Community ties
Published on: 22 March 2022
- This year’s Oscars ceremony will take place on Sunday 10 March and, since almost every individual on the planet has now seen Barbie and Oppenheimer, film critic and UQ alum Matt Toomey thought he would recommend a few of the lesser-known titles that are equally worthy of your attention.
- A team of scientists on location with a film crew in the remote Amazon has uncovered a previously undocumented species of giant anaconda.
- Western Australia has introduced a limit on ham in school canteens. Find out what has changed and the evidence it’s based on, plus what are some healthier alternatives for kids’ lunches?
- We're back with another edition of Love at UQ. From bench seats in Forgan Smith, to years spent on Heron Island, join us as we celebrate the special bonds that university life creates.
- Emma Johnson was in the global top 0.5% of Taylor Swift’s listeners in 2023. 'Contact' asked the UQ alum to explain the level of unbridled dedication and devotion Swifties have for the pop icon, why the Era’s Tour means everything, and why being a ‘Swiftie’ will never go out of style.
- On an average day, you’ll find Ellie Sursara outdoors. Planting native trees, trying to attract more blue banded bees to her garden, or playing ‘frogmum’ to a Tawny Frogmouth bird. It’s part of everyday life for the keen environmentalist, who shares these moments with her community of more than 115,000 followers on social media.
- Have you ever wondered why some people are mosquito magnets, while others go unbitten? Is it your blood type, or are they attracted to the food and drinks you consume? We spoke to a UQ mosquito expert to find out.
- UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry and leading criminologist and educator Professor Lorraine Mazerolle are among the UQ community recognised with 2024 Australia Day Honours.
- UQ Cricket Club players will get to follow in their heroes’ footsteps this year when the club embarks on a tour of India – its first international tour in 3 decades.
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- Three former UQ physiotherapy lecturers took on a special project in retirement: recording the history of training conducted at UQ and of the profession generally.
- The University of Queensland will help mark a milestone for the world’s longest running sci-fi television show, hosting Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary Symposium on Friday 24 November.
- Introducing the 2023 UQ Alumni Award recipients.
- UQ’s Fryer Library is home to a rare 200-year-old first edition of John Polidori’s 'The vampyre'. The tale of how this book was written and how it came to be in a university library in Brisbane more than 200 years later is the perfect Halloween story.
- Looking for some scary movie recommendations to set the mood this Halloween? Contact has enlisted the help of UQ alum and co-curator of GOMA’s Australian Cinémathèque Robert Hughes to take us through some of the most chilling classic films being shown free of charge at the Cinémathèque this summer.
- Your skin prickles, your palms sweat, and your breath gets caught in your chest. But why can't you tear your eyes away from the latest horror film or fiction? UQ experts explain the art and science behind our fascination with fear.
- The story of UQ jacarandas is the story of Ernest Walter Bick, the man who raised and planted more than 130 jacarandas across the St Lucia campus in the 1940s.
- To celebrate Grandparent's Day (29 October 2023), we asked you – our alumni and community audience – to share your thoughts on the importance of the grandchild-grandparent relationship in your own lives. And boy, did you deliver!
- Welcome back to UQ Diaries. This edition, 'Contact' wanted to know whether it's more expensive to be single or in a relationship? Here's what the UQ community had to say.
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- Your skin prickles, your palms sweat, and your breath gets caught in your chest. But why can't you tear your eyes away from the latest horror film or fiction? UQ experts explain the art and science behind our fascination with fear.
- Researchers from UQ and QUT have traced the unique evolution of Brisbane’s punks and goths, and their role in shaping the city’s ‘alternative’ identity.
- Sun exposure is the number one cause of skin cancer – including the most deadly form, melanoma. Can a tweak to your skincare routine help prevent this?
- Most people gain small amounts of weight each year as they age. But can coffee help prevent this gradual weight gain?
- As Australia celebrates Grandparents’ Day on Sunday 29 October, Dr Cassandra Tellegen and Dr April Hoang from UQ’s Parenting and Family Support Centre share their top tips on how to balance the delicate grandparent-parent relationship.
