Work stuff
I’ve been at Macquarie for…
27 years since undergrad, 24 years since commencing casual tutoring, 10 years in my current role – am I really that old now?!

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Inspire future generations of teachers to successfully integrate technology into their classrooms and conduct the research that helps them to do so effectively.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
Can I have an extension?

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1) Get down to Melbourne for the eExams symposium.
2) Finish that blasted computing education theory paper.
3) Respond to this ‘60 seconds’ questionnaire

If I could do any other job at Macquarie (with instant qualifications/knowledge) it would be…
Why DVC, of course.

A Macquarie staff member who impressed me last week…
Equal tie Professor Mary Ryan and Associate Professor Sheila Degotardi – they head up the Department of Educational Studies and our department research portfolio (respectively) – I’m constantly amazed by how they do it all and still manage their own enormous research programs.

I get my campus coffee fix from…
MUSE cart.

If you were given $50 million to create or build something at Macquarie, what would you do with it?
Build the Macquarie Learning Technology Research Centre.

Personal life
Outside work you’ll find me…
Surfing Maroubra. 

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
Nepal in the 90’s.

If I could have dinner with anyone (living or dead) it would be…
Albert Einstein.

The last great movie I saw was…
Crazy Stupid Love on Netflix, trashy but funny.

In 10 years from now, I hope to be…
Healthy and happy.

Matt Bower’s book Design of Technology-Enhanced Learning is the winner of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology’s 2018 Design and Development Outstanding Book Award.

Work stuff
I’ve been at Macquarie for…
Ten years.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Teach law to students in the Law School and in the Faculty of Finance, Business and Economics. I started teaching Business and Corporations’ law in FBE and after 10 years, I am still loving it! I also teach a range of subjects in the Law School, which is also great fun. I like the variety of engaging in the different areas of the law, which is a great form of professional development.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
“How do you juggle your teaching load and the preparation that goes with it when assignments are due?”

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1) Record a lecture in the studio for Intellectual Property Law in the morning with a coffee in hand.
2) Teach three tutorials for Administrative Law in the afternoon with a salad in hand.
3) Teach a three-hour class on Corporations Law in the evening with the thought of dinner to come!

If I could do any other job at Macquarie (with instant qualifications/knowledge) it would be…
To work in Learning and Teaching at Macquarie.

A Macquarie staff member who impressed me last week…
Pierre Bleiker is a Digital Recording Administrator and he organises the recording of lectures in one of the University’s studios and each week he has it all prepared and ready to go. I am always impressed with his level of efficiency and courteousness.

I get my campus coffee fix from…
The staff café. Ask Beth to make it for you and you will get a very fine brew.

If you were given $50 million to create or build something at Macquarie, what would you do with it?
An Arts Hub with a theatre for plays and musicals, a dance studio for staff and students, an art gallery for up and coming artists to display their work with a studio attached, and an industrial-style café, bar and restaurant where some of this art can be displayed.

Personal life
Outside work you’ll find me…
Power walking around Canada Bay, writing restaurant reviews for Google reviews and catching all the latest trip reports, car reviews and recipes on YouTube. I also like to relax with the SMH on Saturdays with a coffee and croissant.

I’m really looking forward to…
A trip to Italy, Croatia, and Berlin. I am taking long service leave over the Christmas break and hope to travel to Europe in January but may also go the US in December.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
The Boeing factory in Seattle Washington. The place is absolutely huge and can be seen from outer space. I was there when the first batch of 787’s were coming off the production line. It was a great experience. One of the interesting things about Boeing is that it has the highest staff retention rate for a company in the world.

If I could have dinner with anyone (living or dead) it would be…
Barack Obama. A former law professor who would have some interesting views on the current political situation in the US and on other regions around the globe.

The last great book I read was…
QF32 by Richard De Crespigny. This is a great book about how a flight deck with five pilots managed to land an A380 after several flight systems failed mid-air! The captain, Richard De Crespigny had to remain calm and sift through a raft of data the cockpit was feeding him. He had to calculate whether the runway was long enough to land the plane as the brakes and flaps were not functioning properly after one of the engines exploded mid-flight. The plane came in too fast and the on-board computer calculated the aircraft had just enough runway to land safely. Phew!

