Sunday, 1 June 2008

My service as Dean of this Faculty concludes at the end of May, after nearly 6 years. This has been a period of very substantial change for the Faculty and the University, with some very pleasing outcomes.

These outcomes include a considerable increase in student satisfaction with their university experience, a dramatic rise in the number of high quality students undertaking engineering, the development of the Monadelphous Integrated Learning Centre with key industry partners including Monadelphous and Lycopodium, the establishment of the Chemical and Process Engineering programme, a doubling of the research income per staff member with a corresponding increase in research outcomes, and many major new university-industry research and teaching partnerships and alliances, such as the Chevron Chair in Gas Process Engineering reported on the front page of this newsletter.

There are many people who participated in and led these and a multitude of other developments, and it has been wonderful to be surrounded by and supported by an excellent team. However, as my audience on this occasion is our Alumni, I want to single out one person in particular for special mention. Mr Quang Ly was appointed as the Faculty Development Officer nearly three years ago to develop programmes and initiatives to improve the connections between the Faculty and its alumni and industry partners. He has certainly carried out that job in excellent fashion, adding a new level of professionalism in organising and running alumni activities, including this newsletter and a range of reunions and other functions. He has been particularly successful in liaising with industry partners to bring about an enormous increase in the number and range of student scholarships and prizes and in providing many other opportunities for our students. He has also been absolutely invaluable in developing the relationships with our Alumni and other supporters that have led to partnerships in the Monadelphous Integrated Learning Centre. His work over the last three years has often been a “first” for the University. However, these activities would not have been possible without the strong support of our graduates and friends and I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you all for that support.

Finally, I wish the Faculty and our Alumni all the best for the future. I am certain I am leaving the Faculty in very good hands.
Professor Mark Bush

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