The ARCH Magazine |Issue 25|30th Anniversary 2019

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TH E FI RST BO N DY

MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

NICOL A REFLECTS ON HER PL ACE

30 YE ARS OF ACHIE VEMENTS

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14 ANNIVERSARY GALA BALL

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

B O N D PA RT I E S L I K E I T ’ S 1 9 8 9

T H R E E O U T S TA N D I N G A L U M N I

30

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COMMUNITY TRADITIONS

F O U N DAT I O N S F O R T H E F U T U R E

A S P E C I A L B O N D F A M I LY R E U N I O N

C AM P U S D E VELO PM ENTS

THE

UNIVERSITY

IN

OUR

RD DECADE

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hen Bond University first opened its doors, the Berlin Wall was still standing. So much has changed in the world around us in our first three decades.

In May this year we celebrated our 30th anniversary. This special issue of the ARCH is dedicated to those first thirty years and our University’s achievements.

Our students and alumni have been the foundation upon which Bond has forged its international reputation for educational excellence.

It is with considerable pride that we honour over 27,000 Bondies. This issue is a reminder as to how far we have come. Our journey has not been plain sailing, rather it is a story of triumph over adversity and testament to staying true to our mission - students come first at Bond.

The year has been packed full of highlights, major events, building legacy and celebrating our progress. Perhaps the strongest and longest-lasting memory when looking back on 2019 will be the unveiling of ‘Limitless’. This magnificent art-piece sits prominently and proudly under the iconic Arch Building. ‘Limitless’ is a gift to our alumni and has inscribed on it the names of every graduate from our first 30 years.

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

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LEADING

Several hundred of those names returned to campus earlier this year to join the annual Homecoming Week and associated events which culminated in our 30th Anniversary Gala Ball. The evening was a sell-out with 1000 attendees.

We also welcomed members of the families of our co-founders Alan Bond and Harunori Takahashi as our special guests for the evening.

Amongst those alumni in attendance were many of our hard-working committee members from the various global Alumni Chapters. The breadth of reach to all corners of the globe should bring a warm inner glow to us all.

The University’s success also owes much to many quiet achievers. Among those is Dr Alan Finch who retires this year after 29 years of outstanding service. This issue contains a tribute to ‘Finchie’.

We also pay tribute to one of our favourite sons – Mike Grenby – who sadly passed away in the middle of the year.

As so befitting of Mike, his last public appearance was at the Gala Ball where he managed to get up for a dance or three with some of his former students.

My best wishes for a safe and happy festive season spent with family and friends. Onwards and upwards in your continual search to be limitless.

PROFESSOR TIM BRAILSFORD V I C E C H A N C E L LO R A N D P R E S I D E N T

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IN THE BEGINNING

O U R

F I R S T

GRADUATE A

s Bond University’s first-ever graduate, Nicola Kennedy (Class of 1989) built the foundations of her career at a campus which at the time was itself little more than a collection of buildings – and “a lot of mud.”

Ms Kennedy was part of Bond’s inaugural student intake in 1989, and after completing her MBA, the then Nicola Anderson was first to cross the conferral stage.

features hadn’t been finished; it was really fascinating to see the University take shape.”

“I remember one of our cohort came from Melbourne and when he arrived, he said, ‘but the brochure said there were green lawns and water!’”

The fledgling University was rocked by the sudden death of Foundation Dean of the School of Business, Professor Steven Johnson, just before the first-ever teaching semester.

Thirty years later, she remains conscious of her unique place in Bond’s history.

Professor Johnson tragically drowned while trying to cross the flooded Mudgeeraba Creek while on his way to a meeting at the University.

“I do see it as being a part of history. I think we all do in that first cohort. We had a real sense of pioneering, and in that first year, and I assume for the first five years at least, we really didn’t know if the University was going to continue or not.”

“It was a catastrophe. Steve’s reputation was just outstanding, so in the business school there was this great sense of loss, but also a determination to overcome it and realise Steve’s vision,” Ms Kennedy recalls.

Originally intending to study at the University of Queensland, Ms Kennedy was won over by Bond’s accelerated learning program and burgeoning reputation.

“Quite honestly, philosophically, I was not committed to attending a private university, however Bond University was in the news. There was a lot of talk around town about the quality of the faculty, particularly in the business and law schools. Some really superb academics had come back to Australia, or were coming from prestigious universities around Australia to teach there.”

Being part of the first intake of students made for a unique and challenging learning environment, but as Ms Kennedy recalls, also a special sense of camaraderie.

“It was just so demanding; in the dorms the postgrads would get up early and study until breakfast, then go to lectures, go back to the dorm and study and then go to more lectures.”

After graduating from Bond, Ms Kennedy went on to work as a management consultant, starting out at the Australian Institute of Management, before moving to a small boutique consultancy then Suncorp and Unisys, before launching her own business consulting in change management, strategy, business planning, leadership and team development.

She and her husband moved to Norfolk Island in 2004, spending 12 years working in tourism and immersing themselves in the local culture, before returning to Australia.

Ms Kennedy keeps a close eye on the fortunes of her former university, and is grateful for the role Bond played in shaping her future.

“The MBA’s entrepreneurship subject which I took, was one of the first of its kind in Australia. It encapsulated my Bond experience.”

“But at least there were still Friday nights when you’d bolt dinner and race over to Don’s. You would nurse one beer for an hour, talk and laugh with as many people as you could, and be back at the books until midnight. It was the most bizarre life, but it was fantastic.”

The unique experience of having a university campus forming around her is one which has stayed with Ms Kennedy.

“There was a lot of mud, and then a lot of dust… and that was exciting in itself because each day you would see new things developing in front of you. The lake wasn’t there when we were first on campus, the paving and many of the landscaping

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FIRST COHORT OF G R A D U AT E S , THE MBA CLASS OF 1989

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

“There was a lot of mud, and then a lot of dust…and that was exciting in itself because each day you would see new things developing in front of you.”

