DECEMBER 2009 News on Campus @ Bond University
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LIBRARY A WINNER.
As we welcomed students back into the 3rd semester of 2009, we added another significant milestone to Bond University’s 20th anniversary calendar. On October 9, we officially launched the opening of the newly refurbished John and Alison Kearney Library. The Library is the hub of the Bond student’s life; their second home, a place they go to study, to work collaboratively on group projects, to access information, to use the computers, a place to meet up with friends and now, also a place to meet for a cup of coffee.
The rejuvenated Library provides students with more computers, more study spaces, more group rooms, more works spaces for collaborative work and more relaxing and contemplative spaces. The Library now offers an integrated library and computing service desk which provides students with a one stop service point for all their enquiries as well as information and technology assistance. The Library together with the Multi Media Learning Centre (MLC) will provide the next generation library and learning spaces to meet the growing academic needs of Bond students.
Within a week of opening the doors to this new facility, the students have embraced the spaces and facilities comfortably and totally and the feedback received was just positively heartening. Here are just a couple of the many comments we received:
“This is the best library I have ever seen. Thank you to all who have made efforts for the future of Bond students”
“Hey guys! Great job on the new library space! It’s an excellent use of the area and is a good balance between computers, books, relaxing space, group study areas and all other things needed”
KLIPPEL SCULPTURES DONATED TO BALNAVES FOUNDATION MULTIMEDIA CENTRE
Bond University has added two prestigious works of art to its growing collection; large wooden pieces by Australia’s pre-eminent sculptor, the late Robert Klippel. Klippel is responsible for creating some of the most exciting works of art ever produced in Australia.
He was inspired by the intricacies and profusion of both the natural and man-made environments. His work is characterised by a profusion of junk materials: wood, stone, plastic toy kits, wooden pattern parts, typewriter machinery, industrial piping and machine parts; as well as bronze, silver, oils, photography, collage and paper. The two works at Bond are representative of a period of his life, in the 1980s, when he constructed powerfully present, larger-than-life wooden assemblages.
These important sculptures are the latest donation to Bond University from one of our most dedicated benefactors, Neil Balnaves. A former member of the University Board, Balnaves put his name, expertise and a grant of $1.5 million to create the popular, technology-rich Balnaves Foundation Multimedia Learning Centre (MLC). The MLC broke new ground in using multiple technologies and making innovative space for teaching, learning and research.
Today, Mr Balnaves says granting the sculptures to Bond was a reflection of his passion for education, the arts, and supporting young Australians. The two Robert Klippel sculptures are on permanent display in the foyer of the Balnaves Foundation Multimedia Learning Centre.
PBL TUTOR - REWARDING EXPERIENCE FOR RETIRED DOCTORS
Retired rheumatologist, Dr Frank Johnson, is discovering the rewards of sharing his lifetime of medical knowledge and experience as a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) tutor in Bond University’s Medicine Program.
Dr Johnson retired from rheumatology and rehabilitation medicine in 1999 after decades in practice. He served as the President of the Australian Rheumatology Association (ARA) from 1979 to 1981, and has chaired the Retired Doctors Working Party of the AMAQ since its inception in 2003. He joined Bond University as a PBL tutor in 2006 after hearing about the program from Faculty Dean, Professor Chris Del Mar, at an AMA Local Association meeting in Southport. “PBL tutoring is a thoroughly rewarding experience for retired doctors,” said Dr Johnson.
“From the early stages of the PBL course, students learn the process of diagnosing and managing patients using the same methods that doctors use in practice. The computer-generated case is developed by successive triggers in sequence; presenting complaint, detailed history, physical examination, investigations and management including medical, surgical, social, use of allied health professionals and community resources. “The PBL tutor has a guide for each problem which is not available to the students and enables the tutor to direct discussion in the direction which the Faculty has indicated.”
Dr Johnson supports this new cooperative method of teaching as opposed to the competitive way of the past. He believes this introduces students at a very early stage to the way that they will work within a team during their professional careers. He has also found that the students respect and appreciate the sharing of personal experience gleaned from decades of practice which retired doctors can offer.
"When a doctor retires from practice they take with them a library of knowledge that cannot be found in any textbooks,” said first year Bond medicine student, Captan Beck. “The value of PBL tutors giving medical students access to this lifetime of knowledge cannot possibly be quantified.” The experience is equally rewarding for retired practitioners like Dr Johnson “It’s gratifying to see how the students accept and appreciate the anecdotes we can offer by recounting personal experience relevant to the case being discussed,” he said.
