Lumen Winter 2019 by The University of Adelaide

ALUMNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2019

LUM

Contents

Vice-Chancellor's Welcome

Agriculture Mr Brightside

Law and Media Inspiring change Then and Now The Elder Conservatorium of Music

26 10

Technology Diving into problems of the deep Campus New life for the Cloisters and Union House Science Preparing pups for community service

The University of Adelaide ALUMNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2019 CONTRIBUTORS: Kelly Brown, Rachael Nightingale, Renee Capps, Alana Grimaldi and Michaela McGrath 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

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Computer Science Changing the world beyond the big screen

Business A business in full bloom

Small Business For the love of coffee

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University Achievements

Alumni Events

Views expressed by contributors in lumen are not necessarily endorsed by the University of Adelaide.

FRONT COVER IMAGE: 2019 James McWha Rising Star Award winner alumna Hannah Wandel facebook.com/uaalumni @EngagewithUoA University of Adelaide flickr.com/adelaidealumni

ViceChancellor’s Welcome As an alumnus and Vice-Chancellor of this University, I have spent a great amount of time thinking about what defines a university. The University of Adelaide is not its campuses, staff, students or university council. It is the group of people who identify as the University of Adelaide, and, of course, this is largely made up of our alumni, including you and me. At last count, we have more than 146,000 alumni in more than 130 countries around the world. Together, we form a global community whose collective achievements have an incredible societal impact. Staying connected with our global family is important. You are part of that world that keeps us in touch with the rest of the world; that spine that connects the university to industry and community. I have had the pleasure of meeting some of you at alumni receptions held this year in Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City and New York. I look forward to meeting many more of you at planned future events both close to home and further afield in the lead up to our 150th celebrations in 2024. As you would be aware, the University released its new strategic plan Future Making earlier this year. The plan outlines our trajectory over the next seven to 10 years and sets out an ambitious path, charging us with the role of future maker – for the future economic, social and cultural benefit of our State, and of us all. No longer will our University be just a commentator on society, we will become an active participant in society. We commit to listening to the voice of our community, aligning ourselves with industry and community needs and aspirations. Our alumni play a significant role in the plan. Closer engagement with our graduates, past and present, will strengthen our knowledge of external trends and bring a sharper global perspective to our community. Our alumni also offer current and future students experience and wisdom to guide them during their studies and beyond. We are also working hard to create more opportunities for you to participate in the life of your alma mater.

Our alumni are our greatest ambassadors and agents of change. As we look back over our history, we see a tradition of excellence. We have five Nobel Prize winners associated with the University of Adelaide and 111 Rhodes Scholars. Our alumni’s achievements were celebrated recently at the University’s Annual Town and Gown evening, where many people from across our community, including alumni, key industry and government stakeholders and other supporters came together to celebrate our University and it’s place in this dynamic city of ours. It is important from time to time to draw people with shared interests into the larger University of Adelaide community. In fact, we are reinvigorating our campuses to make them more welcoming for our staff, students, affiliates, alumni and the broader community. We are also developing a year-round events program to engage our communities in the social and intellectual fabric of the campus. This is part of our plan to become The Beating Heart of Adelaide. I think we all recognise the power of a great education; the meaning it has given our lives. Like me, I’m sure you have a great sense of pride in our University. Now we are trying to build that sense of belonging. I hope you feel inspired, as I have, by the alumni whose stories are contained within this edition of lumen. Thank you for maintaining your connection with the University of Adelaide. Happy reading.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

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AGRICULTURE

Mr Brightside From farmer to philanthropist, the SA media personality on a mission to bring joy to the masses. STORY BY RACHAEL NIGHTINGALE

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

regarious larrikin, former Biggest Loser contestant and wannabe bull rider Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello lives for making others happy. He’s also intent on making radio station Hit 107 number one and “becoming the most influential media personality in South Australia.” “That could be perceived as being arrogant, but I know that if I can achieve it, I can help truckloads of people,” said the TV personality and Hit 107 breakfast host. And helping people is what Cosi does best. From throwing a birthday party for children who’ve never been invited to one, organising charity events for kids with disabilities, to buying cows and then lending them to impoverished Cambodian families, Cosi confesses he’s “wired to please people.” “Giving back is addictive. Every day I look at what I can do to make other people’s days better,” he said. After failing Year 12 and receiving the lowest mark in Maths B in the state, Cosi repeated and went on to study a Bachelor of Agriculture at Roseworthy College. He was working as a pig farmer 19 years ago when he won his coveted position on SAFM (now Hit 107) through the station’s Great Race competition. “I had no home for about 18 months after uni. I just did contract work on farms, camped in caravans and swagged it every other day. I wasn’t homeless, I could’ve afforded a home but I chose not to,” he said. “I then started working for SAFM and my colleagues couldn’t believe I didn’t have a house. I’d finish my day’s work on the farms, drive to Adelaide, and if I had to work on the breakfast show the next morning, I’d just roll out my swag opposite Greenhill Road and sleep near the creek or under the building. “People in the industry still joke that I was that guy that used to sleep in the swag.” Sporting an $8 Dunlop shirt and carrying a Woolies plastic bag with his things to attend a ‘la-di-da’ lunch after our interview, the affable father of three is probably the least materialistic person you’ll ever meet. “I hate materialistic possessions, I basically have none except for my massive fish tank at home (the largest in Adelaide) which holds two tonne of water and I have my race horses because they make me feel connected to the country.

