COMMUNITY: EDITION 3 2013
Vice-Chancellor’s Comment
University prepares for opening of Sippy Downs Learning Hub
There has been a strong sense of anticipation around USC this year as we have watched the construction of a new building on campus.
The soon-to-be completed Sippy Downs Learning Hub, allocated the title of “Building E” in the Master Plan, will open in early 2014 and house a variety of important centres that have a strong focus on students.
Facilities will be spread over three floors of the $25 million building, which is a joint initiative of the Australian Government’s Structural Adjustment Fund, Sunshine Coast TAFE and our University.
Among the facilities will be USC’s Student Life and Learning, Tertiary Preparation Pathway, Buranga Centre, Centre for Support and Advancement of Learning and Teaching, and Sunshine Coast TAFE’s nursing programs.
The main teaching functions will be based on advanced simulation and e-learning facilities, and a lecture theatre and tutorial rooms also designed as state-of-the-art learning spaces.
All the formal spaces are interspersed with extensive open spaces aligned with the concept of the student learning commons. In fact, our students worked with the architects to ensure the building delivered what they wanted as study, work and relaxation areas.
The building was designed to be art-friendly and in many respects will function as a second art gallery on campus. The Buranga Centre was planned in association with Gubbi Gubbi elders and will include a yarning circle, fire pit, Indigenous art works and water features.
As USC continues its strong growth, our new Sippy Downs Learning Hub will quickly become one of our most utilised buildings. It will be an inspiring structure in which to work, study or merely relax.
Professor Greg Hill
Vice-Chancellor and President
Around USC
01 The University of the Sunshine Coast has signed an agreement with the Department of Transport of Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. USC’s Engineering academics were excited to secure the formal link with a city that boasts some of the most impressive engineering projects on earth. It will promote joint research, studies and continuing education in areas like transportation, road management, environment and natural resources. It will also highlight opportunities for students from Abu Dhabi to pursue degrees at USC.
02 Teams of USC Public Relations students staged two well-attended community events this semester as assessment for the subject Public Relations Event Project. One group hosted A Fair Day Out at Eumundi as a fundraiser for Equity Works, an organisation that assists people with disabilities. The event on Saturday 19 October featured a Jam Tent for musical performances, a Creative Expression tent for arts and crafts activities, raffles and a sausage sizzle, and raised almost $1,000. Another group of PR students worked with Sunshine Coast Community Co-operative to stage the 2013 Multicultural Excellence Awards, which recognised the outstanding contribution made by migrants on the Sunshine Coast. This gala event was held on Friday 18 October.
03 The Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast (ICSC) has welcomed its 100th company. E-health startup newNRG was officially welcomed by Queensland’s Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts Ian Walker when he spoke at the Innovation Centre’s 100 Companies Celebration in September. Mr Walker announced a $325,000 funding contribution to ICSC. “Since being established by the University of the Sunshine Coast in 2002, the ICSC has helped 99 businesses to create 424 jobs and raise more than $26.85 million in investment and grants,” he said.
04 USC officially opened its $5.5 million study centre in Gympie in August with a lively Indigenous smoking ceremony and speeches by dignitaries. USC Gympie—which includes a 75-seat lecture theatre, tutorial rooms, a high-tech nursing simulation space and a skills development laboratory—was built with funding from the Federal Government’s Structural Adjustment Fund. The two-storey facility was constructed on State Government land at the Wide Bay Institute of TAFE campus.
05 The mental health of Hamlet, one of theatre’s most perplexing characters, will be explored when USC Theatre stages its next production in early 2014. Audiences will be provided with a contemporary take on the famous Shakespearean play at the Chancellor State College Theatre from 25-29 February. Director and USC Drama lecturer Dr Jo Loth said there had been strong interest in auditions for the play. “It will show how the prevalence and complexity of mental health, specifically depression, can be linked to personal isolation,” she said.
Bachelor of Laws gains accreditation
Suite of Law degrees to be introduced at USC in 2014
The University of the Sunshine Coast has received accreditation from the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board of Queensland for its suite of Law degrees to be introduced in 2014.
This means USC’s Bachelor of Laws programs, as well as its seven double degree Laws programs, are now approved academic qualifications for entry into the legal profession in Australia.
