UNE 2024 Giving Report

Digging deep Giving Report 2024

Help us write a new chapter in UNE’s inspiring history

Seventy years ago, UNE was founded on a simple egalitarian principle. Our visionary first Vice-Chancellor, Robert Madgwick, believed that “…University education should be available in a democratic society to all who can benefit from it”.

In the decades since, UNE has delivered handsomely on that ambition. We have opened our doors to students of all ages and stages of life, and provided the pathways, academic rigour and support they’ve needed to succeed – and contribute significantly locally, nationally and internationally.

About one-fifth of UNE’s students today come from a low socio-economic background, 5% identify as Indigenous, and half originate from areas outside Australia’s major cities, experiencing the inherent disadvantage that accompanies their geography. Three-quarters study part-time, most of them adults.

It’s UNE’s preparedness to accept non-traditional tertiary students like this – and give them the education and tools to excel in work and life – that continues to distinguish us from our elite, sandstone city counterparts. That we have achieved this for tens of thousands of graduates in the face of strong financial headwinds is even more inspiring.

As you will read in this Giving Report, UNE relies on the

generosity of organisations and individuals – many of them alumni – that recognise the vital role our university plays. They understand that regional universities like ours are foundational institutions developed by the community to provide much more than quality higher education. And they are prepared to dig deep.

As UNE’s latest VC and the inheritor of such fine traditions, I thank all those who support our endeavours and students. Your continued investment in UNE, its places, people and programs, is essential if we are to embrace my vision for the university.

I am dedicating myself to building on UNE’s strong foundations to continue to foster an unconventional university, the likes of which has never been seen before. A regional exemplar that is well-resourced,

enterprising and future-focussed, which succeeds in improving educational levels while actively contributing to regional growth and prosperity.

This kind of university will not be achieved through government funding alone. New partnerships and significant personal investment are needed to enable UNE’s next era of growth, to enhance our infrastructure and realise innovative teaching and learning opportunities.

UNE’s ‘can do’ attitude is recorded, time and time again, in our history. Join us in writing the next exciting chapter in the university’s evolution, so we can continue educating “all who can benefit from it” for the next 70 years.

Professor Chris Moran Vice-Chancellor and CEO

Our sincere thanks

To the 371 donors who generously gave $1,386,438 during 2023 in support of a range of UNE projects, scholarships, student welfare and research initiatives. This included bequests totalling $231,909 and our largest gift for the year – $350,000

To the 32 new donors to UNE who gave $367,076. This consisted of $160,566 towards scholarships, $105,500 for other projects and $101,010 for new research projects. Combined with the $47,000 donated for general research, 2023 was an outstanding year for research philanthropy at UNE.

To the 18 donors who have given consecutively for 17 years. Between them, they have donated $273,320, with the lion’s share of those donations averaging $207

Between 2021 and 2023 we received 1,301 gifts totalling $9,293,761, of which 71% (or 923 gifts) were between $2 and $500

Your gifts to UNE scholarships supported a record 218 individuals, who received a total of $1,121,021 This figure was up by 3.6% on 2022.

UNE’s Student Emergency Assistance Fund, providing practical assistance of up to $1,000 for students in urgent need, assisted 13 students to the tune of $10,254.

Consistency pays off

College life sets the stage.

Regular giving to UNE provides a consistent and highly valued income stream supporting a range of people and projects.

In the case of Simon Scott, monthly donations to Robb College Foundation Scholarships also recall fond times within UNE’s residential colleges and his first job upon graduating with a Bachelor of Arts.

“My life at UNE and as a resident of Earle Page College (EPC) was a five-year odyssey of adventure, learning and personal development,” said Simon, who met his future wife Rowena Croft in the wings of an EPC theatre production in 1993.

“Hailing from Emerald, in Central Queensland, I had been to boarding school and was used to living far from home, so

settled into college life like a duck to water. I got involved in everything, including serving on the Junior Common Room (JCR) for three years and as president in 1992.

“The JCR was a highlight for me, as was being a Resident Fellow in 1994. It completely directed my career path into university accommodation management, which only concluded early last year. I am a big believer in the benefits of living and learning at university and often regaled my residents with old ‘war stories’ from my EPC days.”

Rowena and Simon’s paths crossed again two years after their stage debut. In his first task in his first job, as Deputy Head of UNE’s Robb College, Simon sat on the selection panel for the

position Rowena applied for –as a Resident Tutor.

“The rest, as they say, is history,” said Simon, who offered pastoral care, discipline and welfare support until mid-1998. “We were married and had our first child while living in Robb, and Rowena completed her dual degree in law and theatre studies and was a Resident Tutor in West Court from 1995-97.”

Simon credits his EPC leadership experiences and love of college life for securing that professional start.

“It was a challenge managing behaviour and community standards in a residential environment where some of the residents were my age or older,” he said of Robb in the 1990s. “I certainly owe a lot to my first mentors –then Head of Earle Page, Philip Raymont; Head of Robb College, Jan Wyles; and Wal Whalley, a member of the Robb College Senior Common Room – who each provided sage advice and guidance in those early years.”

The Robb College position launched a 24-year career for Simon, most of which was devoted to the University of Queensland’s Gatton Halls of Residence, where he became responsible for a $4.5 million operation and almost 450 student rooms.

“Rowena and I are both advocates of life-long learning,” he said. “I completed many

Photo: Rowena Croft and her future husband Simon Scott in 1996, in the West Court Resident Tutor’s flat that was her home for three years.

professional development courses through UQ and a Masters degree in leadership.

Rowena completed a primary school teaching degree and, more recently, qualified as a counsellor and now has her own practice.

“Our combined experience in residential accommodation and community engagement has now led us to Cambodia, where we own a boutique resort in Siem Reap.”

We have both always been very grateful for our time in college at UNE so were happy to support the Robb College Foundation fundraising drive.

“We have both always been very grateful for our time in college at UNE so were happy to support the Robb College Foundation fundraising drive. While we could not contribute a significant sum, we felt that a monthly donation would, over time, enable more

young people to share in the incredible experience of living in a UNE residential college.”

To set up a regular donation to UNE in support of a cause dear to your heart, email advance@une.edu.au or phone 02 6773 2870.

Photo: Meeting then Wallabies captain John Eales in Wales was a highlight of the Robb College rugby tour to the British Isles that Simon joined as a player/coach and tour manager in 1996.

Photo: Simon and Rowena attend their first “barefoot” staff meeting after taking over a boutique resort in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The earth moved

The earth moved

UNE’s Advancement Fund levelled the field for Eleanor Beidatsch.

UNE geoscience Honours student and soon-to-be graduand Eleanor Beidatsch is accustomed to being under-estimated. The advanced Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 that limits her mobility, coupled with scoliosis and osteoporosis, presents daily physical challenges.

“I am used to being the only person in a wheelchair or with a noticeable disability; I have faced discrimination my whole life,” said the 30-year-old Western Australian, who was repeatedly told that her childhood dream of becoming a palaeontologist was impractical and unrealistic.

“Technically I belong to two minority groups, being physically disabled and a woman, and both groups are under-represented in

science. I’ve had to constantly advocate for myself, to prove that science – and palaeontology, in particular – is for everyone and not just able-bodied people.”

