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THE GRADUATE UNION of The University of Melbourne Inc.
PERIODICAL NEWSLETTER OF THE GRADUATE UNION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE INCORPORATED PRINT POST APPROVED PP337834/00022 REGISTERED ASSOCIATION No. AA0023234B November 2010 Volume 63 No. 4 www.graduatehouse.com.au
CONTENTS CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2 VALETE 2 LETTERS 2 DONATIONS 2 EVENTS 5 SPEAKERS 6-7 NEW MEMBERS 8 RESIDENTS 9 HEAD OF COLLEGE REPORT 10
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MELBOURNE GR ADUATE 2010 GRADUATE HOUSE RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP Simone Kowitz, the inaugural recipient of the prestigious 2010 Graduate House Research Scholarship, received the award at the 2010 Annual General Meeting. Simone has been a resident at Graduate House since April 2010. She is enjoying her stay at Graduate House, and particularly values the many interesting events, as well as the many friendships she has made with like-minded scholars. She received her Bachelor of Science with first class honours from the Open University in the United Kingdom and is currently a thirdyear Clinical Psychology doctoral student at Monash University, conducting research into the impact of childhood trauma on the experience of subsequent traumas. The Graduate House Research Scholarship has enabled Simone to conduct complicated analyses using Structural Equation Modelling, as well as supported her in presenting the initial results of her research at the Australian Conference on Traumatic Stress 2010 in Brisbane.
OFFICE BEARERS President: The Honourable John Cain Vice President: Dr Robert Gibson Chairman: Mr David N Sparks Vice Chairman: Mrs Glenda Fisher Head of College and CEO Mr Eugene Spanti
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Simone became interested in anxiety disorder when working as a research assistant at the Institute of Psychiatry in London. She currently is working as an intern clinician at Austin Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). She is also working on a project conducting psychological screening of children and adolescents affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires. Simone’s doctoral research focuses on how people who have experienced trauma in childhood adjust to a new trauma later in adulthood, and to investigate
whether they are more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression or general anxiety than people without a history of childhood trauma. Up to two thirds of people are likely to experience a traumatic event in their life, and many are likely to experience more than one traumatic event. A traumatic event may be a car accident, a natural disaster, such as bushfires, floods or earthquakes, a physical or sexual assault or war. One of the psychological reactions to trauma is PTSD. Most people will initially have some post-traumatic stress reactions, such as nightmares or anxiety in response to reminders of the trauma. Many people will recover without any help a few months after the traumatic event. However, a sizeable number of people will continue to have symptoms. In recent years, researchers have been investigating how and why some people continue to have post-traumatic stress symptoms, while others recover. Simone is investigating how people who have experienced trauma in childhood react to a new trauma later in life, in particular whether they are more likely to develop PTSD or other psychological difficulties. Identifying those at higher risk of developing PTSD or other psychological difficulties, and finding out more about why and how these people develop PTSD, is likely to improve assessment and treatment options. November 2010 Volume 63 No.4 – 1
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