— Impact Report YOUR DONATIONS TO RMIT
— ViceChancellor’s message Thank you for supporting our vision. Thank you for supporting RMIT and the work we are doing to get our students ready for life and work. RMIT is a strong organisation for so many reasons, including the support we receive from you, our community of donors. Philanthropy is part of the great tradition of RMIT. Our doors opened 130 years ago thanks to a philanthropic donation from Francis Ormond, which was then matched by the people of Melbourne. Those first donations went on to create an incredible legacy: RMIT is now a global university of technology, design and enterprise with more than 85,000 students and 300,000 alumni making their impact on the world.
thanks for your generosity this year. I hope you enjoy reading how your support is making a difference. The stories in the pages ahead also show some of the projects we’re focusing on for the future that you might feel inspired to support. RMIT exists to create transformative experiences for our students, getting them ready for life and work, and to help shape the world with research, innovation, teaching and engagement. Thank you for supporting our vision. RMIT is an amazing institution and we’re delighted that you are part of it.
You also create a legacy when you donate to RMIT. The gift of education can be exponential. Empowering students and researchers has an impact not only on individuals today, but their families and communities into their future as well. On behalf of RMIT, our students, staff and the communities we are in, I want to express our deepest
Martin Bean CBE Vice-Chancellor and President
01 Cover photo: Dylan Findlay, pictured in Building 10, New Academic Street, Melbourne City campus. Photo by Emma Phillips (Bachelor of Fine Art, Hons, 2016).
— The impact of philanthropy In 2016 RMIT’s Philanthropy Fund distributed $3.2 million to support scholarships, prizes, awards and special projects.
83,025
1,810
14,430
The total number of students at RMIT, including 16,731 students studying at locations outside Australia
Scholarships available
Students who applied for a scholarship
266 Disadvantaged school leavers supported.
Scholarships awarded
The schools Network Access Program (SNAP) supports tertiary access and participation of students from disadvantaged areas.
Scholarships awarded Eligible students who missed out on scholarships
Funds were distributed according to the following criteria General 40%
30%
Equity/Merit Equity
24% 6%
Merit
Distribution of philanthropic funds 1%
2%
Scholarships
6%
Award
16% 60%
Prizes Project/other General
02
— Bushfire ready, thanks to artificial intelligence During the chaos of a bushfire evacuation, people can be unpredictable. A new artificial intelligence program, developed by RMIT researchers, helps communities and emergency services plan for large evacuations. The program has been developed after many years of research. But it was a gift from the Telematics Trust that has enabled it to be used in the community. Artificial Intelligence Professor Lin Padgham explains how the evacuation simulation software could save lives. “Prior to the big bushfires in 2009, Australia didn’t always recommend evacuations – the policy was ‘stay and defend’. After people died on Black Saturday, that changed – but the services knew nothing about how to evacuate people or how long it takes. “We wanted to build a planning tool to understand how evacuations of large areas work in a situation where you need to get a lot of people out quickly. “The Telematics grant has enabled us to take five years of research and actually start to turn it into something that the community and Mount Alexander Shire can really use. “It’s very much informing policy at that local council level and we’re hoping to get funding to take it to the next level, so it can be used across the whole of Victoria – or even the whole of Australia.”
Thanks to the Telematics Trust The Telematics Trust funds initiatives that show an innovative use of technology and address important practical problems in our community and environment.
03 Professor Lin Padgham, pictured in the Milarri Garden of Museum Victoria. Photo by Emma Phillips (Bachelor of Fine Art, Hons, 2016).
— Making art, with a difference Prue Stevenson pushes the boundaries with her art and explores her diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD). Prue’s master studies in fine art have been enabled by a St Vincent de Paul Grant for Students with Disabilities, which gave her access to ClaroRead, a multi-sensory software that supports reading and writing. Here she explains why it meant so much. “Because my brain is wired differently I’m processing a lot more information, a lot more detail through my sensory perception. “The software I got through the grant is called ClaroRead. I’m the first student in the whole University to get it. I can highlight words on my computer and the computergenerated voice will speak it. That has helped me so much – it means I’ve been able to properly
research for the first time in my life, which is pretty awesome. “I’ve got an exhibition in Bundoora. It’s about expending energy out of my body, particularly anger, frustration and anxiety. The artwork is based on taekwondo: I put paint on my foot, and I axe kick the wall and that’s how I paint. “Another artwork came about from my experiences on trams. When I would get on a tram after uni, I was getting hypersensitive, because there are lots of people and sounds. So I found I had to stim [repetitive movement or sounds that are a symptom of ASD]. People would think I was unwell.
