You could find yourself in a lab, conducting research that saves lives from cancer. You could follow a path into journalism, sharing the latest scientific research breakthroughs with the world. Or you could use biomedical science as a launching pad into medicine.

Three UON graduates share which career path they chose and why.

Advanced medical research

Jessica Buck’s ground-breaking cancer research is contributing to global health advancement.

Jessica’s interest in medicine and disease started in childhood, when a relative passed away from breast cancer. Jessica yearned to create vaccines to prevent diseases and save lives, which is why she enrolled in biomedical science at UON.

After graduating from UON, Jessica competed her Masters of Science in Neuroscience and is now completing her Doctor of Philosophy in Oncology at Oxford University in England – one of the most prestigious tertiary institutions in the world. Her studies explore new ways of imaging the formation of new blood vessels when cancer spreads to the brain.

“What I enjoy most about my work is getting together with my lab colleagues to plan breakthrough research that could really make a difference,” says Jessica.

Jessica credits her UON biomedical degree for giving her valuable research skills, hands-on lab experience, and the chance to discover a career path that best suits her skills and interests. When she looks back on her journey so far, Jessica recognises that her willingness to take up new opportunities was pertinent to her success.

“I encourage current biomedical science students to take advantage of all the opportunities to try research or internships. It will help you decide what you want to do when you finish.”

Industry, commerce, and education

Cassandra Griffin uses her science acumen to communicate new research results to industry leaders and the global community.

After studying biomedical science at UON, Cassandra’s career took her overseas and into the role of Account Executive for Pollen UK, a medical education company that forms part of a larger medical communications group.

In her diverse account management role, Cassandra must stay abreast of the latest disease research data and developments, working with clients to communicate science progress to industry leaders and the public so that new information can ultimately inform policies and practice.

“No two days are the same in my job,” Cassandra says.

“In the space of a few hours I may write content relating to a neurology drug, review a web page targeting HIV specialists, and develop graphics for a diabetes congress.”

Cassandra draws on her extensive knowledge of biomedical science every day. Her UON degree has equipped her to work as an expert in her field, facilitating the sharing of knowledge and researching the latest disease information and breakthroughs.

“While I no longer work in a laboratory environment, my understanding of laboratory procedures and scientific methods underpins my ability to translate scientific findings into a language that can be received by our audiences.”

Medicine and health practice

Mitchell Nolan used his biomedical science degree as a pathway into medicine. He now works as an intensive care trainee at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney.

When Mitchell enrolled in UON’s Bachelor of Biomedical Science, he never thought his career path would eventually lead to medicine. Originally interested in pure science, Mitchell slowly began to discover and become fascinated with the way science and medicine intertwined.

“I became enthralled with the clinical science introduced to us at UON,” says Mitchell. “I met with clinician-scientists and it slowly dawned on me that medicine was a legitimate career choice for me.”

After graduating from UON, Mitchell studied a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the Australian National University’s Medical School. There, Mitchell realised his firmly-established knowledge about the human body and scientific processes was a unique asset.

“UON’s teaching of conceptual biomedical science frameworks – the machinations of the life-sciences and the philosophy of science in general – provided an excellent advantage in my medical degree.”

Mitchell is now completing a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine from James Cook University while working as an intensive care trainee at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney.

“We manage critically ill patients, perioperative patients, and patients with organ failure. Things often go wrong, and we are experts at making it right again.”

After many years of study, Mitchell is on the cusp of an exciting career within the fast-paced world of medicine. His interest now lies in the public health aspects of critical care, specifically related to drug health and toxicology. Driven by a desire to help others, he expects to obtain a fellowship to the College of Intensive Care Medicine in the coming years and become a consultant intensivist.

“It’s an immense privilege to be involved in the most upsetting and traumatic moments of people’s lives because, sometimes, you have the opportunity to change things for the better.”

The highest profile of these final commutations was that delivered to Chelsea Manning, a former army intelligence operative found guilty of offences under the Espionage Act and sentenced to 35 year’s imprisonment. Manning will be released in May 2017, after seven years in military prison.

