Griffith University students Katie Goldman and Danni De Francesco are among a group of elite athletes eagerly anticipating this weekend’s announcement of the venue for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Australian swimmer Katie Goldman (pictured) has lived most of her life on the Gold Coast.
“I think by 2018 I would be getting to the end of my swimming career and to compete in front of a home crowd would be an absolutely amazing thing, an opportunity that not many athletes get,” the 19-year-old said.
She has been part of the Australian swimming team for two years and competed at the Pan Pacific Championships, Delhi Commonwealth Games, World Short Course Championships and most recently at the World Championships in Shanghai.
Representing Australia at next year’s Olympic Games in London is her next target.
“Right now that is where my focus is, however I am still very excited at the prospect of the Gold Coast hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games,” the Bachelor of Psychology student said.
“If I were to make that team, which is never a given, I think it would be a very proud moment.
“I think it is the perfect place to host the Games. While I am sure Sri Lanka would host a good Games, I feel the Gold Coast has so much more to offer and personally I know I would want to continue swimming until 2018 in order to compete in front of a home crowd.”
Danni De Francesco shares these sporting sentiments. Asked to describe herself in three words, Danni settles on “hard working athlete”.
Right now the exciting prospect of the Gold Coast hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games is a salivating incentive for her to work even harder.
“It would certainly drive me even more to get to the 2018 Games,” the 19-year-old Griffith University student says. “It would be amazing to be part of it, instead of watching it on TV.”
Danni calls the Gold Coast home after her family moved there from Victoria eight years ago.
She has represented Australia in the seas off Shanghai, Italy and Canada, finishing eighth of 50 in the final of the FINA Open Water 5km Championships last year.
Under the stewardship of renowned Queensland coach Denis Cotterell, her star has risen since she first took up swimming as a seven-year-old.
Now she is targeting the 2018 Commonwealth Games where she hopes to represent Australia in the triathlon after she adjusted sporting codes earlier this year.
Denis Cotterell remains an integral part of her coaching team, but she now has Jenny Alcorn from Surfers Paradise Triathlon Club on board to help build her competitive capacity in the cycling and running disciplines.
“It is a sport you grow into so I can work towards the Commonwealth Games target and hopefully be there.
“When I was young it was always great to watch it and I wanted to be part of it.”
She remembers cheering for Grant Hackett and Ian Thorpe at Commonwealth Games in the past.
Danni is studying nutrition and dietetics at Griffith University’s School of Public Health and is currently sitting first year exams.
As part of the Griffith Sports College, where flexible study options are made available to elite athletes, both Danni and Katie are able to build lectures and tutorials around their sporting endeavours.
“At the moment I am studying psychology and I am absolutely loving it,” Katie says.
“I am taking the course part time as with my swimming that is all I could really manage. However just doing two subjects really balances my life out.
“After I graduate I would love to work in the field of clinical psychology. I definitely have a while to go as I am only doing my degree part time, but I find it really interesting and I feel good knowing I will have a career after swimming as swimming doesn’t last forever.”
Danni laughs when told she might be following on the same path as Sara Carrigan, another sporty Griffith graduate from the Gold Coast.
Sara received her business degree 12 years after her studies started. Between 1999 and 2010, she won gold at the Olympic Games in Athens and competed at Commonwealth Games in 2006 when she won bronze in Melbourne, and in 2002 in the UK.
This week Sara was part of the Gold Coast delegation in the Caribbean aiming to bring the 2018 Commonwealth Games to Queensland.
The burgeoning popularity of adventure racing events in national parks is causing increasing environmental concern, says research from Griffith and Murdoch Universities.
This is just one of the topics on the agenda at next week’s two day international symposium People in Parks: Managing the Environmental Impacts of Visitors.
Organised by Griffith University’s Environmental Futures Centre (EFC), People in
Parks will see a host of international and national academics present the latest research on the environmental impacts of visitors in protected areas.
Held from November 14-15, the symposium will showcase the latest research including on managing adventure racing events, their environmental and social impacts and the opportunities they offer.
“Adventure races typically comprise one or a combination of a wide range of outdoor adventure activities from mountain bike riding to skiing, from trekking to abseiling, from kayaking to horse riding. In Australia the common events incorporate orienteering, mountain biking, running, abseiling and rock climbing, canoeing/kayaking racing and horse riding activities,” said EFC researcher
Associate Professor Catherine Pickering.