The accreditation was achieved by the University’s inaugural Professors of Law Neil and Anne Rees, who were each formerly Deans of Law at the University of Newcastle before starting at USC in February.
“We are looking forward to our first intake of students next year,” Professor Anne Rees said.
“It is always exciting to be in on the ground floor of any program. We have been delighted with the co-operation and interest from the local legal profession.”
Sunshine Coast Law Association president John Watson of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers in Maroochydore congratulated the University, saying the availability of law degrees locally would help to bolster the region’s legal profession. “The USC accreditation is significant for the Sunshine Coast legal profession going forward in helping to grow our local profession here on the Coast,” he said.
“The opening of the USC law school also presents greater opportunities for local legal practitioners to lecture and tutor law students in their areas of legal speciality.
“This has benefits all round, including greater interaction between law students and local lawyers.”
USC’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill said the accreditation was a major step forward for the University in meeting local demand for this popular degree.
“Our new law school, which is in very experienced hands, will provide Sunshine Coast residents with the opportunity to obtain a first class legal education without needing to leave home or commute to Brisbane daily,” he said.
Professor Hill thanked the local legal profession for the support and encouragement it had already provided to Professors Neil and Anne Rees.
The seven combined Law degrees on offer for 2014 are Laws/Arts, Laws/Business, Laws/Commerce (Accounting), Laws/Creative Writing, Laws/Journalism, Laws/Science and Laws/Social Science.
Five stars for educational experience
The 2014 Good Universities Guide has awarded USC top marks for the educational experience it provides students.
This annual independent guide, produced by Hobsons, has once again given USC five stars for teaching quality, overall graduate satisfaction, and graduates’ satisfaction with the generic skills they gained while at university.
It awarded four stars for a new “socioeconomic equality” rating—in recognition of USC’s efforts in providing students with strong support services and equity bursaries—and three stars for “getting a full-time job”, two higher than in 2011.
Last-minute study advice for 2014
USC will hold an Options Q&A Evening at its Sippy Downs campus on Monday 16 December to provide last-minute advice about enrolling to study in 2014.
This free information event from 4pm to 6.30pm is for both those who have already chosen the University as a QTAC preference and those who are yet to apply. USC staff and current students will be on hand to offer advice.
A similar event will be held at the USC Gympie learning hub on Tuesday 17 December from 5.30pm to 7pm.
To register for these events, go to the USC website at www.usc.edu.au/options or call (07) 5456 5000.
Wound clinic offers new treatments
Health students and researchers to help treat chronic wounds
The University of the Sunshine Coast and not-for-profit service provider Blue Care have teamed up to open a new clinic for people with chronic wounds.
The Wound Solutions Clinic at USC’s Sippy Downs campus is offering clients innovative new treatment options provided by Blue Care Registered Nursing staff, dietitians, a podiatrist, and University students from health disciplines.
Clinic project manager and Registered Nurse Bronwyn Doyle said the clinic was made possible due to funding from Health Workforce Australia (HWA), as an Australian Government Initiative.
Mrs Doyle said this added to a suite of clinics at USC that were providing much-needed care in areas where there was an identified service delivery gap.
“The Wound Solutions Clinic provides essential clinical practicum experiences for USC’s Nursing Science students and, from 2014, students from Dietetics, Occupational Therapy and Exercise Physiology will also participate,” she said.
Mrs Doyle said the clinic had already attracted high interest from the community and strong positive feedback from clients.
“The clients especially enjoy the social experiences of the clinic, as well as having improved confidence knowing that they are being cared for by wound management experts,” she said.
The Wound Solutions Clinic is open on Mondays at the newly refurbished clinic space at USC’s Health and Sport Centre, near the University’s Sports Stadium.
Appointments and referrals can be made by contacting Blue Care on 07 5441 0100.
Colourful approach helps make USC ‘greener’
A new waste management system being rolled out by the University of the Sunshine Coast looks set to reduce its waste to landfill by about 75 percent.
USC’s “recycling from the desktop” program began recently in four of its 16 buildings on campus and has already been hailed a success by Operations and Project Officer Paul Camilleri and Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill.
It involves simple measures, like smaller desk bins for staff and communal recycling stations in offices, as well as the installation of a large, on-site composter that can process up to a tonne of biodegradable waste each week.