The factual basis for Manning’s conviction is now infamous worldwide. She leaked over 700,000 items of intelligence data to WikiLeaks – the whistle-blower website established by Australian national Julian Assange. Many of these were published online, including videos that showed US military strikes causing civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Manning, previously known as Bradley Manning, came out as a transgender woman during her imprisonment. Serious concerns were held for her health, particularly as she had attempted suicide twice in the past year and remained confined in a men’s prison. News of her impending release was welcomed by human rights organisations and Manning’s supporters, who regard her as a human rights defender.

It appears that Obama’s decision to commute Manning’s sentence was influenced by awareness of risks to her health and campaigning on her behalf. In a public statement, the White House drew a stark contrast between its view of Manning and its position on another well-known whistle-blower, Edward Snowden. Snowden is currently in exile in Russia, having fled the US after leaking classified intelligence material while working as a CIA contractor. While Manning had faced trial and imprisonment following her conviction,

Mr Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy.

Nevertheless, mercy for Manning drew calls for similar approaches to the cases of Snowden, currently in exile in Russia, and Assange, currently under effective house arrest in the London embassy of Ecuador.

Considering earlier public comments from now-President Trump, calls for a pardon for Snowden are unlikely to find favour with the new Administration.

Snowden is a spy who has caused great damage to the U.S. A spy in the old days, when our country was respected and strong, would be executed

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2014

And further, it seems unlikely that Russia will surrender Snowden to the US for such a potential fate. Indeed, as Manning’s sentence was being commuted, Snowden’s Russian protection visa was extended.

After writing on this case for The Conversation, I was interviewed for English language radio in South Korea. The interview gave me a glimpse into how news of Manning’s sentence commutation was received in another country, with its own distinctive views on relations between the US, Russia and the international community.

I was asked whether Russian President Putin may have extended Snowden’s asylum to exact revenge on President Obama, and whether Snowden may be being used by Russian intelligence to undermine American interests. I declined to answer those questions, not claiming any expertise in what is motivating Russia’s relationship with Snowden.

However, I was able to respond to the journalist’s question regarding the differential treatment of Manning and Snowden, by highlighting differences between pardon and commutation, trial in a US court and exile overseas, and degrees of damage caused by the release of more or less ‘top-secret’ intelligence.

My South Korean interviewer was also interested in whether Russia might ‘gift’ Snowden to incoming President Trump. Again, this was beyond my expertise. However, on a parallel note, it was interesting to follow Assange’s offers to surrender himself to the US Department of Justice in return for Manning’s release. This move, as yet unrealised, has been cited as evidence of an alliance of sorts between Trump and Assange. It is well known that the WikiLeaks hacking of Democratic Party emails during the recent US Presidential campaign boosted the Trump campaign.

As has become rapidly clear, only the bravest of commentators would confidently predict the future actions of the Trump administration. I’ll go so far as to say that Trump seems unlikely to act as a great defender of press freedom. But then, despite celebrating its record of clemency, the previous White House led the way in criminalising whistle-blowing and shielding its military activities from public scrutiny.

Dr Amy Maguire, University of Newcastle Law School, 3 February 2017

Tin City is located in the amazing Stockton Bight, the largest continuously mobile sand structure in the Southern hemisphere: also a significant site of indigenous history and occupation by the Worimi people, its traditional custodians. Tin City is an off the grid isolated community living in 11 self-built tin sheds constructed over 100 years at Stockton Dunes on NSW’s mid north coast.

There are no roads to Tin City. Half buried, this squatters’ settlement seems to appear from out of nowhere. Due to its unique qualities, the site is often used as a setting by film crews. There is no power, water, and no sewerage. The huts are governed by a longstanding squatters settlement 100-year lease signed in 1920 and the more recent by-laws established by the Worimi Conservation Lands Board of Management, which administers the area with the National Parks and Wildlife. The arrangement recognises the heritage and tourist value of the huts which can be maintained, but cannot be rebuilt or sold. They simply pass them down to family.

Entering this bizarre world is just one part of an interdisciplinary elective called ‘Inhabiting the Binary’. Currently in progress, over the next two weeks the lecturers, practitioners and students will study experimental site techniques, focussing on themes of nomadic settlement, human experience and non-human or ecological forces.

