Award for Outstanding Community Engagement
Staff Award Winners
2008 Dr Ann Gervasoni, School of Education, Victoria
Dr Gervasoni worked to assist financially disadvantaged children to learn mathematics by developing a partnership between ACU National staff, students and The Smith Family, resulting in a community-based Maths Club for children, which has grown into three separate Maths Clubs. She has assisted pre-service teachers to assess the children and produced learning plans to help each child. Dr Gervasoni has also worked to build community partnerships for a Clemente Program in Ballarat through initiating, building and extending partnerships between agencies and institutions. Since visiting Baucau, she has worked to support the growth of Friendship Schools, and community projects in East Timor, culminating each year in the annual Friendship Schools Forum which brings together school leaders from Ballarat schools, and members of the East-Timorese and Ballarat communities. Her broad experience has also involved coordinating a lecture to raise awareness of social injustices experienced by the East Timorese. The selection panel was impressed by Dr Gervasoni’s very comprehensive work, variety of experiences and ability to bring people together.
2007 Dr Lindsay Farrell, School of Arts and Sciences, Queensland
Dr Farrell has demonstrated a genuine commitment to community engagement through a range of different areas involving art over a considerable period of time. His work has been reciprocal, enriching the University community while engaging with the broader community. He has displayed enormous creative energy in his activities using art to engage with many diverse groups, including his work with the Prison Fellowship, Indigenous Art Exhibitions, International Aid Development programs, and refugees. Dr Farrell’s support of an ACU All Arts program has broadened opportunities for disadvantaged children. His involvement with the Art from Inside exhibition has become an important feature of the University’s profiling of social justice for prisoners, and his connection with Indigenous Art Exhibitions has contributed to the University’s engagement with Indigenous issues. His work is extensive and represented in many other programs and initiatives.
2006 Dr Klaus Serr, School of Arts and Sciences, Victoria
While teaching at Addis Ababa University (AAU) in conjunction with the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2005, Dr Serr became concerned about the extreme poverty he saw around him in urban Ethiopia. On discovering that there was only one food kitchen in the country, Dr Serr arranged the setting-up of a second food program in Ethiopia and through his students at AAU and a network of community organisations, implemented a major distribution of 1000 food parcels in the five poorest districts of Ethiopia's capital. The on-going food program has provided impetus for further programs through the involvement of the local community, as well as the Lion's Club (Ethiopia), the Ethiopian Catholic Church, and the Missionaries of Charity. This work together with an ongoing commitment to community engagement over a considerable period of time contributed to Dr Serr being selected as the 2006 Staff Award recipient.
2005 Ms Judy Fromyhr, School of Arts and Sciences, Queensland
A voluntary administrator and assistant conductor of the ACU Queensland Choir (and former McAuley College Choir), Ms Fromyhr has made an exceptional contribution to local and international communities. Her inclusive engagement builds the self-esteem and creative drive of adults from all walks of life. Through Ms Fromyhr the Choir, made up of students, staff, alumni and ACU friends, regularly performs at ACU National events and public concerts. Ms Fromyhr also instigated the successful "Evening with the Arts" and "Variety of Voices" concert series. Judy conducts two children's choirs and is the principal organiser of the Young Voices Festival that brings together early childhood choirs from in and around Brisbane. As an Early Childhood Music Program coordinator at ACU National and in the wider community, she has opened the opportunity for many children and their families to take part in music activities.
2004 Associate Professor Denis McLaughlin, School of Educational Leadership, Queensland and Ms Marjorie Campbell, Yalbalinga Indigenous Unit, Strathfield (shared)
Associate Professor Denis McLaughlin was involved over an extended period in a range of community engagement activities concerned with building the capacity of higher education institutions in developing countries. His initiative in developing the capacity of such organisations in South Africa, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Virgin Islands was instrumental in enabling these communities to offer courses in effective leadership, particularly for the Catholic Education sector. His enormous energy and his readiness to work in very challenging and diverse contexts was greatly appreciated by those who further developed their own capacities while jointly delivering units and courses. Associate Professor McLaughlin also facilitated fund raising for such courses to be offered and encouraged staff to be sensitive to the cultural and social realities of these countries.
