Southern Cross Matters 2022

Maybe their names don’t ring a bell but you are probably familiar with some or even all these faces. Southern Cross student ambassadors, Mia Dion, Sophie Fischer, Clare Richardson and Star Maple have been the friendly image of the University for some years now. That phase has come to an end, but for a good reason.

Ready for the next episode of their lives, Star, Clare, Sophie and Mia will be throwing the mortarboards in the air at the upcoming December Gold Coast graduation. Four different paths await our student ambassadors, yet each of them promising.   

“I’m joining a Registered Nurse Graduate Program in January at a rural referral hospital in regional NSW (NSW Health), which involves rotations in different clinical areas. I plan to work in critical care settings and one day in aeromedical retrieval throughout Australia,” said Clare, about to graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing.

“I’m beyond excited to apply my newfound knowledge in practice as I begin my career in events. I’m hoping to work in large scale events like weddings and festivals where I can become an important part of a big, busy team,” said Star, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Business in Convention and Event Management.

The future might look different for these soon-to-be-graduated students but they all share a common thought: the enriching and positive experience gained by not only studying but also working at Southern Cross. 

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Congratulations to Professor Mary Spongberg, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Academic Capability), who has been appointed to the expert working group charged with developing a new data-driven approach for Excellence in Research Australia (ERA).

Professor Spongberg will be part of a 14-member nationwide panel drawn from research, education and government. Her appointment reflects Southern Cross University’s highly regarded research outputs.

ERA is Australia’s national research assessment body and is administered by the Australian Research Council (ARC). It identifies and promotes excellence in research in Australia’s higher education institutions, through comparisons with international benchmarks.

“ERA has been a very important vehicle for driving research quality in Australia and has demonstrated that research excellence can be found across the sector. It’s great to have a regional voice on this important working group,” said Mary.

ARC Chief Executive Officer, Ms Judi Zielke PSM, will chair the expert group and said: “The ARC recognises the importance of working with experts across the higher education and research sectors, especially with the diverse range of research disciplines that ERA covers.”

The transition plan is scheduled for delivery by December 2022 for implementation in 2024-25. The working group comprises senior academics from universities around the country.  

In 2019, the University published a plan for its journey out to the mid-2020s. I think that it is self-evident to all of us that the extraordinary events of recent years traduced the core suppositions upon which that plan was constructed.

What was not self-evident, however, given the profound, persistent and dynamic nature of the shocks to which we have been subjected over that period, is what our alternative course of action and framework of priority might be.

As the leadership team of the University reflected on this paradox, we became more and more committed to the idea that any new roadmap for our future would need to be firmly grounded in our purpose and a set of values that would guide our mode of thought and our means of doing.

Neither can be magically conjured. Rather, they can only come to life and authentically embody our essence and the compact we make with each other through careful reflection drawing on a great many conversations comprising many and diverse voices.

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At Southern Cross University, we’re fans of doing things differently; but this was really different, even for us. Why not launch an engineering course in an art gallery… with our Electric Kombi as a feature?

Last month, art met science at the Home of the Arts (HOTA) in Surfers Paradise, when it hosted around 60 graduate engineers and industry representatives to launch the University’s engineering program in the Gold Coast, starting from 2023. 

Guests were treated to a tour of the Southern Cross-sponsored “Gallery 2”, where curators highlighted works associated with the changing face of the Gold Coast and its built environment. Our new Chair of Engineering, Professor Charles Lemckert, along with Vice President (Engagement), Ben Roche and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Tyrone Carlin, all spoke of the significance of the new offerings. It was great to also hear from industry leaders like Joseph Tam, Queensland Deputy President at accrediting body, Engineers Australia, who spoke about the future of engineering in Australia, the diverse career options available to our graduates and industry’s insatiable appetite for trained engineers. 

The introduction of engineering at the Gold Coast is already proving popular with 91 applications for the Bachelor degree and 15 for the Associate degree received so far for 2023 – and Year 12s haven’t even sat their final exams yet!

Warren Grimshaw AM can now add ‘Doctor’ to his extensive resume, after being conferred the award of Honorary Doctor of the University at our Coffs Harbour graduation ceremony last month.

The award was bestowed upon Warren in recognition of his services to education. He boasts an impressive list of achievements, which include leading the development of policy across schools, TAFE and universities; as well as pioneering new approaches to teacher, nurse, adult and community education. 

Warren said he was flattered to receive the honorary doctorate. “I’m really delighted and honoured to have this award bestowed upon me and I’m most appreciative to the University for making this decision,” he said.

Warren affirmed that his passion for the education sector is fuelled by positive outcomes. “It’s great to see young people and not-so-young people develop and prosper in our first-class education system, through schools, TAFE and universities.”

Head of Coffs Harbour Campus, Professor Les Christidis said Warren was most deserving of the award.

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Excellence was front of mind as the Vice Chancellor announced yesterday the successful applicants of The VC Flood Recovery Project Scheme.

Excellence in how the University has leaned into the challenges that the February and March floods presented to the broader University community. Excellence in how the University has dispatched its broad expertise to address the complexities of the rebuild. Excellence in the calibre of applications that were submitted to meet these challenges. So difficult was it to settle on only six projects, the scheme was extended to seven! With each project set receive $25,000 for delivery within 12 months.

“These projects will add to Southern Cross University's deep involvement in the recovery of the Northern Rivers after the devastating floods of early 2022,” Professor Carlin said. “The successful projects were selected due to their exceptional response to the brief which was to support or seed innovative solutions to assist the Northern Rivers Community into the future.” 

The successful applicants and their projects are:

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In rising to the challenge to create a better tomorrow for our community, the region and the planet, Southern Cross academics have identified four areas in need of urgent attention.  

Known as research impact clusters, these four areas represent a targeted approach to a common goal: a better, safer and more sustainable world. 

After several months of hard work, two clusters are finally live on our website: Harvest to Health and ZeroWaste.

“The Harvest to Health and ZeroWaste clusters extend our areas of research excellence in different directions and create new synergies. I am very excited to see how these groups develop across Southern Cross University, broadening our research footprint across the region and beyond,” Professor Mary Spongberg, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Academic Capability) said.

With both producers and consumers in the spotlight, research projects conducted within the Harvest to Health cluster will contribute to improved human health alongside sustainable production. 

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The Student Equity and Inclusion team has been tirelessly creating a safe space to celebrate and learn about our diverse Southern Cross University community. Over the past few months the team has led on-campus events such as Fusion Festival, Wear it Purple Day, and R U OK Day, and many more.

International Gold Coast health student, Yushmi Majhi, who hails from Nepal, said that Fusion Festival gave her a strong sense of belonging. 

“It was a great opportunity for me to show and represent my culture. I loved the feeling of being appreciated and honoured for being who I am and where I come from,” said Yushmi.

“I loved the face paint. I got my national flags on my face. It was such a proud moment to remember my home country while we are in a foreign land.”

Fusion Festival has been running since 2008 across all three main campuses and involves numerous activities such as cultural music, cuisines, dances, and art from all different backgrounds.

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Southern Cross researcher Graham Lancaster switched out soils for sand at the Waveski Australian Open last month, placing third in the open division held in Yamba. 

Graham is the Senior Manager of Laboratory Operations at Southern Cross University’s Environmental Analysis Laboratory and Analytical Research Laboratory, which provide a range of services including soil and plant testing. 

When he’s not in the lab, you’re not likely to find him on land. Graham is an avid waveski surfer, a sport that hybridises kayaking and surfing. He is currently ranked seventh in the world in the Waveski Surfing Opens. 

“It’s a fun sport, similar to surfing except you’re belted in and you’ve got to do the same manoeuvres – barrels, aerials, big slashes and big bottom turns,” Graham said. 

The sport has taken Graham to Portugal and Spain to compete; with his passport ready to travel to the United States for this year’s World Titles in California. 