“So I started trying to knit on the tram, and I found that people were getting really excited – they wanted to know what I was making. “Stimming isn’t socially acceptable, but knitting is – the only difference is that I’m making something, and there’s an object in my hand. So it’s interesting to blur the lines in my art practice.”
St Vincent de Paul The parish congregation of St Carthage’s Church, Parkville has funded the St Vincent de Paul Grant for Students with Disabilities since 2008. The fund helps about 15 students a year with the purchase of assistive technology. 04
Prue Stevenson, pictured outside Building 2 (School of Art), Melbourne City campus. Photo by Emma Phillips (Bachelor of Fine Art, Hons, 2016).
— Focus feeds achievement For as long as Dylan Findlay can remember, architecture has been his passion. The Master of Architecture student was first awarded a Carey Lyon Scholarship in 2015 while completing his undergraduate studies. “I grew up surrounded by family friends that were architects. And I got taken into their offices, and saw the big drafting tables. That is really what captured my imagination. “The first year of uni, I was eating baked beans three times a week! Then when the scholarship came it paid for better living, spending more time at university – not having to worry about my finances all the time. I could really just focus on what needed to be done. “It also allowed me to take some studios that I couldn’t have otherwise afforded. I am planning a semester on exchange and the scholarship is a cornerstone to that adventure. “The scholarship opens up so many opportunities I wouldn’t have even looked at. “The money is one thing, but the currency of those experiences that have been awarded is something that you can’t really put a price tag on because that has really contributed to so much of who I am now and what I’m interested in.” Dylan now works for Carey Lyon’s award-winning architectural practice, Lyons, which is responsible for the soon-to-be-opened New Academic Street on the Melbourne City campus.
Thanks to Carey Lyon The Carey Lyon Scholarship is made possible by a generous donation from Carey Lyon, Director of one of Australia’s leading architectural practices, Lyons. Carey is an alumnus of RMIT, having completed his Master of Architecture in 1992.
05 Dylan Findlay, pictured in Building 10, New Academic Street, Melbourne City campus. Photo by Emma Phillips (Bachelor of Fine Art, Hons, 2016).
— School of life With a lifelong connection to RMIT – as a student, a tutor, a lecturer, a researcher and partnership manager – Heather Mallinson decided to leave a bequest to the University to ensure her passion for education thrives into the future. “If you’d asked the young girl who had her photo taken back in ’77 whether she would still be working at RMIT 40 years later, I would have roared with laughter. But I’ve been very fortunate to have had many different ways to grow and expand my knowledge in the process of staying at RMIT. “My connection with RMIT began in ’77 when I graduated from Emily McPherson College. At the time, it was the best place for females to be educated for a career in nutrition, food and fashion; RMIT took over Emily Mac in ’79. I later came back to RMIT to teach hospitality, tourism and leisure. I went overseas for a conference and ended up living and working in Japan for five years.
“I was tapped on the shoulder for one of RMIT’s first global partnerships – the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Project in Hong Kong. When I returned to Australia I worked in transnational education, and am now in industry engagement.”
building named after me, but rather if we all make a small contribution it all adds up. I would like to pass something on, in the hope that it gives someone else a chance.”
Deciding to leave a bequest “I’ve lost a few friends recently and it was a bit of a reality check. And I thought, okay I have no children. I have two god-children who are 30 and 35, they’re quite established and making their own way in the world.
Create your own legacy A gift in your will is a powerful legacy that will ensure the University can give more young people the power to transform their lives and the future through education.
“I’ve always been very fortunate in having the support of other people, I don’t necessarily have to have a scholarship named after me, or a
Contact Leith Brooke, Associate Director, Philanthropy, for a confidential discussion: +61 3 9925 1284 leith.brooke@rmit.edu.au
06 Heather Mallinson, pictured in Building 13 (Emily McPherson), Melbourne City campus. Inset: Heather, front row third from left, and the class of ’77 outside Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy. Photo by Emma Phillips (Bachelor of Fine Art, Hons, 2016).
