THE TOP 10
Contact's most inspiring stories from 2022
By Michael Jones – Contact editor
It's been another busy year for the Contact editorial team. While we've kept you up to date with the success of our alumni community, we've also kept you informed of major events across the University – such as unveiling the Andrew N. Liveris Building and Kev Carmody House, celebrating the 125th anniversary of UQ's Gatton campus, the naming of 'Feeney Way', opening the doors of The Atrium in Brisbane's CBD, and the launch of The Queensland Commitment.
We've also continued our commitment to tackling the big issues that matter in Queensland and around the world – providing expert analysis on topics such as Russia's war with Ukraine, the Australian federal election, the rising cost of living, flooding, and widespread data breaches.
But in the spirit of the holidays, we wanted to look back on the heartwarming and motivational stories from 2022. So, sit back and relax as Contact revisits the top 10 stories that brought us joy, made us cry, and inspired the community.
Keep scrolling to see what made the list.
Love at UQ
Sometimes, the best love stories begin in unexpected places. On Valentine's Day 2022, Contact shared the stories of alum who came to UQ for an education and left with the loves of their lives.
We knew this story would be a great opportunity to share some nostalgic stories and photos with our audience, but we didn't anticipate the outpouring of emotion and sheer amount of love stories that began at UQ and are still flourishing today.
The war correspondent: meet the UQ alum reporting from the frontline in Ukraine
Day to day, UQ alum Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop is an investigative reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). But after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, he found himself reporting from the war's frontline.
In this alumni profile, Rubinsztein-Dunlop tells Contact how he had a day to pack and be fitted with a flak jacket, ballistic helmet and gas mask for, "you know, the worst possible circumstances".
Big things will grow
Kev Carmody is a national treasure. The Bundjalung/Lama Lama singer/songwriter is recognised across Australia for his contributions to the arts and to social justice, while his song From little things big things grow – composed with singer-songwriter Paul Kelly – became the anthem of the Land Rights movement in Australia.
Carmody returned to UQ for the launch of the new student residence named in his honour, and sat down with Contact to share his memories of a life lived through story and song.
Celebrating 125 years at Gatton
UQ Gatton is one of the oldest tertiary institutions in Queensland. In fact, you can't go far in regional Queensland without finding someone with a direct link to the campus.
This year marked the 125-year commemoration of UQ’s Gatton campus, and Contact reflected on its impact on education, research and innovation, and its long and storied history as the Queensland Agricultural College (QAC) before amalgamating with UQ in 1990.
My brush with death
What’s it like to be bitten by one of the world’s most venomous snakes? UQ's Dr Christina Zdenek and her husband Chris Hay can tell you.
Contact spoke to the couple to find out what it’s like as the panic sets in and the venom begins to take over your whole body, and how a near-fatal snake bite sparked a partnership of discovery and education.
Unearthing Australia's giants
In the rural town of Chinchilla, megafauna remains have been preserved by the sand. These include ancient animals like the giant kangaroo and the diprotodon – thought to be the world's largest marsupial. Some fossils are up to 3.5 million years old, dating back to the Pliocene era.
Dr Gilbert Price, a Senior Lecturer in Palaeontology, is part of a long line of UQ researchers who have hunted for fossils at the site. He allowed us into his lab to show us some of his favourite discoveries and told the story of how one chance moment on a three-day field trip as an undergraduate changed his life.
Committed and resilient: embracing adult life with ADHD
In September, 2 UQ staff members shared their inspiring and, at times, distressing stories of living with ADHD.
This is the story of how they have learnt to embrace the challenges and positives in their adult lives.
Mission control: HeliMods founder proves the sky's no limit
It's not every day that you get to go behind the scenes of a hi-tech aerospace modification business. But HeliMods founder and UQ alum Will Shrapnel was more than happy to open the hangar doors to reveal how his team are working on a range of aircraft for diverse missions – from emergency medical retrieval and search-and-rescue to aerial policing and special operations.
Contact spoke to Shrapnel about why technology and innovation inspires him, and why living in regional Queensland delivers the best of everything.
In the footsteps of champions: celebrating 110 years of the UQ Blues Awards
UQ has been the breeding ground for some of Australia's champion athletes – from Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists to inspirational Wallabies captains and more.
As UQ celebrated 110 years of the UQ Blues Awards – regarded as UQ’s highest sporting honour – Contact got to know the latest crop of student-athletes following in the footsteps of champions like Susie O'Neill, Kieren Perkins, Lakeisha Patterson and Michael Lynagh.
How the vibrant HOTA arts precinct is making waves on the Gold Coast
UQ alumni Anna Carroll and Jodi Ferrari are quick to admit they have the best jobs in the world. And in a setting awash with colour and brimming with positivity, it's easy to see why.
Contact went behind the scenes at HOTA (Home of the Arts) on the Gold Coast to learn how they’re building a community and creating an unmissable arts destination in the middle of paradise.
We hope you enjoyed this recap of our favourite stories from 2022. If you would like to help shape the content in 2023, please email your story suggestions to contactmagazine@uq.edu.au
Built with Shorthand