The number seven isn’t so lucky for Graham, who is hoping to move up the ranks at the international competition in November. “I seem to be the one who is always the bridesmaid,” he laughed. “Always in the top 10 but I haven’t conquered anything more than that. It doesn’t mean I won’t be trying.”

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Mass mortality incidents in shrimp and prawn aquaculture inspired Dr Peter Butcherine to investigate how insecticides were affecting these populations. After completing a Doctor of Philosophy, his research is now being applied at a global level. 

What did you research for your PhD?

My thesis was titled "The impacts of sublethal neonicotinoid exposure on shrimp" and reported on the behavioural changes, biochemical impacts and survivorship on shrimp and prawns. I aimed to evaluate the potential for these insecticides to affect shrimp aquaculture at environmentally relevant concentrations and assess the implications for shrimp aquaculture and consumer safety.  

What inspired you to pursue this area of research?

My research stemmed from the observation that over the last few decades, mass mortality incidents in shrimp aquaculture, in the absence of pathogens, have become more common and appeared to coincide with the introduction of neonicotinoid insecticides. Globally, neonicotinoids are among the most commonly applied insecticides, and their prolific use has led to the unintended contamination of waterways. This contamination increases risks to non-target species and could impact aquatic food production systems, such as shrimp and prawn aquaculture. An additional influence was the global decline of insect populations and the role that neonicotinoids have purportedly had in this decline, particularly in bee populations.

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Last week I travelled to Canberra to meet with Australia’s Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP. I was very pleased, on our behalf, to have the opportunity to sit and reflect with him on some of the forces that are converging to shape the future of Higher Education in Australia, and some of the factors that are of particular significance to Southern Cross University as we plan for our role in that future.

I took the opportunity to explain to the Minister some of the challenges that we have been facing as an institution as a result of the Jobs Ready Graduate reforms, as well as the ongoing impact of COVID and this year’s floods. 

I also outlined details of the journey we are taking as we continue to implement the Southern Cross Model and why we have elected a revolutionary rather than evolutionary path forward in learning and teaching. In addition, I explained our impact agenda in research, and why our engagement with industry and our adoption of a genuinely cross disciplinary approach to framing research opportunities through the Impact Clusters is such a core part of our strategy for excellence.

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There were tissues and handkerchiefs aplenty at Southern Cross University’s Sydney graduation ceremonies last month. It was the first graduation event to be held in Sydney in more than three years and marked an important milestone for our new alumni. 

Breaking records seemed to be the theme of the ceremonies on Saturday 20 August 2022. More than 530 graduates crossed the floor over the two ceremonies, which was the highest number seen at a Sydney graduation. Celebrations of record-breaking continued when four-time world-record-holding sailor Lisa Blair gave an occasional address. 

The graduation event saw some inspiring stories come to light. Of note, law lecturer Dr Alessandro Pelizzon’s mother, 69-year-old Ida Piovesan, followed in her son’s footsteps by graduating the Bachelor of Laws. Meanwhile, a University Medal was also presented to Bachelor of Laws graduate Christopher Murray.

Over 20 staff members took part in the Academic Procession across the two ceremonies. Chair of Academic Board Professor Andrew Rose said for staff and students alike it was an emotional event. “There’s the graduates who get super excited and are skipping across the stage and the ones who look like they’re almost overwhelmed with emotion,” he said. 

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Dr James Sippo and Dr Luke Jeffrey have much in common. They share an office at the Lismore campus, launched their careers from unconventional backgrounds, are recipients of the Chancellor’s Medal, and belong to one of Southern Cross University's more curiously named research groups – Barefoot Biogeochemistry. 

“The name came after Luke and I and some fellow biogeochemists were discussing ways we could support each other’s research,” said James. “At one stage, we happened to look under the table and saw that not one of us was wearing shoes.” 
  
Before coming to Southern Cross University, James worked for Greenpeace – “hounding people in Brisbane’s CBD”, while Luke travelled the world as marketing manager for iconic surf brand Billabong. From such diverse backgrounds, two significant research careers have emerged. 
  
After graduating with a Bachelor of Environmental Science – followed by Honours and a PhD – James began his career studying mangroves in Australia’s Top End in relation to mangrove dieback, carbon sequestration and ocean acidification. His latest research is focused on blue carbon, highlighted by a major role in the development of BlueCAM. 

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The pen proved mightier than the sword at this year’s Byron Writers Festival, which saw progressive and dynamic discussions take place across 26-28 August. Southern Cross University further established itself as a significant partner of the event with students, staff and alumni involved throughout the festival.  

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Academic Capability) Professor Mary Spongberg, Course Coordinator for the Associate Degree of Creative Writing Dr Lynda Hawryluk, media and journalism Lecturer Jeanti St Clair and Emeritus Professor Judy Atkinson all spoke at various panel discussions. Meanwhile, alumnus Emily Brugman, author of The Islands, and Jessie Cole, author of Darkness on the Edge of Town, Deeper Water, Staying, and Desire, were also featured onstage.  

The Southern Cross University Student Reporting Hub was a hive of activity. Students were set up in the University’s electric Kombi recording podcast interviews with authors such as Evelyn Araluen, Jessie Cole, Matthew Evans, Saul Griffith, Dylin Hardcastle and Ben Quilty. Member of the student reporting team and Bachelor of Education student Blake Skuse said it was a fantastic experience. “I learnt so much from such a wide range of people. Talking to Evelyn Araluen, she was just great because she had so many different bits of inspiration,” he said.  

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Engaging Aboriginal high school students in science and maths through dance, art and storytelling inspired Dharawal woman Kylie Day to complete her Doctorate of Indigenous Philosophies (DIP) with Gnibi College.  

What are you researching? 
I am in the final stages of my DIP which is titled ‘Realising the potential of cultural safety in the classroom’. My aim is to create better ways of enhancing learning in the classroom for Indigenous students by privileging the voice of local elders and knowledge holders. My research is positioned in the fields of Indigenous Knowledge education and pedagogy development to address a distinct need to honour the students' own reality into their learning. 

What inspired you to pursue this area of research? 
Through developing a relationship with an Aboriginal Reference Group, I realised the potential of cultural safety in the classroom. This underpinned my inquiry about how to make education more engaging for Indigenous students, promote quality teaching, and build cultural identity.  

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Professor Richard Dunford joined Southern Cross University in August as Interim Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business, Law and Arts. The six-month appointment will alleviate the transition to the next Executive Dean, when he or she is appointed.

His outstanding career has featured leadership roles across education, industry, research and business. Highlights include the University of Newcastle (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Business & Law) and senior positions at Macquarie University, the University of Sydney, and the University of NSW. 

Nationally, he has been an active member of research assessment panels, most recently as Chair of the Social Science Panel in the Australian Research Council's Engagement and Impact process. He was also twice a member of the Business Panel for Excellence in Research, Australia.  

Internationally, Professor Dunford has served on business school accreditation panels in the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia.  

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Appointed Chair of Discipline of Engineering and Information Technology in August, the same month he relocated to the region with his family, Professor Charles Lemckert brings to Southern Cross University a multidisciplinary approach along with a broad range of experience in the higher education sector. 

“I became an academic to pursue my strong interest in solving problems and to help educate undergraduate and postgraduate students as this in turn helps us improve our society,” said Professor Lemckert.

“I like the challenges and opportunities academia brings. We have a lot of freedom to pursue areas of interest which doesn’t really occur in other jobs. In academia I get the opportunity to engage locally, nationally and internationally to learn, investigate and solve various problems.”

Asked about some of his goals in the new appointment here at Southern Cross, Charles affirms that he would like to “grow these society-important disciplines, enhance staff engagement with industry and our external communities, deliver high-quality education so that our students are our stars and excelling ambassadors, support the development and growth of the wonderful staff we have, so they can achieve their desired goals, and have fun!”