— Powerful ways to
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Supporting life on campus for Indigenous students Our vision is to create an accommodation facility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through the Ngarara Willim Centre. Ngarara Willim means ‘gathering place’ in the language of the Wurundjeri, the traditional custodians of the land where RMIT stands. The Centre provides support to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community for and on behalf of RMIT University. RMIT sits within a vibrant city that can also be expensive. Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students come from regional centres across Australia for a transformative education experience, but these students often face unique challenges finding affordable accommodation when they come to RMIT. We aim to make all student experiences welcoming and to ensure students can see themselves reflected
07 The opening of Ngarara Place, Melbourne City campus.
and acknowledged in the architecture of their new environment. Our ultimate vision is to create an accommodation facility for Indigenous students with independent rooms and shared living spaces, and to provide a quality, safe and supported environment for students that also supports a valuable social and cultural experience.
make an impact
— How to give If you would like to learn more about creating transformational opportunities through giving, please contact: RMIT Alumni and Philanthropy +61 3 9925 5220 giving@rmit.edu.au
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The legacy of a student with a passion for music and travel Andreas Florez was a talented young musician with a passion for travel. He graduated from RMIT in 2015, but just months later was diagnosed with leukaemia. He passed away six months later, just after releasing his debut EP. The Andreas Florez Travel Scholarship for Artistic Excellence was established by the Florez family in 2016. The scholarship will enable a gifted music, film or design student to take part in RMIT’s Global Experience program to go on exchange and study overseas.
impacts and transforms people’s lives. It contributes to shaping the world in making it a better place by promoting and supporting talent, knowledge and learning. We are deeply grateful to all who can support us in this cause, so dear to our heart.”
His mother Maria says: “We believe that education is a powerful gift that
To enable this to become an annual scholarship the Florez family needs
$250,000. To date, thanks to the support of 122 generous people, we have raised $32,000. You too can support Andreas’s legacy by donating to the scholarship, which aims to give this transformational opportunity to a talented student every year into the future.
08 Andreas Florez, image supplied by the Florez family.
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Thank you RMIT acknowledges the generous support of its donors. Founding donor: the Honourable Francis T Ormond
Emeritus Professor David Beanland AO and Mrs Heather Beanland
— Our sincere thanks to the following donors who have provided transformational support to RMIT University.
Mr William Beazley
MG Bergstrom Hendrikus Berkers H. Billon Ms Natalie Blenheim
Professor R Dennis Gibson AO
Mr Philip C W Leung
Dr Marisa Cordella
Mr Stephen Gibson
Dr Kang Xiao Li
Mr Desmond D Corteling
Ms Helen Goedemoed Mr Jonathan Grant
David Cotterill
Peter & Janette Gribble
Keith and Helen Cowlishaw
Hugh Gundlach
Mrs Judy Cope-Williams
James Creed
Dixon-Ward Family
Mrs Evelyn Boekemann
Associate Professor Clifford Da Costa
Geoff and Helen Handbury Foundation
Miss Lacey Bonas
Mrs Eleanor Dailey
John Jackson Bequest
Miss Cristina Bono
Professor Tony Dalton
Mrs Josephine Bono
Ms Kath A Davies
Mr Jacques A Nasser AO Northcote Trust Robert Bosch Australia John Storey Family The Atlantic Philanthropies The Chan Family The Collie Print Trust The George Alexander Foundation The Ian Potter Foundation The Ma Kam Ming Charitable Foundation Unilodge Australia Pty Ltd — Thank you to the following individuals who generously supported RMIT in 2016, and to those who have committed ongoing support through endowments, pledges and bequests. Professor Sylvester Abanteriba Mrs Roberta Abba Professor Daine Alcorn Mr Andrew AltreeWilliams