BOND UNIVERSITY’S F I R S T G R A D U AT E , N I CO L A K EN N EDY

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IN THE BEGINNING

Bond University will set new standards in excellence for other institutions to copy and follow. It will be bold and pioneering, resourceful and determined!

– AL AN BOND, 1989

1986 JULY 3, 1986: Businessman Alan Bond announces plans to develop Australia’s first private, not-for-profit, fully independent university on a Gold Coast site known as Burleigh Forest.

1987 -1988

Bond University of Applied Technology, as it was originally known, would be funded by a joint venture between Bond Corporation Holdings and Japanese development company, EIE, as part of a broad-based academic, commercial and residential precinct.

The concept developed by a small group of political, business and community leaders was to create a unique learning experience modelled on the world’s leading private universities and Ivy League colleges. Classes would be smaller; leading academics and teachers would be drawn from across the globe; and the buildings and facilities would rival the best in the world.

APRIL 23, 1987: The Bond University Act is passed by the Queensland Government, securing the University’s status as a fully independent tertiary institution.

Coordinator-General for Queensland, Sir Sydney Schubert, is announced as Chancellor and in July, Professor Don Watts takes the reins as Bond’s foundation Vice Chancellor.

INAUGUR AL STUDENT M AT T H E W WISEMAN AND F O U N D AT I O N VICE C HAN C ELLO R , PROFESSOR D O N WAT T S

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Construction of the campus begins in late September and continues through what goes down in history as the two wettest years ever recorded on the Gold Coast. The University’s earliest staff call themselves the ‘Gumboot Brigade’ as they slosh through the mud.

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

1989 MAY 13, 1989: 322 students arrive at Bond University to begin undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the Schools of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Technology, and Law. The campus continues to take shape with completion of the Student Centre, the Main Library and Lake Orr. The Bond University Rugby Union Football Club is established and the English Language Institute (ELI) opens in Surfers Paradise with 23 students.

1990-1993 MAY 13, 1990: The first cohort of nine MBA students graduate. The ceremony is held in the Princeton Room and is attended by 500 VIP guests, including University co-founder Alan Bond.

By the time the first 75 undergraduates celebrate their graduation in 1991, student enrolments have grown to more than 1000.

In the background, however, the joint venture partners are in trouble. In September 1990, Bond Corporation Holdings is placed in receivership with losses of $2.2 billion – the largest in Australian corporate history at the time – and, by the end of 1991, EIE is spending up to $500,000 a week to keep the University afloat.

In 1992, the University breaks even financially for the first time but, after Bond Corporation sells its shares to EIE, the Japanese company also goes into receivership, setting up a battle for the University’s survival that will last until the end of the decade.

F I R S T U N D E R G R A D U AT E G R A D U AT I O N ,

Despite the challenging times, the University continues to attract student enrolments, which exceed 1,500 for the first time.

M AY 1 9 9 1

1994

BY BOND’S FIFTH YEAR, more than 1300 degrees have been conferred. The University continues to expand its program offerings with the introduction of new study areas such as Criminology and Film and Television. The Bond University Film and Television Awards (BUFTA) are launched to encourage Year 11 and 12 students to enrol in the new Bachelor of Film and Television by making their own short films. Bond’s Law and Accounting programs are ranked No.1 in Australia and a team of MBA students take top honours in the 1994 International Entrepreneurial Moot Competition against the likes of Harvard, the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

STU D ENTS WITH E XEC UTIVE C HAN C ELLO R , EMERITUS PROFESSOR HARRY MESSEL AC CBE

Meanwhile, EIE receivers put the campus land and buildings up for sale free of tenants, and the University of Queensland wins the tender to purchase the Bond campus, despite protests by Bond students who march on Parliament House in Brisbane. Questions are raised over Bond’s legal rights to occupy the campus. The case eventually goes to the Supreme Court, which grants Bond University a three-year tenancy.

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IN THE BEGINNING

V I C E C H A N C E L L O R , P R O F E S S O R R O B E R T S TA B L E W I T H T H E T H E N P R I M E M I N I S T E R J O H N H O WA R D AT T H E O P E N I N G O F T H E H E A LT H S C I E N C E S A N D M E D I C I N E B U I L D I N G

1999 AUGUST 13, 1999: Bond’s tenth anniversary year is capped off with the news that Bond University Limited has purchased the 50ha site and campus buildings for $65 million. The following image captures the finalisation of the purchase of the campus.

VI C E C HAN C ELLO R , PRO FES SO R K EN M O O R ES , CO M M ERC IA L D I R EC TO R JOHN LE LIEVRE AND REGISTRAR ALAN FINCH.

2000-2003 IN 2000, the milestone of 5000 alumni is reached and enrolments exceed 2000 for the first time.

The resolution of Bond’s ownership is a major turning point in the University’s history, ushering in a new era of growth and development.

The following year, Vice Chancellor, Professor Ken Moores presents a three-year strategic plan that includes the establishment of a new Institute of Health Sciences, with a view to introducing an undergraduate medical degree.

Working with strategic advisor Trevor Rowe (then managing director of Salomon Smith Barney Australian Corporate Finance), Professor Moores negotiates with the Federal Government for a loan scheme that Bond students could access to help finance their studies.

The decision to extend FEE HELP to Bond students in 2003 finally puts the University on a level playing field with public sector institutions.

By this time, Trevor Rowe has been installed as Chancellor of Bond University. He appoints Queensland Director General of Health, Professor Robert Stable as Vice Chancellor, forging a successful six-year partnership overseeing a new phase of expansion and renewed vigour.

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2004 - 2006 IN 2004, the Australian Medical Council approves Bond’s undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery – Australia’s first ever private medical degree – and one of the world’s leading evidence-based medicine experts, Professor Chris del Mar, is recruited from the United Kingdom to establish the new medical school. Prime Minister John Howard officiates the opening of the Medical School Building in April 2006, by which time the new Faculty of Health Science and Medicine is up and running, with programs in Forensic Science, Exercise Science, Sports Science and the full range of biomedical and health sciences.