The inter-uni experiment is led by Dr Cathy Smith, Senior Lecturer in Architecture at the School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle. Cathy is joined by co-coordinator Simon Kilbane,  Senior Lecturer and Programme Director of Landscape Architecture at UTS; along with Jed Long, a UTS tutor, architect and Co-founder of Cave Urban.

The ‘Tin City’ site visit kicked-off the experience at the start of this week, the group arrived via 4WD along Stockton Beach to a chance meeting of one of the long-term residents, former iron worker Alwyn Garland. Students got the rare opportunity to discuss the experience of living in this post-apocalyptic looking community since the late 1970s in a handmade shack. He showed the group the principle of getting fresh water by digging down through the sand into the aquifer. Described by Dr Cathy Smith as “the most incredible site and studio focus location”, she and the group were fascinated by this curious ancient landscape, its rich indigenous history and little-known squatter community.

The day concluded with a presentation by Professor John Maynard of Wollotuka Institute at the University of Newcastle. Wollotuka is an all-Indigenous staffed unit committed to the advancement and leadership of Indigenous education at a local, national and global level. Professor Maynard is a Worimi Aboriginal man from the Port Stephens region of New South Wales and a Professor of Indigenous History and Research. He gave the group an amazing understanding of the rich indigenous history of the region. Architecture student Michael Allanson (UON) was “blown away by the dreamtime stories and their relationship to geological understandings of the site”.

For Master of Architecture student Caila Anderson (University of Calgary, Canada), the elective presented a unique opportunity: “One of the best ways of understanding a place is through working with local people”.

Landscape architecture student Ben Hardy-Clements (UTS) believes that: “the only way to address the complexities found in our environment is to merge the disciplines and develop new ways of collaborative thinking” – as the staff and students are doing in this elective.

After finishing the week with a deep-dive into the region’s fascinating history, maps and cultural artefacts at the Newcastle library archives with Dr Ann Hardy and Gionni Di Gravio, the collaborating students will deliver mixed-media and audio-visual responses to their site study and the elective will wrap up with critiques and an exhibition at 4pm on 16 December at the old David Jones building in the Newcastle CBD.

Student work will be displayed in these repurposed shopfront windows (currently curated by the out(fit) collective) for the greater community to admire and appreciate.

The Global Engineering Education Exchange, known as the Global E³, is an international partnership agreement that allows engineering students of the University of Newcastle to study abroad at distinguished universities that are not otherwise partnered with the University. UON is one of only two Australian partners in the international program.

It was through this program that Joel received the opportunity to study at the University of Connecticut, which is considered one of the largest and most reputable colleges in the northeast region of the U.S.

Leaving Australia in mid-January, Joel was met with below freezing temperatures when he arrived at the small town that would be his home for the semester. With the majority of students living on campus, Joel found living in a share room was a great way create long-lasting friendships and enhance his understand of other cultures.

“Campus life was amazing, from the ease of getting to class to the huge range of extracurricular activities you are able to participate in,” he said.

The tightknit social community on campus came as surprise to Joel, who had grown accustomed to the usually small crowds at UON sporting games.

“There were thousands of people packed into a stadium all supporting their team. The passion was tangible and I’ve never experienced anything like it. It was absolutely incredible!”

Reflecting its reputation, the University of Connecticut expected a strong work ethic. There was no recorded lectures, meaning it was easy to fall behind if you failed to attend. However, Joel rose to the challenge.

“The only problem I had was that in my… courses, all their measurement units were in the imperial system! While challenging at times, it was very helpful as possible future careers require adaption with the use of different systems.”

Learning occurred not only in the classroom. Due to his proximity to Boston and New York, Joel explored these global cities, fully immersing himself in the culture.

“By studying abroad, I have come to realise the vast opportunities that await at the end of my degree. I’m not held back by the fear of the unknown. This experience was an eye opener for me and wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the scholarship through Global E³.”

Through completing a semester abroad, Joel was able to greatly enhance what he had learnt at UON, making him a more career-ready graduate.