But the earth moved in July 2023, when Eleanor presented her research at the prestigious Palaeo Down Under (PDU) Conference hosted by Australasian Palaeontologists in Perth. There, her genetic disability took a back seat to Eleanor’s exciting discoveries on how 500-millionyear-old armoured ‘velvet worms’ lived and evolved.

“I really enjoyed meeting other palaeontologists from around Australia and internationally and presenting to people who are experts in their fields,” said Eleanor, who travelled 360 kilometres

from her Mount Barker home. “It was great to make connections with future colleagues and to feel a part of this scientific community. It was a big deal.”

Better still, Eleanor was supported to take part in PDU field work around Geraldton, and get valuable “real-world experience”, which was no easy undertaking. The long drive and finding wheelchair-accessible accommodation was just the start. Eleanor’s entourage – her mother Karen, sister Kirsten and two support workers – also had to manage her mobility and comfort in rough terrain. Spinal Muscular Atrophy causes extreme muscle weakness, fatigue and pain, and Eleanor is unable to fly because she is

Geoscience

is male-dominated and ableist.

Neither should be a barrier to learning or contributing to the field via research.

precluded from taking her life support system on planes.

“There was a lot of rough driving on dirt roads and long hours on site, but I rarely get to do field work as a regional student in a wheelchair, so it was a stroke of good luck that the conference was in Western Australia,” she said. “I felt like a real palaeontologist working alongside others with the same skillset. It gave me a feeling of connection and belonging.”

And it was all made possible by the UNE Advancement Fund, which covered Eleanor and her team’s travel and accommodation expenses. Eleanor’s supervisor Dr Marissa Betts encouraged her to apply for the funding.

“Geoscience is male-dominated and ableist,” Marissa said.

“Neither should be a barrier to learning or contributing to the field via research. For any student, attending a professional conference such as PDU is a chance to mingle and network. Palaeontology in Australia is a very tight-knit community and Eleanor has now met many Australian and international researchers she may collaborate with in future.

“Eleanor absolutely smashed her presentation and very soon dispelled any misconceptions or biases people may have had about what she is capable of. She told me that she is often not listened to and that it was an opportunity to prove herself.”

During her time in the spotlight Eleanor connected with people she had only previously engaged with on social media, but it was

also a chance to let her research shine. A publication with one person she met at PDU is now in the offing and an introduction to another led to Eleanor’s successful application for a $130,000 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering scholarship that aims to address gender inequities in STEM.

“Important opportunities for Eleanor have come from her conference attendance,” said Marissa.

And never again should anyone under-estimate Eleanor’s talent or determination.

UNE’s Advancement Fund makes possible a range of projects that support students on an ad hoc basis. To make a donation to the Advancement Fund, visit www.une.edu.au/give-to-une and specify Advancement Fund in the options, or email advance@une.edu.au

Photo: Supervisor Dr Marissa Betts and Eleanor with an example of the ancient corals exposed on the coastline at Leander Point, WA. Credit: Mike Terry.

Photo left: Eleanor and other field trip participants in the quarry at Glengarry Station, near Geraldton, WA, examining 248-million-year-old fossils. Credit: Mike Terry.

Photo: Field trip leader Arthur Mory from the Western Australia Geological Survey (centre) discusses a large Triassic stromatolite sample with Eleanor and another participant. Credit: Mike Terry.

UNE Prizes

Accounting and Financial Entrepreneurship PrizeCorporate Finance

Accounting and Financial Entrepreneurship PrizeFundamentals of Personal Finance

Accounting and Financial Entrepreneurship PrizeSmall Business Finance

M Ambrose Memorial Prize Economics

The Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology Southeast Asia and Pacific Archaeological Fieldwork Prize

Australian Human Resources Institute Prize in Human Resource Management

Australian Society for Microbiology Prize

Mary Bagnall Scholarship

Baker Prize for Second Year Latin

S Barratt Memorial Award in Psychology

NCW Beadle Prizes in Botany

J H Bell Prize for First Year Sociology

J H Bell Prize for Third Year Sociology

John D Black Prize for Agricultural Economics

Dirk Boomsma Memorial Peace Studies Bursaries

Michael Brown Memorial Prize

The Emeritus Professor Trevor Bryce Prize for Ancient Egyptian and Bronze Age Greece History

Thomas Arnold Burr Memorial Prize

Prof John Burton Memorial Prize in Natural Resources

Gilbert Butland Prize - Geography

N P Cameron Memorial Award (AFM)

Tony Cartwright Prize

Chancellor's Prize for Excellence in Faculty of HASSE

Chancellor's Prize for Excellence in Faculty Medicine/Health

Chancellor's Prize for Excellence in Faculty of SABL

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand Prize

E Cheung Prize - Corporate & Management Accounting

Rennie Clayton Memorial Prize

Alice Coventry Award

Lucy Elizabeth Craigie Award

J Crawford Memorial Prize

Jennifer Crew Prize in History

A B Cunningham Memorial Prize

The Louise T Daley Prize for Australian History

Clan Davidson Performance Prize - Mary White College

Arthur J Davies Prize in Politics

Jennifer Davies Memorial Award - Duval College

The Maiben Davies Prize

Ray Day Memorial Prize

The Bishop Doody Memorial Gold Medal for Latin

The James Dolan Memorial Prize in History

The Katharine Dolan Memorial Prize in Ancient History

D H Drummond Thesis Prize in Economic Studies

Ecology Staff Prize for 1st year

Charles Ede Prize

Cath Ellis Memorial Fund

Elsevier Natashia Scully Award

The School of ERS Prize in Rural Science

Judy Ewing Memorial Prize

J Fox Prize Fund in Regional Geography

M A Franklin Prize - Mary White College

Friends of Cinema Prize Film Study

Betty Fyffe Memorial Prize in Nursing

Ron Gannaway Prize

Professor Lynda Garland Prize for First Year Classical Greek

Graduate Women NSW Inc Prize in English

Graduate Women NSW Inc Prize in Biology

Professor D R Grey Prize in Philosophy - 1st Year

Professor D R Grey Prize in Philosophy - 2nd Year

Professor D R Grey Prize in Philosophy - 3rd Year

Professor D R Grey Prize in Philosophy - 4th Year

John Guise Memorial Prize

J Hanna Classics Prize

Sarah Heagney Memorial Scholarship

Arthur Heath Memorial Scholarship

Susan Hemming Prize - Mary White College

Hewison Prize

Cecil Hill Postgrad Scholarship Fund

W Hoddinott Prize for English

Dr Yawei Huang Prize

Bob Hughes Prize for Law

The Incipient Peacemakers Award, sponsored by the Australian Christian Student Movement

