From the Chair
And just like that…
As I sign off on my final column as Chair of the Menzies Alumni, from the flanks of Hiunchuli in
Napal, I’m reflecting on the fact that this has been a challenging year but I like to think
we’re also on our way to scaling some great heights.
Next year promises to deliver a lot as we remember what has been achieved in the 40 years since
Sir Robert Menzies’ death and the work the Foundation has done in his name.
It seems all too quick that I have come to the end
of my time on the Board as an alumni representative and it’s time for me to hand over the baton
to the new Chair, Dr Sheree Hurn and Deputy Chair, Associate Professor Anne-Marie Hill.
It’s been an absolute pleasure to serve on the Board and to have input to the new direction. What
is very good news from an Alumni perspective is the overwhelming response from our alumni across
the globe to the call for new Alumni Advisory Group members.
Alumni Advisory Group takes off
We’ve had 15 new nominations from places as far afield as Germany, London, Boston, Geneva,
Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne, adding to the existing nine members. Talk about getting
knocked over in the rush!
It’s a fantastic response and given we are leading into our 40th year with a big
agenda ahead, we will seek to involve people in different ways to use their input and expertise
in the most productive way.
Thank you to all scholars for considering the invitation and a particular thanks to those who
have shown their interest and put their hands up.
I would like to thank Tina Souvlis and Oren Bigos, who have given a lot of their time and energy
in the first two years of the group, but have stepped down given their other priorities.
Menzies Alumni name takes effect
Since the last edition of the Brief, we also spoke with many of you at the Alumni Roadshow
events around the country. These were very good conversations and the feedback in the
survey afterwards indicated those who came found the local networking extremely valuable,
whilst also seeking opportunities to connect nationally. Some key details of the findings,
and some interesting facts about our whereabouts, are in this edition of the Menzies
Brief.
Following the Roadshow, we have now finalised the change of name from the MMSA to Menzies
Alumni, as flagged at last year’s MMSA AGM. From now on we will refer to the Menzies
Alumni rather than the MMSA – everyone who has received a Menzies scholarship or fellowship
will be regarded as part of this alumni, which will continue to grow with the new areas
of work.
The other important thing to note, is that the Board has agreed with the proposal to ensure
all the money from the MMSA account – collected as fees in the past – will continue
to support the Menzies Centenary Prize at Dimboola Memorial Secondary College. The
amount is approximately $66,000.
As I hand over to Sheree and Anne-Marie, I want to wish you all a very safe and happy holiday
season and I look forward to seeing many of you next year for the 40th celebrations.
Dr Adrian McCallum
Chair, Menzies Alumni
DATE CHANGE – 40 year celebrations
|
The dinner to commence our 40 year celebrations has been rescheduled
to Friday 18 May at the Melbourne Museum.
Please note the change from the previously advised March date. More
details will follow in the new year.
|
Farewelling Sir Ninian Stephen
Like
so many other organisations who had the honour of his involvement and powerful
intellect, the Menzies Foundation lost a great friend and benefactor with the death
of The Right Honourable Sir Ninian Stephen KG AK GCMG GCVO KBE QC in October.
Chair of the Menzies Foundation, Professor Simon Maddocks, paid tribute to the former
governor-general, who helped shaped the Foundation as its Chairman from 1992-1998.
“The Menzies Foundation was lucky to have such a great Australian and preeminent
legal mind as its leader in the 90s,” Professor Maddocks said.
“During his period as Chair we marked the Centenary of Sir Robert Menzies’
birth with the establishment of the Menzies Oration on Higher Education
in partnership with the University of Melbourne, the development of the
documentary ‘Menzies in his time’
and a seminar on the Legacy of Sir Robert Menzies at the National Library
in Canberra, featuring prominent speakers who had worked with Sir Robert.”
Sir Ninian was also Chair when the Menzies alumni (Menzies Memorial Scholars'
Association) first met with the Menzies Foundation Board. This group continues
to this day and ensures ongoing scholar input at Board level.
As in all his professional roles, Sir Ninian left an indelible impression
on the people he met and worked with and is remembered extremely fondly
by the alumni, board and council members.
The Foundation will continue to acknowledge the legal brilliance of Sir
Ninian Stephen with a law scholarship named in his honour, which will
be offered in 2018.
New Menzies Allied Health Professor appointed
Improving musculoskeletal health and reducing persistent pain are some
of the research areas of Professor Michel Coppieters, the newly appointed
Menzies Foundation Professor of Allied Health Research at Griffith
University.
