Queensland College of Art (QCA) lecturer Dr Fiona Foley is cementing her position as one of the country’s leading First Nations researchers, with the launch of her first book and a raft of fellowships and grants.
As a proud Badtjala woman from K’gari (Fraser Island), Dr Foley’s art practice and research are built around a strong connection to country and culture.
A new perspective
Biting the Cloudsis based on her doctoral research at Griffith University and explores how opium was used to control Aboriginal labour in Queensland during the 1800s.
“The book has been a huge achievement and it’s based on my PhD research here at QCA,” she said.
“It’s a history that most Queenslanders aren’t familiar with and it’s very close to my heart.”
Dr Foley said she was inspired to write the book by her mother, who compiled a Badtjala dictionary despite leaving school in Year 6.
“My mother was very conscious about education and very active in community. She was tenacious about getting our land back, and passionate about our culture and language.
“I come from a strong woman who had a fierce intellect and she was instrumental in imparting to her kids that education was the key to unlocking poverty and creating opportunity.
“I see this book as an opportunity to talk about things we may not be comfortable with and explore those hidden histories that haven’t come to the fore.”
A brilliant career
Over the past three decades, Dr Foley has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most provocative artists, working across installation, photography, print-making, sculpture and film.
Witnessing to Silence by Fiona Foley
Her work is held in collections around the world – including the British Museum – and she has completed a host of high-profile public installations, including the controversial 2004 work, Witnessing to Silence, at the Brisbane Magistrates’ Court.
“My career has been very diverse, and I’m still creating new work,” she said.
“I really enjoy what I do, and I feel there is no stopping – I am on a roll.
“I have a big retrospective planned for next year, and I’m able to bring in younger Aboriginal talent to mentor as part of my practice, which I find really rewarding.”
Inspiring the next generation
Dr Fiona Foley. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer
Dr Foley decided to combine her passion for art and history by completing a PhD at the Queensland College of Art. In 2017, she was given a Griffith University Postdoctoral Fellowship and is now a lecturer in fine art at the QCA.
“I’ve won three big awards this year, and I’m excited about playing a leadership role at Griffith,” she said.
“I’m keen to bring other talented Indigenous people to Griffith who want to continue their arts and academic careers.
“There is great scholarship here at QCA, and people are given the opportunity to express themselves through the visual arts or written word.
“It’s such an inspiring place to be, and I love the opportunity to teach and pass on my skills to the next generation of artists.”
Griffith University researchers have been awarded more than $2 million in Australian Research Council (ARC) funding in the the ARC Discovery Indigenous and ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award schemes announced by the Federal Minister for Education Dan Tehan MP this week.
Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans said the awards demonstrated the impact of Griffith’s research in providing research solutions to solve the major problems of today and expanding human knowledge and understanding.
“The diversity of projects approved for 2021 further highlights the University’s commitment and capacity to produce high-impact, future-focused research for the betterment of society in Australia and across the world,’’ Professor Evans said.
This project aims to track how First Nations’ music and musicians are shaped by, and in turn may shape, powerful social determinants of health in Australia. The project responds to calls for health approaches that are strength based, First Nations-led, and culturally secure.
This project aims to investigate how early family, individual, and school factors can be targeted to prevent victimisation and offending among vulnerable male and female youth.
“It will generate new knowledge on gender-specific risk and protective factors of victimisation and offending; and the effectiveness of school-based social-emotional learning programs for males and females,’’ Dr Tzoumakis said.
“Determining which early risk and protective factors of offending and victimisation trajectories to target bygender will help to inform the development of effective preventative interventions for vulnerable youth.”
This project will develop atomically thin nanomaterial to enable economically viable technologies for eco-friendly hydrogen peroxide production, which is a key chemical used in a range of industries. It will set a solid scientific foundation to enable economically viable technologies for eco-friendly hydrogen peroxide production and bring significant socioeconomic benefits to Australia.
Early detection and monitoring of disease are two key factors for cancer therapy. The traditional diagnostic method — tissue biopsy can only be applied when the cancer is developed and symptoms are obvious.
“This project will apply liquid biopsy through circulating tumour cells to enable easy access to tumour information for diagnosis, prognosis and targeted treatment,’’ Dr Zhang said.
“This funding will help to develop advanced technology for cell separation in chemistry, biology and medicine and the outcome will enhance the research capability of Australian biomedical and the pharmaceutical industries.”
