Lumen Spring 2022

CONTRIBUTORS:

Renee Capps, Bianca Chaptini, Emma Dwyer, Kimberley Hoile, Dalice Kennedy, Michaela McGrath and Rachael Nightingale.

EDITOR: Rachael Nightingale

DEPUTY EDITOR: Renee Capps

PHOTOGRAPHY: Josh Geelen Matt Turner Angus Northeast Gabrielle Connole

Brett Walker DESIGN: Cath Dew

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: External Engagement

The University of Adelaide SA 5005.

Email: alumni@adelaide.edu.au Telephone: +61 8 8313 5800

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Welcome

From the Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement)

As we move closer to the University’s 150th anniversary in 2024, it’s a good time to reflect on both our history and our future. The University of Adelaide was established to provide access to higher education for the people of South Australia without the need to travel interstate or overseas. Even then, the University’s aims were to level the playing field: to prepare new generations of leaders who were shaped by education rather than by birth or wealth. As an institution, we have celebrated many ‘Australian firsts’ over our long history; the first to guarantee to admit women on an equal basis with men, the first to offer science degrees, the first to establish a Conservatorium of Music, and the first alum awarded a Nobel Prize. Today, we are known for our excellence in many areas of teaching and research. We are in the top one per cent of institutions worldwide and the highest ranking in our home state. But what truly makes a university is not its rankings or numbers. It is primarily our dedication to our community, to furthering access to higher education, and to seeking out and addressing inequalities.

In this issue of lumen, we share a profile on Sarah Meyer, who participated in Children’s University when she was in primary school. This program engages children in out-of-school opportunities to increase their chances of educational achievement, and aims to break down some of the social barriers to university education. Children who complete the program are invited to walk the stage in Bonython Hall as part of their own graduation

ceremony, which we can say from our attendance is a very special and exciting time.

Sarah received a Bronze award from the program in 2013, and today is studying at Adelaide for her Bachelor of Science with a major in Microbiology. I hope you find the stories behind Children’s University as inspiring as we do.

On the back cover, you will also see a piece on the Indigenous Support Fund, which facilitates the Yaitya Tipanthi Bursary. The fund was established in 2021 with the Vice Chancellor's own gift, with the goal of improving access and success in higher education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. We would be very grateful if you would also consider supporting the fund or the other appeals on these pages.

Also in this issue, we share stories of other notable alumni and the real-world impact of their research and work (and, in the case of Shaun Micallef, good humour and wit).

There’s also a piece on researcher Dr Anne-Lise Chaber from the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and her COVID-sniffing canines, who are now working in the Lyle McEwin Hospital.

Our University has much to be proud of, both in terms of the history we have made and the history we will make. As we move closer to our 150th anniversary, we also invite our community – and especially our alumni – to contribute your ideas to our celebration. I encourage you to email alumni@adelaide.edu.au if you would like to get involved or just share your thoughts.

We hope you enjoy the many stories and profiles we have to share with you in this edition of lumen

Professor Peter Høj AC Vice-Chancellor and President

Dr Jessica Gallagher Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement)

Disrupting stereotypes

Meet our Distinguished Alumni Award winner who is leading the way for women in STEM

STORY BY MICHAELA MCGRATH

Luisa Panuccio is intent on disrupting stereotypes. In doing so, she’s changing the face of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

So it’s no surprise that the 2021 James McWha Rising Star Award recipient is paving the way for the next generation of STEM professionals. After all, she credits a string of personal and professional role models for her own successes.

At just four years old, when a car crash left her father “learning to do everything again”, Luisa’s mother bore the family’s financial weight overnight.

“I’ve never seen my mum work less than two jobs at the same time. There were points when she was working three jobs,” said Luisa.

Despite their financial pressures and having never attended university themselves, her parents actively encouraged their children to prioritise study.

“My mother was of the view that having an education would open doors for us that she never had open for her.

“I think that’s because she’d seen the side of not having an education and not having job security as a result,” explained Luisa.

This emphasis on learning is also embedded in her first memories of reading on her grandparents’ living room floor.

Migrating from Italy to Australia as a teenager, Luisa’s Nonno forewent an education in pursuit of a better life for his family. But that didn’t stop him from instilling a love of learning in his grandchildren from a young age.

“Nonno was the original engineer, without any qualifications,” said Luisa.

“He had a wall of encyclopedias that he would encourage us to read, and he loved building things.

“He would quiz us about what we were learning and even built us a basketball ring so that we could shoot a hoop for every answer we got right.”

The impact is obvious. At just 25 years old, Luisa has already worked alongside “geotechnical engineering royalty” at Aurecon and is now the Project Lead for 13 bridge upgrades, as well as the Project Manager at Arup for the relocation of a heritagelisted Melbourne church.

To date, her career has been

underpinned by representation.

“Typically, in movies and TV shows you always see smart characters as being socially awkward, or the character with no friends, or the character that gets picked on until she gets a makeover,” she said.

“I genuinely think it puts young girls off a career in STEM.”

One of only two girls in her Year 12 physics class, Luisa’s no stranger to the pervasive typecasting of STEM professionals. And while working as the South Australian STEM ambassador for Google’s Engineers Without Borders program, she encountered the same narrative time and time again.

“Whenever I asked the kids if they knew an engineer, they would usually say their dad was an engineer, but very rarely would they mention their mum,” she explained.

“Plus, there’s this idea that it’s not ‘cool’ to be smart.”

In a bid to prove that there’s “no singular look for women in engineering”, Luisa entered the Miss Universe Australia competition in 2019.

“When I talk to other women in engineering, a lot of the time there’s another woman they know who’s also in engineering,” she said.

“It seems to be a big part of encouraging young girls to pursue these careers.”

The cyclical impact of this visibility and representation is something Luisa has experienced firsthand. She credits her own pursuit of a STEM career to her older sister Carmela, who herself was inspired to study engineering thanks to the influence

of her physics teacher’s daughter.

“I really didn't know what an engineer was until I saw an engineer, being my sister Carmela,” explained Luisa.

Inspired by Carmela’s pursuit of a niche engineering sub-sector, the latest iteration of Luisa’s YouTube series STEM at HOME: What Do You Do? highlights the many and varied careers in STEM.

“When you think about civil engineering, most people know that it’s roads, bridges and footpaths, you can really see those things,” she said. “But they don’t know what telecommunications engineering is, so they don’t consider it as a career option.”

Luisa has published 20 videos, each showcasing a different potential pathway for budding STEM students. She estimates there are a further 60 episodes to come. Unsurprisingly, she’s already been recognised extensively for her work, counting the 2019 Graduate of the Year Award from the National Association of Women in Construction among a slew of nominations and accolades.

But the Bachelor of Engineering (Civil and Architectural) Honours graduate counts winning the 2021 James McWha Rising Star Award as a career highlight.

“The first thing I did was research the awards and I remember seeing a list of names of people who’d won in the past,” said Luisa.

“I saw Julia Gillard’s name and I was reading her book at the time — I couldn’t believe I was being recognised on the same list as her.”

For Luisa, “it was the fact that someone had gone out of their way to nominate [her]” that held the most weight.

“I later found out it was someone from the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences [now the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology],” said Luisa.