- Professor Glenn King, from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, has been awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation – a $250,000 recognition of his pioneering work.
- How much misinformation have you been sleeping on when it comes to how to get a proper night’s rest? UQ Mythbusters is back and here to help you separate fact from fiction with the help of sleep science expert Professor Bruno van Swinderen from the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI).
- UQ's Associate Professor Remi Ayoko suggests that office noise increases the likelihood of people wanting to reclaim personal space through territorial behaviours such as displaying potted plants, photos or sports memorabilia.
- Nearly 500,000 Australian kids go to after school care. However, there is a lack of consistency in quality. About 14% of services fall short of the national quality standards for these services, and only 11% are exceeding them.
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- UQ graduates working in development, sustainability and national security discuss why our Pacific neighbours are so important.
- Jeremy Hunt and his student colleagues wanted to do something to help the community. And it was the realisation that many homeless people still pay out of their own pocket for protection from the flu that sparked them into action.
- How does a university tackle the issue of freedom of speech on campus? By having a free discussion about speech – on campus.
- Are you looking for more meaningful work? Want to monetise a passion project? Or simply curious about starting your own business? Follow this advice from UQ graduates who have done exactly that!
- Meet some of the latest recipients of the UQ Firebirds Scholarship. Plus, enter the draw to WIN Queensland Firebirds tickets!
- Dr Mark Deng has travelled a long road – from his childhood home in war-torn South Sudan, through refugee camps, and finally, to Australia – to get to his current position at the TC Beirne School of Law.
- When Laura Stokes became the youngest person accepted into UQ's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in 2014, she knew her studies would give her the tools overcome the challenges of being a woman in business.
- What are they? How do they work? Are they here to stay? And are they bad for the environment?
- 'Contact' speaks to young UQ experts to gather their tips on how to approach your next networking event.
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- UQ has achieved great success at both the 2023 Australian Institute of Architects Awards and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Awards.
- Have you ever wondered how life might have been had you chosen a different career path? Well, current UQ student and former public relations executive Yasmine Gray won’t be left wondering. At the grand age of 60, she has just enrolled in the Bachelor of Veterinary Technology and aims to become an animal paramedic, specialising in large animals such as horses and cows.
- In this edition of The Real YouQ, we meet internationally acclaimed archaeologist, heritage consultant and author Dr Andrew Sneddon. His new memoir "charts the often frightening and sometimes farcical journey of his teenage years" while living in the criminal underbelly of Queensland’s Gold Coast.
- Meet the current UQ Liveris Academy Executive in Residence, Leigh Staines, who reveals her passion for her new role and how she believes she can make a difference.
- In this edition of the The Real YouQ, we meet the UQ Art Museum's Senior Team Leader, Engagement and Training, Danielle Harvey. Danielle is passionate about making the UQ Art Museum a welcome space for all, and her team is focused on considering issues from the visitor’s perspective.
- At just 10 years old, Elijah Richardson has made some serious waves in ocean conservation. Here at UQ, we were thrilled to hear that Elijah was recently interviewed for the ABC television series, War On Waste.
- Ahead of the International Blind Sport Federation World Games in Birmingham this month, Contact sat down with UQ student Sidney Whipp to find out how he’s balancing first-year studies and representing Australia in goalball – with his best friend Quarry by his side.
- UQ's award-winning publishing house, University of Queensland Press, has launched a new series showcasing classics of Indigenous Australian literature. We took a closer look at the new series, and why you should add these 8 beautiful new editions to your bedside stack.
- Welcome to The Real YouQ, the latest 'Contact' Q&A series offering a glimpse into the real lives of members of the UQ community. In this edition, we meet celebrated TEDx speaker, author and cult survivor Claire Ashman.
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- If you’ve spent any time at UQ’s Gatton campus, chances are you’ve purchased a coffee or a bite to eat from Regie Narara at the Coffee Pod. And chances are you’ve left feeling brighter and more energetic – and not just because of the coffee.
- UQ experts are here to help you understand why a Voice to Parliament has been proposed, what will change about Australia’s Constitution if it succeeds, and what your referendum vote will mean on October 14.
