From the Chancellor – Summer 2010

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UQ Chancellor Mr John Story

Welcome to the Summer 2010 edition of Graduate Contact.

Much has happened since the Centenary issue was published in February, and there’s certainly a celebratory vein running through this edition.

Events to mark UQ’s first 100 years included the incredible Aurukun art exhibition (this edition’s cover story), large-scale community celebrations, and more formal affairs involving staff, students, industry partners and alumni from around the world.

Appropriately for a milestone year, the University has realised several large projects which signal the next generation of our discovery, learning and engagement activities. Pharmacy students have relocated to the PACE precinct (a custom-built facility created in collaboration with industry and the State Government), while the veterinary science cohort have made the long-awaited move to Gatton. The $100 million suite of facilities at Gatton is truly world-class, providing our students with the most comprehensive animal research and training experience in Australia.

Such projects require foresight, hard work and above all, strong leadership. This was brought into focus with the passing of former Chancellor and long-serving Senator Sir James Foots in August. A special tribute in this edition highlights Sir James’s astuteness and generosity, and honours the legacies established during his tenure.

Recognising the role our graduates play in shaping and supporting the University is a priority for UQ, and was a key point of discussion during the inaugural Alumni Summit in July. Included in this issue are stories about Dr Ron Thomson, whose passion for pathology will ensure the discipline has a healthy future at UQ, and Graeme Wood, whose investment in the Global Change Institute has allowed important cross-disciplinary research to become a reality.

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Graduate Contact editorial team for winning a national award for excellence recently. This affirms the work undertaken to create a matching website for the magazine, and suggests we are on track to engage effectively with our increasingly diverse alumni community.

Happy reading.

John Story
Chancellor

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