The Faculty of Business is re-launched as a ‘super faculty’ combining Business, Technology and the new School of Sustainable Development – the first designated planning and design school in Australia to fully integrate environmental, urban planning and architectural disciplines.

A reinvigorated focus on research sees external research funding triple and the number of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students increases by 65 percent in just two years.

The Career Development Centre gets a make-over and Bond College is launched to provide pathway programs into Bond University degrees.

In 2007, Bond is ranked equal best university in Australia by the independent publishers of the Good Universities Guide, scoring the maximum five-star rating in nine key student experience categories.

THE UNIVERSITY continues to expand its degree offerings in response to industry demand: Australia’s first Doctor of Physiotherapy program, a new Masters of High Performance Science focussing on elite athletes, undergraduate and postgraduate offerings in Hotel, Resort and Tourism Management, Multimedia and Architecture.

The inaugural cohort of medical students graduate in 2009 and every one of them secures an internship; Bond Law teams win a series of prestigious international mooting competitions, cementing Bond’s reputation as one of the world’s leading advocacy teaching universities; and in the 2011 Australian Financial Review BOSS rankings, Bond’s MBA is ranked in the top 10 MBA programs in Australia.

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

2007 - 2011 The multimillion-dollar Legal Skills Centre opens in 2007, incorporating a state-of-the-art moot court modelled on the High Court of Australia. Other new facilities include the Macquarie Trading Room, the Balnaves Foundation Multimedia Learning Centre, the ADCO Amphitheatre and Alumni Court. In August 2008, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard opens the Mirvac School of Sustainable Development building. It is the first building in Australia to achieve a Six Green Star – Education PILOT Certificate Rating for Design by the Green Building Council of Australia.

In 2010, long-time Bond supporter and art patron, Dr Patrick Corrigan, facilitates an auction of Indigenous art that raises funds to support a number of scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

B O N D M O OT COURT OPENS

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IN THE BEGINNING

2012-2016

THE NEXT CHAPTER of Bond’s story is highlighted by recognition on the international stage. Bond Business School gains global accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), becoming one of only eight business schools in Australia to hold this dual international recognition. The Master of Construction Practice becomes the first postgraduate degree in Australia to be accredited by the worldwide Chartered Institute of Building.

Bond Law partners with Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL) in China and the Swiss International Law School. It also continues to develop its North American market by offering specialist subjects in Canadian Law, with the 1000th Canadian law student enrolling at Bond in 2014.

The Bond-BBT Global Leadership MBA designed for Japanese executives, delivered with Dr Kenichi Ohmae, Chairman of Business Breakthrough University, celebrates its 1000th graduate in 2016.

Other international linkages allow students to undertake internships and study tours to Silicon Valley, China, Africa, remote communities in the Solomon Islands and in a network of AECOM offices in 150 countries worldwide.

In 2014, Bond features in the world’s Top 200 QS World University Rankings for the first time. The following year, it is crowned World’s Best Beachside University by Study International.

Closer to home, Bond College expands its pathway options with a range of diploma qualifications and a strategic focus on sport sees Bond develop study and training partnerships with local, state and national rugby union, rugby 7s, AFL and swimming organisations.

A commitment to closing the gap on educational disadvantage for Australia’s First Nations people inspires a formal Indigenous Education Strategy involving scholarships, specialised student support, on-campus cultural awareness and community outreach.

Between 2012 and 2017, Indigenous students from all over Australia are presented with scholarships to study at Bond University, and Indigenous student enrolments more than double.

THE TRANSFORMER

1 . D R PAT R I C K C O R R I G A N A M 2 . B L A K E R I T S O N 3 . M A K AY L A P A L M

2017-2018 IN THE LEAD-UP to Bond’s 30th birthday celebrations, major refurbishments are carried out to the Legal Skills Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine Building, Bond Business School and the Multimedia Learning Centre.

The Fabian Fay Clubhouse opens in April, further supporting the growth of Bond University Rugby Club and Bond Sport at large.

Bond Business School marks the graduation of Queensland’s first ever cohort of Actuarial Science students and launches the innovative Transformer program that aims to instil entrepreneurial, ‘big picture’ thinking in students from all faculties.

The University debuts at No.20 in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings of the Best Small Universities in the World.

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THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

2019

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS

FROM A TUMULTUOUS BATTLE for survival in the early years to recognition on the world stage, Bond University has fought hard to earn its place as Australia’s leading private university.

Through critical challenges such as the Global Financial Crisis and the Australian Government’s uncapping of student places at public universities, the University has held fast to its founders’ vision to deliver the best possible student experience.

The Good Universities Guide rated Bond University No.1 in Australia for student experience, for the 14th year in a row.

In the Federal Government’s Employer Satisfaction Survey, Bond ranked No.1 out of 42 universities Australia-wide; and Bond took out two of only 13 national honours at Australia’s most prestigious teaching awards.

While the University takes pride in its track record of success and high ratings, the 30th Anniversary is also a time to look ahead at all the opportunities for innovation, imagination and exploration that the future holds.

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IN THE BEGINNING

30

Years of Service “THIRTY YEARS LATER WE ARE STILL HERE AND PEOPLE DON’T THINK THE WAY THEY DID BECAUSE THE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED, THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.”

B

ond’s longest-serving staff swapped stories of secret tunnels and stellar students at a special lunch held in their honour during the University’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

The event on May 14 was hosted by Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford, in the Loggia atop the Arch. Invitees were a mix of staff who had served between 25 and 30 years.

Steve Guttormsen, a 30-year veteran, recalled being offered a job as a 24-year-old and arriving to a construction site.

“You could only be invited to come,” Mr Guttormsen said. “There were no jobs advertised.”

“At the beginning, the law school and the business school were the only buildings open, and to get over to the University Centre, because it was a construction site, you had to take a tunnel.”

Mr Guttormsen began his career at Bond in audiovisual services producing promotional videos but went on to teach in film and television. He is now the Technology and Teaching Support Manager in the Faculty of Society & Design.

