Lumen Spring 2021 by The University of Adelaide

ALUMNI MAGAZINE SPRING 2021

LUM

Contents

Introducing Professor Peter Høj AC Leading with meaning

Health For good health

Special Feature & Then and Now 125 years of AU Sport

Politics Alumni stars of the senate Music Musical mastermind Entrepreneurship The business of doing good

Space Smashing astronomy's glass ceiling Wine Rocking the wine world for generations to come Health Growing connections for wellbeing Philanthropy Constructing a legacy

The University of Adelaide ALUMNI MAGAZINE SPRING 2021 CONTRIBUTORS: Kelly Brown, Sasha Champion, Keryn Lapidge, Crispin Savage, Alex Bassett, Matthew Hardy, Jahan Emery, Rachael Nightingale, Elisa Black and David Ellis. EDITOR: Rachael Nightingale

DEPUTY EDITOR: Kelly Brown PHOTOGRAPHY: Meaghan Coles

DESIGN: Cath Dew EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES:

External Relations The University of Adelaide SA 5005. Email: alumni@adelaide.edu.au Telephone: +61 8 8313 5800

CIRCULATION: 30,400 in print and 43,897 online subscriptions The University of Adelaide SA 5005 Australia.

CRICOS Provider Number 00123M Copyright © 2021 The University of Adelaide ISSN 1320 0747 Registered by Australia Post No 56500/00097 Views expressed by contributors in lumen are not necessarily endorsed by the University of Adelaide.

Events 43 Achievements 44

Material may be reproduced without permission from lumen with acknowledgment of its origin. FRONT COVER IMAGE: South Australia's own Chief Public Health Officer and University of Adelaide alumna Professor Nicola Spurrier. Featured on page 4. facebook.com/uaalumni University of Adelaide

Leading with meaning Introducing Professor Peter Høj AC STORY BY MATTHEW HARDY

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eter Høj is known today as one of Australia’s most experienced university leaders and the only current ViceChancellor to have been in charge of three universities. But for the Danish-born Vice-Chancellor, who originally made his mark in biochemistry and wine science, the climb was never the goal. “I’ve always been driven by the desire to do meaningful work, conducting and enabling research and education that society genuinely needs,” he said. The seeds were sown early. “In Denmark, where I grew up, I did my Master’s research with Carlsberg, one of the largest brewers in the world. So although I was involved in fundamental research there, without exception it was defined by industry need. “I’ve felt that connection acutely ever since.” Indeed, it was industry connection that first attracted him to Adelaide. When Peter interviewed for the Professor of Viticulture position here at the University of Adelaide in 1994, the then Faculty of Agriculture Executive Dean Harold Woolhouse’s vision to collaborate with the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) inspired him to accept the role. “That and the Australian Wine Research Institute’s co-location on campus,” Peter said. “They were the outlets through which I could see my research being tangible in society.” He started at the University of Adelaide in January 1995, arriving with his wife Dr Robyn van Heeswijk who had also won a position here as a

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senior lecturer in horticulture, and their two children, Torbjørn and Stine, aged 11 and nine. Twenty-four months later, two momentous things happened. One, Peter was offered, and accepted, the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) Managing Director and CEO role, while continuing with the University part-time as a Professor of Oenology. “I learnt to lead at AWRI. And because it has no recurrent funding, the experience cemented my understanding that, to survive, your work has to be valued outside the organisation.” The second major event was devastating: Robyn was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. It was the beginning of a six-year fight. In 2001 she resigned to focus on treatment, but tragically died in 2003. Coping as a parent during Robyn’s illness and after her passing was difficult for Peter. “But I was fortunate that my children were very adaptable and supportive,” he said. Returning daily to the same workplace, however, made moving on impossible. In Peter’s words, he needed a circuit-breaker; and in 2004 one came, again through his keen appreciation of the research– society nexus. Having joined the Prime Minister’s Science Council in 1998 his views made an impression on many in government. Consequently, when inaugural Chief Executive of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Professor Vicki Sara retired, Peter was encouraged to apply for the position. “I talked to my children, who were both studying at the University of Adelaide by then, and

asked how they’d feel about me commuting to Canberra. They were very understanding— they needed their happy Dad back,” said Peter. He won the job, and again grew as a leader. “I learnt a lot dealing directly with both Brendan Nelson and Julie Bishop as Education Ministers.” But the weekly commute back to Adelaide on Friday evenings and back to Canberra on Sunday afternoons lost its shine. So when the opportunity arose in 2007 to return to SA full-time as the University of South Australia’s Vice-Chancellor, Peter took it. His skills in guiding society-connected research were further honed. Working closely with his Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation Professor Caroline McMillen, a former head of physiology at the University of Adelaide and now Chief Scientist for South Australia, he oversaw the development of a research agenda that was industry-relevant, and distinct from that established at the University of Adelaide. That success prepared him for another big step: leading the University of Queensland (UQ), an institution with revenue equivalent to all three South Australian universities combined. Peter’s experience there, from 2012 to 2020, expanded his leadership skill set in ways that are now proving invaluable. “UQ had been rocked by the resignation of its previous vice-chancellor and his senior deputy, amidst a much-publicised Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission investigation. Bringing that culture together again—reminding people that we owe it to everyone to ‘look through the front windscreen’—that was a good journey.”

The following years saw UQ rise in the world university rankings to become a genuine top 50 global university, with a nation-leading record for research commercialisation and its student satisfaction scores among the very best in Australia, and repeatedly highest of the Group of Eight universities. Now enjoying life back in the same city as his grandchildren, Peter is determined to leave an equally positive legacy at our University. “When I’ve finished here, I hope we’ll have much greater self-esteem. We’re going to ensure our first 147 years of service to South Australia can be followed by another 147. “But with one difference: we're going to get even better.”

POLITICS

“I’ve always been driven by the desire to do meaningful work, conducting and enabling research and education that society genuinely needs.” PREVIOUS PAGE Professor Peter Høj AC. LEFT On the building site of the Hickinbotham Roseworthy Wine Science Laboratory, in the 1990s. L to R: Bob McLean, Mark Turnbull, Brian Croser and Professor Peter Høj (then of Department of Horticulture, Viticulture and Oenology and AWRI). Photo credit: Urrbrae House Historic Precinct.

MIDDLE Professor Peter Høj with Dr Paul Henschke, now of Greenhill Wines, at celebrations of the opening of the Woolhouse Library at the Waite campus in 1999. Photo credit: Urrbrae House Historic Precinct. BELOW Professor Peter Høj with his partner, Professor Emeritus Mandy Thomas. Photo credit: Mike Smith.

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For good health From paediatrics to public health and pandemics, Professor Spurrier’s passion for keeping people well STORY BY ELISA BLACK

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HEALTH

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n the wall of Professor Nicola Spurrier’s office above Hindmarsh Square is an instructional poster that once belonged to her father Dr Evan Ross Smith (Clinical Microbiologist, University of Adelaide and RAH). “WASH YOUR HANDS / BEFORE HANDLING FOOD / AFTER VISITING THE TOILET / AFTER A CLEANING SESSION” The modern relevance, of course, is not lost on Professor Spurrier, an alumna and a Professor of Public Health at the University of Adelaide. “One of the things I like about public health is that it can be a really simple intervention that impacts the lives of a huge number of people,’’ she said. “The very nature of public health is that it can be invisible. The reason that people can turn on water in South Australia and it comes out clean is because of public health. The reason that we don’t have sewage running down our main roads is because of public health. These are the things that people really take for granted. “Public health is such a rewarding area of medicine. It’s a small specialty, there’s not many people and we could do with some more, and the pandemic has really shown us that. “But when I think about the patient it’s actually the whole population. What’s driving me is to improve the health of that whole community.” Now Chief Public Health Officer for South Australia – and lauded on social media as ‘Saint Nicola’ for her role in keeping South Australians safe during the COVID-19 pandemic – Professor Spurrier had originally trained in paediatrics after graduating from the University of Adelaide. “Like many people in medicine, I do come from a family of doctors and, probably what was more influential, there were female doctors in my family as well,’’ she said. “My mother is a pathologist and I had an aunt who was a paediatrician… I really felt an affinity for children. I remember writing in a grade seven English essay that I was intending to be a paediatrician.

