University of Tasmania Alumni Issue 52, 2021 by University of Tasmania

Hannah Gadsby comes home Weaving Aboriginal culture into public spaces Honouring Michael Field AC

I S S U E 52 | 202 1

| ISSUE 52 | 2021

MAGAZINE

alumni M A G A Z I N E

alumni

Contents Acknowledging Tasmanian Aboriginal culture in our public spaces

Welcome

Creating opportunities for connection

Alison Watkins Q&A

Blazing a trail

A beacon of learning and hope for the Cradle Coast

Honorary Doctorate – Hannah Gadsby

Michael Field

Farming down the line

Breaking down the barriers

Riding a wave of confidence

Standing strong

A focus on the bizarre and beautiful

Award-winning architects

Safe skies for all

Smiles galore as graduation celebrations return

Life is a labyrinth, but you get there in the end

Still staring at the night sky

‘The Tissue Detective’ on making a difference

Forests of the future

Drivers of positive change

Jack jumps into dream job

Memoriam

Welcome to country We acknowledge the palawa/pakana of lutruwita and Gadigal people of Sydney, the traditional owners of the land upon which we live and work. We pay respects to Elders past and present as the knowledge holders and sharers. We honour their strong culture and knowledges as vital to the selfdetermination, wellbeing and resilience of their communities. We stand for a future that profoundly respects and acknowledges Aboriginal perspectives, culture, language and history.

Cover photo: Oi Studio

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ABORIGINAL LEADERSHIP

| ISSUE 52 | 2021

Acknowledging Tasmanian Aboriginal culture in our public spaces An interview with Professor Greg Lehman

Pro Vice-Chancellor, Aboriginal Leadership, Professor

“I was looking at colonial land, not just looking as an

Greg Lehman delivered the Dick and Joan Green Family

art historian might … I was quite naturally seeing

Award for Tasmanian History Lecture in September,

evidence of Aboriginal activity, signs of cultural

along with fellow award winner Professor Tim Bonyhady.

burning, for example,” Professor Lehman said.

Professor Lehman reflects here on the ways the University is rectifying past absences of Aboriginal culture in our public spaces, providing opportunity to contemporary Tasmanian Aboriginal artists, and welcoming community. Professor Lehman (BSc 1984, GraDipEnvSt Hons 1998, PhD 2017) believes that with the campus transformation programs in Burnie, Launceston and Hobart, there are multiple opportunities to expand the University’s acknowledgement of Tasmania’s Aboriginal culture.

That was when it struck Professor Lehman that unlike the colonial art of New South Wales in the 1820s, which typically included Aboriginal people placed in the landscape as a part of a picturesque study, Tasmanian colonial art of the period is defined by the absence of Aboriginal Tasmanians. “The problem is, in the 1820s, there were plenty of Aboriginal people still living on this Country … They were very active in the landscape,” Professor Lehman said.

“One of the things I’ve been very keen to do is look for opportunities for the University to rectify the absence of Aboriginal culture in public spaces,” Professor Lehman said. “The Aboriginal textile designs at Inveresk and at The Hedberg are welcome signs of this beginning to occur. “We have opportunities to not only recognise the past, but support innovation and entrepreneurship into the future, creating learning places that are welcoming to Aboriginal students and community.” Descended from the Trawulwuy people of North-East Tasmania, Professor Lehman draws on knowledge gained from his doctorate at the University investigating

One of the things I’ve been very keen to do is look for opportunities for the University to rectify the absence of Aboriginal culture in public spaces.”

the representation of Aboriginal people in colonial art. His earlier degrees at the University were in the life sciences and human geography, giving him a strong interest in landscape and culture. Professor Greg Lehman

In fact, a state of martial law had been declared against Tasmania’s Aboriginal population. Aboriginal people were only reinstated into these colonial paintings once the last Aboriginal resistance group had been removed from mainland Tasmania to Flinders Island, “almost as a memorial to the sad reality of their removal,” Professor Lehman said. “It took the political acts of the 1970s to reassert Aboriginal presence. “The University, through the work of people like Professor Henry Reynolds (BA Hons 1960, MA 1964, HonDLitt 1998), Dr Nicholas Clements (BA Hons 2007, PhD 2013), Dr Ian McFarlane (PhD 2002) and other historians, has succeeded in creating a body of historical literature which fills that gap in a historical and intellectual way.

“But I’d argue that our visual history is still in the process of being understood … the work of artists such as Julie Gough (BFA Hons 1994, PhD 2001), who interrogates the colonial archive and searches out the ‘gaps and silences’, has started the process. “And there are traditional artists working in more

Palawa stories of smouldering banksia wicks carried in kelp-wrapped abalone shells are woven into the fabric of the University’s new performing arts space, The Hedberg, built in the heart of

traditional modes who also provide evidence of

Hobart on the ancient grounds of the

Aboriginal presence through the continuation of

muwinina people.

ancient traditional practices. “But we still have a long way to go. We’ve started that with the commissioning of Aboriginal artists to be involved in the fit-out of University buildings – the carpet

The fire-inspired carpet design with its sprays of yellow against orbs of

designs of The Hedberg by Michelle Maynard and the

deep red is a collaboration between

library at Inveresk by Caleb Nichols-Mansell.”

LIMINAL Studio (founded and directed

Mr Nichols-Mansell said: “Our Old People lived in

by alumni Elvio Brianese (BArch Hons

harmony with the waterways and Country they

1992) and Peta Heffernan (BEnvDes

called home. These wetlands sustained life, provided

1995)) and invited Tasmanian

resources and places to gather. “This work represents the changing colours and winding flow of the river, and also the human interference and pollution that has followed.” There is also a strong Aboriginal influence in the

Aboriginal artist Michelle Maynard. The building’s external skin is reflective of a Tasmanian abalone shell.

landscaping at Inveresk, where designers have worked

Similar collaborations have occurred

closely with the Aboriginal community on concepts.

in the fit-out of the University’s new

Professor Lehman said he is optimistic about

Inveresk library in Launceston, with

seeing some profound design elements for the

a public commission by North-West

Hobart city campus. “The University has a great opportunity for leadership on showing how Tasmanian Aboriginal culture can influence architecture – in the actual design of the building itself. I think there is a strong appetite for it,”

Aboriginal artist Caleb Nichols-Mansell. Supported by Arts Tasmania, the design features grass-toned wetlands, the blue-grey of saltwater Country and

Professor Lehman said.

kanamaluka/Tamar River-inspired

Professor Lehman, who is also an essayist, art historian and

ochre pigments.

curator, was awarded the Dick and Joan Green Family Award for Tasmanian History with co-author Professor Bonyhady for their book The National Picture: The Art of Tasmania’s Black War.

Katherine Johnson

The Hedberg. Architects: LIMINAL Studio with WOHA. Photo: Natasha Mulhall

alumni M A G A Z I N E | ISSUE 52 | 2021

UNIVERSITY

Welcome Our mission for a better Tasmania remains undimmed during a turbulent time.

Well before COVID-19 arrived, the University of Tasmania

In the North-West applications increased by 34 per cent,

had determined to set off upon a different path to the

in the North by 14 per cent, and in the South by 25 per

one it had been on.

cent. That has converted into significant growth (almost

Rather than pursuing the increasingly typical higher education model in which success is measured by scale – which logically distracts institutions such as ours from serving our place – we determined to be a University for Tasmania and, from here, make a contribution to the world. It is a very different path to the one we were travelling, but we set off with a sense of excitement about what it could mean. Months later COVID-19 did arrive and we know it has been profoundly challenging across the globe. Our thoughts have been with many in our alumni family who have faced this challenge and been impacted in recent years. However, this renewed University focus of being both for and from Tasmania has meant that we have focused

8 per cent) in Tasmanian students in higher education, including a 30 per cent increase in students with a disability.

We know we have more to do. Financial need is a still a major barrier. There are 1000 Tasmanian students who couldn’t join us because of challenges with money. Responding to this, we have transformed our scholarship approach to make it easier and more targeted. Since opening in August this year, the Support to Study Scholarship Package has had a great response from potential students, already attracting 1000 requests for assistance with finance, relocation and accommodation for 2022 within weeks of opening. There is clearly huge demand here and we will need

our efforts on the needs of our community and, working

to attract more donor support to meet this.

together, have been able to make a real difference.

What we are doing will be a generational change that’s

Creating better pathways for students We have transformed our courses and expanded our offering. We have dramatically simplified our course

dependent on the support of both the university and those who can assist, to ensure we can create clearer pathways to study for so many Tasmanians.

structure making it much easier for students to

Supporting our distinctive regions

understand and much more flexible to meet their needs.

Importantly, we also approach this vital mission about

We are introducing course areas of Tasmanian need

access in a way that supports the needs of the regions

like physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech

where we operate.

pathology. We have redesigned our courses to better

This was strongly evident in the community excitement

develop the professional skills Tasmania needs and we

and celebration of the opening of the Field Building on

have focused on making them distinctive.

the Cradle Coast.

