Flinders’ impressive Palaeontology Society was awarded 2018 FUSA club of the year last Wednesday during O’Week, as a fitting acknowledgement of the society’s outstanding engagement and growth in recent years and its jam-packed initiatives to celebrate its 30 year anniversary last year.
In presenting the award, FUSA Clubs and Events officer Adam Rau commented on the impressive profile and following the club had created, and its inclusive nature.
“Over the last couple of years this club has seriously stepped up its game, both in developing a strong community and remaining strong advocates for the field of palaeontology,” he said.
In 2018, the Flinders University Palaeontology Society secured external grant funding to bring guests from around the country to Flinders to deliver engaging talks in a relaxed atmosphere – Palaeo in the Pub. Participants of all ages were invited to the events free of charge, including non-students with an interest in the field.
Regular field trips and practical sessions on campus are run by the society’s energetic leaders and volunteers to help students build their skills. Its innovative quarterly publication BEER’N’BONES is creatively tailored to its audience and documents the group’s adventures while sharing information of interest to its growing community (including a beer review in each issue). Its active Facebook Page, Twitter (@fupalaeosoc), Instagram (@flinders_palaeo_society), and website further engage its community and share news on what’s happening in the palaeo space.
The society worked closely with the University last year to promote the new Bachelor of Science (Palaeontology) course through their events and marketing, also establishing a new scholarship through fundraising activities to assist future students in the degree.
FUSA supports a total of 83 clubs and associations at Flinders University. The club of the year award acknowledges consistent excellence measured across a range of factors including student engagement, quality of events, governance, benefit to the student community and overall quality of projects and marketing.
Professor Gavin Prideaux, who co-leads Flinders’ globally renowned palaeontology team with Strategic Professor John Long, says the win provides an opportunity “to showcase what a band of dedicated, forward-thinking and community-minded students can achieve within the space of a year.”
Kailah Thorn led the hard-working 2018 committee comprising Parker Rydon, Teagan Cross, Nathan Phillips, Diana Fusco, Alice Clement, Carey Burke, Sue Double, Nimue Gibbs and Phoebe McInerney –representing undergraduate year levels through to postgrad and postdoc students, coordinating volunteers, editing BEER’N’BONES, and forming the executive committee.
Sue Double will hand over the reins as editor of BEER’N’BONES this year to Elen Shute; Nathan Phillips and Nimue Gibbs will continue in their roles as treasurer and secretary, and Phoebe McInerney has succeeded Ms Thorn as President for 2019.