The airlines are back recruiting cadets – and Griffith University has secured three through Virgin Australia.
Virgin Australia selected 18 cadets (eight already pilots and ten ab initio) across the country to start their pilot training program, among 3000 applicants in the highly competitive process.
Griffith’s highly regarded Bachelor of Aviation degree gave its cadets an edge to make the cut, with Lachlan Barr, Angus Slattery and Shelby Tillett overwhelmed to have gotten the opportunity. They were selected to the ab initio stream.
Virgin’s 54-week program is run from Adelaide where the cadets will get assigned an aircraft to train for.
Lachlan said it was a dream come true.
“Ever since I was a kid I’ve wanted to be a pilot,” said the 22-year-old.
Angus grew up in the industry with his family working in ground operations so a career in aviation was a natural choice
“I was lucky I got to travel a lot,” he said.
Griffith
Category: Griffith University Feed
Health Group honours outstanding alumni at 2017 awards
Griffith University’s Health Group has acknowledged high-achieving graduates through its 2017 Outstanding Alumni Awards.
Seven alumni were recognised for “remarkable” contributions in their fields at local, state, national and/or international level. The awards ceremony provided alumni and staff the opportunity to celebrate triumphs, engage in nostalgia and network with peers.
Many of last year’s winners were on hand to “pass the baton” to this year’s successful recipients, who include published authors, award-winning researchers, health ambassadors and mentors, community volunteers and executives. Most already have earned multiple accolades and all contribute heavily to the betterment of their communities.
For example, Outstanding Health Alumnus of the Year, Dr Shelley Roberts, has been heavily involved in research and education since graduating from her PhD (Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition) in 2015.
Dr Roberts currently leads the development, evaluation and translation of innovative new technology to engage hospitalised patients in their nutrition care. This is expected to improve outcomes for patients,
Women are ‘awesome’ but where does balance lie for them in the workforce?
Women are “awesome” but there can still be an unconscious bias in the recruitment of them to senior leadership positions.
These were just two of the statements to come out at a Question and Answer panel event hosted by Griffith Health last Thursday night (19 October).
Titled “Healthy Leadership: The Balance,” the panel included senior staff from Griffith and QLD Health and aimed to discuss the gender balance required for healthy leadership.
However it was noted among attendees that the audience was a predominantly female one with only about four men present out of 120 attending.
“Unfortunately I think there still exists an unconscious bias in the workplace when it comes to recruiting women in senior positions,” said Griffith’s Professor Martin Betts. “I remember a time not so long ago, working at another university’s engineering department where I was overseeing the recruitment for six heads of schools.
“For some unexplained reason, following the interview process the
Opportunities for SMEs in spotlight at symposium
How can Australia ensure Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) continue to prosper in the future?
On November 2, a symposium organised by Griffith University will seek to shed some light on the question, examining both challenges and opportunities in detail.
SMEs make up 99 per cent of the nation’s businesses and, while they may be small by name, their contribution can’t be understated – SMEs contribute a third of gross domestic product and 46% of private sector employment.
“Governments are acutely aware of the importance of SMEs, introducing a number of reforms and strategies in an endeavour to assist the sector,” said Associate Professor Brett Freudenberg.
“However, the future for SMEs present a number of issues, such as the rise of the sharing economy, financial constraints, the growth of international opportunities, mooted tax reforms, succession planning and climate change.
“These issues can present both opportunities and challenges for SMEs; and navigating these will be a key for success
Entrepreneur alumnus Andrew Zaniewski takes on mentoring role
Graduate Andrew Zaniewski was a member of the top-three-placing Griffith University team for the Global Business Challenge back in 2014. Now the entrepreneur has put his hat in the ring once more, returning to mentor the current team from Griffith Business School.
The Griffith University alumnus was determined to give back to the school that gave him such amazing opportunities. “When I saw that Griffith was the host university this year, I put my hand up to be involved and coach the team in providing some guidance around the competition format and business model development,” Andrew explains.
“I wanted to see if I could give some input in helping to steer the team in the right direction, thanks to the success I had back in 2014. So far their hard work has paid off since they’ve made it into the final seven from a pool of 98 teams, with the
Griffith CFA Challenge team in top 2 at national final
Griffith Business School has become a force to be reckoned with in the CFA Institute Research Challenge.