Professor Coppieters' work is in physiotherapy with a focus on
treatment of neurogenic disorders. He has previously held positions
at The University of Amsterdam, The University of Queensland, Kathmandu
University and University Hospital Leuven, Belgium.
In 2010 Professor Coppieters received the University of Queensland Foundation
Research Excellence Award. He has been the Chief investigator on competitive
grants to the value of $2.3 million in both Australia and Europe over
the past 10 years. He has also been associate investigator on
a number of grants including a $7.5 million NHMRC Program Grant.
The Menzies Foundation provides funding for the Allied Health Professor
position as part of its 5 year funding agreement with Griffith
University. Read more about Professor Coppieters' work.
Serena takes her leadership to the next level
Taking the big jump from feeling safe,
supported and surrounded by family in a small town in Queensland
to studying at the University of Melbourne, is an experience
that will guide the mentoring efforts of the 2018 Menzies Indigenous
Mentoring Fellow.
Proud Mamu Waribarra woman from Tully in Far North Queensland,
Serena Rae Thompson, has just been awarded the Menzies Fellowship,
to spend 12 months as the mentor to the Year 7 students at
the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School in Melbourne.
Read more.
Taking the UK by storm
Engineering Scholar Olsen Garland has started
his MBA at the London Business School (LBS), while Nathan Van Wees is completing a BCL at Oxford University.
The two scholars shared their first experiences with us.
For electrical engineer, Olsen the highlights
have included listening to lectures from some of the
world’s leading minds, playing his first game of Rugby,
being appointed to the Board of the LBS Energy Club,
not to mention hiking the Inca Trail as part of a world
wind trip on the way to London. Read more.
For lawyer Nathan, it was hard to
put into words how lucky he feels to be studying
at Oxford, exploring all the Oxbridge clichés and
taking advantage of a serendipitous meeting with
former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in a bookshop.
Read more.
Final UK Scholars’ Dinner: The 2017
UK scholars – including Olsen and Nathan – and
several of our UK alumni were the very lucky attendees
at the final dinner at the House of Lords hosted
by the Britain-Australia Society in early November.
The dinner, which has been funded by the Menzies
Foundation for many years, will no longer take
place in this format, however we will seek
alternative models to allow the Menzies Alumni
to gather in the UK to network and share experiences
and ideas. This is something the Menzies Alumni
Advisory Group will be discussing this year.
Scholars granted over $10 million in latest
NHMRC round
Menzies Scholars were awarded fellowships
and project grants from the NHMRC valued
at over $10.7 million in the latest round of announcements.
They include:
- 2012 NHMRC/RG Menzies Fellow, Associate Professor Sarah-Jane Dawson,
who was awarded a Career Development
Fellowship ($476,728) at the University
of Melbourne, for her work on circulating
tumour DNA. Assoc-Prof Dawson was
also awarded a Research Fellowship
($640,210) and a project grant
valued at nearly $3.3 million,
for a project specific to breast
cancer. Coming hot on the heels
of her CLS Centenary Fellowship,
Sarah-Jane’s research at the Peter
MacCallum Cancer Centre will receive
an incredible boost.
- 2011 NHMRC/RG Menzies Fellow, Dr Susanna Park,
who is with the University of Sydney’s
Brain and Mind Centre, was awarded
a Career Development Fellowship
of $431,000 for her work on assessment
strategies, treatments and risk
factors in neuropathy and neuromuscular
disease.
- 1988 Menzies Scholar in Medicine, Professor Stephen Graves,
from the University of South Australia,
was awarded a project grant ($765,349)
for his work enhancing joint replacement
outcomes through national data
linkage.
2015
NHMRC/RG Menzies Fellow, Dr Si Ming Man,
now at the Australian National
University, received two New Investigator
Grants - one to the value of $624,955
for his research into the role
of DNA sensing in the pathogenesis
of colorectal cancer, and the other
for research into Type I interferon
signalling in bacterial infection
($738,274).- For research he is doing under the
auspices of the University of Adelaide,
2010 NHMRC/RG Menzies Fellow, Associate Professor Dan Worthley received a project grant of $724,876
for his project ‘Bridging the GAPP
between the laboratory and clinic
to prevent Gastric Adenocarcinoma
and Proximal Polyposis of the Stomach
(GAPPS)’.
- 1994 Menzies Allied Health Scholar,
Professor Paul Hodges,
will progress his research into
targeted pelvic floor muscle training
for urinary incontinence after
radical prostatectomy at the University
of Queensland with the assistance
of a project grant of $953,035.
- Professor Jamie Vandenberg,
Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac
Research Centre and Menzies Scholar
in Medicine, was awarded a project
grant of $713,035 to use high resolution
imaging technologies to get a better
understanding of how drugs bind
to ion channel proteins.