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I think it can genuinely be said that this month’s edition of Southern Cross Matters reflects both the diversity and the excellence that define our University. The material that touches on our work in research strikes a balance between illuminating the kind of dedication and focus necessary to build up authoritative expertise in a domain of knowledge and examining the new approaches that the University is beginning to adopt, building platforms for research and enquiry that harness expertise in new ways and genuinely engage industry and other stakeholders to drive collaboration and impact.

Moving in this direction will challenge us to reflect very carefully on the areas in which we have or can generate capability that is either unique or which in a tangible sense gives us some other basis for comparative advantage in delivering insights and solutions in partnership with others. It is for this reason that we are beginning to focus with such intent on better approaches to engagement with the many organisations and institutions with whom we can work to leverage our capabilities to better effect, and to more systematically strive to draw upon insights from multiple disciplines in the pursuit of solutions.

We are redefining and repositioning ourselves in the domain of research, just as we have been doing in education through our work in realising the vision of the Southern Cross Model. More profoundly, perhaps, we are doing this on the basis of a belief in excellence and a rejection of the notion, to the extent that it has ever been part of our institutional zeitgeist that our scale, age and location should somehow constrain our level of ambition.

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Hybrids are all the rage and Open Day this year is embracing the trend. For the first time, the University is holding both an on-campus and online Open Day where future students get to know not just the courses on offer, but the academics behind them.

Dr Erica Russ is one such academic. A senior lecturer in social work and community welfare and a social worker for more than 30 years, she is passionate about working with vulnerable, marginalised people, influencing social change and helping improve people’s lives.  

Erica will be speaking at the Social Work and Community Welfare Open Day panel at the Gold Coast. The course-specific panel sessions are part of this year’s Open Day revamp and include speakers such as academics, students, alumni and industry representatives.  

Erica said she has attended previous Open Days and enjoyed engaging in conversations with people and answering their questions. “It’s really about connecting with people. I’ve had lovely conversations with people who go, ‘yes, this is where I know I want to be’, and others who say they are thinking about it but not sure. And as you talk to them, they understand what it’s about and gain interest,” she said.  

“Social work and community welfare are areas where we need workers now and into the future. The workforce is really rapidly growing. So, if people are unsure, then it’s at least opening their minds to thinking ‘this might be a really good opportunity for me in the future’

“It’s about working with individuals but it’s also about me contributing to social change that will affect larger groups of people and have a benefit for people more broadly,” Erica said. 

As an academic, Erica has continued to advocate for social justice and change. “It’s wonderful to be training the next generation of people who are going to be out there making a difference,” she said.  

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After many months of conversation, collaboration and preparation behind the scenes, the University’s research clusters have taken an important step forward. 

A pitching session was recently held with key members of the research team and University Executive to introduce the proposed clusters and take them from incubation to implementation.   

Researchers are well acquainted with pitching their work, but why pitch a cluster? Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Academic Capability Professor Mary Spongberg provides some background: “The clusters will provide a new framework that brings together the University’s key and emerging research strengths. The aim is to drive innovation, enable interconnectedness and multi-disciplinarity, bringing together researchers and HDR students from different backgrounds to create new opportunities and amplify our research impact. This model will allow us to harness our resources and collaborate better, both internally and beyond SCU.” 

“The clusters are also critical for the University to generate build reputation and diversify research funding, and to show how distinctive we are on a global stage,” Professor Spongberg said. “The pitching session was a way to present the work to date and give the Executive a chance for feedback on their structure and purpose.” 

The Waste Management in the Circular Economy cluster was presented by Professor Dirk Erler and brings together research expertise in geochemistry, environmental science, engineering, business and education to develop solutions for our global waste problem by integrating circular economy principles.   

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A community of teaching and learning scholars, deeply invested in student success, has spent years developing the Southern Cross Model. Now, a series of academic papers documents the rationale behind this seismic shift in curriculum and course delivery at the University.  

The first edition of the Southern Cross Scholarship of Learning & Teaching Papers explores the impact of the new Southern Cross Model on university student learning, academic achievement and experience. They are a window onto the Model’s complexity and academic rigour, underpinned by data showing how students – on-campus, online, international or domestic – have performed in the Model.  

One of authors of the series is Liz Goode, who has been actively involved with the Model’s implementation. It’s the culmination of many years dedicated to student success for Liz. She has taught and developed enabling programs like the University’s Preparing for Success Program (PSP) for thousands of aspiring university students.  

“When it comes to preparatory or enabling programs, a key part of their rationale is this idea of equity in access and participation in higher education. It’s been very exciting to be part of that movement,” she said. 

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You might soon spot a few familiar faces while watching TV, thanks to the participation of Southern Cross University staff, students, and alumni in the new Transforming Tomorrow TV commercial. More than 180 people were involved in the extensive three-day filming, as either talent, technical advisors, or extras.

The planning of the new Transforming Tomorrow commercial began as early as February, with the Office of Engagement marketing department determined for the video to be 100 per cent staff, students and alumni.  

“The decision to use real people instead of actors added a few more levels of planning and logistics. We needed to find the right mix of people to best depict the Southern Cross University community,” said Marketing Manager, Bill Key. 

The most extensive shoot occurred at Whitebrook Theatre in Lismore, where more than 100 students and staff drove far and wide to be audience extras in a ‘TED talk’ scenario. The commercial will show the Southern Cross community cheering and taking photos of Business student Sophie Fischer, who got up nice and early, despite being her 21st birthday the night before!  

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An important component of this month’s edition of Southern Cross Matters is a reflection on the graduation ceremonies that occurred this past week at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre. I will do my best not to repeat that material in my own comments, but given the significance of these events in the life of our University, particularly after all of the disruptions associated with COVID, it would seem strange if I did not venture my own perspective.

As I do so, I want to particularly acknowledge and thank the many dozens of staff from across the University who supported and attended the ceremonies. I was especially delighted that at each of the graduations, we were able to form impressive academic processions. This added real gravity and showed respect to our newest graduates and their families. We should work hard to ensure that all of our future ceremonies follow the pattern set this year at the Gold Coast.

At graduations, we often focus on the vital work of our academic colleagues in bringing students to the point of successful graduation. That is absolutely as it should be. But it is also true that every single colleague at the university contributes to this outcome in some way. That is why I adopt the approach of encouraging academic and professional staff alike to join together in graduation ceremonies. The success of our students is something we can all take pride in and celebrate. It was great to see a good number of professional staff colleagues joining the processions at last week’s ceremonies and I hope that this is something that will become a very well-established tradition at Southern Cross University.

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To see a project like iSISTAQUIT reach a major milestone last month was immensely satisfying for project manager and proud Kamilaroi woman, Rebecca Hyland.

“Our women are strong, resilient and motivated to quit smoking. This project starts the conversations between friends, family and health professionals, as it’s often the support systems in place that can help a smoker quit for good,” she said.

On World No Tobacco Day (May 31) the Faculty of Health project, led by Professor Gillian Gould, launched a compilation of campaign video clips to raise awareness about the importance of culturally appropriate care in assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnant women to quit smoking.

“We’ve had more than 25 Health Services from across Australia participate in the iSISTAQUIT training and these videos go that extra step in terms of resources,” said Rebecca. “It’s supporting a new Closing the Gap target to increase the number of babies born at a healthy weight by 2031, as we know tobacco smoking is the major contributor to low birthweight.”

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A new project is being launched by Southern Cross University to revive and recover the Northern Rivers after the floods.

Expressions of interest for the VC Flood Recovery Project Scheme are now open, with funding available for projects designed to support specific segments of the Northern Rivers community in the process of recovery. Southern Cross University researchers and academics are strongly encouraged to apply.

“The Recovery Project Scheme will fund up to six projects that combine research and engagement to align with the academic and research strengths of the University,” Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Academic Capability) Professor Mary Spongberg said.

