Dean of Dentistry​

Welcome to the November edition of the School of Medicine and Dentistry newsletter.

As Dean of Dentistry at Griffith, I am tremendously proud of the work we all do in preparing the next generation of dental professionals to contribute to better health outcomes for our local, national and international communities. It is, however, more than just our learning and teaching activity which provides measurable impact. Our research is also a major contributor to positive health outcomes and informs our teaching with transformative goals to make significant improvements in the oral and general health of the public; enhance the quality of life of local, Australian, regional and communities worldwide through improved knowledge of disease aetiology, prevention and management; enhance the quality, relevance and satisfaction of the educational experience for our staff and students and develop education initiatives that can be transported nationally and internationally; contribute to the research culture across the University, and the professions in the wider practicing community; and become a recognised first port of call for industry partners seeking research collaborations to advance health care and oral sciences. These goals are reflected in the current ERA 5 rank for dentistry at Griffith. In our School, and in our respective disciplines, we are an exemplar of the University’s vision and mission; to transform lives and add to human knowledge and understanding in a way that creates a future that benefits all. For me, that is very gratifying.

It was indeed very rewarding to see Griffith Dentistry and Oral Sciences ranked #2 in Australia in the Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subject 2021. This result speaks to the impact and influence of our learning and teaching activities, and the quality of our graduates. This is a shared achievement for our dentistry and oral health staff, one which demonstrates that our hard work, and the robust nature of our curricula, are widely regarded. I think all members of our immediate and extended community should be incredibly proud of this prestigious, global recognition.

I look forward to continuing to work together as we strive to take the #1 spot in Australia.

Learning and Teaching matters

Showcasing innovation in learning and teaching 

I am delighted to announce the inaugural School of Medicine and Dentistry Learning and Teaching Showcase has been scheduled for Tuesday 30 November from 10.30 am –3.00 pm in G17_Lecture Theatre 3, Griffith University Gold Coast campus.  

Our showcase will provide staff with the opportunity to share learning and teaching innovations, and to build collaborations across our diverse range of disciplines. 

The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education) recently announced the decision to implement CANVAS as our new Learning Management System (LMS).   

Academic Group representatives and University experts on the procurement panel selected CANVAS because it will provide a simpler, more contemporary learning and teaching environment, suitable for all our disciplines and learning contexts.  

No doubt we are all eager to know more about the LMS implementation project and regular updates will be sent from Professor Liz Burd and from the office of the Pro Vice Chancellor (Health).  

Staff wanting more information about the LMS project can find out more on Griffith's LMS Migration Project page. 
 
Professor Libby Cardell 
Deputy Head of School, Learning & Teaching

Research matters

On Friday 30 September we hosted our inaugural and very successful Research Day, with excellent presentations from some of our key researchers as well as the School winners of the 3MT competition. This was an excellent forum at which to share some of the high-quality research underway currently in the School, and collaborations with colleagues from across the Health Group and in the wider community. It also provided a valuable opportunity for fostering new collaborative opportunities between researchers within the School.

We have successfully recruited a HDR candidate to membership of the School’s Research Committee. Ms Laura McCosker was the successful nominee. Laura has also joined the School Committee as the HDR candidate representative. To affirm what an excellent choice Laura was as HDR representative, she has already commenced discussions to inform the development of a HDR engagement program, which will be considered by the Research Committee before forwarding to School Committee for approval. Congratulations Laura on your nomination – we are all very excited to be working with you as you represent your fellow HDR candidates. 

Professor Keith Grimwood 
Deputy Head of School, Research

News from our Staff

Enhancing the student experience – TraumaPalooza  

Paramedicine students experienced the role of responders attending to multiple patients requiring their assistance at the Griffith University Aquatic Centre on Wednesday 7 October. The genesis of the project (nicknamed TraumaPalooza) was the collaboration of Simulation Technician, Paramedicine Monique Hatchman, Campus
Facilities Manager Simon Somogyi, Trauma Course Convenor Sandy MacQuarrie and Aquatic Centre Manager Dylan Tidboald. Each contributed their expertise to facilitate the 49 second year students and Aquatic Centre staff through a day of challenging "real life" scenarios. Teams responded to a near-drowning progressing to cardiac arrest on the pool deck, a hyperthermic child locked in a nearby car, and a SCUBA diver who had been working underwater and developed Decompression Illness. 