“A retired doctor need not feel apprehensive about acting as a tutor. A PBL tutor at Bond is a facilitator of group discussion rather than a teacher. It is very fulfilling for a retired doctor to be able to contribute to the development of bright, young, enthusiastic people and ensure that the future of Australia’s medical profession will be in capable hands.”
PBL tutors are on campus for up to five hours per week on Monday and Friday. In the first session of the week the students are given a problem and act as a team to search text books and the internet for information which they share as a group to generate learning outcomes (LOs). Students attend lectures, seminars and practical sessions throughout the week that are relevant to the LOs and then meet as a group with the tutor at the end of the week to present and discuss their findings.
Of the 14 PBL tutors currently working in Bond’s medicine program, most come from academic medical backgrounds while four are retired doctors. At all phases of the course, students particularly benefit from tutors who have practised medicine.
Intake of students into the Bond Medicine Program occurs in the May semester only, and due to the increase in student numbers Bond now requires a minimum of 20 tutors.
MANAGING MAYHEM IN SPORT
According to Bond University’s Assistant Professor of Sports Psychology, Dr Clive Jones, sports administrators need to place a stronger focus on achieving a life balance among elite athletes - whom often share ‘narcissistic’ personality traits - to help minimise the chance of well-publicised off-field indiscretions.
Speaking at the 15th Annual Sports Management Association of Australia and New Zealand (SMAANZ) Conference hosted by Bond University last November, Dr Jones (pictured) said sporting clubs often overlook strategies to quell poor off-field behaviour from players until prompted by community outrage or sponsorship withdrawals
Dr Jones was among a suite of academics and practitioners from Australia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Singapore and the United States to present the latest research and findings across all sports issues at the conference.
In his address titled ‘Managing Mayhem – Psychological Considerations in Curbing Poor Behaviour in Sporting Teams and Squads’, Dr Jones said that while there was an acceptance that sub-cultures exist in sporting codes and clubs, governing bodies did not realise how deeply-entrenched and influential group ideologies were.
DR PADMA AND HARI HARILELA SCHOLARSHIPS
These are awarded on the basis of outstanding Community Achievements and are funded by Dr Padma and Hari Harilela. The Harilela Scholarships aim to look beyond a prospective student’s academic achievements by awarding bursaries to students who have strong community involvement and contribution.
Value
- $5,000.00 cash bursaries awarded to domestic students in their first and second year of studying at Bond ($10,000.00 in total)
- $7,500.00 cash bursaries awarded to international students in their first and second year of studying at Bond ($15,000.00 in total)
Availability
The Padma and Hari Harilela Scholarships are available to commencing students in any of Bond’s three semesters. There are 8 scholarships available in total, 4 for domestic students and 4 for international students. In the first year 2 domestic and 2 international scholarships will be awarded.
Eligibility
- Available to Domestic and International students applying for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.
- Applicants must demonstrate that they currently have extensive community involvement and contribution, as well as strong academic achievements.
- Applicants must meet the prerequisites and the admissions entry standard for their chosen degree.
- Submission of a 500-word personal statement outlining their community involvement and contribution, as well as personal attributes and academic achievements.
Selection Criteria
Individual applications will be assessed for entry into Bond University and the personal statement will be assessed against our criteria. Students must meet ALL eligibility points stated in order to apply for a scholarship. Contact Rob Field at CampusDownUnder for more information.