Successful projects will involve intentional engagement with those communities most impacted by the recent disasters. Funding can be used to seed new projects or to extend projects that are already supporting the communities in the Northern Rivers region.
Project teams must be led by Southern Cross University staff, but should also involve community or industry groups based on the Northern Rivers.

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Future students will be able to scroll the web and stroll through campuses at Southern Cross University’s first ever hybrid Open Day.

It is exciting to be welcoming students back to campus for Open Day, as the past two years have been solely online.

This year, flexibility is the name of the game with the hybrid Open Day catering to both students on campus and online.

The virtual events will launch from July 8, with course information, virtual campus tours and the popular on-demand videos. Students will then be welcomed on campus for Open Day events at Coffs Harbour, Lismore and the Gold Coast from August 5 to 7.

Of note this year is the course-specific panel sessions, with speakers including academics, students and graduates working in the industry.

Southern Cross University Vice President (Engagement) Ben Roche said this year’s Open Day events are more refined and focused on specific areas of interest, marking a point of difference from previous years.

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We’re lucky to have several amazing language teachers at the University. One of them is Dr Sally Ashton-Hay, Lecturer (Teaching Scholar) in the Learning Experience Team and an expert on ‘translanguaging’, a technique she’s sharing on the global stage.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Sally began working with the US Department of State after teaching high school students. When the organisation offered Sally work overseas, she expected to be sent to a Francophone country as she had studied French for years. She was a bit surprised when she found herself in Turkey, despite not speaking Turkish!

Her adventures in language continued, driven by a passion to see English students from all backgrounds succeed.

Calling Australia home since the 1980s, Sally recently teamed up with the US Department of State again as part of the Virtual English Language Specialist Program, presenting her work on translanguaging at a global English teaching conference as well as virtual teacher training sessions to pre-service education students and their lecturers.

Translanguaging is a novel teaching method used to support bilingual Southern Cross students studying Southern Cross business curricula in China.

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With industry and academic experience in software engineering in information technology, Irani has moved from Sri Lanka to the sunny Gold Coast to pursue her PhD with the Faculty of Business. Her research interests lie at the intersection of software engineering and information system development industry best practices.

What are you researching?
My research title is ‘The Balancing of Minimum Viability and Innovation in Information System Development Context’.

The minimum viable product (MVP) is a key concept in lean start up methodology and represents a basic but launchable version of a product with minimal, yet must have features, that provides maximum amount of validated learning about target customers.
In the information system development (ISD) industry, MVP helps software development product teams to receive customer feedback as quickly as possible to improve the product in their next iterations.

In my research, I explore how to balance MVP and innovation inside ISD organisations to achieve competitive advantage while managing the risks and costs of innovations.

What was your motivation to pursue research in this area?
While working as a software engineer, I have experienced project failures and customer contract terminations. I have seen how the organisations failed to balance minimum viability and innovation, and encounter failures as a result of it. I noticed the research gaps in identifying and handling tensions between MVP and innovation in ISD context. Therefore, I have a motivation to improve the software product development and delivery process in ISD organisations while utilising intrapreneur capabilities for the betterment of the organisation.

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On Thursday May 12, members of the SCU team joined together with people from around the world to mark International Nurses Day. It was in that context that I had the good fortune to attend a celebratory barbeque at the Lismore campus and spend some time with Professor Jennene Greenhill and members of the Nursing discipline team.

It was delightful to meet again with colleagues who I had not seen in quite some time, and to meet others for the first time other than on Zoom! I imagine that this has been an experience that many at the University have shared in recent months. It underscored for me the importance, even as we embed a more flexible approach to working, of ensuring that we invest together in building a community and maintaining the liveliness of our campuses as hubs for engagement.

What struck me most about the events of the day, though, was the opportunity to meet with a number of our students. I found this to be enormously inspiring and I wanted to share this with our community as a whole because I believe that you will be similarly moved.

I first met Melissa and Bronwyn, two third-year nursing students normally based at the Gold Coast campus. During the height of the flooding, these amazing members of our University were so concerned for the wellbeing of community members that they decided to travel to Lismore and help out wherever they could in the evacuation centre that was at that stage home to many hundreds of people in deep need. I could tell as I spoke to them about this that their experiences in doing this had impacted on them to a very profound degree, but that they were so proud to have been part of a large team effort to respond to a terrible disaster.

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Lisa Siegel, an Associate Lecturer and doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education has been named the 2021 NSW Environmental Educator of the Year.

But the road to that accolade actually started in a concrete playground in California.

As is the case in many schools, Lisa’s early school breaks were spent in concrete surrounds. It wasn’t until a pivotal moment in Year 4, when a teacher took the class to a nearby stream for a hike, that something shifted in her. Walking through the creek she experienced contact with nature she hadn’t felt before.

Later, when she was moved into a class for gifted children, Lisa met another teacher who also inspired her; and whose approach to teaching she emulates to this day. This teacher began each class ‘shooting the breeze’, asking what the kids wanted to talk about, and then using this to guide the day’s lessons. He also taught the class to assess their values and led regular discussions about them. It was a student-led, but teacher-guided experience that harnesses students’ passion and curiosity – an approach Lisa now uses herself.

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Hemp’s formidable nutritional and fibre qualities are supercharging a recalibration of its reputation and research. Amid global demand for higher quality natural foods and medicines, Associate Professor Tobias Kretzschmar’s hemp research has Southern Cross University at the forefront of a growing phenomenon.

Based at Southern Cross Plant Science in Lismore, Tobias said hemp is “a crop of a hundred uses” and that Australia could lead its multi-faceted cultivation and development.

"Hemp has massive potential as a food and medicinal crop,” he said. “The seeds are rich in oils of a similar quality as fish oil, except they are vegan and do not have the smell. They also contain high amounts of essential amino acids. Like soy, hemp can be used as a protein crop. Like canola, it can be used as an oil crop. In addition, its flowers are rich in nutraceutical and medical compounds.

“Hemp also produces high-quality fibres that can serve as fabric for clothing or be used in composite materials to replace single-use plastic. As Hempcrete, it can replace concrete or other non-renewables in certain building applications. Developed correctly, hemp can help us reach zero waste goals and implement circular and sustainable economies.”

A plant geneticist and plant physiologist, Tobias’s career has ranged from studying pineapples in Townsville and rice in the Philippines to petunias in Switzerland, where he also did his PhD in plant molecular physiology. At Southern Cross, his research has covered passionfruit, coffee, mustard, tea tree and rice. He is currently leading a project into the drivers of nutritional quality in black rice.

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As we approach the half-year mark of 2022, some exciting new courses and course changes are on the horizon.

A new Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology commences in Term 1 2023. This four-year degree enables registration as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist – one of the fastest growing allied health specialisations – and represents the evolution of the existing Bachelor + Masters pathway.

Other new health degrees in 2023 include the Master of Naturopathic Medicine, the postgraduate complement to the Bachelor of Health Science (Health and Lifestyle) introduced in 2022 for students interested in practising clinical naturopathy.

The suite of Engineering degrees will see some important new changes, with the extension to the Gold Coast campus for the Bachelor of Engineering Systems (Honours), the Associate Degree of Engineering and the new Master of Engineering Practice.

The Associate Degree of Engineering will be sporting a new name and a new structure, with two new specialisations in civil construction and intelligent machines. The new degree structure is suited to those looking to enter the civil construction or manufacturing and production industries in a supervisory management or technical role, or as a pathway to the Bachelor degree and accreditation under the Washington Accord.

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After two years of COVID interruptions, the Gold Coast Marathon is back on 2-3 July, with Southern Cross University a major sponsor for the 15th year running (pun intended).

You’ll be able to spot Southern Cross University from a mile away as our partnerships team go all out with merch, the starter gun, our converted electric Kombi, and the recovery hub. The 100-point recovery program is designed by our health experts and run by our Osteopathy and Exercise Science students, who get to apply their classroom knowledge in a real-world race setting.