Mr Camilleri said USC had adopted a system used by Sunshine Coast Council, then adapted it to suit the university environment.
“We looked at who was already achieving best practice in this area, spoke to the environmental officers at council and watched it through to the end of the cycle to see if what they were doing suited USC,” he said. “We then customised it by introducing organic waste recycling as well.”
Mr Camilleri said the roll-out, which will continue until mid-2014, was going much better than anticipated.
“Within a week or so in each building, there was a 75 percent reduction in general waste,” he said. “Most of what was once included in our general waste is now going into the other streams of organic, paper or recyclables.”
He said the key to success was making it easy for staff to participate.
“The desk bin is the point where waste gets separated,” he said. “It’s called ‘recycling from the desktop’ because it involves managing waste from the source of waste (the desk) and managing as much waste on site as possible.”
Meanwhile, a new website called Sustainable Sunshine Coast has been jointly developed by the University, the Council and Sunshine Coast TAFE as a free service to the community.
The website www.sustainablesunshinecoast.com.au is updated with sustainability advice, information and news, along with details about a range of interesting activities and events across the region.
Awards presented for boosting university life
Chancellor’s Medals awarded to students for helping others
A former American swimmer turned Doctor of Business and a Japanese reality TV star turned local tourism marketer have both earned USC’s highest award for a graduating student.
Business PhD graduand David Fleischman, 31, of Valdora, and Bachelor of Business graduand Iori Forsyth, 24, of Nambour, received Chancellor’s Medals at the USC Graduation Ceremony on 3 October.
The medals recognise high academic achievement as well as outstanding contributions to University life and/or the wider community.
Chancellor John Dobson said both recipients demonstrated a passion for helping students make the most of their experience at University.
David, who attended the University of Georgia on a swimming scholarship, first graduated from USC with a Master of International Business in 2008 and now lectures on campus in marketing.
Iori is now a marketing assistant at Sunshine Coast Destination Ltd, where she did an internship as part of her degree.
Architect and philanthropist John Mainwaring became an Honorary Doctor of the University of the Sunshine Coast at the Graduation Ceremony.
Mr Mainwaring established JMA Architects on the Sunshine Coast in 1985 and the renowned company now services projects across the country from his office in Brisbane.
Two Honorary Senior Fellows also were announced at the USC Graduation Ceremony: Denise Proud of The Gap in Brisbane and Susie Chapman of Marcoola.
Ms Proud is a renowned Indigenous educator, community services worker and artist and Ms Chapman is a passionate advocate of sustainability and the Sunshine Coast region.
Guide Dog gets to graduate too
A former Guide Dog named Nev stole the show at the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Semester 2 Graduation Ceremony on 3 October.
Nev, who wore a cap and gown as he accompanied blind graduate Nicole Damarra across the stage to receive her Bachelor of Social Science, drew a large cheer from the 1,400-strong crowd when he shook hands with Chancellor John Dobson OAM.
The Chancellor then made special mention of Nev, saying he deserved to “graduate” as well after having attended every lecture during Nicole’s three-year degree.
Nicole, 31, of Sippy Downs now has a new Guide Dog Hughie, who will assist her as she begins her Honours at USC in 2014, but has kept Nev as a beloved pet.
“He has been a very patient study companion throughout the degree,” she said.
Student gets teeth into food research
Psychology Honours student Danni Ward is conducting research that she hopes will reveal which foods are most likely to trigger cravings and attention loss.
Ms Ward is examining 24 types of foods to see which ones most affect the cognitive ability of men and women.
Her research, supervised by Lecturer in Psychology Dr Kate Mulgrew, has so far shown that chocolate, fruit, vegetables and meat were the foods most participants craved.
“There is a big misconception that if an individual is suffering from a food craving that it must be something bad for you,” she said.
“We have found this simply isn’t the case. A large percentage of participants, especially women, crave healthy foods.”
The ongoing research is assessing how food cravings affect information processing and how other factors affect this relationship.
Marine life feeling heat from climate change
Academic helps analyse more than 1,700 reports for global project
USC Associate Professor in Biostatistics Dr David Schoeman has played a key role in a major international study that has shown marine life is moving much faster towards the earth’s poles than land-based organisms in response to climate change.