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“I have no desire for stuff, just a desire for memories and moments,” said Cosi. That wasn’t always the case though. Before his appearance on The Biggest Loser, Cosi’s single-minded goal was to be a millionaire by the time he turned 30. But the social isolation and confinement of being on the reality TV show transformed his financially driven life philosophy. “Two weeks into the show with no radio, no phone, no contact with your family or friends, nothing, you start to do a bit of self-assessment and I realised I had all my priorities around the wrong way.” While Cosi was in the Biggest Loser house, the financial crisis hit and he lost a lot of money. “I lost 52kg in the house and a quarter of a million bucks but it was the best quarter of a million loss because it reset me,” he said. From this reset, local travel TV show South Aussie with Cosi was born. It’s been screening for the past eight years, is the biggest TV show in the state, broadcast internationally and is 100 per cent self-funded by Cosi. “Investment in travel is such a win. At the end of the day, we’re all going to be lying on our

PREVIOUS AND ABOVE Andrew 'Cosi' Costello

death bed and the recall you’re going to have is the family and friends moments, and most of those moments are going to be when you’re on holidays. “When I started working in media, I found everyone was in it for themselves and that 99 per cent of what the media portrays is negative which really got me down, that’s also why I started South Aussie with Cosi. “I thought, if I can claw back half an hour, once a week and fill it up with positivity, then that’s half an hour less negative media,” he said. Agriculture still runs strong in Cosi’s blood. For the last three years, he’s been taking Roseworthy students over to South East Asia as part of his Cows for Cambodia charity which he started after travelling to the region and falling in love with the place and its people. The charity is all about breaking the poverty cycle through lending Cambodian families a pregnant cow so they can keep the calf when it arrives. Cosi’s plan is to have 1000 cows in the program and then grow it in Botswana where he has been trialling the same model on a smaller scale for the past two years. “The funny thing is, I studied agriculture, then started in the media pretty much straight after

that, and I’ve been in it for 17 years and only recently when I travelled to Cambodia did I start using my ag degree with my charity there.” Cosi always wanted a farm, now he has one. “The irony is, I finally got my farm but it’s in South East Asia. We’re very proud of it. We’ve built the best cattle facility in the country and we’re moving towards being the biggest agriculture charity in South East Asia in the next couple of years.”

"Giving back is addictive. Every day I look at what I can do to make other people’s days better." The 2018 SA Local Hero of the Year has also started a free-range piggery in Cambodia which he believes will help locals make more money per hectare than they can from rice. In fact, there’s not much Cosi hasn’t done, but for now, his focus in 2019 is ‘fixing’ the station that gave him his start in radio. “Succeeding in making this station reign again would be euphoric. I will succeed because I won’t let it not be successful. It’s like a fire in my belly, a gut determination.”

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

LAW AND MEDIA

Inspiring change The alumna empowering young women in regional areas to reach for the stars STORY BY RENEE CAPPS

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ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

annah Wandel is a change maker. Transforming the lives of young rural women, Hannah lives by the philosophy 'if you want to see change, you have to be the change'. And the 2019 ACT’s Young Australian of the Year and University of Adelaide 2019 James McWha Rising Star Award winner is certainly getting out there, clocking up 32,000 km last year on an epic road trip visiting 81 bush communities across the country to empower 3500 teenage girls. Hannah was only 24 when she founded the not-forprofit organisation Country to Canberra, which runs programs that provide education, leadership and mentorship opportunities to young women in regional and remote Australia. Aspiring to being a journalist since childhood, Hannah studied a double degree in Law (Honours) and Media before starting her dream job at Southern Cross Austereo. It was here her idea for Country to Canberra was conceived.

"We’ve been able to meet people like Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Julie Bishop and Tanya Plibersek, and empower and reach thousands of young women." Working in the Adelaide newsroom, Hannah became dismayed by what she saw as a barrage of sexist stories about then Prime Minister Julia Gillard. “Whether it was about her hair, clothes or partner, I found the terminology surrounding the Prime Minister quite sexist,” she said. “I started looking further into gender inequality in our parliament and board rooms, as well as into issues like domestic violence and the gender pay gap and I became really passionate about creating this change.” Although Hannah had experienced gender issues throughout high school and saw firsthand the struggles faced by young women from the country, it wasn’t until this point that Hannah really felt she could take action. After some soul searching, Hannah quit her job, moved to Canberra and started a career in the public service. “I didn’t feel empowered to do something until I was faced with [gender inequality] day in and day out. I experienced it as a teenager but didn’t have the confidence to go out and talk about it. I had to dig deep and say enough is enough and generate that change.” While working her way up in the public service sector (she is currently Acting Director of the Drought Taskforce at the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities), Hannah steadily

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built Country to Canberra into an organisation that has helped 4000 girls nationally. "It's tough for kids to access career and education opportunities in remote Australia." “Gender inequality is still having a massive and detrimental impact across the country in leadership, when it comes to women’s safety and in so many aspects and realms of life,” she said. Despite facing initial challenges, Hannah was adamant she would take Country to Canberra’s message of self-confidence, respectful relationships, goal setting and leadership far and wide. “I was really determined to do it, even though I got knocked back time after time from sponsors and people who were going to get involved. “Now, five years later, we have four incredible programs, we’ve been able to meet people like Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Julie Bishop and Tanya Plibersek, and empower and reach thousands of young women. This is something I’m really proud of,” she said. Working towards cultural change at a grass-roots level is undoubtedly paying off for Hannah, who is seeing some inspirational results. “One moment that keeps me going occurred during a workshop at a High School in Katherine NT. It was a really tough workshop in that we were pushing the girls outside their comfort zone. By the end of the day, the girls said it was one of the best things they’d ever done. A group of them actually broke down in tears because no one had ever spoken to them about self-belief and how much their futures mattered. “It was transformational. One of the girls recently called me to say she now wants to study something to do with women’s empowerment at university. That’s such a beautiful impact we were able to have,” said Hannah While she is happy juggling her many roles at present, Hannah is leaving the door open for a move into politics one day down the track. As for Country to Canberra, ultimately she would love to see the reigns handed over to a youth leader who has come through the program. To learn more about Country to Canberra, please visit www.countrytocanberra.com.au