Newly minted Griffith graduates are defying the tough COVID-19 job market and scoring their dream jobs.
Ben grew up in rural Queensland and distinctly remembers the important role publication Queensland Country Life played in his community.
Now he is a full-time journalist at the publication, based in Rockhampton.
Ben Harden (centre) gained journalism experience through being a digital media and student ambassador.
“I grew up reading the Queensland Country Life paper in my household and sometimes I would have my photo in the paper from the regional shows in Far North Queensland,” Ben said.
“Rural news and agriculture are passions of mine and now I’m either on the road heading to a cattle sale or covering the news in central Queensland.”
The journalist said he credited his experiences at Griffith — from a trip to Vanuatu for a New Colombo Plan funded climate change communication study tour, to industry mentors and guest lecturers, to internships and work as a Griffith University student and digital media ambassador — for preparing him for the jump from university to his career.
“The experiences I had at Griffith prepared me for this job and I couldn’t have done it without my journalism lecturers and tutors who pushed me the pursue a career I was passionate about,” he said.
Lachlan Weber found work in his chosen field after graduation, despite the challenges of COVID-19.
Lachlan also credited Work Integrated Learning for helping him gain employment in his chosen industry, as a permanent way engineer designing rail alignments at Arup.
“During my third year at Griffith I undertook an overseas internship that was offered as a subject,” Lachlan said.
“This internship involved spending 14 days on the Coral Coast of Fiji, performing research within villages on the water, sanitation and hygiene conditions.
“This international experience was something that stood out during my (Arup) internship application and interview.”
In the second half of 2020, Lachlan was successful in securing an internship at Arup and on its completion he was offered a permanent position.
Olivia Hicks fielded three job offers in as many days.
The alumnus said COVID-19 put “significant strain” on the engineering firm but was relieved his skills and the connections he built while interning there allowed him to gain secure employment.
Olivia fielded three job offers in just three days after her conferral and has already started as an English and HPE Teacher at Ferny Grove State High School.
“Initially I was concerned that a reduction in teachers taking leave may impact job opportunities, however, the pandemic has highlighted the profession’s job security and adaptability,” Olivia said.
“I am very fortunate to have secured a full-time position in my teaching areas during a time of great economic uncertainty.”
Gemma Pol said her diverse skillset made her attractive to small organisations.
Gemma said her double degree helped her gain a diverse skillset, which became crucial when applying to work in small businesses like NATSIC Transport and Community Services, where she found employment as a communications coordinator before even graduating.
“Studying at Griffith has equipped me with many skills that made me stand out to employers, because I completed a vast range of courses from economics and accounting, to public writing and crisis communication,” Gemma said.
“Because NATSIC is a small organisation, they value people that can wear many hats.”
Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Debra Henly said it was wonderful to see many graduates being employed in their chosen profession despite COVID-19.
“Preparing students well for the workforce is critical,” Professor Henly said.
“Griffith’s degree programs include many opportunities for students to gain job-relevant skills, both in the classroom and through internships, placements and projects with industry partners.
“These industry partnerships give students the opportunity to practice the skills they have acquired at university in the workplace, learn from industry mentors and form networks that will help them progress throughout their career.”
According to a formal measure of language simplicity, United States President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at this year’s Republican National Convention was far more complex than challenger Joe Biden’s at the Democratic Convention.
While Biden’s speech could be understood by a fifth grader, Trump’s required an eighth-grade level of education.
Surprised? After years of stories about how Trump uses much simpler language than his rivals, you should be.
During the last campaign, we read numerous accounts of how Trump’s language was pitched low – at a child’s level.
Or, as The Boston Globe gleefully proclaimed, his 2015 announcement speech “could have been comprehended by a fourth-grader”. By contrast, the announcement speeches of other candidates, such as Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio scored several grades higher.
Those reports were easily believable to experts. Trump is a right-wing populist and academics have long asserted populist leaders use simple language in order to appear close to the “common people” and distance themselves from linguistically convoluted elites.
But as our new research shows, when you look at a comprehensive sample of populist leaders’ speeches, this is not always the case.
Researching the simplicity of leaders’ language
To investigate whether right-wing populists in different countries really do use simpler language than mainstream ones, we assembled a database of more than one million words. This was made up of speeches by populist leaders and their non-populist opponents in the United States, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom.