“In the US, New Zealand and now in Australia there are more and more of these
events. In Australia they extend from the Anaconda Adventure Race in WA to the
Kokoda Challenge in Brisbane. There is a whole calendar of events on the web for most states.
“However, when you have lots of people doing the same thing at the same time in a park there is always going to be the risk of environmental damage.
“When someone is heading for the finishing line after two days of full-on running, swimming and riding, their mind may not be focused on minimising their impacts.
“It would be easy to take a short cut, go off track to get around the people in front
or slide about a bit on a bike when crossing that final creek.
“With good planning, management and careful selection of routes, we can help
reduce the risk of these types of impacts. That way we can enjoy the health and social benefits of this and other fun activities in our park, while conserving these important natural areas.
Additional topics to be covered at the People in Parks symposium will include:
ï‚· the impacts of camping, hiking, mountain biking and horse riding
ï‚· managing and minimising impacts from unauthorised recreational activities
ï‚· adventure events in parks: an emerging challenge
ï‚· the impacts of recreation activities on aquatic systems: the challenges
ï‚· less poo in parks: Impacts and management of human waste
ï‚· trail design and monitoring
ï‚· recreation and weeds: a noxious nexus
ï‚· managing urban through to wilderness parks: commonalities and
differences.
The audience for this event will include people from local and state government,
parks and other organisations responsible for taking care of our natural
environment.
Deaf education expert Professor Greg Leigh has won the inaugural Griffith University Arts, Education & Law Alumni of the Year Award announced this week.
Professor Leigh is Director of the Centre for Research and Professional Education at the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children in Sydney and Director of the Centre for Special Education and Disability Studies at the University of Newcastle.
He holds a Diploma of Teaching and a Bachelor of Education from Griffith University, a Master of Science from Washington University and a PhD in special education from Monash University. Earlier this year the Deafness Foundation awarded Professor Leigh the Peter Howson Medal for “Outstanding lifetime contribution to the field of Deafness”.
Lawyer and Griffith University lecturer Kathryn Van Doore has won the Arts, Education & Law Young Alumnus of the Year Award.
Ms Van Doore, who holds a Bachelor of Laws/Arts and a Master of Laws from Griffith University, made headline news earlier this year when she helped rescue 14 Ugandan children from a corrupt orphanage.
The co-founder of the Forget Me Not Children’s Home played an integral role in closing the organisation down, working with police and local probation officers to remove the children from the defunct children’s home and employing field staff to manage resettlement and reunification with the children’s families. Her work will be the subject of a forthcoming episode of Australian Story.
Other alumni winners include:
– Honourable Andrew Fraser MP – Griffith Law School
– Mr Peter Hegedus – Queensland College of Art
– Mr Brett Dean – Queensland Conservatorium
– Ms Sarah Hyde – School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
– Professor Greg Leigh – School of Education and Professional Studies
– Ms Ginny Lowndes – School of Humanities
– Ms Bernadine Leon – School of Languages and Linguistics
Arts, Education & Law Dean (Academic) Professor Claire Wyatt-Smith said the awards program recognised the significant work undertaken by alumni.
“These awards recognise our former students’ outstanding success, and contributions to their profession, chosen field and to the community,’’ she said.
Deaf education expert Professor Greg Leigh has won the inaugural Griffith University Arts, Education & Law Alumni of the Year Award announced this week.
Professor Leigh (pictured) is Director of the Centre for Research and Professional Education at the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children in Sydney and Director of the Centre for Special Education and Disability Studies at the University of Newcastle.
He holds a Diploma of Teaching and a Bachelor of Education from Griffith University, a Master of Science from Washington University and a PhD in special education from Monash University. Earlier this year the Deafness Foundation awarded Professor Leigh the Peter Howson Medal for “Outstanding lifetime contribution to the field of Deafness”.
Lawyer and Griffith University lecturer Kathryn Van Doore has won the Arts, Education & Law Young Alumnus of the Year Award.
Ms Van Doore, who holds a Bachelor of Law/Arts and a Master of Laws from Griffith University, made headline news earlier this year when she helped rescue 14 Ugandan children from a corrupt orphanage.
The co-founder of the Forget Me Not Children’s Home played an integral role in closing the organisation down, working with police and local probation officers to remove the children from the defunct children’s home and employing field staff to manage resettlement and reunification with the children’s families. Her work will be the subject of a forthcoming episode of Australian Story.
