Dear staff,
Next week is going to be a big week – as we teach the final week of classes for Semester 1, and also host a range of events across UQ in celebration of National Reconciliation Week.
Before that important week begins, however, I’d like to acknowledge that today is National Sorry Day – an important occasion on our national calendar in which we acknowledge the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from their families and communities.
The theme of National Reconciliation Week this year is ‘Be Brave. Make Change.’ It’s a theme that challenges each of us to be more courageous in tackling the unfinished business of reconciliation.
The UQ National Reconciliation Week program is already underway, and it includes a range of workshops, panel discussions, film screenings, art exhibitions, and events. So, I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.
Speaking of achievements, I’d like to congratulate Dr Anita Heiss, Professor of Communications in UQ’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit. A proud Wiradjuri woman, Dr Heiss was recently awarded the prestigious Indigenous Writers’ Prize at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards 2022 for her novel Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray: River of Dreams.
Congratulations also to the UQ Pulse Chamber Orchestra, who have been on the road in regional and remote areas of Queensland over the past week, as part of Opera Queensland’s spectacular Festival of Outback Opera. The festival has visited Longreach, Winton, Barcaldine, Blackall, Tambo and Windorah for a series of open-air operatic performances, classical concerts, and community sing-a-longs.
I’d also like to congratulate Associate Professor Kristen Gibbons and Professor Gita Mishra, and their teams, on securing $2.8 million of research funding under the NHMRC’s Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Grant scheme. They were among 33 grant recipients across the nation who received funding for research that aims to advance healthcare diagnosis, treatments, and outcomes.
Whilst we’re celebrating excellence and impact, nominations are now open for the 2022 UQ Awards for Excellence. This year we’ll be presenting awards in seven categories: ‘Community’, ‘Innovation’, ‘Service’, ‘Reconciliation’, ‘Diversity and inclusion’, ‘Mental and physical health, safety and wellness’, and ‘Leadership’. So, if you know of a colleague or a team that really excels in these areas, I’d urge you to nominate them for an Award prior to the close of nominations on Monday 20 June.
Finally, following last weekend’s election, we now have a new Federal Government, led by the Honourable Anthony Albanese as Prime Minister.
Although vote counting is continuing in most electorates, I’d like to congratulate the newly elected Member for Ryan (which includes St Lucia), Elizabeth Watson-Brown, who has previously served as an Adjunct Professor in the UQ School of Architecture. And I’d also like to congratulate Scott Buchholz MP on retaining the seat of Wright (where our Gatton campus is located).
We look forward to having productive relationships with the incoming Albanese government and all members of the 47th Parliament.
I hope you have a great weekend.
With best wishes
Debbie