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“My father was an infectious disease physician and he taught medical students. And so, when I started at the University of Adelaide’s Medical School – pointing out my sister got in the year before – it would be mum, dad and the two girls driving into Adelaide all together. “I think those years at medical school were just wonderful.” Professor Spurrier made the decision to practice dual specialities in paediatrics – in which she trained at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital – and public health following a fortuitous meeting with Australian epidemiologist Professor Fiona Stanley. “She gave a lecture to the paediatric registrars about evidence-based medicine and was talking about preventing things happening and not just assuming that everybody had to get sick, and it was from that point that I decided I wanted to look at how I could prevent people getting ill and not just treating people who ended up in hospital.” A PhD at the University of Adelaide – on parental management of childhood asthma – was followed by a ten year appointment as a Clinical Academic at Flinders University’s Department of Paediatrics and Child Health. An opportunity arose in 2008 to take up a consultant position as the Department of Health's Public Health Physician. “People don’t want their loved ones to get sick. So not only are we talking about a whole population, but we’re looking at all the policies, interventions, whether that’s immunisation or whether that’s looking at the changes of law around termination of pregnancy, all of these things prevent people getting sick,’’ Professor Spurrier said. While the state had a pandemic plan before any of us had even heard of COVID-19, Professor Spurrier admits it’s impossible to be 100% sure of what lies ahead at the beginning of an outbreak. “While we were somewhat prepared and we thought about pandemics and we had a pandemic preparedness plan and such, nobody in the world really envisaged how huge it was going to be,’’ she said. “But we had a very insightful video lecture from Dr Bruce Aylward leading the World Health Organization's investigation

into China. And he said to us, ‘Do not underestimate this virus. It is terrible. And if you can do something about stopping it getting in, do everything you possibly can’. “And then we were starting to get text messages from colleagues, ICU to ICU, from Italy saying, ‘This is like the apocalypse. Don’t underestimate this. This is absolutely terrible’. So, we went on and did something about it,” said Professor Spurrier. Well used to media after more than a year of press conferences, Professor Spurrier said the public’s impression of her confidence in the face of the pandemic was a true reflection of what she felt during this time. “I can’t say I’ve been scared (during the pandemic). I had real confidence that the hospital system would have an ability to deal with patients. I had real confidence in the South Australian government that we would manage it together, and I had a lot of confidence in the community that we would get through it.” And those ever-present critics who think, despite it all, that local public health responses were too restrictive? “There’s a very cute little cartoon of Pooh and Piglet,’’ Professor Spurrier said. “Piglet says to Pooh, ‘Pooh, how will we know if our pandemic plan is working?’ And Pooh says to Piglet, ‘Because they’ll all say we overreacted’. And Piglet says, ‘So, does that mean when we’re right, everyone will say we’re wrong?’ And Pooh said, ‘Welcome to public health, Piglet’. “But I think people will learn from this. I think the world will learn from this. And there are things we might want to keep for the future. The improvement in people’s hand hygiene, not going to work when you’re sick, getting tested if you’re ill, staying away from other people. Those sorts of things have resulted in, not only a reduction in COVID-19, but also a reduction in other respiratory illnesses.”

PREVIOUS PAGE Professor Nicola Spurrier in front of the Twin Street mural by artist 10TKL, Adelaide. LEFT Professor Nicola Spurrier.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

125 Years of Adelaide University Sport Celebrating the history of sport on campus STORY BY JAHAN EMERY

delaide University Sport (AUS) has greatly evolved since it was established in 1896 when the Boat Club (est. 1881), Lawn Tennis Club (est. 1885) and Lacrosse Club (est.1889) came together to form the Sports Association. Sport now has a far greater presence at the University of Adelaide, with almost 40 sporting clubs, intervarsity teams, social sport programs and an on campus gym, to help students build relationships, learn new skills, stay active and healthy, compete in high level competition and enjoy their time at university. According to AUS President David Penn, AUS plays an important role in university life for many students.

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“Being involved in one of our many sport and recreation clubs is an ideal way for our students to take a break from study and to keep themselves healthy and active. “In my experience as a student, it was also a great way to meet people from all faculties, through the common link of a love of the sport of our choice.’’ AUS has a long history of celebrating excellence and success. In 1908, the Association adopted the rules of the prestigious University ‘Blues’ awards, originating from Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the 1800s, for student athletes competing at the highest level. In this year, 28 Blues were awarded to University of Adelaide students, starting a rich tradition of celebrating excellence in athletic achievement. Since then, myriad notable athletes have been part of the Association, including: Australia’s most successful Paralympian Matthew Cowdrey, South Australian hockey dual Olympic gold medallist Juliet Haslam, Olympic rowing gold medallist Kate Slatter, former Matilda’s Vice Captain Moya Dodd, and Olympic boxer Johan Linde. Women were first admitted to AUS in July 1911, and in December of that same year, the Association had its first woman Blues recipients, with Miss B. Crump and Miss M. Fowler both awarded a Blue for hockey. AUS would have to wait until 1973 for its first female President, Miss Gillian Birdsey, who took over when the President at the time stepped down. Before this, Gillian was acting as the Association’s first female Deputy-President. As sporting opportunities for women grow, AUS has continued to embrace the opportunity to

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support women to achieve their sporting heights. Following the success of Australia’s gold medalwinning women’s rugby 7s team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Rugby Australia created the UNI7s competition, acting as a feeder league to the national team. AUS made the decision to become a part of this competition and created its first elite sporting program, the University of Adelaide Romas, named after Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell (1913 – 2000) who was a pioneer of the Australian women’s rights movement and a University of Adelaide alumna. In 1910, the University Oval was opened, with a pavilion built alongside after 13 donors contributed 100 pounds each to construct it. This same year also saw the iconic Adelaide University Boat Shed built, thanks to the generosity of R. Barr Smith. AUS was given control of the University’s sporting grounds in 1929, including the facilities at the Waite Park Grounds. Adelaide University Water Ski Club first leased Adelaide University Sport’s Morgan facility on the banks of the River Murray in 1970, and was given the option to purchase by the original owners. This lease was transferred to the Association in 2003. The West Beach Facility, which is currently going through a $2.5m upgrade, was first used by the Adelaide University Soccer Club in 1973, after a formal request was made in 1964 and permission was granted to initially develop a facility there in 1973. In 2004, the Thebarton Training Centre opened. The first clubs to use the facility for training were the kendo and basketball clubs. AUS prides itself on helping students achieve sporting goals while balancing athlete life with their studies. The Don Stranks Scholarship was

established in 1992 to support students who excel in football or cricket, while the Bob Heddle Scholarship is awarded to students who excel in their chosen sport. In 2019, AUS announced a partnership with People's Choice Credit Union to award three new scholarships for women in sport, athletes with a disability, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes. The enduring influence AUS has had on people's lives is something of which the University should be incredibly proud, according to the Association's president. “Many people establish links and friendships for life through the shared experience of University Sport. It has also become a great way for our international students to make friends and to become involved in campus life,’’ said David. If you would like to find out more about AU Sport, or make a gift, please visit:

adelaide.edu.au/sports PREVIOUS PAGE Photo credits: University of Adelaide Special Collections and Archives. L to R: Intervarsity Athletics Team - 1962, Intervarsity Tennis Team - 1908, Intervarsity netball - featuring Sandra Reynolds - 1966, Intervarsity Swimming Team - 1934, Intervarsity Athletics Team - 1961, Intervarsity Women's Tennis Team - 1936, Lacrosse Team - 1894. LEFT PAGE Intervarsity Rowing Team - 1959, Intervarsity Swimming Team - 1935, Intervarsity Women's Basketball Team - 1935, Intervarsity Rugby Football Team - 1951. RIGHT PAGE Intervarsity Judo - 1960, Intervarsity Hockey Team - 1938.