You can also make a difference to rural students alumni.adelaide.edu.au/asappeal

PREVIOUS PAGE AND LEFT 2019 James McWha Rising Star Award winner Hannah Wandel

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

MAIN IMAGE Anna Freer inside Elder Hall FOLLOWING PAGE Anna Freer on steps of Elder Hall (left), Natalie Williams (right) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; photo by Megagraphics Photography

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THEN AND NOW

The Elder Conservatorium of Music Past and present, the Elder Con continues to provide the perfect environment for young musicians to find their groove. STORY BY RENEE CAPPS

he Elder Conservatorium of Music is one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest and most distinguished tertiary music schools. Named in honour of its benefactor, Sir Thomas Elder, and established in 1898, the Conservatorium has played a leading role in Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s musical landscape. Among Elder Conservatorium alumni are Natalie Williams, who graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor or Music (Honours) majoring in composition, and Anna Freer, who graduated last year with a Bachelor of Music (Honours) majoring in classical performance. Since graduating, Natalie has pursued an academic career which has taken her across the globe.

Her music has been performed by orchestras and ensembles throughout the world. Anna was loaned a 200 year-old Gagliano violin to play during her time at Elder. The violin was once played by a child prodigy who attended the Conservatorium. The instrument was then donated back to the Conservatorium many years later by her grandson. Still fresh from graduation, Anna is now busy teaching violin and singing with the Adelaide Chamber Singers, and is working towards the Masters Program in Violin Performance in Zurich. She hopes to one day become the concertmaster of an orchestra. We take a look at their time studying at the Elder Conservatorium.

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What are your favourite memories from your time at Elder? Natalie: Performing in the orchestras and ensembles was always exciting. One particular performance of Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony in Elder Hall, as a viola player with the orchestra, was life-changing – the feeling of being completely swept up by the force and power of the musical sounds around me. I also remember listening, for many hours, to the vinyl records in the then basement of the music library. In the days before YouTube, this was how I learnt the musical repertoire. Anna: The incredible sense of community that comes from a group of people trying to create art through discipline – that is a really special thing that brings a lot of memories with it. There’s also a lot of silliness that comes with being cooped up in a practice room for six hours a day, then heading out to the common area to interact with other people who have also spent six hours alone in a practice room that day. How many hours a day or week would you spend composing/playing? Natalie: I composed anywhere between 10-20 hours per week. This would sometimes be across a six to eight hour period, or broken into smaller sessions each day. Anna: I would say that a ‘good’ day involved maybe four to seven hours of concentrated and focused practice. There were points mostly in my first and second years where I got into waking up ridiculously early and coming into the Elder building to do my scales in the dark, which was pretty fun and a good thing for my technique and mental discipline! What is your favourite thing about performing? Natalie: Engaging with an audience. Performing is an exhilarating experience, translating musical sounds and ideas in real time along with other players. The experience in itself is inspiring and uplifting, but to reach an audience emotionally is the biggest reward. Anna: When the preparation is done and the ‘work’, the ‘job’ side of it recedes into the background – then performing really becomes about sharing, about having something to say, a story to tell in the most beautiful way humanity knows how. How has the Elder Conservatorium shaped your music career? Natalie: The Elder Conservatorium provided a solid foundation on which to build a musical career. The undergraduate training and professional opportunities within Adelaide combined to provide

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my first steps into a larger musical world. This training and preparation enabled me to enter the field with valuable professional experience. Anna: Being at the Elder Conservatorium and having it essentially function as a second home for the last five years has solidified my intention of pursuing music professionally. It provided me with opportunities as a soloist and in ensemble situations that would potentially not have arisen had I studied at a larger institution. I was also lucky enough to have two teachers throughout my time at Elder that truly cared not only about my progression, but about me as a person. The Elder Conservatorium gave me the opportunity and environment to develop individually, to learn to work on my own, and to believe in the work that I do. Biggest career highlights? Natalie: A symphony that I composed for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in 2014, celebrating the life of Sir Donald Bradman AC. Anna: Leading the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra and playing big concertmaster solos are experiences like no other â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you are surrounded by so much support from all your colleagues in the orchestra.

Help students access important musical works from across the world. alumni.adelaide.edu.au/bslappeal

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

Meet the technology start-up guru channelling his expertise into saving our oceans. STORY BY KELLY BROWN

