The ARCH Magazine | Issue 8 | 2012 Summer

FEATURE

SUMMER | 2012

A stellar career, including 10 years alongside Richard Branson, earns a homegrown high-flyer the honour of Bond's first Robert Stable Alumni Medal

Virgin's David Baxby Taking the lead

Bond's ambitious sporting goals

Olympics glory

Sailing graduate grabs gold

Research Week

New era will expand networks

Alumni reunited

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Contents

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High achiever How David Baxby soared to co-CEO of the Virgin Group

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Gold medalist Mat Belcher goes from disappointment to Olympic glory

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Visionary Dr Darryl Gregor on why he loves the Gold Coast

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Research Week New era will expand Bond's collaborative networks

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Campus & Careers 10 Star power at the inaugural Alumni Awards 28 Cannes exposure for student film 30 Volunteers on a mission in Malawi 36 Careers program an Australian-first

Alumni 18 Bond scholarship winners abroad 34 Top trainer has a winning formula 42 Class notes from around the world

Editorial enquiries: Office of Development Bond University Gold Coast Queensland 4229, Australia Ph: +61 7 5595 4403 To join The Arch mailing list please email development@bond.edu.au To subscribe go to: www.arch.bond.edu.au/subscribe

VICE-CHANCELLOR’S LETTER

We must embrace

this opportunity THE COVER STORY of the last Arch magazine highlighted the outstanding work being done by Bond alumnus and Nike executive Lisa MacCallum in motivating communities, and in particular children, back to sport.

“The benefits of physical play and sport are significantly underestimated and undervalued by the world today. Modernisation has encouraged many people into different ways of living that have extracted significant levels of physical activity out of our lives,’’ she says.

MacCallum concluded that “change will only come when all layers of society, from government to the grassroots, acknowledge the problem and take steps to promote more physical activity for children, teenagers and adults’’.

I agree. Sport in Australia is at a crossroads with critical decisions now required as to the direction we should head. Millions of dollars is being invested in elite athletes, but at what cost and benefit for those who toil at community-level sport? And what health returns is the average Australian getting as a result of our national obsession with sport of many codes and disciplines?

It is time for all layers of society to acknowledge the issues and provide roadmaps for the future. And it is with great pride and enthusiasm that I report Bond University will be a leader in sport, just as we have led the way with academic achievement.

Our University will create and promote a culture where sporting excellence is complementary to academic excellence. We have embarked on a program that will position Bond as one of only a handful of universities in the world, to genuinely embrace the integration of academia and sport.

We are well-positioned to do this given our non-profit, private, independent status, which enables us to be flexible, adaptable and responsive to strategic opportunities. We are in a prime position to develop a sporting and academic collegiate culture and to play a

significant leadership role in the local, national and international sporting community.

Just like Ivy League universities in the United States, Bond will design, create and develop a fully integrated system which allows students to have tailored academic courses, as well as access to high-performance sporting facilities.

Through the implementation of an overarching body to be known as the Bond Institute of Health & Sport, the focus will be on developing a sporting collegiate culture at Bond that attracts athletes to study here, while at the same time, assists sporting individuals and teams to attend, train and compete at Bond.

Our sporting culture will be nurtured within the principles of academic excellence that have served the University so well.

We have a proud tradition of offering industry-relevant degrees that lead to outstanding career opportunities. The field of exercise and sports science is dynamic and growing, and Bond will continue to be at the forefront of engaging with this industry.

Research across sports-related specialisations will also be conducted at the University at the highest levels including physiotherapy, exercise physiology, biochemistry and sports management to name a few. The benefits of this research will flow far beyond elite athletes into communities, sporting organisations and weekend sporting warriors of all ages.

Bond University has always been a team player within our local community and wider forums. That will also apply in our new direction with sporting partnerships already sealed and others in the making.

Our University will lead a national $14 million sports science research project, in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Sport, the University of Queensland Diamantina Institute and the University of Sydney. The project will identify proactive ways to manage health and fitness and the potential for injury of athletes and those in the wider community.

As we have done in the past, Bond will aspire to international recognition and accreditation.

In 2018, the Gold Coast will host the Commonwealth Games. This is an ideal opportunity for Bond University to showcase its facilities along with its academic and sporting ethos. It is our intention to partner with relevant agencies and sporting bodies.

With the redevelopment of our Sporting Precinct, Bond is well positioned to facilitate student and staff participation in volunteering, internship programs and relevant projects in the lead-up to, and throughout, this major event.

This bold new direction is not without challenges and capital investment requirements.

But it is an exciting opportunity to not only enhance our engagement with the broader community, but one that will also provide greater exposure of Bond University, our educational programs and activities, as well as enhancing the collegiate sporting culture among our students.

This fresh approach will further differentiate Bond and its graduates, and provides further evidence of our willingness to be a national leader.

PROFESSOR TIM BRAILSFORD Vice-Chancellor and President

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CAMPUS NEWS >

WHAT'S HAPPENING + WHAT'S NEWS + WHAT'S COMING

The four semi-circular concrete 'scoops' take shape at the new Soheil Abedian School of Architecture.

Bond builds a bold statement in architecture The unique design of the new Soheil Abedian School of Architecture at Bond University will ensure the building is an eye-catching landmark, as well as a place of study.

Architects Sir Peter Cook and Gavin Robotham, of London’s CRAB Studio, won an international competition to design the new complex.

The $16 million project is an open, airy concept over three floors with a floating mezzanine. It’s most distinctive feature is a “scoop” design and an internal “street’’.

“The scoops have never been constructed before. There are four of them that line an internal street in the building,” says Robotham.

The concrete scoops, which support the roof and separate

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different spaces in the building, are differing sizes and shapes.

They were designed and reviewed in London and Germany by top engineers and construction design experts using state-of-the-art computer modelling and formwork.

Bond University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Brailsford says the building will showcase the architecture school’s curriculum, exposing the raw products of concrete and timber joinery.

The project, expected to be finished in May 2013, is funded by the University with a generous gift from the building’s namesake, Dr Soheil Abedian, the founder of Sunland Group, a Gold Coast-based property developer.

Grant puts focus on antibiotic research

A $2.5 million grant from National Health and Medical Research Council will ensure Bond University is at the forefront of antibiotic resistance research.

The grant has been awarded to Bond University’s Professor Chris Del Mar, from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine.

It will help fund the establishment of the Centre for Research Excellence in Minimising Antibiotic Resistance for Acute Respiratory Infections in collaboration with Oxford University, Cardiff University as well as other Australian universities and organisations.

Professor Del Mar warns that many patients think they need antibiotics when they don’t.

“Antibiotic resistance is a threat to international health,” he says.

The Centre will conduct research on the major contributors to antibiotic resistance, including antibiotic overuse and person-to-person transfer of antibiotic resistance genes.

Researchers head

NEWS

New deputy continues a distinguished career Bond University has welcomed Emeritus Professor Nick Saunders AO as its new Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

He brings to the University a distinguished and outstanding record as an academic scholar and senior manager. He began his appointment in October.

Professor Saunders (below) was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle for eight years. He has held other senior academic roles within Australia including Dean of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University; Head of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine at Flinders University.

He also has served in positions at McMaster University in Canada and Harvard University in the United States.

Bond University’s ViceChancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford says Professor Saunders is highly respected within academic, health and

government networks in Australia and internationally.

“He has led a remarkable international career in medical education and research and has contributed significantly through his participation on councils, committees and government review boards,’’ says Professor Brailsford.

Professor Saunders holds a medical degree with first-class honours from the University of Sydney. He has been influential in the advancement of medical education through his extensive contribution to, and participation on, many higher education, research and health care national committees, councils and State Government bodies.

A Bond University professor has been chosen to take a seat on a committee that will advise the Queensland Government on the State’s future infrastructure needs.

Professor Michael Regan (above), from Bond’s Institute of Sustainable Development and Architecture, has been appointed to the Infrastructure Queensland committee.

As one of Australia’s leading researchers in his field, Professor Regan has published numerous peer-reviewed papers on major infrastructure project management and procurement. His expertise encompasses economic and public policy perspectives.

“The Infrastructure Queensland advisory group comprises a team of very experienced people with high-level expertise in water supply, ports, construction, engineering, transport, finance, and local government,” says Professor Regan.

Law book honours professor’s legacy

to the beach The impact of climate change and severe weather events on the Australian coastline will be examined in a two-year study led by researchers from Bond University.

The research team will examine the effects of erosion and fluctuations at popular beaches on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts in Queensland.

Beaches in northern NSW, Victoria and in the Margaret River region of Western Australia also will be studied.

Bond University Associate Professor Mike Raybould says the beaches included in the study were chosen because they all have important economic, environmental and recreational value.

“Knowing the values that beaches

Key appointment to help build the State

and coastlines generate can help inform the appropriate allocation of resources to preserve and protect them,” says Raybould.

“This study is about trying to understand these values in real dollar terms and considering how these could be impacted by adverse events such as extreme weather events and climate change.

Funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and the Federal Government, the research, conducted in association with Griffith University, aims to develop tools that will assist coastal planners and decision makers to assess the socio-economic impacts of climate change.

John Lessing’s modesty may have deterred him from becoming an author before passing away in late 2010. However, the South African law professor’s insightful teaching materials will endure thanks to the joint efforts of Bond academics and students.

Lectures on Takeovers Law presents content from Lessing’s lectures and student notes. It offers an invaluable teaching resource, says Bond Law professor, Jim Corkery.

“John pulled together a field of study, which can sometimes be difficult, detailed and contentious, in a deceptively straightforward and cohesive fashion,” he says.

Bond students Dominic Stiger, Kathryn Mansted, Rowan Kendall, Susan Forder and Ashley Sceviour collated materials for the publication. The book is available for $40 from Bond’s Centre for Commercial Law.

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“At Virgin, we don’t have a lot of hierarchy.

Like Bond, we empower people.’’

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FEATURE Virgin Group co-CEO David Baxby, the winner of Bond University’s inaugural Robert Stable medal.

COVER STORY

Putting a value on true success The winner of the inaugural Robert Stable Alumni Medal reveals how his love of family and the Bond ethos have helped shape his global perspective as co-CEO of the multi-faceted Virgin branded investment group.

> FOR A HIGH ACHIEVER

, David Baxby is remarkably well grounded.

The inaugural Robert Stable Alumni Medal winner for exceptional achievement by a graduate is co-CEO of the Virgin Group.

His role requires him to regularly criss-cross the globe from bases in London and Geneva as he co-manages (with fellow co-CEO Josh Bayliss) four airlines, more than 200 operating companies, about 50,000 employees and around £15 billion of revenue.

It’s a long way from growing up at Daisy Hill in Logan, south of Brisbane, and attending John Paul College before enrolling at Bond University in 1991 and graduating three years later with law and commerce degrees.Yet the values

and lessons he learned from those days remain paramount in his life. He loves sport, particularly rugby and cycling, and has helped raise more than $650,000 for children’s charities.

But nothing is more important for the 39-year-old Baxby than spending weekends at home in Geneva, Switzerland with his family – wife Selina (also a former Bondy) and their daughters Amilia, 7 and twins Zara and Imogen, 11.

Baxby admits his work schedule at times can be “brutal’’, but he believes coping with constant business travel is all about planning. On a typical travel week, he heads off on a Sunday night with the goal of getting back home by Friday. >>

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“I will do everything I can to make sure I have weekends at home whenever it's possible,’’ he says.

“It’s tough and anyone who says it’s easy is kidding themselves. The important thing is not being afraid to say ‘no’ every now and again and admit you have to take some time out.