We have made a real breakthrough in transforming

This part of our mission is not just about new buildings,

Tasmanian access to higher education. The

but the things they enable us to deliver. For instance,

introduction of the Schools Recommendation

nursing is now being taught in Burnie, meaning

Program has seen a dramatic growth in interest

students don’t have to travel to Launceston or Hobart

for higher education in communities where access

for their study. This removes cost and loss of community

has been a challenge historically.

networks as barriers to study.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black, centre, with Chancellor Alison Watkins and TIA Research Fellow Dr James Hills.

These important developments have resulted in this edition of Alumni magazine having a distinctly NorthWest flavour.

On the research front, we have a focus on longer-term funding to support work that is distinctively for and from Tasmania. We have seen mission-aligned research projects funded,

Introducing Rebecca Cuthill and Rob Blandford.

including a new Drought Resilience Hub for Tasmania, new Antarctic funding with partners the CSIRO and Australian Antarctic Division, and a new MS Research Flagship at Menzies. The Tasmania Project has analysed 11,000 community survey responses, which has supported decision-making through the COVID period by policymakers, industry

Rebecca Cuthill, Acting Executive Director, Advancement, has welcomed recently appointed Associate Director, Alumni Relations, Rob Blandford, to the Advancement Office. Rob Blandford said it was wonderful to arrive at a time of great energy, as the University focuses on

partners and community partners.

contributing to a bright future for Tasmania.

Our climate scientists continue to make a substantial

“In my previous institution, I spent 14 years working

contribution to the world’s understanding of the great

in an engineering faculty and subsequently in an

questions of our time and here – uniquely positioned in

alumni relations team,” Rob said.

Tasmania – we are seeking to help our place be a beacon

“I come to the University of Tasmania with a great

to the world in embracing a carbon-positive future.

enthusiasm for our alumni community and its enormous

While scale is not a measure of our success, we have

strengths and capacity to make a positive difference.

evidence that having a deeply place-based approach

“Rebecca and I are grateful for the work undertaken by

is not an impediment either. This deeply mission-based research focus produced

Rebecca’s predecessor, Kate Robertson, who recently retired from her position. We look forward to continuing

the largest research income ever last year, and we

the relationships and conversations already underway.”

expect to exceed that again this year.

The Alumni team welcomes your feedback and is here

What’s important is that investment is focused on

to make sure that you feel a sense of connection to your

creating positive impact for Tasmania and Tasmanians, and from here using our distinctive strengths to have

University. We are creating an environment to provide you with life-long opportunities to access educational,

an impact for the world.

cultural and artistic engagement. We will introduce you

A mission for the longer term

and connection.

Changing our focus from one which is measured

We invite each of you to play a special role in

by scale to one which is place-based is a long-term

strengthening our alumni community to be a

strategy, reaching out to 10 years or more. The support

network of volunteers who not only support each

within the University and the wider community is

other but can also influence the direction and the

indeed encouraging.

success of this institution.

to your peers to enable you to build circles of support

The world is also taking interest in what we’re doing. Word has got out that something interesting is happening here. One of the reasons people are interested is because we are starting to achieve results around things that universities and communities have been grappling with for a long time – like student access and impactbased research. This isn’t easy. It’s about having a shared long vision and having the tenacity to stick with it and work together to navigate some of the tough patches. Indeed, it relies completely on working together. We want to thank all who share this vision, who have helped create it, and who are contributing to it. We hope it will increasingly serve to strengthen your sense of pride and belonging to the University of Tasmania. Professor Rufus Black, Vice-Chancellor

Rebecca Cuthill and Rob Blandford at the official opening of the West Park campus in Burnie.

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New knowledge is at the heart of our mission

Creating opportunities for connection

alumni M A G A Z I N E

UNIVERSITY

Alison Watkins Q&A Alumna Alison Watkins (1980) is the first permanent female Chancellor in the 130-year history of the University of Tasmania.

Alison grew up on a farm in regional Tasmania, and

Those are the things I will be thinking about as I’m

attended St Michael’s Collegiate in Hobart before

settling into the role.

studying Commerce at the University of Tasmania.

Something I found very appealing about this opportunity

Alison has been the CEO of major Australian businesses,

is how clear the University is about wanting to operate in

including ASX-listed companies GrainCorp Limited and

a way which supports Tasmania and, from here, make a

Coca-Cola Amatil Limited. The mother of four also has

contribution to the world. That’s an inspiring mission and

significant board and governance experience with large

I am very much looking forward to being part of it.

Australian companies and not-for-profit organisations. She is currently a board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Why did you accept the role of Chancellor? I felt very honoured to be approached as part of the search process for the position. Happily, it came at a time of my life and career when I was in a position to devote time and energy to an organisation that aligns so well with my own values. Many of the wonderful things in my life happened as a result of my upbringing and my education. I feel this is a real opportunity to give back to my home State and my university.

How will you approach your role leading the Council, the University’s peak governing body? In my experience, there are themes which contribute to whether boards and management teams are functioning well or not. That includes how aligned people are around mission, the level of trust and respect that exists within the group, that people have a learning

What are your top priorities coming into the role? We have a very experienced Council, Vice-Chancellor and executive, with a clear strategy. I want to acknowledge the work of Michael Field who, after eight years as Chancellor, leaves this institution well prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead. My focus in the first instance will be to listen and learn and to ensure the Council continues to provide strong support to our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rufus Black, and his team in delivering on that strategy. Thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of everyone in recent years, our University is very well-placed, but we do have some challenges to navigate in the years ahead.

You are the first permanent female Chancellor in the history of our University. What does that mean to you? In my career I’ve seen significant positive change in leadership roles across all sectors on gender and other forms of diversity. There’s more to do and I’m excited to be part of that change continuing.

mindset, and that we are very clear on building and

There’s a lot of truth to the saying, “If you can’t see

looking after our relationship with our community.

me, you can’t be me” and I hope for young women, in

The Council has an important role to play in making sure overall direction for the University is clear, and in supporting the Vice-Chancellor and executive to execute that successfully.

particular, I can play some role in shaping their career and leadership aspirations.

Universities have been operating in an uncertain world recently. How is the University placed? Our University is in a very strong position. Enrolments in Tasmania and interstate have strengthened. Despite travel restrictions, we still have a good number of international students studying online. The University has a strong balance sheet. That’s not to say there won’t be challenges in the years ahead, but we will meet them from very solid ground with good strategies in place to address them. Of course, we look forward to welcoming our international students back when travel restrictions ease and the challenge of COVID-19 is met.

Chancellor Alison Watkins tours IMAS in Hobart with PhD candidate, and recipient of the Dr Joan Woodberry Postgraduate Fellowship in Engineering or Bioscience, Ellie Paine.

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UNIVERSITY

Blazing a trail

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A life in the law leads to Government House.

It was 1975 and a young, female political science

“One disadvantage of not moving interstate was a

student had just finished her exam.

lack of female role models and mentors in practice.

In the most dramatic and memorable of moments, the supervising lecturer announced, to the shock of examinees, the dismissal of the Whitlam Government. Who would have guessed that more than 40 years later that same student, now an Arts/Law alumna, would have the power to dismiss a Premier? Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC was appointed the Governor of Tasmania in mid-2021 after

Thankfully, this has changed, with many women now in senior positions in the legal profession, although still not achieving at similar numbers to men.” Her Excellency’s advice to female law students and lawyers is: work hard, persevere, and never give up. “Look for mentors for advice and support, but always make and stand by your own judgement and decisions,” she said.

an impressive 23-year career as a distinguished and trailblazing family lawyer and judge. Although the role of Governor does have powers reserved for exceptional circumstances, Her Excellency is apolitical and primarily focused on safeguarding the Tasmanian Constitution and democratic parliamentary system of government. The State’s 29th Governor also plans to use her role to raise awareness about family violence and espouse the virtues of sport for children’s physical and mental health.

Look for mentors for advice and support, but always make and stand by your own judgement and decisions.”

Her Excellency’s achievements – including becoming the first female partner of the law firm Murdoch Clarke in 1993, and the first Tasmanian woman to be appointed as a Federal Magistrate in 2008 – have inspired generations of young lawyers. Her own decision to study Law as a Tasmanian teenager evolved over time. “I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be a lawyer or a psychologist,” Her Excellency said. “My father and sister were lawyers and my mother had completed an Arts degree, so, no doubt there was some unconscious family influence.”

“I would also urge young female law students and lawyers to call out bullies and harassment in the legal profession and in the community more generally.” Promoting equality and respect is also at the heart of Her Excellency’s bid to reduce the devastating impact of family violence on families. Read more about the Governor’s advocacy and interests in her Alumni Profile online.

Lucie van den Berg

After a year majoring in Psychology, she realised that Law was her chosen path. Studying at the Sandy Bay campus in the late 1970s was a social and collegial time in her life. “I met lots of fellow students, many of whom remain good friends. I spent a lot of time at the Refectory, mixing with students from other faculties and talking politics. I also spent a lot of time on the hockey field.” Her Excellency stayed in Tasmania to launch her law career as a solicitor at Simmons Wolfhagen. “There was also the real advantage to staying in Tasmania, such as not having to travel long distances to work, allowing a balanced lifestyle and more time for other interests. This helped me later to combine work, motherhood and sport. Her Excellency Barbara Baker

NORTH-WEST FOCUS

A beacon of learning and hope for the Cradle Coast The recently opened building on Burnie’s waterfront is the first of the University’s new, regionally distinctive campuses to be brought to life and is the realisation of a six-year journey to transform learning outcomes.