“I’ve had career progression, enjoyed my job and become part of the furniture,” Mr Guttormsen said.

“I’ve had the opportunity to do some degrees - I’ve got a couple of Masters (Film and TV and an MBA) and my daughter Taylah also attended Bond.”

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“She was a baby in a pram at my 10-year service ceremony and now she’s about to graduate with a degree in criminal psychology.”

Dr Beata Webb, Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics in the Faculty of Society & Design, said she was proud the University had stayed true to its founding principles.

“I joined the team in the language teaching area and I have just had a fantastic 30 years,” Dr Webb said.

“We have managed to retain the individuality we have always had as a university.”

“Those early years were very difficult. People simply did not accept a tertiary institution that would be private and independent.”

“Thirty years later we are still here and people don’t think the way they did because the landscape has changed, the world has changed.”

Dr Webb said it was fulfilling to see her former students thriving around the globe.

“I’ve had some incredible students over the years and it’s wonderful to see what they do now, twenty or thirty years later. I have high-ranking diplomats and professors all over the world who used to be my students, so that network is just incredible.”

Professor of Accounting Keith Duncan has also served for 30 years.

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

3 0 Y E A R V E T E R A N S : M R S T E V E G U T T O R M S E N , D R B E ATA W E B B , M S TA N YA C O O K , P R O F E S S O R W I L L I A M VA N C AEN EG EM , PRO FES SO R K EITH D U N C AN , PRO FES SO R J I M CO R K ERY (FRO NT ) WITH VI C E C HAN C ELLO R AN D P R E S I D E N T, P R O F E S S O R T I M B R A I L S F O R D

“I landed, went to a student hall and they said, ‘Well, you’re doing your PhD but you’re also teaching, and you’ve got a week and a half to get ready.”

“I’m also an inaugural student,” he said. “I came here originally as a PhD student but they were short-staffed when I arrived, partly because Professor Steven Johnson, the first Dean of the Bond Business School, had tragically passed away.”

“I landed, went to a student hall and they said, ‘Well, you’re doing your PhD but you’re also teaching, and you’ve got a week and a half to get ready.”

“I had been a lecturer somewhere else but it was still a challenge.”

“But I had wanted to get away from the government employee mentality. I wanted to get to something fresh and I thought, ‘I’ll give this a bash.”

Professor Duncan said he still gets a kick out of seeing his students succeed.

“You get these emails. They start; you probably don’t remember me but...”

“I had a student who studied accounting and philosophy. He worked in the finance industry all around the world and the last contact I had with him, he was on stage in the United Kingdom.”

“You’re a small part of where these students end up. I’ve loved the whole time. We’ve achieved something and I’m very proud of it.”

New members of the 25-year club this year are Bond Business School Teaching Fellow, Neva Maxim and Student Housing Administration Officer, Kerry Wells.

M S N E VA M A X I M A N D M R S K E R R Y W E L L S

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HOMECOMING 2019

The

GALA

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THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

O N C E A B O N D Y , A L W A Y S A B O N D Y

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t was the hottest ticket in town, sold out five months ahead of the big night. One thousand alumni, students and staff gathered at The Star Gold Coast on May 18 for the University’s 30th Anniversary Gala Ball.

Graduates from every year of Bond’s history attended and represented 35 nations.

Special guests at the black-tie blockbuster included former Chancellors and Vice Chancellors, as well as the families of the University’s late co-founders Alan Bond and Harunori Takahashi.

Current Chancellor, The Hon Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC made symbolic presentations of Helidon sandstone, of which the main campus buildings are constructed, to Mr John Bond and Mrs Takahashi.

Later, the Bondies stormed the dancefloor to the tunes of the 42 Band and hundreds partied on until the early hours at the after-party at Nineteen at The Star.

C HAN C ELLO R , TH E H O N D R AN NAB ELLE B EN N E T T A C S C M A K I N G A S P E C I A L P R E S E N TAT I O N T O M R S TA K A H A S H I

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HOMECOMING 2019

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GALA BALL HIGHLIGHTS 1 . V I C E C H A N C E L LO R A N D P R E S I D E N T, P R O F E S S O R TI M B R AI LS FO R D, C HAN C ELLO R , TH E H O N D R ANNABELLE BENNET T AC SC , D R DAV I D B E N N E T T AC Q C , M R S K E R R I E B R A I L S F O R D 2. AU NT Y J OYC E SU M M ERS 3 . TA K A H A S H I F A M I LY 4. 42 BAN D

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THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

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5 . B O N D F A M I LY 6 . M S C AT H W E B B E R (C L A S S O F 1 9 9 5 ) A N D M R D E R E K C R O N I N (C L A S S O F 1 9 8 9) 7. B A H A R E T M I N A N (C L A S S O F 1 9 9 2 ) A N D U M A H S I N N AT H A M B Y (C L A S S O F 1 9 9 0) 8 . A STO N M A RTI N R A PI D E S CO U RTESY O F FR IZELLE S U N S H I N E AU TO M OTIV E G RO U P 9 . T O M R AY (C L A S S O F 1 9 9 2 ) , P E R R Y C R O S S (C L A S S O F 1 9 97 ) A N D C H A N C E L LO R , T H E H O N D R ANNABELLE BENNET T AC SC 10. DR SOHEIL ABEDIAN AND MRS ANNE ABEDIAN 11. SOUL MYSTIQUE

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HOMECOMING 2019

A

G L O B A L

C O M M U N I T Y

A

n international outlook has been in Bond University’s DNA from the beginning.

University founders Alan Bond and Harunori Takahashi were global citizens with business interests around the world and their goal was to provide a world-class education that would give graduates the same flexibility.

Three decades later, Bond University has graduated students who reside in more than 130 countries and alumni have gone on to flourish throughout Australia and the world, establishing almost 30 alumni committees.

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Representatives of many of these committees, including those from New York, Hong Kong and London and throughout Australia, made the pilgrimage back to Bond for the Alumni Leaders’ Forum during Homecoming on May 17.

