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STRICTLY SPEAKING | DREAMERS
English hasn’ t spawned many true acronyms – pronounceable words formed from the first letters of a group( like scuba, self-contained underwater breathing apparatus), as opposed to initialisms, like ATM, that are always spelt out. Dreamer, in the sense of‘ young undocumented immigrant’, is an extended acronym. It has been created out of the name of an American legislative proposal, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, with the-er suffix tagged on. The term has been around since 2001, when the bill was first introduced. Despite the repeated failure of the legislation to pass, dreamer hasn’ t died – perhaps because of the poignancy of the connection between the existing sense of the word and the aspirations of these young people, so brutally categorised by the bureaucratese of‘ alien minor’. Dreaming is, of course, inextricably entwined with the idea of America as a land of possibilities in the phrase the American dream and Martin Luther King’ s I Have a Dream speech. The current antipathy towards immigration suggests that dreamer is an acronym that won’ t survive. The message appears to be, in the immortal words from the Australian movie The Castle:“ Tell‘ em they’ re dreamin’.”
Written by Dr Adam Smith, convenor of the Editing and Electronic Publishing Program at Macquarie University.
QUT PICKS SHEIL FOR VC
Professor Margaret Sheil has been appointed the new vice-chancellor of the Queensland University of Technology. Sheil is currently provost, deputy to the vice-chancellor and the chief academic officer at the University of Melbourne, where she has worked for the last five years. She has been a researcher in the field of chemistry, was chief executive of the Australian Research Council, and held senior roles at the University of Wollongong. She will begin her new role in February.
MACKENZIE HELMS USQ
The University of Southern Queensland has welcomed its new vice-chancellor, Professor Geraldine Mackenzie. Mackenzie started at USQ on 4 September, after acting as deputy vice-chancellor( research) at Southern Cross University.
“ I am incredibly honoured to take up this position and very mindful of the trust put in me by the university’ s council,” she said.
“ Our students are our priority, and I want to work to create an even better student experience, strongly based on the university’ s values of respect, integrity and excellence. This year has marked a significant milestone for USQ, and I want to acknowledge the vision of those who built and developed USQ into the university it is today. I am very proud to return to USQ and look forward to the journey that lies ahead for us all as we move towards 2018.”
LEMM TO BE HEART OF ARTS AT FLINDERS
Professor Vanessa Lemm has been named the vicepresident and executive dean of the new College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University. Lemm will come to Flinders in January, and is currently head of the School of Humanities and Languages at the University of New South Wales.
“ Professor Lemm brings world-class experience in education and research and is a powerful advocate for the importance of the contributions made to society by
disciplines in the humanities, arts and social sciences,” vice-chancellor Professor Colin Stirling said.
FLINDERS BEATS PATH TO DAWE
Jodieann Dawe will be head of the“ new-look research entity” at Flinders University. The old Research Office will be“ transformed”, taking on responsibility for IP and commercialisation. Dawe joins from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, where she has managed research and engagement since June 2015.
Deputy vice-chancellor professor Rob Saint said Dawe had previously worked at the Department of Transport and Infrastructure, Water Research Australia and Meat and Livestock Australia.
NEW DIRECTOR FOR WHITLAM INSTITUTE
The Whitlam Institute has announced the appointment of a new director: international human rights lawyer, former Australian diplomat and senior United Nations official Leanne Smith. Smith is a graduate of the Australian National University and brings 20 years of experience to the new role.
“ Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to promoting Australia’ s place in the world,” she said.“ Taking up the role of director of the Whitlam Institute, I will seek to build a better connection between Australia’ s domestic policy discourse and our international engagement, with the guiding light of Gough Whitlam’ s vision for‘ a more equal, open, tolerant and independent Australia’.”
SHELL CHAIR TO SIT ON UWA BOARD
Shell Australia’ s chairman Zoe Yujnovich has joined the University of Western Australia’ s Business School board. Yujnovich was born in Hong Kong and has been with Shell since 2014. She met her husband while studying at the university where she will now work. Yujnovich previously spent 18 years working for Rio Tinto, where she was head of the company’ s Canadian iron ore operations.
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