GradLife Magazine Stories

• GradLife
• Professional blogger hits the big time
• From little things, big things grow
• Jennifer paints the Board green
• VC visits international alumni
• Law degree passport to adventure
• Portrait of a local artist
• Advocate for surrogate parenthood
• Film grads get the reel deal

GradLife
University of Western Sydney

A SPECIAL UNILIFE SUPPLEMENT FROM UWS Vol 3 SPRING 2008 ISSN 1833-5837

Professional blogger hits the big time
Neerav Bhatt has put his UWS Bachelor of Business Computing (E-Business) to good use, establishing himself as one of Australia’s highest-earning bloggers.

If you have never met Neerav, with over 1 million page views on his blog last year, you may have heard of him.
“I started blogging to cover current topics and issues that not many people were writing about on the internet,” he said. His blog covers everything from finance, politics, social issues and current events like the Beijing Olympics.
Neerav graduated from UWS with a Bachelor of Business Computing (E-Business) in 2002, which he says has allowed him to establish himself in a diverse career in the emerging online industry.

“I remember three lecturers specifically: Keith Simpson taught me to write programming code to a high standard, Paul Davies got me interested in web design and Penny Rossiter sparked my involvement in politics,” he said.
“My UWS degree and experience in the web development industry meant I didn’t have to pay anyone for web hosting, design or modifying website code, because I could do it all myself,” he said. “I also already had the business skills to do effective sales and marketing, set prices, handle invoicing, and paying my bills through other people. These were big advantages.”

Neerav also works as an IT consultant, which gives him the freedom to blog. “The key is to determine what your priorities are. I’d rather work hard three days a week and earn a good income to allow me free time for other activities,” he said.Neerav also has a passion for politics – last year he was nominated as the Greens candidate in the Federal seat of Werriwa and State seat of Menai in the recent State and Federal elections.

“Some people asked me why I bothered being a candidate in the 2007 State and Federal elections if I knew it would take up a lot of time and involve loss of business income while knowing there was a chance I wasn’t going to win. Many people think that they’re only one person and can’t make a difference to large organisations like governments. I think you can change the system from the inside. Like Gandhi said, ‘We must be the change we wish to see’.
“I learnt many things including just how much time is spent organising campaigns behind the scenes, how to deal with the media and major party candidates.”

Neerav says careers in the future will be a lot more flexible and require a diverse range of skills. “Those who survive and succeed in the future will have flexible minds, a willingness to try new things, learn new skills and gain specialist knowledge in more than one area of work, so they aren’t caught unprepared by shifts in the economy or workforce,” he said.

“I could have earned more money during the past few years if I’d specialised in one area and lived to work, but that wouldn't have been enjoyable, and I would have missed many opportunities to learn and meet interesting people along the way.”

Box out:
Get in touch
Neerav would love to hear from people he studied with as well as with former lecturers. You can contact Neerav Bhatt by email or you can visit Neerav’s blogs and Road Less Travelled website.

^ Back to top

From little things, big things grow
Armed with an agriculture degree from UWS, Michael Silm has turned his family’s apple orchard into a thriving business with 35,000 trees growing plums, peaches, nectarines and sweet persimmons.

There’s far more to fruit growing than oranges and lemons, as UWS graduate Michael Silm will tell you. He has almost 30 years of experience growing, developing and exporting different fruits since studying agriculture at UWS Hawkesbury (formerly Hawkesbury Agricultural College) in 1979. “The good thing about the course was that it was very practical, not all textbook-based. In those days the process was fairly intense – 35 or 38 hours a week – but it was a great learning experience.”

After graduating and travelling overseas for a year, Michael joined the family business in Picton. “I was the eldest son of an orchardist and I enjoyed the lifestyle of working in the fresh air. My father was great at backing and investing in new ideas and innovation, so as a young, keen graduate, it was a great environment. When I came back to the family business, it only grew apples, but within a few years we were growing plums, peaches, nectarines and a very new tree crop: sweet persimmons.” The business grew from 6,000 to 35,000 trees in nine years.

In 1990 Michael was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to travel the world studying fresh fruit marketing and sweet persimmon culture. “Sweet persimmons are very different to the old, traditional persimmons that would taste terrible and dry your mouth out when eaten hard. Sweet or non-astringent persimmons can be eaten hard and crunchy, like an apple. They taste sweet with little acid and have a delicious flavour.