The research, featured in scientific journal Nature Climate Change in August, was led by CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship and University of Queensland marine ecologists Dr Elvira Poloczanska and Associate Professor Anthony Richardson.
The extensive, three-year study found that warming oceans were impacting the breeding patterns and distribution of marine life, effectively rearranging the broader marine landscape.
Nineteen researchers from Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and South Africa were involved.
Dr Schoeman helped to conceptualise, conduct and illustrate numerical analyses for the study, using a database of 1,735 marine biological responses to climate change published in peer-reviewed literature.
He also helped develop the structure and content of the report, which stated that marine species were shifting their geographic distribution towards cooler regions at a much faster rate than their land-based counterparts.
“We found that, on average, marine organisms are moving 3-10 times faster than land-based organisms,” Dr Schoeman said.
Road safety awards
Associate Professor of Human Factors Paul Salmon, who leads the University of the Sunshine Coast Accident Research (USCAR) team, has won a national award for his on-road study of cyclist behaviour and situation awareness. Dr Salmon’s study highlighted the key role of road design in enhancing cyclist safety. It won the $1,000 Peter Vulcan Award for Best Research Paper at the recent Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference. The paper was produced in collaboration with Monash University and Heriot Watt University.
Meanwhile another USCAR team member, Dr Bridie Scott-Parker, has become one of 10 ‘Science Stars of Tomorrow’. Dr Scott-Parker has been invited by the Australian Academy of Science to feature in its 2014 Science Stars of Tomorrow speaker series in Canberra in May.
Protecting the reef
USC will help develop a novel and innovative control technology to manage the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef, the crown-of-thorns starfish.
The Australian Government Reef Rescue program recently provided funding to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) to investigate the potential for a pest control technology specifically targeted at crown-of-thorns starfish.
The funding has led to a research consortium between AIMS, USC and the Marine Genomics laboratory at the University of Queensland.
USC Senior Lecturer Dr Scott Cummins, an Australian Research Council Future Fellow in molecular and cellular biology, and USC Research Fellow Dr Tianfang Wang will be involved in the research.
Spotlight on ‘screenagers’ as fitness studies begin
Research projects consider influences on physical activity
Parents who want their children to be physically active do not have to be perfect role models of fitness, according to University of the Sunshine Coast research.
USC Lecturer in Psychology Dr Rachael Sharman and Honours student Jennifer Bowers have found that parental support — like taking children to training — has a much greater influence on children’s fitness levels than how physically active the parents are themselves.
Dr Sharman and Ms Bowers surveyed the parents of 144 children to determine what motivates children to be physically active.
The children were aged 5-13 and involved in a range of Sunshine Coast sporting clubs. The researchers investigated the total time children spend in front of technology-based screens, their overall physical activity, and how these factors affect their weight and total Body Mass Index.
Dr Sharman said the study revealed that parental involvement was by far the biggest motivator for physical activity of children.
“Just because a parent is fit does not mean the child will be. Our research suggests it has virtually no impact on the level of a child’s physical activity,” she said. “We found the largest driver for improving and increasing a child’s physical activity is parental support, not role modelling.”
Meanwhile, another USC research project hopes to break the “exercise code” and explain the psychological and physiological reasons why some people exercise more than others.
Psychology Honours student Syn Wei Tan of Malaysia is looking at how personality, passion and coping behaviour can influence an individual’s fitness and overall health. Her work is being supervised by Associate Lecturer in Psychology Dr Michelle Curran and Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology Dr Colin Solomon.
Surfboard guru joins research line-up at USC
Renowned surfboard shaper and former pro surfer Tom Wegener of Cooroy has turned his attention from the big waves to the big issues facing his industry.
Mr Wegener, 48, began a PhD at the University of the Sunshine Coast in August to research the sustainability of surfboard manufacturing across the region.
His study gained a joint research grant from USC and Sunshine Coast Council and is likely to have implications for other niche manufacturers locally and in other areas.
Working from USC’s Sustainability Research Centre, Mr Wegener wants to find out what Sunshine Coast surfboard shapers need to do to stay afloat in the face of enormous competition from a globalised surfboard production market.
