Bite-resistant wetsuits gain traction
Shark experts Professor Charlie Huveneers and Dr Tom Clarke from the College of Science & Engineering have garnered widespread international media coverage for their research into bite-resistant wetsuit materials aimed at reducing shark bite injuries and blood loss.
Funded by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Shark Management Program, the study tested the efficacy of four bite-resistant wetsuit materials to reduce damage incurred from white and tiger shark bites.
Major international outlets including the BBC, Los Angeles Times, and Boston Globe, along with national television programs such as Sunrise, featured coverage of the research.
Flinders at the UN
Dr Simon Wilksch from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work was part of an Australian delegation led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a UN General Assembly meeting in New York last week. Australia’s move to prevent young people from harm by online bullying and radicalisation, including a new move to ban children under 16 from using social media accounts, was among discussions at the UN headquarters.
Dr Wilksch, a clinical psychologist who specialises in eating disorders, joined global leaders with experts in the field of digital safety, including and ‘Let Them Be Kids’ campaigner Emma Mason who lost her daughter Tilly to suicide where social media played a devastating role.
Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant announced 11 experts who will track the implementation and effects of the ban, along with staff from Stanford University’s Social Media Lab.
Meanwhile across the pond
Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor of Psychology Tracey Wade – pictured with Flinders PhD Dr Mel Atkinson, now a senior lecturer at the University of Bath – is currently a visiting fellow at the University of Bath.
Professor Wade, who was a doctoral supervisor for both Dr Wilksch and Dr Atkinson at Flinders University, will hold the David Parkin Visiting Professor post at Bath Uni until the end of October.
Talking up point-of-care testing
Professor Mark Shephard, Director of the Flinders University International Centre for Point-of-Care Testing and a Distinguished Alumni, gave a TED talk on point-of-care testing during the United Nations General Assembly week. He was among a wide range of experts at the two-day UNGA Digital Health Symposium.
‘Metamorphosis: Transforming Health Systems, making 10x better’ was the symposium theme, with participants aiming to accelerate a global shift toward value-based, digitally enabled, preventive, and patient-centred care. Professor Michael Kidd AO, also a Flinders University graduate, gave a virtual keynote speech to the 35 leaders from the health, pharmaceutical and technology sectors.
Deep dive on shipwrecks
As a guest speaker at the University of Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) this month, Flinders Professor of Maritime Archaeology, Dr Wendy Van Duivenvoorde, took time out for a deep dive with 2024 Australia Award fellows from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore and former students of the Maritime Archaeology Masters program. The underwater archaeological excavation on the Bidong shipwreck was the first meeting with the ASEAN Underwater and Maritime Archaeology Association.
The Australia Awards Program supported the start of this professional association for Maritime Archaeology in Southeast Asia, and work on a new partnership with UMT.
In November, Professor Van Duivenvoorde will give the keynote talk in Sydney at a symposium entitled ‘Sea Changes: Power, Money and Technology in the Maritime World.’ Organised by the Australian National Maritime Museum, the themes include talks about shipwrecks across the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean and the circulation of wealth via maritime trade.
Stories that Spark: Reflecting on the 2025 Book Club Series
This year, Flinders University Library launched a series of themed Book Club events — a new staff-focused initiative that brought the community together through the joy of leisure reading. A big thank you to guest academics Associate Professor Lisa Bennett, Dr Marina Deller, and Associate Professor Amy Matthews for leading discussions. The three-part series invited staff to explore different genres, share reflections, and discover new favourites from our Read and Return collection, all while building connection through conversation and storytelling. Discover highlights and recommended reads here.
Celebrating women in space
Congratulations to Associate Professor Alice Gorman from the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences who has been featured in an exhibition on women in space at the 76th International Astronautical Congress in Sydney. Running from 29 September to 3 October, the IAC is a prestigious event where the world’s space community gathers to access the latest advancements and trends, academic works, industry connections, and partnership opportunities.
As part of IAC’s Space Week, which includes events available to the public, Louise Whelan’s Women in Space Exhibition is a photographic exhibition celebrating the achievements of women in the space industry. Associate Professor Gorman has been recognised for her pioneering research in the field of space archaeology, including the first archaeological fieldwork ever conducted on the International Space Station.