“The Churchill Fellowship had an enormous impact on me and the direction my career took. I saw how big the export markets were, and as soon as I got home we started exporting directly to Singapore.” Michael developed a business called Panda Ranch, selling stone fruit internationally and in Australia, where it gained the second-largest market share and won a prestigious Agribusiness Enterprise of the Year at the National Rabobank Agribusiness awards in 2005. Last year Michael sold the business and now works as a consultant in the produce industry, helping growers face new challenges in the industry like drought, vacillating exchange rates and staff retention.

Michael has fond memories of his time living on campus during his studies at UWS, including a rugby trip to the US in 1979. “I made so many great friends that I still keep in regular contact with,” he said. Working in the fruit industry developed Michael’s business sense and ability to think on his feet. “We deal in perishables, so every day makes a big difference. When fruit is picked, it begins to immediately die, so when you work in an environment like that, decisions must be made quickly. As a result, I act quickly with almost everything I do. That is not to say I make rash decisions, just balanced decisions at pace.”

^ Back to top

Jennifer paints the Board green
UWS Board of Trustees elected Graduate Member, Jennifer Brown, has made a career incorporating sustainability into daily business practices. Now she has turned her expertise and determination to driving the UWS Greening Taskforce.

When Jennifer Brown graduated from UWS in 1989, she never imagined that one day she’d be back as a fully-fledged member of the University’s governing body.
“I still catch myself looking for who’s in charge to tell me what to do,” said Jennifer laughing. “That is until I realise, ‘oh, that’s me’!”

Jennifer, who graduated from UWS with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Systems Agriculture) before forging a career in the then fledgling fields of restoration ecology, environmental management and sustainability, was elected to the UWS Board of Trustees two years ago. Since then the Board has enthusiastically embraced her experience and expertise, which has become the driving force behind UWS’ Greening Taskforce.

During the past 13 years, Jennifer has held numerous public sector positions charged with the task of incorporating sustainability into daily business practice.
She was the Environment Manager on NSW’s Zoological Board – responsible for both Taronga and the Western Plains Zoos, facilitated the NSW Government’s Waste Reduction and Purchasing Policy across 140 agencies, and now works on product stewardship with industry sectors in NSW – a process of embedding sustainability into product design.

Jennifer has also broadened her qualifications, attaining a Master of Environmental Management and, more recently, a Master of International Environmental Law from Macquarie University. She describes the Greening Taskforce initiative as a kind of seed project based on the philosophy of behavioural and organisational change.

“My reasoning was that we already had a number of leading academics and research centres in a variety of fields at UWS that could contribute to the taskforce – we didn’t need to bring in outside help. We already had environmental, economic and cultural/social experts, so why not use their knowledge and skills to improve the University itself?”

Throughout her career Jennifer has witnessed a paradigm shift in attitudes towards environmental and ecological issues. When she walked off the Hawkesbury campus armed with an ag-science degree and a heart full of passion two decades ago, environmental sustainability was very much on the fringe and considered the domain of “greenie-radicals” and “counter-culturalists” – there was no career path per se.

“It seems obvious now but at the time my undergraduate course was regarded as radical for considering the role of humans and the environment in agriculture,” she said. “I graduated just as Land Care was emerging so it is bemusing (though encouraging) to now see dry economic rationalists considering the ramifications of climate change and supporting environmental issues.

“Al Gore’s video helped, but the turning point was probably the Stern Report. That was the world’s ‘ah ha’ moment – a respected international economist talking seriously about climate change – and Australia’s own Professor Ross Garnaut’s report has helped the local impetus.”
Prior to that “moment”, Jennifer had spent much of her career negotiating mainstream society’s environmental skepticism and denial. So just how did she keep her faith and focus? How does one “stay the course” when entering new or fledgling fields or disciplines?

“I’d suggest a combination of patience and persistence. That may seem outdated advice as our world is so instantaneous and ‘on demand’. It’s being willing to understand that most won’t see the world from your perspective all the time but, with persistence, they can come to understand what you’re on about. “An advocate must be well grounded in their area, know their facts and have a credible counter argument to prevailing wisdom; this too takes patience in terms of time to build that personal ‘database’.

“Persistence also allows you to demonstrate that you are genuine, that you believe in what you are doing. Those are the qualities that others respect even if they don’t agree with you.”

Box out:
Calling for nominations to the UWS Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the University of Western Sydney. It is responsible for strategic planning and oversight, defining the University’s educational profile, management of the University’s resources, and monitoring performance and quality assurance. The Board has 18 members (appointed, official and elected), who bring to it a range of backgrounds, expertise and perspectives.
The current elected Graduate Member is Jennifer Brown (see article above).

The next election for the Graduate Member of the Board of Trustees will take place in early 2009. It is a four-year term from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2013.