“I would strongly recommend Global E³ to any of my fellow engineering students thinking of undertaking a semester abroad. The benefits it provides by granting the opportunity to study at a large network of global universities, and the subsequent knowledge gained about the specific field of study are invaluable.”

Visit our website to find out more about the Ge3 program.

1. What was the purpose behind the recent student field trip to Hong Kong and China and who was involved?

The overriding premise behind the trip was to expose us to different urban environments and how they adapt to meet the needs of local people. As well as Hong Kong, we also spent two days in mainland China visiting (our lecturer and trip leader) Derren’s ancestral village in Shunde, in the Guangzhou province. Here we were introduced to courtyard houses and village style living that is typical of the area.

2. What was the most interesting experience you had as part of the trip?

Definitely the way that Hong Kong plans its expansion and how they utilise every parcel of land that they can. Planning regulations in Hong Kong require all services and amenities (subway lines, telephone connections, schools, parks, hospitals, etc.) to be in place before the construction of housing and businesses even commences. This planning procedure ensures that each new area of Hong Kong is set up in a way that ensures its success – something I think Australian cities can learn from.

3. Which city or town did you find most interesting and why?

Not specifically any part of Hong Kong, but the way they live. The lifestyle in the city is this peculiar mix of Eastern and Western cultures that seems to hold on to some of its more ancient traditions, all the while embracing many new and modern norms from Western countries.

4. Was it all just about looking at flashy new high rises?

Not entirely. We did look at many of the new high rises, but in more of a lets-critique-and-evaluate-them kind of way. The main purpose was to demonstrate that high density living with a large population in condensed location is feasible. Personally, I would say we – as a country – need to be expanding our urban centres vertically – rather than horizontally – with attention being given to the provision of public amenities and infrastructure before people move in and occupy the area.

5. What was it like travelling with your fellow students and lecturers, was it a good group?

We ranged in age from 19 through to 27, all with different backgrounds, life experiences, and personalities. Working in close quarters in the Architecture Design Studio on campus means that we have all seen each other around, but not necessarily had contact with one another. So the trip kind of became a bridge between the different years and degrees that we may not have individually taken the time to put in if it wasn’t for the trip.

6. Did the trip change your perspective on architecture, how?

I have travelled quite a lot previously, but I have never experienced the sheer density and organised chaos that is Hong Kong. I can remember looking at photos of Hong Kong city before the trip and thinking “how the hell does anyone live comfortably in that environment?” But, having spent time there I can see myself living and working there for at least 12 months. It’s a city that thrives on challenges and is constantly working to make itself more efficient.

7. What would you say to students thinking about studying architecture at UON?

Do it. I applied to three different universities to study architecture – UNSW, QUT, and UON – I was offered a spot at all three, but took my first preference of UON. I don’t regret my choice. The lifestyle that Newcastle city offers is amazing and the facilities that we have access to at uni are fantastic. If I didn’t have access to the Architecture Design Studio I would not be as successful in my studies as I have been. Having 30 or 40 other students in the same boat as you, around you each day makes it more enjoyable. Each project is different, but you always have 40 opinions on hand to tell you where to go to move forward– which isn’t always helpful, but it’s nice that the option is there!

8. You’ve just finished your third and final year of your undergraduate degree, what’s next for you?

I’ve just started working full time at Webber Architects. So far it has been great because they have me using the skills and knowledge that I have gained over the last three years of study. It’s challenging because these are real world projects that can fail if something isn’t correctly implemented – which is also terrifying! Next year I’ll go into the Master of Architecture degree at UON, which is a further two years of study, while working part time.

9. Would you recommend other students get involved in the field trips to Indonesia, Nepal, Hong Kong and Alice Springs next year?

Absolutely! From what I heard the Alice Springs and Indonesia trips were awesome. Everyone had a great time and experienced so much more than they thought they would and more than they would if they just spent their mid-semester break at home.Study Architecture at UON:

Study Architecture at UON: 

https://www.newcastle.edu.au/degrees/bachelor-of-design-architecture

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He is part of an Academy award-winning team that has entertained millions around the globe with feature films including Beowulf, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Alice in Wonderland, Tangled and Big Hero Six.

