30 January 2017

Australia Day honours

It was wonderful to see current and former Curtin staff and Curtin graduates amongst those recognised in the Australia Day 2017 Honours:

Staff

• Professor Fred Affleck AO: for distinguished service to the transport and logistics industries through leadership roles, to policy development and planning, and as a supporter of the performing arts. Fred is an Adjunct Professor in the Office of Research and Development and was previously Executive Director, Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC).
• Mr Bernard Salt AM: for significant service to the community as a demographer, and through research and commentary on social and cultural change. Bernard has worked as Adjunct Professor with Curtin Business School since 2011.

Alumni

• Timothy Smith, OAM: for service to public administration, and to maritime history preservation
• Vaughan Harding, OAM: for service to aged care administration
• Dr Fiona Bush, OAM: for service to community history and heritage preservation.

Former staff

• Professor Gregory Craven AO: for distinguished service to tertiary education through leadership and representational roles with a range of institutions, to the Catholic Church in Australia, and to constitutional law. Greg was Deputy Vice-Chancellor Strategy and Planning at Curtin until 2008, having also held the roles of Professor of Government and Constitutional Law and Executive Director, John Curtin Institute of Public Policy. He is currently Vice-Chancellor of Australian Catholic University.
• Professor Jane den Hollander AO: for distinguished service to tertiary education through a range of executive administration and advisory roles, as a supporter of professional educational organisations, and to the community. Jane was Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic at Curtin until 2010 and is currently Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University.

New exhibition opening at the John Curtin Gallery: John Akomfrah

The John Curtin Gallery will present leading British artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah as part of the 2017 Perth International Arts Festival.

This outstanding exhibition features two multi-screened film installations by Akomfrah that touch on contemporary themes of migration, the global refugee crisis, religious persecution and race.

The immersive Vertigo Sea, a standout at the 2015 Venice Biennale, is a dark, poetic contemplation of our relationship to the sea, and the Australian premiere of Auto Da Fé is a fictional narrative that looks at migration over four centuries.

All staff are invited to the official opening of the exhibition which will be held at the John Curtin Gallery on 6 February from 6.30 pm.  Professor Baden Offord from the Centre for Human Rights Education will open the exhibition.

Vale Chris Kerin

I was saddened to hear of the passing of former staff member, Mrs Chris Kerin, who worked with our international Australia Award sponsored students for many years. Chris joined Curtin International in 2009 from UWA where she had held a similar role in the support and care of international students studying in Australia under what previously known as the AusAid program.

Chris was very dedicated to the students who were selected to be change leaders for their countries, and was always pleased to hear of their achievements and progress once they returned home after completing their studies. She left Curtin during 2016 due to ill health, and on behalf of the University I extend our sympathy and condolences to her husband Paul and their family.