Flinders staff have been celebrating successes across all Colleges. Dr Evan Smith’s piece was among The Conversation’s most read articles for 2021, while other successes include an appointment to an expert panel, and national recognition for academic papers. 

Flinders expert joins end-of-life taskforce

An expert taskforce to oversee the implementation of Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) in South Australia will include Dr Ganessan Kichenadasse, from the College of Medicine and Public Health. He has been selected to join other healthcare experts, consumer advocates and lawyers to help provide South Australians with more choice at the end of their life. Dr Kichenadasse was selected from 65 expressions of interest to join the panel of 16 experts whose interests span end of life advocacy, law, research and clinical practice.

The best of The Conversation

Research Fellow Dr Evan Smith, from the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, had the most read article in the Education section of The Conversation during 2021. His article – I asked historians what find made them go ‘wait, wut?’ Here’s a taste of the hundreds of replies – was read 224,582 times between 16 September and 31 December.

Burning bright in the Year of the Tiger

Professor Bogda Koczwara’s large local study of long-term mortality for people with cancer (those still living five years after diagnosis) was featured in the first 2022 edition of The Medical Journal of Australia, which is titled Welcome to 2022: the Year of the Tiger! This edition recognised the best original research articles that were submitted during 2021.

Spectrum theory applied to sports coaching

Associate Professor Shane Pill and Mr Joss Rankin, both from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, have released a world-first book that applies Spectrum theory to sports coaching. The Spectrum of Sport Coaching Styles places athletes or players at the centre of their learning and clearly defines who (player or coach) is making pedagogical decisions in each style. The book is now available for purchase through Routledge.

Readers Choice Award for hoverfly paper

Mrs Sarah Nicholas and Professor Karin Nordström, from the College of Medicine and Public Health, and Dr Richard Leibbrandt, from the College of Science and Engineering, have been recognised by the Journal of Comparative Physiology A. Their paper, ‘Visual motion sensitivity in descending neurons in the hoverfly’, was honoured with the 2022 Readers Choice Award in the Original Paper category, which recognises outstanding papers published in the journal each year. The Editorial Board will formally announce the award in an Editorial to be published in Issue 3 (2022).

Distinguished geographer named as Fellow

Emeritus Professor Iain Hay has been named a 2021 Fellow of the American Association of Geographers (AAG), recognising his substantial and significant contributions to geography. With more than 10,000 members around the world, the Association chooses only 20 individuals as Fellows each year. They serve as an august body to address, contribute to, and at times create initiatives to advance the discipline. Fellows also advise AAG on strategic directions and challenges, and mentor early- and mid-career faculty.

Emeritus Professor Hay was honoured to be included in the prestigious list. “I remember how overjoyed I was when I received a Fulbright award to undertake a PhD at the University of Washington in Seattle,” he says. “I was simply ecstatic. I had no idea what was before me and how that experience would so dramatically shape my life and career. And I never dreamed that the work that followed would ultimately lead to such wonderful recognition by the AAG.”