130 +

N D G R A D U A T E S R R E N T L Y R E S I D E M O R E T H A N U N T R I E S

ALUMNI COMMITTEE PRESIDENTS MADELAINE DONOVAN (CLASS OF 2010)

ADELAIDE

CHANTAL MCNAUGHT (CLASS OF 2010)

BRISBANE

The Bondies were welcomed back to campus

by Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford.

LAURA VAN STEKELENBURG (CLASS OF 2010)

BRISBANE

BROCK PHYLAND (CLASS OF 2010)

CANBERRA

After a visit to the new Limitless sculpture, installed to mark the 30th anniversary of the University this year, they were asked to cast their minds forward to the 50th anniversary in 2039. What sort of University did they envision?

BEN MACK (CLASS OF 2006)

CHICAGO

CARLY SNODGRASS (CLASS OF 2000)

GOLD COAST

GENEVIEVE COLLING (CLASS OF 2005)

MELBOURNE

SCOTT BAILEY (CLASS OF 1994)

PERTH

CECILIA COBB (CLASS OF 2010)

SYDNEY

TIM TEWS (CLASS OF 2013)

GERMANY

JAKE MCCAULEY (CLASS OF 2001)

HONG KONG

RATIH RIYANTI (CLASS OF 1997)

INDONESIA

DAIJI TAKASHIMA (CLASS OF 2000)

JAPAN

PAUL SIFTER (CLASS OF 2001)

LONDON

DEBORAH READ (CLASS OF 1990)

LOS ANGELES

RIZAL REDZUAN (CLASS OF 2012)

MALAYSIA

RICHARD EVANS (CLASS OF 1993)

NEW YORK

DIANNA PERRON (CLASS OF 1992)

NEW ZEALAND

ISABELA LUIG (CLASS OF 2007)

PHILIPPINES

MIKE NEDELKO (CLASS OF 2007)

SAN FRANCISCO

CLARENCE LEE (CLASS OF 1995)

SINGAPORE

DALTON DATE CHONG (CLASS OF 2001)

SOUTH AFRICA

MINH LUONG (CLASS OF 2011)

SWITZERLAND

CRISTINA WADHWA (CLASS OF 2009)

TORONTO

ARIANA PASIN (CLASS OF 2013)

VANCOUVER

JASMINE LISCIOTTO (CLASS OF 2012)

HOTEL AND TOURISM

HUGH MCFADDEN (CLASS OF 2001)

MBA

HELENA FRANCO (CLASS OF 2013)

MEDICINE

There were common themes: * A well-maintained, expanded and mature campus that had kept its small class sizes; * An engaged, international cohort of alumni whose children and grandchildren had also chosen to study at Bond; * The continuation of traditions such as Homecoming, the Law Ball, and a refurbished Don’s Tavern.

Tanille Turner (Class of 2009), a member of the Alumni Advisory Board, travelled from Canada to reunite with Bondies at Homecoming and the forum.

“It’s something special to be part of such a vast community of people that are like-minded and came here for the same reason,” she said.

“To have a lot in common with people from countless different places is really amazing.”

Vice President of Engagement Catherine Marks said the flourishing web of Bondies supports current students and alumni, providing them with unique growth and advancement opportunities.

“Bond alumni are truly inspirational,” Ms Marks said.

“Their affinity and support for Bond rivals that of Ivy League institutions and this will only grow, supporting Bond’s future development.”

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

B O C U I N C O

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HOMECOMING 2019

K A T E

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hen Macquarie Capital executive and Bond graduate Kate Vidgen (Class of 1991) visited the University last year, she was struck by how future-focused it was.

And it’s the future that Ms Vidgen herself is looking towards, after being announced as recipient of the Robert Stable Medal at the Bond University Alumni Awards in May. Ms Vidgen said she was thrilled to receive the Medal, the highest honour the Bond University Alumni Awards can bestow, especially given the significance of the University’s 30th anniversary this year.

“I’m incredibly honoured to receive it, particularly in the 30th year. I went back to Bond with my stepson last year because he was looking at universities… and the really nice thing was when I came back almost 30 years later as a parent, just looking at some of the programs and the way Bond was thinking, I think it’s setting people up for the future, as opposed to setting people up for now, and that just makes me incredibly proud of the institution.”

The Robert Stable Medal is awarded to a graduate for achievement of an exceptional nature.

Ms Vidgen, who completed a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Arts at Bond, is currently Macquarie Capital’s Global Head of Oil and Gas Principal, and after 21 years with the company, is turning her attention to future issues of disruption and sustainability in the energy sector.

She said while some people were concerned about the future of an energy sector where liquified natural gas and coal had historically been major exports, she saw an opportunity.

“People acknowledge that certain commodities will peak at some point in time in the future. In

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V I D G E N Australia, given the quality of our natural resources, the traditional fossil fuel commodities have a long future, however we also need to rapidly develop our high quality solar and wind resources and be able to export this new energy. We are close to Asia and Australians have always been innovators, so to me, if we are clever in this global energy transition process, I think we can actually have a continual path for energy export for the next hundred years.”

Alongside her role at Macquarie, Ms Vidgen is a non-executive director and Victorian chapter Chair of Chief Executive Women, an organisation representing Australia’s most senior women leaders from the corporate, public service, academic and not-for-profit sectors.

The organisation provides scholarships for emerging leaders, and runs a leaders’ program, alongside an advocacy program to promote gender equality and diversity.

Ms Vidgen said being a leader in the current corporate era was a challenging role.

“Leadership skills are evolving because you’re having to constantly adapt your thinking and challenge your assumptions. We’re often taught to be persistent and keep pushing along the path we have set, and while that persistence and resilience is really important, a leader now has to have a clear plan, but must be willing to change that plan almost every day as the world changes. This is a skill-set that people didn’t have before, but I can’t think of an industry now where this agility is not important.”

Ms Vidgen and her husband have six children between them, and despite her position as a boardroom leader, her most important role is as a mother.