“Sometimes you get it wrong. You run out of time and over-commit yourself and you get cooked. But mostly, it’s a balancing exercise where you are always trying to get it right.’’

Baxby says the culture at Virgin is one that encourages executives to get out from behind their desks, and technology today allows them to be even more mobile.

“Part of Virgin culture is that everyone is self starting and don’t need constant supervision. We encourage the team to work with the operating companies we are trying to build rather than sit behind a desk and try to guess,’’ he says.

“Many work remotely. Our only test is whether you can get hold of them quickly.’’

The culture at Virgin is also shaped by its high-profile founder and promoter Sir Richard Branson. According to Baxby “what you see is what you get’’ with the iconic world-renowned businessman.

“He has a genuine appreciation for people, one of the most open welcoming people I know. There is no one else in the world I’d rather work for than Richard,’’ says Baxby.

“He knows what he is good at, which is finding great teams of people and launching new businesses with them. He’s incredibly permissive in terms of his risk appetite, but he gets out of the way and lets me do stuff which he would regard as quite boring – like making sure all the Is are dotted and Ts crossed.’’

Virgin Group owner and founder Sir Richard Branson.

“There is no one else in the world I’d rather work for,’’ says David Baxby.

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Baxby had been working with Goldman Sachs JB Were in Australia for nearly 10 years when he first met Branson in 2001 during the start up phase of Virgin Blue.

“Richard remarked that I was almost working fulltime for him and he probably should appoint someone to the job in that capacity. He asked if I could help him find someone,’’ Baxby recalls.

“It took about two months to find a suitable candidate (to head the operations of Virgin Group in Asia Pacific) and I was assisting in the contract negotiations. We were right on the night of the final offer to him and I was on the phone to Richard and I said to him: ‘I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but I wouldn’t mind doing this job myself’.

“He replied: ‘The job’s yours, but the only thing you have to do is ring [the candidate we were talking to] and tell him, because I am not doing that’.

“The genius of Richard is that he knew all along that was where he wanted to go, but I didn’t realise it until the last minute. He is always three or four steps ahead and that is what I have learned from working with him.

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind eight years, but absolutely fabulous’’ Baxby sees parallels between the ethos at Virgin and that at Bond University.

“Everyone who comes to Bond makes a conscious choice to come here,”he says.

“The attraction for many is the course flexibility - to shape a course to suit where you want to end up. At Virgin, we don’t have a lot of hierarchy. Like Bond, we empower people.’’

He says Virgin hires candidates who have gone out and made their own decisions.

“I will do everything I can to make sure I have weekends at home.’’

“There’s a lot of people out there with the same formal training, it’s the mindset that they bring to it that lights it up.

“Bond has always produced graduates who are ready for the new world. Students have shaped their degrees for the careers they want. That takes enormous focus and drive and that sort of passion comes with them into the workforce.’’

Baxby was a proud recipient in July of the inaugural Robert Stable Alumni Medal, honouring the University’s longest serving former Vice-Chancellor. The medal recognises exceptional achievement in any field by a graduate who has brought distinction to themselves, the University and benefit to the community through their vocation.

“To be honoured in this way is fantastic,

FEATURE

David and Selina Baxby relax on the Gold Coast with daughters (from left) Imogen, Amilia and Zara

and surprising – particularly knowing the results and achievements of my fellow alumni in their own lives and careers,” says Baxby.

In his acceptance speech, Baxby praised the entrepreneurial spirit he developed while studying at Bond. He says there are four types of entrepreneurs: People who display bravery; people who are willing to take a calculated risk; people who make proactive choices in life; and, people who are always looking to constantly innovate and are never looking in the rear-vision mirror.

“Those individuals who display these characteristics of entrepreneurship are the people who are going to make an impact on society and are the ones who are going to get the world through the current uncertainty we find ourselves in,’’ he says.

Bond University Vice-Chancellor Professor

Tim Brailsford says Baxby epitomises the entrepreneurial spirit that Bond seeks to instil in all its graduates.

“It is our mission at Bond University to produce graduates who are leaders and thinkers, imbued with initiative, the spirit of free enterprise and a continuing quest for intellectual inquiry, challenge and opportunity. David Baxby embodies all these qualities and is a deserving recipient of our inaugural Robert Stable Alumni Medal,” says Professor Brailsford.

OUTSTANDING TRIO OF TOP ACHIEVERS

INAUGURAL ROBERT STABLE Alumni Medal winner David Baxby was one of three graduates celebrated at Bond University’s inaugural Alumni Awards on the Gold Coast in July.

Polly Banks and Adam Roberts (pictured above with Baxby) also received awards.

Banks, who is a Youth Development Coordinator with Save the Children in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia, was honoured with an award for Exceptional Community Achievement. The category recognises the personal contributions that an alumnus has made to the enrichment and benefit of society through community service.

She also has worked for World Vision, the United Nations and a national drug and alcohol charity in London.

The Friends’ School Old Boy Adam Roberts was honoured for outstanding voluntary service during his studies.

Attending Bond on an academic scholarship to study a dual degree in Commerce and Laws, Roberts immersed himself in the University’s culture and community.

He served as Chair of the Student Philanthropy Council, President of the Bond University Student Association, Deputy Chair of the Bond Investment Group, promotions manager for the student-run festival ‘Bondstock’ and as an Ordinary Member of Bond University Limited.

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Bond’s night to 7

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CAMPUS 3

1. Felicity Simpson and Jessica Hannant; 2. Chancellor Dr Helen Nugent and Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Brailsford with Alumni Award Nominees; 3. Dr Peter and Debbie Heiner; 4. Jon Ingall & Sarie Kessler; 5. Yasmin Zeinab, Hannah West, Adam Roberts and James Graham; 6. Laird and Georgie Marshall; 7. Amy Ezzy, Lynne Saint-James and Courtney Martin; 8. Polly Banks and Ed Brockhoff; 9. Terry O’Grady, Michael Nugent and Lynda O’Grady; 10. Emeritus Professor Robert Stable and David Baxby.

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celebrate

The presentation of the Robert Stable Alumni Medal to Virgin Group co-CEO David Baxby was a highlight of the Alumni Awards in July.

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A whirlwind Bond University’s Mat Belcher went from the disappointment of missing the 2008 Beijing Olympics, to gold medal success in London this year.

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WINNING A GOLD MEDAL for

Australia at the London Olympics was all about teamwork for sailor Mat Belcher – on two fronts.

He combined with Malcolm Page to triumph in the International 470 Class sailing competition at the Olympic regatta at Weymouth, south of London.

He also had to develop a special “Olympics’’ relationship with his wife Friederike, who represented Germany in the women’s division of the same class at Weymouth.

The couple has been married for three years and supported each other in physical training and mental preparation for the Games. But they had to pledge never to

discuss tactics or boat specifications before and during the Olympics.

The secrecy was essential in a sport where competitors use the same style of boat, but gain a winning edge through expert fine-tuning of the craft on and off the water, and critical tactical choices during races.

The situation was made a little more complicated by the involvement of Friederike’s father Sebastian Ziegelmayer, who is one of the world’s premier Olympic-class boat builders and a supplier to the Australian team.

But the necessary separation of interests concluded in spectacular fashion.

Friederike, who with compatriot Kathrin

FEATURE

Australian sailors Mat Belcher (astern) and Malcolm Page in action during the 2012 London Olympics, and above, celebrating their gold medal in the 470 class.

of a ride Kadelbach finished eighth in their event, was on the water when her husband secured gold with a second placing behind Croatia in the final sail of the 11-race cumulative scored men’s regatta.

As soon as the Australians crossed the finish line, Friederike dived into the chilly Weymouth waters to swim to her husband’s boat.

“It was pretty special, we crossed the line and she jumped into my boat,” says Belcher.

“To go through all that together was pretty nice because we had spent a long time preparing. For both of us to go to the same Games, was really good.”

A second memorable moment was to follow a few days later when Mat and

“It is a credit to our coach and support staff who got us in the right mindset to race’’

Friederike walked together, hands held, into the closing ceremony at the Olympic Stadium.

“The closing ceremony was really special, because we were there together. I think that is more of a highlight from the Games for me than winning,” says Belcher.

“Whether we won or not, we would have been very happy with the campaign for the past three or four years and what we have done. The win was sort of a bonus.”

The Gold Coast-raised Belcher was one of six current or former Bond University students who competed at the London Olympics. The others were swimmers James Roberts, Jade Neilson and Ky Hurst, and triathlete Courtney Atkinson. Athlete George Markovic represented Serbia.

The Australian Olympic Committee’s Deputy Chef de Mission Chris Fydler, Director of Sport Fiona de Jong and transport co-ordinator Dan Watson are also Bond Alumni. The University was represented at the Paralympics by swimmer Annabelle Williams.

 Belcher and Page went to London as hot favourites for the gold medal in their class after becoming the first 470 crew to win three consecutive world championships leading up to the Olympics.

Despite those expectations, Belcher says the most demanding pressure to win came from himself.

“It is a credit to our >>

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SUMMER 2012 >> coach and support staff who got us in the right mindset to race,” he says.

On the final day of competition, which was delayed by a nerve-testing 24 hours due to a lack of wind the previous day, Belcher and Page had a four-point lead over the second-placed British crew. They only had to finish ahead of the Brits to guarantee gold.

“The gold medal was always going to come down to one or two decisions on the race course,” says Belcher.

“A lot of it is confidence. If you have a really good preparation and trust your ability to win, you don’t think too much about it, even though you can make one wrong decision and you could lose.”

Belcher says there was as much relief as jubilation after winning the gold medal.

“When you win a world championship, you feel really happy and really excited.

But because of all the preparation for the Olympics, it was more just being happy to be finished,’’ he says.

“It was such a build up over such a long period of time. We took the opportunity and did what we were supposed to do.”

But considerable mental pain preceded the success for the 30-year-old Belcher. He missed selection for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and considered retiring from the sport and returning to Bond to finish his Commerce degree.

“Once I lost the trials for Beijing I said: ‘I never want to go sailing again’. I had enough of it,” says Belcher.

He still went to China, but as a sailing commentator for the host broadcaster. The role would be prophetic.

Page won the 470 Class gold medal in Beijing with Nathan Wilmot and privately wondered whether it would be the swansong of his Olympic sailing career.

Belcher managed to have a quiet word with Page in the hope of gaining a competitive life-line to revive his own Olympic dream and prove he too was good enough to win gold.

“While we were filming, I took him aside and said: ‘Do you want to keep going?’,’’ Belcher recalls.

 Page was convinced to begin another four-year Olympic cycle and Belcher vowed to leave no stone unturned in his London preparation as his sporting rollercoaster went from the low of missing Olympic selection to the high of getting a second chance.

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“The closing ceremony was really special, because we were there together”

Mat Belcher displays his gold medal from the 470 class after finishing ahead of the British crew in the final race. His celebrations included walking in the Closing Ceremony with his German wife Friederike. On returning to Australia, a home-welcoming ticker-tape parade followed.

Now he has a gold medal around his neck – a victory achieved at an Olympics where Australia had its lowest gold medal haul in 20 years – Belcher knows he must begin to concentrate on other aspects of his life.

He jokes it took him a “record” nine years to finish his Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree at Bond.

“I got a letter from the Chancellor asking: ‘Matty, do you actually intend to come back to university?’. I was very happy I eventually finished [the degree],” he says.

But he recognises the support he has received from the University and says the Bond ethic contributed to his sporting success.

“It is like having a good coach. One of the philosophies we run is that you have to surround yourself with the right people if you want to get the best out of yourself.