DIVING INTO PROBL 14 18

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TECHNOLOGY

LEMS OF THE DEEP ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

t was a love of the Japanese language that led alumnus Alan Noble to Japan in the 80s, a move that sparked a lifelong interest in machine learning, artificial intelligence and technology start-ups. “As I spoke Japanese, I fell into working for a translation company that was paying people to do translations from Japanese to English, that’s how people did it back then,” Alan said. “The owner of that business got wind of the fact I was an engineer, and figured that being an engineer I could probably design something to automate this work. “Of course at the time, I had no idea how to automate translation, but it kind of planted the seed that maybe we could use machines one day in the future to do what is today called machine translation.” Fast-forward thirty years and the University of Adelaide engineering graduate and Adjunct Professor has amassed an impressive career in harnessing technology to solve problems. Highlights include: seven technology start-up companies including two not-for-profits, in Australia and overseas, 11 years at Google as engineering director, time as an advisor to the Chief Scientist of Australia and five years on the board of the South Australian Museum. Alan is now channelling his expertise into solving problems of a different kind. AusOcean, his latest start-up, borne out of his passion for and interest in the state of our oceans, is a notfor-profit company solving technical problems relating to marine habitat monitoring and restoration. “Our mission is to use technology to help our oceans. Our oceans are in trouble. We are really putting them and the sea creatures under enormous strain right now,” he said. “So it’s a big objective. I like the fact that it’s big, it’s hairy and it’s audacious. It’s good to have some big missions.” According to Alan, a major reason why many ocean problems have not been solved already lies in the cost and stop-start nature of research using traditional methods of collecting information. Historically, to conduct ocean monitoring you needed boats, divers and all sorts of equipment to retrieve ocean information for later analysis. “It’s quite expensive to do that, but it’s not just the expense, the process is fragmented – you have a little bit of knowledge at one point in time and then gaps,” Alan said.

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“It dawned on me early on, what if we could build a little low-cost platform that would enable us to undertake continuous monitoring and provide a holistic, non-fragmented view of what’s happening on and in the water,” he said. This drove the development AusOcean’s sea-surface platform, a low-cost floating device known as the rig, which is fitted with solar panels and batteries to power sensors for monitoring ocean activity, including temperature sensors, audio sensors and low-cost cameras. “The camera is actually a super sensor, and you can do a lot of things in software once you have video images,” Alan said. “In the case of a coral reef, for example, you could analyse polyp [tiny, soft-bodied organisms that begin coral reefs] movements and start to determine, through ocean temperature, when they are getting stressed. “But the other thing a camera does – which is nothing to do with science but everything to do with engagement – is provide a window for the world to see what is going on.”

“Our mission is to use technology to help our oceans. Our oceans are in trouble. We are really putting them and the sea creatures under enormous strain right now.” Currently, the majority of AusOcean projects involve the use of sea-surface platform and sensors to monitor interesting marine hotspots in South Australia. Projects include extensive marine life surveys and monitoring of dolphin and porpoise activity at Kangaroo Island's Smith Bay, in partnership with Kangaroo Island/ Victor Harbour Dolphin Watch; and the monitoring of seagrass health and water quality in the Barker inlet, north of Port Adelaide, in partnership with the Estuary Care Foundation. AusOcean is also working on projects with the University of Adelaide. In partnership with the University and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Australia, the company is designing and building an underwater sensor network to monitor Windara Reef, a shellfish reef restoration project on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. A big believer in involving students and interns in start-ups, Alan sees them as an invaluable resource on AusOcean projects.

“I’ve always been a big fan of students in all of my start-ups, from the tiniest start-up to the biggest multinational. “If you give interns interesting problems and enough guidance, they do amazing things,” he said. University of Adelaide alumna and marine biologist Catherine Larkin is one such intern, working with AusOcean on the shellfish reef restoration project. “What I love about interning with AusOcean is the diversity of the work. Working and studying in a multidisciplinary team of both engineers and scientists has exposed me to the more technical side of marine science which is new and exciting and, completely outside my undergraduate realm,” said Catherine. “Understanding all aspects of marine science, not just the ecological side is so important because technology will continue to be a huge driver in our advances and understandings of

the marine environment,” she said. In the future, there are plans to roll out a program to high schools to get students involved in working with AusOcean technology and running their own conservation projects. A trial of this program was successfully completed last year at Immanuel College. Workshops are now underway to get more schools involved. “This would be a game changer. Each school not only building one of our rig platforms, but also engaging with their local community as to what they do with it – do they do some estuary monitoring, river monitoring or coastal monitoring – what’s important in their community?” Alan said. Although only in its second year of operation, it is fair to say that AusOcean has made an impressive impact on ocean conservation. “If AusOcean even achieves a fraction of its mission, it will make a big difference," Alan said.

PREVIOUS Alan Noble pictured with AusOcean monitoring technology ABOVE Alan Noble

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

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CAMPUS

New life for The Cloisters and Union House Taking the best of the past into the future. STORY BY MICHAELA MCGRATH

he University of Adelaide’s campuses serve not only as its footprints, but collectively as its beating heart and as places for students, staff and community alike to come together over academic, social and cultural endeavours. This is particularly pertinent for The Cloisters, with a history as the grounds of campus culture. Nestled against the North Terrace campus’ River Torrens border, The Cloisters are a perpetual link between the University’s physical manifestation and community presence. From solemn beginnings The Cloisters were originally designed in 1928 as a memorial to acknowledge the 470 University members who served overseas during World War I. With classically ordered Tuscan columns, arches of red brick, timber-lined ceilings and a terracotta-tiled pitched roof, The Cloisters exuded the Mediterranean-oriented architecture that was representative of the Australian architectural zeitgeist at the time. ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