- 2004 NHMRC/RG Menzies Fellow, Professor John Pimanda, at UNSW, was awarded two project
grants with a combined value
of over $1.4 million
- one for Investigating the
Molecular Basis for Drug Resistance
and Disease Relapse in Myelodysplastic
Syndromes and the other for
the project Molecular and Functional
Characterisation of Induced
Multipotent Stem Cells.
Congratulations to all successful recipients
of NHMRC grants and fellowships.
National History Challenge winner
Leo Ng from Marist College in Canberra
has taken out the National History
Challenge special category ‘Sir
Robert Menzies and today’s Australia’
with an essay addressing the question
‘Did Sir Robert Menzies contribute
to a better world?’.
Leo was awarded the prize for the
special category on Sir Robert
Menzies at the National History
Challenge awards at Parliament
House, where he was congratulated
by Menzies Foundation CEO,
Sarah Hardy. The Foundation
has sponsored the special category
for the last three years. This
is the final year of the sponsorship.
Read more (including Leo’s essay).
Feedback positive for Alumni gatherings
Over 40 scholars attended the
Menzies Alumni Roadshow
events in Sydney, Melbourne,
Brisbane and Perth.
This represents 28
per cent of our
Australian-based
alumni, with 44
per cent having
RSVP’d to say they
would attend. It
was notable that
the Brisbane and
Perth alumni showed
up in force, with
a rare opportunity
of a local Menzies
gathering.
It was an opportunity
to update people
on the new work
areas of the Foundation
and the next steps,
which survey respondents
said they found
valuable.
Of those who attended
and completed
the survey,
84 per cent
rated their
event good
or excellent,
with 9 out
of 10 saying
they would
recommend attendance
to fellow alumni.
Just over half
indicated
that the
most valuable
aspect
was the
opportunity
to meet
and reconnect
with other
scholars
and many
called
for a state-based
event annually.
There is
some work
for us
to do in
venue selection
to allow
more easily
for quiet
conversations.
With more
analysis
of
the
comments,
there
is
the
potential
to
alternate
between
state-based
and
national
events,
so
that
scholars
can
make
connections
in
their
home
states
but
also
maintain
the
wider
network.
People
are
looking
for
opportunities
for
more
information
sharing
or
professional
presentations
by
alumni
as
well
as
the
opportunity
to
talk
and
network.
The
Alumni
Advisory
Group
will
work
with
the
Foundation
staff
on
the
possibility
of
low-cost
events
to
ensure
all
of
this
can
be
accommodated.
Thank
you
to
everyone
who
attended
and
completed
the
survey.
Pictured: Allied Heath alumni Dr Leanne Hassett, Professor Colleen Canning, Bernadette Brady and Dr Sheree Hurn at the Sydney Alumni gathering.
Where
we
live
We
thought
it
might
be
interesting
to
share
a
breakdown
of
the
location
of
the
Menzies
Alumni.
This
graph
is
based
on
our
208
post
graduate
scholars,
with
65
currently
located
overseas.
Our
scholars
achieve
amazing
things
“One
of
the
exciting
aspects
is
how
I’ve
been
able
to
transfer
my
skills
from
science
and
journalism
into
teaching
in
ways
that
I
didn’t
expect.”
Dr Carina Dennis,
geneticist
and
1993
NHMRC
Menzies
Fellow,
has
taken
her
evidence
and
research
capabilities
honed
as
a
medical
scientist,
combined
them
with
her
communication
skills
as
a
journalist
and
editor,
and
is
now
using
them
to
full
effect
in
her
third
career
as
a
teacher.
Read
about
her
journey
to
a
career
that
is
exceeding
expectations.
Associate Professor Sarah-Jane Dawson has
recently
been
awarded
the
CSL
Centenary
Fellowship.
The
Fellowship
will
expand
on
research
she
started
as
part
of
her
NHMRC/Menzies
Fellowship
and
aims
to
demonstrate
the
value
of
blood-based
circulating
tumour
DNA
testing
in
better
treating
and
monitoring
cancer
patients.
We
caught
up
with
Sarah-Jane
to
present
her
Menzies
medallion
and
talk
about
her
work
at
the
Peter
MacCallum
Cancer
Centre
and
the
University
of
Melbourne. Learn
about
the
use
of
‘liquid
biopsies’
for
gentler,
more
thorough
cancer
testing
from
Sarah-Jane
on
video
here.
Dr Bob Anderson’s
trials
of
a
vaccine
for
coeliac
disease
will
progress
to
the
next
stage
after
his
company,
ImmusanT
raised
$40
million
to
fund
the
Phase
2
clinical
trial
of
Nexvax2.