Bond is like that too,” he says.

While Page has retired, Belcher is considering sailing on to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil in 2016, if he can find the

FEATURE

FYDLER FINDS THE JOY OF GIVING BACK AS A SWIMMER, Chris Fydler helped deliver one of Australia’s most memorable relay triumphs – the 4x100m freestyle victory in Sydney in 2000 where the Australian team famously celebrated its gold medal success by “smashing’’ the air guitars their American rivals had used in a pre-race taunt.

As a sports administrator, Fydler was the Australian team’s Deputy Chef de Mission at this year’s London Olympics – a Games recognised as one of the greatest ever, but an Olympics where Australia’s golden ambitions mostly fell short of expectations, particularly in the pool.

The 39-year-old Fydler, a Bond University commerce and law alumnus, says he finds the Olympic experience as an administrator far more enjoyable than it was as an athlete.

“As an athlete you turn up, get walked to your room, shown where the dining area is, then told what time you have to be ready for your bus – you don’t have much thinking to do. You are focussed on your own success,” he says.

“But in this part of the business [sports administration] it is much different. You can get caught up in the emotion of it all and open up to all the events, not just yours.

“You learn about the hurdles the athletes have overcome to succeed and really develop an emotional attachment to them all. The emotional ride is much bigger, you take in the camaraderie and you really just want all the kids to do well.”

In London, Fydler took great pleasure in walking the opening ceremony as part of the Australian team. At the Atlanta (1996) and Sydney Games, he didn’t get the chance to march as he had swims scheduled in the opening days of competition.

“It was 20 years (Barcelona in 1992) since I last marched, which made it pretty exciting,” he says.

But the London Games also provided Fydler with an insight into a more serious side of sports administration.

The 700-strong Australian team was led by Chef de Mission Nick Green, with Fydler and modern pentathlete Kitty Chiller as his deputies along with SecretaryGeneral of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), Craig Phillips. It was the first Games since 1988 that AOC President John Coates was not Chef de Mission. And the newlook team executive had to make one of the toughest decisions in sport. It sent home an athlete who was involved in an incident outside of the Village in post-event celebrations Fydler says every Australian athlete at an Olympics is explained the rules of involvement.

“Very early on, the athletes are made to understand the proper behaviour that is expected of a member of the Australian Olympic Team," says Fydler.

Fydler, a former Swimming Australia board member, concedes he was surprised Australia failed to win an individual gold in swimming at London – but quickly adds that it should not be underestimated that Australia still won 10 medals in the pool.

“It was 20 years since I last marched, which made it pretty exciting”

right new 470 Class crew-mate.

“If I continue [to Rio], I am going to have to invest a lot more time, a lot more commitment and a lot more money.

Hopefully we get the opportunity, but you just don’t know,” he says.

“As soon as I get to the point where I stop dreaming about racing and sailing, then it is time to go.

“If I ever get the feeling I have to be there for a career or the money side of things, then I don’t want to do that. You lose too much enjoyment from simply competing.”

Belcher has now begun a Master of Urban Development and Sustainability at Bond says he hopes to finish his studies before the next Olympic Games in Brazil in 2016.

But with his passion for his sport still strong, and his sailing skills recognised as the best in the world, don’t be surprised if the proud Belcher-Bond connection is still alive and well four years from now.

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Vision

future for the

Dr Darryl Gregor discusses his profession, his support of the Bond University School of Medicine and why the Gold Coast is a great place to work and study.

YOU’VE BEEN ON THE GOLD COAST FOR MANY YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE CITY? The Gold Coast is a great place to live, it’s a great community. It’s a different place, and the reason it’s different is a lot of people have come from somewhere else, be it Brisbane, Goondiwindi, Osaka or London.

The Gold Coast has attracted different people and is a unique international city.

We’re very welcoming to outsiders.

YOU WERE A PIONEER IN OPHTHALMOLOGY ON THE GOLD COAST. WHAT DIFFERENCE DO YOU THINK YOU’VE MADE TO THE SPECIALIST FIELD? We [Gregor and partner Dr Peter Heiner] opened the first [ophthalmology] daytheatre in Queensland. Prior to that, if someone needed a cataract operation, they went to hospital for two days. But they didn’t need to.

If I was remembered for one thing, I would like it to be introducing better customer service into medicine. When I started, doctors wore white coats and sometimes grunted at people. I think if you treat people well, it creates an experience.

Medicine should be, although it can’t always be, a good experience.

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WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO BOND UNIVERSITY? I think having a university of this calibre on the Gold Coast is fabulous for the community.

At first, it was a bit unusual to have a private university here. It was like it was a bit of an experiment. But I think the orthodox universities were mildly threatened by the concept.

Over the years, the Law School started to get a really good profile, not just locally, but also internationally. My friends that were lawyers told me the Bond Law School graduates were easily adaptable into the workforce. They had been educated by people who lived in the real world.

The point of difference that I saw initially with the Law School was that the professors and tutors had other jobs. They were successful in their own fields. My perception of some other universities [at the time] was they were full of academic people who smoked pipes and wore slippers.

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE? When Rob [Emeritus Professor Robert Stable] said he wanted to start a Medical School, I felt that if the same practical

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"Having a university of this calibre on the Gold Coast is fabulous for the community"

FEATURE Patients deserve to be treated well; you have to be perceptive to their needs.

The soft things are the hard things like the subtlety and how to behave. Some of the grumpiest patients are the ones that have other issues in their lives. You talk to them and you find some kind of disaster has just happened in their life. It’s the old golden rule, do unto others.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE UNIVERSITY’S FUTURE ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY? The University needs to be driving the agenda in a lot of areas, and not just for the Gold Coast, but the state and the country.

The Gold Coast has always had to play second fiddle to Brisbane and Bond has had to fight a lot of battles for credibility. But I think people value it [education] more if they have skin in the game.

I’d like to see more community events here. The Visions of Grandeur debate [during Research Week in September] was fabulous. It proved universities can make a difference in city planning. It was great to see thought leaders speaking with the audience, which, like me, were from the local community. To me, that was real community leadership. We need to follow up on things like the cultural precinct announced for Evandale. There is a real role here for the University. It’s a two-way street. More interactivity creates more awareness in the community and therefore the more students will want to come here.

Dr Darryl Gregor at his medical chambers in Southport

ethos [as the Law School] translated into medicine then we’d have very, very practical doctors.

The evidence came later. The medical graduates, like the law graduates, benefited from the smaller class sizes at Bond. The teaching had been done by real people who practised medicine.

Consequently I have supported Bond in many ways; all five of our children have attended Bond, I am a member of the Board of Trustees, I supported the establishment of the School of Medicine and am involved in any other way I can.

Our children enjoyed the culture of the University and now have an international

network of successful friends.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE TO MEDICAL STUDENTS WHEN THEY GRADUATE? Medicine is theatre. People expect a certain level of behaviour from doctors. They expect a certain standard of dress and hygiene from doctors. You have to look the part.

I think that patients are buying an experience, so you have to create a great experience for them. If it’s a surgical procedure then obviously, you’ve got to create the best outcome.

You have to deliver the very best that you possibly can for everybody all the time.

PHILANTHROPY LEVELS IN AUSTRALIA ARE LOW IN COMPARISON WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM AND AMERICA. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT’S THE CASE AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE PHILANTHROPY? I’ve tried to think about why we’re so different from America. How does Yale University have billions of dollars in their war chest? Is it just that we’re a poorer country?

I don’t think there’s the level of widespread wealth here. That sort of old money is alive and well in the US. The userpay service system also is ingrained in the US. Australians work hard, but they have an expectation that the government will pay for most services. I guess that could be a socialist result and I find it fascinating.

I think there’s a real science around philanthropy and universities. I think there’s an entire PhD for someone on this question. How can we encourage that philanthropic generosity?

www.arch.bond.edu.au 17

SUMMER 2012

Taking ambition to the world As recipients of the first Bond University Alumni Scholarships, Alex Smith and Ed Brockhoff were gifted a bursary each to assist in the cost of continuing tuition at one of the world's top universities of their choice.

Smith, who graduated from Bond University in 2011 with degrees in Law and International Relations, chose the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, where he will study a Master of Laws.

Brockhoff, a Bond alumnus who graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of International Relations and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice in 2011, opted to use the bursary to assist in studying a Master of Public Administration at Columbia University in New York in the United States.

After just a few weeks in their new surrounds, here’s their first impressions of studying abroad.

18 www.arch.bond.edu.au

My exciting introduction to

Cambrid

By Alexander Smith UPON ARRIVING in Cambridge, I became immediately aware that this world-class behemoth of an academic institution is actually a giant juxtaposition.

On the one hand, it is a place of great innovation and learning that houses many of the world’s leading research and academic institutions. Yet on the other hand, it is a place steeped deeply in tradition with an unmovably rich sense of history.

It is often said that if you set out to plan a university in the 21st Century, there is no way you would end up with the Oxbridge model. It is difficult to imagine a modern university embracing the administrative juggling act that sees all members of the university learning and living within the tripartite relationship of

the university, its colleges and faculties.

But somehow it all works – and does so brilliantly.

The value of a university depends not on the number of its students, or the splendour of its buildings, but on the quality of its members and the nature of its contribution to learning. After producing no less than 85 Nobel Laureates, 15 Prime Ministers, 23 heads of state, 3 signatories to the US Declaration of Independence and alumni that includes Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton and John Maynard Keynes – it is difficult to understate the full nature of the University of Cambridge’s contribution to learning.

I commenced my year at Cambridge in late September reading for a Master of Law. It is

ALUMNI year. Yet within this comparatively small class alone, there are students from over 85 different countries. Cambridge is a meltingpot of ideas, cultures and personalities – the diversity of opportunity is incredible.

The LL.M is a demanding program, but I look forward to experiencing as much as possible during my short tenure at the University. I will also complete a supervised thesis in Public Law as part of my course.

It is a privilege to study at one of the world’s most distinguished places of learning, and I am extraordinarily fortunate to have the tremendous support of Bond University’s alumni community whom have helped make the experience possible.

The Bond Alumni Scholarship has been an invaluable source of support and has allowed me to chase my ambition to undertake further studies here at Cambridge. Initiatives like the Alumni Scholarship would not be possible without the philanthropy and engagement of others.

ge

“It is a privilege to study at one of the world's most distinguished places of learning.’’

a privilege to undertake the LL.M programme at Cambridge where I have already been fortunate to gain exposure to many of the world’s greatest legal minds and practitioners.

From the outset, I found myself facing serious Cambridge-inspired questions and challenges. Do I, (a) attend a speech by a Princess from Saudi Arabia; (b) dress in academic gowns to attend a formal dinner in a 500-year-old dining hall; or (c) go punting down the River Cam. I chose the latter.

In my first week here, I was also fortunate to have attended the annual opening of the Cambridge Senate and to witness the election of the University Proctors for the Michaelmas Term.

There are approximately 110 students reading for the LL.M at Cambridge this

Alex Smith enjoys the storied surrounds of Cambridge

Bond has a proud history of having an active and engaged alumni body and, knowingly or not, throughout most of our time at Bond, we were the beneficiaries of that legacy. I hope that we can continue to support Bond, and in particular the Alumni Scholarship well after its inaugural year, so that we can continue to support other Bondies in pursuing their goals well into the future.

If the first few weeks are any indication of the year that lay ahead, then I can’t wait for what I will discover in the coming months; confident in the knowledge that the journey will continue, and that there are new challenges to be explored.