More than 100 students and staff are expected to participate in Team SCU this year, where they reap the benefits of a discounted entry fee, colourful SCU branded singlets, and access to our team marquee with a healthy breakfast and post-race sports massage.

A notable Southern Cross student is Isaiah Koopmans, the current Australian 20-24-year-old National Champion of the standard distance triathlon event - involving a 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride, and 10km run. Isaiah, who hails from Coffs Harbour, said the Gold Coast Marathon has a fantastic vibe.

“Not only is the Gold Coast Marathon event a fast and flat course, but the atmosphere at this event is unreal from both an athlete and spectator perspective, and it allows me to meet with and compete against fellow SCU teammates as well, who study across all campuses or online,” he said.

“My personal best at this 10km event was the last time I competed in 2019, which was just on 34 minutes, so this year I am aiming to run around 31 to 32 minutes.”

There’s still time to register to be a member of Team SCU! Head to the Gold Coast Marathon website for more details or email unilife@scu.edu.au

This year’s Engineering Honours students are focusing their theses on an area of research that’s close to home: flooding.

“There was a really strong response from students when considering their thesis topics. After the floods hit at the beginning of Term 1, the majority of students were really keen to do something that they thought would help with the recovery and future flood resilience,” said course coordinator Professor Andrew Rose.

With a combination of civil and mechanical engineering students, topics range from building design approaches to withstand flooding, development of flood-resistant materials for more resilient roads, to machine learning to predict floods.

“The great thing is that they are really practical projects and there is genuine research to be done which the students are really excited about. They are coming up with solutions for real world applications and hopefully some will be adopted,” Professor Rose said.

“One student who currently works for the Richmond Valley Council is looking at the effects of heavy rainfall events within the Casino urban catchment during major flood events within the Richmond River Basin. So, the outcomes of that project will be directly relevant to their flood modelling.”

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Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic Innovation) Erica Wilson has been appointed as the new chair of Council for Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Education. The organisation represents the interests of higher education providers and individual members of tourism, hospitality and events education and researchers at Bachelor degree level and above in Australia and New Zealand. Congratulations Erica.

Recently, I wrote to the University community and announced the Commonwealth’s commitment to support the University with $27.5m in funding towards the realisation of the next stage of our vision for our Coffs Harbour campus. This is a genuinely catalytic moment for us, achieved in an era in which many competing priorities for potential investment have drawn the dominant gaze of government from Universities.

In these circumstances, I have come to believe that what marked out our proposal was not the cleverness of the design or the allure of the economic activity that naturally flows from a significant construction project, but rather, how it spoke to our ethos as a University and our orientation towards ensuring that as we work towards our own success, we use as a yardstick the benefit that we bring to others.

This is precisely the ethos that runs through the profile of Damien Maher in this edition of Southern Cross Matters. As you read that material, I’m sure you’ll derive a deep sense of the motivating force that pushes him to explore new frontiers of knowledge and the enormous significance for him of seeing that work translated into impact and application.

It is the same ethos that has informed the approach taken at the Lismore campus as we support the organisations and institutions that together provide the fabric that undergirds our community such that we protect and build upon our vitality and sustain our reasons to be optimistic as to the future.

I believe that the Southern Cross Model is also informed by this same approach – and that in our willingness to take risks and to expend enormous time and energy in the quest for a better way of learning and teaching, we will find our reward in the deeper engagement, intellectual development and success of our students and their subsequent contributions to society.

As we continue to prepare ourselves for our future, for our priorities in that future and for the challenging trade-offs that we will need to deliberate upon during that journey, it will serve us well to continue to remind ourselves of the power of looking outwards, of engagement with our communities and of the central importance of excellence through impact.

I hope you find this edition of Southern Cross Matters enjoyable and inspirational and look forward to your continued suggestions for matters of interest for future versions.

Professor Tyrone M Carlin
Vice Chancellor and President

Professor Damien Maher’s research has taken him from the Great Barrier Reef to the mangroves of Florida, small freshwater streams in Arizona, the Gulf of Carpentaria and even the Tibetan Plateau. But lately, it’s his research in our own backyard on the Northern Rivers that’s making an impact.

As a specialist in hydrobiogeochemistry, Damien’s work covers a range of topics from local water quality issues and solutions, to global biogeochemical and hydrological cycles. His research team have been working on a collaborative project with Rous County Council and the Department of Planning and Environment to monitor water quality in the Richmond River. Following the devastating weather events in February and March, the team have been busy investigating the chronic impacts of the flooding on the NSW North Coast, including the deoxygenation of the Richmond River catchment, resulting in extensive fish kill.

“My SCU colleagues and I are working with local and state governments to undertake regular sampling of water throughout the Richmond River, installation and maintenance of water quality loggers, as well as some experimental work to understand how the river responds to these kinds of massive floods,” Professor Maher said.
“We will use this information to develop and calibrate water quality models, with the ultimate aim of providing management options to government. As part of this project we are also looking to map out erosion in the catchment, which has been extensive. This will help inform government on where restoration works should be prioritised to reduce the long-term effects of soils being moved from the land to the waterways,” he said.

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Students and staff returning to campus this week, ready for Term 2, will notice some big changes. The evacuation centre is now closed but the campus is actively supporting the recovery effort of the region as a hub of education, health and community services.

Two schools are now sharing the Lismore campus with us and a third is on the way. Trinity Catholic College and the Living School are now housed in R and E block respectively, while the Rivers Secondary College will shortly be housed in temporary classrooms adjacent to the Military Road gatehouse.

A recovery centre continues to operate out of V block, distributing donated goods, food and clothing. More than 30 services are using or have used the campus as temporary or semi-temporary accommodation, including Centrelink, Service NSW, insurance and banking facilities, LegalAid, community services organisations and emergency services including the NSW Police. “It's a version of the concept of town and gown in a way, where you're really bringing parts of the town to the university where it makes sense to do so. That's definitely the way of the future and I think it’s good for students as it provides opportunities for them as well,” said Allan Morris, Vice President (Operations).

Head2Health, the new mental health consulting space is operating out of P block, providing space for mental health services alongside general practitioners and allied health professionals who are operating from the P Block Health Clinic, where pathology services are also located.

The Business Hub in A Block’s Enterprise Lab, set up by Business NSW, is also providing an essential space for people to reboot and re-imagine commercial activities. Regional Manager of Business NSW Jane Laverty said between 20-50 businesses were accessing the hub every day to access workspaces, wifi, support and business recovery information. “The whole goal of the hub for us to retain as many businesses in the Northern Rivers as we possibly can,” she said.

Ever since he was a child Professor Bradley Eyre has always asked ‘why?’

“I’ve always been fascinated by science, with a real interest in natural systems and how they work, but these days I’ve expanded my view to ask how natural systems work at a global level – there are still many unanswered questions,” Professor Eyre says.

The biogeochemist from Southern Cross University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering will lead two ARC Discovery Projects in the same round, taking him from Australia’s flooded inland deserts to the shallow ocean floor along the Great Barrier Reef.

Professor Eyre said he was thrilled to be collaborating with NASA, who will conduct satellite work for the $456,000 project ‘Resolving the role of dryland flooding in the global carbon cycle’ and CSIRO, who will use the findings to inform global carbon cycle modelling.

“This builds on our previous work at Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre in remote Central Australia when it flooded in 2019. My colleague Professor Dirk Erler and I hired a helicopter to gather water samples and became the first scientists to measure greenhouse gas emissions from an inland salt lake and associated flooded river systems,” Professor Eyre said.

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With Term 1 of 2022 now complete, we take a moment to reflect on teaching and learning in the Southern Cross Model.

“Teaching into the new Southern Cross Model has been challenging, the fastest six weeks ever!” said Professor Bronwyn Barkla, who taught Plant Science in Term 1.