“That made it even more special because I felt very close to my faculty when I was at the University. “It was a full-circle moment, and I remember feeling really proud of myself.”

A young woman with the world at her feet, Luisa’s showing no signs of slowing down.

“Eventually I want to be a CEO. I want to be at the top. I don’t think you need the power to make change, but I think it definitely helps.”

PREVIOUS PAGE AND LEFT Luisa Panuccio

“My mother was of the view that having an education would open doors for us that she never had open for her. I think that’s because she’d seen the side of not having an education and not having job security as a result.”

Photo credit: Josh Geelen

Sniffing out the pandemic

Meet our labs in lab coats

STORY BY EMMA DWYER

Dogs can sit, stay and roll over, but can our best friends fight Coronavirus?

According to Dr Anne-Lise Chaber and her team, the answer is a resounding “yes!”

Anne-Lise (Senior Lecturer, researcher and dog lover) is leading the Australian arm of an international collaboration, training dogs to detect positive COVID-19 cases.

With a decade of field experience as an epidemiologist, Anne-Lise knows that a fast and reliable screening tool is essential to managing a pandemic.

And dogs, with their keen sense of smell and documented ability to detect disease in humans, could be just the tool we need.

Presently, Australia’s health system has two COVID screening devices at its disposal, neither of which are wholly fit for purpose.

“Our problem is that PCR tests are very reliable, but they’re not rapid. RAT tests are obviously rapid, but they’re not very reliable,” said Anne-Lise.

With a view to facilitating quick identification of positive COVID-19 cases, in 2020 Anne-Lise embarked on a mission to uncover whether dogs are up to the task of rapid and accurate screening. Labradors, known for their work ethic and peoplepleasing trait, were identified as an ideal breed to train.

In the early stages of the pandemic, research into dogs’ ability to detect COVID-19 had indicated encouraging results in France. Dogs can distinguish and remember a vast catalogue of scents and are already employed to sniff out narcotics, weapons and currency at airports and international borders.

Over eight to twelve weeks, Anne-Lise’s chief dog trainer Alexander Withers first teaches labs to sniff for a ‘kong’ (the beloved rubber toy) before they graduate to screening COVID positive and negative sweat samples.

At the outset of the pandemic, sweat became an unexpectedly hot commodity, with COVIDpositive sweat samples being shipped to a then largely COVID-free Australia.

Sweat is an ideal training material, as it is noninfectious and contains volatile organic compounds which dogs can detect. Later, Anne-Lise’s team developed a synthetic training aid, a cocktail of proteins applied to objects such as masks or socks for training purposes, removing the need for sweat samples.

The training methodology is based on core principles of conditioned response and positive reinforcement. The dogs learn to ‘sit and stare’ when detecting compounds associated with COVID-19, and are rewarded with a toy or food when they correctly identify a case.

The results are impressive. Once trained, dogs have displayed a diagnostic sensitivity from 87.6% to 100% (that is, their ability to return a positive result when someone is truly COVID-positive). Even more precise is the dogs’ diagnostic specificity (their ability to return a negative result when a sample is truly negative), which ranges from 96% to 100%.

Anne-Lise said the dogs have a remarkable ability to sniff out the virus and can identify both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases a day earlier than PCR tests, so long as the sample is taken during the infectious period.

“Our specially trained dogs fill a gap between the two conventional testing methods. They are more reliable than RAT tests, and are faster than PCR tests,” she said.

It begs the question; how and why? Anne-Lise explained that historically, dogs and their wolf

relatives have found it advantageous to sniff out weak prey.

“It is widely known that predators will target sick prey. They are slower, easier to catch, and may emit an odour that attracts the predator to them,” she said.

And when it comes to sniffing out disease, it’s not just COVID-19 dogs can detect.

As early as 1989, anecdotal evidence suggested dogs can sense melanoma and other cancers. Other animals exhibit similar capabilities. Bees are able to detect COVID-19 too, but are predictably more difficult to train than dogs.

“Rats are used to sniff out tuberculosis in samples in Africa, and new research shows they can detect up to 70% more cases in children than the standard smear test,” said Anne-Lise.

Now, our labs in lab coats are putting their training into practice.

In partnership with SA Health and SA Pathology, Anne-Lise and the University of Adelaide have trialled the dogs’ abilities in airport settings and have now moved to hospital settings.

Future plans include training nurses from SA Pathology to handle the dogs, which would allow the operation to be dramatically upscaled. According to Anne-Lise, expansion of the project is essential because even as we strive towards a new ‘COVID normal,’ the dogs still have an important role to play.

“It’s true that, as a society, we will have to learn to go about our lives with COVID; but not everyone can live with COVID. We will still need screening tools in places that must remain COVID-free, such as oncology wards,” she said.

Further investment is critical to train and deploy more dogs. If you would like to support world-class research into disease detection and mass screening, we invite you to donate via give.adelaide.edu.au/ covid-19-detector-dog-program

100% of your gift will fund essential components of the COVID detector dog program. From treats and toys to expert dog trainers, every dollar contributes to innovative research which will deliver better health outcomes in Australia.

ABOVE AND PREVIOUS PAGE Dr Anne-Lise Chaber and a COVID dog in training. Photo credit: Angus Northeast

Shaun Micallef has courageously walked a fine line of political correctness in a way that only an intelligent, brave and naturally humorous person can. Originally a lawyer from Adelaide, he has carved out an illustrious career in television, movies, radio and books.

And as one of Australia’s most recognisable comedians, Shaun’s trademark intellectual humour and presence are hard to miss on the ABC. His latest memoir Tripping Over Myself is due for release in October and could hold more clues on how this lawyer turned actor gets away with his humour.

Shaun’s distinctive style of comedy is satirical, surrealist and a blend of his comedic heroes: Jerry Lewis, Monty Python, The Marx Brothers, Morecambe and Wise, and Peter Sellers. Born in Adelaide in 1962, he was educated at Sacred Heart College before commencing a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Adelaide. Law was Shaun’s first preference, but he also considered studying Wildlife Park Management and can still imagine himself “in an alternate universe being happy as a wildlife park manager”. During his time on the North Terrace Campus, Shaun was involved in the Law Revue comedy troupe and met long-time friend and fellow comedian, Francis Greenslade. Shaun worked as a dedicated insurance lawyer for ten years before trying his hand at comedy. His leap of faith was made slightly easier by Francis also leaving law and moving to Melbourne to pursue comedy.

Legally funny

Uncovering the real Shaun Micallef

STORY BY KIMBERLEY HOILE

Shaun has spent most of the past twenty years building his career and raising his family in Melbourne but remains an Adelaidian at heart. He misses friends and relatives but visits his hometown frequently.

The two friends still appear in Shaun’s shows together. They bounce ideas off each other and give knowing looks in a way that only best mates can.

After successfully breaking into the comedy scene, Shaun left his secure job as a Senior Lawyer. This was a huge step but a decision fully supported by his wife Leandra.

“My backup plan if my career change didn’t work out was the law,” said Shaun.

“I took a sabbatical to try out comedy in 1990, four years before I did it for real. During that time, I wrote two never-to-be-performed plays, tried out stand-up comedy for one night and appeared in a pro-am version of Amadeus directed by Peter Goers.