Mrs Stefani Borazio Miss Stephanie Borys Mr Rodney Bourke Ms Leonie Boxtel Miss Amelia Brace Ms Leith Brooke Ms Karen Brown Mrs Molly Brownless Mrs Yvonne Bruns-Eban Ms Aloisa Budisavljevic Ms Daphne Budisavljevic Mr Peter Budisavljevic Ms Stephanie Burlak Mr Mark J Buttigieg Professor Desmond P Cahill OAM Mr Lemuel Callaway Ms Laura Callegari Mr Ernest Capp Anthony Carbines MP Miss Tanya Cardamone Ms Carolina Casetta Ms Pati Castro Mr Sergio Castro Miss Frances M Chamberlin Mr Adrian Chambers Mr Po Ching Chan Ms Alice Cheng
The late Les Mason and Gail Devine
Ms Camila Gutierrez Mr Nicolas Gutierrez Mr Nick Hanna Mr Roy T A Hardcastle AO Mr Rick S Harrison Mrs Jean Hogarth Mr Bill R Hogarth
Ms Sau Ling Li Mr Nico Li Xiaopeng Li Mr Justin Lindner Mr Laurie M Lindsay Ms Simone Lipiarski Mr and Mrs Liu Mr George Longinidis Mr Kane Loverso Mr Jit C Low Mr Jacob Lumsden Professor Carey Lyon and Ms Joanne Crosby
Ms Margaret Holmes
Oscar Diaz
Mrs Penelope Hope
The Dixon-Ward Family
Mr Kum Hoi Hor
Ms Suzan Dlouhy
Mr Bob Isherwood
Ian S. Douglas
Mr Jitjiroj Ittichaicharoen
Heather Mallinson
The late Maxwell Eagle
Emeritus Professor John Jackson
Ms Julia Mancini
Monica Jacomb
Mr Sydney Manefield Dr Robert Marin
Professor Harriet Edquist Dr Steve Eichblatt
Miss Nicole Jamieson
Fiona Ellis
Mr Hamish Jones
Mr Orhan Ergin
Ms Lynn Jones
Mr Maurice Feitel and Mrs Edith Feitel
Ms Louise Joy, in honour of Dr Stewart Cameron Joy
Mr Michael Ferraro Miss Macarena Ferreyra The Estate of Marion Douglas Fletcher Miss Catalina Florez Mr Eduardo Florez Mr Javier A Florez The Andreas Florez Family Ms Ruth Fluhr
Mr Guy Freeman
Mr Henry Balfour
The Christopherson Family
Ian George
Ms Bronwyn Bardsley
Miss Kelly Clarkson
Mr Mario Bazzani
Estate of John W
Ms Vicki Milliken
Bruce L Mourant Ms Anne Mulcahy
Mrs Marion KaylerThomson
Miss Sutji Muliadi
Ms Barbara Keith Mr Norman Kennedy
Mr Cheong Y Koo
Robbie Franco
Mr Saumit J Mehta
Mrs Michelle Karim
Emeritus Professor Leo Foster
J M Christie
Ms Shalailah Medhora
Ms Toula Kantalis
Professor Joyce Kirk
Ms Siew Bee Choong
Mr John McLennan
Mr Malcolm Moore
Janine and Bill Kirk
Anthony and Gina Bailey
Mrs Kelly McDermott
Mr Prashan Kandasamy
Professor David L Forrest
Austin Asche
Mr Andrew Mackay
Mr John Mitcham
Angela and Richard Fooks
Miss Ha Young Emily Choi
Professor Andrew MacIntyre
Mr Jacob Kahane and Mrs Charlotte Kahane
Professor Wilfred N Kernot
Mrs Anne Asche
Mr Marco Arias
Ms Melissa Chitty
Dr Robert V Guthrie
Ms Cassandra Leung
Mr Eric Dewar
Dr Terrence Francis and Mrs Robyn Francis, in memory of Kathleen Francis
Ms Elena Arias
09
Dr Joan Bernadette Beckwith
Connell AM
Ms Lise Kosmidis-Elvins Dr Anand Kulkarni Mr Sai Kai Lam Ms Sue Lau Jerry C W Lee
Mr Abhijat Mohan
Mr Jacques A Nasser AO Ms Diana Natoli Katie Nemet Mr Brendan Norris Graeme H O’Brien Mrs Diem Ovington Belinda Page Professor Gill Palmer Helmut Pekarek Mr John H Pluck Mrs Linda Purves Mr George W Purvis
Mr Matthew Lee
Mr Tom Quilter
Mrs N. R. Lee, in memory of Alfred C. Lee
Ms Lara Rafferty
Mr John Giardina
Ms Ann Regos
Mrs Frances Gibson
Ms Olivia Leeming
Mr Edward J Reilly
Ms Linda Richards
Mrs Marianna Warneke
Ms Ann-Maree Richardson
Mr Michael Wennrich
Mr Christian Riotto Ms Joan Ritchie Ms Sabina M Robertson Mrs Belinda Rodoreda Mrs Julie Ryan Ms Nicole Ryan Mr Ralph Sangster Mrs Yvonne Sartori Mr Romeo Schiavon and Mrs May Schiavon Miss Abigail Scott Ian G Scott Mrs Melissa Scudeller Associate Professor Geoffrey H Shacklock Ms Laetitia Y Shand Professor Robert and Ms Josephine Shanks Shantakumar Mrs Norma Shattock Mr Dah M Shen Mrs Ann Simmons Dr Roy Simmons Supriya Singh and family Emeritus Professor Brian Smith AO Ms Tanya Smith Hon Tim Smith QC Mr Sam Smorgon AO Dr Graeme Snook Professor Ian Snook The Snook Family Robert Stevens Sir John Storey Rose Stuyt Esther Tan Mr Gavin Teague Murli Thadani Mr Karim G Thomas Ms Leah Thomas Lieutenant William Thompson Miss Belinda Tominc Ms Jane A Tongs Mr Ernest E Truby Williams Ms Jessie Tu Ms Irana Turynska Ms Anthea Udovicich Mr Paul Velasco Ms Danielle Vellucci Sir George Verdon Mr Peeranut Visetsuth Mr Jon Vitetta Mr Tony Vitetta