At their inception, The Cloisters’ primary function was to frame absence, “a metaphor for those who lost their lives in the Great War,” as explained by Dean and Head of the University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment Professor Alan Peters. Since then, the area has enjoyed an illustrious 90 year reign as the epicentre of student and staff life. From rallies, art installations and concerts, to the day-to-day meeting of staff and students, The Cloisters enjoyed their peak during the days of the original Mayo Café, when couples “would sit on the steps and share their lunch because of the lack of space inside.” Time for change Jump to the present day and The Cloisters precinct retains its historic significance and Mediterranean beauty after being redeveloped earlier this year to meet the changing demands of a future-facing University. The goal was two-fold. Firstly, to further open campus perimeters and encourage a new wave of community into the precinct. Secondly, to breathe new life into both The Cloisters and Union House, intrinsically linked by their potential to better serve a modern student body. “Universities have begun to value and encourage impact beyond the purely academic and scholarly,” explained Professor Peters. “But permeability to the public needs to be tempered with presence. “The idea here is that once you are in the University precinct, you should know that you are somewhere special,” he said. What was once a mecca of University life had sadly fallen to the wayside as students and staff flocked to the Hub. The Cloisters began “showing signs of their age.” But with a new eatery and bar in Union House revitalising the culinary offerings of the campus’ north-west and redeveloped Cloisters, the space has returned to its former glory. Now a single level courtyard, The Cloister's heydey has been re-captured, now used as a multi-purpose space for all manner of events, and as a cultural hub for students, staff and the public to enjoy. PREVIOUS PAGE Cloisters courtyard seating

TOP RIGHT New UniBar kitchen and food service space

RIGHT Students enjoying a game of pool in the new UniBar

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Fresh beginnings Adelaide first got a taste of The Cloisters and Union House revival with Roberta's pop-up Italian restaurant in the old Mayo Café earlier this year. As the University was transformed into a buzzing hub of festival activity, RCC Fringe operated the venue during the Fringe period. “We thought it was a good idea to have a pop-up restaurant in the area to compliment everything else that would be happening in The Cloisters when the campus was at its most activated,” said University of Adelaide Executive Director, Infrastructure Virginia Deegan. “It was really important to bring people through to see how amazing The Cloisters area could really be. “It provided a great opportunity to showcase University spaces, how they can be used and what they can look like.” The partnership between RCC Fringe and the University saw a unique opportunity to openly invite the wider community onto campus. "An estimated 220,000 people visited the University campus during the four-week period of the RCC Fringe," said Virginia. "One in 10 had not been to the University campus before, and the fact they could enjoy events at the intimate Little Theatre, through to the Maths Lawns staging shows like The Presets, demonstrates just how diverse the University campus can be.

“This is just the start of a broader plan to reinvigorate the Union House precinct, which is such an important part of the University’s history.” A new chapter Enter General Admission Entertainment (GAE). In late March, tasked with introducing a new-look UniBar, the new operators took over a revitalised Union House space. Replacing the former venue of the same name, General Admission’s UniBar once again saw students, staff and community members spilling out into the historic Cloisters. “When I envisaged what going to university was like, this is what it was like,” said GAE's Kim Littler. “We grew up watching films and TV shows that depict university life in a sandstone university. This building is also heritage listed, it’s gorgeous.

“For us, having the bar here means that people can spill out into The Cloisters on beautiful balmy days and use the lawns.” The new venue reignited a sleeping area of campus, with the new owners recognising the strong link between the UniBar brand, the Union House precinct, and the University’s cultural engagement. “It’s about creating a community and giving people a safe, fun place to hang out,” explained Kim. “Each of us individually have some affiliation and some history with this university, whether it be through going to gigs at the UniBar or attending the University,” added GAE Co-Director Aaron Sandow. “It’s not that we’re looking back and romanticising something that wasn’t there,” said Kim.“We’re looking forward but being mindful of what’s come before us and trying to complement that and also complement the new space.”

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

Preparing pups for community service Pip’s passion for training man’s best friend. STORY BY KELLY BROWN

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SCIENCE

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“I am someone who really thrives on pushing myself and trying to get more knowledge and experience under my belt. I’m a big believer in trying to better yourself."

hillipa Edwards (Pip) is in the business of loving dogs. And one could easily be forgiven for thinking that as a Puppy Education Supervisor, Pip has the enviable job of playing with puppies all day, although regular cuddles with Labrador and Golden Retriever pups is a major perk. Pip, who studied a Bachelor of Sciences (Animal Science) at the University of Adelaide, works for the Royal Society for the Blind (RSB) overseeing the training of pups destined to become guide and assistance dogs in our communities. Pip’s job requires in-depth knowledge of dogs and their behaviours, as well as an equally good understanding of human psychology so she can teach volunteers how to train puppies in their care. “A large part of the work is training people, and understanding that each person learns differently,” she said. According to Pip, there is also no ‘cookie-cutter’ way to train a dog because each dog’s personality is different. “It’s not so much that dogs learn differently, because all dogs love positive reinforcement, but every dog’s personality is a little bit different so every dog responds differently to each stimulus,” she said. Pip sees her pupils as much as she can to ensure trainers and pups are working well together.

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PREVIOUS AND CURRENT PAGE Phillipa (Pip) Edwards with her own dogs Benji and Cooper Bear

“I’ll meet them at the shops to not only teach them how to train a dog, but to make sure the puppy is looking happy and settled. “After all, we’re not going to force the dog to do a role they are not comfortable with…the dog’s welfare and health is always paramount.” Pip’s recent involvement in the RSB’s new assistance dog program Operation K9, which provides assistance dogs to Australian Defence Force veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reaffirms she made the right career choice. “We have clients who have been able to reduce the amount of medication they take, and we’ve had some clients come off their medication completely,” she said. The assistance dogs are not only trained to perform specific tasks to help mitigate PTSD symptoms, but to also provide companionship to service members. Pip said for some veterans, even the small changes have been life transforming. “A lot of the time the dogs help the veterans’ relationships too because the burden on the partner is suddenly a little bit eased when it’s possible to go shopping or for a walk on your own – it’s pretty incredible.” For Pip, her love of dogs started in the same way it did for many of us, through having pet dogs as a child. She described her family photo album as being full of photos of her with dogs looking “happy as.”