Work stuff
I’ve been at Macquarie for…
Just over three years. I relocated from Perth with my family in 2015.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Teach French languages and cultures, to research cultural productions of French-speaking islands and to support staff in my department in the area of learning and teaching. In my teaching, I focus particularly on deconstructing cultural stereotypes to foster a critical engagement with my department’s language and culture nexus and to develop students’ intercultural agility. In my research, I draw on an interdisciplinary framework to discuss how the experience of the island space influences the way representations of identity are constructed, performed and circulated in island literary and visual cultures.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
“Are you from Paris?” Nope … I’m from Réunion, a small French island off the coast of Madagascar.

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1) Keep writing my paper, “Visual Cultures in the Contemporary Cultural Landscape of Réunion Island” for the Australian Society for French Studies’ conference at the University of Western Australia in December this year.
2) Mark my Advanced French students’ intercultural portfolio.
3) Prepare the next FSQC meeting on the new Curriculum Architecture.

If I could do any other job at Macquarie (with instant qualifications/knowledge) it would be…
As much as I love my current job, I would say, Curator of the Macquarie Art Gallery.

A Macquarie staff member who impressed me last week…
Dr Maryam Khalid (director of the Bachelor of International Studies). Maryam is one of those rare, passionate and generous colleagues, whose research and take on the world always make for great conversations. Her current project looks at two of the most significant institutions of contemporary global politics (the League of Nations and the UN) and is particularly timely in the current climate of tensions around and debates regarding global governance.

I get my campus coffee fix from…
The staff café. Hot tip: the chef also makes the best scrambled eggs. A definite Friday morning favourite of mine.

If you were given $50 million to create or build something at Macquarie, what would you do with it?
I would commission an open sandstone amphitheatre that blends with Macquarie’s beautiful natural landscape, where the University could hold concerts, performances, cinema showings and functions.

Personal life
My favourite subject at school was…
Art History. It introduced me to the significance of interdisciplinary perspectives by providing me with alternative ways to tackle the literary works I was reading at the time. One of my latest publications came out of the recollection of a discussion we had in one of my classes about Pointillism.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
Lisbon, I was there for three days on the way back from a conference. I thoroughly enjoyed hopping on trams, not understanding a word of Portuguese and getting lost in the warm and earthy colours of this ageless city.

If I could have dinner with anyone (living or dead) it would be…
Pierre Desproges, a late French humourist, famous for his eloquence and sense of the absurd. I often use his skits in my advanced classes. His caustic humour and elegant irreverence would make for a great dinner party.

The last great book I read was…
The French translation of Elena Ferrante’s L’amica geniale (My Brilliant Friend), a four-volume novel spanning five decades that follows the lives of two friends born in the south of Italy in the 50s. I just couldn’t put them down.

The last great movie I saw was…
Le Sens de la fête (English release title: C’est la vie). This little gem of a film is all about the poetics of chaos. Perfectly relatable!

Work stuff
I’ve been at Macquarie for…
Just over one year.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Be curious.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
“Can you explain what this means?”

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1) Read a manuscript.
2) Edit the manuscript.
3) Work on a grant application.

If I could do any other job at Macquarie (with instant qualifications/knowledge) it would be…
The one I have!

A Macquarie staff member who impressed me last week…
I went to listen to Professor Pretorius’ ‘Weather Report’ and it was full of impressive people.

I get my campus coffee fix from…
I like drip coffee and make it myself.

If you were given $50 million to create or build something at Macquarie, what would you do with it?
Better interactive learning spaces – it is time to retire the big lecture halls.

Personal life
My ethnic heritage is…
Finnish. I came to Australia last year after 25 years in Canada.

My favourite subject at school was…
History.

Outside work, you’ll often find me…
Cleaning the pool or walking the dog.

I’m really looking forward to…
Some downtime with family over Christmas.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
If I have to pick one, it is Santorini.

If I could have dinner with anyone (living or dead) it would be…
With my old friends back in Finland

The last great book I read was…
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. David Christian’s Origin Story is reserved for next holiday.

The last great movie I saw was…
Sweet Country by Warwick Thornton.

In 10 years from now, I hope to be…
Hmm, that is getting close to retirement age.
­

While her work is often featured in the media, we thought it was time to find out more about the woman behind the lens.

Work stuff
I’ve been at Macquarie for…
One and a half years.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Take photos, make videos and fly drones.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
“But isn’t it just point and shoot?”