The
trials
are
being
conducted
in
the
USA
and
the
therapeutic
vaccine
is
designed
to
induce
immune
tolerance
in
celiac
(coeliac)
disease.
Dr
Anderson
is
the
1998
NHMRC
Menzies
Fellow.
Liverpool
Hospital
senior
physiotherapist
Bernadette Brady’s
PhD
project
"Culturally
responsive
pain
management"
has
been
awarded
a
NSW
Health
Award
(Bernadette
is
pictured
below
with
her
team).
The
results
of
a
research
trial
by
the
current
Menzies
Allied
Health
Research
Scholar
will
lead
to
the
development
of
planning
tools
that
practitioners
can
use
to
help
them
quickly
explore
a
patient’s
cultural
influences
on
their
pain.
The
trial
results
featured
in
a
recent
SBS
news
story.
Menzies
Law
Scholar,
Renee Leon,
was
appointed
Secretary
of
the
Department
of
Human
Services
as
part
of
the
latest
departmental
head
changes
announced
by
the
Prime
Minister.
A
research
discovery
led
by
Melbourne
researchers,
including
Dr Ken Pang, 2008
NHMRC/Menzies
Fellow,
has
demonstrated
how
viruses
can
trigger
immunity.
The
research
was
published
in
the
journal
Immunity
and
the
discovery
is
likely
to
lead
to
a
new
class
of
therapeutics.
2001
Menzies
Allied
Health
Research
Scholar,
Dr Deborah Walsh,
from
the
University
of
Queensland’s
School
of
Nursing,
Midwifery
and
Social
Work,
has
conducted
research
with
her
collaborators
showing
that
women
in
domestic
violence
relationships
may
delay
leaving
a
violent
relationship
if
their
partner
has
threatened
their
animals.
In
the
media
The
Menzies
Scholars
are
frequently
cited,
called
for
their
expert
opinions,
or
asked
to
write
for
the
media.
Here
is
just
a
sample
of
recent
highlights
and
it’s
fair
to
say
a
wide
range
of
issues
are
addressed:
- 1982
Harvard
Menzies
Scholar, Professor Hilary Charlesworth gave
her
thoughts
on
Australia’s
election
to
the
United
Nations
Human
Rights
Council
in
this
piece
for
the
University
of
Melbourne’s
Pursuit.
-
Current
Harvard
Menzies
Scholar,
Sibella Matthews (pictured),
was
interviewed
on
ABC
AM
following
the
release
of
the
Northern
Territory
Royal
Commission
findings,
saying
Australia
is
breaching
the
UN
Rights
of
the
Child
Convention.
- 1991
Harvard
Menzies
Scholar, Professor Kim Rubenstein,
was
quoted
in
the
New
York
Times,
speaking
about
the
Australian
parliament’s
constitutional
issues
and
the
rules
under
Section
44.
- 2008
Menzies
Allied
Health
Research
Scholar,
Associate Professor Anne-Marie Hill,
headed
to
Perth
local
radio
to
seek
research
participants
for
her
falls
prevention
work
at
Curtin
University
as
part
of
a
World
Café.
- Sex,
marriage
equality
and
assisted
dying,
1994
Menzies
Scholar
in
Medicine,
Professor Julian Savulescu,
addressed
it
all
in
this
article
for
The
Conversation.
- MIT’s
Assistant
Professor
Tracy Slatyer,
2006
Harvard
Menzies
Scholar,
rated
a
mention
for
her
research
in
this
New
Yorker
piece
on
dark
matter.
- 2002
Harvard
Menzies
Scholar, Alexandra West wrote
an
opinion
piece
for
Investment
Magazine
on
the
value
of
embracing
sustainable
development
goals.
- Associate
Professor
of
Architecture
at
Colombia
University
and
1992
Harvard
Menzies
Scholar,
Felicity Scott,
spoke
recently
at
the
Friendly
Fire
conference
in
Berlin
about
the
crises
of
citizenship
and
the
strategic
reversals
of
power
that
may
occur
in
moments
of
crisis.
Menzies
the
man
We
don’t
often
share
stories
about
Sir
Robert
Menzies
himself,
but
this
story
from
ABC
Canberra,
for
which
we
secured
the
release
of
some
of
his
home
movie
footage,
gave
a
great
personal
insight
into
one
of
his
passions.
The
16mm
projector
Sir
Robert
used
to
screen
his
silent
movies
for
family,
friends
and
colleagues
has
gone
on
display
at
the
Museum
of
Australian
Democracy
at
Old
Parliament
House.