“The law firm I was working at was happy to take me back afterwards and didn’t quibble, when I finally left for good, about the fact that technically, I had not worked a full ten years there. They paid me my long service leave anyway. Good people,” he said.

Over the years, Shaun has dominated comedy shows on Australian Television. He currently hosts Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell on the ABC, where every line has been researched, prepared and practised before it hits our screens.

He fine-tuned these writing and preparation skills in his former career as a lawyer. His intellect is a valuable trait for a comedian.

Some of Shaun’s jokes are so clever, they go over most people’s heads. But his gift is being able to include all of his audience in the laughs because of his impressive array of facial expressions - the deliberate pauses and eyebrow-raising, so even the proudest intellectuals know when to laugh.

In the last ten years, Shaun has become more interested in current affairs.

“I wasn’t that interested in politics really until Mad as Hell started,” he said.

“I write the interviews on Mad as Hell as I wish they were. The person you’re interviewing says exactly what you’ve written. I think that’s my legal training as I was taught as a lawyer that you never ask a question that you don’t know the answer to. “Everything we do on the show is written. There is no ad-libbing, but there is a bit of surprising each other in the way that we deliver the lines.

“The humour is often intellectual, but there is always a performance element to the show. We make jokes about the characters in the way we present them. We try as best we can to not be too dry. We think okay, that’s been a bit dry… let’s bring an octopus out of the cupboard!”

Shaun has spent most of the past twenty years building his career and raising his family in Melbourne but remains an Adelaidian at heart. He misses friends and relatives but visits his hometown frequently.

“I live in my head most of the time anyway, so I didn’t really notice any difference between Melbourne and Adelaide or Sydney when I go there now and then. Or Perth. New York, Rome, Paris – they’re all the same as Adelaide as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

“My favourite place to go was the old Glenelg cinema on Jetty Road, which is where my wife and I tended to go when we were courting in our early days. We’d see a film and then go a few doors down to a pizza place with a tiger on the window to eat some garlic bread. The cinema is gone now. The Capri on Goodwood road is where I go when I go back if anything good is on there.”

One of Shaun’s fondest university memories is when his Law Revue team was invited to have dinner with former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. He remembers it as being the first time he met someone famous.

“I was grateful to be able to thank him in person for making the legislation around the tertiary education allowance scheme.

“This gave people like me one hundred dollars a fortnight to pay for living costs associated with uni.

“Because of that scheme, a whole bunch of us were able to go to uni. It was an opportunity I’ve always been grateful for,” he said.

So the question remains, who is the real Shaun Micallef? Perhaps the biggest clue can be seen in his portrayal of the slightly awkward and unlucky in love Warwick Munro he played in the ABC hit series SeaChange.

For those whose mothers were not addicted to watching SeaChange every Sunday night in the 90s, Warwick is an out-of-town lawyer who falls head over heels for small seaside town Magistrate Laura Gibson.

With his trademark humility, Shaun admitted he had no idea what he was doing during the filming of Sea Change.

“If you look very carefully at all my acting work since, you’ll see that it’s all Warwick Munro – a slightly out-of-his-depth lawyer pretending he knows what he’s doing. I think that’s just me.”

The face of modern Australian agriculture

STORY BY CATHERINE WOODS

Emma Ayliffe isn’t your traditional farmer.

The 28-year-old agronomist, company director and agritech innovator who owns and operates a 688-hectare property at Lake Cargelligo in Central West New South Wales represents agriculture’s next generation.

Named 2021 Young Farmer of the Year for her innovation, passion and advocacy work, Emma is keen to attract bright minds that can bring new ideas and technologies to the ag industry.

“People don’t realise the huge variety of jobs in agriculture,” she said.

“Farmers represent only around two per cent of ag jobs, but there are so many amazing roles and massive demand for skilled workers in fields people don’t always associate with agriculture — things like research, marketing, programming, sales and building new tech.

“The growth and importance of tech in agriculture are incredible. We’re looking at driverless tractors, robot sprayers, irrigation automation, and so much more, and Australia is at the forefront of it all.”

Future growth

Emma’s family didn’t own a farm. They managed farms for other people, something which, alongside a childhood fascination with plants, sparked her desire to work in agriculture.

As an agronomist, Emma describes herself as a ‘crop doctor’, advising clients to improve their crops and their business.

“I just love growing crops and working with people to help their businesses get better and better,” she said.

Thanks to a Cowan Grant Trust Roseworthy Campus Residency Scholarship, Emma was able to make the most of all the opportunities the Agronomy course could offer.

“It was massive, it was amazing, it made a huge difference and meant I could take full advantage of everything Roseworthy offered - a complete immersion in the course, but also in the life of Roseworthy, playing netball, inter-campus sports days and footy games, making so many lifelong friends, just everything,” she said.

“The diversity was just amazing, and you got such a good grounding in genetics, biosciences and ag tech. The beauty of the course was the really good mix of things, from doing the genetic stuff in animals and a bit of livestock background courses, right through to crop science and then into production and whole farming systems.”

Graduating from Roseworthy in 2011 with a BSc in Agronomy and Crop Science, Emma described the first decade of her career as “a series of happy accidents, the result of putting myself out there and going outside my comfort zone”.

“By proactively seeking new experiences, some of the most unlikely jobs became the best part of my CV,” she said.

In the decade since her graduation, Emma certainly grasped every opportunity with both hands. She co-founded Summit Ag consultancy with Heath McWhirter when she was just 26, advising clients on irrigated cropping and dryland growing, cotton agronomy and research.

A need to build longevity into the business and keep their employees busy during dry seasons led Emma and Heath to build Yacker – a free app that connects people in the agriculture sector.

“We realised we were often acting as a conduit for clients to share knowledge with each other so, knowing how farmers love to chat, we created Yacker as an agricultural phone directory where people could ask questions and share experience.”

More than 800 people now use the Yacker platform to share their knowledge and solve problems.

Emma and her partner are kept busy running their mixed cropping and sheep property at Lake Cargelligo.

“It’s good to get your hands dirty, and I always wanted to own a property. Plus, it means we are busy with the crop and harvesting just when most of our clients are too, so it’s traditionally a quiet time for consulting,” she said.

Clearly, Emma doesn’t plan on much quiet time.

Combining work on her property with her role at Summit Ag requires what she describes as “a fair bit of juggling and chaos.”

Emma Ayliffe

Photo credit: Angus Northeast

Emma wants to see Summit Ag continue to grow. Looking decades ahead, she dreams of increasing its client base to cover all of NSW, maybe even going national. But she sees no danger of tech replacing the role of agronomist.

“Despite all the technological advances in say GM cropping systems saving on irrigation and spraying, the role of agronomist is still that human intervention, the logistics, the long-term planning and that important face to face element wof agriculture.”

As an ambassador for her industry, Emma is “striving to elevate the role of women in agriculture”, inspiring others to “give it a crack” and discover the diversity of roles available, although she does acknowledge that female role models have been few and far between.

“While most of the time I try to work nine to five, Monday to Friday, there are definitely some incredibly busy times, but

this is not the case with all roles in ag, making a career in ag very compatible with family life.

“As an agronomist, I essentially work in a service industry and arrange to talk to clients during normal business hours.