Inverell Rotary Prize

R J Johnson Prize

S Johnson Prize in Linguistics

The Grahame Jones Memorial Prize

P E Jones Memorial Fund

G Kalocsai Prize Geochemistry 303-1

Haddon Forrester King Prize

Eleanor Kitto Memorial Prize

Rama Krishna Sastry Pappu Memorial Prize

KU Children's Prize

Alec Lazenby Prize In Agronomy

The Barbara Levien Prize for First Year Music

J N Lewis Foundation Prize

KG Lewis Prize in Organic Chemistry - 1st Year

KG Lewis Prize in Organic Chemistry - 2nd Year

KG Lewis Prize in Organic Chemistry - 3rd Year

E Dulce Lindsay Prize

Ian Loaney Prize In Politics

Klaus Loewald Memorial Book Grant

E MacArthur Prize in Agricultural Policy

School Prizes in Mathematics and Computer Science - 1st Year Applied Mathematics

School Prizes in Mathematics and Computer Science - 1st Year Computer Science

School Prizes in Mathematics and Computer Science - 1st Year Mathematical Statistics

School Prizes in Mathematics and Computer Science - 1st Year Pure Mathematics

School Prizes in Mathematics and Computer Science - 2nd or 3rd Year Mathematical Statistics

School Prizes in Mathematics and Computer Science - 2nd or 3rd Year Pure Mathematics

School Prizes in Mathematics and Computer Science - any year or unit

School Prizes in Mathematics and Computer Science - 2nd or 3rd Year Computer Science

Hassan Mazloumi Memorial Award

A G and I C McCready Honours Bursary for Ancient History

A G. and I C McCready UNEMA Research Bursary for Classical Antiquities

A G and I C McCready Honours Bursary for Classical Languages

Gaius McIntosh & Family Prize Applied Mathematics

Rev E Norman McKie Memorial Scholarship

Barbara Meredith Memorial Award (Diploma Level)

Barbara Meredith Memorial Award

Sir James Murdoch Scholarship

David Murray Memorial Award

N Priestly Memorial Prize - Mary White College

R S Neale Memorial Fund

The Betty Newsome Memorial Scholarship

R Norwood Memorial Prize

Sir Earle Page Memorial Prize - 1st Year

Sir Earle Page Memorial Prize - 2nd Year

Earle Page College Choral and Piper Prize

Earle Charles Page Memorial Prize

Bryan Pape Prize

Parramatta and District Regional Law Society Prize - Trimester 1

Parramatta and District Regional Law Society Prize - Trimester 2

Parramatta and District Regional Law Society Prize - Trimester 3

Lily Pereg Memorial Award

Pharmaceutical Defence Ltd Prize - 1st Year

Pharmaceutical Defence Ltd Prize - 2nd Year

Pharmaceutical Defence Ltd Prize - 3rd Year

Physiology Prize for Third Year Physiology

Jim Pollard Memorial Award for On-Campus Students

Rambo Sports Scholarship - Robb College Rugby Union

Mary White College - S Randell Prize

F Reece & W Tait Prize in Public Finance

B Richardson Memorial - Mary White College

Riggs Prize in Chemistry for First Year

Riggs Prize in Chemistry for Second Year

Riggs Prize in Chemistry for Third Year

Robb College Foundation - Financial Management Research Centre Prize

Robb College Foundation - Gwyn James Prize

Robb College Foundation - Meredith Prize

Robb College Foundation Olympus Award

The Robb College Women in Sports Year 2 Scholarship

The Robb College Women in Sports Year 3 Scholarship

R G C & H F Robertson-Cuninghame Prize

Roberts + Morrow Prize in Principles of Corporations Law

Roberts + Morrow Prize in Principles of Taxation Law

Wendy Roberts Science Prize

A Rose Memorial Prize

Natashia Scully/School of Health Medal

The Mark Serafin Memorial Award

Howard Sheath Prize for Off-Campus Students

Jack Sinden Memorial Prize

Muriel Mary Snow Indigenous Honours Prize

H M Spedding Prize for Mathematics

Jill Spilsbury Prize

G R Stanton Prize for Second Year Greek

Alex and Selma Stock Memorial Prize in Zoology

R H Stokes Prize for Experimental Chemistry

Sally Stratton Prize

Acram Taji Bursary

Acram Taji International Bursary

Colin Tatz Prize In Politics

Griffith Taylor Centenary Prize for Geography

Peter Thomas Prize in Languages

Bronnie Treloar Scholarship

Bronnie Treloar Prize in French

Peter J Tyler Prize in Australian History

UNE Alumni Association Award for International Students

UNE Alumni Association Award for Online Students

UNE Life Prize

UNE Music Prize

UNE Players Prize

University of New England Women's Association Prize

Russel Ward Prize in History

Max Webster Art Prize

Mary White College Prize

Mary White College SCR Scholarship

Mary White College Sportsman of the Year

Mary White College Sportswoman of the Year Award

Gordon Williams Scholarship - Robb College Rugby Union Football Club

Stanley Wilson Prize

Melissa Woods Medieval History Honours and Postgraduate Prize

J Woolmington Prize for History

H Wragge Memorial Scholarship

P Wright Memorial Prize - Mary White College

A community safety net

A new Manna Institute project is investing in the mental health of rural, regional and remote Australians.

Australia’s people are diverse and dispersed, and their health needs complex. But one thing’s for certain – continued poor access to services puts a growing number of rural and regional residents at serious risk.

Even with our best intentions and investments, there will never be enough professionally qualified mental health workers to meet demand beyond our cities. Unique stressors – geographical, environmental, social and economic – have created a deadly mental health chasm.

But what if the thousands of graduates leaving regional universities each year had received mental health training and could augment the traditional care available? What if we could

expand the mental health workforce by upskilling laypeople from a range of backgrounds working in a variety of roles?

An innovative community model being pioneered by the Manna Institute at UNE seeks to do just that.

“We have an ambitious goal to embed two hours of mental health training as a requirement of every degree at UNE from 2026 and then extend this across Manna Institute partners of the Regional University Network (RUN),” said Manna Institute Director Professor Myfanwy Maple. “As a direct result, we will be equipping new teachers, lawyers, accountants, agriculturalists, health professionals

and all other disciplines with the mental health knowledge to have initial conversations to support vulnerable people in practical, meaningful ways.”

The approach will be developed and beta-tested over the next 18 months, and then piloted virtually with students and staff across selected UNE disciplines in 2025, with the view to making it mandatory university-wide by 2026 (phase 1). The intention is to then work with the RUN universities across Australia a year later, and extend this training to the general public (phase 2).

To achieve such extensive training in phase one will cost about $1 million. The second phase, nationally, will cost an additional $5 million.

One of the greatest challenges to receiving mental health care is taking the first step – talking to someone about what is going on. This initiative provides just enough to help with this first step.

“We can see this community model providing trickle-down support through increased awareness of the incidence and impact of mental ill-health, including preliminary skills to respond to distress,” Professor Maple said. “However, we need philanthropic and corporate dollars to get real traction.

“The pipeline for this project is just the beginning of a long-term

commitment to equity and access to mental health support and treatment for regional Australians. Beyond this, we will work with other social enterprises that already have a strong evidence base, to ensure clear pathways for people who want to take on a more in-depth role as a community mental health advocate and supporter, regardless of their professional background or where they live, work and play.

“Creating a broad safety net is the only way we will ensure that regional Australians have the support they need, when they need it.”