Presenting in Japan
USC PhD students and husband-and-wife research team Latif Siddique and Sabiha Zafrin, of Bangladesh, have been invited to present at a major coastal management conference in Japan.
They will attend the International Symposium on the Connectivity of Hills, Humans and Oceans at Kyoto University in late November.
Academics claim national awards
Teaching excellence at USC highlighted by citations success
Five University of the Sunshine Coast staff have won national recognition for their outstanding contributions to student learning.
Graham Ashford, Dr Terry Lucke, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava, Dr Uwe Terton and Dr Ross Watkins were awarded the prestigious annual citations from the Australian Government’s Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT).
The five academics lecture in the areas of Environmental Economics, Civil Engineering, Geospatial Analysis, Computer-Based Design and Creative Writing respectively.
They received their $10,000 citations at the 2013 Australian Awards for University Teaching at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art in September. USC Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Birgit Lohmann said OLT citations distinguished Australia’s most inspiring academic and professional staff whose teaching contributions had enriched student learning for a sustained period.
The University has won 28 OLT citations over the past five years, an extraordinary result for a smaller regional university.
Game to combat sexual abuse
Child safety campaigners Bruce and Denise Morcombe have helped launch a space-themed computer game designed by USC to combat child sexual abuse.
The couple incorporated the unveiling of the game at USC’s Innovation Centre auditorium into the national Day for Daniel in October.
The annual event is held in memory of their late son, Daniel, who was abducted on the Sunshine Coast in 2003 when he was 13.
The interactive game, called Orbit, has been designed for use in classrooms to help children aged 8-10 learn how to be safe from sexual abuse. It features activities that help build confidence, well-being and problem-solving skills, and is part of a package that includes lesson plans and support materials for teachers.
Mr Morcombe spoke highly of the Orbit game package, which was developed over the past three years by USC researchers in partnership with the Telstra Foundation, Queensland Police Service (QPS) and the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.
USC’s Associate Professor of Interactive Digital Media Christian Jones said children really enjoyed playing the game and learnt important messages about sexual abuse prevention. The game can be found online at www.orbit.org.au
G’day Mate initiative helps internationals
International students at USC enjoyed a crash course in Aussie slang and culture in August as part of a new initiative on campus.
The “G’day Mate” event was the brainchild of 19-year-old Bachelor of Arts student Olivia Baberowski, who wanted to give international and Australian students greater opportunities to interact socially.
With support from USC’s Student Life and Learning, Olivia organised the event that included Australian-themed games (like Aussie slang charades) and taste-testing of Vegemite sandwiches and lamingtons.
Olivia’s inspiration for the project came from spending a semester studying in Germany, through USC’s GO (Global Opportunities) program.
Paralympian wins USC’s top sports prize
Clinical Exercise Science student breaks his own world record
Paralympic swimming champion Blake Cochrane of Sippy Downs is the University of the Sunshine Coast’s 2013 Sportsperson of the Year.
Cochrane, 22, won gold at the Australian National Swimming Championships in Adelaide in March in the 100m breaststroke multi-class event.
The Clinical Exercise Science student then broke his own world record in August when he won the 100m breaststroke SB7 class at the IPC World Swimming Championships in Montreal.
As well as winning the trophy for Sportsperson of the Year, Cochrane was one of three students to gain Full Blue awards at USC’s Sports Awards Ceremony on 31 October.
The other recipients were elite surf lifesaving competitor and dual Coolangatta Gold winner Ali Day and Under 21 Laser sailing world champion Mitchell Kennedy.
Half Blue awards went to kayaker Charlie Copeland, swimmer George O’Brien, rugby league player Joseph Meninga, futsal player Laura Moore, touch player Katherine Connolly, and women’s rugby 7s players Samantha Boholt, Erica Fowler and Hayley Kermond.
Boholt, Fowler and Kermond were selected for the Australian University Sport’s Green and Gold squad to compete at the Australian rugby 7s titles early next year, after strong performances at the recent Australian University Games, where the trio led the USC women’s rugby 7s team to a bronze medal.
Journalism team presents current affairs segment
Four USC Journalism students hit the airwaves this semester to host a weekly current affairs segment they produced for local radio station ABC Coast FM.