Most of the year, the farm work can be done around that too, as it’s very seasonal. “There are massive opportunities to build a career in ag. Everyone, regardless of gender, race or background should consider it because there are heaps of careers and immense opportunities as Australia leads the way in growing food and fibre more efficiently.”

“By proactively seeking new experiences, some of the most unlikely jobs became the best part of my CV.”

Bringing together the best minds to fight cancer

The cancer institute enticing some of the world’s best cancer researchers to Adelaide

STORY BY RENEE CAPPS

Christopher Sweeney has an impressive resume. He’s currently the Medical Oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

But it’s the opportunity to head up South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) that is finally bringing Chris home to Adelaide.

Founded by an $80 million investment from the federal government, SAiGENCI is a cancerfocused medical research institute centred on cancer research and clinical trials, which will include new cutting-edge technologies in immunotherapies and genomics. SAiGENCI will bring in the most advanced technologies and unparalleled expertise to cancer diagnosis, treatment and care, providing an immediate impact to all cancer patients and their families. Collaboration is at the heart of the Institute,

bringing together all of the cancer research in Adelaide from the University of Adelaide, SAHMRI, the University of South Australia and Flinders University.

“We can coordinate more effectively and have the whole of Adelaide be competitive on the national and international stage,” said Chris.

“Instead of having isolated pockets, if we can do some big projects together and have joint seminars to share ideas, we'll actually be one large cohesive unit that will be much more globally competitive as well as efficient and effective.”

The Institute is an alliance between the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) and the University of Adelaide. The aim is to recruit cancer researchers from across the globe and bring them to Adelaide to help fight one of the world’s most devastating diseases.

“We’ve made a very strategic decision to complement the cancer research excellence that is in the University of Adelaide and the state by bringing new researchers from outside South

Geelen

Australia, the needed critical mass, to ask big questions and do big projects,” said Chris.

From a young age, Chris knew he wanted to work in medicine; however he kept his ambitions to himself until he secured a spot in medical school. He completed his medical degree at the University of Adelaide and began his career at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he completed his internship and residency before moving to the United States, where he undertook his residency at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Centre, La Crosse, WI (USA).

It was during these early years of his career Chris decided he wanted to work in the kind of medicine that would really make a difference to some of the sickest people he had encountered – those fighting cancer.

“If you're going to do medicine, you might as well do something where people are really unwell, I thought.

“I really enjoyed the mission-driven nature of cancer care. And as I was doing it, I was going ‘well, the treatments aren't good enough and we need to do better’, so I got into cancer research,” he said.

Chris completed a Fellowship in HematologyOncology at Indiana University Hospital, where he went on to become Assistant Professor of Medicine and then Associate Professor of Internal Medicine. It was at Indiana University Hospital where his interest in men’s health, and particularly prostate and testicular cancer, was sparked.

“Indiana University had a very strong track record in genitourinary cancer. It's where the regimen that cures testicular cancer was developed. Following in their footsteps, I became more and more interested in the research process around cancer in general, but prostate and testes specifically,” he said.

At Indiana, Chris had the opportunity to work with mentor Larry Einhorn, the doctor behind the testicular cancer breakthrough.

“I got to work with him and the faculty he had trained, saw their style and approach, and that was inspiring, and I modelled myself on that style,” he said.

Chris briefly returned to the University of Adelaide in 2008 as Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Director of Clinical Trials at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, but it wasn’t long before he was enticed to return to the United States in 2010 by Harvard Medical School where he was appointed Associate Professor and then Professor in 2018.

Chris is one of the only researchers to hold the honour of delivering two plenary sessions at the prestigious American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting (one in 2014 and again in 2019). He also has a string of awards to his name, including the 2014 George Canellos Award for Excellence in Clinical Investigation and Patient Care; the 2012 Stephen Fine Outstanding Teaching in Cancer Medicine Award; and most recently, in 2020, he and Dr Ian Davis were awarded Australian Clinical Trials Alliance Research Clinical Trial of the Year Award for the leadership of the ENZAMET trial. The opportunity to return to Adelaide as Director of SAiGENCI has come at the perfect time for Chris. Armed with a wealth of knowledge and experience from around the globe, he says it was the right time to return home.

“I just feel like it's time to come back home.

“Fortunately, the amazing opportunity of SAiGENCI arose. I've learned a lot. I have developed a lot of networks, collaborators, and a lot of experience that I hope to be able to bring to Adelaide and help connect established researchers, as well as all the new researchers that we're bringing into Adelaide, as part of SAiGENCI,” he said.

Chris will take over the role as Director of SAiGENCI in December 2022. Of course, a big positive of returning to Adelaide will be the opportunity to be closer to family once again.

“It will be great to be back with family. There's no doubt about that. And close proximity of the beach and the hills, and just the wonderful, quality lifestyle. Whether you describe Adelaide as a big town or a small city, it’s just about right for me now,” he said.

To learn more about SAiGENCI and the current research they are undertaking, please visit adelaide.edu.au/saigenci

“We’ve made a very strategic decision to complement the cancer research excellence that is in University of Adelaide and the state by bringing new researchers from outside South Australia, both nationally and internationally, into Adelaide.”

The next generation of graduates

STORY BY MICHAELA MCGRATH

Sarah Meyer’s story reflects a founding principle of the Children’s University ethos – that adults forge their passions, dreams and interests as children. When she first crossed the Bonython Hall stage to graduate from Children’s University as a Mark Oliphant Year Six student in 2013, Sarah dreamt of a career in medicine. Today, she’s an aspiring immunopathologist and third-year Bachelor of Sciences student majoring in microbiology at the University of Adelaide. She’s also one of the first in her family to attend university.

Children’s University is breaking down barriers to create lifelong learners

“As a kid, I didn’t even know about university, I had no idea what it was,” said Sarah.

“I’d never even really been into Adelaide because I lived so far north that coming into town was a once-a-year thing to go shopping.”

It’s students like Sarah that Children’s University Australasia and Africa Managing Director Kiri Hagenus sought to engage when she brought the program to Adelaide nine years ago.

“If you don’t know what’s out there, what you can do for your career, and what opportunities are available to you, then how are you going to know what you want to do with your life or where your passions lie?” asked Kiri.

“Children’s University goes out and breaks down the idea that universities aren’t for these children as university is a place of learning for every single person, regardless of their background or their circumstances,” she said.

“It’s the idea that this university is your university if you want it to be.”

For Sarah, “being familiar with the University of Adelaide through Children’s University helped to close the gap and made it feel like less of a leap”.

“I knew I wanted to do something more in my life. I knew I wanted to be in medicine, but I didn’t know what that entailed or how to get there,” she said.

Sarah is now intent on a career in research to “delve into the mechanics behind diseases”.

Children’s University helps reveal its students’ passions through a program of extracurricular educational experiences paired with regular visits to the University’s campuses.

The only prerequisite for a learning activity is that it must link back to a higher education pathway.

“If a child plays a sport, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to be an elite athlete but it might uncover their passion,” explained Kiri.

“There’s sports marketing, sports engineering, physiotherapy, exercise science – all types of things that mean you can be part of the sport you love and are passionate about.”