Ms Marjorie Campbell displayed a genuine commitment to inform and facilitate learning between Indigenous Australians and the wider community nationally and internationally. Her work with participants in emergent programs within Australia and overseas showed that her discussions with people had a profound and empowering impact on the participants from Australia, Britain and Ireland. Ms Campbell's work in immersion programs extended to Brazil where she had the opportunity to communicate with the non-Indigenous people regarding the importance of communicating at a spiritual level as a means of assisting Indigenous people to feel valued. The work of Ms Campbell extended beyond the immersion programs to fund-raising within and beyond ACU National. Her involvement with the Redfern community continued beyond an offer of support and guidance to engaging them with other community organisations.
2003 Dr Janet Currie, School of Exercise Science, North Sydney and Dr Peter Howard, School of Education, Strathfield (shared)
Dr Currie (image left) and Dr Howard (image below) gave evidence of sustained community engagement and had a contagious interest which resulted in others becoming involved in their initiatives. They very explicitly addressed social and ethical issues which were consonant with the University's mission. Clear evidence was provided regarding the benefit of the community engagement activity for the people involved, the wider community and also for the University. Dr Currie's volunteer work and engagement focused around the Strollers program which contributed to the well being of new mothers by encouraging personal fitness. The formal program addressed the general trend of reduced physical activity in new mothers. The program was focused in social economically disadvantaged areas and sought to proactively reduce the incidence and severity of postnatal depression.
Dr Howard was involved over an extensive period of time in a range of community engagement activities. This included work with the St Vincent de Paul Society, Indigenous communities across NSW and an advisory role in a range of committees, including the General Ministries Committee of the Christian Brothers of St Mary's. His work inspired members of staff to become involved in the Clemente Education for the Homeless Program. The contageous affect of his enthusiasm on others was attested to by a staff nominee who said that their involvement in the Clemente Program was prompted by Dr Howard's much greater involvement, interest and enthusiasm in engaging with the community in ways that addressed social and enthical issues. Evidence was provided on Dr Howard's role in providing avenues for the community to engage mutually with the University.
Award for Outstanding Community Service Winners
The winners below were recipients of Community Service Awards which preceded the Community Engagement Awards.
2002 Dr Valda Dickinson rsm, School of Education, Strathfield
Dr Valda Dickinson rsm was involved in outstanding and generous community service since she began her work at Mount Saint Mary College, a predecessor of ACU National, and exhibited sustained service for 27 years. Her generous and self sacrificing contributions were said to have brought to life members of very diverse and marginalised communities. While in Chile, Dr Dickinson experienced first hand the needs of people on the margins of Santiago. During her three year's in Northern Kenya, Dr Dickinson worked with women in the Kakuma Refugee Camp, affirming their self reliance and dignity and developing sustainable networks of community workers. Dr Dickinson promoted the involvement of others in community service through offering courses in cultural awareness and community service as well as organising immersion experiences for teachers going to Thailand, Nepal, India and Pakistan.
2001 Ms Cheryl Rasmussen, School of Arts and Sciences, Brisbane
At the time of nomination, Ms Rasmussen had been heavily involved in service to the community for over 20 years. A volunteer member of the Pine Rivers State Emergency Service, Cheryl held the positions of Deputy Local Controller and Senior Instructor for Queensland. During her many hours of volunteer service, Cheryl was involved in numerous SES activations, trained members, managed the unit and contributed to the wider community within the capacity of the Metropolitan District Training Support Unit. In addition to her work with the SES, Cheryl was also a member of the Counter Disaster Planning Committee for the Pine Rivers Shire Council and member of the Australian Institute of Emergency Services. The selection panel recognised Cheryl's valuable contribution to the community in times of distress and considered her work exceptional in characterising the service aspect of the University's Mission.
2000 Ms Rosemary Williams, Counsellor / Counselling Psychologist, Melbourne
Ms Williams was presented with the award in recognition of her work as a volunteer psychologist-in-residence at the Regina Coeli Community for Homeless Women, providing invaluable assistance to women in need. Volunteering at the Regina Coeli Community since 1989, Ms Williams displayed a strong personal commitment to community service and to the University's Mission. Her contribution to the Regina Coeli Community included the production and editorship of a quarterly newsletter, Taking It Like A Woman. The Centre Coordinator applauded Ms Williams great gift of her time, expertise and discernment in preparing the regular newsletter, described as "a rich repository of our shared life in this community". The newsletters contained moving and inspiring stories which gave a face and voice to homeless women. The Australian Psychological Society also recognised Rosemary's contribution to homeless women, granting her the 1999 Elaine Dignan Award.
