Shark science makes the front page, Flinders academic takes leading role in national health, literary contribution to a Nobel Prize celebratory book, 1.5 Degrees Live! engages the community and more.

Driving national health reforms

Professor Michael Kidd, former head of medicine at Flinders who holds academic status at the University, has been appointed Principal Medical Advisor to the Department of Health/Professor of Primary Care Reform at The Australian National University (ANU).

This is a joint position across the Department of Health and the ANU, where Professor Kidd will help drive the development of the Primary Health Care 10-Year Plan, reforms to the Australian health workforce and the $550 million Stronger Rural Health Strategy.

Contributions to Nobel Prize winner tribute

A celebratory book has been published to mark the 80th birthday of Nobel Prize Winner for literature and Adelaide resident J.M. Coetzee.

A Book of Friends: In Honour of J.M.Coetzee on his 80th Birthday, has been issued by Text Publishing, featuring contributions from Australian and international writers including Paul Auster, Peter Goldsworthy, Siri Hustvedt, Jennifer Rutherford, David Malouf, Brian Castro, Eva Hornung and Nicholas Jose.

Flinders Emeritus Professor of Drama Michael Morley was also invited to contribute, and submitted a translation of one of the philosopher and cultural critic Walter Benjamin’s radio broadcasts, written and delivered in the late 1920s/early 1930s: Real-Life Tales of Dogs.

This text was chosen to acknowledge that dogs feature in several of John Coetzee’s writings – most recently in the compelling one-page story The Dog, which appeared in The New Yorker in November 2017.

Broadcasting the 1.5 degrees message

More than 100 concerned Australians took part in presenting key findings from the milestone Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report over five days at three locations around Adelaide – with Flinders University leading the event and opening it at Bedford Park on March 5.

“The increased frequency of extreme weather events and record high global temperatures mean that climate change is now at the front and centre in public discourse,” said Flinders University Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling, at the launch.

“The 1.5 Degrees Live event will help to further highlight the impact we can expect if the rate of increase in our planet’s temperature continues.”

Flinders’ Professor in Global Ecology Corey Bradshaw, Associate Professor in Public Policy Cassandra Star, and FUSA environmental officer Amy Tschirn were among the huge cast of popular entertainers, politicians, business leaders, scientists, conservationists, activists and students who read passages from the report throughout the event.

Separately, Professor Bradshaw was involved in a special three-day workshop addressing issues surrounding Kangaroo Island bushfire recovery efforts. The workshop was hosted by the Department for Environment and Water, the Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the National Environment Science Program and the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment. It focused on developing plans for recovery of the island’s threatened wildlife species, including the Kangaroo Island dunnart, Green Carpenter bee, Kangaroo Island echidna and glossy black cockatoo.

Jan’s patience is a virtue Flinders values

Limestone Coast resident Jan Armit – a recent Flinders Dean’s award winner – featured on the front page of the Millicent newspaper and in the Border Watch newspaper as a tribute to her long-time service to the Mount Gambier-based Flinders Rural Health South Australian training hub.

For almost two decades, Ms Armit, who recently celebrated her 80th birthday – has volunteered her time to the regional health facility – located adjacent the Mount Gambier Hospital – acting out a number of scenarios as a standardised patient to help put medical students through their paces. She says her work as an amateur actor has helped her to perform many patient roles in different situations.

Shark scientists on the front page 

Flinders University’s recent collaborative research trip to Norfolk Island led by Dr Lauren Meyer at the Southern Shark Ecology Group and colleagues (together with partners including James Cook University, Georgia Aquarium and San Diego University) made the front page of the local paper, the Norfolk Islander. The team is on the island to study the unique aggression of Tiger Sharks at the island’s Headstone Bay.