We had the chance to pick his brain on Disney’s next feature animation Moana, due for release in the US this Thanksgiving (Nov 24), and find out about his role as an engineer in production.

“Driven by the directors’ vision, my team was responsible for the artistic creation and the background crowd elements in the film. In Moana, these include the crowds of villagers, the flocks of fish and birds, fleets of voyaging boats, and the Kakamora (hundreds of characters that look like cute anthropomorphized coconuts).

“As supervisor, I managed the team, directed the research and development, determined which shots in the film required crowd elements, allocated shots to the artists, worked with directors to creatively approve shots, and insured on time delivery.”

Yasser (front centre) and his team on a boat prop. On the far left are directors Ron Clements and John Musker (Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Moana).

Yasser had the opportunity to travel to Hawaii, where the film is set, for research and development. He experienced first-hand the sun, surf and sand featured in the film, then had to use his engineering skills to replicate these natural flows on screen.

“One of the interesting elements of research was using a physics based system to artificially simulate secondary motion of characters on boats based off of the underlying boat animation. This allowed us to create a realistic feel of characters swaying with the motion of the boat without having to hand animate each character individually. Fleets of boats and characters were thus animated more efficiently.

“Another was to develop a flocking system to realistically simulate the motion of fish and birds when they behave as a group. This was inspired by actual research in flocking behaviours of fish and birds.”

A technical degree like engineering can really take you anywhere, even to the silver screen.

Find out more about our engineering degrees.

Moana is out in Australian cinemas on Boxing Day – make sure you go to check out Yasser’s handy work and keep an eye out for his name on the pre-roll credits!

Yasser (right), with his mother, Faiza Darwesh (left), and Auli’i Cravalho (centre, voice of Moana) attending the Moana Wrap party.

Yasser (centre), with his mother, Faiza Darwesh (centre-right) and directors Ron Clements and John Musker at the Moana Wrap Party.

1. What was the purpose of the AusIndoArch project?

We had two days to design a range of small bamboo structures and installations and present them to our client, to be used in an annual arts and culture festival.  Each group was assigned a project to design and build. The projects varied from entry and exit gates, to seating and bamboo housing proposals.

2. You partnered with Indonesian students and locals. What did you learn about the Indonesian way of life?

I was already reasonably familiar with Indonesian culture and language, having studied there briefly and previously majoring in Indonesian studies and language. My experience on this trip highlighted the differences between their way of life and western culture and values and how everyone can learn from each other.  When we all arrived for the opening night, so many locals from nearby came and shared dinner with us.  Not too many could speak English, or even Indonesian, but would rather converse in Javanese.  Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world – Eid Al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) was just the week before that, so the locals were extra joyous and kind to us during our time there.

3. Why is it important for architecture students to learn how to work with bamboo?

Bamboo is quite economic and sustainable – however it is rarely able to be utilised here due to restrictions in Australia’s building code. I have seen it so commonly used in Indonesia and other countries in South East Asia in such diverse ways – from weaving and making musical instruments; to plumbing, scaffolding, and building entire structures with it. The more interest there is in bamboo as a construction material, the more innovatively we can implement it in design and construction.

4. What was the most interesting experience you had as part of the trip?

A bizarre experience for me and I’m sure for the other Australian students too… one day our site became completely filled with people coming to be part of a local singing competition. The birds were judged on how loud, how melodic, or how long they could sing for. Other stand-out experiences included our nightly ‘open air’ lectures given by the master architects right next to a river – it’s so different from being in a lecture theatre that typically doesn’t have windows. Locals would sometimes sit by a fire on the other side of the river listening on.  The concluding night was a party by the river – loud music, lots of people and lots of dancing, which was quite a contrast to the typical calmness of the area.

5. You and the students worked with bamboo masters, what does this mean?

All of the master architects that attended this trip are passionate about sustainable design. Quite a few had extensive experience with designing with bamboo in different ways, others with experience in designing in tropical climates or remote communities. I also consider the local labourers who helped construct our projects with us as bamboo masters – they had extensive experience constructing with bamboo. Their skills and knowledge were admirable and fundamental for our practical learning, especially since bamboo was a completely new material for the Australian students.  I don’t think our projects would have gotten very far without them!