TURN TO READ ABOUT ED BROCKHOFF’S EPIC TRANSITION FROM THE KIMBERLEY REGION IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA TO THE UPPER WEST SIDE IN MANHATTAN. >>

www.arch.bond.edu.au 19

SUMMER 2012

My amazing transition to

New York

By Edward Brockhoff EXACTLY TWO months ago, I stood on a heat-soaked tarmac in a small town in the middle of East Kimberley in Western Australia.

Six thousand people; the nearest traffic light (and McDonalds) a mere 500km “down that way”. I was saying goodbye to my home for the past two years: Kununurra, and my position as Youth Development Coordinator with Save the Children.

Tonight in Manhattan, New York, I look up and can see a blank space where stars theoretically sparkle. It’s 3am, and on the street around me, I can see almost the equivalent of the entire population of my former home going about evening activities: walking a dog (or carrying one

20 www.arch.bond.edu.au

in a handbag); emerging, stumbling, from the depths of a noisy “dive” bar; walking, books in hand, between Starbucks and a university library (open, conveniently, 24 hours a day).

I won’t reveal which group I belong to tonight (suffice to say, however, that I do not own a handbag). New York City, by night, is vibrant, beautiful and allencompassing.

For the next two years, I have the incredible opportunity to live and breathe this truly international city – in large part, due to the impact that Bond University has had upon my life.

Leaving my home in the Adelaide Hills in 2002, I undertook a double degree in Laws and International Relations. Over

the next four years, Bond intensified my passion for learning about and engaging with the world.

But more than simply well-intentioned desires, Bond equipped me with the theoretical and practical skills to further my intention to have a meaningful impact upon the lives of others around the world.

Much more recently, with the financial support provided through an inaugural Bond University Alumni Scholarship, Bond put me in the financial position to bring my ambition of pursuing further study in the United States, to life.

Columbia University, an Ivy League university, was founded in New York City in 1754. At that time, Captain Cook was almost the same age that I am now.

ALUMNI For the next two years, I will study a Masters in Public Administration at the School of Public and International Affairs – one of the best international and public policy programs in the United States and respected around the world.

My chosen concentration is in human rights, with a specialisation in international conflict resolution.

I will have the opportunity to learn from a team of academics and practitioners who are at the leading edge of their respective fields.

One professor was the US Ambassador to the former Soviet Republics; another was an Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations and close advisor to Kofi Annan.

In my brief time so far at Columbia, I have attended lectures by Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Aung San Suu Kyi and Ellen

“I will have the opportunity to learn from a team of academics and practitioners at the leading edge of their respective fields.’’

Andrey Bayda / Shutterstock.com

Ed Brockhoff at Columbia University in New York and at Kununurra in WA (below).

Johnson Sirleaf. Next week, along with 20 of my classmates, I will attend a lunch with Annan, the former UN Secretary-General. This is the stuff that dreams are made of!

All too often, I am reminded of conversations that I had in my undergraduate classes and around Brasserie (or Cafe Bond) tables.

But the highlight, so far, of my experience here has been the strong relationships that I have been able to develop with my new classmates. We are roughly 50 per cent international, from a diverse range of professional and personal backgrounds.

Philosophers, linguists, human rights practitioners, diplomats, influential government advisors, and me. From Colombia, Lebanon, Moldova, Iceland, Kenya and Australia.

They are a group of interesting and interested persons who have done remarkable things – and are destined to only increase their contribution to global change. I am so very fortunate to be a part of this cohort.

I am constantly reminded, here, of my time at Bond. So many similarities – our professional and student-focused academics and administrative staff; our impressive and diverse student body who are acutely aware of their future role to have a positive impact upon the lives of others; and a beautiful campus in a location that inspires.

Bond has the Arch Building and Burleigh Heads; Columbia has the Low Library and the United Nations headquarters.

As always, the Bond network is out in force in New York. For my first week, I shared an apartment with alumnus Michael O’Meara – here for a professional development session with Deutsche Bank.

We last saw each other when he visited Kununurra as part of a team of Bond students there for an outreach program with Save the Children, supported by the University and the Student Philanthropy Council.

I recently toured Central Park with alumnus and former law lecturer Hayley Tarr. Six Bondies have visited from abroad already, with more to come, and other Bond alumni work for a range of impressive organisations based in New York.

Bond is certainly making its presence felt on the international stage. We really have no limits on what we can achieve – especially with ongoing support from our University and our alumni network.

I thoroughly look forward to upcoming opportunities to deepen my engagement with mentors and colleagues, to learn from their experiences and share some of my own. Over the coming years, we will be able to debate issues of global significance and then put our theories into practice by undertaking internships in the field.

I will be able to build upon my strong academic foundation from Bond to take my career to the next level. And at the same time, I will be able to engage more deeply with the United States and this great city – to learn about its people and its policies, and how it has become one of the most influential powers in world history.

Bond has led me here, and will continue to guide me as I move into an exciting future.

www.arch.bond.edu.au 21

SUMMER 2012

Bond University’s Director of Research, Andrew Calder

A new era of research is underway at Bond as the University looks to expand its collaborative networks to include sport and exercise science.

t r a t g s n e i Th f someth o

22 www.arch.bond.edu.au

FEATURE AS DIRECTOR OF Research at Bond

$14million sports science research project University, Andrew Calder’s career is built to be conducted with the Australian around breakthrough moments.

Institute of Sport, The University of And his enthusiasm right now is Queensland Diamantina Institute and the contagious as he excitedly talks about the University of Sydney.The collaborative emergence of a new era in Bond University project will identify proactive ways to research programs. manage health and fitness to lessen the “Research has stepped up a level within potential for injury to athletes and others. the University. Research excellence is “We want to see that collaborative going to be a recognised strength of Bond network spread,” says Calder. alongside teaching” says Calder.

“It will benefit our teaching. It will benefit “It feels good. It feels like a natural undergraduates [through contact with] transition for us to build something that is world-class research-active professors who already there, knit it together, and make it are constantly in touch with the very latest in a whole lot stronger." research development and innovation.

The growing momentum of research“By virtue of being in that collaborative related activity at Bond has been fuelled research environment, what we’re teaching by record growth in external support. In becomes very cutting-edge, very innovative, 2012, the University attracted more than and really, as good as you can get.’’ $10million in grants and fellowships.

Calder says the broader population is While the University’s medical research is often unaware of how research conducted internationally renowned – the Clem Jones by the University can provide short-term Research Centre for Stem Cells and Tissue benefits as well as long-term outcomes.

Regenerative Therapies is one example – “We often hear about long-term health Bond is about to embark on new directions benefits from vaccines and things like that, in cutting-edge research. but actually there’s quite a lot of research With strong support led by that will provide benefits in six Vice-Chancellor Professor months time, or in a year, Tim Brailsford, the or two years time. The “It feels like a University has added natural transition timeline and the impact sports and exercise is a lot closer than for us to build science to its research many people think,’’ something that is programs. he says. already there, knit “It’s a really exciting Calder says Bond’s it together, and time, I predict in five Research Week in years, Bond will be September put a make it a whole a national centre of focus on the varied and lot stronger” excellence in sport and high-level research at the Director of Research Andrew Calder exercise science,” says Calder University.

Calder says the University will As examples of the look to expand research across broader diversification highlighted in Research allied health disciplines that will have Week, Calder cited Professor Chris community benefits beyond sport.

Del Mar’s presentation on his $2.5million “We will look to see how we improve three-year grant project which is athlete performance, but also how that investigating antibiotic resistance; and translates into better health outcomes in research by Associate Professor Michael the general population as we age,’’ he says.

Raybould [Head of Department, Hotel and Calder believes the new areas of research Tourism Management] into beach erosion. will serve the University well in the run Research Week was the perfect up to the Commonwealth Games on the conversation catalyst, Calder says, with Gold Coast in 2018. It will also support the visiting industry partners and future PhD University’s strategic decision to strengthen students indicating eagerness to link with its collaboration with other universities, Bond after seeing what was on offer. industry and like-minded organisations.

“Getting that sort of research up and In July, Bond was awarded a $5.75million going, then making people aware that it’s Collaborative Research Network grant by actually happening and that we’re searching the Department of Industry, Innovation, for answers is really important,” he says.

Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

The grant was the largest in the University’s history and forms part of a TURN FOR MORE ON RESEARCH WEEK >>

www.arch.bond.edu.au 23

SUMMER 2012 >>

CLEVER IDEAS SHOWCASED ACROSS ALL FACULTIES

and Medicine Faculty and the Law Faculty.

“There was such a wide range of events from many different faculties, so the students were able to see all the other research going on at the University.”

Cobourn says the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, in which participants had three minutes to present their research as succinctly as possible, was an unforgettable SARAH COBOURN attended Bond’s moment during the four-day program.

Research Week as an organiser and a Laura-Leigh Cameron Dow won the student and hailed it as a success on 3MT competition with her law thesis which both fronts. analyses liability for asbestos exposure during “It was the first time the University has the ship dismantling process. It is entitled acknowledged, through a whole week, the When is a ship not a ship? When it is waste! research we are doing,” says Cobourn, Kylie Mills was runner up with Bladder who attended as higher research damage during chemotherapy: student representative.

Can it be prevented?

“It gave an Cobourn says the event Cobourn was the people’s encouraged new levels of choice award winner. opportunity collaborative work.

The PhD student, who for people “It gave an opportunity represented Canada in to showcase for people to showcase field hockey, is studying their research” corporate social responsibility their research across Sarah Cobourn faculties, whether it was at the in professional sport. gala dinner, the cocktail party or “My research is about one of the other events,’’ she says. strategically improving professional “Even within a few hours of these sport teams’ community programs so as events, you could see collaborations to create shared value and a return on happening between the Health Sciences investment,” says Cobourn.

Sarah Cobourn, who was the People's Choice award winner at Research Week.

24 www.arch.bond.edu.au

RESEARCH WEEK IS AN INAUGURAL SUCCESS

Bond University hosted its inaugural Research Week in September. More than 20 events were presented over a four-day program.

The events showcased research successes at Bond and brought together collaborative partners and industry.

Bond University Director of Research Andrew Calder says Research Week was a springboard for the University to dive into the research arena with force and purpose.

“There were a number of reasons why we did Research Week,” he says.

“It was to give our staff and students a very clear signal that we embrace research and that research is an important part of what we do here at Bond.

“Historically, Bond has been, and will continue to be, focused on its teaching quality. To have research as a complementary stream to good quality teaching is very important.

“The second reason was to profile the diversity of the research we do at Bond, while we also wanted to recognise our higher degree students.

“It was also about thanking our funders and supporters and letting them get together and discuss what they do and how they work.”

CAMPUS is a harbinger of poverty and social inequality in the developed world just as Madeline Taylor, undernourishment and hunger is in the who was a developing world,’’ says Taylor.

Miss Universe contestant “Big corporations monopolise markets earlier this year. that aren’t regulated. They dictate the price they want to pay for crops and often that’s not enough to cover a farmer’s costs.

“My thesis aims to formulate effective legislative frameworks and policy to create national right to food strategies for developed nations at a domestic level.’’

Taylor is part of a research team headed

by Professor Jim Corkery, Co-Director of Bond University’s Centre for Commercial Law. Professor Corkery says food security, or the lack of it, has the potential to be the world’s biggest crisis within a decade.

He says there is a right for all people to be fed, but countries must retain Madeline Taylor the sovereignty to produce their own food.

“When the Bond team goes to Pavia we will be presenting the argument that multi-national companies must assist in the allocation of food in a fair and productive fashion,’’ says Professor Corkery.