The children accrue stamps, indicating hours of participation, in their ‘Passport to Learning’, and their achievements are recognised at a formal graduation ceremony.

“It really addresses two sides of things,” said Kiri. “Through the learning destinations you’re getting children in touch with what they’re passionate about, and then by bringing them onto campus you’re getting them familiar with the university setting and the opportunities it can present.”

While the learning experiences and campus visits work in tandem to position tertiary education as a possibility for Children’s University students, the graduation ceremonies cement it as an attainable pathway.

Children’s University Australasia and Africa have swelled from 22 students receiving awards in its inaugural year to 5,300 graduates at 13 ceremonies across Australia, New Zealand and Mauritius in 2021.

These graduation ceremonies have been a cornerstone of Children’s University’s approach from the get-go, and with good reason.

“It’s the idea of acknowledging their accomplishment and their learning,” said Kiri. “Again, it’s building that story for them, especially those children who don’t know anyone who’s ever been to university.

“When you see that ‘aha moment’ in a child’s eyes or their parents’ eyes, that’s what’s important, that’s what’s powerful.”

This sentiment is echoed by Sarah, who not only experienced it firsthand at her own ceremony in 2013 but also witnessed it when she returned to Bonython Hall as the Master of Ceremonies in 2021.

“There were so many students compared to when I graduated from the program,” said Sarah. “They were all so happy, you could see that they were very proud of themselves.” It’s a full-circle moment for the ambitious microbiology student who embodies the vision Kiri and her team set out to achieve eight years ago. “This is exactly why we did it in the first place; this is everything we’ve fought to do now coming to fruition,” said Kiri.

“Every child has aspirations, and the University has a job to support those aspirations, guide them, stand with them, and walk next to them throughout their learning journey.

“Children’s University is community driven, and everyone has to be involved to make this work – the more people that want to be involved, the more children we can reach.”

“Children’s University goes out and breaks down the idea that universities aren’t for these children as university is a place of learning for every single person, regardless of their background or their circumstances.”

Meyer

Kiri Hagenus

Baby making

How Christine Kirby became a pioneer in fertility treatment and created thousands of families

STORY BY RACHAEL NIGHTINGALE

T he first time

Dr Christine Kirby saw her granddaughter Aria was through a microscope in a lab. For the woman whose life’s work is creating families - bringing thousands of babies into the world over the past 40 years - nothing had been harder than trying to help her only daughter Katie become a mum herself.

Christine was closely involved in Katie's IVF treatment, along with her colleagues at Repromed, the fertility clinic she co-founded as a University of Adelaide company in 1987. She was part of a management buy-out of Repromed in 2006, and went into partnership with a private equity firm in 2008. In 2014, Repromed was floated on the ASX.

“It was really hard, to know what I knew but to sit with Katie and at times keep my mouth shut knowing all the things that could potentially go wrong in her cycle,” said Christine.

“I remember when Katie had been down in Adelaide from NSW (where she lives) for her cycle, and my husband Chris and I had taken her to the airport after her treatment.

“We were on our way back home to Hindmarsh Island, and the next minute there’s this sobbing phone call with Katie saying, ‘mum, nothing fertilised’. She was at the airport alone and there’s nothing I could do, absolutely nothing.”

As heartbreaking as this was, Christine tried to view it as a learning opportunity.

“The journey of waiting – to see how many eggs there are, and then seeing what’s fertilised, and then another few days of waiting to see what develops – I think it’s part of your personal growth.

“You’d prefer you weren’t going through it, but it makes you really understand what’s happening from a patient’s perspective.”

Having that understanding of the soul crushing mental anguish and devastation felt after failed IVF cycles (it took five cycles for Katie to finally conceive Aria), and then experiencing the elation after successful treatment is something that sets Christine apart from other fertility specialists.

Known for her compassion and nurturing approach, Christine has looked after thousands of people on their journey to parenthood, while supporting those who have been unable to conceive.

Last year, she was recognised for being a champion of change, and

for her outstanding contribution to fertility treatment by being inducted into the prestigious SA Women’s Honour Roll.

“I know IVF is regarded as a business, but I wouldn’t like to see the business aspect overriding the need to provide the best care possible for the patients you’re treating.

“My hope is that fertility treatment is based on holistic care to achieve the best outcome for parents and the best outcome for children,” she said.

Regarded as a pioneer in fertility treatment, Christine has certainly had an incredible career, punctuated with challenges, amazing stories and trailblazing achievements.

Working in reproductive medicine since the first IVF baby was born at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH) in 1983, and dedicating 40 years of her life to the development and provision of fertility services and treatment, Christine has seen assisted reproductive technologies dramatically evolve over the years.

“It’s certainly been a journey of highs and lows, there’s no question about that,” she said.

“The number of people we help now is really high. For example, with the advent of being able to do aneuploidy screening on embryos (checking for the correct number of chromosomes), if you’ve got a patient in their 40s and can put a screened embryo back in, they have pregnancy rates of 50 per cent per cycle which is absolutely amazing.”

Things have come a long way since

Christine completed her obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) training at the TQEH in 1987.

“The medical superintendent in 1979 found out I was pregnant and actually tried to get me to resign. He hired someone to replace me and said I needed to resign and if I did, I’d get a job next year, which was a bit of a shocker.

“I told him I wasn’t quite ready to resign yet, thank you very much,” said Christine.

A year after becoming one of the RAH's first female surgical trainees in 1978, Christine was the first O&G trainee in South Australia to have a baby during her training. And in 1982, she became TQEH's first ever fertility clinic registrar.

Hailing from Bordertown, Christine came from a family of ‘pretty determined women’, something she attributes to helping her handle setbacks and sexism.

After having her bag with all her exam notes stolen in her final year of high school, and feeling very homesick at the time, Christine gave up on her childhood dream of studying medicine and did physiotherapy instead.

“Within the first six months of being at university, I knew I made a mistake, and so spent the next three years trying to get into medicine, which is a really, really interesting journey on its own.”

Each year, Christine applied to do the course, and was interviewed, but each time was unsuccessful.

“When I went for my interview in my third year of physiotherapy, with the same interview panel, this guy said to me, ‘I don’t really understand why you want to do this. You can buy a car, you can travel overseas, you could even marry a doctor if you wanted to’.”

In 1973, Christine had interviewed for an Air Force cadetship in medicine.

“The interviewer said to me, ‘look,

we don’t actually have any facility to have a female medical cadetship in the Air Force’, so I said to him, ‘but more than half of the trainees are now female so if you don’t sort this out, you’re going to be missing out on all sorts of things’.”

“Around 12 months later, I received a phone call saying, ‘look, it’s all changed, you can apply now’, but the moment had passed.”

These days, Christine works as a Senior Fertility Specialist at Repromed, spends precious time with Aria and Katie, and enjoys tarmac car rallies with husband Chris.

“Chris and I first met at Goolwa speedboat racing. He was driving his boat and I was racing my dad’s boat.

“Motorsport is our relaxation

passion so we do a lot of tarmac rallies,” Christine said.

As she proudly flicks through the many photos of Aria, it’s clear how besotted Christine is with the ‘bubbly girl’ she helped create.

“It’s amazing – the magic of being able to look at an embryo and then look at their little person. You look down a microscope and say to yourself ‘how? How does that happen?’”