Nicole Madden, Fiona Willett, Georgina Murray and Justin Bruhn conducted interviews across the region on youth-related issues, then presented a 15-minute program live every Wednesday for six weeks from early September.
Topics included youth domestic violence, unemployment and political engagement and young people.
USC’s Senior Lecturer in Journalism Dr Renee Barnes thanked ABC Coast FM for providing this valuable work-integrated learning.
Alumni enjoy tour of USC’s growing campus
A SPECIAL behind-the-scenes campus tour for USC alumni and their friends and family was held on Saturday 19 October
About 20 graduates and their guests experienced the dramatic changes on campus since the early days. Arts/Business graduate Jane Walkley was impressed by the University’s development.
“USC has come a long way since my first year in 1996,” she said.
“I was very interested to hear of the new degrees and programs and go through the wonderful new facilities available to students these days.”
The tour, led by USC’s Alumni Relations Officer Anita Edmonds, has become an annual event that all USC graduates are welcome to attend.
Outstanding graduates receive USC awards
University honours the work of two high-achieving graduates
A management consultant who has worked with the United Nations towards world peace and a plant biotechnologist whose research aims to revolutionise agriculture were named the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Outstanding Alumni for 2013.
Jenny Morawska, who was the University’s first Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduate in 2000, received the award for her executive leadership and management.
She is the founder and CEO of The Morawska Group—a global management consultancy specialising in strategy, structure, sustainable economic and leadership development and business operational excellence, for commercial and public sector organisations.
Based in Sydney, she was delighted to accept her award at USC’s Outstanding Alumni of the Year ceremony held in September at the Innovation Centre.
Dr Amal Johnston, who graduated from USC with a Master of Science in 2002, is now based in Germany. He was honoured for his international research in plant biotechnology.
USC Alumni Relations Officer Anita Edmonds said about 120 people attended the inspiring and social event. They included other graduates, staff, benefactors and supporters of the University.
Update your details
USC’s Alumni Relations Office is keen to ensure it has the current email addresses of graduates, so they can receive alumni newsletters and invitations to events.
Please contact alumni@usc.edu.au to update your contact details.
Searching brings success for Nic
Being his own boss was always on the cards for University of the Sunshine Coast graduate Nic Blair.
Nic, 27, finished his USC Bachelor of Business (Marketing) degree in 2006 and has since opened his own search engine optimisation and marketing agency, Search Factory. Since launching the Brisbane-based company in 2011, it has grown into one of the leading agencies of its kind in Australia.
Nic said while starting up his own business was daunting, his degree at USC had provided him with the skills and confidence to follow his passion. He now has three USC Business graduates working with him, including co-owner and director Michael Bell, David Butler and Jared Bennett.
Staff give generously for students
University staff provide funding for range of study support bursaries
About 10 percent of University of the Sunshine Coast staff have joined the altruistic USC Starfish Program in the past year.
Under the program, USC staff use their own payroll deductions to raise funds for Study Support Bursaries for students at risk of dropping out due to financial burdens.
USC Development Office Director Russell Ousley said the generosity resulted in $30,000 in donations in just one year.
“This allowed nine students to be supported directly by our staff in 2013, with either a $4,000 or $2,000 Study Support Bursary,” Mr Ousley said.
“These students are undertaking degrees in Primary Education, Civil Engineering, Social Work, Nursing Science, Environmental Health Science and Occupational Therapy.
“Working excessive hours to make ends meet, caring for a relative or friend, or undertaking extended work placements as a component of study are all examples of pressures experienced by our students.”
For information on the Starfish Program, go to usc.edu.au/starfishprogram
Engineering student scoops new Unitywater scholarship
USC Civil Engineering student Stephen Kime of Mountain Creek has received the inaugural $10,000 Unitywater Scholarship in Engineering.
The scholarship provided Stephen, who is majoring in Environment and Water, with $5,000 for each of his third and fourth years of study, valuable work experience during his summer holidays and an invitation to join Unitywater’s graduate program when he completes his studies at the end of 2014.
“I really appreciate this financial support and the recognition that Unitywater has given me, and backing it up with a career opportunity,” said Stephen, a volunteer surf lifesaver and a USC schools ambassador.
Unitywater CEO George Theo presented Stephen with his scholarship at the USC Engineering Awards Presentation Ceremony in late August.
