Our achievers
Something new under the sun
Professor Paul Dastoor's solar paint technology could turn every residential roof into an electricity generator.
The building blocks of success
When Laureate Professor Scott Sloan first arrived at the University of Newcastle in 1984 having obtained a Masters degree and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge, there was just one other geotechnical engineer on campus.
Ability and enthusiasm
If you were looking for 15-year-old David Ferris last summer you wouldn't have found him at the beach or skate park.
Ambitious energy agenda
The timing could not have been better for Dr Alan Broadfoot. After 14 years as general manager and then chief executive of leading resource sector company Ampcontrol, the University of Newcastle graduate decided to step down in June 2010 and head in a new direction
Mother, doctor, writer - in any order
No-one is more surprised than Karen Hitchcock about how her life has turned out.
Catch him if you can
You have to be fast to catch Joel Wenitong. As a first-year medical student, lecturer, well-known hip hop artist and music producer, Indigenous mentor and father-of-three, he races from one commitment to another.
Not so heavy metal
In Dr Thomas Fiedler's office in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment sits a series of neatly arranged blocks.
Taking the plunge
As a first-year art history student, Dr Kit Messham-Muir would sit at the back of lectures with his Walkman on.
Lending a helping hand
"My need to succeed came from my early years being raised by a non-Indigenous guardian who was very cruel," she recalls, sitting in the sunlit Gibalee Centre on the Central Coast campus where she is Elder in Residence.
A new direction in solar energy
One of the most challenging aspects of an intensive three-year research project within the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment is its goal of simplicity.
Up to the challenge
Science couldn't ask for a more fervent advocate than physicist Professor John O'Connor. For the past 35 years he has committed himself to science outreach in an effort to reverse the four-decade decline in participation in the field, particularly in teaching.
An ongoing education
Growing up in Forster, Laurel Williams spent hours roaming the picturesque stretch of coastline between Bennetts Head and Pebbly Beach near the home where she was raised by her grandparents.
Driving the power revolution
No-one was more surprised than Professor Behdad Moghtaderi and Dr Elham Doroodchi when strangers approached and congratulated them for their groundbreaking research, which is set to revolutionise the electricity industry.
Star wars and the road to Christianity
When the University of Newcastle and the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle embarked on an international search for the inaugural Chair in Theology, creativity, energy and the ability to bring academic rigour to the discipline were prerequisites. An affinity with Star Wars, on the other hand, was not.
Determined to succeed
Education was not something highly valued when Cheryl Newton was growing up around the Port Stephens neighbourhoods of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest. In her family, you had a choice - you went to school or you went to work.
Engaging with fantasy
For Dr Caroline Webb, fantasy literature provides a breathing space for the imagination in our world of information overload.
Changing lives
Thanks to the University of Newcastle Special Education Centre, when five-year-old Hamish McKenna starts 'big school' in 2009, he will do so confidently and happily.
A passion for crocs and a passion to support
"Crocodiles are so ancient, you have got to be respectful," said Cameron, Portfolio Leader, Support and Development at The Wollotuka Institute. "I just think that once you see one of those really big crocodiles, and you are leaning out of your tinny to photograph them, your heart stops just for a second."
Northern exposure
Not many students can boast that completing their university degree involved sleeping in traditional Borneo long houses and experiencing customary dance, music, costumes and food.
Helping cool kids cope
In a therapy room on campus, a clinical psychology postgraduate student unpacks a bag of ‘feeling stones’ - ceramic pebbles with stylised faces that show emotions like anger, joy, sadness and fear - as she waits for her clients.
Dreams can come true
It was like a fairytale for Michelle Stockwell when a princely scholarship brought her dream of saving frogs from global extinction one step closer.
Ambassador for change
One of Jeff McMullen’s earliest memories of Indigenous Australians is being tossed a pair of gloves and given "a quick intro" from the grandchildren of arguably this country’s finest boxing family, the Sands.
From job juggler to jaw surgeon
Carli Westmore was juggling casual jobs ranging from cleaning to childcare when she was accepted into Open Foundation at the University of Newcastle.