Removed from the ‘Prac’ rooms, the students worked through the issues including moving equipment to patients and communicating with patients and bystanders while utilising the Centre staff to assist. Experienced sessional academics ran each simulation which included an in-depth debrief before the next call. The response from the students was overwhelming. One student wrote afterwards "Thank you for the time you put into organising today! It was the best lab I’ve experienced since starting this degree and I took a lot away from today".  

It took a team approach to address all the moving parts, but the interprofessional learning and authenticity of the experience certainly made it all worthwhile. A special thank you to Prof Libby Cardell who took time out from her busy day to attend a portion of the afternoon session. Initiatives like this will contribute to preparing paramedicine students for their role in emergency health services. 

Dr Sandy MacQuarrie 
Senior Lecturer in Paramedicine   

In Adversity's Face: Kerry O'Brien In Conversation with Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM 

Critically injured in a traffic accident while still a medical student more than a decade ago, Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM has broken more barriers than most people even face in a lifetime.

Queensland’s first quadriplegic medical intern and graduate, Dinesh is now a senior resident doctor at the Gold Coast University Hospital and Senior Lecturer in Griffith’s School of Medicine and Dentistry. A Griffith graduate and Queensland’s 2021 Australian of the Year, he is also a tireless advocate for people with disabilities.

To hear more of Dinesh’s remarkable story you can FIND THE RECORDING HERE.

Presented as part of A Better Future For All series by HOTA, Home of the Arts and Griffith University. 

In the undergraduate 'Overall Experience ratings for dentistry courses in Australia' category, Griffith ranks third behind CQU and JCU, with an overall satisfaction rating of 69.6%, noting that both CQU and JCU only have one undergraduate program (oral health therapy, dentistry respectively) compared to our suite of programs. This rating looks at the proportion of students who were satisfied with the overall quality of their educational experience.

In the postgraduate category, Griffith ranks first ahead of the University of Sydney and University of Melbourne. These results are a testament to the consistent efforts of our academic colleagues who are striving to deliver a high-quality student learning experience to our cohorts. Given the environment which we have had to operate in over the past 22 months, with considerable disruption to our 'clinical classrooms' among other rather challenging constraints, it is pleasing to see our students reporting an overall favourable experience.

I would like to thank all our dentistry and oral health colleagues for their contributions to these results.

Bad For Patients, Bad For Paramedics: Ambulance Ramping is a Symptom of a Health System in distress

Long lines of ambulances idling outside hospitals have shocked the public in recent news reports, especially in states with high COVID case numbers and increased hospital admissions. 

In fact, ambulance ramping is an issue even in states with low or no COVID cases, pointing to health systems under stress. It’s a problem that risks the health of patients and paramedics. 

Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons Masterclass

Dr Khaled Ahmed, Senior Lecturer in Prosthodontics, was invited by the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS) to deliver a Masterclass on Clinical Examination Techniques and Dental Imaging as part of the College's continuing professional development program.

The Masterclass, delivered on 4 September, was fully subscribed by 30 Specialists, Affiliates, Members, and Fellows of the College joining from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and the UAE. Involving a presentation delivered by Dr Ahmed, small-group, facilitated, case-based discussions, followed by case presentations, the Masterclass and feedback received proved a hit prompting the RACDS to invite Dr Ahmed to deliver a second iteration of it in early 2022. 

A/Prof Jing Sun appointed Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy 

Congratulations to A/Professor Jing Sun whose application for Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) has been successful. Recognition as a SFHEA acknowledges that an applicant has demonstrated a thorough understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as a key contribution to high quality student learning. 

