CollegeDownUnder is now CampusDownUnder

November 2007

Newsworthy & Interesting

 

My Fall travel is over and what a great experinces it was. Besides meeting some very enthusiastic, interesting and talented students, I also had what I call some Forest Gump moments - you are where everything happens.

I can't decide which one was the highlight. From briefly meeting Vice President Gore in Nashville, seeing Moby perform impromtu in Central Park, New York along with Patti Smith and Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters, the tour of the Jack Danie'ls Distillery in Lynchberg TN or the voodoo donuts from Portland - yumm. It has just been a great experience traveling around the US and talking to students who are very interested in coming to Australia to study at Bond. They can quickly see the many advantages.

University Sports Awards announced

On October 4

University Colour Award
Simon Pikkat (Skiing) – Simon won Gold at the recent Australian University Championships for Snow Sports in the Male Skier Cross and tied equal 3rd overall for Male Freestyle skiing out of 43 competitiors
Paul Kapiris (AFL) – Was selected in the “Green & Gold” Australian side following the University Games competition in recognition of his individual performance. Paul was the only Qld student to be selected.
Tammy Semionov (swimming) – won Gold in the 50m Breaststroke at the AUG which was Bond University’s only Gold medal for the games

University Blue Award
Annabelle Williams (Swimming) – Broke 5 World Records at National Short Course Championships during the semester break, placed 3rd in the 50m freestyle (EAD) at the Commonwealth Games and has been selected to represent Australia in November at the USA National Swimming Championships
Ben Daley (Rugby) – Vice-Captain of Australian U/19 Team that competed at World Championships in Ireland April 2007, Contracted with Qld Reds for 2008.

Sports Star of the Year
Annabelle Williams

Outstanding Service Award
Emma Brown for her participation in on campus sporting activities and her representation at all 3 AUS events for the year, Gold Coast Challenge, AUC Snow Sports and Australian University Games

Sporting Silk Award
Paul Kapiris for his dedication and leadership to the AFL Club and to sport in general at Bond University.

Club of the Year
Rugby Club



The Emerging Dominance of the Once Wild West
in America's Economy, Culture, and Politics


________________________________________________________________________ 

Bond Business Leaders Forum, featuring Leadership Dialogue Scholar and Pulitzer Prize-winner Professor David Kennedy

Bond Business Leaders Forum, featuring Leadership Dialogue Scholar and Pulitzer Prize-winner Professor David Kennedy as keynote speaker. Professor Kennedy will explore the emerging dominance of the once wild West in America's Economy, Culture and Politics.

Massive internal migration has combined with unprecedented immigration to make the West America's fastest-growing region. It now contains the two most populous states, California and Texas, which between them account for almost 20% of the nation's population. If California were an independent country, its nearly $2 trillion economy would easily qualify it for membership in the G-8. The political centre of gravity in the US has marched steadily westward, and the western states alone will soon contain enough electoral votes to determine who occupies the White House. What are the implications of these seismic shifts for America's, and the world's future?


Professor David Kennedy
Ph.D. American Studies (Yale), M.A. American Studies (Yale), B.A. History (Stanford)
Professor Kennedy's scholarship is notable for its integration of economic and cultural analysis with social and political history. His publications include  Birth Control in America: The Career of Margaret Sanger (1970), which helped to pioneer the emerging field of women's history. Over Here: The First World War and American Society (1980) used the history of American involvement in World War I to analyze the American political system, economy, and culture in the early 20th Century. Professor Kennedy was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War (1999), which recounts US history of the Great Depression and World War II. Professor Kennedy teaches American Studies in the History department at Stanford University.

 


STAFF PROFILE - MIKE GRENBY Faculty Humanities & Social Sciences

Get the inside word from Mike Grenby on current students and alumni!

1) What class/es do you teach?
Public speaking (undergraduate and postgraduate); Writing for the News Media (entry level journalism); Magazine Feature Writing; Freelancing, Travel Writing and Photography.

2) What is your most memorable class moment?
There are too many to have only one: journalism students who describe how they "got the story," public speaking students who go from tears of glossophobia (fear of public speaking) in week 1 to singing "sexy happy birthday" like Marilyn Munroe or "love me tender" like Elvis only a few short weeks later.

3) Name a student that stands out in your memory. Why?
Jess Leach - former Bond Student Council President, who in her "memorable moment" speech in public speaking, before a crowd of more than 100 students, created her own memorable moment as she talked about taking pride in one’s body shape – and received one of the few standing ovations ever given a student in public speaking (as well as an equally rare 100% for her speech).

4) What is your favourite pastime?
Walking on the beach and being in the surf

5) What is your favourite quote?
It's more a saying: "carpe diem" seize the day – inspired by the teacher played by Robin Williams in the movie "Dead Poets’ Society".