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THEN AND NOW

Adelaide University Sport Communities, camaraderie and friendships forged through university sport STORY BY KELLY BROWN

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Michael Headland Bachelor of Sciences (Honours) 1972 Diploma of Education 1976 Masters of Sciences 1976 Michael Headland received Adelaide University Sport’s highest honour, a Blue Award, in 1975 when he was in the state judo team fighting it out at nationals. The same year he also won the under 86 kilo division at the University Games, now the University Nationals. At that stage, Michael had only been involved in judo for about three years, having discovered the sport at University through friends in the Physics Department who were part of Adelaide University Judo Club. At the time, judo was not big in Australia, so the club had just a handful of members. Michael Was responsible for the club’s first strategic plan written 40 years ago, and secured the Club’s first grant. “Over that time the Club has grown its membership to about 130 members and has been instrumental in growing judo in South Australia,” said Michael. While judo is a sport, it was developed from the martial arts of Japan. “It’s not just a sport, it’s a form of physical education and body management; you learn how to control your body,” said Michael. It’s with that view that the Club has sought to grow judo as a form of physical education.

THIS PAGE Michael Headland celebrates 50 years with Adelaide University Judo Club this year.

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“Most people who come to judo don't do much competition sport. They come to learn how to get fit and learn how to fall properly and those sorts of skills,” said Michael. With this in mind, Michael’s proudest achievements at the Club are the standards of physical fitness and excellence which he has helped members, including World Paralympic champion Tony Clark, achieve. Another fond memory is meeting his wife Meera, also a University of Adelaide graduate, at the Club. “She took up judo because she saw a demonstration of judo in Bombay when she was doing her degrees,” said Michael. “So when she finished her degrees in Bombay and her supervisor said, ‘There's a spot for you in Adelaide to do a PhD’, the first thing she did when she arrived in Adelaide was look for a judo club. And I was the coach. “So that enriched my life quite a bit you could say.” Apart from meeting Meera, Michael says involvement in the Club and Adelaide University Sport (AU Sport) has benefited him in many ways. “Doing an honours degree and then a Masters in mathematical physics was very difficult. So I needed a physical outlet. That physical outlet for me was judo,” said Michael. Michael has also worked as a project officer for AUS and has been a tutor in the University’s Physics Department for many years. Michael believes what makes AU Sport different from other sporting organisations is the connections you build. “I know the Adelaide University Judo Club and the sports group has been a bit of a family to me and everyone that's involved in the Club,” said Michael. “So we've got a lot of international students and we've become almost like parents to them in many situations. “I've seen every one of our students thrive, I’ve seen the value as they actually take up judo and get to know each other, drink together and form social groups. It's just very, very valuable.” This year Michael celebrates his 50th anniversary as a Club member. While his days of being flipped on the mats are largely over, he continues to practice judo movements as well as instruct others. “The physical education side of things has kept me probably more active than most 70 year olds.”

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Maeve Plouffe Currently studying a Bachelor of Sciences and Bachelor of Laws Student and Olympic athlete Maeve Plouffe won a Blue in 2018, her first year at the University of Adelaide. Maeve is a track endurance specialist. “Fixed gear, no brakes, going around super-fast, that’s my forte,” said Maeve. At the Tokyo Olympics Maeve competed in the team pursuit, a fast and technical team event raced over four kilometres. The team came fifth in the final. Maeve is matching the challenge of competing at the top level with studying a double degree in science and law. “I think that if you are successful in your sport, then you will probably be more successful in your studies, because you learn things like discipline and how to just get the job done a lot better. “And you learn to be a perfectionist and really put 100 per cent into what you’re doing. And that's something I’ve learned from sport and been able to apply across to my studies. “I definitely find that I study better when I've done a training session that day and not just locked up in my room studying all the time. I would watch a lecture or go to a seminar and then do my training session. And if it's a light ride in the hills or something, I'll still be thinking about the lecture a little bit. That's actually a great time to just be present and thinking about what you’ve learned. “As athletes, we put so much pressure on ourselves and we tend to value ourselves based on how fast we can ride a bike, which is so silly, but we can't help it. So having study on the side, it means on your bad days you have something else to work towards and put your mind to outside of your sport.” While the double degree was a key factor in Maeve’s decision to study at this University, equally important, Maeve says, was the Adelaide University Sport program. Apart from providing the flexibility to create the right balance between her study and sporting commitments, it’s connected Maeve to a community of like-minded people willing to share their experiences. “I was speaking at the AU Sport Women's Brunch on International Women's Day, which was definitely a highlight for me. “It was good exposure to public speaking, and great to be able to just connect with a range of people who you wouldn't otherwise be exposed to if you're just in cycling.”

“We have a very good history of elite athletes at the University, ex-Olympians and World Champions. So, being in contact with them and meeting them, that's something really exciting,” said Maeve. Maeve is also part of the Adelaide University Cycling Club where members range from people who do road cycling and track to mountain bike riders through to leisure cyclists. “We all just love riding our bikes,” she said. Apart from enjoying a long career in cycling and making it into a few Olympic teams, Maeve also aspires to leave the sport a little bit better than when she came in. “Cycling is a very male-dominated sport, so I’d like to lay the pathway for young girls coming into

it. I hope to encourage them to take up the sport and show them they don’t have to give up their studies, and you can have dual careers, and not to be deterred by the sorts of barriers they face. That’s a huge goal of mine,” she said.

“I think that if you are successful in your sport, then you will probably be more successful in your studies, because you learn things like discipline and how to just get the job done a lot better.”

THIS PAGE Maeve Plouffe competed at this year's Tokyo Olympics in cycling.

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POLITICS

Alumni stars of the Senate

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F Serving state and country from opposite sides of politics STORY BY DAVID ELLIS AND ELISA BLACK

or the first time since Australia’s Federal Parliament was established 120 years ago, both Leaders in the Senate for the Government and Opposition are from South Australia – and both are University of Adelaide graduates. Simon Birmingham and Penny Wong may have taken different paths to becoming Senators for South Australia, but while they sit on opposite sides of the Senate and in different political parties, they also share some things in common: experience of student politics, a love of the University’s Barr Smith Library Reading Room, and a close family member who inspired them to enter into politics.

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Senator Simon Birmingham Leader of the Government in the Senate Minister for Finance Master of Business Administration (2008)

BELOW Simon Birmingham as seen in On Dit, 1994, in a story on Student President candidates. PREVIOUS PAGE LEFT Senator Simon Birmingham in action in parliament. Image credit: AUSPIC.