Taylor, who has a goal of achieving her doctorate by the age of 24, also is being mentored by Professor Dan Jerker Svantesson, from Bond University’s Faculty of Law. “Madeline has identified an important gap in existing literature and thinking.

Consequently, her thesis has a real potential to contribute positively to the development of this important area,” says Professor Svantesson.

Taylor praises the support she has received from Bond staff and colleagues, as a student and now as a graduate.

“My Bond experience has provided me with a platform to become a leader with a Bachelor of Laws in early 2012, by taking the initiative to complete my she has returned to the University to work goals and excel in my chosen field,’’ as a research fellow with the Centre for she says.

Commercial Law. “Each one of my professors, fellow Taylor is helping to prepare material on peers and friends shared in my journey world food security to be presented by a at Bond which has made a real impact Bond team that will travel to a forum at Pavia upon my values, dreams and skills.

University in northern Italy in May 2013.

“Bond constantly provided career She also has begun a doctorate entitled: support and guidance from Semester 1.

The developed world’s response to the UN’s "My Bond experience has provided focus on food security. me with a platform to become a leader “My passion for this area began when by taking the initiative to complete my I realised poor diet and malnutrition goals and excel in my chosen field.’’

“My Bond experience has provided me with a platform to become a leader.’’

FOOD FOR THOUGHT It sounds a bit like a cliché, but a Bond University beauty queen really is helping to make the world a better place.

SHE ONCE DREAMED of being Miss Universe, but now Madeline Taylor has her eyes set on a doctorate.

Taylor, 21, won the Queensland final of the Miss Universe contest earlier this year and finished in the top six at the national judging in Perth. The experience reinforced her commitment to help others.

“I met so many wonderful people and learned so much about myself. I want to use whatever gifts I have to help other people,’’ she says.

After graduating from Bond University

www.arch.bond.edu.au 25

SUMMER 2012 IT WAS A WET day in May when 322 students turned up for the opening of Bond University in 1989.

Yet the inclement weather, construction site remnants and muddy surrounds failed to dampen the enthusiasm among the founding staff and students and the realisation they were at the beginning of something special.

Professor Jim Corkery, Co-Director of the Centre for Commercial Law, recalls that despite the rain, there was “a great spirit about the place’’.

Professor Corkery, who was on crutches at the time with a broken leg, delivered the first Introduction to Law lecture to about 150 students from the first intake.

Using an overhead projector, he illuminated a slide in which “Welcome’’ was written in more than 20 languages.

“It received a standing ovation,’’ Professor Corkery recalls.

Bond was the first campus in Australia to put a computer on every desk. The box-like debut model of the Apple Macintosh was the chosen hardware.

“A computer on every desk was seen as a real note of our commitment to technology and the future – a marker of the intentions

‘89

With just over a year until Bond University’s 25th anniversary celebrations in 2014, memories of Day One remain strong

Class of

26 www.arch.bond.edu.au

FEATURE of Bond University,’’ says Professor Corkery.

Bond’s Senior Regional Manager for the Office of Admissions, Tom Betts (opposite bottom left) also was there on Day One. After completing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of California, Betts heard a private university was opening on the Gold Coast and he gained a job in Bond University’s student recruitment team.

Soon after, he enrolled as a student undertaking a Masters in Arts and International Relations.

“Coming from America, I always had a belief in the value of private education,” says Betts.

He describes Bond’s founding staff members as “true pioneers’’.

“A lot of the early staff had to justify Bond to their public university peers. They really set up the culture of the place, that tight sense of community,” says Betts.

Alumnus Martin de Courtenay also remembers the pioneering spirit felt among the founding group of students.

“It was considered in some quarters that a private university was elitist and basically an attack on the idea of free education,’’ says de Courtenay, who graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and is now General Manager of talent agency culture for those few years and I think Chadwick Models. it stood me in good stead for “The fact that the 892 intake life after university.” was very small meant there Fielding joined the was a real connection “A computer Bond University between the students on every desk Council in 2008. and staff.’’ was seen as a “It is a fantastic Peta Fielding, the real note of our opportunity to give CEO of Burleigh commitment to something back and Brewing Company, was technology and keep the philosophy expecting to move into Bond has been built campus accommodation the future” on,” says Fielding, who prior to Day One. But the Professor Jim Corkery weather delayed construction co-founded Burleigh and the students were directed to Brewing Company with her off-campus accommodation options. husband Brennan.

“I started university at a seedy little hotel on the Gold Coast Highway,” she laughs.

Fielding studied a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Japanese.

“The experience I received, the skills I learned, and the people I met, made Bond University so much more than a degree for me,” she says.

“We were quite insulated, in our own little world as students; it was like the world was against us and it brought out the fight in us.

“I didn’t want to let anyone down, I wanted to succeed and do people proud.

It was nice to be immersed in that kind of

Cronin Litigation Lawyers principal Derek Cronin (above left) also believes the strong alumni and community contacts made at Bond assisted in establishing his own firm on the Gold Coast.

“At Bond you got a practical education.

It helped me learn how to deal with clients and it’s also helped me to have a network of alumni contacts here on the Gold Coast,” says Cronin, who was present on opening day in 1989 and later graduated with a Bachelor of Laws.

“As students we always knew the university would be successful. We called ourselves the Foundation Club.”

Time flies: Some of the historic images taken at Bond University on Day One and in the early years. Parts of the University were still under construction on opening day in 1989, which was unseasonably wet for May. The media still turned out, but mainly to interview the University's founder Alan Bond (above).

www.arch.bond.edu.au 27

SUMMER 2012

Bond University basked in the international spotlight when a student production screened during the world’s most famous film festival.

LIGHTS, CAMERAS, CHLOE KENT came to Bond University in 2009 with little more than some television work experience in her production portfolio.

In May this year, the Bachelor of Film and Television graduate was among a team of 17 Bond students who saw their short film screen during the Cannes Film Festival in France.

“It felt like we had stepped onto a film set. The atmosphere surrounding the festival was incredible. There were huge movie poster billboards and banners everywhere and camera crews and paparazzi on every corner,” says Kent.

28 www.arch.bond.edu.au

“It was amazing seeing and talking to so many filmmakers. Everyone had an opinion, everyone’s experience made them unique, and everyone could hold a conversation for hours purely based on the industry.

“Mix in the fact we were on the French Riviera and the Mediterranean. It’s an experience that is almost indescribable, but in its own way, humbling and grounding.”

The Bond-produced short film is entitled Soldier On. It was written by Gina Powell, directed by James Haigh and produced

by Kent with production design by Dallas Davidson.

Soldier On tells the story of a young

returned serviceman Alex Carney (played by Andrew Lowe) who struggles to re-establish his life after returning from the war in Afghanistan. As arguments with his parents and sister escalate, Carney ponders whether to return to the army to protect his family from himself.

Kent says Powell’s powerful script immediately gained her attention.

“I had a friend come home from Afghanistan in 2010. I could see what he went through and how it changed him, so I knew Gina’s script was a project I wanted to work on,’’ she says.

The film was shot in an early-1900s

FEATURE Chloe Kent in Cannes (far left) and shots taken during production of the short film, Soldier On

residence at Warwick, south-west of Brisbane, and at The Southport School on the Gold Coast.

It took nearly a year of writing, filming and post-production.

The production team applied to both the open division of short films which receives around 10,000 applications and the schools division, which focuses on upcoming talent.

The entry was eventually accepted for the Short Film Corner.

Although not part of the official festival competition, the event provides a professional forum to meet industry people and exchange ideas. Up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world are given the opportunity to show their work and present future projects.

“I knew from the beginning I wanted to get to Cannes, but I guess I never really thought it would happen. It was the impossible come true,’’ says Kent.

“It was just such a relief too. We put so much hard work and effort into it.”

The screening of Soldier On in Cannes

“The atmosphere walking the red carpet, the cameras, the people shouting, it’s crazy.”

Chloe Kent

was in a small cinema in front of only a few people, but Kent says it was also viewed online by distributors and sales agents.

“It’s an interesting mix. Everyone is so extremely busy during the day with meetings and previews that the best time to showcase the film to people was privately away from Cannes, in their own time,” she says.

Kent says it’s the culture of hard work and determination at Bond University that sets its film students apart and made the journey to Cannes possible.

“What we learnt at Bond put us straight on that stage, now it just comes down to experience and building on that knowledge.

The values they teach you are important.

They’re about putting your head down and going for something with all you’ve got and not letting anyone get in your way,”says Kent.

Bond University Director of Film and Television, Associate Professor, Dr Michael Sergi agrees the intensive three semester program creates a unique culture.

“The intensive program forces the students to rely on each other which allows them to build professional relationships and networks that they take into their careers,” says Dr Sergi.

The film and television program is focused on the unique creativity of each individual student, he says.

“Our program here is intensely practical and project-based and allows students to immerse themselves in the entire filmmaking process. The resources and equipment we have are state-of-the-art,” he says.

“We focus on the student’s individual creativity, while also making sure we teach them about business and leadership.’’

Dr Sergi says Soldier On was impressive artistically and technically.

“The film’s success speaks for itself, really,” he says.

“They did a very good job tackling challenging material. One of the reasons for the film’s success is that it is dealing with a problem that’s not at the forefront of society.

“It highlights the cost that people pay serving their country. Soldiers are tough, but they are also human and the film shows the price they pay to be tough.”

Soldier On has attracted the attention of a media company but Kent says any plans to sell the film will be held off while it is entered in further competitions. Those are yet to be confirmed, however the film was shown at the St Kilda Film Festival in Melbourne in May this year and at a Bond University screening in December 2011.

www.arch.bond.edu.au 29

SUMMER 2012 FOR MADELINE WARDLEWORTH, the pristine grounds of Bond University are a far cry from the dry, desolate landscape of Malawi in Africa. Yet as she reflects on her time in one of the world’s most undeveloped countries, she is humbled and gracious.

Her journey was life changing, she says.

As Special Interest Director for the Bond University Student Association, Wardleworth headed a volunteer group from the University that visited the Mulanje Mission in Malawi in August.

The program took 11 months of planning and was funded, in part, by Bond's Student Opportunity Fund and the Law Faculty.

Bordered by Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique in south-east Africa, Malawi is home to a mostly rural population of nearly 14 million people who rely heavily on foreign aid.

Around 600,000 people live in Mulanje, which sits in the shadow of the spectacular rocky outcrop known as Mulanje Massif, with its highest point, Sapitwa Peak, rising to more than 3000 metres above sea level.

The area is known for its tea plantations.

The town has just two doctors, but the church-established Mission consists of

a hospital, nursing college and research laboratory. There is also a mission-run primary and secondary school.

Wardleworth says Malawi was chosen because it was relatively safe and offered opportunities to match student skill sets with the needs of locals.

Mulanje Mission was chosen so Bond students could “contribute to an underdeveloped community, travel and volunteer”, she says.

What the 24 Bond volunteers experienced was far beyond that.

A scorpion bite, a sprained wrist, outdoor toilets, cold showers, faulty tools and bamboo ladders were just a few of the challenges faced by the group during three weeks working with the local community.

Yet the rewards made it worthwhile, says Wardleworth.

The students swapped their complex and busy lives of iPads, smartphones and lattes for a taste of a less privileged life with basic food and dormitory accommodation at the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian-run facility, Likhubula House, located within the Mission.

While living conditions were basic by Western standards, the hospitality the >>

A journey to one of the world’s most undeveloped countries provided a social justice experience for a group of Bondies, and helped improve living conditions for the impoverished locals.