6. Is getting ‘hands-on’ vital to the architecture process?

I think it’s an absolutely integral part of studying architecture. There are so many things that you can’t simply learn in a classroom or from a textbook. Having had barely any experience building anything in my life, this practical hands-on experience was invaluable to me.

7. Did the trip change your perspective on architecture?

It reminded me how challenging comparatively simple design and construction can be compared to what western architecture students might be used to. It also very much demonstrated that simplicity in both technique and space can have just as much of a profound effect as the complex and modern.

8. What would you say to students thinking about studying architecture at UON?

We are lucky to have a design studio that is completely our own and that encourages collaboration and sharing between year groups – no other student cohorts have something like this. The teachers enable students to learn how to incorporate other interests and disciplines into their designs, encourage individuality and provide them with the tools to achieve a diverse range of career goals within architecture.  

Note: this project was a collaboration which involved students from University of Newcastle, Charles Darwin University, the University of Melbourne, Universitas Gadjah Mada and Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana (Indonesia) and Aachen University (Germany). Michael Chapman was one of eight Australian mentors including Andrea Nield (who organised this incredible elective), Professor Lawrence Nield, Joanna Best (Troppo Architects), Brendan Meney, Ken Yeh (Marra +Yeh), Nici Long (Cave Urban) and Dave Hodgkin. They were kindly hosted on the riverfront homestay of talented local architect Yohana Raharjo. In addition to Yohana, the Indonesian mentors included Lintang Rembulan, Yoshi Fajar, Aryanto Sudjarwo, Medy Krisnany-Samedyastoety and Eko Prawoto.

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Laureate Professor John Aitken

Pro Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Health and Medicine

“These are unchartered waters. Throughout the election campaign Trump has been light on details and policy specifics. To my knowledge he has not articulated a particular position on the funding of research in general or medical research in particular. He has also not released a detailed higher education policy that might have clarified his attitude towards Universities. In all probability education and research will not be priority areas for a Trump administration. Thus while ‘the art of deal-making’ may feature prominently in the curriculum of Trump University, we will have to wait for some time before coherent policies emerge in the wake of his unexpected victory.”

Professor Catharine Coleborne

Head of School, Humanities and Social Science, Faculty of Education and Arts

“The Post-Trump election commentary will likely illustrate new tensions between generations of voters. During the election campaign we saw the politics of gender and ethnicity play out – indeed, blow up – in ways that were not always illustrated by the vote itself. But, like Brexit, the results of the vote highlight an emerging distance between young and older voters, and in perceptions of power and society, and of access to social capital.

In Higher Education, we should all be alert to the likely diminution of access to minorities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds to universities, as well as distinct attacks, possibly violent, on critical appraisals of social and cultural phenomena and change such as those framed and examined by the Humanities and Social Science disciplines. That has happened under other conservative US governments. The perception of a privileged role for education in general, and healthcare, is attenuated.

My own major concern about the result lies in the way social debates have become so crude and simplistic – leaving scholars far less room to create meaningful conversations around really vital social problems in an anti-intellectual media landscape.”

Professor John Fischetti

Head of School/Dean, School of Education/Faculty of Education and Arts

“Results of the US Presidential election will mean significant advancement of three educational movements that have been undertaken not only in the US, but also in the UK. In addition to a probable scaling back of the Federal Department of Education, Mr. Trump and the likely Secretary of Education, Dr. Ben Carson (a former opponent of Trump), will advance the conservative positions on:

1) Local control of public schools

2) Parental choice and

3) Removing “political correctness” from the K-12 and higher education curriculum.

The philosophical bent of the initiatives will be to let parents and markets decide where students attend school, including advancing initiatives in privatisation and charter schools. Higher educators will be scrutinized for political correctness in courses, doctrine and research.

These initiatives began in the Reagan administration in the 1980s and have led to increasing gaps in student achievement between children from wealthy families and those from lower socio economic means. These policies have also led to equity initiatives being back shelved in favour of high stakes testing regimens and punitive teacher/principal accountability schemes.