As a child, Simon Birmingham spent six years living with his grandmother, Madge, a retired school teacher and principal – and without her influence in his life, it’s likely he would never have entered into politics. “We spent lots of time reading the newspapers together, watching the news together and talking about the events that were shaping the world and our nation. Out of that grew a strong interest in public policy and current affairs that carries through to this day,” Senator Birmingham said. In his later years as a Gawler High student, he crossed paths with State and Federal Members of Parliament and the local mayor. From those encounters he developed a sense of civic duty. “In those days, Gawler still had a strong flavour of country town about it, and the ethos of rural communities, with engagement in local organisations and proximity to local leaders, was significant.” With those seeds being planted from an early age, Birmingham entered into student politics while studying Economics at the University

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of Adelaide. He was President of the Adelaide University Liberal Club from 1993 to 1994 and became a key member of the Young Liberals in South Australia throughout most of the ’90s. “I could take that interest in policy, events and politics that had come about from those early years with Nan, and see a practical pathway to give effect to it, by virtue of those who were serving the community in elected roles,” said Senator Birmingham. The call of political work proved so strong that he left his university studies (later returning to complete an MBA) to become an electorate officer for Senator Robert Hill. After time as a political staffer in both Federal and State politics, and management roles with wine and hotel industry bodies, Birmingham made the transition into politics when he was elected to the Senate in 2007 – becoming the youngest member of the Senate at the time of his appointment. Senator Birmingham has gone on to make major contributions to the nation within the Coalition Government, as Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, and now as Minister for Finance. “All opportunities to serve are incredible ones, and present enormous honour in representing your state, the party, and being able to make, hopefully, a positive impact and difference,” he said. Among those impacts are many that involve championing important South Australian and national issues, such as managing the MurrayDarling Basin Plan, supporting defence industries, school funding and improving educational outcomes, and securing and implementing the Indonesia-Australia free trade agreement. But it’s the current pandemic that brings the connection between policy, events and politics into sharp focus. “None of us would go into politics and the parliament to respond to a global pandemic,” he said. “But it is an event that is thrown at you, and at those times of crisis, if you have a deep conviction to your values, and a sufficiently deep sense of service to your country, then you see it as a responsibility to step up and push through the difficult times and try to do ultimately what you hope is best for the country.”

Senator Penny Wong Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Bachelor of Arts (Jurisprudence) Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (1993) “I think what motivates me today is the same thing that motivated me to stand for pre-selection nearly 20 years ago, which is: you do this job because you want to make the country a better place,” Senator Penny Wong said. “For me, that has been about an Australia that is more inclusive, an Australia that's more equal, an Australia where opportunity is shared.” A politician for almost two decades with the Australian Labor Party and the only woman to be Leader in the Senate – originally in Government, then in Opposition – Senator Wong is encouraged by the number of women now holding senior roles in parliament.

“At a personal level, I always knew I wanted to do something to try to make our community and our world a better place in whatever way I could.” “I’m very conscious I’m the first woman to hold the position from either side. I'm very grateful also that on the Labor side the three most senior people – the Senate leader, the Deputy and what we call the Manager – are all women: myself, Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher. So that makes a real change from when I first went into the Senate, where those positions were generally or had always been held by men,” she said. At the age of eight, Penny Wong migrated to Australia with her mother – an event that set her on the path to political life. “I think at a deeply personal level, the experience of prejudice and discrimination because of being Asian, when I arrived in this country, certainly was a formative experience. And my mother has

always been somebody who sought a decent, just, compassionate society so I think I was imbued with those sorts of values around social justice and equality and inclusion. “And so, at a personal level, I always knew I wanted to do something to try to make our community and our world a better place in whatever way I could,” she said. “I wanted to be ‘in the room’ where I could be part of influencing decisions and influencing the direction that was taken.” That influence has resulted in many achievements, such as the affirmative action to boost women’s representation within Labor, legislation to set a renewable energy target of 20% in Australia, and being part of a Government that introduced paid parental leave, dropped the tax-free threshold and increased the pension to benefit disadvantaged people, introduced the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), funded the schooling system through the Gonski reforms, and prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexuality. Senator Wong played a critical role in the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia. “I was really honoured to play my part in that, both in terms of working to the Labor Party’s change in position and also making sure the legislation got through the parliament,” she said.

ABOVE Penny Wong as seen in the 1988 Union Students' Association Annual Elections Handbook. PREVIOUS PAGE RIGHT Penny Wong speaking in parliament. Michael Masters, Getty Images News, Getty Images.

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MUSIC

Motez’s journey from student to the studio STORY BY SASHA CHAMPION

outaiz Al-Obaidi has asserted himself as one of the most innovative and creative music producers in the Australian music industry. Going by ‘Motez’, the frequent festival headliner has worked hard to make his mark on the industry on a global scale, with multiple national and world tours, and music releases. His 2017 track ‘The Future’ went platinum, reaching more than 25 million streams online and almost half a million YouTube views. He also has an impressive six South Australian Music Awards under his belt, including Best Release and Best Video in 2020.

Musical mastermind

Growing up in Baghdad, Motez was exposed to a variety of genres, artists and styles, sparking an interest in music from a young age. “We're not really a musical family as such, but music has always played a role in my family's life. A big part of the Iraqi culture and psyche is having an appreciation for the arts like music, painting and poetry.

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“I thought the dream of making music was dwindling down. I thought people would think who's this migrant kid and how’s he going to make it in the industry?”

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“I remember my dad playing music from Phil Collins to Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears and Abba. The songs I’ve released more recently are heavily influenced by the ’80s sound – I think there is a big resurgence of it,” he said. Having always been fascinated by international relations and politics, Motez pursued a Masters of International Business with the University of Adelaide in 2011. “Growing up in Iraq, in such a volatile environment, you have to be aware of politics so I wanted to study that a little bit more, and as I also speak Arabic, I wanted to put a degree next to it,” he said. A passionate student, Motez thrived at university. “I really loved it because it felt like my brain was active. I was in a class with people that were praised and encouraged to be critical thinkers. I excelled in the classes that had an esoteric component and required a lot of critical thinking. “Two of my lecturers, Dr Olga Muzychenko and David Pender, changed my life. They taught me that sharing knowledge is exponential, and to be curious about it. “And I think that resonated in me a lot. There is a power in exploring and understanding for the sake of understanding. That has carried on from my studies, to my everyday life, to my music as well,” said Motez. Throughout university, Motez remained connected to music. He worked at a music store, selling musical instruments and DJ’ed on weekends. He felt himself gradually gravitating towards the industry, and eventually released a number of songs which gained a significant amount of traction. But it wasn’t until he received encouragement and support from his parents that Motez decided to ‘go for it’. “I thought the dream of making music was dwindling. I thought people would think who's this migrant kid and how’s he going to make it in the industry? “It was staring me in the face for almost a year and a half, but I was too scared to make the commitment. I just kept thinking it was too good to be true, until my parents told me to go for it. For me that was the turning point,” he said. Eight years later, Motez is showing no signs of slowing down. He has released six EPs, played

multiple festivals including Splendour in the Grass, Beyond the Valley and RCC, which was held at the University’s North Terrace campus in 2019 and 2020. Coming full circle, Motez found himself playing to a crowd of University of Adelaide students, on a stage nestled between buildings where he once studied. “My classes were all over the place so I got to see a lot of the campus. I remember a time in the middle of one of my RCC sets, I found myself thinking, ‘I used to sit in that building and there used to be a coffee shop there that I used to get coffee from’ which was very surreal,” he said. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the struggles facing creatives in the music and arts industry, in 2020 Motez released his EP Soulitude, a reflection on feelings of isolation and uncertainty that many have experienced in recent times. “One of the tracks on Soulitude was about a friend's mum who passed away in Iraq. I learnt more about distance and the impact it can have, knowing I couldn’t be there for my friend. “I deal with experiences like that by making music and I’m thankful that I could do that,” he said. This year, Motez released his highly anticipated new EP ReSet, the ‘sister sequel’ to Soulitude. The success of the EP has consolidated the dance music producer as a favourite amongst Australian audiences. “ReSet is the darker, more rebellious sibling to Soulitude. It's about turning the page, being more defiant. “I’ve found a new sound and a new voice. It hinges a lot on nostalgia. Over the past year I've looked back on my childhood and the music I grew up with a lot, I borrowed things from that time and put it into a modern context,” he said. Now that he’s preparing to ‘reset’, the world is his oyster. “There’s never an end goal. The goalpost always moves and I'm never, to my own detriment, ever satisfied.”