“Keeping to the rapid turnaround for marking is probably the most difficult task and ensuring students don’t fall behind on the modules. That being said, my students were very positive of the new model, and I like that my teaching commitment is over quickly so I can get back to a focus on research,” she said.

Responding to a survey about the Southern Cross Model on the University’s social media channels, students said they enjoyed having the module content ‘all in the one place’ as well as the more frequent breaks in the academic calendar. The ability to focus on fewer subjects and fitting study around full-time work were also a bonus for students.

The most frequent challenge students experienced was the amount of content to get through in six weeks.

Social Work and Community Welfare Course Coordinator Dr Darran Stonehouse, who taught his first Southern Cross Model unit in Term 1, said the balance between self-learning content and longer class hours required tweaking during the Term. “I had to make adjustments to the learning activities planned for the classes,” he said.

After a two-year hiatus, the International team have been back reconnecting and strengthening relationships in our key student markets around the world.

These areas have a rapidly growing youth population and a high demand for up-skilling, meaning that advancing our relationship has never been more important.

Our representatives Subhi Pradhan (Country Manager for Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and India) and Monty Singh (Chief International Officer), joined numerous events including the Gold Coast Education Destination Showcase Event and Networking Dinner in Mumbai.

The team showcased all the advantages of Southern Cross University and the Gold Coast as a study destination.

“We addressed our new courses, industry collaborations, employability opportunities for international students, and future partnership opportunities with Indian institutions,” Subhi said.

Other events included the Director's Meet and Networking Event in Nepal and plenty of agent reactivation visits in New Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida.

Monty Singh met with Australia's Ambassador to Nepal, Her Excellency Ms Felicity Volk, at the Australian Embassy in Nepal and discussed strengthening overall relations. The International team has relationships with over 30 of the top colleges in Nepal for hospitality, finance, and management.

A new edition to the 2022 international strategy is the introduction of SCU Info Week, where the elected international agent decorates the whole office with Southern Cross branding and promotes the University for a week to prospective students.

So, what’s next for the International team? Sponsoring the biggest basketball league in Nepal, with an estimated reach of 1 million viewers globally!

For the second year in a row, the Coffs Harbour campus transformed into a hub for filmmakers and enthusiasts for the Screenwave International Film Festival. As a proud sponsor, Southern Cross was involved in numerous ways for the two-week festival.

A highlight of the program, dubbed the ‘Oscars night for Coffs Harbour,’ was the Nextwave Youth Film Awards at the CHEC Theatre. The event saw a red-carpet arrival, live music, guest speakers, an awards ceremony, and a screening of finalists’ short films.

The Southern Cross interactive cube lightbox brightened the campus, with festival-goers invited to grab a piece of chalk and answer, ‘what is the most valuable thing you’ve ever learnt?’ Responses ranged from ‘bring a blanket into the cinema’ to ‘never stop learning’.

Another highlight was the inaugural Southern Cross Nextwave Accelerator workshop run by Digital Media Lecturer Uwe Terton. He led 30 finalists from schools across the region to create a short montage in the intensive three-hour workshop.

“I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to facilitate one of the Nextwave Accelerator workshops around film montage. The event is important in nurturing creative talent within the Coffs Harbour community,” said Uwe.

Winding up two weeks of festivities was a panel discussion following the screening of 'Carbon: the unauthorised biography.’ The discussion featured many familiar Southern Cross faces, such as Associate Professor Christian Sanders, Environmental Analysis Laboratory Technical Manager Nadia Toppler, and Marine Science student Luke Austin, who was recently awarded the AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship.

The Southern Cross Solar Sunflower took a road trip to sunny Bondi Beach to attend the Ocean Lovers Festival, a free festival of art, music, ideas and action. The Sunflower helped to offset power from the main stage of the festival, supporting entertainment, live music and talks to over 20,000 people.

Represented by our student ambassadors Max Den Exter English and Isobelle Gapp, the sunflower attracted a crowd of people interested to learn more about the mobile solar generator system, designed and built at our Lismore campus.

Carolyn Grant, Director of Engagement at Ocean Lovers Festival said the Sunflower was an attractive and engaging talking point.

“Bursting open next to our Sunshine Stage right on the beachfront, the solar sunflower symbolised our hope through solutions and science to improve the planet and particularly the ocean by doing our bit to reduce fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions while promoting the adaptable ways to harness the energy of the gorgeous sunshine we enjoyed all weekend. Visitors loved engaging with the Southern Cross University team to find out more about how they powered our sound system which we were very grateful for.”

What are you researching for your PhD?
My PhD is about ‘Diagnostic practice in mental health nursing: Understanding the factors that influence clinical decision making for nurses who make a provisional diagnosis of borderline personality disorder in assessment/emergency settings’. It explores how mental health nurses make decisions when providing a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder within the emergency department or crisis context.

Borderline personality disorder is characterised by unstable interpersonal relationships, emotional dysregulation and frequent attempts to avoid abandonment. Often people with this condition will engage in self harm as a way to regulate their emotions or to show people how they are feeling.

What was your motivation to pursue research in this area?
My motivation to explore this topic stemmed from my clinical background. I started working in the emergency department with the mental health crisis team and a presentation we saw a lot of was borderline personality disorder. I began to see a pattern of the same patients presenting to emergency who were also contacting us directly for crisis support and did not appear to be improving, instead they were faced with being labelled as ‘borderline’, compromising the care they sought. Borderline personality disorder is not recognised as a condition which requires treatment under the Medicare system so although these people utilise a disproportionate amount of mental health services, they can’t access to right treatment. The aim of my PhD is bring to light how frequently these people were seen in emergency departments, to look at the entry point to health services, and to establish the nurse’s role in assessing these patients.

What are your hopes for the future of healthcare and mental health?
When I first started out, I had big hopes that I could change the world, but the more I work through this PhD, the more I realise little steps are needed. I would like to see a mental health system where people can access the appropriate treatment at an appropriate time. As it currently stands, mental health treatment is difficult for most to access and it is costly.

Where to next? What are your plans once you’ve finished your PhD?
I think my first step is to take a break from studying! After that, I would like to get into a research position. I have grown to love writing so if I can do that and make a difference through my research in mental health, that would be amazing!

When I wrote my introductory comments to accompany the February 2022 edition of Southern Cross Matters, I reflected on the importance and gathering pace and impact of our journey of reform and renewal, and my optimism for what we might achieve in the year that lay ahead.

Little could I have then imagined the events that would subsequently unfold in late February and throughout March. For all of us, the effects of these times will be long felt and remembered.

I have expressed to the University community on several occasions over past weeks my deep gratitude for the manner and spirit in which we have rallied together, looked out for each other and worked with incredible resolve and energy to play our part in helping our communities beyond crisis.

But I have also encouraged everyone at the University to reflect with hope and optimism on the strong progress we continue to make in our teaching and research and on the enormous reserves of talent and excellence we are blessed to be drawing upon and building as we do this work. I think that shines through very much in the pages of this edition of Southern Cross Matters.

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Two major flood events in the space of a month, five weeks of mud and heartache. In the middle of it all are the stories of our staff and students who stepped up when their community needed it most.

Students like Christa Morrow said she just couldn’t sit and watch. She rang her friends and organised mud armies of students to help with the first clean-up. “I just trawled Facebook for addresses that were popping up that needed help, where someone didn't have as many community connections. We started there with a team of students and then we just didn't stop for maybe seven days. You just go and go, you don't even think twice about it,” she said.

Staff members showed up in so many different ways and shone, taking on responsibilities far beyond their day-to-day duties. Faculty of Business, Law and Arts faculty manager Cindy Harvey worked for more than two weeks straight at the recovery hub on Lismore campus, accepting the truckloads of food, bedding and clothing that poured in, making sure they got to the people who needed them.

“Many donations were from people who were flood-affected themselves, who wanted to give back the extra they had to other needy people, it was really inspiring,” she said.