The idea for community mental health training has evolved from Manna’s efforts over the past three years to improve mental health support and care across regional, rural and remote Australia.

We have an ambitious goal to embed two hours of mental health training as a requirement of every degree at UNE ...

A virtual institute, Manna comprises First Nations representatives and those with Lived Experience of mental ill-health, industry partners and those undertaking place-based research specific to these at-risk populations. Their mission is to improve resilience to mental health stressors, and ultimately reduce distress and suicide, which accounts for the deaths of rural and regional Australians at 1.5 times the rate of their city counterparts.

To support this potentially life-saving initiative, go to www.une.edu.au/give-to-une and select UNE Research on the giving form or email advance@une.edu.au

Photo: Professor Myfanwy Maple and New England farmer Paul Dawson. Credit: Simon Scott.

A helping hand for Ezidi scholars

UNE Head Start scholarship a welcome boost.

Nineteen-year-old UNE law student Ishan Jarallah and her family endured freezing nights and scorching days without food or water in the mountains outside their Iraqi home after fleeing targeted attacks by Islamic State in August 2014.

But they were among the lucky ones.

Thousands of fellow Ezidis were kidnapped and killed by the militants or, in the case of many young women, raped and kept as

sex slaves. Unlike the Jarallahs, they didn’t make it to the relative safety of a refugee camp.

Still, by the time 14-year-old Ishan was relocated to Australia in May 2018, with the help of the United Nations, she had spent almost four years living in the camp and had not been to school for five years.

“We all wanted a better life, a safer life and to have the chance to become educated,” she said. “In Iraq you didn’t know what

We all wanted a better life, a safer life and to have the chance to become educated.

was going to happen to you. You didn’t make plans; it was just living day-to-day.”

Ishan’s family were among the third group of Ezidis, mostly from Iraq, to make a new home in Armidale under Australia’s Humanitarian Settlement Program – a population that has swelled to 700 since 2018. And she is now one of 10 Ezidi students benefitting from Head Start scholarships introduced this year.

“Being accepted to study law at UNE was the best day of my life so far,” Ishan said. “In future I want to work with an organisation such as the UN, so I can assist other refugees and people in need. I want to rescue people from injustice and use my experience to help people who are fighting for human rights or others struggling to live peacefully. In particular, I want to promote the rights of women, so they have more career opportunities.

The one-year, $2,500 scholarships are designed to help students like Ishan cover the costs associated with full-time study, like textbooks, computers, software and wifi.

“This financial support will allow me to focus on my studies, and make my time at UNE less stressful as I combine full-time work and study. This will also help me to complete my studies more quickly,” Ishan said.

Ezidi students enrolled at UNE are eager to embrace new opportunities in Australia and all are very determined to succeed, according to Dr Helen Harper, who leads UNE’s Ezidi Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP). “Many have spent four years or more in refugee camps and are impatient to further their education,” she said. “We want all Ezidi students attending UNE to be successful.”

To support the educational goals of UNE’s Ezidi students, please donate online to UNE Scholarships or email advance@une.edu.au

Student Support Bursary

UNE now provides two additional avenues for students to apply for financial aid. The Student Support Bursary is available year-round, and provides up to $2,000 for any student who is in crisis over anything that may impinge on their ability to finish their degree.

Three recipients of the Student Support Bursary share their experiences here.

Getting the scholarship will be a big relief … This scholarship won't just help me; it will also help my family. My family has been the main support for my education, and this scholarship will make things easier for them too. With this scholarship, I'll be one step closer to reaching that goal without the heavy weight of financial worries. Pasan, Bachelor of Business

The ongoing regional nursing placement, together with the costs of studying, accommodation and travel, as well as the inability to work full-time and the rising expenses due to inflation, are the elements that impose a substantial financial strain on me. Sunil, Bachelor of Nursing

My laptop broke and I need to get a new one for studies … I am currently working two jobs six days a week and trying to balance studying full-time. I hate having to ask for help but I am scared I will fail my units if I can’t afford my uni books for the next two trimesters. Rebecca, Bachelor of Education.

Photo: Ishan Jarallah is studying law at UNE, with hopes of one day assisting other refugees. Credit: Matt Cawood.

Photo: Ezidi students Suad Simoki (left) and Ishan Jarallah (right) in UNE’s Dixson Library. Credit: Julie Collins.

Honouring a scientist who changed lives

A grateful student pays it forward.

Exceptional educators can have a profound impact on the lives and careers of their students. They foster a love of learning, open professional doors and impart important life lessons.

For UNE Bachelor of Natural Resources graduate Crispin Butteriss, that educator was distinguished water scientist the late Professor John Pigram, his PhD supervisor and long-time director of UNE’s Centre for Water Policy Research.

A UNE student himself, John taught at UNE for 40 years, until his retirement in 2001. By then he had become a global expert on water resources and tourism, a founding member of the Board of Governors of the World Water Council and President of the International Water Resources Association.

“Dad had an international profile in research, teaching and academic leadership and taught generations of students,” said Paul Pigram, a professor within the Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at La Trobe University. “He had a particular interest in external students because he, himself, had been one, and he knew the competing life interests.

He would spend hours recording lectures on audio tape so they could be copied and mailed out to his students. I think he

appreciated how difficult, but also how life-changing university study could be.”

Similar sentiments – and John’s own influence – have inspired Crispin and his wife Amy Hubbard to fund four scholarships for UNE students studying a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning or a Bachelor of Environmental Science. Creating the scholarships in John’s honour is Crispin’s way of acknowledging an “excellent educator who deserved recognition”.

“He was very supportive and encouraging as a supervisor, and caring in an understated way,”

Crispin remembers. “John always had his students’ best interests at heart and gave me some hard advice that has served me well for a long, long time.

“He cultivated a nice environment for learning, encouraged me to build a professional library and supported me to go on international study trips, which were wonderful opportunities. When I took on a much more senior role than I would have thought possible, John reminded me what I had to contribute.”

An industry scholarship supported Crispin’s UNE studies, supplemented by a couple of academic prizes. “Those rewards helped me to feel really good about the work I put into my studies – they were a material way of saying ‘well done’,” said Crispin, who hopes the Professor John Pigram Scholarships launched this year will reduce the barriers to rural students attending UNE. “We need those rural graduates, who are more likely to return to rural and regional communities, to use their skills to help effectively manage our natural resources and benefit our regional economies.”

Crispin’s own career spanned environmental protection policy, land-use planning and whole-ofgovernment coordination before

Pigram

Photo: The late Professor John Pigram, former director of UNE’s Centre for Water Policy Research.

Those rewards helped me to feel really good about the work I put into my studies – they were a material way of saying ‘well done’.

he established his own software company. “My postgraduate study at UNE (including achieving First Class Honours) completely changed my perception of what I was capable of; it gave me the personal and intellectual confidence to take the bull by the horns,” he said.

The Pigram family is “absolutely delighted” there is now a scholarship in John’s name.

“Dad was a terrific student advocate,” said Paul. “He was a courageous person, very hardworking and had to dig deep to

take all the steps he did in his life. His own transition to tertiary educator was not an easy one.

