“It is such an honour to be part of so many different people’s journeys to better hearing,” said Catherine.

The announcement of Catherine’s success speaks volumes about the importance of the cochlear implantation procedure in Australia – a country that harbours a historic perspective that cochlear implants are only for children, and not so much for adults.

“The cochlear implant is a modern miracle, allowing profoundly deaf children to learn to hear and speak. It is not only for children however, the cochlear implant helps adults throughout their lives to regain hearing and stay actively involved in work and their favourite activities. For the elderly, the implant can also return hearing, helping to minimise social isolation, depression and it may even reduce dementia.”

This milestone is another addition to Catherine’s many achievements, some of which include being the first female ear, nose and throat surgeon in Australia awarded the title of Clinical Associate Professor, for performing a cochlear implantation on the youngest patient in Australia, a three month old child, and for her expertise in many forms of implantable hearing devices.

In the future, Catherine would like to see an even greater enhancement of treatment strategies.

“I hope to see greater improvements in cochlear implant technology in the future, with even better outcomes and more people with hearing loss willing to embrace these wonderful medical inventions,” she concluded.

Learn more about Catherine’s clinical work and research.

As the next step, a team drawn from Governance Services, Human Resources and Student Advocacy and Support has been working on a series of resources, so staff managing complaints have the right sort of training and support to navigate their way through the sometimes complex field of complaint management.

The resources include a short online training video, which features an introduction by the Vice-Chancellor developed in conjunction with Nina Harding. Nina is a professional mediator, facilitator and law lecturer at several universities. Using practical examples, the video demonstrates key steps for responding to complaints. Accompanying the video is a discussion guide for teams to use, and a checklist to remind staff of the steps to consider when dealing with a complaint.

“Effectively managing complaints from our students and community is critical to Macquarie achieving its purpose of being a University of service and engagement,” said Deidre. “These training resources will provide teams and individuals who deal in front line management with the skills to respond to complaints in a timely and professional manner.”

Staff are encouraged to watch the video and use the resources, to learn about how to manage complaints, or to brush up on their existing skills.

Watch the video now.

Chloë Spackman | Manager, Global Leadership Program

I’ve been at Macquarie for…
approximately seven years.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Manage the Global Leadership Program and our component of the Global Leadership Entry Program.

I make sure our 3000 enrolled students are provided with workshops covering a range of pertinent international issues; give them access to inspiring and relevant keynote speakers, diplomats and business professionals; and connect them with opportunities to build their soft skills and capacity as responsible global citizens.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
“What is a colloquium?”, closely followed by “will [going on a Contiki trip / watching a foreign film / washing my dog] count for experiential credit points”?

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1) Present to guests visiting from overseas partner institutions; 2) complete the UniForum survey; 3) write a keynote speaker briefing document.

If I could do any other job at Macquarie it would be…
Researcher in cognitive sciences or neuroscience – it’s fascinating and has so many implications for our everyday lives.  I have the neurolaw pioneering minds podcast with Professor Jeanette Kennett earmarked to listen to asap.

I’m really looking forward to….
Our inaugural Innovative Leaders Series event on April 13 with speaker Dr Jason Fox. It’s a new take on our existing speaker series and we’re working to find speakers who are genuinely pioneering leaders who can articulate their purpose and how they execute on that purpose.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
That’s a tough one, but I will go with the Yunnan Province of China. I cycled from the Tibetan border to Kunming city over 11 days and while it was the toughest physical challenge I’ve ever embarked on, it was a genuinely incredible adventure. 

In ten years from now, I hope to be…
Running my own certified B Corporation, sourcing and selling unique products from social enterprises and communities around the world, while writing about my travels and the positive examples of social change I encounter along the way.

On the 3 March, Macquarie Abroad hosted a welcome back function for students who have recently returned from their exchange programs.

The night began with ice-breaker bingo, followed by speed friendship facilitated by the MacAbroad team. The vibe was electric and they took to it like ducks to water, showing off the skills and confidence gained while studying abroad. Surrounded by people they didn’t know, they clearly felt comfortable speaking to people they just met (fortunately, they did have a lot of exchange stories to talk about!)

MacAbroad presented on a range of topics including the effects of reverse culture shock – the natural feelings of boredom, restlessness, alienation, and the inability to apply new knowledge and skills. We discussed how to combat these feelings through sharing experiences with others, maintaining a lifestyle and staying ‘international’, with their fingers on the pulse and staying connected with their newly established networks. Many returned students had already signed up for the Buddies program and the MACex student group, which is a great way for them to stay engaged back on campus.