Looking at the simplicity of a single text, as the media had done with Trump’s 2015 announcement speech, makes for a good headline, but you need far more than that to make sound judgements about someone’s language.
For each populist and non-populist leader, we analysed at least 100,000 words (per leader) from their speeches over a given period of time, using an array of measures for evaluating linguistic simplicity.
Hillary Clinton in 2016. Photo: Marc Nozell.
These included Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Readability Tests for English, along with similar scales for Italian and French. Using these measures to assess simplicity is based on the idea that, the greater the presence of shorter words and sentences, the easier a text is to understand.
We also measured lexical density (the number of words conveying meaning), lexical richness (the number of different words), and the presence of words considered difficult in each language.
Our right-wing populists were the most prominent ones from their respective countries over the past decade: Trump, Matteo Salvini (leader of the League, one of Italy’s major parties), Nigel Farage (former leader of the UK Independence Party), and Marine Le Pen (France’s far-right presidential candidate).
The mainstream leaders we used for comparison were their key opponents. For Trump and Le Pen, we chose their principal rivals in the last presidential campaigns, Clinton and French President Emmanuel Macron. In the UK and Italy, we compared Farage and Salvini to the main centre-right and centre-left leaders in those countries during the 2014-2016 period.
Surprising results
Our results were not what we expected.
First, the gap between Trump and Clinton in the 2016 campaign was actually not very wide. Trump’s speeches were pitched at a level comprehensible to a sixth grader, while Clinton’s required a seventh-grade level of education. On our other measures, there was little difference between the two.
In Italy, UK, and France, the results were even more surprising. In Italy, the college dropout Salvini was only simpler on one of our measures than his opponents, law graduates, Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi and New Center-Right leader Angelino Alfano.
In the United Kingdom, it was Oxford graduate and then Labour Party leader Ed Miliband who came out simplest, not Farage. The main reason for Farage’s greater complexity was the length of his sentences compared to both Miliband and former prime minister and Conservative Party leader, David Cameron. While Miliband’s sentences were on average 13.99 words long, and Cameron’s 15.49, Farage’s were a remarkable 24.61.
Meanwhile, in France, we found Le Pen consistently used much more complex language than the product of France’s elite Ecole Nationale d’Administration, Macron. According to the Kandel and Moles index for assessing the simplicity of French, Le Pen’s speeches were rated “difficult”, while Macron’s were “standard”. Her language was also significantly more complex according to all our other measures.
Why do populist leaders use more complex language?
How do we explain these counterintuitive results?
One possibility is that, since studies have shown the language of mainstream political leaders in countries like the US and Italy has become simpler over time, it could be that the gap between elite and populist language has reduced, thus making claims about greater populist simplicity outdated.
In other words, perhaps mainstream leaders like Clinton and Biden have moved closer to the populist Trump’s level (and sometimes even below).
Another, related, possibility is that, at the same time as mainstream politicians have followed the advice of professional communications advisers and reduced the complexity of their speeches, right-wing populists in some countries have instead chosen to appear less coached and more authentic.
For example, Farage’s long rambling sentences make his language more complex, but also add to his “man holding court in the pub” image. Similarly, as a French nationalist who opposes globalisation and its alleged cultural homogenising effects, Le Pen may see an advantage in not imitating English-speaking political language trends that, by contrast, Macron has embraced.
Opting for national rhetorical traditions as opposed to slogan-based communication techniques derived from the US model might thus be useful for right-wing populist leaders in Europe.
Mind the bias
If right-wing populists do not necessarily use simpler language than their mainstream opponents, it begs the question: why were we so easily convinced they do?
Perhaps the answer is many of us like to think right-wing populists speak like fourth graders and their “deplorable” supporters lap it up. It fits our biases to believe populists like Trump are successful because they cynically deliver their message in much simpler language than mainstream politicians like Biden.
Our research shows, however, despite this convenient and even comforting idea, the reality is much more complex.
Convened by Dr Andrea Haefner from Griffith Asia Institute (GAI) and supported by Australian Government New Colombo Plan mobility funding, the Griffith Asia Business Internship (GABI) program commenced last week. More than 30 Bachelor and Master students from across a range of disciplines will soon embark on a Remote Global Internship and/or Research Project affiliated with organisationsbased in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. The focus of GABI is to enhance Asian capability while expanding communication skills, employability and problem-solving skills, as students work across cultures, time zones and languages.