6) What is one thing you remember your parents teaching you?
"Just do it".

7) What were you like as a student at university?
I was very shy at first – until I joined the student newspaper and found being a reporter was a great way to meet girls (and other people).

8) Name a person who you admire and why?
Queen Elizabeth – because of the way she has done her job so well over so many years, with just the right balance of dignity and humanity.

LAW GRADUATE BETS ON HER FUTURE

 

Caroline Gerard was always very into her future as a lawyer. It was only after she completed her law degree at Bond that she started secretly hoping that one day she would be a writer . After her future as a lawyer was starting to progress, Caroline took a risk and dropped law for the film industry. The result? Her first feature film...The Bet.

The Bet is a story of ambition, love and betrayal and is set in corporate Sydney. It's about a a stockbroker, a banker and one bet. The storyline for the film was brought about by Caroline's interest in how money affects the behaviour of people - from those who have been born with lots of it, to those who haven't and are desperate for it.

"Working in Sydney at that "big end of town", you become witness to all sorts of behaviour of people with serious material ambition and a lot of ego behaving sometimes outrageously."

"I started thinking it would be a great setting for a story and wondered what might happen if you put two of these characters from opposite ends of the spectrum, in direct competition. The story evolved from there. All the characters in the film are drawn from a combination of people I met and knew in Sydney who worked in the world of finance and money."

Caroline found her experience as a lawyer absolutely perfect for her role as film producer.

"After all, it’s the producer who has to keep track of the contracting with all cast and crew – LOTS of negotiating, not to mention keep track of all the intellectual property rights you need to ensure you have in order to ultimately exploit the film."

"Bond has also helped in unexpected ways. In addition to the excellent legal training which prepared me for Mallesons of course… I think Bond University and its students personify a kind of entrepreneurial spirit, an "anything is possible" attitude. I think that’s something Bond students have in common and the courage to just go out and do whatever you want. I’d like to think that’s a legacy of the Bond experience."

While Caroline was a lawyer, she researched the film industry and the countless ways to transition. In the end she decided to write a script and make her own film.

"I made such a dramatic change because by that time I knew a career in law wasn’t for me – I had a passion for storytelling I couldn’t deny any longer, I wanted to be a filmmaker and I had to try."

"On the one hand it was a difficult decision – to leave behind a really promising career at a great firm working with people I really liked and admired for the unknown, on the other hand it was an easy decision. You have to follow your dream! Life is not a dress rehearsal."

A bunch of very lucky London based Bondies saw the film early last year. A private screening was arranged for them after the film screened at the London Australian Film Festival (at which THE BET came second on the audience vote ahead of bigger films The Proposition, Little Fish and Wolf Creek). There were two sell out screenings at the Sydney Film Festival last year and Caroline now hopes that word of mouth spreads like wildfire in the corporate world (for whom this film was made) and she has matching success at the box office this year! It’s all about good word of mouth.

Back to top.

BOND UNIVERSITY STARS ON THE FAIRWAY … AGAIN

The Bond University-Brisbane Boys Grammar alliance was strengthened once again this year through Bond’s sponsorship of the annual Grammar Golf Day on August 29.

Bond has been a key supporter of the Golf Day for some years now, adding their valuable assistance to the fundraising efforts that finance the Grammar Golf Bursaries.

It was particularly gratifying this year to catch up with a couple of Brisbane Grammar Old Boys who were flying the Bond flag on the day as part of the four-man team fielded by the university: Tom Hall-Brown is now studying a degree in Property and Sustainable Development at Bond’s brand new state-of-the-art School of Sustainable Development and Sam Cochrane is taking advantage of Bond’s fast-track three-semesters-per-year timetable to tackle a double degree in Law and International Relations.

Grammar has enjoyed a long-standing association with Bond University through our select membership of their Collegiate Partnership Program which gives students from Australia’s leading secondary schools access to a range of exclusive opportunities and benefits.

These include the annual Collegiate Scholarship which sees one of our outstanding Year 12 graduates receive a 50% scholarship to study the degree of their choice at Bond.

Through this program, our students are also eligible for a wide range of ancillary scholarships available at Bond, giving them access to an elite educational experience which earned the highest rating of any university in Australia in the recently released 2008 Good Universities Guide.

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NEW SOFTWARE HERALDS SAFER ONLINE BANKING

In today’s technologically savvy society people are becoming increasingly aware of the threats posed by invisible predators prowling online and through our hard drives.
The Australian Institute for Criminology suggested in a 2004 report that credit card fraud is rife and that up to 25 percent of all internet transactions are fraudulent.

Our personal information, identity and banking security are under threat and we cannot see the culprits coming. But by using the software that Professor Krishnan (pictured right) has developed, computer users around the world can now have piece of mind regarding the security of their information.