Other alumni winners include:
– Honourable Andrew Fraser MP – Griffith Law School
– Mr Peter Hegedus – Queensland College of Art
– Mr Brett Dean – Queensland Conservatorium
– Ms Sarah Hyde – School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
– Professor Greg Leigh – School of Education and Professional Studies
– Ms Ginny Lowndes – School of Humanities
– Ms Bernadine Leon – School of Languages and Linguistics
Arts, Education & Law Dean (Academic) Professor Claire Wyatt-Smith said the awards program recognised the significant work undertaken by alumni.
“These awards recognise our former students’ outstanding success, and contributions to their profession, chosen field and to the community,” she said.
The founder of Di Bella Coffee, Phillip Di Bella has been named 2011 Griffith Business School Outstanding Alumnus. Fabienne Wintle was also honoured with the Young Alumnus award at a gala dinner in Brisbane.
In 2002, Phillip Di Bella (pictured) began a one-man coffee roasting operation in suburban Brisbane. In less than a decade he turned his business into a global enterprise.
Di Bella coffee has more than 1200 wholesale coffee accounts within Australia, serving more than 1.7 million cups of coffee each week. Di Bella coffee is now expanding into China and India.
In 2003, Fabienne Wintle established Untanglemyweb.com, an online business providing marketing strategies for tourism operators.
Pro Vice Chancellor (Business) Professor Michael Powell said the Outstanding Alumnus and the Young Alumnus of the Year awards provided an opportunity to acknowledge the remarkable achievements of past graduates.
“These awards recognise the significant and diverse achievements of our alumni in their profession, as well as their contribution to the community,” Professor Powell said.
“The Griffith Business School is indeed very proud of our graduates’ outcomes and the work they are doing in servicing the community, both here and abroad,” he said.
Phillip Di Bella was recently made an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Department of International Business and Asian Studies at Griffith University and he is one of the youngest persons to be extended this honour.
Adjunct Professor Di Bella has also been recognised for his contribution to the Italian community with the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity. Here too he is a world beater; the youngest person to ever receive an Italian knighthood.
Adjunct Professor Di Bella says his fascination with coffee is due in no small way to his Sicilian heritage. He said he was fascinated from a young age by the way coffee brought
people together.
“It was that special liquid that could bring a family around a table where they would talk and laugh,” Adjunct Professor Di Bella said.
Phillip also credits his success to a lifelong quest for knowledge and being open to any learning opportunity.
“I am always looking for ways to do things better,” he said.
Uncovering the science behind the diminishing levels of coral on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the goal of a unique study led by Griffith University.
In collaboration with the University of Queensland, The Australian Institute of Marine Science and The Georgia Institute of Technology,
the multidisciplinary research team is examining how rising carbon dioxide levels affect the strength and competition between seaweeds and corals.
There is evidence from the Reef that coral growth rates have decreased by 15 per cent in the last 15 years and it is well documented that algae is destroying the coral, probably as a result of increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere.
This in turn, is altering the chemistry of the ocean and its marine ecology.
“Ocean acidification is just one of the consequences of increasing carbon dioxide emissions and this may be causing a significant
increased in algal growth and reduction in coral growth,” said Dr Guillermo Diaz-Pulido, Griffith marine ecologist and research leader
for the study.
Having been provided with a $300,000 ARC Grant for the three year study, the team will explore the impacts of ocean acidification on
ecological interactions between the two key groups on reefs: corals and seaweeds.
“Such knowledge is fundamental to managing the consequences of increased global emissions on the ecology and the sustainability of Australian marine ecosystems, including the Great Barrier Reef,” Dr Diaz-Pulido said.
“Many ecological changes are occurring as a result of ocean acidification. Accordingly, this is a complex study with a range of
components.
“For example, a key consideration for us will be to unravel how the algae are poisoning the corals under these acidification conditions;
this will involve testing their strength and composition.’
Additionally, Dr Diaz-Pulido said climate change will be an important component within the study.
“Examining the interactions between climate change and ocean acidification on coral reef fate will be of particular interest.
“Specifically, we would like to find out if a one to two degree increase in temperature affects the mortality rate of the coral when it is exposed to algae and ocean acidification,” he said.
Revenues generated by the commercialisation office of Griffith University have skyrocketed by 39% over the 2011 calendar year.
The increase in revenue by Griffith Enterprise continues a four-year growth trend for GE where revenues have increased over 35% per annum.