Her current priority is getting the kids through their teenage years - an achievement she ranks as being right up there with the Robert Stable Medal.

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

R O B E R T S TA B L E M E D A L W I N N E R

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HOMECOMING 2019

CO M M U N I T Y AC H I E V E M E N T AWA R D W I N N E R C EO AN D FO U N D ER , LOVE O U T LO U D

N I C O L E G I B S O N 22

Nicole Gibson (Class of 2011), who graduated with a Bachelor of Business Communication, said it was nice to be acknowledged, adding her work had been inspired by her own mental health struggles growing up, including a battle with anorexia.

“Going through those struggles as intensely as I did, being confronted by my mortality, created a lot of introspection, and for sure changed the trajectory of my life in terms of what my priorities and perspectives on life were,” she said.

“I became insatiably passionate about inspiring people to connect more deeply. Just seeing how people related to me when I was in that state of vulnerability made me realise we’re terrible at seeing and hearing people when they’re going through vulnerable times.”

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

YO U N G ALU M N I AWA R D W I N N E R L AW Y E R MINTERELLISON BRISBANE

E M I L Y M A C D O N A L D

Emily MacDonald (Class of 2013) who graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Psychological Science, said her small-town upbringing in Macksville, New South Wales, influenced her to help her fellow students, particularly those also from small towns and with Indigenous heritage.

Ms MacDonald achieved many academic accolades, was involved in many student societies and was a sucessful law moot team member.

Furthermore, she was an active member of the Bond Indigenous Awareness Society, supporting many students to adapt to University life.

PAST R ECI PI E NTS YEAR

R O B E R T S TA B L E M E DA L

CO M M U N I T Y AC H I E V E M E N T AWA R D

YO U N G A L U M N I AWA R D

2019

K AT E V I D G E N

NICOLE GIBSON

E M I LY M A C D O N A L D

2018

ROHAN TITUS

K AT E G I B S O N

HELENA FRANCO

2017

T O M R AY

K AT R I N A E L L I O T M Y E R S O N

HARRISON JONES

2016

JENNIFER CRONIN

A L LY S O N S E A B O R N

M E L A N I E H AY D E N

2015

FIONA DE JONG

H ER B ERT A P P LEROTH

M AT T H E W M C L E A N

2014

V I J AY P AT I L

KIRSTEN HAGON

JAMES GRAHAM

2013

DAV I D B A X B Y

P O L LY B A N K S

ADAM ROBERTS

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HOMECOMING 2019

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THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

Another spectacular

N I G H T

Y

ou can’t celebrate a 30th birthday without inviting family and friends.

The Family and Friends Festival on May 17 was a highlight of Homecoming 2019 and a casual entree to the Gala Ball the following night.

The festival was set beside the lake, with the Arch – especially lit for the occasion – providing a colourful backdrop.

Ben Mack (Class of 2006) was seeking out familiar faces at the festival after making the trip back to Homecoming from Chicago in the United States.

“I’m most looking forward to meeting up with my old friends from Bond,” Mr Mack said.

“That’s definitely one of the highlights - just renewing those connections, finding out what people are doing and continuing to build on old friendships.”

The crowd lounged on pillows and rugs, and future Bondies enjoyed the face painting while the band played.

The night ended with a spectacular fireworks display, with alumni filtering out past the new Limitless sculpture, trying to spot their name among the almost 27,000 inscribed on its stainless steel wings.

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F U T U R E F O U N D AT I O N S

L O O K I N G

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T O

T H E

F U T U R E

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

G L O R I A P E T YA R R E - B U S H L E AV E S - M E D I C I N E 2 0 0 4

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F U T U R E F O U N D AT I O N S

T H E

A R T

O F

L E A R N I N G

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The 2019 Pritzker Prize winner Arata Isozaki set the tone when he designed the University’s landmark Arch and the other foundation buildings in a stunning lakeside location at Robina.

Later in 2005, the freight entrepreneur and arts benefactor Dr Patrick Corrigan AM began donating and loaning Indigenous artworks to Bond.

Thanks to his generosity, this would grow to become Australia’s largest private collection of Indigenous art on public display, featuring works by celebrated artists including Gloria Petyarre, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and Sally Gabori.

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

O

ver three decades Bond University has evolved not only as a place of higher learning but as a physical campus steeped in beauty and art.

The works are dotted throughout the campus, making for vibrant study and work spaces.

In 2013, with the support of another long-standing supporter, the leading developer Dr Soheil Abedian, the University added a new landmark building – the Abedian School of Architecture.

Designed by internationallyrenowned architects Sir Peter Cook and Gavin Robotham, this bold, modern structure with a soaring, cathedral-like interior inspires the next generation of architects.

In its 30th year, the University unveiled Limitless, a striking 6.5m sculpture with the names of 27,000 graduates inscribed on its stainless steel exterior.

‘Limitless’ is the creation of Gold Coast sculptor Ian Haggerty and complements other sculptures on campus by Robert Klippel AO, Tim Storrier AM and the iconic works of Anthony Prior that adorn the University’s central walkway.

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F U T U R E F O U N D AT I O N S

B U I L D I N G F O R T H E F U T U R E

T

he University completed several legacy projects in 2019 that position it for the next 30 years of growth.

Stage two of the Health Building opened on May 13 and features state-of-the-art learning and teaching zones and additional space for staff working on pioneering new programs.

Health Sciences and Medicine Executive Dean, Professor Nick Zwar, said the building enhanced Bond’s renowned student experience.

“These new spaces provide more and better opportunities for students and staff across all Health Sciences and Medicine programs, and across the University, to connect and collaborate on interdisciplinary activities,” he said.

“Our researchers - including those in the internationally respected Institute for EvidenceBased Healthcare and our research students - will benefit from an exceptional environment and improved facilities.”

Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford said

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the faculty’s medical program had developed an international reputation in a short period of time.

He said the faculty won two of only 13 honours at the 2018 Australian Awards for University Teaching.