For a graduate to be eligible to vote, nominate or stand, they must have their name on the roll of graduates and they will need to register to vote prior to the election. Note that graduates who are also current staff or students of the University are not eligible.

For more information, please visit the UWS Board of Trustees, eligibility to vote or how to vote and register.

^ Back to top

VC visits international alumni
UWS Vice Chancellor, Professor Janice Reid, and Director, Office of Development, Janice Thomas, recently attended the Global Philanthropic University Advancement Tour in London and New York, catching up with international alumni along the way.

The Global Philanthropic University Advancement Tour in July was designed to introduce university Vice-Chancellors and Directors of Development from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China and South Africa to international issues and best practice solutions in university advancement. Participants visited universities in the United Kingdom and United States and heard presentations by experts on fundraising, staff recruitment and funds management. In London, Professor Reid and Ms Thomas met up with UWS alumni Anne Bonanno, Carrie Le, and Kristi Sodarak – who are all now working and living in the UK.

Anne Bonanno graduated from UWS with a Bachelor of Social Science (Criminology) in 2001. After a stint with the Australian Customs Service as a Customs Officer, Anne moved to London where she now works as a migration caseworker with company 1st Contact. Her job involves project managing visa applications for clients wishing to migrate to Australia and New Zealand.

Carrie Le had an early introduction to UWS by studying a first year law subject during her HSC at Sefton High School as part of the Pathways to UWS program. In 2000, she commenced her studies at UWS and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Management)/Bachelor of Laws (Honours), and Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (Distinction). In January 2005, she set off to New York to complete a one-year internship at Tresslor Soderstrom Maloney & Priess, a national US law firm specialising in litigation. She then moved to London, expanding into International Tax. Carrie now specialises in Insurance Tax at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Kristi Sodarak graduated from UWS with a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) in 2006. After graduation Kristi set off to the US, where she explored American culture and traditions. Kristi currently lives in London where she works in marketing for Jones Lang LaSalle, a financial and professional services firm specialising in real estate services and investment management.

Kristi said meeting with Ms Thomas and Professor Reid was a great opportunity to catch up with other alumni. “It was nice to hear each other’s stories of our time at the University. I look forward to the next chapter of UWS and the brighter future,” she said. While in New York, Ms Thomas also met graduate, Ellen Yuen, and in Singapore, the UWS Alumni Singapore President, Eddie Tay. Ellen Yuen graduated from UWS in 1995 with a Bachelor of Nursing, and moved to the USA where she commenced work with a home care agency as an RN and nurse educator.
UWS MBA graduate Eddie Tay overcame his impoverished background to become a successful businessman in Singapore. His enterprises include an education centre, stationery supplies and book keeping services. In 1978 Eddie turned his entrepreneurial flair to providing assistance to Singapore’s needy. He established a charitable organisation, the Realm of Tranquillity, which provides assistance to the elderly and to people with disabilities. Through its network of more than 200 volunteers, the Realm of Tranquillity distributes daily necessities to the elderly in their homes.

Ms Thomas said the recent visits to London, New York and Singapore provided welcome opportunity to engage with international alumni and bring them up to date with the UWS Alumni Relations Office and the exciting things planned for the future.

^ Back to top

Law degree passport to adventure
Lucas Sork sees an LLB from UWS as the key that has opened many doors and opportunities for him, including his current position as legal counsel for an international aviation communication organisation in Dubai.

Lucas Sork is not the easiest UWS graduate to get in touch with. As a senior legal counsel for an international aviation communication organisation servicing more than 600 companies in 220 countries and territories, Lucas is often in transit between his current home base of Dubai and possibly anywhere on the globe.

GradLife finally tracked him down somewhere between Dubai and Johannesburg. Since graduating from UWS in 2001 with a Bachelor of Laws, Lucas has had a range of interesting jobs. He has been a paralegal for OneTel, worked at a Sydney radio station, and as a private practice lawyer for top-tier law firms Minter Ellison and Gilbert and Tobin. But it was the lure of adventure and the exotic that drew Lucas to Dubai.

“It’s been a great cultural experience working overseas. Not only did I meet my wife here but learning about new business cultures has been interesting – though sometimes challenging. As an Australian-trained lawyer, ethics is central to my practice, which can sometimes conflict with business practices in the region,” he said.

“I also felt that opportunities in Australia were limited. I moved to Dubai into a private practice role, but easily switched across into an in-house role. While I was looking for a new job the opportunities were flying at me, which I doubt is the case in Australia.”Lucas already had a BA from the University of NSW and had been working full time at OneTel when he decided to study law. He was unsatisfied with his career progression and realised a higher degree was necessary to pursue the kind of work he wanted to do.
“Law has always interested me. My father is a lawyer and it seemed that studying law could open a lot of doors and opportunities. I viewed an LLB as a general degree that would give me the flexibility and skills to choose the career I wanted,” he said.