BOND MBBS STUDENT WINS ALISON KEARNEY FELLOWSHIP |
Final year Bond University MBBS student In-Jung Lee (IJ) has been awarded the Alison Kearney Fellowship for 2009. As part of this prestigious award, IJ was given the opportunity to travel with Dr John Kearney to East Timor as part of his ongoing work with the East Timor Eye Project. The East Timor Eye Project began in 2001 after Dr Nitin Verma and Dr Kearney had visited the burnt out city of Dili and discovered many local people suffering with curable blindness. “Those involved with the project travel several times a year to various parts of East Timor performing cataract surgeries and providing glasses to the people of East Timor” said IJ. Led by Dr Kearney, the team includes ophthalmologists, theatre nurses and optometrists, all of whom volunteer their time and expertise. “Many patients who came to the hospital following our team's arrival have been completely blind for three years or more due to cataracts,” said IJ. “The miracle of this program is that a 20-minute operation gives them back their sight and independence.” IJ particularly recalls a 15-year-old girl who was born with congenital cataracts. “On the morning of post op assessment when we removed her bandages, she was too scared to open her eyes, apprehensive about seeing the world for the first time,” said IJ. “We gave her some time and waited quietly for her to open her eyes when she was ready. The smile on her face when she finally opened her eyes was unforgettable.” IJ plans to return to East Timor in the future to continue the work of Dr Kearney and encourages all who are interested in volunteering in such programs to get involved. “Knowing that donating a small amount of our time and skills can transform the lives of people like this particular girl is indescribable,“ he said. |
Completion Scholarship Scheme - The Completion Scholarship provides a three months scholarship stipend, with the possibility to extend to six months if satisfactory progress has been made to support HDR students at commencement of the write-up stage.
This scholarship scheme is expected to be highly competitive and limited scholarships will be available each year.
Publication Scholarship Scheme - The Publication Scholarship Scheme provides support to enable HDR students who have submitted their thesis for examination to write up a refereed journal paper, or, a conference paper to be submitted to a peer reviewed conference, following submission of the thesis.
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP (IPRS)
Applications are invited from suitably qualified international students for scholarships to undertake the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Masters by Research at Bond University. The Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarships are funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science & Research (DIISR). This scholarship covers program fees and basic health insurance premiums for a period up to three years (for the recipient and their dependents) only. Travel, relocation and living costs are the responsibility of the applicant. Contact Rob Field at CampusDownUnder for more information
ADCO AMPHITHEATRE HOSTS FIRST PERFORMANCE
The new Bond University ADCO Amphitheatre has hosted its very first performance – a Bond University Drama Society (BUDS) production of the Australian favourite Away by Michael Gor.
In front of an audience of over 150 on a balmy spring evening in late November, the 10 cast members professionally executed an evening of amateur theatre, complete with authentic costumes and sophisticated lighting and sound.
Bond University Student Association Treasurer and Co-director Natassia Williams said BUDS chose Away because it incorporated all the right elements for a memorable performance.
“This is the first play in the new ADCO Amphitheatre so we wanted a production that would make a statement. Away is a well-known and highly successful Australian drama that incorporates Shakespearean and Greek influences that take the audience on a journey,” Natassia said. “Set in the late 1960s on the eastern beaches of Australia, the play seemed that it was made for the outdoor setting of the new ADCO Amphitheatre.
“With all of the features of a professional production including microphones for the actors, lighting, sound and a digital media screen, Away was a pioneer step for BUDS' plan to expand in future semesters and offer more to Bond students and the community," she said.
Bond University’s ADCO Amphitheatre opened in September this year. With seating capacity for more than 400 people and state-of-the-art production facilities, the new multi-purpose cultural venue offers a relaxed, outdoor setting ideal for evening productions.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOLADES
The eighteen-year-old, who recently graduated from Cranbrook School, Sydney, won the top prize of Best Overall Filmmaker, winning a full tuition scholarship, valued at almost $80,000, to study at Bond’s innovative Centre of Film, Television and Screen-Based Media.
Jake was flown to Queensland to attend the gala awards night on Friday 20 November, where his HSC short film ‘Our Controlled Delusions’ also saw him pick up awards for Best Drama and Best Sound along with the coveted scholarship prize.
Jake will now pack his bags for the Gold Coast, where he will study a Bachelor of Film and Television at Bond from January 2010.
“Winning BUFTA is surreal, I still can’t believe that I won the award!” Jake said.
“After watching film after film of high quality craftsmanship I thought I had no chance at all. It was an absolute thrill to be nominated at all, let alone to win.”
Jake’s love of filmmaking developed through his years of schooling at the NSW coveted Cranbrook School, where he studied Photographic and Digital Media and Visual Arts. After dabbling in drawing and photography, he found his true passion in digital media and creating films. “Cranbrook High School has taught me everything I know about the art world,” he said. “They taught me not what to think, but instead how to think.”
He describes his short film as a “love story that questions the role of fate”. “It took the whole year of my HSC to complete. It was a challenge, but in the nature of all things that are worth it, it had to be.”
“To be successful in a six minute film I realised that I needed to show something really unique, really quickly. My approach was to take a very, very simple idea and present it through a different perspective.”