Dean of Health Julie Jomeen was among the many volunteers at the donation hub and she praised the tireless effort of staff. “It’s been very emotional and truly amazing how people come together, how people support each other, even under really difficult circumstances and how resilient our staff have been,” she said.

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Let’s pop the bubbly – this year SCU College celebrates 10 years as a stepping stone into higher education for thousands of students.

Beginning with a small offering of associate degrees, an English language program, and the foundation course Preparing for Success in 2012, the College was born out of Southern Cross University’s drive to increase access and participation in higher education across our campus regions.

“It’s an important role that the College plays and it’s really transformative in regional Australia where we know there are lower rates of higher education participation and higher numbers of non-traditional students, who might be the first person in their family to study, or those who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds or students who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander,” Professor Thomas Roche, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic Quality) and Dean of SCU College said.

He believes providing a pathway to tertiary studies for all students, regardless of their previous educational background or ATAR score is at the heart of the College.  

“What we do in the College is open up doors to study and future careers for students who otherwise wouldn’t gain admission to university,” he said.

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Working with vulnerable young people to improve their life trajectory is Lynne McPherson's life’s passion and work. She is an Associate Professor of Social Work and Community Welfare in Southern Cross University’s Centre for Children and Young People (CCYP) in the Faculty of Health.

When Lynne launches her ARC-funded project this year looking at practices in residential care that build trusting relationships and positive social connections, she will be working with some of the most vulnerable young people in the country.

Before becoming an academic, Lynne worked for more than 25 years as a senior social work manager and practice leader in child protection and the wider child, youth and family sector. She has extensive experience as a senior policy adviser, including a decade leading a state-wide unit in the Department of Human Services in Victoria.

The three-year project will see her research team working in nine residential sites across NSW, with the aim of finding practices that create a better life experience for teenagers who have experienced abuse and neglect within their families or within the care system itself.

She was ‘over the moon with excitement’ when she found out she’d successfully obtained her very first ARC Linkage grant, in conjunction with the CCYP’s lead researcher, Professor Anne Graham, as well as Dr Kathomi Gatwiri who received the University’s Early Career Researcher of the Year in 2019.

“It’s a wonderful endorsement. With this project we have a host of local talent and we are drawing on the expertise of a global team of experts who have joined the project by invitation,” she said.

The project has won more than $875,000 in contributions including $429,569 from the ARC, and $446,005 in cash and kind from the Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care – a division of the Australian Childhood Foundation.

As champion of research strategy and output at Southern Cross, Professor Mary Spongberg believes being a regional university provides an even greater opportunity to make a difference. From leading research to better understand our natural environment and address the impact of climate change and natural disasters on a local level, to supporting our children and young people, and building meaningful connections with our community and industry partners.

“I really love being in the region and being in a position to support amazing research that makes it a better place,” she said.

“In the wake of these devastating floods, it’s heartening to see that within our University we have the research expertise to support community and environmental recovery. Whether that’s Professor Damien Maher’s team investigating water quality in our river catchment, Professor Anne Graham’s work on processing of grief and trauma, or Professor Bradley Eyre’s research on stream metabolism and greenhouse gas emissions. All of these projects contribute to rebuilding the community, one way or another.”

In her expanded role as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Academic Capability) Professor Spongberg will be focusing on embedding research deeply within each faculty and strengthening the University’s equity agenda.

“Research is critical to the future of the University and so it needs to be the bedrock of our strategy. We want to build and strengthen our research capabilities, make sure that we can attract and retain great staff and build a great community of higher degree research students across the university,” Mary said.

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As an international student from South Africa, Johanna Nieuwoudt was seeking a warm, subtropical climate where she could study exercise science when she found Southern Cross University. She had no idea she’d find herself, many years later, teaching in one of Australia’s most innovative academic models at the very institution where she completed her PhD.

Now in her seventh year as an academic at SCU College, Johanna teaches into the Preparing for Success program. She has seen firsthand the benefits of the Southern Cross Model for students. “We’re always thinking about students and how we can improve their experience. The Southern Cross Model gives them so much more control over the way they study and the satisfaction they gain from studying,” said Johanna, who has compiled an extensive set of data around time use as well as psychological wellbeing of students who are studying in the Southern Cross Model.

“Some stress is completely normal when you are studying and juggling different priorities, but what we have seen is a significant drop in the extreme or worrying stress and anxiety levels some people are experiencing,” she said.

Johanna credits the structure of the new model – where students are working on a maximum of two assessments at any one time and the ability to self-pace learning as critical. “I’ve been in the situation where I’ve taught in a session and a term concurrently and the motivation is just so different.

“In the Southern Cross Model, students are constantly testing their knowledge and receiving feedback and although the time commitment each week is around the same, the way they can organise that time is completely different. Healthy deadlines and manageable pressure can be extremely motivating.”

Read more about Johanna’s research here.

What are you researching for your PhD?
My PhD is about ‘The role of nutritional mode on settlement outcomes in coral larvae’. Basically, coral eggs are provisioned with a finite amount of energy to sustain them while they develop into larvae, search for a suitable habit to settle on, and then transform into a coral polyp. With funding from Southern Cross University and the Paul G Allen Family Foundation, I am exploring whether or not coral larvae are capable of using nutrients in the ocean water around them to supplement their own energy reserves. The idea is that if they can supplement their own energy stores, they may be more likely to survive their larval phase, transform into a coral, and grow into a healthy juvenile. At the moment most wild-spawned coral larvae die so, by increasing larval survival and coral settlement, we have the opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of coral reef restoration.

What’s your experience been like working on the Great Barrier Reef with Distinguished Professor Peter Harrison?
Incredible. We typically go out into the field with a large team and he takes great care in selecting team members. So, we all get along great. Coral spawning can be very intense! Late nights, a lot of anticipation, and a huge flurry of activity. Having a well-rounded, cohesive team makes all the hard work fun. We work hard, laugh a lot, and in the process do amazing, worthwhile research. And I love seeing the senior academics come alive with excitement at the sight of coral spawn. It shows me that the passion for our work likely won’t fade with time. Because, really at the end of the day, that passion for the reef is the driving force behind my work.

What are your hopes for the future of the reef?
It is going to take a combined effort of reducing carbon emission and human intervention to help turn the tide on reef decline. But I am hopeful for the future of reefs. The work Professor Peter Harrison is doing really does seem to be making an impact. The challenge now seems to be scaling up and reducing human input to streamline our larval restoration efforts. Getting more people involved, not just researchers but communities and local governments as well, will help make people aware of how each and every one of us can make a difference for the future of coral reefs.

The new Chair of Discipline (Nursing) Jennene Greenhill brings a wealth of knowledge about aged care and building a healthcare workforce for rural and remote Australia to the University. 

After fifteen years spent working in universities in South Australia and Western Australia, Jennene returns home to the Gold Coast, excited to take on a role that will make a difference in her community.

“I’m passionate about developing a distinctive difference in our research and education profile that focuses on rural and remote healthcare and getting our nursing graduates excited about these opportunities,” Jennene said.

“I want to link up with different communities to find out what their needs are for the healthcare workforce. We need hundreds more Indigenous nurse graduates, so I want to honour the Indigenous healing knowledge that goes back tens of thousands of years and build a program that’s integrated and attractive to Aboriginal people,” she said.   

With a strong research background in aged care and improving outcomes for patients with dementia, Jennene is also focused on preparing nursing students with the skills and experience for a rewarding career in the aged care industry.

“I want be part of developing a culture where aged care is less stressed. Our nursing students can be excited about the possibilities of working in this field. It’s sometimes tricky and sophisticated, but it’s such a great place to work when you look at the difference you can make in people’s lives,” Jennene said. 

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With more than a month of the New Year now behind us, I sense that many of us are reflecting on the enormity of the possibilities that lie ahead of us in 2022 and how precious each day is as we pursue them.