Global award for Dr Leopold Aminde

On 6 December, postdoc fellow Leo Aminde will receive the inaugural Global Burden of Disease Emerging Researcher Award. This Award was created in 2020 “to support emerging global health researchers to carry out innovative research to improve the measurement and knowledge about burden of disease in populations”. The prize comes with loads of honour, $5,000 USD, and the opportunity to contribute a brief acceptance speech at the Roux Prize 2021 Virtual Winner's Seminar.  

To join the seminar on 6 December, go to https://www.healthdata.org/roux-prize (and be prepared for a 2:00-3:15 am session).  

Great to see this global recognition for one of the School’s early career researchers, and for the School as a research environment. 

Professor Lennert Veerman 
Professor of Public Health

International Association for Dental Research Australia/New Zealand Division Award in Preventative and Community Dentistry

The doctor and engineer helping people with quadriplegia one day walk again

Staffing update

Congratulations to our colleagues on their recent appointments to positions with the School: 

Professor Carlos Marcelo da Silva Figueredo, appointed to the Professor of Periodontology role.  

A/Professor Pavla Simerska Taylor who joined the SoMAD community on 6 September as the MD Assessment and Evaluation Lead.  

Professor Jasotha Sanmugarajah who has been appointed our new Clinical Sub-Dean for the medical program at the Gold Coast University Hospital.  

Dr Kwong Chan (Medicine), Dr Mark Storrs (Dentistry and Oral Health) and Dr Jessica Lee (Public Health) on their appointments to the role of IPL Lead for the respective programs.

Dr Kylie Vuong who will be commencing in the role of Associate Professor in Primary Care, and also Academic Lead in General Practice for the MD program in January 2022. 

Dr Nicole Flemming (SC) and Dr Sandra Ramos (GC) who have been appointed to Lecturer Level B roles within the medical program. 

In sad news, we recently bid farewell to A/Professor Louise Wright who left Griffith to take up a senior academic role in the College of Medicine and Dentistry at James Cook University (JCU). Louise’s enduring commitment to our students made her an esteemed member of our community and she will be greatly missed. 

Promoted to Research Fellow, Grade 2 
Dr Clifford Afoakwah 

Promoted to Senior Lecturer 
Dr Erika Borkoles 

Promoted to Associate Professor 
Dr Shannon Rutherford 
Dr Lakal Dissabandara 

Promoted to Professor 
Associate Professor Jing Sun 
Associate Professor Jane Evans 

This is well-deserved recognition of the contributions and performance of our colleagues through either:  

• meritorious performance across the three areas of teaching, research and service and engagement, or 
• meritorious performance across the three areas of teaching, scholarship and service and engagement, or 
• outstanding achievement in one of the four areas while meeting a minimum threshold in two other areas. 

We are sure you will all want to join with us in congratulating our colleagues on their promotion and wishing them continuing success in their academic careers. 

Our students: achieving; engaging and giving back

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Hospital Liaison Officer ‘Health Education Sessions’ 

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Hospital Liaison Officer (HLO) health education sessions have continued again in 2021 following the two successful sessions conducted last year on cardiovascular and renal diseases. Griffith medical students and members of Hope4Health received the request last year from the HLOs. The request for specific education sessions came about as the result of the HLOs desire to better understand what their patients are going through medically, combined with questions from patients about their conditions. 

There were three (3) sessions conducted in May, August, and September this year. The diabetes, liver diseases and immune system sessions were attended by HLOs from Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Nambour and Gympie Hospital. The sessions included presentations and discussions, followed by a light meal. Medical students Forest Bluefeather and Narissa Chalmers (first year); Jovie Ann Decoyna, Harshita Shrinivasan, Annie Gynther, Marcus Tsaknis, and Corrina Grima (second year); and Tanzi Smith (third year) presented. 

Each session started with introduction and welcome to country followed by a brief video of the topic for the day. The larger group was then divided into small groups and the HLOs rotated through different stations. The small group presentations were followed by Q&A sessions and feedback or comments, as well as planning for the next session.  