With education funding already in jeopardy in nearly all of the states that supported Trump, it will interesting to watch how low income citizens, minority groups and disenfranchised Whites react to a lack of investment in public education that will continue under a Trump presidency. Ironically, many of the elite Whites who voted for Mrs. Clinton in those same states already arrange their children’s schooling in wealthy suburbs or private schools as Mr. Obama did himself.”

Dr Melanie James

Interim Head of School,Design, Communication & Information Technology, Faculty of Science & Information Technology

“The way that Donald Trump self-positioned as the man who would make America great again both rallied and divided the population. We still have much to learn about the way self-positioning works. It’s clear it is an ongoing task requiring continuous attention and maintenance, not just by an individual but also from networks.  Communities who perceived their lives weren’t as ‘great’ as they once were could tie Trump’s ‘great again’ narrative to their own hopes for better times. This meant Trump’s self-positioning was amplified across their networks.

 As Trump transitions into the Presidency his position as ‘fixer’ may become more secure and he’ll be less reliant on his supporting network. However, if his supporters don’t see him deliver ‘the fix’, he will need their network support more than ever, and it’s unlikely to remain strong.  This presidency will be fertile ground for examining personal and network positioning-power in communication and PR.”

Dr Amy Maguire

Senior Lecturer and Indigenous Student Liaison, Newcastle Law School, Faculty of Business and Law

“In a mass protest vote against the established political forces of our time – globalisation, free trade and neoliberalism – Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States.

Trump’s platform is explosive. He plans to build an “impenetrable wall” along the Mexican border, exploit trillions of dollars of untapped fossil fuels, ensure a conservative Supreme Court, undermine a rising China, and massively increase US military forces to create “an America that WINS”.

Already, the US shapes the extent to which the international community can respond to wicked global problems. Trump’s ‘America First’ platform pivots his country away from global collaboration. His vision depicts immigrants as threats, conflicts as solvable so long as enough force is applied, and climate change as a fiction. The now-likely US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement will cripple international efforts to curb global temperature rise. An exclusionary approach to migration will feed growing international resentment towards the vulnerable millions seeking sanctuary from conflict, persecution and environmental destruction. And all people devoted to gender equality are left to wonder how the most powerful office in the world can be handed to a publicly sexist candidate.”

Professor Roland Boer

School of Humanities and Social Science, Faculty of Education and Arts

“Donald Trump may well be good news for China and Russia, two countries that are forging increasingly close ties. Trump has vowed to work with Russia in defeating ISIS, and his focus inwards on the United States means that there will be less interference by the United States in the Asian sphere. In short, while Clinton would have been the most aggressive American president seen for a while, Trump is a signal of a world order with far less American engagement. It may well be read as the sign of the decline of the American empire. The fact that Russia and China (with some qualifications) have welcomed Trump’s presidency speaks volumes.”

Cheryl had known she wanted to study engineering since she was fifteen years old, but like many people, put it off due to life circumstances and uncertainty about future study.

“I didn’t fully understand the university process. I knew it cost money, but wasn’t sure how HECS worked. My UAI wasn’t fantastic either, so I didn’t really see [university] as much of a possibility back then,” Cheryl explained.

While she enjoyed her job in hospitality, Cheryl felt like she was being held back by the limited opportunities for career progression. The long hours and night shifts also weren’t very family friendly. It was becoming increasingly difficult to juggle work with having a young child. When Cheryl’s son turned one, she gave herself a ‘now or never’ ultimatum: undertake a career change.

Cheryl wasn’t accepted directly into the Engineering degree she wanted, but didn’t let this setback deter her from studying. After exploring numerous entry pathways, she opted to enrol in a Bachelor of Business and choose engineering subjects for her electives. As a result of her academic merit, in her second year Cheryl was able to enrol in the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil) degree.

“I really enjoy [engineering] which I think makes the whole juggling a son…a family and everything amongst it…much easier, as frustrating as it can be at times.”