It was through her association with Animal Welfare League (AWL) that Pip really started to see working with dogs as a potential career. At AWL, Pip worked her way up from cleaning dog kennels and cat cages, to desk roles, being involved in the pet adoption process, and then on to becoming a behavioural assessor, determining whether a dog was suitable for adoption. Pip said it was a difficult decision to leave AWL, but the opportunity to work as a Puppy Education Supervisor for RSB was too good to miss. “I am someone who really thrives on pushing myself and trying to get more knowledge and experience under my belt. I’m a big believer in trying to better yourself,” she said. This is why Pip also guests lectures to animal sciences students at the University’s Roseworthy campus, and has supervised honours students undertaking their major projects at RSB. Although Pip could have gone down a very different path and studied engineering at University, following another of her passions, Pip believes she has made the right career choice. “I am fully aware that the animal industry is not an industry where I am going to become a millionaire...,” Pip said. “If you can find a job where you are happy to go to work, well surely that is the jackpot.”

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Changing the world beyond the big screen The Adelaide alum shining light on why culture is key in the success of every modern business. STORY BY KELLY BROWN

idier Elzinga walked away from Hollywood to make a dent in the universe. As CEO of internationally renowned visual effects company Rising Sun Pictures, which worked on blockbusters including The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and the Batman movies, the softly spoken entrepreneur was on a quest to find something more meaningful. “I’d spent 13 years in the film industry and I’d learned a lot, but I was at the point where I wanted to do something bigger,” said the University of

26 30 THE THE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF OF ADELAIDE ADELAIDE

Adelaide mathematical and computer sciences graduate. In a bid to make the world of work a better place, Didier launched Culture Amp, a global start-up that uses analytics to measure companies’ culture, boost employee morale and create environments where people thrive. “Even when I was at Rising Sun Pictures, a lot of what drove me was, ‘how do we do this differently, how do we better marshal the talent of the people we have and use that to create a more successful company?” he said.

According to Didier, workplace culture is the biggest determinant of success in the modern business world. “There are some interesting stats to support this…80 years ago, 80 per cent of the asset value of the S&P 500 (which is the American stock market index) was tangible assets – it was buildings; it was inventory; it was goods. Today it is 25 per cent. “The value in the businesses we are running today is increasingly intangible – it’s brand, it’s IP [intellectual property], it’s the

knowledge inside people’s heads.” Since launching in 2011, Culture Amp now has more than 2000 companies using its software, including Adobe, McDonalds, Airbnb, Etsy, Pixar and Nike. Didier said organisations are realising that culture is at the heart of the company and are therefore applying new ways of thinking when it comes to diversity, inclusiveness and creating a sense of belonging. “It’s a complicated issue – it’s not just about how you increase the diversity among people in your company, it’s

about how you truly become more inclusive on a whole range of spectrums,” he said. Companies are also applying new ways of thinking about employee wellbeing, in particular mental wellbeing. “Mental health is now the third largest health cost globally, behind cancer and cardiology,” said Didier. “The interesting work for organisations lies in looking at how to destigmatise mental health…how do we design our organisations to support people, or how do we

redesign parts of our work to make them less likely to lead to people getting sick?” In his own workplace, Didier knows it’s vital to walk the talk and looks for evidence of his organisation’s values in action as an indicator of the company’s health. “We are a very values-led organisation, they are at the heart of everything we do,” he said. “One of the things I talk about quite a bit is that values are not what you want on a good day, values are what you are willing to hurt for every day.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

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“What’s happening is the nature of work is changing, not the people, and what the world demands is now different whether you are 15 or 50.” “What are the things we can do today to bring those values to life?” When posed with the question of what the workforce of the future will look like, Didier said the idea that organisations will need to change drastically to meet Gen Z’s and millennials’ expectations is a smokescreen, and we are doing ourselves a disservice by thinking this way. “If you look at the data, there is not a huge difference between the different generations – it’s a cohort effect, so the way a 16 year old feels today is pretty similar to how a 16 year old felt 40 years ago. “What’s happening is the nature of work is changing, not the people, and what the world demands is now different whether you are 15 or 50,” he said. Didier believes the future of work will be shaped by the ‘gig economy’, where people are employed to work on a freelance or project basis rather than in permanent jobs, coupled with the rise in needing to solve more complicated problems which will require people to work together for longer periods. “I think we are going to simultaneously get a web of interconnected people that are in the gig economy, and at the same time we are going to need to create really coherent, effective organisations that are able to marshal large numbers of people towards ideas for a long period of time,” he said. According to Didier, understanding that vulnerability is a strength rather than a weakness is an important part of Culture Amp’s culture. “Vulnerability goes to the heart of our culture, what we want to achieve and how we want to interact,” he said. Didier credits his wife, opera singer , psychologist and Adelaide alumna Greta Bradman with teaching him how to have the courage to be vulnerable, also conceding she is one of his most important mentors. “I’ll often seek Greta’s guidance to help me understand the psychology behind aspects of [Culture Amp’s] products, how I mentor people, even the way I lead. “Her knowledge and thinking has framed so much of my own thought processes about the intersection between psychology and organisation.” PREVIOUS PAGE AND LEFT Didier Elzinga

