Dear staff,
It has been wonderful to welcome our students back to campus this week after their mid-semester break. I hope you were able to take a break at some point over the Easter period and are feeling rested and reinvigorated for the remainder of the semester.
As we embark on the second half of this semester, I want to thank you all for your work so far this year. We have had a very good start to 2024, with many accomplishments worth noting and celebrating.
Snow Medical Research Funding
The Snow Medical Research Foundation has awarded UQ researchers, led by Associate Professor Loic Yengo, $8 million to dramatically advance the use of genomics to prevent chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
Associate Professor Yengo is the first Snow Fellow from UQ. His research focuses on people of diverse backgrounds to ensure life-saving medical advances are accessible to everyone. Funding from the Snow Fellowship will support Dr Yengo and his team to analyse DNA sequences from millions of participants, with a unique focus on increasing participation of people with diverse ancestries.
Research Award Recipients
Three researchers from UQ have been recognised in the Australian Academy of Science 2024 honorific awards.
Emeritus Professor Peter Koopman was awarded the Suzanne Cory Medal in recognition of his outstanding career in molecular genetics, including his role in the milestone discovery of the Y-chromosomal sex-determining gene.
Dr Sonia Shah received the Ruth Stephens Gani Medal for her work in genomics and cardiovascular disease to improve treatment and prevention.
And Associate Professor Kirsty Short was awarded the Gottschalk Medal for her leading research on respiratory viral infections, which has contributed to global pandemic preparedness.
These awards are thoroughly deserved, and testament to the significant contributions Emeritus Professor Koopman, Dr Shah and Associate Professor Short have each made to advancing understanding of complex conditions and improving health policy.
First Nations University MoU
On 28 March 2024, the University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv), during a visit by the President Dr Jacqueline Ottmann. Discussions between UQ and the FNUniv have been underway since 2022 to explore opportunities for student and staff exchanges, curriculum and research projects, and other cooperative ventures. UQ looks forward to engaging with FNUniv through the opportunities outlined in the MOU.
Institute of Modern Languages (IML) 90th Anniversary
Last month, I attended a wonderful 90th anniversary celebration for UQ’s IML. Established on 11 May, 1934, IML was the first adult education extension unit in modern languages to be attached to an Australian tertiary education institution. It was designed to cater for those whose needs were not served by secondary schools or by the university.
Ninety years on, IML continues to cater for students from diverse backgrounds including those currently engaged in the workforce, as well as international students and retirees. However today, IML offers courses across 30 languages, not just French, German and Italian as it did in 1934.
Looking to the future, as Australia is becoming increasingly multilingual, IML is prepared to meet that demard, and will continue to be an adovate for language learning, as not only an empowering experience, but also as a bridge to cultural understanding and acceptance.
Request for feedback - Annual Performance and Development (APD) process
Following the conclusion of our second ADP cycle, we are looking for feedback from academic and professional staff on their experience with the process. Brief, anonymous feedback surveys have been created for both staff and supervisors/managers and are open until Friday 26 April. These surveys will also provide you with the opportunity to express interest in participating in consultation group sessions held throughout May.
Your feedback will help us improve the APD process and ensure any supporting resources or staff development activities can be developed to help you get the most out of this process going forward. I encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the surveys on the APD Post-Implementation Review website.
Best wishes
Debbie
