #KState and #KU Asked they do 3 things under its banner: 1) Bring the best version of yourself; 2) Look for the best in others; and 3) Pay it forward. Not be a bad banner for the rest of us to carry, either. 50
@SparkyQI today I walked from 106 St to the Brooklyn Bridge, mostly along #NYC #SummerStreets. What an amazing, exciting city! And that’s all of my exercise for the next 3 months... @FulbrightPrgrm @AustAmFulbright
@Nikita.Roy corals, fishies, nikis #GreatBarrierReef
@Jessa_Rogers Writing an article on my time @Harvard as an @AustAmFulbright alumna, remembering all the special moments I had as a fellow there. Best time. @Harvard_Natives
@Renee.Bartolo The #Fulbright #Future Scholarship has positioned me to be a leader in long range drone missions for environmental monitoring in the Australian Government by enabling me to learn about these type of #drone operations in the US
@AdamDavids two #Indigenous #Fulbright Scholars taking on the world!
@Begglest Finally to be studying at @HHI!! Great first day on responding to urban humanitarian emergencies! @AustAmFulbright
@MVLizards First day at the office ... very exciting to get my Fulbright research underway. Thanks so much @JLosos @jamesTstroud @colindonihue for the warm welcome! #dragonlizards #conservation #taxonomy @ AustAmFulbright @museumsvictoria @australtaxonomy
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PERFORMANCE:
CULTIVATE BEST PRACTICE
Professor Craig Baillie 2019 Fulbright Future Scholar
5252
The Fulbright Program can continue to thrive only if we leverage minimum resources to maximum effect. Operational and administrative procedures must be continually reviewed and refined, and our programs must be effectively monitored and managed. We must ensure that we have effective scholar selection and staff recruitment processes, that professional development be a priority, and that we are appropriately funded to achieve our core goals.
F I N A N C I A L
S T A T E M E N T S
AUSTRALIAN-AMERICAN FULBRIGHT COMMISSION ABN 17 628 385 325
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT FULBRIGHT COMMISSION Your Board membersAUSTRALIAN-AMERICAN submit the financial report of the Australian-American Fulbright Commission for the financial year ended 30 September 2017. Report on the Financial Report Opinion
Board Members Activities We have audited the accompanying financial report, being a specialPrincipal purpose financial report of the Australian-American Fulbright Commission (the Commission), which comprises the statement of financial position as at 30 September 2019, the statement
The names of Board members throughout the year of changes Theinprincipal activities the Australian-American of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, statement equity and statement of of cash flows for the year then and at the date ofcomprising this report are: of significant accounting policies Fulbright Commission are to promote educational ended, notes a summary and other explanatory information, and the certificate by members of the board. In our opinion, the financial report presents fairly, in all material respects, between the financial Australia position of the and cultural exchange and the Australian-American Fulbright Commission as at 30 September 2019 and its financial performance for the year then ended in United States through the implementation of the accordance with the accounting policies described in Note 1 to the financial statements. • Mr Peter de Cure (Chair) Fulbright program of selection, administration, Basis for Opinion • Ms Bettina Malone (Treasurer) management, outreach, partnerships We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Our responsibilities under those standards areand further promotion across a range ofindependent scholarships described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit2017) of the Financial Report section of our report. We are of theand • Mr Greg Wilcock (appointed 28 September Commission in accordance with the ethical requirements of the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board’s APES 110: exchanges. • Professor Barney Glover Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (the Code) that are relevant to our audit of the financial report in Australia. We have
• • • • •
also fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the Code. Ms Karen Sandercock (appointed 31 August 2017) We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate toChanges provide a basis for our opinion. Significant Mr Christian Bennett (appointed 12 May 2017)
Information Other than the Financial Report and Auditor’s Report Thereon No significant change in the nature of these Ms Frankie Reed The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual activities occurred during the year. report for the year ended 30 September 2019 but does not include the financial report and our auditor’s report thereon. Our Ms Laura Anderson opinion on the financial report does not cover the other information and accordingly we do not express any form of assurance
Dr Varuni Kulasekera conclusion thereon. In connection with our audit of the financial report, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in Operating doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with theResult financial report or our knowledge obtained in • Mr Larry Lopez (appointed 19 January 2017) the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If, based The on thesurplus work we have performed, conclude that there is a for the 2017we financial year amounted to material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. $3,225,015 (2016: $529,243) Directors' Responsibility the Financial Report Other Board members whoforserved on the Board Thefinancial directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view in accordance with during the year: Signed in accordance resolution ofis the Australian Accounting Standards – Reduced Disclosure Requirements and for such internal controlwith as the a Board determines necessary to enable the preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair is free from material misstatement, members ofview theand Board. • Professor DeBats (Chair) (untilthe 2 December whetherDon due to fraud or error. In preparing financial report, the directors are responsible for assessing the ability of the 2016)Commission to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going •