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

A business in full bloom The SA powerhouse behind the home-grown gift business taking on the world. STORY BY ALANA GRIMALDI AND MICHAELA MCGRATH

rowing up in the small South Australian town of Balaklava, country girl Kelly Jamieson always aspired to own her own business. Little did she know that one day she would head up international gifting empire Edible Blooms. Eager to cut her teeth in the marketing world, Kelly travelled overseas for the first time at 21 years old to work in London’s magazine industry before returning down under to develop her experience in professional services. In an effort to gain business management acumen, she enrolled in a Graduate Certificate in Management at the University of Adelaide in 2005. In the same year that she completed her Graduate Certificate, the budding businesswoman founded Edible Blooms with her sister Abbey Baker. Back then, she said “the term 'entrepreneur' wasn't one you heard very often.” “That was only for Richard Branson and people like that, I was just a business owner starting out.” Driven by a love of thoughtful gifting, the sister duo threw everything at their self-funded endeavour. Kelly even dressed as a giant strawberry in the early days to deliver the bouquets. “I solely dedicated myself to the business in the first year. I’ve never worked so hard. I think that’s what life’s about – when an opportunity knocks you’ve got to grab it.” And it paid off. At the close of Edible Blooms’

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first full financial year, the gifting retailer had racked up $1 million in sales and opened four stores nationally. Fourteen years later and this determination has seen the duo go from strength to strength. What began as “just nine fruit bouquets,” the company has expanded to provide a myriad of edible gifting experiences and employs more than 70 staff during peak seasons. Just last year, the Australian gifting empire went global, planting roots in London and Geneva under the sister brand Gift Rebellion. The move saw Abbey relocate to the UK as they settle into the European market. Today the e-commerce juggernaut delivers an edible gift every two minutes. Looking ahead, Kelly and Abbey show no signs of slowing down. While they strengthen Gift Rebellion’s foothold internationally, the sisters are adamant to continue improving customer experiences closer to home through technological advances and an ever-expanding gift offering. “We’re moving into a really strong suite of personalisation. Our next stage of growth is all around customising products,” said Kelly. “People want to feel connected to a brand, they want to know that there’s real people behind it. “Technology for us is about getting closer to our customers, so anything we do is always about how we can improve that customer connection and we see some big opportunities going forward.”

BUSINESS

“I solely dedicated myself to the business in the first year. I’ve never worked so hard. I think that’s what life’s about – when an opportunity knocks you’ve got to grab it.” PICTURED Kelly Jamieson

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

For the love of coffee Kostas Trakas spills the beans on where a good brew can lead you. STORY BY MICHAELA MCGRATH

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SMALL BUSINESS

affiend Coffee Company owner Kostas Trakas was studying a Bachelor of Law and Arts at the University of Adelaide when he met his fiancé Tamika Glouftsis in what he described as, “the only time I’ve ever been thankful for a group assignment.” At the time, the pair visited Synagogue Place’s Fancy Burger between classes and longed for a good cup of coffee close to campus. Neither were to know this would eventually be the location and motivation behind Caffiend’s city debut. In retrospect, Kostas’ career in coffee is an obvious one. As a teenager, his parents bought a bakery café in Port Lincoln, prompting a move to the country and igniting his passion for hospitality. After moving back to the big smoke in pursuit of tertiary education, this fervour for coffee continued. It’s the reason he worked part-time at Bracegirdles on weekends during a six-month stint clerking at a criminal defence firm post-graduation. Realising a career in law wasn’t for him, Kostas said, “coffee was the only thing that I actually really enjoyed, so it seemed like a bit of a no-brainer to pursue that.” From here, he cut his teeth “skipping around different cafés, just trying to learn everything that I could.” This included stints at Nature’s Provedore, Pollen 185, Patio Coffee Roasters and The Coffee Barun, before eventually opening Caffiend Coffee Company in Hahndorf. Logistically, a second location in the CBD made sense. “I found I was spending a lot of time just driving around delivering to wholesale accounts,” he said. But Caffiend’s city location also sees a return, of sorts, to Kostas’ alma mater. The East End café blurs the boundaries of University grounds. Technically off-campus but nestled in Nexus 10's back pocket, Kostas said he sees “a pretty constant procession of professors, tutors and students coming through.” “We knew who we were doing this for and that’s Adelaide students and staff, they’re a huge part of our clientele,” he continued. Recently selling Caffiend's Handorf digs, Kostas is pouring his efforts into the thriving CBD locale. He's a busy man. Clocking in at 7.30 am, he spends his days supplying both shops with beans, roasting for wholesale accounts, and on the floor. “The buck stops with me, if someone’s sick, I do their job, even if that means I work an extra day or two, or have to do things after hours,” he said. Ultimately, the long hours aren’t an issue for a man still enthralled by the industry. “I get to come to work and do what I love every day,” he said. “I love making coffee, I love interacting with people, I love having a joke with our customers, and honestly, every day feels fun, which suits me down to the ground.”

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

University Achievements Members of the University community have been recognised for their outstanding achievements, winning a number of prestigious awards. We are proud to acknowledge the exceptional accomplishments of those achieving excellence.

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2019 Monash Scholars

Australia Day Honours 2019

Dr Benjamin Sparkes

Dr William Mitchell

Dr Sparkes is a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award fellow in the Precision Measurement Group, part of the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (School of Physical Sciences). His research has focused on developing a quantum memory device to boost the security of communications for government, business and the broader community.

As a Monash Scholar, alumnus Dr Mitchell will undertake a Master of Public Health at Harvard University. He then plans to complete intensive care training and return to work as an intensivist in central Australia, focusing on retrieval and pre-admission care of critically ill patients in remote Australia, and creating a strong Aboriginal medical workforce.

Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)

2019 Fulbright Scholars

As a Fulbright Scholar, Dr Sparkes is now working on a project with researchers at Columbia University titled Changing Colours in Optical Fibres: The Key to Long-Distance Quantum-Secured Communications.