To set the scene, the compacted three-day Asia Ready Program, kicked off with Prof Caitlin Byrne, GAI Director delivering a session on why Asia matters, focusing on the dynamism of the region andthe importance of engagement, relations and scholarship. Further highlights included a Business Council Roundtable including representatives from Australia Indonesia Business Council Queensland, Australia Korea Business Council and Malaysian Australia Business Council, introducing students to the role of each business council, key activities and events. The value of bilateral relationships was a central theme that emerged, reinforcing the importance of people-to-people connections and community-to-community partnerships, especially in times of crisis. This theme also re-emerged in a session by Michael Kocken from Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ) sharing insights into TIQ’s work in the Asian Region, sharing insight and extensive commercial experience, while describing key export markets, trends and international investment opportunities.
As highlighted by Thomas Buchan, a Bachelor of International Business/Bachelor of Government and International Relations student,
‘I just wanted to say thank you for the Asia Ready program. I thought it was very insightful, especially the professional aspects from the Business Council Members and the Trade and Investment Queensland portions’.
The Asia Ready program is followed by introductory language, cultural and orientation activities and events over the coming week, before placements and research projects start in early November.
As Apple prepares to launch its biggest and smallest flagship iPhone, India has emerged as a critical market for the tech giant according to an Asia Pacific retail expert from Griffith Business School.
Dr Charles Jebarajakirthy
Dr Charles Jebarajakirthysays several factors are working in Apple’s favour after years of trying to establish a foothold in the world’s second largest smartphone market.
“Chinese brands are the dominant vendors for smartphones, but the growing anti-China sentiment from border disputes between the two countries has seen the South Korean manufacturer Samsung expand its market share and this benefits Apple.”
But he says one of the biggest hurdles for the iPhone 12 is the price, which carries a hefty import tax as it is not made locally. The average selling price for smartphones in India, according to marketing intelligence firm IDC, is $172 US.
“With the exchange rate it is actually cheaper to purchase an iPhone 12 Pro in Dubai than in India. But since Apple opened its online store, it can offer trade-in discounts and monthly instalment payments.”
“My own research in the Indian market shows that when retailers offer easy instalment plans, it increases the demand for luxury items like Apple’s products.”
“This will help them attract new customers, but they should target the value-conscious consumers too.”
iPhone: Made and Sold in India
‘Namaste’ after 20 years of operation in India, Apple opened their first direct to consumer online store.
Dr Jebarajakirthy said Apple’s online store launch shows they’ve avoided many mistakes multinational companies make when setting up retail channels in India.
“Brands need to culturalise or be influenced by the country they set up in and adapt to expectations, income patterns and culture. Apple’s strategy of opening in September shows they’ve done their research.
“October to November is the festival period and they’re the peak spending months for Indian consumers celebrating Diwali. Apple even bundled free AirPods with the purchase of a new iPhone 11 from their store and it reportedly sold out in hours.”
He also said Apple offered their customer service in different regional languages beyond Hindi and English, making it accessible to different consumers.
Apple has also made moves to start manufacturing locally and earlier this year started building one of its premium models the iPhone 11 near Chennai. Dr Jebarajakirthy said this should help drive down costs but that Indian consumers also look favourably on local manufacturing.
“Multinationals that manufacture in India are seen to be co-contributing to the development of the economy.”
“Apple could adopt a similar strategy used by Unilever and Nestle, hiring and working with local people and selling the products to the same customers.”
One of the advantages that Apple has over other smartphone manufacturers is its growing services portfolio which includes Apple Music and Apple TV+ which is far cheaper in India than Australia.
“If Apple’s services could incorporate Indian music, movies and television this could really benefit their hardware business. Bollywood and India’s overall media and entertainment industry are one of the biggest and this could give them a huge advantage in the market.”
Designing culturally relevant retail spaces
Apple’s most ambitious retail project sits on the waters of Marina Bay in Singapore.
While Apple has not revealed plans for an official retail store in India yet, Dr Jebarajakirthy said Apple can wait out the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid unnecessary overheads.
“Many companies are rethinking buying physical retail spaces and cutting back. If it were a normal time period, then Apple should be designing a store that incorporates Indian symbolic values from the entrance to the interior and layout.”
