Welcome from our Vice-Chancellor
Deakin University is known for generating great ideas – translating and applying them to deliver impact. But it is the partnerships we cultivate within our diverse, global community that enable this process and amplify our work to benefit as many people as it can.
Each year when reading The dKin Difference, I am struck by the deeply personal stories that are shared, and the connections and legacies that emerge as a result.
Our National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) is leading the way to better understand and support the mental health of Australia’s farming communities. The Centre is based in Hamilton and was founded thanks to the foresight of the Geoff & Helen Handbury Foundation. Dr Alison Kennedy and her colleagues are embedded in the local community, and their research is responsive to its needs.
Back on Track is a pilot NCFH project that will see mental health outreach delivered by farmers, for farmers. It is an Australian first, and the echoes of this work will be felt for generations to come.
Inspired by the kindness and compassion of her late son Mishka, Pamela McIntosh has both co-funded a research position and established scholarships that support Deakin students to undertake mental health first aid training.
Each of these students will be empowered to help those within their own communities.
When families entrust us to honour the memory of a loved one, as Pamela has, we acknowledge the privilege and responsibility of doing so.
The Neilson family’s story is forever linked with Deakin’s own history. The late Geoffrey Neilson AM was a highly respected accountant in Geelong who was part of Deakin’s interim Council in 1975, and guided the institution for many years, eventually becoming Deputy Chancellor. Deakin conferred an honorary doctorate on Geoffrey in recognition of his immense contributions to the University. Following his passing in 2018, his family has chosen to create two endowed scholarships in his name. Fittingly, these gifts will support talented and hardworking students in our business and commerce programs, in perpetuity.
I was pleased to read about the exciting learning experiences that students in our creative arts programs are undertaking, thanks to the Eric Ormond Baker Charitable Fund. My colleague Professor Simon Tormey, who leads the Faculty of Arts and Education, speaks of the inherent value of these disciplines, and also the challenge of funding small, studio-based practice. With the support of the Fund, our film and television, music, and visual arts students will be better connected to industry, and their work will reach a wider audience.
We are proud to share the stories of the Deakin community and their positive impacts on the world. I hope to hear more about your own journey at one of our upcoming events for donors, alumni and partners.
Professor Iain Martin
Vice-Chancellor