Combined treatment best for alcohol and depression
Landmark research by one of Australia’s leading clinical psychologists is poised to reshape treatment for people suffering the combined effects of substance abuse and depression.
Time, talent or treasure
Thanks to a generous donation by philanthropist Jennie Thomas, researcher Dr Frances Kay-Lambkin developed an innovative program to treat depression and alcohol and substance abuse.
Listening with respect
Indigenous Elders play an important role at the University, guiding and nurturing Indigenous staff and students. Respected Awabakal Elder Aunty Sandra Griffin is a woman whose actions speak louder than words.
Snapshot captures unseen illness
Jessica Maiden knows too well the pain of suffering from an ‘invisible’ affliction. Struck with juvenile arthritis at the age of six - but diagnosed 14 years later - the fine art student has dedicated her photographic works to the exploration of the ‘unseen pathologised body’.
Cutting health risks
The University’s Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour brings together researchers across a range of fields carrying out health behaviour research on key public health issues. Among the focus areas are cardiovascular disease, cancer control and other chronic illnesses.
Friends Indeed
The Great Hall has a special place in the heart of ‘Friends of the University’ President Vic Levi. In 1974 Levi was one of the first graduates to receive a degree during a ceremony in the recently completed Great Hall. That memory is why he has remained connected with the University ever since.
Royal reception for masters student
When fine art student Peter Tilley was introduced to Crown Princess Mary at the first Sculpture by the Sea exhibition in Denmark in June 2009, he was delighted to find that she knew all about his work.
A young catalyst for change
Callan Nickerson was seven years old when he told his mother that he would be Australia’s first Aboriginal prime minister. At 18 years old, the commerce student still holds fast to that dream.
Model mental health care
The way a doctor delivers the devastating news of a diagnosis of terminal cancer can have a profound impact on how a patient approaches the rest of their life.
The forensic dental expert
When there is devastation, whether from human hand or natural disaster, the world often calls Dr Jane Taylor. Her expertise has helped identify victims of the Bali bombing, the Boxing Day tsunami in Thailand and the Victorian bushfires.
Sam has a plan
For Sam Croger and his fellow students, this is a time of uncertainty. While he's waiting for, and unsure of his HSC results, Sam is sure of one thing - the University of Newcastle is where he wants to be.
That’s music to my ears
Since leading the University of Newcastle Chamber Choir to victory in last year’s national Battle of the Choirs competition, Philip’s mission has been to connect the community through music.
Doctor of the University
Dr Zhang Shi Jie is a prominent Chinese business leader and philanthropist renowned for his contributions to education and for his humanitarian endeavours.
Playing to win
Inspiring, experienced and switched-on is how his students and peers describe University of Newcastle’s Dr Philip Morgan - not to mention humble, humorous and utterly engaging.
Science - you’re standing in it
If you thought science was the domain of sterile labs and dull high
school lessons, John O’Connor suggests you think again.
A good ambassador
Newcastle may be a relatively small city by global standards, but it
has inspired some big ambitions for uni student Tim Hyde.
Testing the waters
Often it’s hard to know whether you’ve chosen the right career path.
But it’s a whole lot easier when you get to test the waters first.
Now that’s spooky
At first glance there appears to be nothing strange or unusual about Elizabeth Wright and Jessica Maiden. But take a closer look and you’ll see there’s something ‘spooky’ going on with these two.
A bright spark
The future is looking bright. Well it is from where highly successful
Central Coast businessman, Alan Williams is standing.
Raising the bar
You know, it’s amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it. Take university student Trudy Thompson for example. She is a 19-year-old high jumper with her sights set on the 2012 Olympics.
A good morning for Vietnam
It’s 10am, the crowd has hushed and the ceremony is about to begin. It’s graduation time for over 3,000 students and a young man from Vietnam is about to receive the University Medal.
A man with a sound vision
It all started at the age of 16 when his mother won a red plastic guitar and a rubber plant in a raffle – a pivotal moment in a young man’s life. Would he take the guitar and become a rock star or take the plant and become a botanist?
Achieving a dream
It’s not every day someone comes along and helps you achieve
your dreams. But day after day, that’s what Jennie Thomas does
for our students.