Read
more
Sir
Robert
was
also
recently
named
as
part
of
the
new
permanent
exhibition,
200
Treasures
of
the
Australian
Museum
in
the
Westpac
Long
Room.
Menzies
Foundation
Director
and
Sir
Robert’s
grand
daughter,
Diana
Menzies,
along
with
her
brother,
Robert,
attended
the
opening
of
the
exhibition
in
Sydney.
Sir
Robert
is
listed
as
one
of
the
people
in
the
category,
‘The
Resilient’,
which
brings
together
those
Australians
who
have
proven
their
ability
to
survive
despite
adversity.
Menzies
Institutes’
wrap
- Griffith
University
and
Menzies Health Institute Queensland are
home
to
the
new
Gold
Coast
Biobank
a
purpose-designed
biostorage
facility
giving
a
major
boost
to
translational
medical
research.
In
a
first
for
the
Southern
Hemisphere
the
biobank
includes
automated
biostorage,
which
can
cater
for
up
to
100,000
specimens.
- Professor
Ian
Anderson
AO
delivered
the
annual
Menzies Oration for the Menzies School of Health Research in
Darwin
recently
on
the
topic
‘Democratising
Data/Building
a
platform
for
Indigenous
Development’.
If
you’d
like
to
hear
what
he
said,
the
recording
is
online.
- The
Menzies
School
of
Health
Research
was
also
successful
in
securing
over
$14
million
in
funding
in
the
latest
round
of
NHMRC
grants.
- Reflecting
the
breadth
of
research
at
Menzies Institute for Medical Research in Tasmania,
the
NHMRC
has
awarded
grants
for
research
into
osteoarthritis,
stroke
and
multiple
sclerosis,
which
will
start
in
2018.
New
Menzies
Foundation
Board
members
Two
new
members
have
been
appointed
to
the
Menzies
Foundation
Board.
Chris
Butler
has
been
appointed
the
new
Treasurer
of
the
Foundation.
Chris
was
a
partner
with
Arthur
Andersen
/
Ernst&Young
(EY)
from
1988-2015,
including
Managing
Partner
of
EY’s
Ho
Chi
Minh
City
office
for
five
years.
Chris
acts
as
a
consultant
on
a
part
time
basis
to
both
EY
and
Mutual
Trust
Pty
Ltd.
He
is
a
chartered
accountant.
The
new
Chair
of
the
Foundation’s
Investment
and
Finance
Committee
is
Harvey
Kalman,
Executive
General
Manager
of
Corporate
Trustee
Services
with
Equity
Trustees
Limited.
Harvey
will
also
be
a
Director
on
the
Board.
Harvey
has
over
25
years’
experience
in
the
financial
services
industry.
Previous
experience
includes
KPMG,
consultant
to
the
Funds
Management
industry
and
ANZ
Banking
Group.
From
the
CEO
Thank you
It
is
quite
unbelievable
that
it
is
nearly
Christmas…again!
As
a
write
my
last
Menzies
Brief
column,
most
of
you
will
know
by
now
that
I
am
moving
on
from
the
Menzies
Foundation
to
take
up
the
role
of
CEO
at
the
RE
Ross
Trust
in
Melbourne.
Having
been
at
the
Foundation
for
over
four
years
I
have
gained
many
friendships
and
learnt
an
enormous
amount
from
those
alumni
whom
I
have
had
the
pleasure
to
be
able
to
meet,
not
only
across
Australia
but
also
overseas.
I
thank
all
those
individuals
who
have
given
me
great
support
and
courage
over
the
last
few
years.
Since
our
last
Brief
we
have
continued
to
work
hard
on
refining
our
new
areas
of
work.
We
have
continued
to
consult
with
professionals
from
around
Australia
and
held
several
additional
board
discussions
as
we
start
to
think
what
role
we
can
play
and
how
these
new
areas
of
work
will
be
delivered.
Like
all
new
areas
of
learning,
once
you
delve
deeply
into
the
research,
the
more
you
uncover
and
the
greater
and
broader
the
issue
becomes,
which
exposes
a
raft
of
opportunities.
We
want
to
make
sure
we
contribute
to
our
newly
defined
areas
in
the
most
effective
and
efficient
way,
and
as
such
make
some
final
decisions
is
taking
a
little
longer.
However
next
year
marks
the
beginning
of
our
40th year
and
we
fully
intend
to
let
everyone
know
what
these
new
opportunities
will
look
like,
early
next
year.
A
very
merry
and
safe
festive
season
to
you
all.
Sarah Hardy
CEO Menzies Foundation