In September, a new chapter began for higher education

“Strengthening our presence on the Coast is part of a

in the North-West with the opening of the Cradle Coast

commitment to being regionally networked – ensuring

campus at West Park.

more people can gain the skills and knowledge they

Shaped by, and built for, the region and people it will serve, the campus will help more students study closer to home while enabling new courses to be offered locally. The $52 million vision to bring the campus closer to the heart of the community was realised through

need without having to leave their communities or incur the costs of living away. “This is a building that is all about hope, that looks to the future and all that is possible in it, and which enables people to take root, grow and flourish.”

contributions from the Tasmanian and Australian

The new campus is distinctive to the North-West region,

governments, Burnie City Council and the University,

responding to community, the environment and history.

as part of the Northern Transformation Program.

It takes its place at a site steeped in learning and

But the development is more than just a building:

recreational and cultural activity, and honours West

it’s a commitment to an entire region and a beacon

Park’s heritage as an educational precinct, with the

for transformational education.

Domestic Arts building living on as a central feature.

“In a time when universities around the country

“This is a campus you wouldn’t find anywhere else in

are pulling out of regions, we’re doing the opposite

the world,” Professor Black said.

because we know the benefit education can have for communities, whether that be through research, teaching or outreach programs,” Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black said.

“The architecture reflects the headland forms that rise up along the coast, while the green roof speaks to the abundant agricultural fields. Each window frames views of the surrounding land and sea, while the use of concrete echoes the area’s industrial history.

alumni M A G A Z I N E

NORTH-WEST FOCUS

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“Students can now learn in a truly magnificent setting,

“The building is filled with local timber and other

with contemporary facilities allowing us to grow our

materials that are deeply Tasmanian, and its

programs and evolve their delivery to be more interactive

craftsmanship is a testament to the very ‘makers’

and industry-relevant.

nature of Burnie,” Professor Black said.

“The campus is also a place for community to enjoy and

The new campus has already enabled the Bachelor of

experience, putting learning on display so visitors can

Nursing and the Bachelor of Psychological Science to

consider how education might enhance their lives.”

be offered this year, with an accelerated Bachelor of

The campus has been named the Field Building after Michael Field AC for his service to the region, State

Business and Master of Business Administration the next courses to be introduced.

and, most recently, the University. Tasmanian firm Fairbrother led the construction phase, with 440 people living and working in the region engaged with the build, while local contractors and suppliers were prioritised.

Shantelle Rodman Field Building Meeting pod

NORTH-WEST FOCUS

Honorary Doctorate – Hannah Gadsby Tasmania’s greatest comedic export makes an emotional homecoming.

Graduations are always special, but the awarding

She also referenced the brutality of European invasion

of an Honorary Doctorate to comedian, writer and

(including a call to change the Australia Day date) and

actor Hannah Gadsby in 2021 was a particularly

Tasmania’s criminalisation of homosexuality until 1997.

profound moment for the University of Tasmania.

She said homophobia was politicised and weaponised to

Hannah has had a meaningful impact on contemporary popular culture, entertaining audiences across the world and asking them to think deeply about the trauma that comes from not being accepted for who you are. Hannah grew up in Smithton in North-West Tasmania, a young gay woman with autism in a State where homosexuality was illegal and the LGBTIQ+ community was persecuted.

divide a vulnerable community when she was growing up, but she can now say that she is proud to be from North-West Tasmania. Hannah was nominated for the doctorate by the University’s Ally Network in conjunction with the Executive Dean, College of Arts, Law and Education. The nomination stated that she had “deconstructed stand-up comedy from the inside out while simultaneously shining an unflinching light upon

The Doctorate of Letters honoris causa was awarded

homophobia, sexism, violence, and misogyny – all

in recognition of Hannah’s role as an ambassador for

pertaining to her own lived experience”.

all LGBTIQ+ people world-wide. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rufus Black, said that in all her work, Hannah was intent on helping to humanise the human race, helping all of us to acknowledge painful truths while never giving up on the possibility of healing. The Honorary Doctorate was bestowed at the Hobart Winter Graduation ceremony on August 14, where Hannah delivered the Graduation Address. She asked graduates the question, who do you want to be? “Don’t ask yourself what do you want to achieve, honestly the world already decides so much of that for you ...”

Your story is as alive as you are. Never stop paying attention to it. Be alive, breathe, be somebody, and try your best to be someone you want to be.”

Hannah said. “Your story is always being written and re-written courtesy of the actions you take. Your story is as alive as you are. Never stop paying attention to it. Be alive, breathe, be somebody, and try your best to be someone you want to be.” Hannah Gadsby receives her Honorary Doctorate from University Council member Mr James Groom.

Hannah studied at the University of Tasmania in 1998 and later at the Australian National University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, specialising in art history. In her award-winning live show Nanette, she speaks of being filled with fear and anxiety when she first started at university, “as I tried to carve my tiny little life into a world that felt far too big for me”. Her success has taken her a long way from Smithton and Tasmania. Nanette ran for 18 months through 2017 and 2018 to sold-out houses across Australia and in London, Edinburgh, New York and Los Angeles. It was the 2017 Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and, after being launched on Netflix in June 2018, won a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award. Analyses and commentary on Nanette and on the impact Hannah had and continues to have on informing national and international conversations have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, The New Republic, The Guardian and Rolling Stone, among others. Nanette is just one in her long list of performances in solo comedy shows and as a television actor and presenter.

Miranda Harman

alumni M A G A Z I N E

NORTH-WEST FOCUS

Michael Field

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The former Premier steps aside after eight years leading his alma mater.

Undergraduate student, schoolteacher, State Member for the North-West seat of Braddon, Premier, University of Tasmania Chancellor.

And despite the current turbulent and uncertain

The community-focused career of Michael Field AC came full circle in January 2013, when he returned to UTAS in the chief governance role.

“I think the University at the moment is very well led,”

And now, having handed the leadership of his alma mater over to respected businesswoman and fellow alum Alison Watkins, Michael has taken time to reflect on his more than eight years as the successor to former Chancellor Damian Bugg AM.

a clear sense of direction, and there’s a strategic sense

Michael said he initially applied for and accepted the leadership position because he was convinced of the University’s importance to the State, and his unassuming view that he could “make a contribution”. As a political party leader for almost a decade, and Premier of Tasmania between 1989 and 1992, Michael brought an enormous wealth of executive experience to the University Council table. “Chairing Cabinet, and chairing other bodies as well, enabled me to have views about how organisations should operate at the governance level,” Michael said, from his home at Eaglehawk Neck. “I also came to the job with the view that you had to involve everyone on Council, and so chairing can facilitate that. So, it’s not a meeting with the Chancellor, it’s a meeting of Council.”

times, Michael expressed clear optimism regarding the University’s future. he said. “I think my successor will be very competent. There’s with the big issues.” While another significant career chapter has closed for Michael, don’t expect him to be slowing down any time soon. Between roaming his beachside acreage, keeping up with his five grandchildren, and staying up to date with world affairs, Michael has plenty to keep him occupied. “I’ve now been out of politics longer than I was in it,” Tasmania’s 38th Premier said. “Because I got out of politics when I did – I was 50 – I had an attitude then that you have to have physical, emotional and intellectual challenges, and that you need a balance between those. “That was my view then, it’s my view now, and I will continue along that line because it’s worked for me.”

Duncan Abey Michael Field AC

Michael said that one of his biggest initial challenges as Chancellor was overcoming in himself what he described as a common condition among alumni: fixed views on how the University should operate based on their formative years as students. He said that changing perspectives was a huge challenge for any institution, particularly for larger issues such as the University’s move to the Hobart CBD. Michael described his biggest achievement as Chancellor as leading an increasingly cohesive Council, where every member was encouraged to participate fully. He said it was this unity that enabled the leadership group to approach challenges with a common purpose. “We faced some big issues,” Michael said. “Obviously the biggest was seeing the role of the University differently, concerning our obligation to provide education on the North-West Coast and the North rather than just being completely Hobart-centric. And, of course, the other one was the move to the city.” Michael credited Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black with firmly re-establishing serving the State of Tasmania as the University’s primary mission, which he said ultimately impacted how the University presented itself to the world.

NORTH-WEST FOCUS

Farming down the line The innovative Roberts-Thomson family are planting for the next generation.

