Some of our long-serving staff. [Top] Associate Professor Hope Ashiabor, Associate Professor Tony Bryant, Suzanne Curtis, Professor Peter Karuso, Jane Kim, Associate Professor Jun Ma and Professor Catriona Mackenzie. [Bottom] Elsa Mardones, Maree Nelson, Jenny Nicholls, Associate Professor Archana Parashar, Professor Tony Parker, Coral Vangsnes and Associate Professor Rein Vesilo.
Some of our long-serving staff. [Top] Associate Professor Hope Ashiabor, Associate Professor Tony Bryant, Suzanne Curtis, Professor Peter Karuso, Jane Kim, Associate Professor Jun Ma and Professor Catriona Mackenzie. [Bottom] Elsa Mardones, Maree Nelson, Jenny Nicholls, Associate Professor Archana Parashar, Professor Tony Parker, Coral Vangsnes and Associate Professor Rein Vesilo.

People

More than 750 years of collective experience

Last week, we celebrated 29 of our longest-serving employees (some of whom are pictured above), at an event for staff who have reached the milestones of 25 or 40 years of service to Macquarie.

With more than 750 years of collective experience, the group were commended for their hard work, dedication and support of the University by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor S Bruce Dowton and Nicole Gower, Director, Human Resources.

We asked Distinguished Professor Mark Westoby and Carolyn Wivell, who this year celebrate 40 years of service to the University, about the changes and highlights they’ve experienced during their time.

Distinguished Professor Mark Westoby with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor S Bruce Dowton.
Distinguished Professor Mark Westoby with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor S Bruce Dowton.

For Distinguished Professor Mark Westoby from the Department of Biological Sciences, the important things take decades to happen. “What’s most worth remembering is how we’ve built a real university – planted the gardens and made artwork for the walls, written curriculum that’s ahead of the textbooks, graduated PhDs who became leaders at other universities, and published the papers that established our recognition on the world research scene.”

Mark says if he had to pick one memorable moment from the past, it would be the several dozen Biological Sciences research students who have won best-presentation and best-research awards at national conferences.

“It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work here for so long,” says Caroyln Wivell, Information Services Librarian. “Though it is a cliché, the highlights for me have been the vast array of fantastic people I have met over the years and abiding friendships.”

Caroyln Wivell with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor S Bruce Dowton.
Caroyln Wivell with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor S Bruce Dowton.

Carolyn says for her, a very memorable moment was being in the old Library the evening it was struck by lightning. “It was a Friday and the lightning strike mucked-up the electronics so the fire alarm sounded all weekend. I can’t remember the year but it was the late 80s. I still have somewhere a chunk of concrete that was knocked off the building.”

As for the changes Carolyn has seen during her time here, the biggest are the campus developments. “When I started there were only a few ‘tallish’ buildings, a central lawn and the rest was largely red mud or dust – depending on the season. We are very lucky to have a university on a campus that is so beautiful.”

Congratulations to all our long serving staff

40 years of service

  • Carolyn Wivell
  • Distinguished Professor Mark Westoby

25 years of service

  • Suzanne Curtis
  • Associate Professor Tony Bryant
  • Associate Professor Pamela Coutts
  • Maree Nelson
  • Hazel Green
  • Kathy Wheeler
  • Associate Professor Jun Ma
  • Professor Tony Parker
  • Dr Michael Dobbie
  • Liz Lee
  • Pam Morpeth
  • Andrea Ruttenberg
  • Associate Professor Archana Parashar
  • Associate Professor Hope Ashiabor
  • Jenny Nicholls
  • Associate Professor Rein Vesilo
  • Professor Peter Karuso
  • Dr Samantha Sin
  • Professor Catriona Mackenzie
  • Dr Alison Vicary
  • Kayo Nakazawa
  • Peter Adams
  • Dr Peter Dekker
  • Hedda Paisley
  • Coral Vangsnes
  • Elsa Mardones
  • Jane Kim