“He was working as a secondary school teacher when he enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Geography and Economics) at UNE and would teach all day at school, ride his bike home for dinner, and then ride back to the school to study late into the evening at his desk in the staffroom.”

After graduating at the age of 30, an invitation to do Honours and a PhD in geography changed

the course of John’s career. He would go on to become a researcher of international renown and to publish widely; advise governments, industry groups and corporations around the world; and to supervise 31 PhD students and 21 Masters students, many of whom have become leaders in their own right.

Crispin and Amy hope their new scholarships will help foster similar opportunities.

IN MEMORY

OF

John Pigram

Photo: UNE graduate Crispin Butteriss and his wife Amy Hubbard. Credit: Daniel Mahon.

UNE through the ages

Photos left: (clockwise from top): Students protest against the amalgamation of UNE and the Armidale College of Advanced Education in September 1988; senior English lecturer Dr Keith McKenzie holds an impromptu outdoor lecture in 1956; student exams in 1978; a new desktop computer is greeted enthusiastically in 1980; Peter Burn receives his Bachelor of Economics degree (Hons 1) and the University Medal in April 1985; rough and tumble during a rugby match, date unknown.

Photos below: (clockwise from top left): baby Bell’s turtles bred at UNE in 2024; ball celebrations at Austin College, date unknown; Mary White accommodation in the 1990s; and an O Week gathering in 1993.

Dinosaur fossils revealed

Two dinosaur enthusiasts and businessmen helped UNE palaeontologists plumb the ancient depths of the Gobi Desert.

Today, Mongolia’s Gobi Desert is lunar-like – an arid landscape punctuated by flaming slot canyons and misshapen spires, not a tree or watercourse in sight. But 70 million years ago, it was akin to the Okavango Delta – a river-dominated oasis surrounded by dune fields, where every dinosaur imaginable congregated to feed and breed during the summer monsoon.

“For anyone who works on dinosaurs, the desert on the flanks of Nemegt Mountain is a mecca,” says palaeontologist, UNE’s Associate Professor Phil Bell. “It was a good place for dinosaurs to live and an even better place for them to die. Winter was hard, and when they died their skeletons were buried by the

spring floods. There, they turned into fossils, and now those mudstones and sandstones are exposed for us to find them.

“Everything is there – from the giant, 20-metre-long sauropods, to the smallest mammals and lizards, and everything in between. It’s a remarkably complete fossil assemblage and one of those places that anyone who works on dinosaurs needs to visit.”

Last September, Phil made his fourth trip to “this rich and beautiful part of the world”, and accompanying him was his PhD student Nathan Enriquez, who described it as a “once-in-alifetime” opportunity.

“It was a privilege to join this expedition,” said Nathan, whose

thesis is on dinosaur skin, its morphology, how it grows and how it is preserved. “Not a lot of people ever get to go there.”

For the Gobi is remote, and scientific expeditions of this nature are expensive. Without philanthropic support, it’s near impossible to get them off the ground.

Fortunately for Phil and Nathan, they were funded by two Australian dinosaur enthusiasts and businessmen – Clint Coker and Graham Porter – who organised the logistics with local company Mongolian Quest and combined the expedition with a business trip, helping small manufacturers in Mongolia to access the Australian market.

“Graham and I are good mates who share a fascination for dinosaurs,” Clint said. “We met expedition leader (and renowned Canadian palaeontologist) Phil Currie in the Gobi in 2022 and were introduced to the bone of a large sauropod sticking out of a cliff-face. Extracting it came down to money, so we decided to stump up the funds to make it possible.”

It was without question one of the best things I’ve ever done and something I will remember for the rest of my life.

The international team that Phil Currie assembled included Phil Bell (a former student of his) and Nathan, and it spent more than two weeks excavating the 6-metre cliff-face (removing almost 200 tonnes of overburden) in search of what they hoped was a full sauropod skeleton. After a back-breaking effort using jackhammers and hand tools, they found just several bones from the animal’s leg and foot, but they were important discoveries, nevertheless.

“This is the only known skeleton of this particular species and previously we only had the skull, so getting the additional bones is useful in literally filling in the missing pieces,” Phil Bell said. [The head was found by a Polish expedition in the 1960s and is on

display in the Mongolian Palaeontological Centre.]

For Nathan, a side-trip to the famous Dragon’s Tomb yielded other treasures. There he saw “blocks of skin lying everywhere, beautifully preserved” from a herd of herbivorous duck-billed dinosaurs called Saurolophus that had died en masse.

Elsewhere, he followed in the footsteps of other long-dead creatures. “Dinosaur skin preservation is usually very patchy, but on one of the final days Phil Bell found many exposed dinosaur footprints, and some of the best ones had left impressions of the skin, scales and even the claws in the rock,” Nathan said. “Seeing such specimens in situ gives you a very different perspective on the skin and where it actually comes from.”

Even his supervisor, who has travelled the world and dedicated much of his scientific career to the study of skin, revelled in the find. “Soft tissue like skin normally decays,” Phil said. “These footprints help us to create a picture of what the dinosaur looked like, and in the best cases how they moved and behaved.”

The final days of exploring then “turned up another goodie”, said Phil.

“You can go back to the same place year after year, and wind and rain and snow can reveal new things, and I was lucky enough to find the lower jaw of a bone-headed dinosaur species called Prenocephale, which was very exciting.

“It demonstrated how important it is for students like Nathan to see some of this stuff in real life. It’s vital for them to see the way things are done in different parts of the world, work with different

Photo: Associate Professor Phil Bell (left) and his PhD student Nathan Enriques (right) in UNE’s Natural History Museum. Credit: Matt Cawood.

Photo: A sauropod foot bone uncovered during the dig. Credit: Phil Bell.

Photo left:

The Mongolian excavation site was a hive of activity. Credit: Nathan Enriquez.

minds and learn from them. Field work is such an important learning opportunity, and none of this would have been possible without Clint and Graham’s generosity.”

There were, of course, rewards for the two benefactors themselves, who shared the experience with family members.

“This is not something we get to do every day either,” Clint said. “I had to keep pinching myself that here I was, with no scientific background, listening to these guys that have so much knowledge. It was an amazing experience. Students of palaeontology from all over the world would have given their right arm to be there and it was nice to think we could assist two Australian palaeontologists and especially give Nathan the chance to travel to the Gobi so early in his career.”

UNE is an Australian leader in palaeontology, with experts in all fields of the discipline, but Phil Bell said science remains

“desperately underfunded”. “Philanthropy is the backbone of much of what we do,” he said. “We rely on donations to keep a lot of the field work going.

“We learn something with every new discovery, but every one also poses more questions. If you have one skeleton of something you can say so much; if you have 10 skeletons, then you can say so much more. It enables you to ask new questions, which might overthrow long-held hypotheses. We are always revising, revising, revising with each new discovery.”

Clint understands that a little better now. “There are often

funding obstacles and a lot of bureaucratic red tape for scientists to go through, so it was rewarding for Graham and I to be able to help advance their science,” he said. “I’ve long had a fascination for digging things up and now that we have met all these fantastic scientists … Graham and I could fill our days travelling to different sites with them.”

For Nathan, memories of his first Gobi adventure linger, months later.

