Your gifts at work
Walker family supports a healthier Sunshine Coast
A special gift lights up campus
Kirk Foundation scholar helps elderly prevent falls
ANZ gives USC business students a boost
Walker family supports a healthier Sunshine Coast
Friends of the University don’t get much better than Jocelyn Walker. For 10 years, Ms Walker has served as a committed member of the USC Foundation Board – while donating generously herself.
This month Ms Walker made a special gift of A$60,000 to support the Building Excellence campaign’s initiative to build a new Health and Sport Centre.
USC Vice-Chancellor Paul Thomas AM said “Jocelyn’s support will make a big impact, and her generous spirit will go a long way to inspire other community members to support this campaign. I am grateful for her gift and for her longstanding commitment to the University of the Sunshine Coast.”
Ms Walker, whose son Drew, 30, is a graduate of the University of the Sunshine Coast's Faculty of Business, also supports the Vic Walker Memorial Scholarship for students entering USC from Immanuel Lutheran College. In addition, Ms Walker made a major donation to help build the University’s Art Gallery.
“The new Health and Sport Centre will be a treasure for the University and our entire region” Ms Walker said. “It is very exciting for me and my children, Drew and Wendy, to be a part of making that happen.”
Back to top
A special gift lights up campus
A striking new seven-metre tall sculpture – aptly entitled 'Pulse' reflecting its rhythmic sway in a breeze – was welcomed to campus by a crowd of more than 300 community members at its official dedication on 5 April 2007.
The sculpture, located at the University Gallery’s forecourt, is the first of three beautification projects of the campus enhancement program under the USC Building Excellence fundraising campaign.
The stunning work, by renowned Melbourne artist Konstantin Dimopoulos, was veiled only by darkness as the crowd arrived, but it was gradually illuminated by six halide lights during the dedication speeches.
At the end of the official dedication by Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art Director Doug Hall AM, Pulse’s long red and orange rods were glowing.
The fundraising efforts of Senior Honorary Fellow of the University, Mrs Arija Austin of Buderim, led to the generous donation from the Lee Graff Foundation in the United States that allowed the commissioning of the sculpture.
Lee Graff Foundation trustee Scott Morielli said he was pleased to see the sculpture first-hand. “It’s so impressive to see this in person,” he said. “The Foundation is extremely proud to have helped make this work of art a reality for this wonderful campus.”
Back to top
Kirk Foundation scholar helps elderly prevent falls
Thanks in part to the generosity of the Kirk Foundation, USC student James Lee is making international headway with research that could help prevent devastating falls among the elderly.
Mr Lee, who is pursuing a PhD through the USC Centre for Healthy Activities, Sport and Exercise (CHASE), said the wireless technology he’s using allows for extremely precise monitoring of natural body movement.
“By building profiles of normal, healthy walking, we will be able to determine whether the way an aging person walks puts him or her at risk of falling,” Mr Lee said.
“Then an exercise program can be designed to target the specific muscles that need to be strengthened.”
Falls are often seriously debilitating for the elderly, putting them in hospital, restricting their future mobility, and can even be lethal. Mr Lee hopes his research will help extend their independence and quality of life.
Ironically Mr Lee, a mature-age student, was led to his scientific studies through health and safety. His previous career was as a boilermaker / welder, and he served as the on-site occupational health and safety officer. “I learned about the high risk involved in my trade, and decided to make a change. I came to USC’s open day looking to pursue OH&S, but decided to get my undergraduate degree in sport science instead. That led to an honours program, and then my PhD scholarship.”
Mr Lee has been invited to present a paper to the Asia-Pacific Congress on Sports Technology in Singapore in September, where he will exchange ideas and results with researchers from around the world.
He said the impact of receiving the Kirk scholarship was “just incredible . . . I feel deeply indebted, that’s for sure”. Thanks to the scholarship, Mr Lee was able to quit his part-time job and concentrate on his studies. “It made all the difference in the world to my confidence and to my ability to focus on the work.”
Sunshine Coast resident David Kirk donated several scholarships through the Kirk Foundation as a contribution to the USC Building Excellence campaign.
“I believe we are all interwoven in one another’s success,” Mr Kirk said. “I am fortunate to have been able to establish a Foundation that can help the community. I think this investment in our University’s students is an especially good one.”
Back to top
ANZ gives USC business students a boost
ANZ Bank has put their support behind the Building Excellence campaign by establishing a scholarship for students in the Faculty of Business.
The scholarship will seek to encourage a student in financial need who has demonstrated academic merit and leadership qualities in either their school or community to pursue a degree at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
Professor Ed Fitzgerald, Dean of the Faculty of Business, said such opportunities were extremely important. “Scholarships like this one make a critical impact – they help us keep top business students here on the Sunshine Coast,” Professor Fitzgerald said. “It’s terrific that ANZ has made this investment in our community’s youth and future.”
Regional Chief Executive Officer of ANZ Vicki Clark said the scholarship was a demonstration of ANZ’s commitment to assisting students in the local area. Ms Clark will meet the inaugural recipient of the ANZ scholarship later this year, following their selection by the University.
Back to top