The software called BOSS (Banking on a Secure System) has been designed for the average home user and does not require the installation of any software. "It is a system in itself," says Professor Krishnan, "you insert the CD and reboot your computer - this circumvents the possibility of any virus designed to record your data, capturing your transaction information."

The system could benefit many areas including internet banking, electronic transactions, online share trading, and taxation form lodging to name but a few. "It is a cost effective, universal applicable solution, which can be customised for a number of purposes, strengthening the link between organisations and their customers," said Professor Krishnan.

Bond University is currently looking to industry and government to develop partnerships to assist in the wider distribution and application of the software. Professor Krishnan envisages that governments may be interested in promoting the software for the public-good, while financial institutions may wish to customise the solution to provide an additional protective layer for customers. "We have received requests from all over the world and 20 CD’s have already been sent out for evaluation, so this is just the beginning" said Professor Krishnan.


BOND COURTS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The competition, sponsored by SpartaMatrix International, involved students stepping into the shoes of lawyers and arguing a mock legal case before a judge in a courtroom. This year, the competition attracted 360 students (120 teams) from around Australia who competed in regional rounds, battling for a place in the final. The top fourteen teams were then flown to Bond University for the final rounds, which took place this month.

The Grand Final saw two teams argue the case of a school that had been successfully sued for injuries by a 15 year-old student who, after becoming intoxicated at a school party, drove a ride-on lawnmower into a hole dug for the school’s new swimming pool. The case was argued in front of a panel of judges including Judge John Newton, Professor Mary Hiscock of Bond University and Senior Member Bernard McCabe from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Brauer College from Victoria were the victorious team, with reason to celebrate after narrowly defeating runners-up, Sydney Grammar School.

The winning team included two year 11 students, Justin Powell and Andrei Khaidurov and year 12 student, Tom Ballard. Justin Powell was also awarded Overall Outstanding Advocate. The students admit that although they won the competition, at the beginning of the year they had no idea what mooting was. Now, it seems their flair for arguing their point could see them carve out careers as successful lawyers.

STUDENTS INVESTIGATE VIRTUAL MURDER CASE

The assessment lasted five weeks with students collecting evidence online and determining which tests to run on the evidence in the virtual lab. Real evidence was then given to students to test in the Bond University Science Lab where students have access to the latest forensic testing equipment.

Professor Angela van Daal, Forensic Science lecturer and world renowned expert in DNA Typing says that Bond houses some of the most advanced laboratory equipment in Australia. "Bond University is the only university in Australia with this DNA typing equipment," she says. "In fact, some of our equipment is more current than that used in actual DNA analysis labs."

In the Moot Court, students presented evidence to selected jurors under the watchful eyes of course coordinator, Professor van Daal, and prosecutor for the proceedings, Professor David Field.Professor van Daal believes assessments like this help students gain experience in the courtroom and give them a taste of what they will face in their future careers. "This assessment is very beneficial for students as it really gives them a feel of how to give evidence for a real case in a real courtroom." Professor van Daal says.

"The day was very successful, the students involved gave us very positive feedback, they really enjoyed gaining practical experience." As forensic disciplines become more prominent than ever with new career paths emerging for forensic professionals, courses such as those offered at Bond are becoming increasingly popular

ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOLADES

Bond’s Japanese Studies students did very well at the Gold Coast Annual Speech Competition held at the Griffith University on Saturday, 11 August, with organisers very impressed with the standard of the Bond University participants. Congratulations to Chen-Yi Lin and Sam McDonald who placed first and second respectively in the second year Japanese level, and to Byron Frost and Sachin Gupta who placed first and second in the third year level.

Congratulations to Associate Professor of Law Terry Gygar who is the winner of the 2006 Lexis Nexis Stanley Shaw Bond Prize for Teaching Excellence. Well done also to Assistant Professor Jodie O’Leary who came a very close second.

Assistant Professor of Australian Studies Dr Shirleen Robinson recently spent a week in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, helping stage "Australia Week"– a celebration of Australian culture. Dr Robinson delivered two keynote lectures on the stolen generations and Australian popular culture, and arranged for the screening of two Australian films with discussions afterwards. She also gave talks at two Chinese universities in Beijing and Shanghai.

Finally, we would like to advise that the 2007 Manfred Donike Award for Scientific Excellence in Doping Control was awarded not to Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik as reported, but to Australian researcher Adam T. Cawley, for his work on the research paper "Compound specific detection of endogenous steroid abuse in athletes", which he presented to the 2007 Manfred Sports Doping Conference in Cologne, Germany. Mr Cawley collaborated with Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik from Bond University, who is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and other researchers Robert P. Weatherby, Adrian V. George, Graham J. Trout and Rymantas Kazlauskas on the project.
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