A mission to

MAL 30 www.arch.bond.edu.au

FEATURE

TANZANIA ZAMBIA Lake Malawi

MALAWI

The 24-strong team of Bond University volunteers get down to work during their three-week visit to Mulanje Mission in Malawi. The group was led

by Madeline Wardleworth (bottom left).

MOZAMBIQUE

Mulanje

LAWI www.arch.bond.edu.au 31

SUMMER 2012

After a long trek to Africa, the Bond volunteers helped renovate school rooms and interacted with local teachers and hospital staff during the program in August.

>> group received from the community was overwhelming, Wardleworth says.

“We didn’t always get hot water or electricity, but the staff hospitality at Likhubula was second to none,” she says.

To most effectively help the community in the time available, the Bond volunteers focused on maintenance, education, marketing, medicine and information technology.

In just three weeks, the team renovated seven dilapidated primary school rooms, transforming them into clean, functional classrooms which, at times, were filled by up to 110 local children. They also worked as teacher’s aides.

The volunteers developed catalogues and price lists for Tikondane – a support group in Mulanje for people living with HIV/AIDS – and formulated fundraising campaign materials for the organisation.

They also assisted with medical placements at the Mission Hospital and undertook an inventory of IT facilities at the hospital and schools.

Wardleworth says Mulanje locals face many issues foreign to most Australians.

“For example, the hospital didn’t work its operating rooms for an extended period simply because they ran out of [surgical] gloves,” she says.

President of the Bond University Student Association, Matthew McLean, was also on the expedition. He says the experience changed his perception of life and he

intends to return to Mulanje at some stage.

“It’s the kind of experience that alters your world view. You come back and suddenly our significant problems don’t seem important. It gives you perspective and that was the take-home lesson for me,” he says.

“You are so grateful for what you have, but you have a real zest to give people what they don’t have.”

McLean says despite the poor living conditions in Mulanje, the locals appear to be rich in happiness.

“What stands out most is they are living in extreme poverty and devastation, yet they seem to be the happiest people I’ve ever seen,” he says.

McLean believes the volunteer group made a lasting impression beyond the physical tasks they completed.

“We had a tangible impact, in terms of the classroom refurbishments and the healthcare and IT work and education, but the greatest impact on them was the act of being there and lending a hand and donating time and money,” he says.

“We delivered some fabulous outcomes and our presence was very hopeful for their people. The tangible outcomes were profound, but they were also grateful that we’d come with full heart and full hand.

“The experience has had a lasting impact on my world view. As I move forward in my life and look to a future profession, I do so with a renewed sense of social justice.”

“It’s the kind of experience that alters your world view.’’

32 www.arch.bond.edu.au

RETURN VISIT PLANNED The Bond University Student Association seeks to continue the Bond in Africa program next year.

Its President Matthew Mclean says the association welcomes support for the 2013 Bond in Africa Program. For more information, or to donate in-kind or financially, visit www.bondinafrica.com or email bafrica@bond.edu.au. To read more about the students’ African adventure, visit www.bondinafrica.wordpress.com

FEATURE

One trek, two goals

Reaching the summit of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro was an exhilarating but vastly different experience for two Bond University staff when they climbed the peak.

IT’S HARD to imagine

Mount Kilimanjaro

someone who has visited Peru’s Machu Picchu five TANZANIA times, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro twice, walked the Kokoda Track in New Guinea and the Torres del Paine in Patagonia could still be looking for adventure.

But for Dr Geoff Ramin, the hunger to challenge his mind and body is never truly satisfied. The 52-year-old Bond University Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine and Director of Emergency Medicine at John Flynn Private Hospital led a team of 42 climbers, including his daughter Georgina, to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.

The trek, in June, was part of an annual workshop on altitude and expedition medicine.

Among the climbers was Bond University Director of Information and Planning The adventure group, which included members of the Bond University community, Chris Hogan, his wife Trish, the CEO of Gold traverse the foothills as they head towards Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Coast’s Pindara Hospital, and “The failure rate [in those circumstances] is and discover what wilderness really is, daughter Vanessa. around 50 per cent,’’ he says. getting away from people.”

Despite having climbed almost 5000m “We went over eight days and only two Hogan, 61, is a less experienced climber. above sea level at Salcantay Pass near of the team missed out on the summit He admits parts of the ascent of Kilimanjaro Machu Picchu in Peru, Hogan was hesitant because our bodies had time to were daunting. to take on Mount Kilimanjaro. The memory acclimatise to the change in pressure and “There were a couple of times when I of splitting headaches and nausea from lack of oxygen.” had to reach out and grab the guide’s hand acute mountain sickness in Peru was still Dr Ramin reveals Mount Everest holds to be pulled across,” says Hogan. fresh in his mind. little appeal for him.

“We went up this little peak one day The 5895m ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro “(Everest) is horrifically overcrowded which and one of our colleagues was building a is essentially an extreme walk. It doesn’t adds to the danger,” says Dr Ramin. memorial cairn. He said a friend of his had require climbing tools like ropes and ice “A snake of 100 people is going up died climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and that axes, but the high altitude can take a toll the mountain at any time. The truly elite made me realise how serious it was. on even the most experienced climbers. mountaineers who climb Everest reach over “The peak was cold and windy, really Dr Ramin says that because Mount 8000m above sea level. But, to me, it’s not unfriendly for humans. But at the same Kilimanjaro is a trek, and not a technical about how tall the mountain is. time it was fantastic. I was absolutely climb, some people approach it as a tourist destination and attempt to climb it in around “I like to go to places that are relatively exhausted at the peak. But I’m proud to say five days without prior acclimatisation. quiet. You get that real sense of solitude I’ve done it . . . and I’d do it again.”

www.arch.bond.edu.au 33

SUMMER 2012

Trained to

A Bond Communications graduate has been able to combine his education and

PAUL MESSARA is an achiever in an industry where the rewards are fleeting and the work is never-ending.

The Bond University Bachelor of Communications (Business) graduate is a full-time racehorse trainer with around 50 thoroughbreds under his guidance at stables in New South Wales and Queensland.

Horses have always been part of his life – Messara’s father John owns Arrowfield Stud at Scone in NSW – and he had no hesitation in heading to the racing industry after graduating.

But Messara admits his choice launched him into a challenging career.

“It is definitely a lifestyle occupation.

You don’t get a lot of rewards for the effort you put in and it can be a fruitless job,” he says.

“While it may look glamorous from the outside, it is a tough industry.

You are on call 24 hours a day, you don’t get many holidays and you are up at 4am every day. There is a lot of drudgery that comes with training good horses, a lot of hard grind.’’

But Messara has been rewarded thanks to his star horse, Ortensia, bought for just $50,000 at a yearling sale in Melbourne in 2007.

The mare, previously trained by Tony Noonan, posted its first win under Messara in Group 1 class (the most elite and competitive level) when she won the 1200m Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth in November 2011. She followed that with a win at the Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) in Dubai in March.

Ortensia became the first Australian mare to win multiple international Group 1 races in a year. She was first past the post in England’s prestigious King George Stakes (1000m) at

34 www.arch.bond.edu.au

Goodwood in West Sussex and won the Nunthorpe Stakes (1000m) at York, both in August.

The seven-year-old was set to make it a trifecta of wins on English soil when she started as a 5-2 favourite in the Sprint Cup at Haydock Park in England’s north-west in early September. But Ortensia was cut above a hoof during the race and finished second last. She was sent back to Australia to spell.

“It was fantastic winning on three different tracks with three different conditions in three different countries,” says Messara.

“To take the horse on a trip where it spends 50 hours in transport to get to the other side of the world, is a big achievement in itself. To win as well is a measurement of a great horse.’’

The experience continued a rollercoaster ride for Messara that began even before he enrolled at Bond.

his life. He also believes his Bachelor of Communications (Business) has been an important value-add to his training career.

“In terms of management in my racing business and employing people, my time at university gave me a good understanding of business generally and helped me develop my people skills,” he says.

“I did a couple of film and television subjects and they have been a big help as I have produced a number of advertisements and short videos to promote my stables.

“I had a fabulous time at Bond. It is a very good university.”

Messara was able to continue his training dream while studying when he linked part-time with prominent Gold Coast-based trainer and family friend Dr Geoff Chapman.

Messara says Dr Chapman taught

"There is a lot of drudgery that comes with training good horses, a lot of hard grind."

He had hoped to start his training career shortly after leaving high school and planned to head to the thoroughbred hub of Dubai to gain grounding in his chosen career. He was due to fly out of Sydney on September 11, 2001.

The historic terrorist attacks in the United States on that day prompted Messara to make a speedy re-think of his short-term goals. He later made an application to study full-time at Bond University.

As a member of the Bond University Student Association, Messara was active in the University lifestyle and recalls it as among the best times of

him the importance of having mentors in his career.

“I went and worked for a lot of the top trainers around the world at their stables and I watched what they did and moulded that with my own ideas,” he says.

Dr Chapman is high in his praise of Messara’s training achievements and says Messara’s people skills are a key component of his training skill-set.

“He is very intelligent and a very good people person. He can talk to the owners and encourage them in the right way to get the best out of their horses,” says Dr Chapman.

“For the number of horses he has, Paul has got a great record.”

FEATURE

succeed a passion for horses into a successful training career.

Trainer Paul Messara and his star mare, Ortensia

www.arch.bond.edu.au 35

SUMMER 2012

Bridging the gap between study and employment can be tough. Graduates face fierce competition for positions and increasingly high expectations from employers. But help is at hand.

Practice makes perfect 36 www.arch.bond.edu.au

Bond University’s Career Development Centre General Manager, Kirsty Mitchell

CAREER

“Some graduates only know how to talk about their academic degree. They don’t really know how to connect all of their employability experiences.’’

TO GIVE GRADUATES the best chance of landing their dream job, Bond University has introduced the Bond University Professional Practice Program (BUPPP).

Headed by Career Development Centre General Manager Kirsty Mitchell, the program helps Bondies recognise the importance of communicating to a potential employer the skills and experience acquired through extra-curricular activities such as volunteer work and internships.

Mitchell explains how BUPPP can give graduates an added edge in the job market.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START THE BOND UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PROGRAM? For some time, there has been widespread concern that students who worked for free in internships and work experience were being taken advantage of. In an amendment to the Fair Work Act 2009, it is now illegal to be unpaid unless there are certain conditions.

At Bond, we organise a lot of unpaid internships and work placements to ensure students leave the University with good job-ready skills. But not all internships are linked to a formal subject. That’s why we needed to develop a program that met legal requirements and had a learning framework.

Our students do a lot of really amazing things. We wanted to not only give them recognition of that, but provide a framework so students could reflect on what they learned and how it relates to their goals.

When graduates go to their first set of interviews and are asked what they’ve done and what they’ve learnt, they will have a process in place to communicate all of their employability experiences.

We are passionate about careers. We want students to get the best possible job.

HOW DOES BUPPP WORK? It’s completely voluntary unless the student is undertaking an industry placement that they need a subject for, and then it’s

compulsory. The modules consist of a range of learning activities. The core focus of the subject is called a career plan. It’s a living document that continually evolves.

Students often don’t think about their career plan in a lot of detail. Through BUPPP we provide recognition for anything that we think adds to their employability, things like part-time work, volunteering and sports.

There’s also a broad framework based around things like communication skills, problem solving and initiative.

It’s a zero credit point subject which means it’s got no cost. This year 282 students were enrolled and we’ve had 16 students complete it (not including semester three). We now know if a student completes BUPPP and the 20 modules, they’ve really done enough beyond their degree to enhance their employability.