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1) Meditate in the morning.
2) Work hard during the day.
3) Play hard in the evening (too many hobbies).

What’s your career highlight to date?
Being able to live off doing what I love and turn my passion into a full-time job.

What’s the strangest work request you’ve had?
Probably photographing the Scoop a Poop campaign. Literally taking photos of possum poo!

If I could do any other job at Macquarie (with instant qualifications/knowledge) it would be…
A research astronomer.

A Macquarie staff member who impressed me last week…
Samir Uddin. For his meditating skills on a Monday morning.

I get my campus coffee fix from…
I actually don’t drink coffee at all (it’s ok you can judge me).

If you were given $50 million to create or build something at Macquarie, what would you do with it?
State-of-the-art facilities for every faculty, more luxurious office/creative spaces, a dedicated in-house recruitment agency purely to help find jobs for students when they graduate. It’s a savage world out there!

Personal life
My ethnic heritage is…
I’m as Aussie as they come, I’m just more tanned than some!

My favourite subject at school was…
Visual Arts.

Outside work, you’ll often find me…
Training, rock climbing, mountain biking, skateboarding, snowboarding (during seasons), ice-skating, listening to music, watching marvel shows/movies, flying my drone, sports photography, astro photography, capturing and sharing video content of my adventures.
I guess friends are ok to hang out with too!

I’m really looking forward to…
Losing weight by next week…just kidding! Looking forward to snowboarding in Canada and watching the Avengers 4 movie.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
New Zealand.

If I could have dinner with anyone (living or dead) it would be…
Paul Walker <3.

The last great book I read was…
Ben and Grandma, a children’s book I used to love.

The last great movie I saw was…
Avengers Infinity War.

In 10 years from now, I hope to be…
A sports photographer for the Olympics, a Nikon Ambassador, a featured photographer in National Geographic and living the dream capturing and sharing my memories from all corners of the world!

Check out some of Jo’s recent highlights:

(1) Macquarie Lighthouse

Work stuff
I’ve been at Macquarie for…
14 years in various roles. I started as a casual laboratory demonstrator and I’ve sort of just stuck around.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Coordinate a major citizen science project, called Scoop a Poop. Citizen science involves recruiting the general public to assist with scientific research projects – we ask people to collect possum poop, so we can screen it for antibiotic resistance genes. My job includes administration and promotion of the project, outreach events at schools and local councils, and laboratory work.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
“What exactly IS Scoop a Poop?” Second most often question is, “But WHY do you want to collect possum poop?”

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1) Complete a strategy document outlining how we will meet our sample collection target over the next six-12 months.
2) Catalogue and assess the quality of the most recent samples to have arrived at the lab. Yes, this means looking at possum poop! Make sure the sample database is up to date.
3) Conduct a risk assessment for a local council event.

If I could do any other job at Macquarie (with instant qualifications/knowledge) it would be…
I’m struggling to answer this because I don’t really want to do anything other than my current job!

A Macquarie staff member who impressed me last week…
Daniel Russell. He works in our lab as a research assistant and he is a happy, helpful and friendly colleague. He always impresses me with his efficiency and excellent time management in the lab.

I get my campus coffee fix from…
I don’t drink coffee! (But I get through LOTS of cups of tea in a day).

If you were given $50 million to create or build something at Macquarie, what would you do with it?
Create a Citizen Science Hub to forge connections between existing citizen science projects on campus, support researchers to create new citizen science projects, and promote Macquarie projects to the public. With that kind of money, you could pay a small team of people to really upscale Macquarie’s citizen science presence and improve both public science literacy and the datasets of many research projects.

Personal life
My ethnic heritage is…
Despite my Maori name, I’m as Anglo-Celtic as they come! I was born in the UK to NZ parents, with Scottish and Northern English heritage.

My favourite subject at school was…
Science. I haven’t really changed much!

Outside work, you’ll often find me…
Discussing Doctor Who, I’m a big-time fan and a card-carrying member of the Doctor Who Club of Australia! (I just LOVE Jodie Whittaker as the new Doctor).

I’m really looking forward to…
Settling into my new home. We recently moved and there are still many boxes to be unpacked.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
The Burgess Shale fossil deposit in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. I trained for months to be fit enough for the trek – it’s up quite high, and it requires an all-day trek to get up there and back down again. It was well worth the physical effort to see the site of discovery of weird and wonderful fossils that fundamentally changed our understanding of evolution and extinction.