“We are one of 41 universities in the country. On average, if we are doing our bit we should expect to win one award every three years,” Professor Brailsford said.

“But we won two out of 13 national awards. It is a remarkable achievement that one faculty in one of the country’s smallest universities won more than 10 per cent of the national teaching awards.”

“We are matching that with the enhanced quality of our infrastructure.”

The University also completed a new formal entrance at the intersection of University Drive and Bond University Ring Road.

Constructed in sandstone, the same material that clads the University’s Arch, the entrance will create a sense of arrival for students and visitors.

THE OPENING O F S TA G E TWO OF T H E H E A LT H B U I L D I N G WA S A HIGHLIGHT OF THE 2019 C A P I TA L WORKS PROGRAM.

THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

Another project currently underway is the refurbishment of the second floor of the Business Building which will match the updated spaces in the adjacent Law Building.

The Trading Room has been re-located and themed around the world of modern finance. The new location has been branded the Bond FinTech Hub. The University will continue to partner with philanthropic partners to ensure the best facilities are available to students, teaching and research staff.

During 2020, it is anticipated a major extension will be built in the Society and Design precinct to provide additional and specialist education facilities for programs, particularly in the built environment.

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F U T U R E F O U N D AT I O N S

A sparkling new sporting asset made a splash on June 20 before a crowd including some of the University’s most celebrated swimming alumni.

The centrepiece of the Bond University Aquatic Centre is a FINA-ratified 10-lane, 25m pool.

Melanie Wright (Class of 2013), a two-time Olympic swimming champion who holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Science, an MBA and is studying Medicine, said it was one of the best swimming complexes she had seen anywhere in the world.

Mrs Wright helped launch the centre with fellow alumni and swimming greats Grant Hackett (Class of 1998), Jon Sieben (Class of 1990) and Andrew Baildon (Class of 1989).

“This combines my two loves: an elite world-class swimming facility¬- I spent 10 years travelling the world looking for and training in pools like this - but also I love this University,” Mrs Wright said.

“The swimming program here is so strong and it keeps growing.”

“When I was swimming, we did both long and short-course training each week.”

“You can get more speed out of yourself in a short-course pool. One or two percent is the difference between finals and not making it - medals or missing out.”

Mr Sieben said the centre would nurture the next generation of Bond swimming stars.

“It is absolutely amazing to see the transition of this University,” Mr Sieben said.

“I studied here back in 1990 but to see what is going on here with the pool and the gymnasium, it is amazing.”

“I have so many great memories from the Olympics as an athlete and fan and hopefully Bond University will see more athletes achieve at that level.”

Three-time Olympic champion Mr Hackett also hailed the University’s holistic approach to elite athletes.

“Bond University is great for athletes both in and out of the pool from multiple aspects: the education, the facilities, the coaches and the squad,” Mr Hackett said.

“It’s making them not only better athletes, but better people.”

The University has made significant investments in sports infrastructure in the past two years.

In 2018 it opened a stunning new rugby pavilion, the Fabian Fay Clubhouse, which can host up to 300 guests inside with grandstand seating for hundreds more.

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THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

“Bond University is great for athletes both in and out of the pool from multiple aspects: the education, the facilities, the coaches and the squad.”

SWIMMING AUSTR ALIA HEAD COACH JACCO VERHAEREN HAILED THE BOND UNIVERSITY A Q U AT I C C E N T R E AS WORLD-CLASS FO LLOWI N G TH E OPENING OF A N E W, F I N AR AT I F I E D S H O R TCOURSE POOL.

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F U T U R E F O U N D AT I O N S

B R E A K T H R O U G H S R E S E A R C H A N D T E A C H I N G

F

rom advances towards curing blindness to sustainable developments and big data, 2019 was a breakthrough for research at Bond University.

The Centre for Research and Evidence-Based Practice, founded in 2010, has evolved into the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare (IEBH) and moved to new premises in the enlarged Health Building.

This will allow it to build on its reputation for world-class research that instigates industry-wide reforms.

“It houses a wonderful group of researchers and has international recognition,” Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford said.

“The IEBH is global in its reach and global in its aspiration, and we’re very proud of that.”

Professor Brailsford said the University recorded its highestever level of research activity this year.

“In terms of our annual research activity related to research income, we have increased year-on-year from 2018 and will have increased our base performance by 30 percent,” he said.

Professor Brailsford said the number of postgraduate research students had topped 200 for the first time, reflecting the University’s growing research base and breadth of projects.

He said the University was continually extending and strengthening its relationships with industry to ensure its research had practical applications.

“We punch above our weight through various mechanisms and one of those is to have a very strong connection with industry.”

In our 30th year, once again the University put its research and researchers on display at the annual Bond Research Week.

Bond showcased research areas across 16 events attended by more than 1300 people.

Among the presenters was Research Fellow Jason Limnios of the Clem Jones Centre for Regenerative Medicine.

He has successfully grown stem cells into eye cells, an important step towards curing the leading cause of blindness in Australia, macular degeneration.

“This to me was the eureka moment!” Mr Limnios said of his breakthrough.

“Now we can make these retinal pigment epithelium cells really quickly at high efficiency under clinical-grade conditions and that’s important when it comes to treating a lot of people.”

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THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

A M A N D A TA U B E R ( C L A S S O F 2 0 1 5 ) O N C E D R E A M E D O F B E C O M I N G A N E N G I N E E R . T H E S E D AY S , S H E K I N D O F I S – J U S T O N A V E R Y, V E R Y S M A L L S C A L E . T H E I M PA C T O F H E R R E S E A R C H , H O W E V E R , C O U L D B E H U G E .