- How much misinformation have you been sleeping on when it comes to how to get a proper night’s rest? UQ Mythbusters is back and here to help you separate fact from fiction with the help of sleep science expert Professor Bruno van Swinderen from the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI).
- Welcome to UQ Diaries, an anonymous 'Contact' magazine series that dives into the burning questions you've always wanted to ask. In September, we asked our UQ alumni if having a work-life balance is possible. Check out their responses!
- The Bureau of Meteorology has declared that Australia is now in the grip of an El Niño climate pattern. 'Contact' spoke to Bureau of Meteorology CEO Dr Andrew Johnson to help you understand what El Niño means and what Australians should expect for the summer ahead.
- UQ's Associate Professor Remi Ayoko suggests that office noise increases the likelihood of people wanting to reclaim personal space through territorial behaviours such as displaying potted plants, photos or sports memorabilia.
- Nearly 500,000 Australian kids go to after school care. However, there is a lack of consistency in quality. About 14% of services fall short of the national quality standards for these services, and only 11% are exceeding them.
- Welcome to UQ Diaries, an anonymous series for Contact magazine that dives into the burning questions you've always wanted to ask. In August, we asked our UQ alumni about if they had any conflicts between their lifestyle choices and sustainability. Check out their responses!
- It seems like everyone is talking about 'inflammation' right now. And 'inflammaging', an age-related increase in persistent, low-grade inflammation in blood and tissue, which is a strong risk factor for many conditions and diseases. So, can an anti-inflammatory diet help reduce inflammation? Perhaps, yes.
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- Don’t tell Australian water polo goalkeeper Gabi Palm that competing at the Olympics during a global pandemic means less than previous Games. If anything, success at Tokyo will be even more special.
- Meet some of the latest recipients of the UQ Firebirds Scholarship. Plus, enter the draw to WIN Queensland Firebirds tickets!
- UQ welcomed senior high-school netballers from Ipswich, Darwin and Alice Springs as part of Netball Queensland’s Diamond Spirit program.
- Contact caught up with UQ Olympic experts about how hosting the Games in 2032 will benefit Brisbane and Australia's future athletes.
- How does a swimmer prepare for a Paralympics when no pools are open for training? Hear from Paralympic champion and UQ student Lakeisha Patterson as she prepares for the Tokyo Olympics in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- UQ has awarded 53 Scholarships worth more than $205,000 to 51 recipients, including Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls and representatives for Australian and Queensland sporting teams.
- Signs of inclusion as UQ student Jamie Howell named AFLW Premiership Cup Ambassador.
- UQ final-year student Justin Clarke is bound for Oxford University.
- With the AFL season on the line, Queensland stood up to help keep the game alive, winning the right to host the coveted grand final in the process. But what does this mean for the state, the fans and the game itself?
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- Meet the UQ graduate and children's author diving into the world of Sir David Attenborough.
- Dr Gilbert Price is part of a long line of UQ researchers who have hunted for megafauna fossils near the rural Queensland town of Chinchilla, some of which are over 3.5 million years old!
- The Atrium at UQ Brisbane City is open for business. It’s your new home in the CBD – opening doors to professional development, networking and events for the global UQ community of ChangeMakers.
- UQ experts explain why camels could be the next big Aussie export.
- Welcome to the final instalment of 'UQ by design', a 12-part Contact series celebrating the beauty and abundance of UQ's cultural assets. In this final episode, we look at UQ's stunning signage and some other decorative features of interest.
- Photographer and writer Jessica Howard (BJ ’03) is committed to sharing the spirit of rural Australia. Jessica writes for Contact about her most recent endeavour – to amplify the stories of outback Australia as the editor and publisher of Bush Journal.
- Cairngorm House, a ‘Queenslander’ older than UQ itself, has played a formative role as factory, family home and Alumni Friends’ base during 120 years at Walcott Street, St Lucia.
- Sometimes, the best love stories begin in unexpected places. This Valentine's Day, Contact is sharing the stories of the alumni who found love at UQ.
- In this instalment of 'UQ by design', we look at some of the interesting pieces that are 'here today, gone tomorrow' – literally popping out of nowhere.
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