Welcome

▲ Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black and students at Maria Island

From the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rufus Black

Avery warm welcome to our Alumni magazine for 2022. As a University community we have been navigating complex challenges these past few years. Of course we are not alone in that, with much of the world facing serious, pressing and complex issues. In the face of all this, it really matters to remind ourselves that there is cause for hope and optimism. In many ways this magazine does exactly this, by sharing stories that celebrate the achievements of our inspiring and talented alumni community. It is not just the stories themselves which I find hope in, it is seeing what we can achieve together and the kind of positive change we can collectively create. Our mission here at the University of Tasmania is centred on us delivering education and expertise for Tasmania and from Tasmania. We know that to achieve our mission, we have to increase access to education. We must provide the knowledge and skills to future generations to enable them to tackle the ‘wicked’ challenges we face, both here on the island and across the world. We also know that you, our alumni community, are central to our mission through the contributions you make. In focusing on hope and optimism, it is worth remembering that Tasmania is one of the best places in the world to lead positive change. We see this in action when addressing issues such as climate change. The targets and projections we often hear about are for 2050. Here in Tasmania, we effectively already have a zero-carbon renewable energy system. We were very proud to be recognised this year as the top-ranked university in the world for climate action (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings). This is a tribute to the collective efforts of students, staff and wider University community. Since 2016, the University has been certified carbon neutral, one of only two Australian universities to achieve this. We have attained this through initiatives such as fully divesting from fossil fuels, sustainable transport initiatives and our Re-use Program. Fuel source replacement and improved building management alone have reduced carbon emissions by 2,540 tonnes over ten years. Our new purpose-built buildings in Burnie and Launceston further speak to our sustainability values. Ambitious carbon reduction targets have been met in our new Launceston buildings, with 33 per cent less carbon used in their construction than in comparable buildings. This was achieved through working closely with architects and the Tasmanian building industry. At our community library at Inveresk, which I very much encourage you to visit, we used recycled gas pipelines in the building’s foundations, as well as timber and low-carbon concrete. Importantly, these collaborations have provided the industry with an at-scale model for how to build more sustainably into the future. The alumni community are also doing hugely important work in the sustainability space, which you will see through the stories in this magazine. Our alumni are at the heart of initiatives such as the cooperative research to reduce carbon emissions through farming seaweed for use in animal feed. There is also the exciting research into Green Hydrogen which is leading to new and innovative enterprises. In the following pages, you will read about efforts to adapt to a changing climate with innovations in plant science – the carbon-proofing of trees by alumnus and 2022 Fulbright Scholarship recipient Professor Tim Brodribb. These stories, and there are many others, give a sense of some of the ways the University is positioning Tasmania to be a lighthouse for the rest of the world. A place that people look to for inspiration in innovation and excellence. Beyond sustainability, our alumni are excelling across many endeavours, and we are delighted to also share with you some of these stories. There is much to be celebrated in the music, theatre and other projects underway in our cultural hub in Hobart, The Hedberg.