In our ‘Experience + Reflection = Learning’ session, we encouraged our returnees to reflect on their experiences, and in a segment on professional development we trained them in turning travel stories into career stories. The students were also encouraged to attend the upcoming ‘Leveraging your travel experience’ workshop we have created in conjunction with the Career and Employment Service.

Applied finance and economics student Patrick Gonzales, who spent a New Colombo Plan semester at Hong Kong University, and completed an NAB internship in Hong Kong had this to say about his exchange experience:

“The internship was a great opportunity to learn practical skills that aren’t taught in the classroom. It was my first role in an office and I gained valuable office experience. NAB also advised me to think of ‘what’s next’ in a career sense, which I hadn’t thought too much about before.”

Our awe-inspiring photo competition was a highlight of the evening, with prizes for categories including landscape/landmarks, campus pride, food glorious food and new experiences.

We wrapped the evening up with networking and pizza, before students were greeted by current inbound exchange students, to discuss studying overseas and provide advice to the ‘inbounders’ about life at Macquarie.

A HUGE thanks to the Macquarie Abroad team: Simon Tran, Sarah O’Reilly, Charlotte Cox, Stephanie Hickman, Eunice Fung, and Vince Bruin (Department of International Studies advisor), who helped make the event so successful.

Contribute your story  and help celebrate the diversity, passion and collaborative spirit of Macquarie staff.

Professor Deb Kane from the Department of Physics and Astronomy is commencing her third term on Council and aspires for “our University community to function collectively so that we can all read the University’s Ethical framework, with a sense that its principles are alive and well at Macquarie University”.

Professor Richie Howitt from the Department of Geography and Planning, has been elected for a second term and sees the big challenge of his term “as ensuring that Council nurtures Macquarie’s capacity to respond to change in ways that are consistent with our Ethics Statement and that support our capacity to nurture successful academic career paths for future staff”.

Deb and Richie are joined by Professor Catherine Dean, the Head of Department and Director of the Physiotherapy Program, who has been elected to Council for the first time. Cath is looking forward to working on Council “to ensure the University realises its strategic vision”.

More information on University Council and all its members can be found on the Council website.

Anne discusses how the human brain makes sense of the squiggly lines we call writing, how far the bounds of neuroplasticity really go, and how the brain damage interviewer Ben Mckelvey suffered as a result of a stroke may be similar to the effects of dyslexia on children.

Missed others in our podcast series? Meet Professor Jeanette Kennett, last week’s featured interview, and hear from others in our series.

27 diverse student societies were also present, and more than $1400 was raised to support the work of the UN Women International Committee Australia to end violence against women and girls in the Pacific region.

As of today, visitors to mgsm.edu.au will encounter a brand new website for the Macquarie Graduate School of Management. A key component of the Shared Identity project, the new site aligns MGSM with the University’s new identity while still maintaining a distinct brand look for the leading business school. Other major improvements include responsive mobile-friendly design and a new site structure that better meets audience needs.

[Front row, left] Emeritus Professor Jim Piper from the Department of Physics and Astronomy. [Back row, centre] Dr Lee Spitler from the Department of Physics and Astronomy. [Back row, far right] Dr Alfonso Garcia-Bennett from the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences.

‘Science Meets Parliament 2016’ Science & Technology Australia President, Emeritus Professor Jim Piper and delegates Dr Lee Spitler from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Dr Alfonso Garcia-Bennett from the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences met with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in his office at Parliament House earlier this month.

The 16th annual Science meets Parliament brought 200 working scientists to Canberra for a two-day program of professional development and networking aimed at helping them better communicate their science to the media, policymakers and parliamentarians.

[Left] The newly refurbished Department of Linguistics. [Right] Unveiling of the ‘We Are Ubuntu’ artwork by the Head of the Department of Linguistics, Associate Professor Jan-Louis Kruger (pictured right), and Macquarie University Visual Voices Art Group artist, Olegario Gonzalez.

The long awaited refurbishment of The Linguistics Department C5A building has been completed, in the record time of five months, by the company Inaphase. The new interior has proven to be a hit among staff, showcasing crisp modern features in neutral tones, complemented with splashes of turquoise and copper.