PREVIOUS AND THIS PAGE Motez in his Adelaide studio.

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The business of doing good Isobel's quest to end period poverty through social enterprise. STORY BY RACHAEL NIGHTINGALE

sobel Marshall has menstruation frustration. And is it any wonder? Shame around bleeding is everywhere, with periods shrouded in stigma and staggering menstrual myths perpetuated across the globe. But 23-year-old Isobel solidified her frustration into activism. She’s now on a quest to alleviate period poverty, leveraging the platform she has as 2021 Young Australian of the Year to grow TABOO, the business she built with best friend Eloise Hall when the duo were just 18-year-olds in high school.

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP

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TABOO sells organic cotton pads and tampons and donates all profits to help women around the world access sustainable sanitary health care and education. According to Isobel, social enterprise, like TABOO are the absolute future. “I love that they connect groups of people in such a natural way. They help the government do its job, which is to support people socially and financially. And so I think there’s definitely a synergy there that needs to be respected as well,” she said. Isobel admits the social enterprise model isn’t very well understood legally and financially. “This means there aren’t very good structures in place or templates to guide you into what the best way of doing things is. “While there is a lot of support around start-ups, especially in South Australia, I do think social enterprises need a bit more love,” she said. “For a long time, individuals who own social enterprises have just been trying to figure out how to do it for themselves. There definitely needs to be more research and time put into making sure they’re well supported.” Enter the University of Adelaide’s major innovation hub ThincLab, which Isobel says played a big role in supporting her social enterprise and providing a safe space from which TABOO could grow. “ThincLab not only gave us an area where our team members could physically meet, it also had fantastic experts in their fields come through and mentor the groups based at the facility.

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“We’ve had connections with people from ThincLab who have then become long-term supporters of TABOO. For example, our current pro-bono marketing firm came from a ThincLab connection and they’ve given us countless hours, so much inspiration and huge amounts of encouragement.” Burgeoning support and encouragement for Isobel and TABOO appear to be coming from every angle, especially since the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery student was named 2021 Young Australian of the Year.

“In the next few years, our goal is for TABOO to be the leading and most respected brand of organic cotton pads and tampons in the Australian market.” “It’s definitely changed TABOO for the absolute better. We’ve had so much energy around, new customers, retail opportunities, new collaborations, and all of this has set us up to grow the business towards our goal of eradicating period poverty. “I think the most exciting part for me has been all the media coverage in that it’s started conversations around periods, conversations that aren’t usually in the media, and it’s taking them right into people’s homes and into people’s car, which is helping us reach our mission pretty

quickly and effectively.” As TABOO’s Director of Health and Education, Isobel focuses much of her time advocating for educational resources around menstruation. “I love speaking to schools and putting together resources for students and teachers, so really positive and productive conversations can be had around a young person as they start to get their period and as they grow up. “We do need better education programs around periods and also around such things as endometriosis, infertility and menopause. “Women have definitely been expected to endure a lot of these things alone. And if they can’t meet their own needs, maybe because of a financial, family or social position, then it’s on them to fill in the gaps and that’s a lot to ask,” said Isobel. The South Australian entrepreneur and aspiring doctor is undoubtedly incredibly passionate about women’s health and advocating for more widespread access to pads and tampons. “I view periods as this significant and common bodily function that needs to be accommodated for in a very structural sense. “Buildings and infrastructure, employers and schools all need to be aware that half of our population bleeds every single month, so that should be considered when budgets, time and resources are distributed. “To me, it just seems crazy that they haven’t been accommodated in such a way in the past because pads are, in my mind, equivalent to toilet paper,” said Isobel. No stranger to speaking her

mind, Isobel relished the recent opportunity to work as a curator and guest speaker for the reimagined Adelaide Festival of Ideas 2021, in collaboration with the University of Adelaide and Illuminate Adelaide. The team has also been busy creating new retail partnerships and developing TABOO's Pay It Forward program, where customers can buy TABOO products on behalf of women in Australia who need them. In addition to being sold in more than 122 OTRs and 22 National Pharmacies stores across SA, NSW and VIC, the team has a number of new retail partnerships in the pipeline to make TABOO products even more accessible. People can also subscribe to purchase products on a monthly basis from tabooau.co “In the next few years, our goal is for TABOO to be the leading and most respected brand of organic cotton pads and tampons in the Australian market. “We’d love for conversations around periods to be totally normal in all sorts of communities around Australia and abroad, but that’s a very long-term goal,” said Isobel. And if Isobel’s inspirational achievements so far are anything to go by, that goal might not be as longterm as she thinks.

PREVIOUS Isobel Marshall at TABOO headquarters, Adelaide. LEFT Isobel Marshall and Eloise Hall.

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SPACE

Smashing astronomy’s glass ceiling Inspired to follow a path few women had taken previously STORY BY CRISPIN SAVAGE

career in astronomy searching the furthest reaches of galaxies has taken Professor Lisa Kewley from Australia to Boston and Hawaii and back again to Australia. As a young woman growing up in Adelaide, Lisa’s passion for astronomy was ignited by an inspirational high school teacher. “My physics teacher was into astronomy and had his own telescope. I loved the school astronomy camp,” she said. “I wanted to understand the universe: I found black holes fascinating.”

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Lisa’s path was sealed when she attended the National Science Summer School (now called the National Youth Science Forum) in 1991. “I was sponsored to go to Canberra where I interacted with other kids who were also into science. “As a member of the Galileo group I visited Mount Stromlo Observatory just outside Canberra and it was then that I realised that I could have a career in astronomy. “I persevered despite a lack of female role models in science and not being able to take my physics teacher’s science class due to timetable clashes. “I suspected that I would hit a glass ceiling in an astronomy career, but endeavoured to see how far I could go.” During her time at the University of Adelaide Lisa found role models during her Bachelor of Science course and post graduate studies. “Judith Pollard was a great role model as were outstanding lecturers such as Roger Clay and Bruce Dawson.” After finishing her PhD in astrophysics at the Australian National University she applied for roles in the United States and Europe. Her father’s career as a defence scientist had meant that she’d previously lived in America so Lisa was no stranger to a different way of life. “Moving to the US gave me access to the bigger telescopes in Hawaii and Chile and the chance to use their fantastic facilities,” said Lisa. “There were more opportunities to pursue my area of research into how distant galaxies are formed and evolve. “There was also a vibrant community of young researchers and more female role models and mentors to learn from.” Lisa studies how the amount of star formation and the amount of oxygen in galaxies changes over time: 12 billion years of the universe’s history. “When I was pursuing my undergraduate and postgraduate studies I would typically spend a few nights at the telescope and then analyse the data. “Now I spend less time at the telescope and more time at a computer – especially super computers – looking at survey data gathered by ground and space telescopes. “I use 3D data to look back through time to better understand the origins of the universe by working out the amount of star formation and oxygen in galaxies closer to the ‘Big Bang’.” Lisa returned to Australia in 2011 as astronomy was changing in this country. She is currently Professor and Director of the ARC Centre of

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Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3D and ARC Laureate Fellow at the Australian National University Research School for Astronomy and Astrophysics. “Australia is one of the world leaders in the use of 3D instruments on telescopes. “These instruments produce a data cube which delivers a tremendous amount of information about the galaxy which is critical to this area of research.