T H E B O N D U N I V E R S I T Y P H D C A N D I D AT E I S T R Y I N G T O S W I T C H O F F A N E N Z Y M E T H AT S U P E R C H A R G E S T H E G R O W T H O F C A N C E R C E L L S . T H E T H O U G H T O F F I N D I N G T H AT S W I T C H – A N D R E V O L U T I O N I S I N G C A N C E R T R E AT M E N T I S “ T O O E X C I T I N G ”, M S TA U B E R S AY S . “ W I T H C H E M I S T R Y A N D D R U G D E S I G N , Y O U A R E D O I N G T H AT E N G I N E E R I N G , J U S T O N A M U C H S M A L L E R S C A L E . Y O U ’ R E P U T T I N G T O G E T H E R P I E C E S . I T ’ S J U S T I N S T E A D O F B R I C K S A N D C L AY, I T ’ S AT O M S A N D B O N D S . ”

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A FO N D FA R E WE LL

T H A N K

Y O U

ALAN FINCH

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THE ARCH | 30 YEARS

A

lan Finch, one of Bond University’s foundation staff members who designed the signature threesemester system and helped guide the institution through some of its most challenging days, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate.

Mr Finch, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students and Support Services), is retiring in December, 32 years after he arrived on the Gold Coast and stared down a sandy track at the campus slowly rising from the ground.

He had been awakened to the plight of Indigenous Australians decades before during a round-Australia caravan trip.

Bond University Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford, said it was hard to think of many other individuals that had made such an impact over such a sustained period of time at the University.

“Alan deserves all the accolades he is receiving. He has served both the University and its students with distinction over almost three decades,” Professor Brailsford said.

“There was clearly construction work going on - a few cranes and two or three dredges out on the swamp which ultimately became the lake,” Mr Finch said.

“He has served in many roles at various times that demonstrates his versatility, adaptability and expertise.”

“John (Ford, Secretary to the Advisory Council) turned around and made this expansive gesture and said, `This is the campus’. I thought to myself, `This is an act of faith’.”

“Alan’s influential contribution to the establishment and development of Bond University is well documented. But perhaps his most enduring legacy will be the positive impact he has made on the lives of thousands of students.”

Mr Finch had been recruited from Monash University to become Assistant Registrar in 1987, two years before Bond opened its doors.

“When (founding Vice Chancellor) Don Watts arrived in 1988 we started to plan in earnest, talking about curriculum, academic structures, looking at appointing staff and working out the grading systems - all the nuts and bolts that universities have to have in place,” he said. “It was mind-boggling stuff.”

It was during this time that Mr Finch developed Bond’s three-semester system that accelerates Bondies’ education.

In the tumultuous period that followed the financial collapse of University founders Alan Bond and Harunori Takahashi, he also initiated discussion with the then Registrar of The University of Queensland with a view to Bond negotiating the purchase of its own campus, ushering in a period of stability and growth.

More recently, Mr Finch’s proudest moment was the opening of the Nyombil Indigenous Centre in 2012.

Mr Finch will be remembered as the godfather of the student body, shepherding Bondies through their most difficult times and celebrating their successes long after they’ve graduated.

“At times it has been difficult, occasionally it’s been painful and at times it’s just been wonderful,” he said.

“Most of my good times here have been student-related. Some of them are just remarkable young people.”

“I’d probably line up and do it all over again.”

Mr Finch, affectionately known as Finchie, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate during the graduation ceremony on October 12, 2019.

He said his greatest wish for the future was for Bond to grow its endowment and involve more alumni in University governance.

Although he is stepping away from Bond, Mr Finch is staying involved with higher education as Chair of Independent Higher Education Australia.

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V

A

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E

Mike Grenby

MIKE GRENBY MENTORED THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS AND PIONEERED INNOVATIVE TEACHING TECHNIQUES DURING A 20YEAR CAREER AT BOND UNIVERSITY. HE PASSED AWAY FOLLOWING A SHORT ILLNESS.

E

meritus Professor Michael Ian Grenby was born in London in 1941 but left the United Kingdom with his family for Vancouver, Canada at the age of eight.

At 17 he hitchhiked across the country, sparking a life-long love of travel that he indulged until only months before succumbing to cancer on July 3, 2019.

The talented writer graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts in 1963 and went on to study at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York, one of the world’s leading journalism schools and home of the Pulitzer Prizes.

He returned home to work at the Vancouver Sun where he remained for 25 years, becoming the newspaper’s personal finance columnist.

Professor Grenby met his Cronulla-born wife Mandy at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver in 1965. She was a nurse and he was a patient.

Mrs Grenby would later say she knew she was going to marry the journalist as soon as she walked into his room, and they tied the knot in 1967.

In the spirit of the freewheeling 1960s the couple embarked on a year-long round-theworld hitchhiking honeymoon. During the trip Mrs Grenby took her new husband to her homeland and he fell in love with Australia.

In 1998 Professor Grenby was offered a oneyear contract to teach entry-level journalism at Bond University. Mandy Grenby died in 2001 but Professor Grenby remained as a member of the Bond family.

Professor Grenby introduced the toga speeches under the Arch, which helped thousands of students overcome their fear of public speaking.

He is survived by his son Matt, daughter-in-law Irene and his two grandchildren, Parker and Thatcher.

Bond University Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford bestowed the title of Emeritus Professor upon Mike Grenby shortly before his death in honour of his decades of service to the University.

“Above all, Mike will be remembered for his gregarious style; embracing campus life and engaging in intellectual discourse on a wide range of topics,” Professor Brailsford said.

“He was a life-blood of our institution and everyone enjoyed his company. We will miss Mike Grenby.”

MIKE’S MAGIC MA XIMS FOR PU BLIC SPE AKING 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Take care of your audience – it’s not about you.

Meet the audience’s expectations and help them feel better about themselves.

Public speaking should be like a conversation with good eye contact.

Be able to summarise your key points in 15 seconds.

Preparation prevents panic.

To overcome nervousness, focus on the message, not your feelings.

Be yourself and be passionate.

Smile and have fun.

BOND ALUMNI

Ambition Fund S U P P O R T I N G T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N O F B O N D I E S

N E W A M B I T I O N F U N D A D

Without your help Bond could not deliver innovative programs, fund vital research or help students at risk rise above their potential.

Donate now to give the next generation of Bondies the opportunity to succeed. bond.edu.au/donate

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