The thousands of tourists who make their way to

“I’m one of the people who did a science degree

Table Cape on Tasmania’s fertile North-West Coast

and then went farming,” Paul said.

from September to October are rewarded by rows of spectacular, multicoloured tulips with a majestic lighthouse backdrop and uninterrupted ocean views to the horizon. Since the mid-1980s, the farmgate of Van Diemen Quality Bulbs has opened to the public for one month a year and has become a tourism venture that is now a major drawcard for the North-West Coast. The family behind the farm – the Roberts-Thomsons – have called the property home since Paul’s grandfather took ownership in 1910. Now, Paul and his wife Bronwen, along with their son Dave and daughter Meredith – the fourth generation of Roberts-Thomsons – oversee a diverse farming business, of which flowering tulips play only a tiny part. All four are University of Tasmania alumni. Paul has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with Honours (1976); Bronwen has a Bachelor of Arts (1974); Meredith

“I was brought up with sheep, cattle, and cropping. Our specialist enterprise was stud sheep and we changed from sheep to tulips in the 1980s. “It’s not hard to look around a place like Table Cape and think the future must be in horticulture.” Paul explained the idea of tulips came from the late Professor George Wade, a respected plant pathologist who established the School of Agricultural Science at the University of Tasmania in 1962. His 19-year leadership largely shaped the school as it is today: the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA). “We started growing bulbs and the natural progression was to grow flowers. With flowers, a lot of your operation must be done today. Tomorrow won’t do. For us, it wasn’t sustainable,” Paul said. Leaving cut flowers behind, the Roberts-Thomsons concentrated on selling bulbs to home gardeners.

completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours in

“You put tulips on top of Table Cape, people want to

2002; while Dave has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2004),

come and have a look. Once you start engaging on

and a Graduate Certificate in Business (2014).

a tourism basis, the mail order flows naturally,” Paul said.

Aerial view of Van Diemen Quality Bulbs at Table Cape. Photo: Dale Triffet

It’s not hard to look around a place like Table Cape and think the future must be in horticulture.”

alumni M A G A Z I N E | ISSUE 52 | 2021

It’s not hard to look around a place like Table Cape and think the future must be in horticulture.” While the mail order side of the business ticked along nicely, it was Dave’s return to the farm that saw a change. “When Dave came back on the farm a decade ago, he brought a whole new impetus, and it grew,” Paul said. Dave said he had tried hard not to be a farmer for over a decade. “But our business offered such an array of different things, so I had artistic outlets, but also I was very interested in science. “It is such a varied business, and the combination of the soil, the climate and our specific location, the work that mum and dad had already done around bulbs and tourism, and the mail order, provided opportunities for me to fit in and do things that I was interested in.” Meredith is also part of the business and oversees much of the bulb mail orders. “There are three key parts to the business,’ Dave explained. “General farming (wheat, barley, poppies, peas), then we grow bulbs for wholesale … and the third part is the retail business: tourism and, importantly, mail-order bulbs.” The Roberts-Thomsons have experienced an unprecedented boom in sales since the pandemic. And the farm’s 15 staff (including the family) will continue to meet the growing demand as more bulbs are shipped every day. “Dave is an artist, Bron is an artist, Meredith and I are scientists,” Paul said. “We have a lot of good staff here and we can do stuff. And we have a lot of fun at it.”

Catherine Gale-Stanton Paul Roberts-Thomson, left, and son Dave on their farm at Table Cape. Photo: Peter W. Allen

NORTH-WEST FOCUS

Breaking down the barriers UTAS remains committed to making uni accessible to all.

The University’s ability to remove financial barriers for

Although immensely proud of her son, Declan’s mother

students through Access Scholarships has never been

didn’t have the means to support his study. But earlier

more important.

this year, Declan was awarded a Southern Lights Access

So in 2021, the Advancement team worked hard to streamline the process for Access Scholarships, and to help to remove the barriers future and current students have around accessing tertiary education at the University of Tasmania. This year the University also launched the 2021 Southern Lights Scholarship Appeal to help assist our students, like new undergraduate Declan Porter, from the North-West Coast. Declan was a kid who always loved English and was well-versed in Shakespeare even while in primary school. Encouraged by Mr Bird, his English teacher at Latrobe High, Declan turned books into his passion. His dream was to turn that love of literature into a career and inspire other hungry young minds. But there were obstacles to Declan attending university

Scholarship valued at $5000 annually which will help cover living expenses and textbooks and let him focus on the degree that will enable him to teach. Now Declan will be the first in his family to attend university. Southern Lights Access Scholarships were created for students just like Declan. Since Access Scholarships were introduced in 1995, thousands of students with huge potential but limited means have been given access to a university degree once beyond their reach. If you would like to help lift educational attainment – a critical priority for the University and an essential focus for our State – please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Your gift today will give more eager minds an opportunity to shine bright, just like our Southern Lights. utas.edu.au/giving

– his father wanted him to join the family business and fix tractors, while his mother had battled illness for years and could no longer work.

New undergraduate Declan Porter

Riding a wave of confidence Engineering the perfect graduate position isn’t

a student who is studying mechatronics in their third

something you can automate – it takes people power.

or fourth year of studies.

Graduate turned automation engineer Wade Dunham

“It was a very generous scholarship, but, importantly,

knows first-hand how crucial the belief and backing of

it led to a 12-week placement with TEMCO, which

others is when it comes to shaping a successful career.

was one of the most valuable aspects of my degree,”

He had academic rigour, an intense curiosity and the discipline to work anywhere in the world. However, thanks to the generous support of individuals and industry, he’s carving out an impressive engineering

Wade said. He worked alongside mineral-processing and control engineers in the large mineral processing operation 50km north of Launceston.

career in a cutting-edge field on the North-West Coast,

“The engineers shared their knowledge and perspective.

where he was born and bred.

I wasn’t just shadowing them; they trusted me to do

As a teenager, Wade was always fascinated with

small tasks under their supervision,” Wade said.

computers. He was also interested in a profession

“You can draw a straight line from my TEMCO placement

that enabled him to find creative solutions to real-

to the work that I’m doing now – I asked my supervisor to

world problems.

be one of my referees, and it was a large factor in landing

“I remember one piece of advice that my Dad gave

my current role.”

me was to pursue an area that I’m interested in,

Wade is an automation engineer with Cromarty, an

because then I’ll be willing to work hard and I’ll be

engineering firm founded by alums, which works with a

good at it, which means there will always be a market

range of industries, from food and beverage, to mining

for my expertise,” Wade said.

and manufacturing. He was recently involved with a

He chose to combine a Bachelor of Science with a Bachelor of Engineering. Wade was awarded the Harry and Nancy Frederiksen Scholarship, which

project to improve water-quality monitoring through the installation of new analysers, which gather information on water quality.

supports students from the North-West and West

“Technically, in terms of the challenges of the work,

coasts of Tasmania with academic potential to study

it’s as in-depth and high-quality as anything you

at the University of Tasmania.

can do on the mainland,” he said.

“The financial backing was very appreciated, but, for

At 27, Wade has high hopes for his future career and

me, a particularly salient and underrated aspect of

is also keen to continue his connection to his alumni

receiving the scholarship was the confidence it gave

community.

me that someone who was not obligated to support you – like your parents – was convinced that you have the potential to succeed,” he said.

“I attend University of Tasmania public lectures, webinars and events on the North-West Coast, even if it’s not about engineering; I find a lot of value in being exposed

Wade also received the South32 TEMCO Community

to philosophies and people from outside my industry,”

Foundation Scholarship in Engineering, which supports

Wade said.

Wade Dunham at work in Tasmania’s North-West.

Lucie van den Berg

| ISSUE 52 | 2021

Wade Dunham is drawing energy from the UTAS community.

alumni M A G A Z I N E

NORTH-WEST FOCUS

alumni M A G A Z I N E

ALUMNI STORIES – SOCIETY

Standing strong

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Bianca Templar is lighting a path for young Aboriginal Tasmanians.

Childhood was far from idyllic for Bianca Templar. She was born with brittle bones that broke easily, was exposed to trauma and abuse, and her race, weight and disability made her a target for bullies. Yet the adversity she experienced in her early years only served to solidify her strength and determination. Now 26, Bianca is proving that she is capable of conquering her own hurt and hardship, as well as helping others heal. The alumna, based in Launceston, is an Aboriginal leader, artist, advocate and activist, who chose a career in caring for other young Tasmanians. This year Bianca received formal recognition for her role in enhancing grassroots Aboriginal voices when she was awarded the First Nations People Achievement Award. Last year she won the Tasmanian Aboriginal Youth of the Year at the 2020 NAIDOC Awards. Her own yardstick for success will be measured by the lives she changes. Bianca’s home life was also hard. She was sexually assaulted as a child and had other trauma experiences, including being bullied at school.

Bianca Templar’s shell string necklace and bracelet. Photos: Peter W. Allen

“It inspired me and I have always maintained that if I can

It was a visit to a social worker that transformed Bianca’s

positively influence one person in my life journey, then

life and inspired her to study a Bachelor of Social Work at

I have been successful, not only in my career, but in life.

the University of Tasmania, graduating in 2016. “It amazed me that the social worker, who didn’t know me, who didn’t have to care about me, showed me so much care,” Bianca said.

“I want to be someone that the younger me would have looked up to.” Her social conscience was also shaped by her parents, who showed her that charity and advocacy were worthwhile endeavours. Bianca is a descendant of the Trawlwoolway and Plangermaireener people

I want to be someone that the younger me would have looked up to.”

of Lutruwita and the granddaughter of respected Aboriginal Elder and sheller Aunty Gloria Templar. “I used to sit there as a kid and watch her shell and ask her a million questions,” Bianca said. “She gifted me the rest of her shells before she passed away, which I feel very lucky to have. Aunty Gloria Templar also inspired her jewellery business, takamuna rrala designs, which is palawa kani for ‘stand strong designs’. When she’s not engaged in the ancient Aboriginal art of shell stringing, Bianca is an advocate for our First Nation Peoples through the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Alliance. “I really want to teach the wider community about the history of my people and the issues we face, as well as share my cultural knowledge,” she said. “I hope that by doing this I will contribute to changing how people see the world.”