“Australia could be in a great position to make a big difference in this area, in tandem with private sector industry, which will also have a major impact on the next chapter of the space race.”

“This is why the launch of the James Webb space telescope later this year is so exciting.” The James Webb telescope has been designed to focus on the infrared part of the light spectrum. This means it will be able to focus on infrared bright objects like extremely distant galaxies. In 2020 Lisa’s world-leading research was recognised with her being the first Australian awarded the James Craig Watson medal by the US National Academy of Sciences. “I was deeply honoured. I think it’s wonderful that they recognise people from other countries.”

Lisa was recognised for her fundamental contributions to the understanding of galaxy collisions, cosmic chemical abundances, galactic energetics, and the star-formation history of galaxies. In addition to being honoured by the Academy of Sciences, Lisa’s other career highlights have been participating in education outreach projects and being involved in research using the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) program

data, which seeks to redress gender imbalance in the scientific community. “It’s very important for young female researchers to have female role models and for departments to have female members. “I was lucky to have American astrophysicist Margaret Geller as a mentor.” Lisa has been using mathematical modelling to solve the gender gap. “If departments introduce initiatives based on fairness in recruitment then the gender gap in science could be closed in 15 years.

“I will continue work on that so we can achieve real change in Australia.” In 2014, Lisa was named as one of The Australian Financial Review and Westpac’s 100 women of influence in the field of innovation and in 2019 The Sydney Morning Herald named her as one of Australia’s women leading the charge in science and space. “Senior women in science have a responsibility to hold doors open for women and help them move up so as to improve the pipeline. We have a responsibility to improve chances for the next generation.” And the women coming through will be well placed to be part of the next space race. “I am very excited about the cube satellite industry and the extremely innovative ideas that cube sat technology is developing, and the impact it will have on both astronomy and remote sensing, which will in turn have an impact on investigating climate change. “Australia is in a great position to make a big difference in this area in tandem with private sector. “What kind of instruments will be launched into space and what they will look at will be determined by decisions made by the Australian Space Agency.” The Australian Space Agency directs the country’s space efforts from its headquarters at Lot Fourteen, Adelaide, where the University already has a presence with the Australian Institute for Machine Learning. The innovation ecosystem brings together South Australia’s leading abilities in space, defence, hi-tech and entrepreneurship in one place. “Current science students should consider space as it’s a broadening, exciting field to be in,” Lisa said. And, like Lisa, they could go far. Beyond the glass ceiling which she and other pioneering women scientists have already shattered – and perhaps as far as the origins of the universe.

As part of the SAGE initiative, the University of Adelaide has been recognised with an Athena SWAN Institutional Bronze Award, the highest level available in Australia.

PREVIOUS PAGE Professor Lisa Kewley in front of telescope observatories and domes at the Mount Stromlo site, Canberra. ABOVE Galaxy image. Image credit: Jeremy Thomas, Unsplash photos.

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WINE

Rocking the wine world for generations to come The legacy of Taras Ochota STORY BY KELLY BROWN

aras Ochota was undoubtedly a rock star of Australian wine. Not just because he was the bass guitarist in a punk band, Kranktus, and played Australia’s iconic Big Day Out Festival. Not just because his winemaking, charisma and warmth drew people from all over the world, including rock stars Mick Jagger and Tool lead singer Maynard James Keenan, to his little winery and home in the Adelaide Hills’ Basket Range. The late Taras Ochota, who tragically passed away last year at just 49, was a rock star of wine because he changed the world’s perceptions of Australian wines and influenced a whole generation of people who have drawn inspiration from the way he thought, felt about and made wine. Friend and wine writer for publications including The Australian and Wine Business Magazine, Nick Ryan, said: “In years to come when people write about the history of Australian wine, when it comes to my generation, Taras is who they will look to. “At a time when Australian wine had come to be known internationally as prestigious, big,

bombastic and overblown, Taras’s wines were elegant, beautifully poised and immediately drinkable. “He made the wine world reconsider Australian wine at an important time,” Nick said. Under Taras, Ochota Barrels, owned with wife and business partner Amber, built a global reputation for wines that are fresh, light yet complex, and importantly, drinkable right away. They favour grape varieties including Gamay, Gewürztraminer, Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Grenache. Taras’s winemaking style was geared towards a more natural philosophy, picking grapes based on natural acidity rather than flavour on the vine, and taking that acidity to the edge to create what Taras has previously described as wines with “nervous tension”, “fresh and with energy”. Nick Ryan described Taras’s wines as having a “lightness of touch”. And at a time when many people were coming into a more natural lowintervention approach to winemaking, it was Taras who had the right blend of fastidiousness and artistry. “Taras could take wines to the edge of the cliff for the best view without going over it,” Nick said. The first time alumnus Peter Leske heard of Taras was when his former boss, James Tweddell at Nepenthe in the Adelaide Hills, told him that he should think about employing “a mate who wants to work a vintage”. The first description from James was that this mysterious character played in a band, and was currently in Queensland, surfing – not what Peter initially thought was a recipe for a hardworking employee.

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Taras did work that first vintage at Nepenthe, and then returned for a few more while studying Oenology at the University of Adelaide. And some years later when Peter took over the former business and established it as Revenir Winemaking, Taras joined the team as winemaker. “Taras was unconventional in many respects, but there was also a degree of a cultivated unconventionality about him,” said Peter. “He was a sharp technical brain in the background, he just liked to hide that under all the wool and baggy clothes.” While initially it may have started as a mentor-tomentee relationship, the exchange of knowledge was certainly a two-way street, and eventually the relationship went full circle.

“Watching Taras over the years, he was certainly more open to change and evolution than old farts like me,” Peter said. “He was quite a free spirit in his wine making as he was in his lifestyle. And that was good for me to watch and observe and try and learn from because fluidity of ideas is not a bad thing. And people like me who have a slightly different upbringing and different background, and are older, and all that sort of stuff, get a bit more stuck in our ways.” Michael Downer met Taras while he was studying

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at the University of Adelaide, with Taras a few years ahead in his Oenology degree. It wasn’t until Michael took up a harvest position at Revenir Winery, where at the time Taras was assistant winemaker to Peter Leske, they really got to know each other and became friends. “He was such a welcoming hands-wide-open type of person,” said Michael. “He really made you feel included in the amazing world of Taras Ochota.” Aside from the friendship they shared, Michael says that as a mentor the ‘lessons’ were often “very loose knit and chaotic”, and more often than not were over a few bottles of wine. Michael remembers being invited around to Lost in a Forest, the pizza and wine bar in which Taras was part owner, and instructed to bring a few bottles of wine to share. When Michael arrived, there were a whole bunch of Taras’s friends there too. “I'd bring two different blend samples of a wine and I'd use him and his other friends to give me a gauge of which direction was better,” Michael said. Not only was Taras generous in sharing his knowledge, but also his connections. He was instrumental in linking Michael up with US importer Ronnie Sanders, encouraging Michael to drop off a couple of bottles, and Taras would make sure to get them in front of Ronnie when he came to town. “In that sense, he was incredible at helping me share my story and that of other winemakers in the area, and the capabilities of some of us younger nextgeneration producers.” Neighbour and friend, Adelaide Hills winemaker at Gentle Folk Wines, fellow alumnus Gareth Belton, said the best advice Taras gave to him was, “It's just wine, it's just a drink. Get over it! And it's got to be delicious. And if not, go and do something else. You have one job: make wine. Try not to stuff it up.” “At the end of the day we can get all caught up with the ‘this and that’ of wine. But Taras is 100 per cent right, in the end, it’s just a drink,” said Gareth. Taras was like an older brother to Gareth and always looking out for him. “He’d rock up with a bowl of soup if I was sick, or he'd just drop in for a beer if he heard I was stressed out about something. Yeah, you knew he always had your back.” He was also a wonderful mentor. “If I ever had a problem with something then he'd be straight over, or say, ‘Bring me a little glass of it’,” said Gareth. Taras was also very specific in his wine making. “His wines were visionary,” said Gareth.