When asked why he chose UWS to study law, Lucas likes to say that UWS chose him. “It was a such great place to study – I met some of my best friends at UWS, the class times were very flexible so I was able to work full time and study effectively at the same time, and there was a good collegiate atmosphere with teaching staff.” Apart from marrying his wife, Lucas considers his decision to study law as one of the best moves he’s ever made and sees an LLB as the key that has opened many doors and opportunities for him.

“There are not many professions and skills that allow you to travel the world and work so easily,” he said.
After two years based on the Arabian Peninsula, Lucas loves living in Dubai and has taken to the ex-pat lifestyle – though cautions it is not necessarily the workplace of milk and honey. “Everyone probably salivates about the tax free incomes in Dubai but, while take-home salaries are higher than Australia, the cost of living is astronomical – to rent a small apartment in a reasonable location will cost you upwards of $A50K per year.

“If you limit your exposure to rent and live a moderate lifestyle, you can definitely save money. However, many ex-pats come here and blow a lot of their disposable income on travel and a rich ex-pat lifestyle.”
At this stage Lucas is happy to continue following the ex-pat working trail but admits he misses certain things at home, like order on the roads, the certainty of law, and his friends and family.

“My wife is pregnant and due in January, so I know I will be missing the Aussie hospital system when that time comes,” he said. “We might consider a transfer to head office in Geneva if the right opportunity arose and I have always wanted to live in the USA, so we would also consider a transfer there. Ultimately, though, I will remain in-house either as a lawyer or in management.”

Pull quote:
“There are not many professions and skills that allow you to travel the world and work so easily.”
Lucas Sork

^ Back to top

Portrait of a local artist
UWS arts graduate Stuart Mawbey is a long-time supporter of local arts and his local community in Goulburn.

UWS arts graduate Stuart Mawbey has just opened Goulburn’s new Grevillea Gallery.The gallery is housed in a restored 19th century courthouse and opened its doors to the public on 1 June this year.“I wanted to create a beautiful space for people to come and see contemporary art and display the best of what Goulburn has to offer,” said Stuart.

“At the moment there’s an exhibition of digital art by Brad Nichols, beautiful light sculptures by Peter Collins, nudes by Tom Reid, and a collection of Western Desert art from the Northern Territory.“We also offer visitors a taste of the region, from some of our finest cold-climate wines to delicacies like truffles,” said Stuart.

“It took five months of polishing, painting and decorating to bring the building back to its former glory, but it was worth the effort. And it’s exciting to be in business and lead a team of people,” said Stuart. Stuart graduated with first class honours in Bachelor of Arts from UWS in 1997. He majored in literature and studied visual arts, theatre, psychology and creative writing.

The gallery also serves as a studio for Stuart’s wedding and portrait photography business. Inspired by his studies, Stuart is also a long-time supporter of local arts and his local community.

After finishing his UWS studies, Stuart moved to Braidwood where he became part of the vibrant arts community. He studied silk screen printing and worked with local artists.
Now in Goulburn, he is an active participant in local theatre and writing groups and a volunteer for the State Emergency Service.

As a member of Goulburn’s amateur dramatics group, the Argyle Society, Stuart has acted in several musicals. He is also part of the Goulburn Miles Franklin Writer’s Group where he occasionally performs his own poetry. “Writing is certainly a passion and something I’d love to focus on more one day.”

In the meantime, Stuart has just been awarded his second medallion by the Premier for services to the people of NSW through the State Emergency Service. The medals commend his work in the Newcastle storms earlier this year, and in the 2000-2001 Canberra bushfires. Stuart is also about to receive a long-service medal for his 10 years of volunteering with the service.

Pull quote:
“I wanted to create a beautiful space for people to come and see contemporary art and display the best of what Goulburn has to offer.”
Stuart Mawbey

^ Back to top

Advocate for surrogate parenthood
UWS graduate Sandra Dill was awarded an Order of Australia for her long career working for infertility advocacy groups. She is now embarking on a PhD at UWS exploring the implications of surrogate parenthood.

Sandra Dill is beginning her PhD at UWS investigating the implications of surrogate parenthood. “Surrogacy challenges the conception and structure of family. How one should construct family will be a central theme,” she said. Sandra has had a long career studying infertility and educating others about the impact that infertility can have on couples. She was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in 1996.