HOW IS IT RECOGNISED? It appears on a student’s Australian Higher Education Graduating Statement (AHEG).

The AHEG is fairly new, it’s a supplementary graduating document that all Australian university students receive on graduation and it covers the things that don’t appear on an academic transcript, such as BUPPP. That formal recognition is very unique.

Most university career offices really struggle to gain mainstream acceptance of programs. We’re very fortunate we’ve had that support.

HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO CAREER PROGRAMS AT OTHER UNIVERSITIES? We’re one of the few universities in the country that have been able to do a program like this. It’s very rare to have such a broad view of employability.

We’re probably the University with the broadest scope of enhancing employability and the range of activities that encompass it, which is consistent with career development best practice. We consulted extensively with colleagues in the careers sector and experts in teaching and learning.

HOW HAS THE INDUSTRY REACTED? Comments from industry partners were very positive. They could see value in it.

Down the track we’ll add and change modules, dependent on new employers or partnerships, to create modules that reflect the goals that employers would like to have for the program and the goals we’d like to have.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS? Firstly, they get recognition for the things they do that add to their employability.

These include activities that added to the Bond student community and the broader community.

It’s important that students feel acknowledged for that. I don’t think they necessarily do it for that reason, but the comments students have given us are about getting the recognition.

Secondly, it’s a real added edge in the graduate market. The challenge for graduates these days is that perfect isn’t good enough.

A lot of students feel a lot of pressure coming to university, to get this shopping list of activities done before they graduate, because that’s what employers want.

When students leave, and they’re asked what they learned from their University experience and what they have to offer, they will be able to talk about their broad employability skills from a holistic framework.

The other thing it gives graduates is life-long support from a team of experts in career development.

If I could look at our career service in three years time, my goal is that for every single student that comes in and sees us, it won’t be to talk about their resume or isolated career questions. I hope that the conversation will be about where they are at with BUPPP.

www.arch.bond.edu.au 37

SUMMER 2012 1

1. Olivia van Asperen and Joshua Ellis.

2. Felicity Simpson, Roseanna Croft, Sally Tucker and Jessica Hannant.

3. James Fitzgerald, Jess Mellor and Ramon Palomar.

4. Soul Continuum (Band).

5. Brett Walker and Jessica Hannant.

6. Stephanie Nielson, James Fitzgerald and Emma Hathaway.

3

2 8

BRISBANE

4

Annual pizzazz

Reunite was the theme as the Brisbane alumni chapter reconnected at a gala Annual at the Stamford Plaza Hotel.

5

6

38 www.arch.bond.edu.au

ALUMNI

1

MELBOURNE

Southern stars

Bond University alumni in Melbourne stepped out in style for an Annual reunite celebration at Eureka 89.

2

4

3

5

1. Danielle Lonie, Mona Mizi and Rhys Ryan.

2. Amanda Eijsvogel and Tsungai Mukushi.

3. Raoul D’Cruz, Shane Cooper, Ike Kutlaca and Ingrid Weinberg.

4. Courtney Martin and Brody Rocca.

5. Minh Luong, Professor Laurence Boulle and Flavia Solimano.

6. Professor Tim Brailsford and Grishma Parmar.

6

www.arch.bond.edu.au 39

The ARCH is giving you the chance to WIN an

iPad with Retina display

To celebrate the launch of The ARCH Magazine on iPad, Bond University is giving alumni the chance to win their own iPad.

HOW TO WIN

To be in the running for this great prize, simply update your latest contact and employment details at www.arch.bond.edu.au/competition or by emailing us at alumni@bond.edu.au.

Competition entries close January 31, 2013. A winner will be drawn at random from all entries.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION All terms and conditions in relation to this competition can be found at www.arch.bond.edu.au/competition Only one entry per person is permitted. The winner will be drawn randomly. The prize, as outlined in the terms and conditions, cannot be redeemed as cash. The competition closes on January 31, 2013. Only the winner will be notified.

40 www.arch.bond.edu.au

SUMMER 2012

ALUMNI

1

SYDNEY

Harbour heroes Alumni braved chilly conditions to gather for the Bond University Sydney Annual at the Opera House.

2

4

3

5

1. Sammy Cochrane, Lina Izossimova, Professor Tim Brailsford and Kerrie Brailsford.

2. Tristan Blom and Laura Brown.

3. Eleni Raptis, Lucy Travers and Elizabeth Harrington.

4. Planet Groove (Band).

5. Brock Rodwell and Jessica Taylor.

6. Professor Tim Brailsford.

6

www.arch.bond.edu.au 41

SUMMER 2012

CLASS NOTES

1989

Diane Hicks lives in Port Macquarie (NSW) and has been working at Essential Energy for the last six years, recently as a Group Manager in planning and performance. She attained a Bachelor of Commerce as one of Bond’s inaugural students and says she admires the changes at the University since the opening semester in May, 1989.

1990

Sometimes it’s hard to stay in touch, particularly when friends are scattered around the world. Here’s what some fellow Bondies have been up to since they graduated, grouped according to alumni year.

2007

Allyson Seaborn completed a Bachelor of Laws and believes she is the only Bond graduate who now lives in Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. She is the Editor of the UB Post, the largest-selling English newspaper in the country. She has learned to speak the local language and describes Mongolia as "beautiful and fascinating".

1994

Ruth has a song in her heart Ruth Fei Suan Chai uses music to achieve a happy work-life balance in her hectic role as a family law specialist.

The 26-year-old works for The Advocacy and Support Centre, a nonprofit organisation. In that role, she gets to travel regularly to remote areas of Queensland and assist communities with their legal issues.

In her spare time, she is a gospel singer. Chai has been singing and playing music since the age of six. She released a debut album Extravagant last year and performed in Malaysia in January.

42 www.arch.bond.edu.au

“When I write songs, I have one thing in mind – I want to encourage people to let go of their past disappointments and to take a step of faith toward their destiny,’’ she says.

Chai says her work in family law can be stressful but skills she learned at Bond help her cope.

“I used to find my job emotionally draining because I would take my family law cases personally. But I have learned to separate my emotions from my job. I had to be objective to make a difference in the family law business,’’ she says.

Pierre Abignano has travelled extensively since graduating with a Bachelor of Laws.

He has lived and worked in Sydney, Glasgow, London, Dusseldorf, and most recently in Paris, where he is Director of Projects for Vinci Construction.

Michael Jeffries works within the financial services sector on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce, he continues to reside in Robina on the Gold Coast.

1995 Samantha Lenton (nee Raines) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and is now an Account Director with a public relations firm, specialising in B2B communications for

ALUMNI organisations in the mining, construction, agriculture, energy and animal health industries. She is married with two children.

Haydn Till is working towards a senior clinician position after graduating with a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology). He is determined to advance and support his discipline.

1996

Emma Boucher worked for Queensland Health for seven years after completing postgraduate studies in psychology. She has a private practice on the Gold Coast and at Bangalow, in northern NSW. She will soon launch her book Recipe for a Rockin’ Life.

1997 Kiah Officer (nee Wood) works as Corporate Counsel at Nine Entertainment Company after graduating with a Bachelor of Laws.

Ben Murphy, who graduated with a Bachelor of Laws, is a Barrister at the Victorian Bar in Melbourne. He specialises in commercial litigation.

1998 Matthew Sait lives in Canberra where he drafts legislation with the Federal Government’s Office of Parliamentary Counsel. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Information Technology. Earlier this year, he worked with AusAID to present a three-day training course on legislative drafting for lawyers of the Royal Bhutanese Government, a country which became a democracy in 2008 after more than a century with a ruling monarchy.

Starring role for Candice Candice Dixon is a television host on Channel 7’s Saturday Disney program.

After joining the show in early 2011, Dixon was sent to Rio de Janeiro where she interviewed Carlos Saldanha, the Director of the animated movie Rio, on Brazil’s famous Ipanema Beach.

Her television role involves interviewing celebrities, researching and writing stories and engaging in dares with viewers.

Dixon, who now lives in Sydney, completed a Bachelor of Communications at Bond and worked at 90.9 Sea FM and 92.5 Gold FM during her time at the University. She also interned at Channel 9 Gold Coast News and 102.9 Hot Tomato.

“The experience gained from those organisations as well as countless knock-backs from other auditions provided a solid grounding for my career,’’ she says.

Tim Hanmore is a partner of McCullough Robertson where he specialises in environmental law and other regulatory matters for mining and gas companies. He and his wife Brooke have two children.

1999 Sam Hammadieh runs a visa and immigration services company with offices on the Gold Coast, in the Middle East and the Philippines.

2000 Ben Macwilliam is working as a lead developer for Austcover is Brisbane. After graduating with a Bachelor of Information Technology, he worked in Asia for four years.

Nicole Sprintall has been working for the Queensland government in communications, concentrating on the Gold Coast Light Rail project.

Asa Kenworthy graduated with a Master of Psychology (Clinical). She has since

2008 attained full membership of the Australian Psychological Society and became a member of their College of Clinical Psychologists.

After initially working in a private hospital, she started a part-time private practice in 2007 which has now been built into a fulltime business. She lives at Burleigh Heads.

Thomas Breineder moved to the United States after graduating with a Bachelor of Information Technology. He works for the World Bank in Washington, D.C. as a Project Manager for the external affairs unit.

2001 Prayank Katiyar graduated with a Master of Information Technology and lives in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. He is an Associate Director with carbon analytics firm RepuTex and previously worked in the energy trading division at Westpac.

Lucas Wheatley used his degree in Biomedical Science to work with Queensland Health before taking a posting with the Royal Australian Air Force at RAAF Base Williamtown.

www.arch.bond.edu.au 43

SUMMER 2012 Elena Cherry (nee Ivanova) graduated with a Bachelor of Finance and a Master of Accounting. She married two years ago and has a daughter. She believes the simple life really is quite good after all.

2002 Joseph Erwin completed his postgraduate studies in Business and Information Technology at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He also works as an IT Contractor for Telstra.

Emma Ludeke graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and works as a Solicitor at Wiltshire Lawyers on the Gold Coast. She specialises in family law.

international franchisor of fast casual food concepts with operations in 12 countries, including Australia, USA, the Middle East, Brazil and South Korea.

Kristin O’Brien moved to Sydney after graduating with a Bachelor of Social Science (Criminology). She now works in account management.

Laura-Leigh Cameron-Dow lectures at Bond University on business, property and land law. The mother-of-three is undertaking her PhD on a full-time scholarship.

2003

Therese Barnes found work as a pharmacist in Sydney after graduating from a Bachelor of Biomedical Science. She married in 2008 and has a son.

Laurent Corgnet completed a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce before working for several years as Head of Business Broking for LJ Hooker Commercial in Brisbane. He moved to the United States in 2010 and is now based in Tampa, Florida, where he is CEO of BFC Holdings US and a director of BFC Retail Group, an

After getting his certificates, he worked as a flight instructor until November 2010 when he returned to his native Norway. He has since attained European certification on his flying licenses and hopes to continue his career in the aviation field.

Jonathan Fyfe works for Wilson HTM and provides investment advice with a key focus on portfolio management. Prior to joining Wilson HTM, he worked for Ellerston Capital as an Analyst and a multi-market foreign exchange, derivatives and equity dealer.

TJ Libman began working for the Seven Network as Unit Manager of Melbourne News after graduating with a degree in Film and Television.

Harit (Por) Na Pombejra returned to Bangkok after graduating with a Bachelor of Jurisprudence, where he works as a Legal Consultant at HNP Counsellors. He enjoys playing rugby at Southerners Bangkok Rugby Club and catching up with Bondies who travel to Thailand.