“He was such a welcoming hands-wide-open type of person. He really made you feel included in the amazing world of Taras Ochota.” “He came into the wine world during a time when Australian wines were big, dark and heavy, and the rest of the world was falling out of love with it a little bit. “He started making these beautiful pink wines, and light things that you could drink three bottles of, and suddenly everyone started taking notice.” Taras also brought the world to the Adelaide Hills. When the world did come knocking, Taras was generous in sharing those opportunities. “Every day there was some journalist rocking up at his house from around the world wanting to try wines that he made. “He always included us. He'd be like, ‘Come round, I've got this guy coming.’ Or, ‘I'll bring him over.’ Or, ‘Let's go and have a pizza with this journalist or this

wine critic.’ “He could have just sucked it all up himself but he was very much sharing the love around here. Just trying to make the community a bit better, a bit stronger.” Between Amber Ochota, Taras’s dad Yari, and with the support of family and close friends in the local and global wine communities, plans are taking shape to ensure the Ochota Barrels story continues. For more information on Ochota Barrels, visit:

ochotabarrels.com PREVIOUS PAGE Taras Ochota. Image credit: Austin James Rea. BELOW Nick Ryan and Michael Downer at The Exeter Hotel, Adelaide. LEFT Peter Leske at Revenir Winemaking, Adelaide Hills.

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Growing connect 36

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HEALTH

Resilience skills for rural communities STORY BY KERYN LAPIDGE

tephanie Schmidt is passionate about improving mental health support for farmers and rural communities. The recipient of the 2020 South Australian Agrifutures Rural Women’s Award, Stephanie has developed a resilience program made specifically for farming couples, families and individuals, with the aim of growing psychological flexibility throughout the rural sector. Having grown up in Prospect, Stephanie started a double degree in Arts and International Studies at the University of Adelaide straight after high school. It was while working part-time at Hindley Street bar the Woolshed on Hindley, that a chance meeting with her now husband, Simon, put Stephanie on the path towards becoming a farmer and clinical psychologist.

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“Simon was from a farming background and used to come down to Adelaide on the weekends,” Stephanie said. “He used to tell me that the best part about working for yourself on the farm was that you could take time off whenever you want, but the most time he has ever spent away from the farm since we met is those weeks when he was coming down to Adelaide when we were first dating.” Stephanie was a couple of years into her Arts degree before she focused on psychology as her chosen career path – one that would provide work opportunities in the regions. She completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours in Psychology) at the University of Adelaide, and then went on to complete a Master of Psychology (Clinical) at Flinders University. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I started university and tried a number of different subjects in the first year of my Arts degree. University gave me the flexibility to expand my knowledge, and the options to work out what interested me.” During her Master’s degree, Stephanie undertook a placement in Clare with what was then the Midnorth Division of Rural Medicine (now Country and Outback Health). She was offered a role there after graduation and worked with the service as a rural clinical psychologist for seven years. “Working in a rural health service allowed me to work with a wide range of clients – from kids right through to older adults, as there is often no other specialist services available to refer them on to.” Today, Stephanie and Simon are raising their three young sons on the family’s sheep and cropping farm at World’s End in the mid-north of SA near Burra. Recognising that she had a unique perspective as a clinical psychologist, as well as a farmer, Stephanie started her own business – Cultivate Psychology – in 2019. “We’d been through several years of drought, so I had lived experience of the pressures and ongoing stress experienced by rural and farming communities.” While the need for mental health support in rural areas has always been there, a growing awareness of the warning signs and the support available, as well as external pressures such as drought, floods and bushfires, has increased the need. The constant challenge of not having enough formal services to provide mental health support in country areas exacerbates the problem.

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Stephanie said the impact of COVID-19 provided different challenges. “Rural communities were possibly a little more protected from some of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic than people in metropolitan areas. Farmers are used to being isolated and having a bit more space, and perhaps are better equipped to deal with uncertainties and adapting to change.” One of the main effects has been on community support networks such as local sporting clubs and other social groups. As founder of the Goyder Country Women's Association branch in 2018, Stephanie knows the importance of informal support networks that create a sense of connection and community to individual wellbeing. “That’s often the main source of social connection in rural communities, so when people realised sports had been cancelled for the year, that had a big impact.” Stephanie has also taken a community-driven approach when it comes to providing mental health support for the rural sector. She wants to equip people with simple strategies to manage stress and adversity every day, so that when crisis hits or the stresses build up, they already have the toolkit to cope better on a day-to-day level. “I’m focussing on a preventative approach, building skills from the bottom up, rather than just trying to meet the need at the pointy end. It’s important to find ways to strengthen both community resilience and to help people to look after their individual wellbeing.” Winning the Agrifutures SA Rural Women’s Award in March 2020 has allowed Stephanie to kick-start her ACTforAg program. Based on Acceptance and Commitment Training concepts, it seeks to provide farmers and rural communities with the resilience and flexibility to adapt to challenges outside their control. “The Award included a $10,000 bursary from Westpac which enabled me to develop a structured pilot program of three 90-minute online sessions supported by Country SA Primary Health Network.” The pilot program was well received and Stephanie has been adapting and further developing the program into shorter sessions which can be delivered either face to face or via Zoom, complemented by a toolkit of resources

that participants can draw on as needed. “My plan for 2021 is to create an online platform so that participants can attend the brief workshop, then learn additional tools online. I also hope to grow the project more strategically and begin working with other organisations who work with farmers to equip them to share the skills and knowledge in their own networks.” Stephanie also has to remind herself to put her knowledge into practice at times. After the birth of her third son last year, she found herself juggling too much and ended up with post-natal depression when he was a few months old.

“I’m focussing on a preventative approach, building skills from the bottom up, rather than just trying to meet the need at the pointy end. It’s important to find ways to strengthen both community resilience and to help people to look after their individual wellbeing.” “I had to remember that you need to look after yourself first before you can put energy into other things and accept that it’s ok to ask for help if you need to. Women are told they can do anything – which is true. But that doesn’t mean they have to do everything.” By recognising where her strengths lie, sharing the load, and building a strong team around her, Stephanie is finding the right balance and taking her program to new levels of success.

PREVIOUS PAGE Stephanie and her children, Angus, Ted and Darcy (being held), on the family farm southeast of Burra, South Australia. LEFT Stephanie Schmidt.

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RIGHT Gleb Lebedev and Michelle McLeod. INSET ABOVE Raymond McMillan during his University days alongside the River Torrens, Adelaide. FOLLOWING PAGE L to R: The Reverend Paul Hunt, Lee-Ann Hunt and Rachael Hunt.

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PHILANTHROPHY

Constructing a legacy One family's resolve to inspire future leaders in STEM STORY BY ALEX BASSETT

rowing up in a single parent household through the Great Depression, Raymond McMillan knew the importance of hard work and making do with little. When University of Adelaide lecturer “Taffy” Farrent visited his high school to promote the engineering program, Ray was inspired to win a scholarship and graduated with a Civil Engineering degree in 1949. “Going to university changed the course of my father’s life, and that of our family,” said Ray’s daughter Lee-Ann Hunt.