Bianca Templar wearing one of her hand-crafted, traditional shell bracelets.

Lucie van den Berg

ALUMNI STORIES – ARTS AND SCIENCE

A focus on the bizarre and beautiful Merging Arts and Science has paid off in a spectacular fashion for Fraser Johnston.

Ghost fungi, glow worms, luminous oceans and rarely

A highlight was the seamount research conducted

seen animals from the inky depths – these are not

through the Marine Biodiversity Hub, he said.

organisms you can see in a zoo!

“To see all the weird creatures pulled up from the

So begins Tasmania-based Fraser Johnston’s teaser

depths, and to see the researchers’ excitement. Normally

for his science-communication production company,

they would only see such animals in specimen jars,

Spectral. Bringing rarely seen sides of nature to light

but here they were in the flesh, from 1000 metres deep,”

has earned Johnston (BSc 2013, BA Hons 2014) an

Fraser said.

Emmy Award nomination for his work on David Attenborough’s Life that Glows.

It’s not the regular, market-driven fluffy animals or predator scenes that fascinate Fraser as much as

Working in Attenborough documentaries was a dream

“anything weird or a bit removed from humans”.

come true for the Arts-Science graduate who specialises

Things that glow in the dark, like glow worms, which

in conveying natural history, science and adventure.

he describes as looking like aliens, adding, “There’s

Using his understanding of the natural world and his

nothing like them.”

love of exploring little-known extraordinary places,

And then there was the unique access provided to

Fraser’s work has taken him to Australia’s deepest

Tasmania’s Junee Florentine cave system, which boasts

caves, to the Torres Strait, and on the RV Investigator

Australia’s deepest caves, and the experience working

surveying seamounts around Tasmania.

with a group of cavers who broke Australia’s cave depth record in 2019. The four-day expedition near Mount Field National Park set a new depth record of 395 metres.

D eep-sea life forms photographed by Fraser Johnston during research of Tasmania’s seamounts.

alumni M A G A Z I N E | ISSUE 52 | 2021

“It was a privilege to be part of the team,” Fraser said. “Documenting their achievement was a career and life highlight.” He said similar unique and privileged access is afforded when he accompanies researchers on field trips, whether diving for Reef Life Survey off Rottnest Island in Western Australia or working on the Netflix program Night on Earth filming bioluminescent fungi. Good friends come from such opportunities. While studying at the University of Tasmania, Fraser did work experience with film producer Nick Hayward, who recently co-produced Quoll Farm. The opportunity ended up in a friendship and a new project together. “It’s a case of work and life blending together,” he said. Fraser studied a combination of Arts (journalism) and Science at university, a marriage he finds useful in describing the natural world. “Arts is about communication and science provides a nice framework to write about the natural world,” he said. “I get to work with amazing people who are doing really cool research. I have to pinch myself about the places I’m able to access with researchers who have spent years building up to that moment. “I hope that by presenting fascinating research in an understandable way to an audience who usually wouldn’t read scientific literature will help increase the public’s understanding and engagement in science.”

Katherine Johnson

Fraser Johnston in the field. Photo: Rob Blakers

alumni M A G A Z I N E

ALUMNI STORIES – ARCHITECTURE

Award-winning architects On an island like ours, architects must be ingenious. Ancient landscapes, rugged wilderness, and climatic extremes command respect. There is a simmering tension between Tasmania’s past, present and future needs, and a growing recognition of the region’s value. This is where architecture comes into its own. It’s a discipline capable of providing creative, sustainable, ethical, inclusive and viable solutions to shape our State. Take these three award-winning projects designed by University of Tasmania alumni architects.

Licht Architecture won the Peter Willmott Award for Small Project Architecture for its two black and white gable sheds perched on a pontoon against the dramatic background of quarry cliffs and rainforest. The eye-catching design then went onto to greater honours, receiving a National Commendation for Small Project Architecture at the recent Australian Institute of Architects Awards. “It was such a unique proposition, how often do you get asked to design a floating building?” Licht Architecture director and alumnus Jason Licht (BEnvDes 2006, MArch 2008) said.

In the heart of Tasmania’s wilderness, giant geometric forms rise out of the wilderness, as if carved out by glaciers. The visitor centre beckons you into its honeyed cave. To the north, a floating sauna perches on the edge of lake, reimagining an old tin mine town as a tranquil tourism destination. And in the south, a century-old cottage sheds the shackles of the past, gently inviting the surrounding

It was such a unique proposition, how often do you get asked to design a floating building?”

greenery and geology indoors. These projects were among a swathe of graduate-led projects recognised in the 2021 Tasmanian Architecture Awards. Cumulus Studio, a national firm led by four alumni, continues to cement its reputation for excellence in architecture, scooping up four awards this year for the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and Stoney Rise Cellar Door. Its 39 staff, spread across three states, work collaboratively on projects, whether it’s master planning for a tourism hub in a World Heritage Area, or overseeing the construction of a social housing project in the heart of Hobart. Cumulus Director Peter Walker (BEnvDes 1997, BArch 1998) said practising architecture in Tasmania presented unique opportunities and challenges. “There is a high degree of ingenuity in the way we think about architecture here,” he said. “We have traditionally had smaller budgets and we’ve had to find innovative ways to do more for less. “The Tasmanian climate is also different to the rest of Australia, so we tend to look to Europe, Scandinavia in particular, and Japan for inspiration.” Peter said Tasmanian designers have a reputation for punching above their weight. “We design locally, but think globally,” he said. Another inventive Tasmanian project making waves is a floating sauna in Derby in the north-east of the island.

“It can be hard to do small projects and make them financially viable for clients, so it was a labour of love for us, and although we were quietly confident and pleased with the outcome, we didn’t expect it to reach the heights it has. It’s quite humbling.” Jason said tourism-based projects provided architects with the opportunity to test new ideas. “In Tasmania you can really design for place,” he said. “The State has reached a critical point where people have started to appreciate the value of architecture, just as Tasmania has come of age as a tourism destination, so it’s the perfect situation for architects because successful ventures need to stand out and good architecture is essential.” Tasmanian homeowners are also benefiting from the expertise of our alumni architects. Just ask Preston Lane, leaders in the field. The award-winning practice was founded by alumnus architects Daniel Lane (BEnvDes 1997, BArch Hons 1999) and Nathanael Preston (BEnvDes 1997), who have offices in Tasmania and Victoria, and a reputation for a refined and responsive approach to residential architecture. Their latest accolade was the Residential Alterations and Additions Architecture Chapter Award for a captivating century-old cottage in Pirie Street in Hobart’s northern suburbs. “During our visit to the house, we felt its charm and were in awe of the uninterrupted view of kunyani Mount Wellington – dominant and dignified,” Daniel said.

Floating Sauna – Licht Architecture. Photo: Anjie Blair 22

| ISSUE 52 | 2021

Tasmanian design is coming of age.

Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre – Cumulus Studio. Photo: Michael Yip

They proposed removing an old lean-to at the rear of the property, which was blocking the grand view, and natural light. Working in harmony with the sloping site and playing with volume and shadows, their modern extension features a sunken living room that frames the mountain and creates a visual connection with the garden, a haven for magnolia and fruit trees. The energy efficiency of the home was also increased fourfold by clever upgrades. “Pirie St extension isn’t a home of one singular moment or gesture, but rather an integrated home filled with many moments,” Daniel said.

Lucie van den Berg Pirie Street Extension – Preston Lane. Photo: Adam Gibson

alumni M A G A Z I N E

ALUMNI STORIES – AVIATION

Safe skies for all

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Balancing risk pays off for Economics alumna.

Growing up in Northern Tasmania, Pip Spence (BEc 1990) says she was acutely aware that to go “just about anywhere” she’d need to get on a plane, and so began her interest in, and passion for, aviation. As Director of Aviation Safety and CEO of Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Pip is responsible for the regulations governing Australian aviation safety and the operation of Australian aircraft overseas. She is the first woman to head the air safety regulator, a move which takes her career full circle. “It’s where I started,” Pip said, reflecting on a long-held involvement in the sector. Pip Spence commenced her career in the federal Department of Transport and Communications, where she worked in aviationrelated areas, including as an adviser to the Minister for Transport. More recently she was the Deputy Secretary for Transport at the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Communications, which included responsibility for aviation policy and programs. It all stems from a deep commitment to aviation and an awareness of, as Pip described it, “the importance of aviation services to rural and remote communities,

Pip Spence. Photo: Irene Dowdy

for getting fundamental services out to people. It’s so important to how the community operates.” Taking the reins at CASA is the “job of my dreams”, Pip said. The vision of CASA is “safe skies for all”, and it is a vision Pip takes to heart. “You’re always mindful of potential catastrophic consequences if you get it wrong – that

“But it’s a very sophisticated industry, and CASA has a very sophisticated approach to risk management. Australia has a strong safety record and a good system. “We can respond when issues are raised and review the regulatory framework regularly to make sure it is fit for purpose.”

2am phone call to say there has been an accident,”

Pip said she also recognised the need to get the balance

she said.

right, and to take a risk-based approach. To have zero risk would mean that no planes would fly, ever.

