ON THE MOVE
campusreview.com.au
HEAD FOR LAW
Once a deputy,
Professor Robert
Cunningham now
takes on the role of
head and dean of
Curtin’s Law School.
An internationally recognised academic
and barrister, Cunningham brings with him
20 years’ experience.
As a legal practitioner, he’s worked
closely with Community Legal Centres and
the not-for-profit sector, providing advice,
information and education.
Curtin VC Professor Deborah Terry said:
“Professor Cunningham has extensive
experience teaching law across Australia,
Asia and Europe, with a particular focus on
corporate law, professional responsibility
and international trade law.”
ABOOT FACE
A new fitness craze combines the personal
benefits of running with the planetary
benefits of picking up litter as you go.
Plogging was invented in Sweden, and
combines the Swedish word plocka,
meaning ‘to pick’, with the English jogging.
Words combined from different languages
are known as hybrid words, and are quite
common in English. Think of television,
which brings together Greek and Latin
roots, or words ending in -nik, a borrowing
from Russian, like beatnik. The meaning of
such formations can lack transparency to
English users unfamiliar with their origin,
and plogging has the additional handicap
of ambiguity, having been previously used
to describe a type of blogging (p(hone)/
p(olitical) (b)logging). Whether this meaning
of the word survives rather depends on the
ongoing popularity of the activity, but there
are already signs of it gaining a foothold
through new formations such as plog,
plogger and ploggathon. This last makes
the connection with running more overt by
linking it with the famous distance event. It’s
doubtful, though, that the original marathon
runner would have even made it to Athens
with his news if he’d had the extra task of
collecting rubbish along the way.
Written by Dr Adam Smith, convenor
of the Editing and Electronic Publishing
Program at Macquarie University.
28
The University of
Canberra’s VC and
president is heading
back to the land of
maple syrup, poutine
and Martin Short.
Departing from his position in December,
Professor Deep Saini will head north to hold
the same twin roles at Canada’s Dalhousie
University, in the Nova Scotia province.
While he is “sad to leave”, Saini said
the move to lead one of Canada’s top
universities is an exciting opportunity – and
will also help him and his wife manage
family commitments. In his remaining time
at UC, he pledged to focus his attention
on “finishing the projects” he’s started, and,
come next year, to “build academic bridges”
between Australia and his new home.
TERRY TAKES
THE SEAT
There are two new
faces on Universities
Australia’s board of
directors, with five
re-elections. UNSW
Sydney VC Professor Ian Jacobs and
Queensland University of Technology VC
Professor Margaret Sheil joined the board
in late May. There’s also a new UA chair in
Professor Deborah Terry (pictured), who has
served on the board since 2015 and replaces
Professor Margaret Gardner.
“UA has been fortunate to have a leader
with Margaret’s experience – having served
on the board since 2013 – and who cares
passionately about the work of Australia’s
universities,” Terry said.
Professors Brian Schmidt, John Dewar,
Andrew Vann, Annabelle Duncan and David
Lloyd continue as directors.
RETIRING ON
LAURELS
One year from now,
the University of
Queensland’s VC,
Professor Peter Høj,
will be stepping down
from a long era in the top job.
“Under his leadership, UQ is now one
of Australia’s best teaching institutions,
with graduate employability and employer
satisfaction rates among the highest in
Australia,” said chancellor Peter Varghese,
who also paid tribute to Høj’s work
launching UQ’s Reconciliation Plan,
returning the budget to surplus and leading
the university’s first philanthropic campaign.
At his retirement, Høj will have served a
combined 13 years as VC – seven at UQ
and six at the University of South Australia.
SEX CENTRE’S
NEW BOSS
La Trobe University
has appointed a
new director of its
Australian Research
Centre in Sex, Health
and Society. After an international search,
La Trobe found Professor Suzanne Fraser
on the other side of the country. She is
also the program leader for the National
Drug Research Institute’s Social Studies of
Addiction Concepts Research Program
at Curtin University.
“The centre has been instrumental over
the years in helping Australia lead the world
in HIV prevention and related health and
education issues,” Fraser said.
“I’m really proud and excited to be taking
on the role of director.”
ADMIRABLE
APPOINTMENT
A former commander
of the Canadian Army is
set to launch the virgin
voyage of UNSW’s
Defence Research
Institute. Vice-Admiral Paul Maddison was
appointed inaugural director in June and is
responsible for what aims to be Australia’s
premier defence-focused research entity.
“There will continue to be disruptive
change, and Australia, like many countries,
needs to be prepared,” he said.
“This is where UNSW’s Defence Research
Institute will come in to assist Defence
Forces and national security agencies to
sustain their full potential.”
Maddison served 37 years in the
Canadian Armed Forces, and was Canada’s
high commissioner to Australia from 2015
to 2019.