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Sculptor carves new niche through study
A University of the Sunshine Coast Psychology student who’s a former high school teacher and professional sculptor has turned his hand to co-authoring a textbook in Japan.
Chris McKenzie, 45, spent a decade specialising in large public sculpture commissions for governments and institutions, from a two-tonne carved wooden bilby at Charleville to a 20-tonne granite stockman at St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Brisbane.
Mr McKenzie, who grew up in south-west Queensland, enrolled at USC after returning to the Sunshine Coast from Japan, where he taught English and met co-author Katsumi Oda.
“Katsumi is a lecturer at Kogakuin University in Tokyo and our newly-released publication, called ‘A College English Handbook’, is designed to help Japanese students learn about English,” Mr McKenzie said.
“When I came back from Japan, my passion for learning, creativity and innovation led me to the best place to fuel that – USC.
“I’m studying Psychology because I’m interested in how we think, behave and learn.
“I want to enhance the creative potential of students and develop multimodal approaches to literacy which integrate words, symbols and colour codes.”
Mr McKenzie works as a behaviour management coordinator at Maleny State High School while studying part-time at the University.
— Julie Gatehouse