“But this might also be an opportunity for Apple to investigate different distribution networks like Unilever which recruits women and gives them a cut of the profit for selling items in rural villages.”
Dr Charles Jebarajakirthy is the co-author of Impact of acculturation to western culture (AWC) on western fashion luxury consumption among Gen-Y consumers in the Asia-Pacific Region published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.
Marine biology graduate Rachel Janes has translated her passion for the ocean into a dream career, helping to protect Queensland’s marine environment.
Rachel Janes
Born and bred on the Gold Coast, Rachel decided at just ten that she wanted to be a marine scientist.
“One of my earliest childhood memories of the ocean would have to be snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef with my family – it really opened my eyes to the world of marine science,” she said.
“The natural beauty and wonder of the ocean make it worth saving.”
Rachel studied a Bachelor of Science (Honours) at Griffith, majoring in Marine Biology, Wildlife Biology and Environmental Science. She said hands-on experience in the field and passionate teachers laid the foundation for a successful career in marine conservation.
“Studying at Griffith University was absolutely the right thing for me. I learned key research skills that continue to help me in my career and the people are just so passionate about it.
“When someone believes in you, it makes a huge difference.
“One of the highlights for me was our field trip to Heron Island – it’s those sorts of experiences that shape your life.”
Rachel now works as a fisheries scientist at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, helping to protect and preserve Queensland’s marine species.
Dr Tim Stevens
“I’ve been able to channel my love for the ocean into something I can do for a living – now I have a career doing what I love every single day,” she said.
Marine biology lecturer Dr Tim Stevens supervised Rachel’s Honours project, and said her passion for the ocean was obvious.
“The thing with Rachel is she’s clearly always loved the ocean, and everything in it,” he said.
“Her face just lights up whenever she talks about it. I think she was destined to be a marine scientist.”
Dr Stevens said the hands-on experience provided at Griffith University helped students develop the skills valued in the industry.
“There’s a field trip up to Heron Island that always makes a mark on all the students and provides the sort of experience that makes a difference with employers,” he said.
“The project almost didn’t happen for Rachel because she didn’t have her scientific diving certificate, but we managed to help her with that.
“That’s what I love about being a lecturer here at Griffith, those sliding door moments and watching students like Rachel make the most of them.”
Griffith University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Gold Coast company Gilmour Space Technologies that will see Low Earth Orbit (LEO) prototype satellites developed locally and deployed for launch in 2023.
The five-year agreement will include a range of projects aimed at increasing Australia’s LEO satellite capability by undertaking research and development for Aerospace Applications towards the development of small satellite prototypes.
Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans said the partnership would offer significant benefits.
“By entering into this MOU with Gilmour Space, we will be helping to create the jobs of the future by delivering world class capability hand-in-hand with industry, in this exciting and growing market,” Professor Evans said.
“By entering into this MOU with Gilmour Space, we will be helping to create the jobs of the future by delivering world class capability hand-in-hand with industry, in this exciting and growing market”
“One of the most exciting elements of this partnership will be the development of a prototype 100 kg satellite for improved Earth observation by, for instance, utilising LEO satellites in disaster management applications, mining operations, thermal mapping of fires, reef and flood monitoring, land use and urban planning.
“This is a great collaboration for us and indeed Gilmour Space has already hired some of our graduates.
Gilmour Space – One Vision suborbital test program launch site, far north Queensland.
“We look forward to extending our internship arrangements and new opportunities for staff exchange. There are exciting chances to co-design inspirational industry-focused educational programs for students and professionals.”
Deputy Vice Chancellor Research Professor Mario Pinto said there would be a range of cutting-edge research and development (R & D) opportunities as a result of the partnership.
“We envisage undertaking R&D on materials, advanced manufacturing methods, components, sensors and IT systems for aerospace applications, including light-weight alloys, incorporated in on-board satellite IT systems for telecommunications, data processing and analysis, and spacecraft data and metadata management,” he said.
“We will also investigate sensing and imaging technologies, including the integration of artificial intelligence in satellite systems.”
Gilmour Space CEO Adam Gilmour said the company was excited to partner with the University on these opportunities.
“This project is about demonstrating to Australia that we can build and launch a significant-sized satellite with significant capability,” he said.
“It’s also about working with local partners like Griffith to educate the next generation of space engineers who take us to orbit.”