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“I have become more driven but also more relaxed, swapping long working hours for quality time studying and a multitude of other opportunities provided by the University. Receiving this scholarship was a wonderful surprise,” Carla said. The inaugural Raymond McMillan High Achiever Scholarship was awarded to Gleb Lebedev, a school leaver from Paradise. Despite not being able to afford textbooks or a graphing calculator, Gleb was awarded dux of his school and STEM student of the year. “Raymond McMillan's legacy has had an uplifting effect on me and my studies. It has elevated my drive and passion towards academia and removed financial limitations from my personal development,” Gleb said. Becoming the inaugural STEM Teacher in Residence Program Coordinator has been an exciting opportunity for Michelle McLeod. With development and planning underway, leading to an official launch in October, the program focuses on strengthening STEM engagement through

“My father would be proud to see how his company is encouraging and supporting others like him. Many academically gifted students need additional support to succeed in their studies, just as he did.” Lee-Ann is also Director of McMillan Constructions, the family business Ray started with just £800. Initially borrowing equipment from family and friends, he reinvested the profits until he transformed the company into a booming construction business, working on projects such as the Port Pirie Silos, the Glenelg Ferry Terminal, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Adelaide Oval Grandstand, and even the University’s own Braggs Building. Following Ray’s death in 2019, McMillan Constructions made one of the largest single gifts from a private company in the University’s history. The $4.55 million donation will support two new Civil Engineering scholarships and a new STEM Teacher in Residence Program. “My father would be proud to see how his company is encouraging and supporting others like him. Many academically gifted students need additional support to succeed in their studies, just as he did,” said Lee-Ann. Living independently with no financial support from family, receiving the inaugural Raymond McMillan Civil Engineering scholarship has alleviated Carla Gore of financial distress.

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outreach events, building teaching resources and learning activities, collaborating with secondary schools, and promoting the diverse range of STEM-related study and career pathways, research, innovations and industries. Michelle has taken leave from her position at Immanuel College for a two-year secondment to take up this new challenge. “If you told me I could write my own job description, this would have to be it. What an amazing opportunity! The chance to inspire young people to see what they have never seen before – to capture their imaginations and help them understand what a STEM career can be to them, and what it can offer to their life journeys,” said Michelle. “It is incredibly generous of McMillan Constructions to continue Ray’s legacy in such a tangible, meaningful way.” To find out more about leaving a lasting gift see:

adelaide.edu.au/give

Events

Australian Rover Challenge The University’s Maths Lawns were transformed into a lunar landscape for the inaugural Australian Rover Challenge (ARC) on 27 and 28 March 2021. Students from the University of Adelaide, Monash University and RMIT designed their own custombuilt rovers which they navigated remotely around a simulated lunar terrain. The rover teams competed in four challenges including driving off a lunar lander followed by a systems check, searching for and extracting buried ice, picking up and stacking blocks, and navigating rovers remotely across the lunar landscape using information only from the rover’s camera.

University of Adelaide students and their entry in the Australian Rover Challenge.

The ARC aimed to address the challenge set out in the Australian Space Agency 2019 – 2028 Civil Space Strategy. The Strategy seeks to implement STEM initiatives and partnerships with industry to support the growth of a future workforce in the Australian space sector.

Festival of Sausage in Bread More than 1500 people visited the Cloisters at the University’s North Terrace campus for the oneday Festival of Sausage in Bread as part of Tasting Australia. From the South African boerewors, Thai sai au, Scottish square sausage, Argentine choripan, German bratwurst, Serbian cevapcici, American hotdogs and English bangers, the event proved the sausage in bread could be much more than just a humble snag on white. The event also acted as a fundraiser for student groups: Adelaide University Union, AU Sports and the Student Emergency Fund, each taking away $2500 from the day.

Get your hot dogs!

Fun and games on the Cloister lawns.

Some of our fabulous volunteers cooking up a storm of sausages on the day.

Having a ball at 'Hot Bun Bingo'.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - SPRING 2021

Achievements Members of the University community have been recognised for their outstanding achievements, winning a number of prestigious awards and honoured for excellence in their field. We are proud to acknowledge the exceptional accomplishments of those individuals. SA Science Excellence and Innovation Awards

Other Achievements

Professor Sharad Kumar South Australian Scientist of the Year

Professor Peter Veitch was one of an eminent team of four researchers awarded the country’s most prestigious award in scientific research, the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science. Professor Veitch was awarded for his role in the detection of gravitational waves, produced by cataclysmic events in the distant Universe, such as colliding black holes and neutron stars or the massive explosions of supernova.

Professor Kerry Wilkinson STEMM Educator of the Year – Tertiary Teaching Dr Erinn Fagan-Jeffries PhD Research Excellence Award

Professor Anton Middelberg was elected as a Fellow to the US National Academy of Inventors. Professor Rachel Ankeny was made a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Professor Nelson Tansu was elevated as a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Professor Samer Akkach was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Professor Amanda Nettelbeck Professor Megan Warin and Professor Sarah Wheeler, were elected as Fellows to the Academy of the Social Sciences. Professor Andre Luiten and Professor Anton van den Hengel were elected as Fellows to the Academy of Technology and Engineering.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

Professor Ngaire Naffine was elected to the prestigious British Academy. Professor Ian Reid FTSE was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences. Emeritus Professor Purnendra Jain was awarded the Japanese Imperial Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, by the Consul-General of Japan, Mr Junji Shimada. Professor Guy Maddern was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons. Dr Vinod Phogat was awarded the 2020 JK Taylor Gold Medal by Soil Science Australia. Professor Andrew Somogyi was awarded the 2021 Russell Cole Memorial ANZCA Research Award. Associate Professor Luke Bennetts was awarded the 2020 Australian Mathematical Society Medal. Professor Mathai Varghese FAA received the Australian Academy of Science's 2021 Hannan Medal. University of Adelaide marine ecologists Dr Dominic McAfee and Dr Heidi Alleway were among a team of scientists awarded a Eureka Prize for their research towards rebuilding Australia’s lost shellfish reefs.

RIGHT Isobel Marshall

Australia Day and Queen's Birthday Honours 2021 Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)

Australian of the Year Awards Dr Patrick John Phillips AM

Ms Frances Adamson AC

Emeritus Professor Wilfrid Robert Prest AM

Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)

Emeritus Professor Peter John Roberts-Thomson AM

Mr Kenneth Craig Allen AO

Emeritus Professor Wayne John Sampson AM

Emeritus Professor Peter Bartold AO AM Professor Toby Coates AO Dr Kenneth Duncan Fitch AO Emeritus Professor Donald Howie AO

Dr Roy Frederick Rhod Scragg OBE AM The Honourable Trish Lynne White AM

The Honourable Jay Wilson Weatherill AO

South Australian Public Service Medal (PSM)

Professor Stephen Wilton AO

Ms Sarah Moore PSM Dr Christine Selvey PSM

Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Professor Michael Graham Chapman AM Dr Paul Stanley Craft AM Professor John Lionel Crompton RFD AM

Professor Nicola Spurrier PSM

Young South Australian and Young Australian of the Year Isobel Marshall – Social Entrepreneur Isobel co-founded TABOO which helps women around the world by breaking down stigma around menstruation and providing greater access to hygiene products. Senior South Australian of the Year Professor Richard Bruggemann – Disability Advocate Richard has been advocating for people with intellectual disability for more than 30 years. He has provided expert advice to governments on disability services, legislation, inclusion and rights.

Dr Duncan Alexander Taylor PSM For other Australia Day and Queen's Birthday Honours please visit: ua.edu.au/alumni/recognised/ alumni-honours

Dr Susan Joan Gaffney AM Associate Professor Michael Gordon Penniment AM

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - SPRING 2021

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