Like many students, Sandra was a little nervous on her first day as a Business Management undergraduate at UWS. She’d left high school at the end of Year 10 a decade earlier, and finished her first maths lecture feeling overwhelmed. “As I left, the lecturer followed me out and told me the University was confident I had the ability to complete the course, that he considered himself a good teacher and I shouldn’t give up after one week. I made it through the class, and the next year earned a high distinction for Inferential Statistics, thanks to another helpful teacher. Their commitment to teaching sparked a love of learning for me.”

Sandra underwent IVF treatment herself during the final year of her degree, which was a stressful experience. “Balancing full-time work with study was not easy with added stress of undergoing IVF treatment,” she said. Her experiences with fertility treatments had a big impact on Sandra. “Most people take for granted their ability to have a child. In fact, between 13 and 24 percent of couples are unable to conceive, and for these couples the difficulties in having a child can be very painful to manage. Infertility is an extremely isolating experience,” she said. Sandra later completed her Master of Law at UWS. “UWS really welcomes graduates from different disciplines doing a Master of Law.” Her Masters looked into the legal, social and ethical issues in surrogate parenting, surveying over 11,000 people with infertility on their views, experiences and opinions.

Her PhD will look at a different angle of the same subject. She chose UWS to complete her thesis because she was impressed by the support she received as an undergraduate. “The University really encourages everyone in lifelong learning, and they really appreciate business expertise and experience,” she says.

Sandra was instrumental in founding ACCESS Australia, a national support and advocacy organisation for infertility. She’s also addressed the UN, WHO and other health organisations in Australia and around the world. Sandra hopes her work will open more doors for couples with infertility and increase awareness about the impact that infertility can have. She also believes the government and the law need more understanding of the rights of those who can’t conceive naturally.

^ Back to top

Film grads get the reel deal
UWS graduates Eduardo Garcia and Rob Leggo stole the show at this year’s Commonwealth Reel Deal Short Film Festival.

UWS graduates Eduardo Garcia and Rob Leggo have won top prizes at the 2008 Commonwealth Reel Deal Short Film Festival. One of the richest Australian film festivals, and home of the only Australian film scholarship prize, the festival gave away over $20 000 in cash and prizes at the gala awards ceremony on 2 August.

Eduardo received the $1 000 Best Script award for Shared Living, which focuses on the relationships between three male roommates experiencing domestic troubles.
Rob, who is currently working at UWS as a Technical Officer in the School of Communication Arts, received the $5 000 Bryan Brown Scholarship for his police drama Observation.
Festival patron Bryan Brown praised Eduardo’s work: “Eduardo has a great gift,” he said. “Through his movies he has shown an embracing theme that teaches us friendship is important. His ideas are original and at the same time astounding,” said Bryan.

Eduardo said, “It was great to win since a lot of people put so much effort into making the film. It was a privilege just to be in the competition and to be nominated for the award.” Involving influential industry professionals like AFTRS, UWS, TVS and the Cumberland News Group, the awards are a great opportunity for young film makers to showcase their talent and work in front of people who can help shape their careers.

The seven-minute-long entries were scripted, shot and edited within 12 weeks – one of the requirements of the competition. They also included the theme “embrace”, with at least one scene shot on location in Bankstown or Broken Hill. “I found inspiration for the script from friends and roped them in to play parts. The film grew as we got into our roles,” said Eduardo, who also directed the piece.
UWS journalism graduate Johnny Casni played a major role and Eduardo’s sister made a cameo appearance.

Both Eduardo and Rob have participated in the festival since it began in 2006. In the first year of the competition, Eduardo won the Bryan Brown Scholarship for his film Ways that Pays and in 2007 was a finalist with Aussie Lover 158.
“It’s a challenging career to choose. Being a finalist at the festival over the past three years has given me the motivation to keep going,” said Eduardo.

Now working as a technician at SBS, Eduardo graduated from UWS with a Bachelor of Communication (Media Arts Production) in 2007. “The UWS course was highly practical,” said Eduardo. “We were taken thoroughly through the steps of making a film – from developing a script right through to seeing the final production on screen.”

Eduardo plans to spend his 2006 scholarship on a film editing and cinematography course. He is using his most recent prize money to develop two more short films, one of which he plans to enter for the Tropfest short film festival in Sydney next year. He hopes Shared Living will be selected to tour around Australia as part of the Flickerfest short film festival in early 2009.

Watch Shared Living, Observation and the other films that made the 2008 finals on the Real Deal - Short Film Festival website.

Pull quote:
“Eduardo has a great gift. Through his movies he has shown an embracing theme that teaches us friendship is important. His ideas are original and at the same time astounding.”
Bryan Brown

^ Back to top