Image supplied by CASA.

With COVID-19, there are particular challenges for the airline industry given the dramatic reduction in activity. “We have to make sure we are giving appropriate regulatory relief for operators without compromising safety,” she said. “We are doing everything we can to help ensure that when the time comes for flights to return to pre-pandemic levels, they can do so safely.” Pip said her Bachelor of Economics degree gave her an important framework to look at issues,

Image supplied by CASA

such as the way in which the market operates and the approach to assessing risk. Her advice to new graduates is to “always be open to new opportunities and back yourself if you want to do something new – you never know where your degree might take you”.

Katherine Johnson

GRADUATIONS

Smiles galore as graduation celebrations return 2021 saw the return of much-loved graduation ceremonies, the chance to dress in academic regalia, cross the stage, and have photographs taken with peers, friends and family. Gathering to celebrate academic achievements and welcome new graduates into our alumni family has never been more appreciated.

Hobart 13.08.2021–14.08.2021 The Winter graduations in Hobart and Launceston welcomed over 3,700 new graduates. Hobart ceremonies saw students graduate from the Colleges of Health and Medicine; Sciences and Engineering; Arts, Law and Education; and the Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, as well as the Graduate Research Office and the University College. The Deputy Chancellor, Mr Harvey Gibson, presided along with Mr James Groom, University Council Member. Ceremonies were attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rufus Black, and his representatives. Honorary degrees were awarded to businessman, philanthropist and former longstanding Chair of the Board of the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, Bruce Neill, and to comedian, writer and actor Hannah Gadsby.

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Launceston 21.08.2021 Launceston ceremonies welcomed graduates from all of the Colleges, the University College and the Graduate Research Office. The Chancellor was represented by University Council Member Mrs Susan Chen. Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania, and Emeritus Professor Don Chalmers AO attended ceremonies in both cities.

GRADUATIONS

Sydney 22.04.2021 Then-Chancellor, The Honourable Michael Field AC, presided over Sydney’s graduation ceremonies for students from the College of Health and Medicine’s School of Nursing; College of Arts, Law and Education; School of Business and Economics; College of Sciences and Engineering; and Graduate Research. The Vice-Chancellor was represented by Associate Professor Stuart Crispin. Professor Melanie Lauva, Associate Dean New South Wales Campuses, gave the address.

Katherine Johnson

alumni M A G A Z I N E

ALUMNI STORIES – LITERARY AWARDS

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Life is a labyrinth, but you get there in the end Amanda Lohrey, winner of the 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award, on labyrinths and the value of the humanities.

“A study of our literature is a study of who we are.” Amanda Lohrey Not one but two University of Tasmania alumni – Amanda Lohrey (BA Hons 1968) and Robbie Arnott (BA/BBus 2012) – made it onto this year’s Miles Franklin shortlist. It was an even greater cause for celebration for the University that Amanda won the much-coveted literary award. “That was very special,” Amanda said. “Because of her, Miles Franklin, because of who she was. She was such an amazing character, a wonderful woman. Fearless.” Winning The Miles Franklin Award is a dream for many Australian novelists, and it is arguably the literary award that is best known among the public. “It’s like the Brownlow Medal, it’s the one people know,” Amanda said from her home in North-East Tasmania. “It has been around for a long time, and it has the name of a person attached to it. Many know who Miles Franklin was and have seen My Brilliant Career (the film based on the book of her life).” Amanda won the award for her seventh novel, The Labyrinth (Text), and is the second Tasmanian to receive the award in its 64-year history, after two-time winner and alumnus, the late Christopher Koch (BA Hons 1954). The novel was praised by the judges as “a beautifully written reflection on the conflicts between parents and children, men and women, and the value and purpose

Amanda Lohrey. Photo: Richard Bugg

Amanda, who also won the Patrick White Award for literature in 2021, reflects fondly on her time at the University of Tasmania and her Arts degree. “When I was at UTAS, the professors and heads of department in the humanities taught first-year

of creative work”.

undergraduates,” she said.

The novel focuses on a woman, Erica Marsden, who

Amanda is a strong advocate for the humanities at

moves to a small town on the south coast of New

universities, and in particular Australian literature.

South Wales to be close to her son, who is in prison.

“A study of our national literature is a study of who

When there, she sets about building a labyrinth, which

we are. It’s not about being literary or highbrow. It’s

becomes a community project.

about our identity as a nation, how it has formed and

“I got interested in the revival of building labyrinths

the stories we’ve told each other and how they have

around the world,” Amanda said. “They’ve been built

changed over time.”

in churches, public gardens, schools, farms. I thought,

Novels are a co-creation between writer and reader,

what is going on here? What’s the appeal of this?”

according to Amanda, with readers bringing a great deal

Amanda thinks it might be an aspect of the mindfulness

of themselves to their reading. Some have commented

movement and the growth of unorthodox forms of spiritual practice. The labyrinth is an archetype found in

that The Labyrinth is about making things, an idea she expands on: “Art is intrinsically therapeutic, anything

cultures around the world with some dating back 5000

from crochet to landscape.”

years. “There are labyrinths on the walls of Neolithic

And returning to the theme of labyrinths, the labyrinth

caves,” she said.

in Amanda’s award-winning novel is poignantly

“It’s like a pattern embedded in our DNA.”

left unfinished.

Amanda describes a labyrinth as ‘a meandering path’.

“No work of art is ever finished,” she said. “A labyrinth is

“You double back on yourself, but you get there in the

like any work of art; it’s a living project, like life itself.”

end. You’re secure in a labyrinth, you can let go, you don’t have to puzzle your way out of it. It’s not a maze.”

Katherine Johnson

ALUMNI STORIES – SPACE SCIENCE

Still staring at the night sky Stephen Kane’s life-long passion for space is helping unravel the mysteries of Venus.

As a young boy growing up in Tamworth, Stephen

“Venus is the key to understanding how planetary

Kane was deeply inspired by the clear night skies and

habitability works. If we can understand the secrets of

mesmerising stellar views that only those living in

planetary habitability for Venus, then we can improve

regional areas can fully appreciate.

sustainability of the Earth, and optimise the search for

A school excursion to the planetarium got him hooked

other far-away ‘towns’ that might be similar to our own.”

on astronomy and planetary science, and he devoured

Stephen received a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and

as many books as he could find about space at the

began looking for graduate programs specialising in

local library.

planetary science, but there was very little research in

It was the mid-1980s, a particularly productive era of

that field in Australia.

space exploration, during which we witnessed the first pictures from NASA’s Voyager 2 mission to the edge of our solar system. “The Voyager 2 spacecraft passed Uranus in 1986 and Neptune in 1989, and I was completely engrossed in all of the pictures that were returned by that mission,” Stephen said. “Suffice to say that studying astronomy and the planets, and the search for life in the universe, have been a life-long passion for me.” That passion launched him from country New South Wales to the United States, where he now plays a leading role in NASA’s two historic missions to explore our closest planetary neighbour, Venus. The DAVINCI+ and VERITAS missions will help solve the puzzle of why our sibling planet turned out so differently from our own. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system with a thick, toxic atmosphere filled with carbon dioxide and clouds of sulfuric acid that cause a runaway greenhouse effect. So, why are we returning to Venus if we know that it’s a hostile and lifeless environment? Stephen likes to explain using the following analogy. “Imagine that you live in a small town. It’s a beautiful place, you love living there, and the town is full of life. The nearest town is the same size and seems like it was once identical, but now it’s burned to the ground with no sign of life. It is a stark reminder of mortality,” he said. “You ask others what happened to the other town? Nobody in your town knows. You ask how long ago it happened? Once again, no-one knows. You ask, if we don’t know when or how it happened, then could the same fate befall your town? Again, silence. “I don’t know about you, but I would not feel comfortable until I knew exactly when, how, and why that nearby town was destroyed. Not just for morbid curiosity, but to

Fortunately, I’m not particularly interested in a quiet life, and the unsettling nature of the universe just means there’s an infinite amount left to discover. I can’t wait for what’s next!” The University of Tasmania was a partner with several other institutions that monitored stars to search for exoplanets, and so he took the opportunity to get into this new field and completed a PhD in Astrophysics in 2000. Stephen currently holds the posts of Professor of Planetary Astrophysics at the University of California in Riverside, US; and Director of the Planetary Research Laboratory, a NASA-funded lab to study planetary habitability, exoplanets and solar system science. Although a world away, both physically and metaphorically, from Tamworth, Stephen continues to draw inspiration from science and the mysteries of the night sky. “To quote Douglas Adams, ‘The Universe’ is an unsettlingly big place, a fact which for the sake of a quiet life most people tend to ignore,” he said. “Fortunately, I’m not particularly interested in a quiet life, and the unsettling nature of the universe just means there’s an infinite amount left to discover. I can’t wait for what’s next!”

fully understand what factors make a town prosperous, and what other factors may lead a town to utter ruination.

Nicole Mayne Stephen Kane in his office with a globe of Venus.

ALUMNI STORIES – MEDICINE

‘The Tissue Detective’ on making a difference The alumnus making life-saving impact as a melanoma researcher, educator and clinician.