The support from the engineering staff have taken a weight off her shoulders, being more than understanding of her family commitments. Cheryl is an advocate for attending lectures, stating that if she doesn’t come to campus, she will often find herself doing the washing or ironing instead of study.

“The teachers have all been really good. My son has attended a few water engineering and concrete classes!”

Cheryl attributes her success at university to the wealth of life experience she has acquired from delaying university study. In many instances, the skills learnt from this life experience allows mature age students to handle university even better than school-leavers. Now, Cheryl has clear career goals she is determined to achieve.

“I would really love to do geothermal energy. Which is still small in Australia. There’s only half a dozen companies. And there’s only one operational plant. But some of my electives will be more themed towards that.”

Despite sacrificing a social life at times, Cheryl believes university study is one of the best experiences of your life.

“There’s lots of hurdles with everything. And it might take you twenty years instead of four to get to the end. But I think if you want to, you can do it. Just try. What’s the worst thing that can happen?”

It was on one of these visits I met LA based artist, Kiel Johnson.

Kiel was so passionate, engaging and enthusiastic during our visit to his space, I wondered how I would be able to work with him the future.

Twelve months on and I curated an exhibition which showcased the trip, with students creating works as our response to the tour. This group show was a wonderful way to being together again all of us who experienced this amazing trip together. While planning this exhibition, I approached Claudia Parducci to contribute some work to showcase alongside ours and she was more then happy to participate. I then approached Kiel Johnson to share in our project by spending a week in Newcastle working with myself and others over a workshop, which we would run in connection to the Coast to Coast exhibition.

Kiel was very happy to accept the offer and we brainstormed the concept of ships. This came about with the idea of ships being a mode of transport, and we had all traveled over from Newcastle to LA, connecting to Newcastle and its highly ship-focused culture but also liken to the fact that students are like ships – safe in the harbor but all do go out to sea and find their own ways.

Our workshop consisted of a cardboard boat build. Kiel and I created templates to help people get started and then as each boat was made, it was to be installed in the Watt Space Gallery in connection with the Coast to Coast exhibition.

Once we had confirmed the dates with Watt Space for the show and workshop, I set about arranging all the details. Never before had I arranged a visa for anyone others then myself! To obtain the correct working visa to be able to work with the university and students was quiet challenging but worth it in the end.

I also set about arranging suppliers for the workshop materials, preparing my own boats to start the installation, templates for participants, attendees, the install preparation and paperwork for Coast to Coast, and much more. Time ticked closer to May 26^th and it became hectic to manage everything on time.

Since returning to study Fine Arts, I have become more involved with galleries, arts administration and curatorial work. I love the way spaces can bring people together and showcase art to a wider audience. I love the idea of creating shows, which have a high level of interaction and community involvement. Art, for me, is about being people together and a space in which to create.

Kiel’s arrival in Newcastle was fantastic with a visit to Watt Space to help with install, and be interviewed for the Newcastle Herald. Kiel followed this up with a guest lecture at Conversations in Art on 25^th. This was a fantastic lecture in which many attended and Kiel passed along the same passion and enthusiasm for art and creating as from when I first met him.

May 26^th saw the workshop with 42 attendees across the whole day. Kiel and I helped everyone get started with their ships and both of us were blown way by the level of creativity shown. Each and every boat is completely unique. There were amazing ideas, passion for creating and really feel good vibe all day.

I wanted to really create a space in which people forgot about time and became100% in the moment and enjoying what they were making, alongside like-minded people. I feel this was achieved as everyone had a fantastic day.

Once the workshops had completed, I installed all the new boats in the Watt Space foyers area to be ready for the show opening that night.

With over 120 people attending the opening and a further 202 attending since, the show has been a huge success for everyone involved.

I have worked extremely hard on bringing this event together and the level of support, participation and gratitude from everyone involved overwhelms me.

Thank you to everyone involved. To UON Global and the School of Creative Arts, Watt Space, Kiel Johnson and Kit Messham-Muir. To Dave and William for video, and Ellen from Natural Lights Photography for still photography. To Corrugated Cardboard Cartons for generously donating the workshop cardboard.

Thank you to the exhibiting students in Coast to Coast and to everyone who come along and built a ship at the workshop!