Griffith will also join forces with Gilmour Space on a Collaborative Research Centre project (CRC-P) to develop composite rocket fuel tanks for low cost space transport.
Gilmour Space – One Vision suborbital test program, far north Queensland.
As the research partner in the CRC-P, the University will assist Gilmour Space to complete its previously announced project to manufacture lightweight rocket fuel tanks.
The consortium, which includes Etamax Engineering and Northrop Grumman Australia Pty Limited, will manufacture composite tanks up to two metres in diameter and trial them in rocket flights, in a bid to reduce weight, increase reliability and achieve cost savings.
“Queensland has a lot of talent in this space,” Pro Vice Chancellor Sciences Professor Andrew Smith said.
“Griffith is pleased to be able to assist Gilmour Space in bringing this project to fruition and making it a reality. Now is the time to create the future”.
“Northrop Grumman is proud to support collaboration with academic institutions like Griffith University and innovative Australian companies like Gilmour Space in building sovereign space capabilities in Australia,” Chris Deeble, Chief Executive Northrop Grumman Australia, said.
Professor Paulo De Souza
Professor Paulo de Souza, Head of School, School of Information and Communication Technology, who has worked with NASA on the Mars rover projects, said a Space Tech Lab is currently being built at Griffith’s Gold Coast campus, offering dedicated facilities for researchers and Gilmour staff to work collaboratively.
“Aerospace capability is in deep need right here in Australia, for defence, disaster management and environmental observations,” he said.
“We are relying too much on a few companies and legacy systems for critical capability to keep Australia safe.
“This partnership will make a world of difference to the current landscape.”
Professor de Souza joined Griffith in late 2019, having previously been the CSIRO’s Chief Research Scientist.
While completing his PhD, Professor de Souza contributed to the design, production, deployment and operation of sensors that was used by NASA aboard two of its Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Read more about his career journey in the Griffith magazine.
An entrepreneurial chartered civil engineer who advocates for gender equality has been named the winner of this year’s Griffith QBM MBA Responsible Leadership competition.
Coming from Rockhampton, Jessica Kahl realised in her first year of an engineering degree that just like she had been, many regional high school students were unaware of the opportunities engineering and other STEAM disciplines offered, and started her own not-for-profit to empower young women.
As well as managing Dream Big Australia, Jessica also works at SunWater in corporate development and said she was incredibly excited to learn she’d won the full scholarship.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to grow my knowledge and understanding,” she said.
“I think the MBA is going to be a very valuable experience especially so I can take that learning back to my job to continue to deliver water prosperity to Queensland communities but also to Dream Big Australia and our initiatives that we run for young people in providing career resources.”
Dream Big Australia started small, but Jess is aiming high.
Jessica Kahl works in corporate development for Sunwater while also running not-for-profit Dream Big Australia
“When I got to uni there was a lot of bias, and a real lack of diversity, so I faced a lot of challenges as a female in a regional area going into engineering.
“I would go out to schools and talk to them about what I was doing in my first year at university and there was a lot of interest from girls in regional areas around why it wasn’t promoted more as a career.
“You get to combine your teamwork and collaborative skills in a way that makes you a problem solver for society.
“I thought that it was important to young females in regional Queensland to be aware of the rewarding opportunities in engineering and beyond,so I thought okay, lets run an event in Rockhampton for young girls.
“After raising capital to run a ‘dream big event’, we had some industry professionals that came in and spoke on a panel about their experiences and how they have carved out their careers and it went really well.
“It was from this event that we started growing, so for the last 5 years we have engaged over 400 students across Queensland in 26 events and we’ve provided helpful information and resources to young people looking at pursuing those careers.”
Her success in advancing gender equality has been recognised in her 2021 Young Australian of the Year shortlisted nomination, in Engineers Australia’s ‘100 engineers making a difference’ profile and as a keynote presenter at the World Engineers Convention.
Jessica is looking forward to starting her MBA at Griffith Business School at the start of 2021 but will continue to lead Dream Big Australia as it launches a new program of events for next year and consolidates its Careers podcast called STEAM Ahead, which was an innovation borne of the pandemic.
runner up and partial Scholarship winner Daniel de Vries
Partial scholarship winner Daniel de Vries is excited to share MBA learnings with a new group of contemporaries.