The last great movie I saw was…
Ocean’s 8. It was such a delight to see a group of women doing interesting things on screen! I wish there were more movies like this.
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To align with Antibiotic Awareness Week (12-19 November) and One Health Day (3 November) BIOL364 Symbiosis in Health and Disease will showcase issues of antibiotic resistance to the MQ community at the One Health Science Fair (register here). As part of this event you can also collect a Scoop a Poop kit and contribute to MQ research by collecting a possum poop sample.

Alternatively, contact Koa to pick up a Scoop a Poop kit at koa.webster@mq.edu.au.

I’ve been at Macquarie for…
Three months.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Work on building instruments used for telescopes and perform research on the interstellar medium to study gas, metals and dust in galaxies.

The question I get asked most is…
“How is interstellar dust formed?”

(Find out the answer in The Lighthouse.)

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1) Finish a grant proposal for the Ultimate-Subaru telescope project.
2) Work on an ARC Future fellowship application.
3) Write an observing proposal for the European Southern Observatory telescopes.

Name a Macquarie staff member that impressed you last week…
Dr Katrina Sealey [AAO’s Head of Research Data and Software] for supporting women in STEM.

Where are you from?
I was born in Pakistan and did my Masters in Physics there. I did my PhD in Astrophysics in Denmark, a postdoc in France and a fellowship in Germany with the European Southern Observatory. Almost three years ago I moved to Australia to work with the AAO, which recently become part of Macquarie.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
The European Southern Observatory, a series of Very Large Telescopes in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

I’m really looking forward to…
A trip to Antarctica as part of Homeward Bound 2019, a year-long project to develop leadership and strategic capabilities in women in science.

Work stuff
I’ve been at Macquarie for…
Seven-and-a-half years.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Provide support and best practice advice in all things related to learning and teaching in the Faculty of Human Sciences.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
Why can’t I give letter grades in Turnitin? (Turnitin is the software Macquarie uses for text matching and online feedback for written assessment tasks).

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1) Answer these questions.
2) Review a new program proposal.
3) Work on an online unit standards document.

If I could do any other job at Macquarie (with instant qualifications/knowledge) it would be…
It hasn’t been created yet, but it would be the Manager of the MQ Doggy Day Care Centre.

A Macquarie staff member who impressed me last week…
My team member Kylie Coaldrake. She is incredibly patient and knowledgeable in guiding the Faculty of Human Sciences through the Curriculum Architecture project.

I get my campus coffee fix from …
Cult over in 10HA. Best coffee on campus!

If you were given $50 million to create or build something at Macquarie, what would you do with it?
That’s a lot of money, so many possibilities! Top of the list would be to set up a Doggy Day Care Centre and develop a ‘Dogs at Work’ policy. Second, would be to install solar panels on all buildings.

Personal life
Outside work, you’ll often find me…
Hanging out with my pooch, Samuel and drinking coffee.

I’m really looking forward to…
A trip to Hobart with my friend, Sal. We’re going to visit MONA, eat good food and drink good wine.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
The pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico.

If I could have dinner with anyone (living or dead) it would be…
The artist Louise Bourgeois.

The last great book I read was…
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, by Peter Frankopan.

Work stuff
I’ve been at Macquarie for…
I have recently had my third-year anniversary working at Macquarie. Time flies, it seems just the other day I was packing my bags with my family and moving to Australia from South Africa.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Support our HR client team, leaders and staff at Macquarie to perform at their best. I work in the Organisational Development team where we design and develop various workshops and work on different projects in the people space to enhance the capability, performance and wellbeing of our staff. Some of the projects I work on are the ‘Your Say’ staff survey and the Wellbeing program.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
“Where can I find…” Our shared drive where we keep all our documents has evolved over the years and has a wonderful library of all our work but sometimes it is not that easy to remember where we have saved certain documents .

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1. Finalise the planning for Staff Wellbeing Week – coming 23 Oct-2 Nov, so be sure to book your place!
2. Juggling my week around so that I can attend my niece’s presentation day tomorrow – she is finishing her HSC this year.
3. Taking my son to basketball.