Major landmark agreements and contracts with SPP Process Technology Systems (STPS) and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia have contributed to the continued strong growth.
Also key to the success of Griffith Enterprise is the diverse capability of the University and the introduction of a third revenue stream called ‘enterprises’ in addition to consultancy and commercial research (CCR) and technology transfer (TT).
Prior to 2008 Griffith relied solely on CCR and TT for commercial revenue with revenue from enterprises is projected to steadily grow into further into the future.
Enterprises are the creation of business units that sit within the University structure and allow the University to package up existing knowledge and expertise into consumable products and services.
Griffith Enterprise Director Nicholas Mathiou says we have a professional team dedicated to getting the best outcomes for the University and University staff as well as our industry, government and community partners.
Mr Mathiou said, “The introduction of enterprises allows the University to smooth out the peaks and troughs which can be associated with the traditional CCR and TT commercial cycle. In years to come enterprises will provide the University with a solid foundation from which to build CCR and TT activities as well as allowing the University to meet a number of other strategic objectives.”
Through enterprises, Griffith staff can combine their knowledge and expertise in a business unit within the University, and utilise and adapt it to offer a suite of products and services directly to the broader community.
By offering this broader approach we tailor our activities to the needs and aspirations of the University and its staff whilst creating discretionary revenue streams for reinvestment into research, innovation, and learning and teaching.
StudentJobs@Griffith is designed to connect Griffith staff with students who have expressed an interest in finding work on campus, and is an easy way for staff to tap into the exceptional skills, knowledge and expertise of Griffith students.
The program works by placing students into the StudentJobs@Griffith Talent Pool once they have completed Campus Ready training, which includes an introduction to Griffith’s corporate culture, an overview of commonly used booking systems and some generic skills for success in the workplace including professionalism, time management, communication and conflict resolution. Students in the Talent Pool have also completed the University’s compulsory Workplace Health and Safety training, have an awareness of the University’s Code of Conduct and Confidentiality agreements and have completed the necessary paperwork to start work immediately.
Students from the Talent Pool are versatile and eager to get started, and can be hired on a casual basis, for a fixed-term or to work on a specific project. To advertise job opportunities to the trained students in the Talent Pool, contact the StudentJobs@Griffith Project Officer, Gayle Brent-Buchbach on extension 57324 or email [email protected] and find out more.
The Careers and Employment Service (Student Services) has been short-listed as one of nine finalists in the Best careers Service in Australia for Employers…
…nominated by members of the Australian Association of Graduate employers. Finalists are Griffith, Monash, RMIT, ANU, Uni Melbourne, UQ, Uni Sydney, UNSW and Uni Canberra. The winner will be announced at the AAGE Conference in November.
www.griffith.edu.au/careers
Professor Michael Drew’s role in the evolution of Australia’s superannuation system has been highlighted with a prestigious FINSIA Pinnacle Award in the category of Most Outstanding Thought Leader.
The Professor of Finance in the Griffith Business School received his award at a gala Sydney dinner hosted by the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, marking the peak industry body’s 125th anniversary.
“I have had the pleasure to work in the financial services industry for the past two decades and in this time I have seen the genesis of an idea for compulsory retirement savings develop into Australia’s superannuation system,” Professor Drew said.
“To be part of the ongoing academic, policy and industry debate has been a highlight of my professional life.”
Professor Drew’s PhD thesis was one of the first in Australia to evaluate the performance of superannuation funds.
It has since formed the basis for an ongoing research agenda in superannuation, exploring how superannuation can efficiently and effectively transform retirement savings into retirement income for Australians.
“Superannuation is now, after the family home, the most important financial asset for many Australians and is a major driver for economic prosperity,” Professor Drew said.
“Today, Australia has around $1.3 trillion in superannuation savings, and seen the rise of the fourth largest management industry in the world.
“The wave of baby boomers retiring over the coming years will place further demands on our financial services industry and require innovation to manage the risks of inflation and longevity during the retirement phase.
“Griffith University’s finance and financial planning programs are well placed to train the next generation of professionals for the financial services industry.”
Professor Drew was among 11 financial services industry leaders nominated in the Most Outstanding Thought Leader category, which targets industry experts who have demonstrated originality and vision and possess an insightful understanding of the industry and its broader environment.
“I am honoured to be acknowledged by FINSIA and to be in the company of such accomplished leaders from across the financial services industry,” Professor Drew said.