Dr Sebastian Rositano Through the scholarship, alumnus Dr Rositano aims to build on previous visiting and consulting roles at the World Health Organization, the Cochrane Collaboration and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where he is exploring societal wellbeing, public health ethics and governance.

Superstar of STEM Dr Roberta De Bei Dr De Bei, a Research Fellow within the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, has been named among Australia's latest superstars of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Dr De Beiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research focuses on developing innovative tools to help viticulturists apply information-driven and sustainable vineyard management.

OPPOSITE PAGE Dr Benjamin Sparkes (far left), Dr Roberta De bei (top right), Dr Sebastian Rositano (bottom right)

Alexander Makarowsky As a Monash Scholar, alumnus Mr Makarowsky will undertake a Master of Philospohy in Energy Technologies at the University of Cambridge. Upon completion, he plans to return to work in the Australian energy sector to help create the next generation of reliable, inexpensive and low-emissions energy systems and to further the use of scientific modelling in public policy.

2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards Vice-Chancellor's Alumni Award Dr Michael Llewellyn-Smith AM KStJ JP Dr James Muecke AM Emeritus Professor Denise Bradley AC

Tirkapena Alumni Award Dr Claudia Paul

James McWha Rising Star Award Associate Professor Kristin Carson-Chahhoud Ms Hannah Wandel

Professor David Lee Ball AO Dr Ronald David Ekers AO Professor Bruce Ernest Kemp AO Professor John James McNeil AO AM Mrs Dawn Leonie Thorp AO Professor Melanie Ann Wakefield AO Mr Charles Garrard Woodard AO Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Dr Bronte Francis Ayres AM Professor John Francis Beltrame AM Mr Peter Ernest Bicknell AM Dr Penelope Anne Briscoe AM Dr Alison Elizabeth Broinowski AM Dr Rodney Dean Cooter AM Dr Judith Margaret Dwyer AM Ms Adele Ferguson AM Ms Susan Jessica Giles AM Mr David William Gray AM Mr Brian Gordon Hagger AM Mrs Elizabeth Anne Mason AM Mr John Menzies McMurtrie AM Mr Randall Paul Sach AM Mr Ian Baker Wall AM OAM Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) Ms Adrienne Jane Clarke OAM AFSM Mrs Mary Dorrington OAM Mr Richard Eylward OAM Mr Timothy Pellew OAM Mr Edgar Reginald Pfeiffer OAM Ms Ann Margaret Prescott OAM Mr Leigh Radford OAM Mrs Rita Mary Shepherd OAM Mr Richard Alan Smith OAM Mr Geoffrey Thomas OAM Mr Malcolm Watson OAM Dr Robert Wight OAM Ambulance Service Medal (ASM) Mr Graeme James Rayson ASM Public Service Medal (PSM) Ms Andrea Collins PSM Dr Clinton Bruce Foster PSM

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

Alumni Events Local and overseas alumni came together in the first half of the year to catch-up with friends and make new connections at alumni events on campus and in Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York and Sydney. We look forward to further events and the many class reunions planned for the second half of the year where alumni will be reunited with their classmates and professors for a night of fun, great memories and excellent company.

Vice-Chancellorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reception, Shanghai

Oliver Ang and Cindy Poh

Jason Koh, Dr Tong Soon Lo and James Ho

Dr Glen Stafford, Dr Xianlu Zeng, Lewis Dunnigan and Chung Ho Man

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Gavin Ku, Karen Lee and Professor Peter Rathjen, Vice-Chancellor and President

Neimal Usmani and Sofiah Shuhaizan

Dinh Khanh Le (left)

Luke Campbell and Michael Clayton

Sumonta Boonprasert, Professor Neil Weste and Ryan Kris

2019 Class Reunions Medicine and Surgery 1990 – 1994 – 27 July 1985 – 1986 – 18 Oct 1995 – 1999 – 2 Nov Roseworthy and Waite 1999 – 2003 – 3 Aug Georgie Fowler, Nick Baker, Ben McLaren and Anna Sedgley

Dr Zheng Wu, Antoinette Rehak

Dental 1989 – 1994 – 10 Aug Economics 1989 – 1993 – 2 Aug 1994 – 1998 – 23 Aug Wine 1985 – 1989 – 5 Oct Law 1975 – 1979 – Oct (Date TBA)

2020 Class Reunions Medicine and Surgery 2000, 01, 02, 03 & 04 – Date TBA 2005, 06, 07, 08 & 09 – Date TBA Roseworthy and Waite Date TBA Dental 2000, 01, 02, 03 & 04 – Date TBA 2005, 06, 07, 08 & 09 – Date TBA Economics Date TBA Wine Date TBA VISITING FROM THE UK with her husband, Dr Kristin Lamb, great-great granddaughter of Professor Horace Lamb, toured the offices and artefacts relating to Professor Lamb’s time at the University of Adelaide. Professor Lamb was one of the first four professors at the University, and was prominent in establishing the academic and administrative structure. He lectured in pure and applied mathematics and provided instruction in practical physics. He also gave public lectures in the evenings on a variety of scientific subjects.

Law Date TBA Engineering Date TBA

ALUMNI MAGAZINE - WINTER 2019

OUR AUGUSTUS SHORT SCHOLARSHIPS HELP STAND-OUT COUNTRY STUDENTS IN HARDSHIP.

SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL "This scholarship changed my University experience. The support it gives is so much more than just helping to pay for textbooks—it’s a lifeline to country students like me."

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY: alumni.adelaide.edu.au/asappeal

CRICOS 00123M 4869-1

Catherine Sloper Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Bioscience) 2018 Recipient Augustus Short Scholarship