PREVIOUS PAGE

Christine Kirby BELOW

Christine Kirby and husband Chris Waldock

Photo credit: Matt Turner

“My hope is that fertility treatment is based on holistic care to achieve the best outcome for parents and the best outcome for children.”

Measuring the effects of COVID-19 on the economy.

STORY BY RENEE CAPPS

The effects of COVID on our state and economy will be felt for years to come, but who measures the impact of the pandemic on migration, industry and employment? And what was the real cost of the snap lockdowns?

The South Australian Centre for Economic Studies (SACES), a research unit of the University of Adelaide, has the answers. Turning 40 this year, SACES has produced more than 3500 reports, research and consultancy pieces about economic issues facing Australia. Bi-annually SACES also produces an Economic Briefing Report, providing commentary on economic and social issues relevant to South Australia and the nation and insights into its latest research. The Centre also looks at some of the big issues facing the state, such as gambling and population migration.

Costs of COVID

Most recently, it completed a number of papers about the effects of COVID on our economy. We spoke with Associate Professor Michael O’Neil, Executive Director at SACES, to discover more about some of these short and longer-term impacts.

Interestingly, for the first time since the early 1990s, South Australia saw an increase in interstate migration, with a growing number of people from other states seeing South Australia as an attractive state to wait out the pandemic.

Many industries felt the impacts of COVID – none more so than the hotel industry. A snap lockdown in November 2020 saw businesses shut down for six days with no warning.

SACES was commissioned to report on the full impact of the lockdown and found:

• between $7–10 million worth of food and alcohol were wasted.

• $100 million in turnover lost.

• 12,500 fewer jobs.

• $30 million of lost sales for food and produce supplier s.

• employment is estimated to have dropped by almost 80%, or 20,000 per day

The report found more consultation was needed with industry to strike a balance between reducing the risks to the community and suppressing the virus, while also meeting the hotel industry’s needs.

In future, whether it be another COVID-19 outbreak or something else, Michael said putting some more targeted geographical restrictions could help reduce the costs to the economy.

“When there are only cases of COVID seen in city areas, there is

no reason to close a country pub, or cancel weddings and funerals in those areas, provided intrastate travel is restricted,” he said.

Michael said another takeaway from the report was a recommendation on giving businesses warning of a lockdown.

“Advanced warning is critical to minimise disruption and wastage, allowing for food stock to be sent elsewhere to benefit the community,” he said.

“With very little warning, businesses were forced to dump millions in food.”

Along with the November 2020 lockdown report, SACES was also commissioned to do a series of reports on the effects of COVID-19 on the South Australian economy, investigating population trends and migration, workforce shortages and employment. These were commissioned by the Independent Research Fund (IRF).

IRF was established in 2018 by the South Australian business community. It approached SACES with a desire to support independent, broad-based, public policy research of benefit to the South Australian economy and the wider community. The IRF is made up of corporate members from the private sector. The purpose of the fund is to expand SACES economic research, including:

• deepening , widening and stimulating publication and economic debate.

• commissioning and subsidising research into the economic, industr y and social policy issues of impor tance to South Australia’s economic, industrial and social development.

• providing evidence-based research and public discussion on issues that under pin or impede economic, industrial and social polic y development in South Australia.

“The IRF commissioned us to look at population trends, the changing demographics in the state and to

overcome some of the employment shocks,” said Michael.

“Moving forward, these reports will help inform policy and inform decisions around our recovery from the pandemic.”

These papers revealed some interesting migration trends as a direct result of COVID-19. When the borders closed in 2020, it may have contained the virus’ spread, but it also had a significant impact on migration and South Australia’s

population. The closed borders brought international student arrivals and overseas migration to a halt. “South Australian population growth relies on overseas migration. With the borders closed, we found the population in the state essentially came to a standstill,” Michael said. Interestingly, for the first time since

the early 1990s, South Australia saw an increase in interstate migration, with a growing number of people from other states seeing South Australia as an attractive state to wait out the pandemic. The small gains in interstate migration sparked by the pandemic, however, didn’t make up for the overall decline.

“South Australia actually gained 100 people per quarter from interstate movement, which may seem like a small amount, but previously the

of migration for South Australia’s population growth.

According to Michael, “overseas migration is critical to mitigating the effects of population losses and plays a fundamental role in growing the overall population”.

The reports found young people aged 15-24 felt the biggest employment shocks during the pandemic. The areas faced with the biggest employment cuts, such as hospitality, retailing and recreation

to improve the levels of support for education and training for young people, not only in response to COVID-19, but in the interests of creating a well-qualified base on which young people can build long-term, sustainable careers,” said Michael.

We hope lockdowns and closed borders are a thing of the past, but having information on hand for another wave, or new pandemic, will put South Australia in a stronger position to make informed decisions.

state was losing approximately 1350 people per quarter,” said Michael. The report investigated what South Australia’s population might have looked like if the borders remained closed and found the population would decline to 1.70 million by 2024, below the 1.72 million figure in 2017 – highlighting the importance

service, disproportionately affected young people.

The recommendation from the papers is that more support for education and training of young people is the key to offsetting the employment disruptions felt by pandemics.

“Our analysis confirms the dire need

ABOVE AND PREVIOUS PAGE Professor Michael O'Neil

Photo credit: Matt Turner

Nick’s gift

Honouring great mentors and transforming Adelaide Law School

STORY BY DALICE KENNEDY

Once a budding musician, Nick Shaw’s unplanned turn to law has taken him from Adelaide to New York and London – but he has never forgotten the teachers who inspired him and helped shape his life.

Nick’s dad (William Shaw OAM) ran a music school, and Nick and his brothers studied music and were all “supposed to be musicians”.

“Going into my last year at high school, I realised that music was never going to be my professional career. I loved it but just wasn’t going to be a top-level musician,” said Nick.

While he didn’t end up pursuing a career in music, Nick remembers his “remarkable piano teacher”, Eleonora Sivan, who had a profound effect on his life and career.

“Eleonora had been a student and teacher at the Leningrad Conservatorium and settled in Adelaide in 1980,” he said.

“She was completely devoted to her art, particularly the unswerving pursuit of accuracy and musical truth above all else.

“Being exposed to that sort of intensity at a young age made a huge impression on me and showed me early what it meant to be serious about a subject.”

At University, Nick hopped around among physics, philosophy, maths and politics before enrolling in law.

Initially, he was not a huge fan of legal studies, but then when he reached the fields of property and trusts, “it all just clicked – it was a logical system and I started to explore it all in more detail.”

A Fulbright Scholar and Partner in Simpson Thacher’s London office, Nick is grateful to many mentors, especially to two of his greatest law influences, Emeritus Fellow Andrew Ligertwood (LLB (Hons) 1967) and The Honourable John Doyle AC QC (LLB (Hons) 1967).

“Andrew and John both gave a lot of time not just to me, but to generations of students and young lawyers,” he said.

“When you are younger, I think you take it for granted there will be teachers or senior people who take an interest in and devote energy and time to younger people.

“It’s only as I’ve gotten older that I have realised how hard that is — to have the time to not just get through your own workload, but to devote time to nurturing younger lawyers, and also to avoid becoming jaded and to remain excited about ideas.”

