Southern Cross Matters

Neither can be magically conjured. Rather, they can only come to life and authentically embody our essence and the compact we make with each other through careful reflection drawing on a great many conversations comprising many and diverse voices.

As such, the last two years has been both a time to do the things necessary to sustain the University in the immediate term and to listen carefully to the many voices that comprise our community in order to best distil an enduring framework of purpose and values as the bedrock for the way that we plan and prioritise for our future.

This month, it will be my privilege to share the product of that journey with the University community as a whole, just as I have recently done with our Council. When I do so, I will be setting out not so much the content of a document, as a living framework for the way that we will set and accomplish our ambitions over the remainder of this decade.

I hope you very much enjoy the content of this month’s edition of Southern Cross Matters and I look forward to engaging with you in coming weeks as we come together as a University community to reflect on our strategic framework for action.

Warren said he was flattered to receive the honorary doctorate. “I’m really delighted and honoured to have this award bestowed upon me and I’m most appreciative to the University for making this decision,” he said.

Warren affirmed that his passion for the education sector is fuelled by positive outcomes. “It’s great to see young people and not-so-young people develop and prosper in our first-class education system, through schools, TAFE and universities.”

Head of Coffs Harbour Campus, Professor Les Christidis said Warren was most deserving of the award.

“This award is well earned. It’s a credit to the work Warren’s done in the region. It is appropriate recognition of him as a champion of education in regional Australia,” Les said.

“He’s been so proactive not just in health but in education. So, it’s really fitting that he obtains the highest degree within education.

“He’s extremely humble. He’s not one to have tickets on himself. He is a statesperson in everything he does.”

Warren served as the Executive Director of the Coffs Harbour Education Campus for more than 10 years between 1995 and 2005. Prior to that, he held numerous senior positions in the NSW Government’s Education portfolio, including Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NSW Ministry of Education and Youth Affairs and President of the NSW Board of Studies. Warren also served as Acting Chair of the NSW Education Commission.

Warren was a member of the Southern Cross University Council for over a decade and in 2011 was conferred the award of Honorary Fellow for his contribution to Southern Cross University.

In 1994, Warren was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to education as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

After several months of hard work, two clusters are finally live on our website: Harvest to Health and ZeroWaste.

“The Harvest to Health and ZeroWaste clusters extend our areas of research excellence in different directions and create new synergies. I am very excited to see how these groups develop across Southern Cross University, broadening our research footprint across the region and beyond,” Professor Mary Spongberg, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Academic Capability) said.

With both producers and consumers in the spotlight, research projects conducted within the Harvest to Health cluster will contribute to improved human health alongside sustainable production.

Associate Professor Tobias Kretzschmar, the Harvest to Health research impact cluster lead, affirmed that having the University’s support on what now has become a reality was crucial: “For Southern Cross, this marks a significant milestone towards our development as a global leader in natural products and functional foods. It enables our existing capacities in plant and marine science, analytical chemistry and complementary medicine to join hands to support budding local industries in that space”.

“To me personally, it feels like I’ve come full circle. While working on rice across Asia for seven years, I realised that 21st century food security is more about nutritional security than calories. The cluster is a great step in that direction for me,” said Tobias.

The ZeroWaste cluster research addresses the barriers associated with integrating waste products into the circular economy, developing and implementing cutting-edge scientific, technical, social, economic and education-based solutions.

“After many months of methodical preparation, I’m genuinely excited to see the research impact cluster concept come to fruition. The clusters will reinvigorate research at Southern Cross University, allowing for greater collaboration, more efficient resource use, and ultimately leading to improved outcomes for researchers, students, and the University as a whole,” said Professor Dirk Erler, ZeroWaste research impact cluster lead. 

“For me, the ZeroWaste cluster represents a chance to make real and lasting change. I’ve spent most of my career trying to understand how the natural world functions, but now more than ever I think it’s imperative to develop and implement solutions to the seemingly overwhelming list of problems we face as a society.”

“I loved the face paint. I got my national flags on my face. It was such a proud moment to remember my home country while we are in a foreign land.”

Fusion Festival has been running since 2008 across all three main campuses and involves numerous activities such as cultural music, cuisines, dances, and art from all different backgrounds.

“Thank you so much Southern Cross University for organising such a beautiful platform for us to represent ourselves and our community,” Yushmi said.

Victoria Drury, Manager of the Student Equity and Inclusion team, was elated to hear that her team’s hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Yushmi’s words bring a tear to my eye! We love the work that we do and to know it makes such a difference to the students’ experience of university is absolutely fantastic,” Victoria said.

What are the team up to next? You can view the Southern Cross Diversity Calendar here.

“It’s a fun sport, similar to surfing except you’re belted in and you’ve got to do the same manoeuvres – barrels, aerials, big slashes and big bottom turns,” Graham said. 

The sport has taken Graham to Portugal and Spain to compete; with his passport ready to travel to the United States for this year’s World Titles in California. 

The number seven isn’t so lucky for Graham, who is hoping to move up the ranks at the international competition in November. “I seem to be the one who is always the bridesmaid,” he laughed. “Always in the top 10 but I haven’t conquered anything more than that. It doesn’t mean I won’t be trying.”

The sport requires a high degree of athleticism, with Graham having taken up yoga, Pilates, long distance running and tennis to maintain his fitness for Waveski competition.

Graham said he and a friend discovered the sport at the age of 12 while living in Coffs Harbour. “I have a mate whose mum just wanted to get us outside. She didn’t want us playing computer games. And she picked this sport.

“From then on, we were up at 6am learning how to surf and she took us to contests up and down the coast.”

Graham was successful at Waveski surfing from the start and was crowned Australian Junior Champion in 1985.

Graham has continued competing and said he tried to balance work with catching waves at the week-long Australian Open in September. 

“I try to do work in between and take client calls where I can. But it’s really about concentrating on the competition for that week,” he said.  

Graham said what he loves about Waveski surfing is the fitness and the diversity of challenges presented by waves. “Living with nature and surfing with nature is extraordinary. Sitting in the ocean watching the sunrise or even sunset surfing into the dark is just a fantastic experience.”

What inspired you to pursue this area of research?

My research stemmed from the observation that over the last few decades, mass mortality incidents in shrimp aquaculture, in the absence of pathogens, have become more common and appeared to coincide with the introduction of neonicotinoid insecticides. Globally, neonicotinoids are among the most commonly applied insecticides, and their prolific use has led to the unintended contamination of waterways. This contamination increases risks to non-target species and could impact aquatic food production systems, such as shrimp and prawn aquaculture. An additional influence was the global decline of insect populations and the role that neonicotinoids have purportedly had in this decline, particularly in bee populations.

What were the key findings of your research?

My research confirmed that shrimp were vulnerable to neonicotinoids from aqueous and dietary sources. Neonicotinoids reduced feed consumption which affected the nutritional status of the shrimp, altering fatty acids, carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism. Consequently, shrimp grew slower and moulted less frequently. Exposure to neonicotinoids reduced allergenic and pathogen response protein expression in shrimp which could affect food safety and increase susceptibility to pathogens. Overall, the changes in shrimp after exposure could have a significant impact on food safety and shrimp aquaculture productivity.  This research has been incorporated into maximum residue limits for pesticides by the European Commission and in the ongoing review of neonicotinoid use in Australia.

Now that you have graduated, what is next?

Currently, I am based at the National Marine Science Centre as a Post-Doctoral researcher working in the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP) cooling and shading subprogram. I enjoy this project's interdisciplinary and collaborative nature and love the challenges that this research presents.