When pathologist Professor Richard Scolyer AO

On receiving an Order of Australia (AO) in June 2021 as

(BMedSci 1987, MBBS 1990) was a student at Launceston’s

part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours, Richard said,

Riverside High School, a teacher said to him, “If you

“We have an amazing team of people doing world-

aim for the stars, you’ll reach the treetops, if you aim

leading melanoma research and it’s a huge honour to

for the treetops, you won’t get off the ground.”

be leading that team and to be recognised in this way.”

Richard certainly took the advice, and is now the

Richard has received numerous other awards and

world’s most-published scientist in the field of

recognitions, including being the first pathologist to be

melanoma pathology.

named Outstanding Researcher of the Year at the 2020

He has been at the forefront of virtually all major advances in melanoma in the last 20 years, resulting in vast improvements in survival of melanoma patients. “Just a decade ago, if melanoma patients’ disease had

NSW Premiers Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research. In the same year, he was recognised by his peers with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Distinguished Fellow Award.

reached their internal organs, less than half of those patients would be alive within a matter of months,” Richard said. “Now, because of incredible discoveries, 50 per cent of such patients are alive at five years.” The discoveries include treatments such as immunological therapies, described as “the penicillin moment for cancer therapy”, according to Richard’s colleague and Co-Medical Director at Melanoma

Education is so important to provide opportunities to be able to make a difference to other people’s lives.”

Institute Australia, Professor Georgina Long AO. Therapies which use the body’s immune system to kill

In addition to his Co-Medical Director role at MIA and

melanoma cells are not only having significant impact

co-leading MIA’s world-renowned translational research

on melanoma patients, but are “now being translated

laboratory at the University of Sydney, where he also

to other cancers,” Richard said. “The impact goes

teaches, Richard is a senior specialist at Sydney’s Royal

beyond melanoma.”

Prince Alfred Hospital and NSW Health Pathology. And where did the interest in melanoma come from? “Melanoma is Australia’s national cancer, so it’s only appropriate that we lead the world in innovation and outcomes. But prevention is better than cure,” Richard said, adding that people need to limit their sun exposure and avoid sun beds. He also emphasised the importance of early detection. “Know your own skin, know if something has changed and have it checked by a health care professional,” he said. “Melanoma is the commonest cancer in young adults in Australia. It doesn’t discriminate and can occur in both old and young.” Richard grew up in Launceston and is a proud Tasmanian, grateful for the “incredible teachers” who mentored him during his training at medical school at the University of Tasmania. “We had such inspiring teachers, people such as (the late) Konrad Muller, David Challis, and John McArdle,” he said. Professors Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer.

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Researchers at Melanoma Institute Australia. Photo: Melanoma Institute Australia

“The impact of those teachers is reflected in the number

Richard says that is in part thanks to the altruism of

of Tasmanian medical school graduates who have

Australians who are “very generous in providing us with

gone on to become specialist pathologists – Tasmania

information and specimens that don’t necessarily benefit

graduates are way over-represented.

them directly, but will benefit the next generation”.

“Education is so important to provide opportunities to

“By performing research, it’s an opportunity to have

be able to make a difference to other people’s lives.”

an impact on thousands of patients,” he said.

Teaching is something Richard also finds rewarding.

“But discoveries don’t mean anything if you don’t

“Teaching the next generation of diagnosticians is not only about sharing our knowledge but ultimately it also ensures many more patients receive the best possible care,” he said. This is perhaps particularly so in a field such as

translate the research to benefit other patients. Patients are at the centre of what we do. Delivering research outcomes for patients. “It’s amazing to see melanoma patients with young families who would have died but are now surviving.”

melanoma, where 10 to 20 per cent of cases are difficult to diagnose. Richard reviews 2000 of the most difficult

Katherine Johnson

cases from around the world annually. And not only is Tasmania punching above its weight in terms of training specialist pathologists, so is Australia, in terms of delivering melanoma research. MIA is the largest melanoma treatment and research centre in the world, with databases that are used by doctors and researchers internationally.

ALUMNI STORIES – MARINE INDUSTRIES

Forests of the future How seaweeds are paving the way for a blue revolution.

At first glance, seaweeds may not appear futuristic,

Just a handful of years after that first encounter, when

but they hold the key to restoring marine habitats and

Cayne returned for his PhD, he found the giant kelp

could form the basis of hi-tech industries for Tasmania

forests had dwindled, and just 18 months into his field

and beyond.

work they were gone from Fortescue. The reason was an

When alumnus Dr Cayne Layton (PhD 2018) first scubadived at Fortescue Bay on the Tasman Peninsula on holidays from the mainland in 2010, he marvelled at the

increase in warmer, nutrient-poor waters from the East Australian Current reaching Tasmania as a result of climate change.

region’s giant kelp forests. He would remember the way

When Cayne’s PhD supervisor, marine ecologist

the light filtered through, illuminating rich ecosystems

Professor Craig Johnson (BSc 1980 Hons), was a university

of lobsters, crayfish and endemic species such as the

student in Tasmania, the giant kelp forests were even

leafy seadragon.

more extensive. Craig’s mapping research has shown a

“There was the feeling of being very small, like being in a fish tank, with kelp that was 10, 20 and 30 metres tall,”

decline of more than 95 per cent along the State’s East Coast in recent decades.

said Cayne, who went on to do his PhD on the more

But there is help at hand, with new research by Cayne

common ‘golden kelp’ through the University

and Craig finding naturally occurring warm-tolerant

of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic

strains of giant kelp. These strains of ‘super kelp’ have

Studies (IMAS).

been successfully raised in the IMAS laboratory and planted out in areas where giant kelp once grew.

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“The restoration is looking good,” Craig said. “The warm-tolerant kelp we’re putting back into the wild all the native ones were bleached and necrotic, and all ours were well-pigmented and looking very healthy.” Cayne, who is now a postdoctoral researcher on the restoration research, has experimented with growing kelp on the outside of salmon pens. Giant kelp planted as millimetre-long ‘seedlings’ (micro-sporophytes) had grown to 10 metres-long within about a year. There is hope too that seaweeds – from microscopic

It’s quite exciting to be part of research underpinning an important new industry for Tasmania that has very strong environmental benefits.”

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are thriving. We’ve just had a really warm summer and

Professor Craig Johnson

algae to giant kelp – will be the basis of new high-tech, high-value seaweed industries and products. With the start of two Cooperative Research Centres (CRC), the

“Seaweeds have also been shown to limit methane

Blue Economy CRC and the Marine Bioproducts CRC,

production in cattle, and there’s a lot of interest in the

Craig said there is “huge potential for a seaweed

potential for seaweeds to draw down carbon to help

industry to develop in Australia”.

with environmental management and climate change.

IMAS Professor Catriona Macleod (PhD 2006), leader of the Sustainable Marine Resources program of the Marine Bioproducts CRC, is overseeing research to develop seaweed culture programs that will optimise

These are all really exciting research areas that will involve a very broad team at the University, from seaweed and aquaculture specialists, to chemists, nutritionists, engineers and even designers.”

the production of a range of species, but particularly

And for giant kelp, it is hoped that not only will the forests

microalgae and macroalgae.

of the sea be restored at several sites along Tasmania’s

“Already we have demonstrated that we can grow commercial quantities of seaweed in Tasmania, and we know that there are existing markets for this – everything from ice cream to burn dressings, from face cream to fertiliser, and of course a whole range of nutritional food

coastline, but the species could be commercially grown to make many of the products described. For example, giant kelp shows real promise as a potential candidate for bioplastics that are nontoxic, biodegradable, and compostable at ambient temperature.

products. And those are just the products we know

“It’s quite exciting to be part of research underpinning

about,” Catriona said.

an important new industry for Tasmania that has very

“There is a whole suite of innovative products, really

strong environmental benefits,” Craig said.

novel blue-sky applications such as bioplastics and fireresistant building materials, that need more research. Giant kelp forests along Tasmania’s east coast have decreased by 95 per cent in recent decades largely due to an influx of warmer seawater as a result of climate change. Photo: Matthew Doggett

Katherine Johnson Dr Cayne Layton checking giant kelp cultures in the University’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies laboratory.

AWARDS

Drivers of positive change Congratulating our Alumni Award winners for 2021.

Our Alumni are making a world of difference, driving

“MIA is the largest melanoma treatment and research

change in remarkable and far-reaching ways.

centre in the world and, as a consequence, we can see

The University of Tasmania’s 2021 Alumni Awards have recognised four such people working across diverse

patterns (in the data) and make discoveries that others can’t ... it’s a responsibility, given we have this opportunity.

fields, from life-saving international aid and world-

“I’d like to acknowledge the grounding I received in

leading medical research to fairer workplaces and

pathology as an undergraduate in medical school at

award-winning indigenous law.

university. It was that that provided me with the building blocks and inspired me to make a difference in the field.” Richard said if he could use the award as a platform it would be to firstly raise awareness of the dangers of excessive UV exposure, urge people to check their own skin and stress the importance of early detection of melanoma. Secondly, “I’d like to inspire young upcoming clinical and research stars to aim for the sky.”