Nick ended up working for Andrew as a research assistant. They both shared a love of music, with Andrew being a big supporter of the Adelaide music scene.

“Andrew was a terrific teacher and scholar. The law of evidence is incredibly convoluted, with hundreds of different rules for special cases. He always tried to discover the underlying purpose of each rule and, ultimately, how it goes to matters of proof. “I particularly remember the law on hearsay, which seemed confused and contradictory and hugely puzzling to any law student. Andrew identified an underlying rationale for the rule, which made all the cases line up and serve the ultimate purpose of the law. It was almost like a magician’s trick to see it all fall into place perfectly. “And John was just the complete hero of everyone in the Adelaide legal community.

“He just was so brilliant, but also such a good guy in a way that made you feel good about the world, that someone so accomplished could rise to the

top of his profession and at the same time remain a modest and self-deprecating person,” said Nick.

After completing his Masters of Law and working for John Doyle (Solicitor General and then Chief Justice), Nick and his wife, Dr Miriam Hill (PhD (Psych) 1999), spent time studying at Columbia University in New York City.

“Miriam and I got married at Urrbrae House a month before we headed off to the States, and so we launched off onto this new adventure hand in hand.

“I think it felt further away because things were a bit less connected then. The internet was only just ramping up, and we certainly didn’t own cell phones.

“I remember one cold New York day when we just arrived and stood outside to use a call box with a calling card to phone mum and dad to tell them we had arrived and were safe, so it really did feel very much like we were two kids from Adelaide on the other side of the world,” he said.

Now living in London with Miriam and their three children, Nick fondly recalls his time studying at Adelaide Law School.

He had long wanted to do something that would honour both Andrew and John if an opportunity arose.

Nick recently joined with other Simpson partners in London to fund the work of the Westminster Commission on Miscarriages of Justice, a parliamentary commission chaired by Lord Garnier and Baroness Stern, which reported last year on important improvements that could be made to the UK’s justice system. These recommendations are now being examined by the Lord Chancellor, Dominic Raab.

“One of my partners, Jason Glover, instigated the effort, and in turn it made me think about whether I could help do something in South Australia. Given that evidence and procedure are areas where Andrew and John had taught at the Law School, it all came together with the idea of honouring them and supporting the Law School and research in this area,” said Nick.

Inspired by this opportunity, Nick made a major gift towards a new Chair for the Adelaide Law School in evidence and procedure. He’s hopeful his gift, which will be named in honour of both Emeritus Fellow Andrew Ligertwood and The Honourable John Doyle AC, will help the Adelaide Law School become a leader in a specialised field.

“If you attract someone who specialises in an area and who can establish a good teaching body and potentially cross disciplinary studies, that has the potential to be transformative,” he said.

ABOVE AND PREVIOUS PAGE Nick Shaw

“When you are younger, I think you take it for granted there will be teachers or senior people who take an interest in and devote energy and time to younger people.”

Photo credit: Gabrielle Connole

Three distinguished Elder Con alumni share their inspiring career journeys

STORY BY BIANCA CHAPTINI

Hall of fame

The iconic place where the wonder of music has been celebrated for more than 100 years and where world-class musicians have delighted audiences with their outstanding talent is being refurbished. Elder Hall, part of Australia’s oldest tertiary music school, The Elder Conservatorium of Music (or the Con as it is affectionately known), is one of the country’s finest concert halls.

Designed in a Florentine gothic style by architect Frank John Niash, and built by Walter Charles Torode, the Hall was officially opened on 26 September 1900. A bequest from Sir Thomas Elder in 1897 made the erection of the imposing Adelaide icon possible.

To celebrate our Elder ‘Take a Seat’ campaign, where the community can help preserve and enhance the Hall for future generations, we asked three of our internationally renowned Elder graduates where their musical journeys have taken them.

Anna Butterss

Honours Degree of Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance) Class of 2012

Anna is a jazz bassist and composer from Adelaide. She has been living, working and creating in Los Angeles since 2014.

After graduating from the Elder Conservatorium in 2012, I moved to the US with a scholarship to do a Master of Music in Jazz Studies at Indiana University. Since then, I have been living in Los Angeles, where I perform, record and tour with various artists, including Phoebe Bridgers, Jenny Lewis, Jeff Parker, Makaya McCraven and Aimee Mann.

I have so many years of memories at Elder Hall, starting with my first concert there as a teenager with the Adelaide Youth Orchestra. I also

remember seeing the Elder Conservatorium Big Band play-that got me really excited about studying at the Con. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I spent a lot of time in Elder Hall rehearsing and performing with the Con’s Symphony and Chamber orchestras, so it’s a place that holds a lot of formative memories for me.

Playing at Madison Square Garden with Jenny Lewis, opening for Harry Styles, was a major career highlight. Another bucket list moment was a show with Meshell Ndegeocello, where we both played bass together.

In 2022 I’ll be touring with Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham, which will be really fun, and then I’m getting ready to release my first record, Activities

My advice for budding musicians is to lean into the community aspect of being a musician. It’s easy to focus inward when we spend so much of our time practising, but it’s a much more enriching experience to be connected to the wider musical community-going to shows, playing with other people, collaborating and supporting each other.

ABOVE Anna Butterss Photo credit: Brian E Bixby

Andrew Bain

Bachelor of Music

Class of 1994

Born and raised in Australia, Andrew now lives and works in Los Angeles as the principal horn of the LA Philharmonic, a music teacher and entrepreneur behind the Invested Musician.

I have been the principal horn since 2011 for the LA Philharmonic. In the winter season we play at Disney Concert Hall in Downtown LA, and in summer we perform at the Hollywood Bowl. I also teach at the Colburn School of Music, the Aspen Music Festival and in my start-up, the Invested Musician that I co-founded with my wife Rupal. Seeing young people improve and achieve their goals-and being able to support that journey-is what I enjoy most about teaching. I’ve played many times at Elder during my time at the University. I played my first orchestral concert with the Elder Conservatorium Orchestra and my first professional gig there in 1993. It’s a very special place with beautiful acoustics. Career highlights include winning my first orchestra job with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (I grew up listening to and learning from players in that orchestra) and working for the LA Philharmonic with one of the world’s most famous conductors. Performing John Williams’ incredible solos on the Star Wars soundtracks: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi was also a dream come true. Playing with Sydney Symphony Orchestra for the much-anticipated reopening of the Sydney Opera House has been the main highlight of 2022, as well as premiering horn concerto with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for the World Premier of Paul Deans. After that, I'm also touring with the Australia World Orchestra to London, Edinburgh, Sydney and Melbourne.

Dedicate a plaque to honour a loved one, and it will be placed on the back of the seat(s) in Elder Hall in recognition of your donation.

One hundred per cent of your gift directly supports Elder Hall’s refurbishment, with works due to be completed by Summer 2022/23. Donors will then be invited to a celebratory reception to view their plaques on the new seats.

To learn more, visit adelaide.edu.au/give/take-a-seat

Anne Cawrse

PhD Music Folio/Composition Class of 2008

Anne Cawrse is an award-winning Australian composer of acoustic solo, chamber, orchestral and vocal works, based in Adelaide. She currently teaches secondyear composition students at the University of Adelaide.