Attending the Australian National finals for the 5th time in 6 years, the team secured second place at the hotly contested event.
The Challenge requires participants to research a publicly traded company, prepare a report and then present their findings to a panel of judges.
The 2017 GBS team – Alex Demeshko, Lorenzo Ciapetti, Caitlene Hillman (captain), David Forrest and Artem Zainitdino – were grilled by a number of top investment executives during the final held at KPMG near Darling Harbour in Sydney.
“Our team has performed extremely well amid intense competition,” said coach Dr John Fan.
“I would like to acknowledge their extraordinary commitment, passion and top-quality work.”
Fellow team mentor, Ken Howard from Morgan Stanley, said it had been another exceptional year for the team.
“The students involved were a pleasure to work with and they produced an excellent report,”
Healthier lifestyles for women recovering from cancer
Increased physical and emotional health benefit for women recovering from cancer has been the outcome of a Griffith University wellness program which is now set to become widely used across Australia.
Led by Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland, and timely for Breast Cancer Awareness Month October 2017, the nurse-led study aimed to reduce the significant side effects associated with breast, blood and/or gynaecological cancers, whilst also reducing the risk of developing other chronic health conditions.
As part of the Women’s Wellness After Cancer Program, women aged 18 and over with cancer undertook an evidence-based e-health 12-week lifestyle intervention.
“This was a massively important program for women, during that crucial time after cancer treatment where women are known to be particularly proactive in wanting to look after themselves,” says clinical nurse manager Janine Porter-Steele who will be speaking at this week’s Pink Ribbon Blue Sky Breakfast in Brisbane this Friday (27 October).
Adopted by several
Griffith Asia Institute in Cambodia
The Griffith Asia Institute recently hosted a successful workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the theme of Contemporary Research Challenges in Southeast Asia. The workshop was for early career researchers and PhD students working on the region to build collaborative linkages and research capacity in both Australia and Cambodia within their discipline. Participants included Griffith Asia Institute members and Griffith University PhDs and early career researchers, senior academics and early career researchers from Northern Illinois University, Murdoch University, the Royal University of Phnom Penh, the Cambodia Development Resource Institute, as well as postgraduate scholars conducting research in country and based at the University of Sao Paulo and the University of Westminster, and at the University College of London.
The workshop addressed a diversity of topics in the region including the political economy of Southeast Asia; research challenges in transitional settings; governance and foreign policy issues; rule of law and justice in
Business student has ‘best customer service training imaginable’
Being able to say he has worked for one of the world’s biggest companies is one of the direct benefits of double degree student Adam Chappell’s year in Florida. Adam’s 12-month participation in the Disney College Program now holds pride of place on his resume.
“There’s definitely a reason why it’s known as the happiest place on earth,” Adam (21) says. “Doing the program is sort of like an escape from school and work, and even reality in general.
“You’re in an environment where you’re constantly creating happiness for other people and it really puts a smile on your face, especially because all the friends you make during the program are in exactly the same boat.”
For the first six months of the Disney College Program Adam worked as a lifeguard at Typhoon Lagoon, one of Disney’s two water parks. He spent the next six months working in hospitality at one of Disney’s many
Negotiation game puts strategies to the test
Participants from Queensland Treasury and Griffith Business School were given a unique opportunity to build on their negotiation skills, through seminars and exercise facilitated by Dr Larry Crump.
The exercise component, focusing on strategy and power, took place at the Treasury building in Brisbane this week.
It involved a game titled ‘The Fitzroy River Clean-Up’, where three fictional North Queensland based mining companies seek to gain benefits through an agreement.
“It’s an interesting exercise because it allows for no agreement, a three-way agreement or – in this case – a two-way agreement that excludes one party,” Dr Crump explained.
The exercise was conducted by 7 teams made up of Griffith University post-graduate students and Queensland Treasury Commercial Group professionals, providing a valuable chance for students to learn from seasoned negotiators.
“It gives students real-life experience in a structured learning environment, engaging industry and government,” said Dr Crump, adding that some found themselves with the upper