Mr Andrew A Wilson Dr Dan Wollmering Ms Nola Woo Mrs Jan Woods Mr Peter Woods Mr Shun Wai Yim Mr Francis Zemljak — The following organisations generously supported RMIT University in 2016. Agilent Technologies Australia Pty Ltd Airmaster Australia Annemarie & Arturo Gandioli Fumagalli Foundation Australian Communities Foundation Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society Yarra Inc Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Cond. and Heating Baron Rubber Pty Ltd Bauer Gemological Laboratories Baystreet Pty Ltd Beller Commercial BHP Billiton Ltd Bioproperties Australia Brimbank City Council Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty Ltd Buxton Construction Charter Keck Cramer
Fonterra Brands (Australia) Pty Ltd
Perpetual Trustee Company Limited
The Narodowski Family
Forever New Clothing Pty Ltd
PPD
Geomatic Technologies Pty Ltd
Probuild Constructions
The Piers K Fowler Trust
Quintiles Pty Limited
The SIDA Foundation
Richard Koh and Iris Tan Foundation
The Trustee for Australian Wool Education Trust
GHD Pty Ltd Government Aircraft Factories Grathelms GS1 Australia Herb Thomas Memorial Trust Herbert and Inge Littauer Fund Herron Todd White Hickory Group Pty Ltd
Rider Levett Bucknall RMIT University Academic Services Team, School of Media and Communication
Tolarno Hotel
RMIT University Physics Staff and Students
University of Wollongong
RMIT Vietnam Rotary Club of Melbourne
Hospira Pty Ltd
Rowe Scientific Pty Ltd
Hytechnico Proprietary Ltd
Saab Australia Pty Ltd Sandhurst Trustees
Infomedia (Australia) Pty Ltd
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Pty Ltd
ISPT Pty Ltd
Snapchat Pty Ltd
Jacka Foundation of Natural Therapies
Solid Support
JAYCO
St Vincent de Paul Society
Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd
St Vincent’s Hospital
LU Simon Builders Pty Ltd
Telematics Trust
Ma Kam Ming Foundation Medpace Australia Pty Ltd Melbourne Co-operative Bookshop Group Ltd Mirvac Group Muller Partnership Multi Group Victoria Pty Ltd Municipal Group of Valuers
The People
Target Australia Pty Ltd The Boeing Company The Collie Print Trust The George Alexander Foundation The Ian Potter Foundation
UCI Projects Unilodge Australia Pty Ltd
Westlink Consulting Westpac Bicentennial Foundation — We wish to acknowledge the generous contributions of our anonymous donors. Every effort has been made to accurately recognise the support of our donors and philanthropic partners. If you would like further information or to notify us of an error or omission, please contact us: +61 3 9925 5220 giving@rmit.edu.au
The Invergowrie Foundation The Jewish Holocaust Centre and the Wilson Family
Northcote Trust
Chemist Warehouse Group
Ogge and Lee Solicitors
Chemist Warehouse Group and community, Niddrie
Peoplebank Australia Ltd
Orcadia Foundation
Coles Supermarkets Cradle Mountain Consulting CRE8IVE Australasia Pty Ltd Donald Cant Watts Corke Duzen Pty Ltd Eastern Health Environmental & Safety Professionals Equity Trustees Eva and Associates Pty Ltd Fender Katsalidis Architects
The RMIT Philanthropy Fund is managed by a committee, which oversee the administration of philanthropic funds received by the University and supports fundraising activity. Comprising of senior executive staff members, the committee reports to the Audit and Risk Management Committee and to the Council of RMIT University. The RMIT Philanthropy Fund is responsible for the effective management and distribution of all philanthropic funds donated to RMIT. The current balance of this fund is more than $42 million. 10
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— “As a student and refugee coming from a war affected country, this scholarship support made it possible to complete my goal of having a nursing degree. Once I have a regular income, I will also support people in need. I truly thank you from the depth of my heart. “ Kashif Khan Bachelor of Nursing graduate Kashif Khan received the Herbert and Inge Littauer Nursing Scholarship in 2015 and 2016. Khan volunteers at Baptcare, an aged and community care centre.
rmit.edu.au/giving
