Southern Cross Matters

Across the past year there have been many surprises – not all in the direction we may best have wished for. But we have maintained humility and proportion in the face of success and resolve in the face of failure. I think I am most proud of those colleagues who tried and failed, then tried and tried again – always learning, moving forward towards ultimate success. I think the boldness to do this will be more important than ever as we face into our future.

We have all lived through a remarkable transformation in the state of technology during our lifetimes, but what has happened in 2023 as artificial intelligence has escaped the hermetic confines of corporate research and development facilities and loomed suddenly large, massified and ubiquitous is truly breathtaking. Make no mistake. This will change who we are and how we do things in very fundamental ways.

All of us will need to learn a great many new things, a great deal faster than we may traditionally have dared to believe ourselves capable of.

But for now, that excitement and all of its attendant possibilities can wait.

For now, I hope that you will very much enjoy this final edition of Southern Cross Matters for the year, again reminded of the wonderful diversity that defines who we are, what we do and how we do it.

I thank each member of the SCU community for your hard work and remarkable contributions over the course of the year that has been. I am deeply grateful. I wish each of you a joyous Christmas and holiday season and hope that the break that lies ahead is deeply enjoyable and renewing.

Warmest wishes

Tyrone

Bachelor of Education student Chloe – who was also recognised in the recent student excellence awards for her contribution to Surf Life Saving - is off to Fiji along with Bachelor of Science (Applied Chemistry) student Caylin Nel, also a passionate swimmer and diver. Bachelor of Laws and Creative Writing student Nevenya Cameron is based in Lismore and plans to undertake a law internship in South Korea as well as study French in New Caledonia.

Director, Global Engagement Christine Martin said the New Colombo Plan scholarships were a fantastic opportunity for students.

“It’s about broadening not only the scope of your degree but also your knowledge of our region and creating those vital professional networks and knowledge for after you graduate.

“The scholarships are very competitive and it speaks to the calibre of our students that three have been awarded this year,” she said.

• Developing an overarching Impact agenda for the University across our education, research and service activities;
• Strategic partnering that applies the University’s intellectual property and assets at scale;
• Identifying and nurturing partnerships and funding opportunities that realise our strategic ambitions;
• Further activating the Research Impact Clusters through strategic industry connectivity;
• Leading university-wide transformation programs that seek to enable greater industry and community connectivity;
• Facilitating large multi-stakeholder collaborations focused on collective impact.

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Education Impact) Ben Roche said driving our impact agenda in research and education is fundamental to achieving our strategic objectives as a University and the authentic fulfilment of our purpose.

“The research and education impact agenda focuses on applying connectivity and collaboration to advance the core academic functions of the University,” Ben said.

“Tangibly, this activity includes working collaboratively to further position our Research Impact Clusters as platforms for collaboration and impact; delivering a significant new state-funded project focused on aligning our course profile with industry; leading key alliances relating to flood reconstruction and realising the University’s presence within the new Tweed Valley Hospital precinct.

“Research and education are core pillars of our University and I am excited to further extend our impact in these areas. Watch this space in 2024!”

As a human geographer, Ben’s passion lies in participatory approaches to sustainable development and the role that education and engagement can play in creating resilience, capacity and well-being in communities. He has taught, researched and practised in the areas of community-based learning, participatory planning, sustainable development and community engagement.

Ben moves into the role after leading the engagement portfolio for several years. Picking up the momentum in that area is Anna-Maree Shaw, who has commenced as Vice-President (Future Students and Outreach).

Alejandro recently accompanied Professor Damien Maher and Dr James Sippo as well as dozens of volunteers on a field trip to the Hawkesbury River, where they are undertaking research on behalf of Sydney Water. The scientists spent two weeks taking more than 10,000 samples, and preparing nearly two tonnes of water to be trucked back to Lismore campus for further analysis.

It’s part of a major project that will inform water service infrastructure planning for Sydney’s rapidly expanding population. The mammoth effort was skilfully caught on camera by Alejandro and has now been edited into a video you can watch here. You can also read more about this exciting project here.

The numbers they deal with are impressive. There were 353 events across the University campuses in 2023 with around 22,500 attendees. That’s roughly half the population of Lismore City. A fun fact: roughly 70 per cent of events at the Gold Coast are internal compared to 37 per cent at Lismore, where external events dominate the program.

Approximately 1,350 graduates crossed the stage to receive their awards at 2023 graduation ceremonies in Sydney, Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour, Melbourne and Lismore. These ceremonies are all produced by our events team, including the livestream of the events, which were watched by nearly 5,000 people in 2023.

Manager of University Events, Kimberly Knight said some of the smaller events produced by the team had included dinners with the Vice-Chancellor and School Principals at Gold Coast Campus, in Coffs Harbour and at Ballina. “These led to stronger ties between the University and local high schools with both Lindisfarne and Palm Beach Currumbin reaching out to the University for event bookings following these dinners.”

The events team also provides video services to many sections of the University. You may have seen their work in marketing videos, research videos and in a recent series of stories narrated by members of the Gnibi Elders Council.

“No two days are ever the same when you work in events. We love pulling off the impossible and supporting staff and students to present the University in the best possible light,” said Kimberly.

The coffee bean market in Australia is worth $1billion, yet the majority of beans are sourced internationally. The Coffee Character Wheel has also been designed to help build demand for Australian-grown coffee beans.

The research, published in the Journal of Sensory Studies, has also pinpointed the specific taste (terroir) of Australian-grown coffee. It involved lots of cups of coffee.

More than 100 Australian-grown single-origin green beans from 28 farms were analysed, along with an additional 50 international single-origin green beans. The green beans were roasted using a fixed roast profile to ensure equal treatment and then tasted by 15 coffee panels across Australia. The panellists included coffee growers, green bean buyers, importers, roasters, baristas, trainers and coffee judges. These coffees were also analysed chemically to provide a unique fingerprint.

The result: Australian coffee is sweeter, nuttier and fruitier than imported beans.

“This pleasant terroir of Australian beans is probably due to the cooler temperature in our coffee-producing areas (North Queensland, south eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales),” said Dr Ben Liu, the project’s principal investigator.

While the term terroir is normally associated with wine and provides competitive advantages for high-quality wine producers, this research shows terroir equally applies to the coffee industry.

“It is this sort of information that will allow us to inform consumers that Australia is a sophisticated and established coffee producer with enormous potential based on the unique characteristics of the region where that coffee is grown and produced,” said Dr Williams.