“Unitywater is working to actively foster the engineers of the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, at the annual Semester 2 Scholarships, Bursaries and Prizes Presentation Ceremony in September, 25 USC students received awards totalling almost $20,000.
Among these were new awards from Graduate Women Queensland Inc. Sunshine Coast Branch, Caloundra Sport Injuries Clinic Prize and an Environmental Management Contractors Prize.
Australian String Quartet wows USC
More than 250 people enjoyed a performance by one of Australia’s finest chamber music exports, the Australian String Quartet, at USC’s Innovation Centre auditorium on 9 November.
The event, sponsored by Daisy’s Place and the Sunshine Coast Daily, was a cultural highlight for the region. Proceeds have gone to the University’s initiatives fund.
German art inspires GO photo winner
Inaugural photographic contest for USC students attracts 189 entries
A section of the old Berlin Wall adorned with paintings was the inspiration for a winning photograph in USC’s first GO Program Photo Competition.
Business/Science student Tehlia Colless-White’s snap of colourful artwork on the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery won her the Vice-Chancellor and President’s Choice Award when prizes were announced on campus in October.
Tehlia saw the sights of Germany while studying at the RheinAhrCampus of the University of Applied Science Koblenz in Remagen, a town south of Bonn, from September last year to June this year.
USC was overwhelmed by the response to its photographic competition, with 189 entries from 74 students.
It was open to students of USC’s GO (Global Opportunities) Program, which enables students to travel overseas and experience different cultures while studying to earn credit towards their USC degrees. International students on campus at Sippy Downs were also eligible to submit photos of their Australian experiences.
Thomas Watkins won the Natural and Urban Landscape category, Nora Schuerhoff won the People and Culture category, and Hannah Allcock won the ‘In The Moment’ category.
Swedish student claims design prize
An International student from Sweden was praised for his originality as he won the Proost-De Deyne Award for Best Portfolio at the November opening of an exhibition by USC Design students.
Marcus Martensson was among 60 advanced-level Design students to showcase their digital design and commercial graphic art work in the exhibition, titled Hello, It’s Me You’re Looking For. More than 330 people attended the opening at the USC Gallery.
Marcus won the overall best portfolio award. Blake Fritz from Bundaberg was runner-up and Nicole Ferreira of Maroochydore was most improved.
The three top portfolio prizes were sponsored by the Proost-De Deyne family, the owners of Big Kart Track.
Exhibitions
Margaret Ellen Turner: Space Invaders 2013
Thursday 21 November–Friday 20 December
Artist Margaret Ellen Turner continually seeks answers to the big questions: “what are we?” and more especially, “why are we?”. While playing with scientific notions of the fluid, substance-less state of reality, Turner sees things emerge from the process of her paintings. Drawing on pop culture references and making pictures of light-dark-light, cool, warm and warmer textures, she creates a fathomless space that not only recedes from the viewer but also invades their personal space.
Raw Line: Caloundra Drawing Collective
Thursday 21 November–Friday 20 December
Caloundra Drawing Collective members explore the living line of the body, to encounter and to push themselves to the limits of mark making. They concentrate on short poses, often asking the model to keep moving throughout a five-minute period so that the fleeting and the momentary is observed—the end product is a line that has grabbed something of the substance of life. The works have a fresh and unfinished rawness that brings them to life.
Chroma 256 International Colour Project
Thursday 13 February–Saturday 22 March
USC Gallery’s first exhibition for 2014 will be an exciting Chroma 256 International Colour Project headed by USC’s Senior Lecturer in Design Kevin Todd. The project is research developed to explore relationships to colour in an international context. It aims to create an awareness of the complexity of our relationship and use of colour and to explore whether a standardisation is occurring due to computer-based technologies. The project involved design students in Australia, South Africa, India, Germany, Turkey, Ecuador, China and the USA.
Summer closure for Gallery
The University of the Sunshine Coast Art Gallery will be closed from 21 December until Thursday 13 February 2014 when the Chroma 256 International Colour Project will open.
Entry to the University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery is free and the public is welcome. Open: 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday Closed Sundays and public holidays.
UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST GALLERY | usc.edu.au/gallery | facebook.com/USCartgallery