If I could do any other job at Macquarie (with instant qualifications/knowledge) it would be…
A researcher in the wellbeing space. I believe there is so much work still to be done in the field of wellbeing in the workplace and I would love to be able to dedicate a year or two of my life doing a Master’s or PhD in this area.

Name a Macquarie staff member who impressed you last week…
Joe Lander. He is an Artist in Residence, at the Centre for Emotional Health. I met him while planning this year’s Wellbeing Week. He will be exhibiting his work during Staff Wellbeing Week and sharing his personal story of how he has struggled with mental illness. He has done some wonderful portraits of men in recovery as part of a research project to overcome the stigma of mental health in men.

I get my campus coffee fix from …
The library. My daily ritual en route to the office from my car is to collect my coffee. I have definitely become part of the coffee culture in Australia!

If you were given $50 million to create or build something at Macquarie, what would you do with it?
I would give it to the sustainability team to invest in the volunteering program for staff. Did you know all staff get two days of volunteering leave per year? This is such a great initiative. Imagine how many people we can help in our community if we all made use of our volunteering leave once or twice a year. It’s also good for your wellbeing – helping others helps you.

Personal life
My ethnic heritage is…
I was born in England but grew up in South Africa and moved to Australia four years ago with my husband and kids to secure a better future for our boys (aged 11 and 12). Although moving countries was not easy, and I have had my ups and downs, I can honestly say we now feel very settled and at home in Australia. We have also built up a wonderful circle of friends and life in Sydney is good!

My favourite subject at school was…
I don’t think I had a favourite subject, but I LOVED sport and played six-seven days a week after school.

Outside work, you’ll often find me…
Running with my wonderful running group (this is not only great exercise and the best way to the start the day, but it is also the cheapest and best form of therapy ). I also enjoy reading, binge-watching different TV series, watching my kids play sport and travelling with my family. We recently had a week skiing in Perisher – it was my boys’ first experience in the snow and first-time skiing – we all loved it and hope to make it an annual thing!

I’m really looking forward to…
Spending Christmas holidays at home and having my Dad visit us from South Africa. We are planning a ‘staycation’ where we can all explore more of the wonderful sights and places in Sydney.

If I could have dinner with anyone (living or dead) it would be…
Nelson Mandela. I think he is one of the greatest leaders and most inspirational people ever to have lived. Mandela had some wonderful quotes but the two that stand out for me are, “Education is the most powerful tool which you can use to change the world” and “For to be free is not merely to cut off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

We chat with Department of Marketing, Head of Department, Professor Aron O’Cass, to find out what marketing is really about. 

Work stuff
I’ve been at Macquarie for…
One and a half years.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
As head of the department and an active researcher I focus on steering the new department of marketing toward engaging deeply with students and industry. My research focuses on linking customers and firms through brands and innovative offerings. As a researcher I work at the intersection of market players, especially firms and how they need to innovate to connect and serve customers better. Research studies contributing to this have focused on the service for consumers at the bottom of the pyramid and foster environmental sustainability through innovation.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
“What is marketing really about?” Marketing is more than selling or advertising, it is about connecting organisations and their consumers (governments, hospitals, hotels, manufacturers, etc.) to ensure markets operate effectively and consumers are served well with appropriate products and services that meet their needs.

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1. Complete the paperwork for a new degree, the Master of Marketing Strategy.
2. Finalise a presentation on employee branding and frontline service encounters.
3. Finalise my reviews for the ARC college and Journal of Service Research.

If I could do any other job at Macquarie (with instant qualifications/knowledge) it would be…
A scientist working on cheap renewable energy for developing countries.

Name a Macquarie staff member who impressed you last week…
The list would be long, but indulging myself two that pop up is my Deputy Head Stephanie Huang and Leonie Tickle AD T&L for their boundless energy and constant engagement in shaping FBE.

I get my campus coffee fix from…
Sorry, I drink tea.

If you were given $50 million to create or build something at Macquarie, what would you do with it?
Programs to bring university education to the poor and disadvantaged.

Personal life
Outside work, you’ll often find me…
Riding my motorbike.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
Shiraz in Iran.

If I could have dinner with anyone (living or dead) it would be…
Nelson Mandela.

The last great movie I saw was…
Made in America.

In 10 years from now, I hope to be…
Traveling in Italy with family.