To make a donation to the Advancement Fund, email advance@une.edu.au

Photo: The camp in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. Credit: Nathan Enriquez.

Photo: The expedition team and their Mongolian Quest support crew. Credit: Nathan Enriquez.

A timeless gift

Transforming lives through bequests.

Education is a gift that can never be taken away. Making a bequest in your will to the University of New England forever changes the lives of students and their families long after you are gone. Your generous gesture also supports a variety of significant projects that help meet the everchanging needs of our university, including new campus facilities and meaningful research.

In the past two years, UNE has received five bequests totalling $1.7 million from UNE alumni.

The smallest gift was $1,159 and the largest $854,230. Each and every one is greatly appreciated.

The larger sum will be used to enhance UNE’s teaching of English, and the smaller will bolster critical Wright College scholarships. Other gifts are assisting the UNE School of Psychology; enabling us to provide general scholarships; contribute to the management and preservation of forest ecosystems; and fund a travelling scholarship for postgraduate students of Greek, Latin or the Classics.

You can transform the lives of UNE students through the power of education. Your gift reminds future generations that they are not alone; that they follow in the footsteps of others who have valued their UNE education and wish to ease the journey for those to come.

For more guidance on how to leave a gift in your will to UNE, go to www.une.edu.au/give -to-une/bequests, email advance@une.edu.au or telephone 02 6773 2870.

Photo: Pioneering physical education teacher Cynthia Brew found a profession that combined her love of the outdoors and exercise following study at UNE. Upon her death in 2017, aged 83, she made a gift that will continue to inspire others to learn and explore.

A Gloria Cook (centre) and fellow luncheon guests. B Dr Christine Perrott and Kaitlyn Donges. C Jennifer Corderoy. D Samantha Fowler and Dr Warren Bartik. E Michael Winston-Smith, Amy Maher, Millie Creagh and Elody Huelmo. F Robb College Foundation scholars Olivia Fitzroy, Piper Cribb and Niamh Harrigan with Geoff Perry (second from left). G Sayed Ahmed. H Holly Waters. I Calum Reid and Hannah George. J Rod Watt (centre) with Cec Spence Memorial Scholarship recipients. K Betty J. Fyffe Scholarship recipients. L Emeritus Professor John Moorhead and Ella Cheal. M Richard Evans (centre) with Carole and Stan Droder Scholarship recipients. N Kat Stewart, Ella Cheal, Em Herbert, Robert Grzazek, Olivia Ferguson and Kate Rankin.

Credit: Simon Scott.

Photos:

One good deed deserves another

2023 UNE Scholarship Donor Luncheon.

Each year UNE hosts a luncheon to bring together our wonderful donors and those who have personally benefitted from their generosity. It’s a wonderful occasion to renew and foster relationships, share the profound impacts of giving, and to celebrate the life-changing power of a UNE education.

Please enjoy this gallery of photographs from our 2023 function.

UNE Scholarships

Aboriginal Scholarship in Creative Arts Education

Armajun Aboriginal Health Service Scholarship - Nursing

Armidale International Association Scholarship

Armidale Blues Rugby Scholarship - Duval and Austin College

Aurora Dairies Scholarship

Yvonne Austen Scholarship in Agriculture

Valda Kathleen Bauman Memorial Scholarship

J H Bishop Postgraduate Scholarship

Wesley Blackert Scholarship for Online Students

Bernard Coffey Country Scholarship

Costa Exchange Pty Ltd (Berry Category) Scholarship in Horticulture

Country Women's Association of NSW Centenary Scholarship

Flint Davidson Postgraduate Scholarship

Professor John Louis Dillon Memorial Scholarship

Mary Dolan Fieldwork Travelling Scholarship

J Doyle Memorial Scholarship

Carole and Stan Droder Scholarship

Duncan Family Scholarship in Pharmacy

Duncan Family Scholarship in Early Childhood Education

Keith Entwistle Honours Scholarship

Keith Entwistle Scholarship

Essential Energy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship

Bert Evans Travel Bursary

Betty J Fyffe Scholarship

F J Letters Honours Scholarship

Gilchrist Foundation UNE Sports Scholarship

Graduate Legacy Scholarship

Dr Peter Hemphill Travelling Scholarship

Hyson Jones Rural Medical Scholarship

Indigenous Postgraduate Professional Psychology Scholarship

Lembas Foundation Country Scholarship

Keith and Dorothy Mackay Honours Scholarship

Keith and Dorothy Mackay Travelling Scholarship

Maiben Davies Postgraduate Greek/Classics Scholarship

The A C and I G McCready PhD Scholarship for Classical Antiquities

Andrew McCue Memorial Scholarship

William McIlrath Rural Scholarship

D L McMaster Endowed Housing Scholarship

Kathleen Martin Travelling Scholarship

Mildred & Betty Scholarship

John and Pauline Moorhead Scholarship

Sally Muir Agricultural Postgraduate Award

Vincent Murphy Planning Scholarship

A S Nivison Memorial Scholarship

Nutrien Harvesting the Future Scholarship

Oorala Kick Start Scholarship

Oorala Indigenous Accommodation Scholarship

Oorala Wellbeing Scholarship

Jean M Oxley Memorial Scholarship

Earle Page Anniversary Fellows Scholarship

Peel Health Care Scholarship - Medicine

Peel Health Care Scholarship - Nursing

Christine Perrott Achievement Scholarship for Women

Perrott Family Science Scholarship

David Phillipps Memorial Scholarship

Patricia Phillips Memorial Scholarship - Medicine

Professor John Pigram Memorial Scholarship

Department of Planning and Environment Aboriginal Planning Scholarship

Pursehouse Rural Scholarship

Quota Club of Armidale Scholarship

Edwina Ridgway Scholarship - Duval College

Robb College Foundation Meredith Scholarship

Robb College Foundation Leadership Scholarship

Robb College Sinclair-Wilson Scholarship

Robb College Foundation Darren Ellis Fund Scholarship

Robb College Foundation Wal and Pam Whalley Senior Fellows Scholarship

Robb College Foundation Irvine Scholarship

Robb Scholarship for Regional Development

Pat and Rob Robertson-Cuninghame Honours Scholarship

John Roberts Earth Sciences Scholarship

South Australian Chapter of the UNE Alumni Award

Ella Schroder Indigenous Residential Scholarship

Max Schroder Indigenous Mentoring Scholarship

Max Schroder Indigenous Scholarship

Cec Spence Memorial Scholarship

Don and Lee Stammer Scholarship

Bill and Michelle Stewart Post-Graduate Scholarship - ERS

Bill and Michelle Stewart Post-Graduate Scholarship - Music

Robin Stokes Honours Scholarship in Science

UNE Student Support Bursary

Support Fund for Students with a Disability

Tamex Transport Scholarship

UNE Foundation Tamworth Scholarship

Alan Treloar Postgraduate Classics Philology Scholarship

UNE Alumni Scholarship

UNE Foundation Online Student Scholarship

UNE Foundation Flood Scholarship

UNE Foundation High Achievement Scholarship

UNE Head Start Scholarship for Ezidi Students

UNE Indigenous Medical Scholarship

UNE Life Scholarship

UNE Student Council Scholarship

Warakirri Cropping Scholarship

Frederick G White Bursary

Wright College Scholarship

Wright Honours Scholarship

Paving the way

Melanie’s gratitude lays the foundation for others.

