Some of the ‘Make your Mark on Macquarie University’ project leaders.

An exciting new initiative, ‘Make your Mark on Macquarie University’, will see staff members running six-month projects that will have a lasting positive impact on the University.

Mariella Herberstein, Chair, Academic Senate, and Mauricio Marrone, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance are behind the initiative, which commenced in May.

“The Make your Mark project wants to turn an idea into an actual outcome aimed at improving an aspect of Macquarie life,” explains Mariella. “Many of our colleagues are highly engaged and energetic and want to make a difference but need guidance and a support network to realise their ideas. We want to provide this support.”

The idea for the initiative grew from the leadership workshops Mauricio and Mariella have run over the past three years, where they talked about values and how they align with the University. While the workshop participants were getting tools, it was unclear whether they were able to use them.

“We wanted to create an initiative where we would allow people to have a project of their own, with enough time to execute it, while growing and learning more about the University and making it a better place,” says Mauricio.

“We then thought we’d have a six-month program where we’d pair participants with senior mentors to help them navigate the University and guide them. The participants follow up with Mariella and me as well, to talk about issues, challenges and wins.”

“In November we’ll have a wrap-up to see what the projects have achieved, key learnings, challenges and outcomes. The whole university will be invited to see how the projects have progressed.”

The first 13 projects are now underway, with a mix of academics, professionals and senior executives among the project leads.

“Inspiring examples include a planned discussion workshop on the ethical boundaries of research, providing a catalyser to facilitate multidisciplinary research, and opening doors to machine learning research,” explains Mariella.

Run by the Research Enrichment Program, the team behind the initiative encourage staff to contact the project leads below if you feel you can assist with the topic.

Mauricio says he’s been inspired by the passion and clever thinking that’s been displayed by the project teams.

“I have never seen a more passionate group of people trying to make Macquarie a better place. These people are amazing,” says Mauricio.

“These are people who have great ideas and are engaged to make it happen and take them forward.”

The 13 projects are as follows:

Project lead	Project aim
Annabelle Lukin	This project, titled ‘Academic freedom and the ethics of research’ asks the following question: are individual academics at Macquarie University free to conduct research on any topic or in any research domain, for any interested third-party?
Tracy Rushmer	This program supports Tracy in progressing a significant leadership piece in the area of HDR culture.
Agnes Bosanquet	Starting as a reading and discussion group, ‘Higher Thinkers’ aims to be a University-wide think tank with a broad interest in the HE sector, learning and teaching, scholarship, governance and university work.
Hossai Gul	Develop a research development program titled ‘Future STEMM Leaders’ that is aimed at selected PhD candidates who want to not only succeed at their PhD projects but prepare for a leadership career in STEMM.
Gustavo Thomas	Project aim to be determined
Sung-Ae Lee	Address the lack of a coherent approach to Asian Studies at Macquarie in order to develop a cohesive program, which would guide students through to postgraduate research of an interdisciplinary nature.
Kerrie Tomkins	‘Skills Mastery’ aims to ensure that all students develop essential employability skills through new, targeted master classes and skill development opportunities, which will be embedded within programs.
Trisha Nowland	It has already been demonstrated that breakthrough innovations occur when barriers between disciplines collapse. This project builds insight into what it is that makes up good quality interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary practice, in the context of university research.
Chun Wan Lai	Project aim to be determined
Emilie Ens	I will work with Walanga Muru and the remote Aboriginal community of Ngukurr, NT, to develop an ‘on-country’ tertiary enabling program for remote living Aboriginal people.
Yvonne Breyer	Extend Macquarie’s reach with global offerings and investigate the impact of our programs.
Holly Doel-Mackaway	This project focuses on developing an Indigenous Engagement Strategy for the Law School. The Strategy seeks to increase Indigenous content in the curriculum, attract and retain Indigenous students and foster Indigenous related research collaborations.
Kirsten Davies	The project titled ‘Ground Sparks’, aims to develop a grounded learning, teaching and research model for Macquarie University, involving students, academics and communities as partners. The model will prioritise learning, teaching and research activities focused on investigations, led by students, in to ‘real world problems’ for local communities and places. Ground Sparks will be a model with the capacity to be applied across all disciplines.