If we were to choose words to describe the past two years, challenge and adversity would likely spring quickly to mind for many of us. And while we have come to appreciate that the consequences of the events of this period will be persistent and profound, we have demonstrated through our actions and achievements that we do not intend to let that set us back from fulfilling our purpose.

It seems right then, that we make it our business to think of 2022 as a year of great opportunity, and to set our priorities and choose our actions accordingly.

It is clear that a very substantial element of our journey towards the realisation of opportunity this year will be what we do in taking the Southern Cross Model to the next stage of its development and in the further maturation and growth of our research capabilities – particularly through our Research Impact Clusters.

But as important as these large-scale initiatives are, and although they touch on so many of us in very direct ways, it is the level of ambition and aspiration that each of us brings to the institution every day that will most influence how far forward we travel in 2022.

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Our research team is showing just what strategic work can deliver, securing more than $1.94 million in Australian Research Council (ARC) funding for three Discovery Projects and one Linkage Project.

This is a sector-leading outcome, with Southern Cross University achieving a 27 per cent success rate for Discovery Projects, compared to the sector average of 19 per cent.

“This is a stunning result for Southern Cross. Our grants team focused strategically on supporting the applications we deemed to have the highest possibility of success and this paid off, with a couple of near misses as well, and generally positive assessments across all the applications,” Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Spongberg said.

“These results suggest that while we are still performing extremely well in the science disciplines where we have always excelled, we are now building transformative research in the health disciplines where we continue to grow student numbers. This has been part of a deliberate strategy to better align research with teaching to ensure that our student experience is informed by cutting edge research across the university,” she said.

Our successful research projects include ‘Strengthening relationships for young people in residential care’ led by Associate Professor Lynne McPherson from the Faculty of Health, awarded $429,569 (supplemented by $109,500 from the Australian Childhood Foundation); ‘Decoding the geochemical record of early human fossils’ led by Associate Professor Renaud Joannes-Boyau from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, awarded $368,118; and two research projects led by Professor Bradley Eyre, also from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, worth a total of $893,000, for ‘Shallow water carbonate sediment dissolution in the global carbon cycle’, and ‘Resolving the role of dryland flooding in the global carbon cycle’.

Congratulations to these research teams and all those involved in the funding application process. We will hear more of the passion behind these projects in upcoming editions of Southern Cross Matters.

 You can read more about the Discovery Projects here. 

Central to Southern Cross University’s success are its teachers. The 2021 Teaching Excellence Awards recognise educators who deliver a level of teaching that goes above and beyond.

Over what has proved to be a challenging period, our teachers and educators have shown great determination, delivering a quality of learning that inspires and encourages students to continue growing their knowledge.

The Outstanding Teaching Awards category recognises current Faculty and College staff identified in the top five percent of teachers based on student feedback.  

Patrick Bruck from the Faculty of Education was one of the award recipients recognised for Outstanding Teaching.

“Perhaps the key to my teaching last year was to try and make the experience as interactive and collaborative as possible for all, whether the classes were online or face-to-face,” Patrick said. 

Another outstanding recipient was Warwick Fisher from the Faculty of Business, Law and Arts.

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One of the most innovative academic transitions in the Australian higher education sector hits full speed at Southern Cross in Term 1.

After a massive effort from work units across the whole institution, most disciplines are now well on the way to delivering their teaching in the Southern Cross Model.

The immersive Model will see most full-time students study up to two units in any one six-week Term, and study four Terms a year.

Selected pathway and undergraduate courses pioneered the Model in 2021 – the Bachelor of Business and Enterprise, Preparing for Success Program and SCU College Diplomas – with students reporting higher pass rates overall. Success rates for students in undergraduate units increased from 73.8% in 2020 to 82.5% in 2021, and pathway unit success rates rose even further from 56.5% to 73.3%. While satisfaction was already high in the units piloted in the new Model, in 2021 both unit and teaching satisfaction improved for International and Continuing students.

Academics have likewise reported greater satisfaction in teaching in the model. “It’s very gratifying as an education professional to see more students achieving their goals,” said lecturer Dr Liz Goode, who taught into the Bachelor of Business and Enterprise last year. “The shorter unit structure means students are achieving milestones quickly, and the more focused, active learning means they are more engaged with the material. I think this is really setting them up to succeed at university and beyond.”

With the exception of law, health and undergraduate programs at The Hotel School, all courses will be delivered in the Southern Cross Model in 2022, with the remaining courses slated for transition by Term 1, 2023.

Professor Marianne Wallis, Associate Dean Research for the Faculty of Health, has been recognised as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to tertiary education, to nursing, and to research.

Professor Wallis has been a chief investigator in numerous research projects aimed at improving the nursing care of hospitalised patients, those with impaired skin integrity, and improving health service delivery, especially for the frail elderly in the emergency department.

“My whole career has been at the forefront of bringing science and evidence into nursing. For 30 years I've been working in academia to not only prepare the next generation of nursing professionals but also to do the research that underpins practice and really provides an evidence-based for practice, which is all about improving the care of the health and wellbeing of our patients,” Professor Wallis said.

After winding down a rewarding career in nursing academia, Professor Wallis was compelled out of retirement following the COVID-19 outbreak.

“This was a worldwide pandemic and I really felt that I should be contributing, so I reversed my retirement and came back to work at Southern Cross University as the Associate Dean Research for the Faculty of Health,” she said.

She said receiving the Order of Australia Medal was really an acknowledgement of nursing and nursing academics.

“I was the person to receive this award, which is very humbling, but it's really not about me. It's about the great teams, the doctors, the nurses, the physios, and the dieticians that I've worked with for years and years and years to improve the care of our patients.”

Hundreds of future students have taken advantage of some innovative opportunities at Southern Cross already in 2022.

With the late release of ATAR results in NSW and a very disrupted 2021 overall, many prospective students responded to the campus tours and Q&A webinars held in January.

Across the board, there was a significant increase of visitors compared to previous years for the tours, with students reportedly travelling over eight hours to check out the campus facilities. Coffs Harbour campus hosted 50 attendees, Lismore had 35, the Gold Coast was showcased to 190 visitors, and the National Marine Science Centre opened its doors for the first time ever to seven guests.

Future Students Officer Ellen Fleeton said hosting the Coffs Harbour campus tours – under tight COVID protocols - was “a really lovely reminder of why we do what we do and the powerful role we all play at Southern Cross University in supporting our future and current students to achieve their dreams through higher education.”

Claudia Evans from the Future Students team assisted with the Lismore campus tours. Despite turbulent weather, many still toured the campus and enjoyed a barbeque by The Quick Brown Fox.

“The attendance and enthusiasm at the event are evidence that Southern Cross University’s reputation is building, particularly in the study areas of health and education,” she said.

The Q&A webinars had a combined total of 350 registrations. Interested students enquired about relocating, study options and pathways to university, orientation, life on campus, and accommodation.

Faculty of Education PhD candidate Thilinika (Thili) Wijesinghe has received a string of awards and acknowledgements for her contribution to the arts, sustainability, climate action and public speaking.

Thili was honoured to receive the award for Excellence in Fostering Creative Arts at the Study Gold Coast Student Excellence Awards, a merit achievement certificate and finalist award at the Gold Coast Women in Business Awards in two categories: Creating Change and Aspiring Young Leader. She was also named a finalist in the Southern Cross University Student Excellence Awards. 

Recently, Thili also represented Southern Cross University Toastmasters Club and is now competing at Division level for the World Champion in Public Speaking.

“I always loved the arts. I have always believed that the creative arts can truly change one’s life. Coming to Australia, my biggest dream was to combine my love for the arts and the environment and this I have been able to do through my PhD at Southern Cross here on the Gold Coast. I consider myself privileged and fortunate to be in this space guided by two experts in the field as my supervisors, Professor Lexi Lasczik and Professor Amy Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles,” Thili said.

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