When reflecting on the completion of her studies, UNE law graduate Melanie McMillan found a way to channel her gratitude into helping others.

“I could not have asked for more from my UNE experience,” said the pharmacist and Melbourne mother of three, who completed a Bachelor of Laws online. “I was fortunate to have the opportunity to further my education but recognise that other people may face considerable barriers.”

The purchase of a paver in UNE’s Graduates’ Walk acknowledges Melanie’s appreciation and signals her support for the next generation of students.

“While UNE goes to great lengths to ensure that online study is accessible to all, some people cannot afford all the necessary resources and that can impact the quality of their learning,” she said. “Having what you need gives you confidence and peace of mind. It enables you to participate fully. Buying the paver is a way for me to pay it forward and to acknowledge how grate-

ful I am for the opportunity to complete a degree at UNE.”

Melanie graduated in December last year and enjoyed meeting in-person some of the “lovely friends and valued lecturers” she connected with during almost a decade of part-time study.

“Through different stages of life, access to learning can make such a difference to the opportunities afforded,” she said. “I would like to help others access the same – and, for some, a leg-up is all a person needs. Life is not always fair and there are people out there who have the capacity and desire to undertake tertiary study but, for various reasons, are prevented from doing so.”

After a 20-year career as a pharmacist, and with her children all now at school, Melanie is keen to experience a range of legal roles before deciding which area to specialise in. The new qualification is important to access more opportunities for work.

“Looking back, I was juggling a lot of balls, but study gave me

welcome ‘me’ time and something I could do for myself,” she said.

UNE pavers recognise the achievements of our students and cement their life-long connection to the university. Funds raised go into the UNE Scholarships Fund, which supports a variety of scholarships in direct response to changing student needs.

To find out more about the Graduates’ Walk and how you can leave your mark, contact Alumni Relations at alumni@ une.edu.au

Photo: UNE’s Graduates’ Walk.

Photo: Melanie McMillan celebrates her graduation in late 2023.

If I didn’t have the scholarship, I would have to return to full-time work and that would mean giving up uni. I just wouldn’t be able to continue.

Charging a dream

Scholarship helps foster a new career.

Mother-of-three Hannah Fernie is in no doubt. Without the Essential Energy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship, her dream to study law at UNE would not have been possible.

“The financial support allows me to take time away from part-time work to focus on my studies; it’s made a massive difference,” said Hannah. “If I didn’t have the scholarship, I would have to return to full-time work and that would mean giving up uni.”

With children aged 18, 16 and 13, tertiary study is enough of a juggling act. “Years ago, I started a teaching degree, but it was too difficult when my children were young,” said Hannah.

However, in what she hopes will be her final year, she can now see a new and fulfilling career stretching before her.

“I was initially inspired to study law due to my own life experiences and wanting to be in a position to help others who need help with family law,” Hannah said. “Now I am looking to move more into public interest advocacy, to advocate for Indigenous people and help address the over-representation of Indigenous children in government care and juvenile detention, and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in prisons.”

Along the way, she may also avail herself of paid work experience, which Essential Energy provides to all scholarship recipients.

“We are serious about diversity and inclusion, and through work experience our scholarship holders gain hands-on experience as well as building

networks useful to their careers,” said Melinda Campbell, Essential Energy Inclusion and Diversity Lead.

“We are struggling to appoint and upskill enough staff to meet the demands of the energy transition, given the pace of innovation and technological advances across the sector.

Having scholarship holders eventually embark on careers with Essential Energy is a bonus.”

Since the scholarship program began in 2020, Essential Energy has supported seven First Nations students and offered placements in the business, accounting, legal, engineering, media and IT divisions across its rural and regional footprint. After completing an internship, one previous scholarship recipient joined the communications team as part of Essential Energy’s three-year Graduate Program.

“We are very excited by these outcomes,” said Melinda, who added that the Graduate Program is supporting 24 professionals and 120 apprentices in 2024.

The $10,000 paid annually for the duration of the student’s degree is not the only benefit of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship. Recipients are also invited to be part of Essential Energy’s Indigenous Reference Group and advance efforts to build culturally diverse and inclusive workplaces.

For more information, go to www.une.edu.au/ scholarships/2024/essentialenergy-aboriginal-and-torresstrait-islander-scholarship

Photo: Hannah Fernie with her daughters Lily and Victoria.

The UNE Foundation (UNEF) is an independent body with oversight of the management of financial gifts and donations made to the university by individuals, corporations and public entities. It is responsible for ensuring that the value of funds under its care is maintained and increased, while generating sufficient income to pay for scholarships, prizes, research, and teaching and research priorities.

UNEF is managed by a Board of Directors who volunteer their time and expertise. In May 2023 finance executive Ross Beaney, who specialises in financial markets and derivatives, was appointed its chair.

Photo: His parents, Joan and John Beaney, celebrate with Ross after his graduation in 1996.

I grew up in the beautiful town of Macksville on the Mid North Coast of NSW and graduated with a Bachelor of Economics from UNE in 1996. I had been quite a journeyman in my career up until that point. The completion of my economics degree opened so many doors in terms of career progression; it propelled me into management roles very quickly. I went on to do a Master of Business (Finance) at the University of Technology and completed the International Executive Program at INSEAD.

Having worked as a money manager for an extended period and as a UNE alumnus, I felt that joining the UNEF board as a director in March 2019 was a perfect fit. I love the New England area and I’ve tried to remain faithful to my rural roots and education.

The foundation has maintained its long-standing respect for the vision of the university’s founders, which was to make education available to all, regardless of where they are from. It’s our job to ensure that

donations from community members are used in accordance with their wishes and we are committed to the proper stewardship of those funds, with particularly strong strategic asset allocation. By managing those funds well, we assist the university and its students in the short and long term.

The board is a key strategic partner with the Vice-Chancellor and Advancement Office, and we currently administer 400 sub-funds. The board comprises members with a balance of specialist skills in governance and investment management, and many have had long associations with the university, so it’s a great blend.

I know board members are proud of how we have managed the fund, in particular through the decisions we took through the most volatile period in the history of post-1987 finance. We managed well through the COVID crisis, and the corpus of funds is higher again today than it was pre-crisis, see the graph below. Not all managers can point to that kind of outcome.

Over the past year the UNEF has taken steps to clarify and refine its purpose. Key policy elements have been reviewed and updated with best practice in mind. In collaboration with UNE, we have undertaken a suite of initiatives to enhance governance and compliance.

As UNEF chair, I would like to see the fund continue its growth path but at a greater rate than in the recent past. Our board is also considering how to improve the foundation’s administrative sustainability. However, our most important task is to ensure that our processes and performance give donors confidence that we are a wellmanaged, well-governed and well-founded corpus.

I commend the university for its focus on respecting the vision of the university’s founders and, in turn, its respect for those who have given in order to support our students.