“My career has been wholly and solely in defence aerospace which is cool because I am a tech head and I love gadgets and toys and technology but it isn’t always aligned with my philosophical take on life,” he said.
“I am really excited to talk to people that are not an echo chamber… I sit around people that are in tech and aviation all the time and that’s all we talk about.
“In the short term the MBA is certainly a door-opener internally within my business, where not all of the people on the executive team have an MBA.
“I see it as a differentiator”
“In the longer term it represents a pivot out of the industry, eventually. I’m quite interested in a few different fields but potentially big tech, amazon, google, facebook, or even someone like Telstra who are actually quite innovative in that realm as well, and or potentially fintech or management consultancy, in the long term.”
Currently in a managerial role with a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets, de Vries started looking at MBA opportunities last year but sprang into action when he learned of the QBM MBA Scholarship competition.
He said his interactions with Griffith during the application process, which included attending a masterclass, writing an essay and producing a video presentation about himself, had exceeded expectations.
“The mini masterclass that we did was a better taste of what is involved rather than just hearing about the program,” he said.
“I found that to be far more engaging than just sitting down and being told about it.”
The 2020 Queensland Business Monthly Griffith MBA Responsible Leadership Scholarships competition offered a full scholarship worth about $54,000 and a half-scholarship as part of the $130,000 prize pool.
Associate Professor Stephanie Schleimer
MBA Director Associate Professor Stephanie Schleimer said the quality of applicants this year was exceptional and the process of awarding the scholarships a fascinating opportunity to meet and hear from a new group of passionate professionals.
“Value-based leadership has never been more important than right now,” Associate Professor Schleimer said.
“The coronavirus pandemic has given society a timely warning about our sustainability and a renewed awaking about the fragile eco-system of our planet.
“There will be important shared learnings for our scholarship winners and the Griffith Business School MBA program through this partnership.
“I expect Jessica and Daniel will bring as much to Griffith Business School and our MBA program as we might be able to impart to them.
“We have strong ongoing relationships with all our MBA alumni and this growing network of collaborative professionals are an inspiring force for good.”
There were four other finalists in the competition this year; Briony Low, Cameron Taylor, Jaimi Webster and Ronan Clinton. Each receive scholarships to the value of three Griffith MBA courses.
A partnership with Griffith University’s School of Education has helped a Gold Coast high school become the top performing Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) school in the state.
Dr Harry Kanasa (L) with fellow award recipients from Benowa State High School
Griffith University Dean of Education Professor Donna Pendergast and STEM education specialist Dr Harry Kanasa lead a long-running partnership with Benowa State High School, helping to build an outstanding science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) program.
Dr Kanasa said a cornerstone of the partnership was the STEAM Teacher Education Centre of Excellence (TECE) based at Benowa State High School, which gives pre-service teachers from Griffith mentorship opportunities and professional development.
Another key component of the partnership sees education lecturers from Griffith working with school students and teachers on initiatives like an annual science fair, featuring everything from robotics and drones to computer programming and 3D printing.
“Our partnership isn’t an overnight success story – this award recognises almost a decade of work,” he said.
Dr Kanasa working with school students on the Gold Coast
“It is mutually beneficial – while we’re building teacher capacity, our lecturers and pre-service teachers get to work closely with students in the classroom.
“It’s about showing high school students the real-world context for STEM.
“By relating it back to their lives and issues they face, we’re getting them excited and engaged.”
Benowa State High School science teacher and Griffith alumnus Dr Julien Grignon with some of his students. Photo: Jerad Williams
Benowa science teacher and Griffith University education alumnus Dr Julien Grignon said the school had seen a 15 per cent increase in STEM classes over the past five years thanks to the partnership with Griffith.
“In recent years the school has collaborated heavily with Griffith University with the assistance of Dr Harry Kanasa and Professor Donna Pendergast,” he said.
“This award recognises the incredible efforts of our dedicated team of sciences and mathematics teachers, our partners in the Griffith University School of Education, and all our high achieving students.”
The Peter Doherty Awards for Excellence in STEM Education recognise students, teachers, support officers, schools and education partners who demonstrate an outstanding and innovative contribution to STEM education in Queensland.
Gilmour Space CEO Adam Gilmour said the company was excited to partner with the University on these opportunities.
He said his interactions with Griffith during the application process, which included attending a masterclass, writing an essay and producing a video presentation about himself, had exceeded expectations.