To celebrate, the Department of Linguistics held an opening last Friday afternoon in the elegant space, during which they unveiled the newly installed artwork created by members of the Macquarie University Visual Voices Art Group. The group was established in August 2014 by speech pathologist Christine Sheard in the Macquarie University Speech and Hearing Clinic. The group encourages people with some physical paralysis and language communication difficulties (aphasia) following stroke, to use art as a medium to practise friendship, social participation, renewed self-identity and autonomy.

The unveiled piece pictured is called “We are Ubuntu” from three artists from the group, John Giliberti, Olegario Gonzalez, Alasdair MacLennan and their artistic facilitators Viviene Mewing, Romny Vandoros and Karlene Wilcox; who named the piece after the African term ‘ubuntu’ which means “l am what I am because of who we are”. The artwork rejoices in the fact that communication can occur in more ways than just via speech and that its ultimate success resides also in the attitudes and engagement of people in all our social contexts.

Congratulations to the Macquarie University Catering team on receiving the New South Wales Banquet and Catering Award at the Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) industry awards for the second consecutive year.

The Award recognises organisations that provide catering services for business events either as a stand-alone catering business or as a banquet department providing food and beverage services for conferences and events.

This adds to the long list of awards the team have received throughout the years for their outstanding effort.  Learn more about their achievements.

Late last month more than 800 mathematics teachers from across New South Wales, including many from regional and remote areas came to campus to take part in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) Mathematics Review day.

Run by the Mathematic Department in partnership with the Mathematical Association of New South Wales, and with the assistance of the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards New South Wales, the day included a number of sessions reviewing each of the mathematics papers from the 2015 HSC. It was an opportunity to highlight areas of concern and provide information and insight to help classroom teachers better prepare their students.

The 2016 Macquarie University Amazing Race is on again, and all staff are invited to get involved. So dust off that fancy dress costume, bring out your competitive spirit and get ready for an afternoon of fun and team building.

Teams of four can register now through the Macquarie website, or individuals can sign up and be allocated a team. On race day, teams will leave the start point with a map and their first clue which they must crack to determine their next check point. At each destination, teams must work together quickly to complete a fun, physical or mental challenge in order to gain points and to receive the clue to continue the race.

“The race only took a couple of hours but our team talked about it for months afterwards; it was a real hoot!” said Campus Engagement Development Officer Lauren Hargreaves, who was one quarter of the ‘Welcome 1’ team from Campus Engagement in 2015.

The event is focused on fun, participation and community spirit. For Macquarie staff, it is the perfect opportunity for an afternoon team-building activity or some friendly office rivalry; the crew from Campus Engagement entered two teams in 2015!

For any staff new to Macquarie, it’s also a nice occasion to get out of the office and find areas of the campus they might have not yet discovered.

“We were probably the slowest team but it really didn’t matter; it was good fun and a great way to get everyone out of the office and around the campus,” said Robert Ephraums, Team Leader, Campus Engagement and part of the 2015 ‘Welcome 1’ team.

Giveaways and prizes will be awarded for the fastest team, the team with the most points and the most creative team costume. A free barbecue will conclude the event for participants.

For more details and to register, visit the Amazing Race website.

If racing isn’t your thing, but you’re still keen to get involved, you can volunteer to help out at one of the checkpoints during the event. Contact Manager – Sport Development, Kate Butler (kate.butler@mq.edu.au) to register your interest.

Date: Thursday 31 March
Time: 1pm, with a barbecue presentation from 4pm
Where: All around campus, starting from the Central Courtyard

From our very beginnings, Macquarie has been consciously inclusive. From paving a path for women to pursue tertiary study, to the incredible number of nationalities and cultures to be found amongst our staff and students, ours is a place where different perspectives are welcomed and celebrated.

On Wednesday 23 March we will celebrate the diversity of our Macquarie community at a free Harmony Day event for all students and staff.

From 12pm to 2pm, the Central Courtyard will be alive with colours, sounds and tastes from around the world, with plenty of delicious food on offer.

Award-winning slam poet Abe Nouk will be performing a selection of poems reflecting on his upbringing in war-torn Africa and his new life in Australia.

As a signatory organisation to the Racism. It stops with me campaign, there will also be a screening of Unified Ryde – a film produced by Macquarie students and staff in partnership with the City of Ryde and the Salvation Army.

Harmony Day at Macquarie University
When: Wednesday 23 March
Time: 12pm – 2pm
Where: Central Courtyard

Learn more about the event.