Ross Beaney Chair, UNE Foundation

Photo: UNE Foundation chair Ross Beaney.

winners on and off the field

Inspiring winners on and off the field

Support for elite athletes takes a variety of forms at UNE.

UNE’s proud history of delivering distance and online education has long made us a favourite among elite sportspeople.

Our academic and professional staff understand the demands of juggling competition, busy personal lives and professional advancement.

Dual Olympic rower and now CEO of Rowing Australia Sarah Cook recalls completing assignments for her UNE Diploma of Education in London’s Olympic Village in 2012 before taking to the water in the women’s eights. She said the additional support UNE provided throughout her studies enabled her to stay afloat during such hectic periods.

“Its flexibility, sports program and

support for elite athletes made UNE an obvious choice for me,” said Sarah, who completed the qualification over several years of high-level competition and coaching. “Even though I was studying remotely, I always felt connected, even if I was on the other side of the world.

“I’m glad I did the diploma for the qualification itself, but also for how relevant the content has been to my life and personal development. It was fantastic learning how to learn, learning how to teach. I took those strategies and methodologies into coaching rowing and every other role I have taken on since.

“It’s great to be the next Australian Wallaby or rowing champion

but finding what it is that you are interested in and passionate about outside sport is just as important. I am a great believer in developing yourself as a whole person and having something going on concurrently so that your life isn’t 100% sport. I want the athletes I work with to be well-rounded people and to know what they will do when their sporting career ends. Study can take them on a completely new journey.”

This is precisely the premise behind a new Gilchrist Foundation scholarship awarded for the first time this year to 24-year-old equestrienne Phoebe Clifton, who lives at St Albert’s College. Phoebe, a member of UNE’s Elite

Photo: Sarah Cook and Haylee Outteridge competing in the 49er FX class. Credit: Beau Outteridge.

It’s flexibility, sports program and support for elite athletes made UNE an obvious choice for me.

Athletes Program, has clocked up thousands of kilometres travelling to compete since becoming a member of an inter-state equestrian team at the tender age of 9. Since then she has represented her state and become a national champion. However, Phoebe’s enrolment in a combined Agriculture/Law degree at UNE coincided with some tough years on her family’s mixed property west of Grenfell, NSW, almost eight hours’ drive from Armidale.

First drought, then floods seriously changed the family’s fortunes. Phoebe and her three siblings have all been called on at various times to help out.

“We all have jobs when we are home, whether it’s lamb-marking or harvesting or feeding sheep, which means it’s difficult for me to find a job elsewhere,” she said. “It has been hard to save money, but I am really committed to my studies. The scholarship has been incredible and has taken a lot of the financial pressure off.

“But it’s not just the financial support. Stan and June Gilchrist [who established the foundation] are always checking in to make sure I’m okay and have everything I need.”

That’s because the Gilchrist Foundation scholarship, for the duration of her studies, is designed to equip Phoebe for the time when she eventually exits the arena.

“The is a scholarship to help recipients prepare for life and a career after sport,” Stan said. “Sporting careers can be short, leaving athletes with little more than exceptional sporting skills at the end. Our scholarship is not intended to help her become a better competitor but to support the studies that will provide direction and an earning capacity for Phoebe when she finishes competing.”

Many athletes like Phoebe are self-funded and receive little or no sponsorship. Sarah Cook is “a big advocate” for dual careers. “I was in my 30s when I retired

and if I hadn’t studied [first a Bachelor of Applied Science, followed by the Diploma of Education at UNE] I would have been a long way behind my professional cohort. The networks I had created gave me a platform to transition into life after sport.

“It’s not only about the transition to a new career but transitioning to a new identity. For 20 years I only saw myself as Sarah the athlete and it was very difficult coming out the other side, and I was relatively prepared. I had put the building blocks in place to step into a professional career.”

Phoebe’s longer-term aspirations are becoming clear. “I am glad I am studying while I am competing, so that I can one day graduate and work to support Australia’s rural communities in the law space,” she said.

Photo: Sarah Cook (fourth from the left) competes in the women’s eights at the 2012 London Olympics with Hannah Vermeersch, Renee Chatterton, Robyn Selby Smith, Tess Gerrand, Alexandra Hagan, Sally Kehoe, Phoebe Stanley and Elizabeth Patrick. Credit: Reuters: Darren Whiteside

Photo: Phoebe Clifton.

Leaders on and off the field

Maintaining an elite sporting career poses financial as well as logistical challenges. Many athletes struggle to support themselves day-to-day, let alone fund travel to inter-state, national and international competitions.

Second-year UNE Environmental Science student Savannah White would likely have missed out on experiencing the futsal World Cup in Spain in July 2023 –where Australia achieved a very credible 8th place – had it not been for a Robb College prize.

The college rewards talented residents with annual prizes for rugby union and women’s sport. In addition, UNE also offers two dedicated rugby scholarships (Armidale Blues Rugby Scholarship – Duval and Austin Colleges).

“The Robb prize almost financed the entire trip for me, including flights and accommodation,” Savannah said. “I am unsure I would have gone otherwise. It was an incredible opportunity.”

Almost 60% of the Australian athletes who represented our country at the Rio Olympics in 2016 were university students.

Director of UNE Life David Schmude said many still need to work to support their sporting ambitions, but holding down a full-time job is near impossible because of the amount of travelling they are required to do.

“Financial support through scholarships enables them to realise their dreams to compete at a high level, but it’s not only about the money,” he said. “UNE’s flexible, online delivery has met the needs of Olympians as well as professional sportspeople in a range of disciplines. And they have achieved great things.

“But the higher you get in your sporting career, the more commitments you have. Sportspeople make great students because they know how to apply themselves, how to deal with pressure and manage their time effectively. Those that may not have advanced their sporting career also make great community leaders and that’s a big focus of the Gilchrist Foundation scholarships. They are an investment in the individual.”

Members of UNE’s Elite

Athletes Program also enjoy practical support to achieve academic excellence while competing, coaching or serving as administrators on the national and world stage in sports as varied as triathlon, boxing, cycling, cricket, football and even aerial skiing and snowboarding.

Program coordinator Julie Kryger said 16 elite athletes are enrolled at UNE in 2024 and she works closely with them to develop personalised Study Access Plans and accommodate their major competitions here and overseas.

“Most students are external, and we have a series of study centres, as well as access to a network of Regional Study Centres that they can use. Supervised exams can be completed anywhere in the world via Proctur-U, and where a student is unable to sit an exam due to a clash with their sporting timetable, there is the option to request an alternative assessment at a more suitable time or to defer an exam.

“It’s about being as flexible as possible with assessment deadlines, exam dates and other required tutorial and intensive school attendances. This enables athletes to achieve their sporting as well as their study goals.”

To help one of UNE’s elite sportspeople to a podium finish through a scholarship or to contribute to a UNE sporting prize, contact 02 6773 2870.

The Robb College Foundation invites tax-deductible donations to support its sports scholarships for residential students. For more information go to https://robbcollege.com/ donate

Photo left: Savannah White in action against a UK team during the Futsal World Cup in Spain last year.

Photo right: Harriet Collins playing rugby for Robb College. Credit: Catherine Stephen Photography.