Kristian Ystad studied a Bachelor of Film and Television then began his working life as a Carpenter. He moved to the United States where he began training as a pilot.

Reginah Mosomane took a position at the Kgomotso Counselling Centre in Botswana in 2009. The centre runs an HIV/AIDS intervention program and provides care and treatment for orphaned and vulnerable

Lofty ambitions to help wounded soldiers Robert Ross headed to Nepal in October to undertake a fundraising and awareness climb to assist in the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

His plan was to climb Gokyo Ri (5357m), Kala Pattar (5545m), the Everest Base Camp (5357m) and Island Peak (6200ms). Ross decided to support the cause and raise awareness after meeting some former soldiers who were on a similar fundraising climb of Mont Blanc in France last year.

“While we recognise the sacrifice some soldiers make on behalf of their country, and that’s the ultimate sacrifice, fewer people also appreciate the sacrifices that wounded soldiers have made and the consequences they have to deal with upon their return home,’’ says Ross, whose family has a

44 www.arch.bond.edu.au

2000

long military history.

Ross graduated with a Bachelor of Laws at Bond University before undertaking his practical legal training and articles of clerkship simultaneously with a Gold Coast law firm.

Following his admission in 2004, he joined Gold Coast boutique law firm Mortimore & Associates headed by Mark Mortimore, the father of Bondy Jordan Mortimore, who graduated with a law degree in October. Ross is now an equity partner with the firm.

Since graduating, Ross returned to Bond to complete a Master of Laws degree. He served as an elected alumni representative of Bond University Limited has maintained a close association with the University, donating a student prize to the Planning and Development Law department.

ALUMNI children. Reginah graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology and a Master of Arts.

2004 Elisabeth Schanche works for Statoil ASA in Norway. She was initially with its service organisation Global Business Services but more recently with the Statoil development and production department which is involved in offshore drilling. She studied a Master of Communication at Bond, where one of her twin sons now hopes to study.

Dini Martinez lives in Sydney where she embraces sustainability. As an independent adviser, she consults to corporations, NGOs and councils seeking “green’’ certifications for their operations. As a yoga teacher and doula, she runs workshops on chemical-free households and organic child up-bringing. She graduated with a Bachelor of International Relations. She has a son, Noah Sydney, and loves life.

Emily Pearson graduated with a Bachelor of International Relations and two years ago married fellow Bondie Crundy Staughton (2001). They have a baby daughter and run a family business in the Victorian border town of Wodonga.

2005 Iva Ignovska got her first job at Nortel after completing a Bachelor of Multimedia Design. She then worked for four years at IBM before beginning her current role at Interactive as a Bid and Pricing Manager.

She lives in St Albans, Victoria.

Katrin Borchert lives at Burleigh Waters where she is a mother of three. Despite juggling a newborn she is hoping to finish a course in fine fashion to add to her Master of Educational Practice.

2006 Sarah Hardy worked with Woolworths Limited as a graduate in its property division. She then relocated to Brisbane where she is based at the company’s Queensland Support Office. She is currently involved in property management matters within the division.

Nicole Cook works as a Senior Psychologist for Queensland Health at the Gold Coast Hospital. She says she is enjoying providing supervision to Bond students in the external placement for the Master of Psychology program.

Madeline Arnold completed the Clemenger Seven Brains Graduate Program and now works at media agency Mindshare in Sydney as a Social Media Executive and strategist.

Zofia Janowska graduated with a Bachelor of Business and lives in Solna, Stockholm. She has currently taken time off work to travel.

previously employed at the Syracuse Opera Company in New York as Patron Services and Education Manager. He is studying a Master of Business Administration.

Matt Blomberg spent a year as a Senior Sports Reporter at APN’s Lismore-based The Northern Star, then worked on contract with the International Olympic Committee as an information specialist at international sporting events. He returned to Australia in November 2010 and now works in the bloodstock industry with the Magic Millions organisation.

Shaney Harcourt is working at the Logan Hospital following graduation with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

2007 Hannah Silvasich began work specialising in the energy sector with Hays Recruitment after studying a Bachelor of Property and Sustainable Development. She is now an Internal Recruitment Advisor for engineering company WorleyParsons. She also is one of the company’s social media ambassadors.

Gregory Skipton lives in Columbus, Ohio, where he works as a Branch Administrator with AXA Advisors. He was

2005

Fiona Beaverson graduated with a Bachelor of Property and Sustainable Development. She lives in Sydney where she works with Lend Lease as an Assistant Development Manager in the team working on major retail projects. She was elected as an Alumni Ordinary Member to Bond University Limited in 2011.

Troy goes on safari

2010

Life for Troy Smith has taken an adventurous turn since he graduated with a Bachelor of International Relations and a Bachelor of Journalism.

After a period working at Bond, he spent time touring throughout eastern and southern Africa.

He now lives in Capetown, South Africa where he works as a Senior Sales and Marketing Consultant for a safari tour operator and lodge management group, Asilia Africa.

His work sometimes includes going on safari in the central Serengeti in Tanzania.

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SUMMER 2012

Working in a sweet spot

2008 Richard Brimblecombe is Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of bio-gas company Quantum Power Limited. The Brisbane-based company has installed biogas-fuelled power stations in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

Robert Soto relocated to Lima, Peru after completing a Master of Business Administration. He works as a Portfolio Manager at Credicorp as well as lecturing in the financial field at several Peruvian universities.

Onchuma Ongajsittigul completed a Master of Film and Television before working in Thailand at Standard Chartered Bank.

After beginning as a Management Trainee, Onchuma was promoted to the position of Manager in the client services group.

Diana Ojeda used her Master of Film and Television to secure a job as Broadcast Technician for the Grandeur of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship that sails the Caribbean. The position will take her on a European route after May next year.

Jacqueline Yoxall graduated with a PhD in psychology. Her research was in detection of malingering. She has worked as a psychologist for 17 years and has a private practice on the Gold Coast. She also has a part-time academic position at Southern Cross University.

46 www.arch.bond.edu.au

Christopher Conradi loves the life his Master of Business and Information Technology degree has helped him create. He lives in Oslo, Norway, and works in business analytics with computer giant IBM. “My job is just amazing,’’ says Conradi.

“It sits in a sweet spot between sales and technical consultancy. I get to have long discussions with business leaders from the biggest corporations in the Nordics, at the same time I get to involve myself in the technical innovations that makes IBM the unique company it is.’’

Conradi has been involved in several major projects for his employer,

including being selected to participate in one of IBM’s worldwide marketing campaigns. He participated in a set of commercials shot in New York and San Francisco.

He was also involved in the IBM Watson project (where a computer was pitted against contestants in the television quiz show Jeopardy), and won.

“In Jeopardy you are awarded for right answers, but more importantly, you are punished for wrong answers.

This means, the computer needed to be self aware. To know what it knows and know what it doesn’t. The fact that IBM was able to pull this off is just magical,’’ he says.

Keegan Sard completed his Bachelor of Property and Sustainable Development (Urban Development and Sustainability) and is now a consultant with SMS Management & Technology in Brisbane.

Chantal Foster has continued from her Bachelor of Social Science (Criminology) to work with Queensland Corrective Services.

She says her role in the area of probation and parole allows her to use her degree in ways she never thought possible.

Paul Pellegrino has been working at Mirvac Victoria since completing his Bachelor of Property and Sustainable Development. He is currently an Assistant Development Manager on an infill residential housing site and part of the acquisitions team.

2008 Nathan Clark is President and CEO of Ausscan, a company devoted to environmental and civil engineering, urban and regional planning and project management.

Matthew Eddy graduated with a Bachelor of Business before moving to Shanghai, China, where he works for a sports company and studies Mandarin. He hopes to move into the property industry.

Grace Austin found a position in the tax and legal services department of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) after graduating, an experience which she really enjoys. She is grateful for her time at Bond and the help she received in setting up an enjoyable and rewarding career.

Nick Mitchell secured a Cadet Contract Administrator position with Hutchinson Builders upon graduating with a Bachelor of Property and Sustainable Development.

He worked on construction projects in Northern NSW, Gold Coast, Mackay and Karratha. He has recently moved to Brisbane to work with FK Gardner & Sons as a Contracts Administrator in the civil division.

Harrison George moved back to Sydney after completing a Bachelor of Property and Sustainable Development. He found employment with DTZ as a Sales and

ALUMNI 2011 Leasing Agent, focusing on industrial and commercial property in Sydney’s lower north shore area.

Terri Devine (nee Henderson) worked in direct client care before moving in to recruitment in the community and welfare sector. While she still uses the core skills from her Bachelor of Behaviour Management she is planning further study in human resources or business.

Hannah DeMilta returned to the US to complete her degree after participating in the Study Abroad program at Bond. She subsequently relocated to Sydney, where she works as the General Manager at Rocketman Media.

2009 Jonathan Cover completed a Bachelor in Property and Sustainable Development with a major in Construction Management and Quantity Surveying. He started work with Leighton Contractors on the Chevron Gorgon Gas project, Australia’s largest oil and gas venture worth $47 billion.

Jessica Hajdu works at the head office of Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific on the Gold Coast as a Compliance Administrator in the legal department. She enjoys working for the world's biggest timeshare company.

Apart from legal and compliance work, she is really interested in project management and property development.

Martin Warren was admitted to the graduate-entry Doctor of Medicine program at the University of Melbourne. He was lucky enough to be awarded a partial scholarship to reside at Ormond College for the first year of his studies.

Jake May pursued a career in the army as an infantry soldier after completing a Bachelor of International Relations. He says he can contribute to maintaining the great way of life Australians enjoy while staying motivated by the continuous flow of challenges the army provides.

Jeremy Carreon secured a job with SMART advertising through the two-semester internship he completed as part of his Bachelor of Communication (Business). After SMART merged with McCann Worldgroup, Jeremy moved into the position of Digital

Account Manager for the Queensland office focusing on strategies for South-East Queensland clients.

2010 Robert Johnson works with the charity organisation Lifeline after completing a Graduate Diploma of Psychology. He is gaining valuable management experience while working in his chosen field of mental health.

Jake Whitford moved to Melbourne to further his academic studies after graduating with a Bachelor of Exercise Science. He expects to complete a Doctor of Physiotherapy from the University of Melbourne in 2014.

Brittany Devine finished her degree in psychology at Bond before returning to the United States. She is completing student teaching in order to get her second degree in Elementary Education.

Nikolina Gaute found employment at the firm where she undertook her work placement as part of the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice. She now specialises in employment law and litigation.

Daniel Boon lives in Surfers Paradise when he isn’t visiting his home away from home, Cuba. He has travelled to the country three times, two of which were part sponsored

by Bond as research trips. He completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Urban Planning.

2007

2010

Global outlook for Dane Dane Moores followed up his Bachelor of Journalism at Bond University with a Master of International Studies (Advanced) at the University of Queensland.

He also completed two internships at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Moores is currently working for the Australian Government in the

Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency as part of its 2012 Graduate Development Program. He serves as a Young Ambassador for UNICEF Australia and is a Youth Advisor for Amnesty International Australia and a Director of Youth Without Borders, a not-for-profit organisation.

In his spare time, Moores enjoys playing tennis.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE AND CAREER? Let us know what’s happening in your life so we can tell your fellow Bondies in the next issue of the ARCH. EMAIL alumni@bond.edu.au with Class Notes in the subject line.

www.arch.bond.edu.au 47

Season's Greetings & best wishes for 2013.

From Bond University.

www.bond.edu.au