Distinguished Alumni Award winner

Young Alumni Award winner

Professor Richard Scolyer

Ms Leah Cameron

AO (BMedSci 1987, MBBS 1990)

(BA/LLB 2006, GradCertLegPrac 2007)

Professor Richard Scolyer is co-director of Melanoma

Leah Cameron, a proud Palawa woman, is the founder

Institute Australia (MIA), working at the forefront of

and Principal Solicitor of Marrawah Law, a practice

melanoma research that has seen life expectancy of

providing legal services in the areas of native title,

people with advanced melanoma increase ten-fold

cultural heritage and commercial law.

over the last decade.

In May 2021 Leah was named Indigenous

A world-leading expert in diagnosing skin cancer, the

Businesswoman of the Year by Supply Nation, and

Launceston-born pathologist was appointed an Officer

Marrawah Law, one of the largest Indigenous owned

of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to

and operated legal practices in Australia, was named

medicine in June 2021.

Certified Supplier of the Year.

“It’s a privilege to be in a position of being able to

“Doing what I do in my everyday life and my business

make such a difference to people’s lives,” Richard said.

gives me such joy; working not just for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people but for other businesses in their dealings with mob makes such a big difference in the community,” Leah said.

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her business’s growth has provided to employ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly women. “The skill set they have is phenomenal,” she said. “This recognition is an incredible platform to demonstrate

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Leah said she was immensely proud of the opportunity

“It’s the most pressing problem.” As a result, Care for Africa set about installing water wells within or near schools, meaning girls who had previously spent much of their day collecting water could attend school and take water home to their families.

to people the importance of the University’s values of inclusivity and diversity in particular; they’re not just trendy buzz words, these values mean something to a lot of people.”

Joint International Alumni Award winner

Mr Greg Vines (LLB Hons 2000)

Joint International Alumni Award winner

Mrs Diana Butler

Swiss-based Greg Vines is Deputy Director-General at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Switzerland,

OAM (BNurs 2001, GradCertN 2004)

where he provides leadership and represents the ILO

Joint International Alumni Award winner and nurse

Greg said his work has seen him work across the

Mrs Diana Butler OAM is the co-founder and CEO of Care for Africa, a not-for-profit charity alleviating poverty in Tanzania. Diana began Care for Africa after meeting a Tanzanian doctor working in Tasmania. “She told me of her father’s work as a doctor in a remote area in Tanzania where there was no foreign aid and operations were conducted under candlelight,” Diana said. “There was no electricity and no running water in the hospital.” Diana continues to work as the after-hours nurse manager at the Launceston General Hospital, translating many of her nursing skills to running the not-for-profit charity during the day.

across the UN and multilateral system. full range of international labour issues to achieve consensus between governments, trade unions, and employers on many of the most challenging issues facing the world of work. “Highlights have been seeing the impact of the ILO in improving the lives of some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people across the world,” he said. “I am particularly proud of what we have achieved in reaching global agreement on the ILO’s Centenary Declaration for a Human Centred Future of Work and its role in setting the agenda for an inclusive and resilient recovery from the COVID pandemic.” Throughout his career Greg has held statutory roles in Tasmania, senior roles in the Victorian public service, as well as having experience as a trade union leader and as a diplomat.

For community aid in Tanzania, “Water is category 1 in terms of triage,” she said.

Katherine Johnson

ALUMNI STORIES – SPORT

Jack jumps into dream job It was a case of perfect timing when Tasmania’s new NBL team was announced.

At just 23 years’ old, Jack Soward found himself with the

“In both my courses, I did a lot of work around

perfect training for his post-university dream job with

communication, human resources, policy and procedure,

Australia’s latest NBL team, the Tasmania JackJumpers.

society and culture, and facilities management. It

When Jack started his university journey with the Associate Degree in Applied Business, he never would have guessed that he’d end up working with a Tasmanian National Basketball League team. From a young age, Jack was obsessed with sports and loved playing, watching and analysing football and basketball. He realised early on that while he might not

has been invaluable for my career, and I’m constantly finding opportunities to apply my skills in the workplace, especially in a COVID-19 world.” Following years of hard work and study, Jack’s dream opportunity came with the announcement that, after a 25-year hiatus, Tasmania had secured the franchising rights for an NBL team.

be able to play at the professional level, it wouldn’t stop

As he gets to work as the JackJumpers’ Basketball

him from being a part of the Australian sports industry.

Operations Coordinator, Jack reflects on his journey and the pride that comes with being a Tasmanian. “No two days look the same with the JackJumpers, which is always exciting and challenging,” he said. “I’m the first

I realised how valuable the hands-on nature of my degree had been when I landed my first gig with Melbourne United Basketball Club.” “I knew I wasn’t going to be the next Matthew Richardson or Kobe Bryant, and my passion for sport definitely outweighed my hand-eye coordination, but I wouldn’t let that stop me from putting points on the board in the industry,” Jack said. When he heard about the Sports, Recreation, and Leisure specialisation in the University of Tasmania’s Associate Degree, he leapt at the opportunity to study this unique qualification in his home State. “Basketball can be a really tough sport to get your foot in the door, especially in Tasmania where there hasn’t been an NBL team for 25 years, so I wanted to make sure my qualification was going to be specialised and as practical as possible,” Jack said. After honing his skills with Melbourne United, Jack decided to further his tertiary education by undertaking a Graduate Certificate in Business Studies, which was offered to Tasmanians for free in 2020. “I considered a lot of options for postgraduate study and felt the mix of units that the Graduate Certificate offered made it the best choice to complement my career,” said Jack. J ack Soward outside the JackJumpers headquarters in Hobart. Photo: Peter W. Allen

point of contact for players when they’re signed with the club, and I work with the operations team to sort out their flights, travel permits, and quarantine requirements. “I take care of the players off the court so they can take care of business on the court.”

Jacob Foreman

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You are a valued member of our global community. We hope you enjoy the 2021 Alumni Magazine and take inspiration from some of the stories about our growing alumni network. If you’d like to share your story, or learn more about opportunities and services available to University of Tasmania graduates, please update your contact details via our website: utas.edu.au/alumni We love hearing from members of our alumni community.

Memoriam It is with deep sadness that the Law School notes the passing of UTAS Distinguished Alumni, Honourable Peter Heerey AM, BA, LLB, QC on 1 May 2021. Peter Heerey was born in Hobart in 1939, educated at St Virgil’s College and admitted to read law at UTAS in 1956. He received a First Class Honours degree in Law from UTAS in 1961 and was admitted to practise in the same year. After an overseas trip in 1961, he returned to Tasmania and in 1962 successfully applied for a scholarship, which

Call us: +61 3 63243052 Email: Alumni.Office@utas.edu.au Follow us on Facebook Join our Alumni LinkedIn group Other ways to connect Our monthly Alumni and Friends eNews shares your stories and keeps you informed about University news utas.alumni.org.au/eNews

provided for a year of study and work in Melbourne.

Find out more about University of Tasmania events:

In 1964, Peter returned to Hobart. He served articles

utas.edu.au/events

with Hodgman & Valentine in Hobart, and as a judge’s associate to Sir George Crawford on the Supreme Court of Tasmania before pursuing a career in private practice in Hobart (Dobson, Mitchell & Allport), Melbourne (Corr & Corr) and London (Markby Stewart & Wadesons). In 1967 Peter left Tasmania to continue his career in law in Melbourne. He took silk in 1985 and was appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Australia in 1990 and as a judge of the Supreme Court of Vanuatu in 1992. On 26 January 2012 Peter was awarded a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service to the judiciary through the Federal Court, the development of legal principle in the areas of intellectual property, trade practices and military law, and the community. He regularly visited Hobart and whenever he did, attended the law faculty as Judge in Residence to deliver lectures, meet with staff and students and contribute to collegial life. Peter’s loss will be felt by all, but especially those who had the privilege of knowing and working with him. Vale Peter Cadden Heerey.

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Keep in touch with your community

Benefits of giving Since the University of Tasmania introduced access scholarships in 1995, thousands of students with huge potential have had the chance to earn a university degree once beyond their financial means. With your help, our ambition is to grow this number over the next generation. Students like Declan Porter, whose story appears in this magazine, was the first in his family to attend university and is now on his way to fulfilling a dream. This year Declan was one of more than 200 students supported by philanthropically funded scholarships. We hope you share our belief in the value of an investment in education, not just for the individual but for the entire community, and invite you to please give now. Be assured that every cent of your gift will contribute to changing the life of a student determined to learn, despite the challenges. Donate online at utas.edu.au/giving or call us on (03) 6226 1920.

Alumni Magazine is printed on FSC recycled paper CRICOS 00586B

University of Tasmania Alumni Issue 52, 2021

Articles inside

‘The Tissue Detective’ on making a difference

Still staring at the night sky

Drivers of positive change

Jack jumps into dream job

Forests of the future

Memoriam

Life is a labyrinth, but you get there in the end

Smiles galore as graduation celebrations return

Riding a wave of confidence

Award-winning architects

Breaking down the barriers

A focus on the bizarre and beautiful

Standing strong

Safe skies for all

Farming down the line

Michael Field

Acknowledging Tasmanian Aboriginal culture in our public spaces

Welcome

Creating opportunities for connection

Alison Watkins Q&A

Blazing a trail

A beacon of learning and hope for the Cradle Coast

Honorary Doctorate – Hannah Gadsby