Surprise guest at May Graduations

The campus has been buzzing this past week with May Graduation season in full swing. While this current season of Graduations has been filled with special moments for the 2400 graduates attending 21 ceremonies last week, and continuing this week, perhaps the highlight occurred at Faculty of Arts ceremony last Tuesday 3 May. The young niece of one of the graduates had come dressed in academic regalia to support her aunt and inspired the Vice-Chancellor to go ‘off script’ at the end of the ceremony and invite them both on stage for everyone in attendance to see.

“This little one has been itching to come walking down the red carpet,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton to a captivated audience. “There is a very bright future ahead of this child.” Earlier in the ceremony the Vice-Chancellor had remarked that in Graduation ceremonies over which he presides, babies and children are always welcome. “I believe that all celebrations are enhanced by the presence of children,” said the Vice-Chancellor in his opening remarks. “Everyone is meant to enjoy graduation.”

Look out for a full wrap of our May Graduation Season, including a celebration of our latest Honorary Doctorate recipients, in next week’s edition of This Week.

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Successful Inclusive Teaching Forum

The Office of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) and Workplace Diversity and Inclusion jointly sponsored the Inclusive Teaching Forum which took place on 12 April 2022. More than 180 staff attended the forum, which was a great success to the organisers who had been aiming to raise awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion in the curriculum and teaching practices. The forum was recorded, and the videos from the presentations will be shared shortly via the TEACH website and TECHE blog

Pictured above (left to right): Event organiser Asimo Krizan with Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) Professor Dominique Parrish, Professor Debbie Haski-Leventhal and Executive Dean for the Faculty of Science and Engineering (Interim) Distinguished Professor Lesley Hughes.

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New Partnership launched to boost student leadership skills

Macquarie’s Global Leadership Program (GLP) and the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW (Vinnies) have proudly launched a new partnership to provide students with leadership skills training, which they can go on to use through voluntary service with Vinnies.

The exciting new partnership between Macquarie and Vinnies was launched at an event on campus on 28 April. The partnership will aim to create better equipped young leaders, a capacity-enhanced Vinnies and more services for society.

The GLP is a co-curricular personal and professional development program for students aimed at boosting employability. Its themes are international, cross-cultural, entrepreneurship and innovation. Students participate in workshops, conferences, internships, fundraising and community service, among many other initiatives.

Pictured above (left to right): Jerome Laxale (Ryde City Councillor), Anneke Rowe Courtemanche, Francis Ventura, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) Professor Dominique Parrish and Sam Crosby (Executive Director, Vinnies NSW).

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Staff Morning tea to honour 2021 Academic Staff Award winners

With the 2021 Staff Awards being conducted online at the end of last year, it was pleasing that the 2021 Research Excellence Award recipients and the 2021 Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching recipients were able to come together over a celebratory morning tea in the Macquarie University Art Gallery on 14 April.

The event was hosted by the Vice-Chancellor and attended by various members of the Executive Group, as well as awards winners and the event organisers from the Research Office and Learning and Teaching team.

Congratulations again to all our exceptional 2021 Award winners.

Pictured above (top): Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Award Winners 2021. Left to right: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) Professor Dominique Parish, Professor Debbie Haski-Leventhal, Dr Alissa Beath, Dr John Turchini, Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton, Shamim Joarder, Dr Joel Fuller, Dr Prashan Karunaratne,  Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Mariella Herberstein and Dr Amanda Head.

Pictured above (bottom): Research Excellence Award Winners 2021. Left to right: Professor Maroš Servátka, Professor Chris Patel, Dr Sourabh Khandelwal, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Sakkie Pretorius, Associate Professor Yvonne Zurynski and Dr Sidong Liu.