Jake says he entered BUFTA for the prestige of the competition and to see if his filmmaking was up to the standard of his peers. He describes his win as a “dream come true”. “Nowhere else in Australia is a Bachelor of Film and Television offered as a full degree and if I want to make it, Bond University is where I need to be at my age. I’m so excited!”
Bond University’s Director of Film and Television, Associate Professor Michael Sergi, said; “Jake Brown’s BUFTA winning film ‘Our Controlled Delusions’ demonstrated a high degree of cinematic artistic maturity for such a young filmmaker.”
“The judges were unanimous in their selection of Jake as the filmmaker who stood out amongst this year’s entrants. “We believe that Jake is a very promising young filmmaker who has the potential to have an exciting future career, and we are delighted that he will be coming to Bond to study film and television.”
Congratulations to Michael Zissis, the recipient of Bond University’s 20th Anniversary Postgraduate Alumni Scholarship. Michael will use his full tuition scholarship, introduced this year in celebration of Bond’s 20th Anniversary, to study a Master of Urban Planning from January 2010. Since graduating from Bond University three years ago with a Bachelor of Communications/ Bachelor of Laws, Michael has been practicing as a solicitor, most recently at Gold Coast Law firm Hynes.
He says the opportunity to further his education with postgraduate study will help him pursue his dream of becoming a leading practitioner in planning and development law. “Eventually, I would like to run for parliament and be part of developing planning and infrastructure policy,” Michael said. “The urban planning industry appeals to me because it is a dynamic one, as each level of government in Australia reacts to the growing demands on infrastructure.”
Michael first arrived at Bond University having just graduated from Year 12 at Warners Bay High School in Lake Macquarie, NSW. “My first impression of Bond was that I would not belong - being a public school kid from Newcastle entering a small, private university. That impression changed the moment I commenced classes,” he said.
“The difference about Bond is that the majority of students have left home to go to university - from Australian capitals, regional centres or abroad. As a consequence, students are, in a way, forced to connect with the campus and their fellow ‘Bondies’.
“This results in a profound sense of community, family and belonging which is why the Bond Alumni Network is such a strong support network.” It was Michael’s active participation in the Alumni network, together with his extensive involvement in extra-curricular activities during his time at Bond that helped his application stand out from his competition.
As President of the Bond University Student Council in 2005, Michael was behind the Inaugural Bondstock and Bond Revue, coordinating a dedicated team of student volunteers. He was an Education Officer on the Australian Law Students' Association and a committee member of both the Law and Humanities Student Associations. And as if this didn’t keep him busy enough, as a member of BUDS (Bond University Drama Society), Michael also starred or directed no less than five on-campus productions, including Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' in 2002, and again in 2006
VISITORS TO CAMPUS
Amanda Stevens - Author of SheMarketing – The Science of Marketing to Women
As managing director of Splash, Amanda is the brains behind the SheMarketing methodology, and as a result is responsible for 'telling the story' at seminars and consultations across the country. Amanda recently penned the book (or bible as we like to refer to it) on SheMarketing and as a result is busy clocking up media and speaking commitments around the globe. In 2000 Amanda was named Young Business Woman of the Year by Sydney Business Review and in December 2002 won the Young Australian of the Year Award for Career Achievement in New South Wales. In 2003 she was awarded the prestigious centenary medal by the Governor General for business innovation.
Peter Young, Gold Coast City Councillor presented “Gold Coast’s Bold Future”
Council’s Sustainable City Future Committee Chairperson, Councillor Peter Young has been the Division 5 Councillor since 2000. Prior to election in 2000, he was the Director of his own consulting company. He provided award winning specialist advice and services in Geographic Information Systems to the Federal Government and Governments of Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. Cr Young as tertiary qualifications at Flinders University (South Australia) and Sydney University - Bachelor of Arts (double major) majoring in Political Science, Government and Public Administration, and Human and Urban Geography
Councillor Young presented on the Plan’s status and current Sustainable Development initiatives. The Bold Future Plan complements Federal and State government targets for emissions reduction and supported Council’s own goal to be carbon neutral by 2020 for its day to day operations “Climate change is now a global reality, and there are obvious implications, particularly for coastal cities like the Gold Coast. We are pursuing a green fuel and green buildings program, converting city swimming pools to solar heating and improving energy efficiency in our existing buildings. But we will need the support and participation of every Gold Coast resident and visitor,” Cr Young said.