concern basis of accounting unless the Board either intends to liquidate the Commission or to cease operations, or has no realistic
Ms Jessie Borthwick (until 3 December 2016) Ms alternative but to do so. Lucienne Manton (until Auditor's Responsibility 28 September 2017)
•
Mr Peterreport de Cure Our objectives are to (from obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial is free from material misstatement, Ms Gath Patterson April 2017 to August Chairour opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of 2017)whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes
•
a material misstatement it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually Professor Russell Troodwhen (until 3 February 2017)
assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards will always detect or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of this financial report. As part of an audit in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards, we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also: • Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial report, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
Ms Bettina Malone
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the Treasurer circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Commission’s internal control. • Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the Board. • Conclude on the appropriateness of the Board’s use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Commission’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw DATED THIS DAY OF 30 NOVEMBER 2017 attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial report or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Commission to cease to continue as a going concern. • Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial report, including the disclosures, and whether the financial report represents the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation. We communicate with the Board regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
Shane Bellchambers, FCA Canberra, ACT Registered Company Auditor Dated this 30th day of November 2019 BellchambersBarrett
53
CONSOLIDATED SUMMARY STATEMENT OF REVENUE AND EXPENSES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2019 FY 2019
FY 2018
REVENUE United States Government base grant
$
943,928
$
854,701
Australian Government base grant
$
785,962
$
772,065
Government Sponsorship
$
642,625
$
450,966
Private Sector Sponsorships*
$ 5,038,369
$ 2,007,250
University Sponsorships
$ 1,090,008
$
968,625
Presentation Event Sponsorship
$
$
69,000
Investment Income
$ 1,259,758
$ 1,268,493
Donations
$
932,434
$
65,122
Other
$
17,272
$
8,996
96,000
TOTAL REVENUE from non exchange transactions $10,806,356
$ 6,465,218
EXPENSES Scholarship Program Direct Expenses
$ 5,884,648
$ 2,242,999
Scholarship Program Support Expenses
$
$
Office Operating Expenses
$ 1,082,153
Financial and Other
($
375,952
$ 1,005,796
71,710) ($
59,896)
TOTAL EXPENSES
$ 7,308,162
$ 3,564,851
Excess of Revenue over Expenses
$ 3,498,194
$ 2,900,367
FUNDING SOURCES FY 2019
54
413,071
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2019 FY 2018
FY 2017
ASSETS Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents
$ 1,424,894 $
Financial Investments
$ 25,958,387 $20,316,448
Receivables
$
171,971
$
516,330
Other current assets
$
66,142
$
48,907
Total current assets
$ 27,621,394
$21,434,369
$ 27,621,394
$21,434,369
Payables
$
$
Provisions - program related
$ 4,749,615
$ 2,018,896
Total Current Liabilities
$ 5,411,494
$ 2,724,174
Provisions - non-program related
$
9,513
$
8,002
Total Non-Current Liabilities
$
9,513
$
8,002
TOTAL ASSETS
552,684
LIABILITIES Current Liabilities 661,879
674,260
Non-Current Liabilities
TOTAL LIABILITIES
$ 5,421,007
$ 2,732,176
NET ASSETS
$22,200,387 $ 18,702,193
EQUITY Reserves Retained Surplus
$ 12,642,181 $ 9,558,206
TOTAL EQUITY
$22,200,387 $18,702,193
$ 12,642,181 $ 6,060,012
55
“I have thought of everything I can think of, and the one thing that gives me some hope is the ethos that underlies the educational exchange program. That ethos, in sum, is the belief that international relations can be improved, and the danger of war significantly reduced, by producing generations of leaders, especially in the big countries, who through the experience of educational exchange, will have acquired some feeling and understanding of other peoples’ cultures--why they operate as they do, why they think as they do, why they react as they do--and of the differences among these cultures. It is possible--not very probable, but possible--that people can find in themselves, through intercultural education, the ways and means of living together in peace. ....Man’s struggle to be rational about himself, about his relationship to his own society and to other peoples and nations involves a constant search for understanding among all peoples and all cultures--a search that can only be effective when learning is pursued on a worldwide basis.” -- Senator J. William Fulbright, The Fulbright Program: A History
THE AUSTRALIAN-AMERICAN FULBRIGHT COMMISSION P: 02 6260 4460 E: fulbright@fulbright.org.au W: fulbright.org.au