I’m often delighted and surprised about how much you can learn about yourself and music more broadly from teaching. It’s really rewarding, and the one-on-one lesson scenario we have is quite unique. There are not a lot of opportunities at uni to spend that amount of time with one person. It’s very grounding and illuminating, helping students along their journey and hearing different perspectives and thoughts about music. Elder Hall is such a special and beautiful space with

a lovely acoustic. I have had many premieres there over the years, starting right back when I was a student at the Elder Conservatorium. I wrote a ballet suite for orchestra in my Honours year. The Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra performed it at an evening concert in Elder Hall in 2002. More recently, in 2020, the Australian String Quartet premiered my work, A Room of Her Own, at Elder Hall. This work was supposed to go on a national tour around the country, but COVID had other plans.

I did win a couple of rather lovely awards last year for A Room of Her Own – the 2021 APRA AMCOS Art Music Award for chamber work of the year and the 2021 Albert H Maggs composition award. It’s been wonderful to have that national recognition for the piece.

I’ve recently released my first album, most of which was recorded in Elder Hall with some of Adelaide’s finest chamber musicians. It has taken a few years to put it together, but I’m really proud of the end result. It includes works for string quartet, soprano and guitar, and I believe it demonstrates the range and scope of who I am as a composer.

LEFT Andrew Bain

Photo credit: Mathew Imaging BELOW Anne Cawrse

Photo credit: Angus Northeast

Events International Women’s Day

The University community celebrated International Women's Day on Tuesday, 8 March, with curated tours of the Botanical Gardens, followed by networking at the National Wine Centre.

The walks through the picturesque Botanic Gardens were curated by Professor Michelle Waycott, Chief Botanist at the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium (BGSH) and H.B.S. Womersley, Chair in Systematic Botany at the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences.

Tasting Australia –Taras Ochota Scholarship launch

In May, partnering with Tasting Australia, the University of Adelaide was proud to launch the Taras Ochota Scholarship Fund.

Influential winemaker and owner of Ochota Barrels in Basket Range, Taras Ochota, tragically passed away in 2020.

The Fund has been established as a way to honour Taras, who was a University of Adelaide alumnus. It will provide financial support to aspiring winemakers studying viticulture and oenology or related programs. With your support, we can ensure Taras' legacy as a winemaker continues to be shared with future generations.

Achievements

Members of the University community have been recognised for their outstanding achievements, winning a number of prestigious awards and being recognised for excellence in their field. We are proud to acknowledge the exceptional accomplishments of those achieving excellence.

The Australian Academy of Science

Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Peter Høj AC, Emeritus Professor Peter Langridge (School of Agriculture, Food and Wine), and Professor Timothy Hughes (Adelaide Medical School) were named fellows of The Australian Academy of Science.

South Australian Science Excellence Awards

The South Australian Science Excellence Awards recognise the work of inspiring science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) leaders and teams working in research and education institutions, schools, industry and the community. The following members of the University of Adelaide community won awards:

Professor Shizhang Qiao

South Australian Scientist of the Year

The Australian Institute for Machine Learning Excellence in Science and Industry Collaboration

South Australian Australia Day Council

Professor Helen Marshall AM was named the state recipient of the Australian of the Year 2022

Dr Trudy Lin was named the state recipient of the Young Australian of the Year 2022

Weary Dunlop Medal

The Hon Julie Bishop was awarded the 2022 Weary Dunlop Medal for her long-term commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the Asia-Pacific region, and improving Australia-Asian relations.

ABOVE

Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Peter Høj AC, Emeritus Professor Peter Langridge, Professor Timothy Hughes, Professor Helen Marshall AM , Dr Trudy Lin and The Hon Julie Bishop

Echidna CSI

Outstanding Science and Research (Citizen Science and Engagement)

Dr Hannah Wardill

Tall Poppy of the Year

Australia Day Honours 2022

Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)

Distinguished Professor and Vice Chancellor Fellow Jennifer Marshall Graves AO AC

Dr Graeme Moad AC

Member of the Order of Australia (AM)

Professor Eleanor Anne Bourke AM

Professor Gregory Brian Crawford AM

Mr Keith Gallasch AM

Professor William Frederic Heddle RFD (Retd) AM

Ms Gabrielle Mary Kelly AM

Mrs Margaret Elizabeth Lehmann AM

Professor Helen Siobhan Marshall AM

Mr Ian David Nosworthy AM

Dr Maria Giovanna Pallotta-Chiarolli AM

The Honourable Bronwyn Jane Pike AM

Ms Kathryn Anne Presser AM

Emeritus Professor

Timothy Roberts AM

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)

Professor Barbara Comber OAM

Professor Cherrie Ann Galletly OAM

Mr Roger Bartram Grund OAM

Ms Jane Margaret Jose OAM

Ms Rosemary Osman OAM

Mrs Mary Louise Simpson OAM

Mrs Elizabeth D'arcy Wilson OAM

Dr Lois Beverly Zweck OAM

Public Service Medal (PSM)

Dr Ian Richard Scrimgeour PSM

A list of Australia Day and Queen’s Birthday Honours is available on our website ua.edu.au/alumni/recognised/ alumni-honours

South Australian 7 News Young Achiever Awards

Nicole Foster

The University of Adelaide STEM Award

Nicholas Sanderson

First National Real Estate Innovation Award

Lily Biggs

Websters Lawyers Service to the Community Award

Oscar Zi Shao Ong Scouts SA Leadership Award

Yeganeh Soltanpour

Multicultural Youth South Australia Spirit of Resilience Award

Commonwealth Games

Maeve Plouffe

(Student and 2021

UoA Sports Scholarship Holder)

Cycling 4000m Team Pursuit

GOLD MEDAL & Games record

Cycling 3000m Individual Pursuit

SILVER MEDAL

Sophie Edwards (Alumni and 2019 and 2020 UoA Sports Scholarship Holder) Cycling 4000m Team Pursuit GOLD MEDAL & Games record

Paul Burnett (Alumni and 2019 Pathway to Performance grant recipient)

Beach Volleyball GOLD MEDAL

Nikita Hains (Student and VC Travel Grant Recipient)

Diving 10m Platform - 8th

Diving 10m synchronised platform - 6th Matthew Northcott (Student)

Coach/Guide Para Lawn Bowls - 4th

Indigenous Support Fund

The Indigenous Support Fund supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and aims to improve access to tertiary study and facilitate better higher education outcomes.The Fund creates two streams of support: the Yaitya Tipanthi Scholarship and the Yaitya Tipanthi Bursary.

The inaugural recipient of the scholarship is a Bachelor of Journalism student Talara McHugh. Talara hopes to uplift Indigenous voices and stories in the mainstream media, be a positive representative for First Nations people, and inspire other young Aboriginal women interested in media.

“As a kid, I always wanted to study at university after graduating from high school. My experience studying at the University of Adelaide has been great - I’ve been given the opportunity to do things I never thought I would and to work with people from all walks of life.

“I am so grateful for this scholarship which will be a great support to me in my studies and help me to fulfil my dreams,” said Talara.

To learn more about how you can support the Indigenous Support Fund, please visit: ua.edu.au/give/indigenous-support