The HLOs showed great enthusiasm in learning more about human physiology and different pathologies, particularly those that affect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, and this was evident in the questions raised and their feedback on these sessions. 

The group hope to continue this collaboration in future years and would like to acknowledge the Sunshine Coast Health Institute for the use of the human body visualisation lab and other rooms. Thanks also to Hope4Health and the HLO team for providing sponsorship to support refreshments.  

Jovie Ann Alawas Decoyna 
Year 2 Griffith Medical Student 

Student RACGP Queensland Medical Student Research Medal Prize

Congratulations to the following Year 3 medical students, the recipients of this year's prestigious 'RACGP Queensland Medical Student Research Medal Prize'.
The prize was awarded for presenting the most outstanding research paper at the 62nd Clinical Update Weekend Research Plenary. The award recipients are:

• Ms Victoria Allan (pictured receiving the award on behalf of the team)
• Ms Sarah D'Arcy
• Mr Chester Cao
• Mr Steve Ahn

The title of their research paper is "Googling’ for long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) procedures versus service utilization during COVID-19 pandemic in Australia".

Senior Lecturer in Primary Care, Dr Alireza Ahmadvand was the research project supervisor of these four amazing students.

Griffith Paramedic Students Award

Recently, three Griffith paramedicine students were recognised at the KJM Research and Education Symposium in Brisbane. Taking out first place and the ACP Scientific Student Grant was Ali Rengers for her poster “Undergraduate Paramedic Students can effectively deliver CPR & AED Community Outreach Programs”. Fellow students, Taneisha Beckton and Hannah Dumbleton received third place for their poster, titled “Under Pressure”, evaluating the use of CPAP in the prehospital environment.

The KJ McPherson Education and Research Foundation was founded in 1988 as a memorial to Kenneth James (Jim) McPherson and now operates as a not-for-profit entity working to identify research and development opportunities through the allocation of grants for uniformed officers of the Queensland Ambulance Service. If you want to see the next generation paramedic leaders - here they are! 

Well done to Ali, Taneisha and Hannah.

Steve Whitfield 
Lecturer in Paramedicine 

Dentistry Preclinical Lab Awards 

• Preclinical Fixed Prosthodontics Prize: Pim Choradol 
• Preclinical Removable Prosthodontics Prize: Pim Choradol and Sandra Borzei  
• Preclinical Paediatric Dentistry Prize: Woody Wang 
• Preclinical Endodontics Prize: Rhiannon Burchall and Jesse Ibrahim  

Congratulations to our winners on this achievement.

Dr Megan Gray
Lecturer in Dentistry

Public Health students led Griffith University Mental Health and Wellbeing Week 2021

The annual Griffith University Mental Health and Wellbeing Week Project is run by Griffith’s Counselling and Wellbeing service as one of their prevention strategies focusing on wellbeing as broad concept. The week consists of events and activities aimed at promoting the wellbeing of Griffith University students and staff. Each year the project aligns with R U OK? Day, a mental health awareness day run through the harm-prevention charity R U OK? This year the week ran from 6 - 10 September.  

Since 2020 this project has been led by undergraduate and postgraduate Public Health students. Engaging students to drive the project offers them a valuable real-world health promotion experience and helps ensure the project activities are relevant and student-centred. Bachelor of Public Health students complete this work as part of their practicum (convened by Dr Murray), and Master of Public Health/Master of Global Public Health students as part of their public health practice course (convened by Dr Ernesta Sofija), which is a capstone course in these programs.  

This is a large project with lots of ‘moving parts’ through which students gain experience in project planning, implementation and evaluation, as well as working in a large team. The work is spread across two trimesters, with the first group of students developing a program plan based on research, needs assessment and community engagement. Then a second group of students take over to implement and evaluate the project, producing a comprehensive report to hand down to the following year. As members of the second group of students, our aim was to organise and develop a week of events and activities for staff and students to be delivered in a mixed-mode method of online and on campus (Gold Coast and Nathan campuses). The events we organised and delivered included: Kindness cookies, free cookies stall where you write a kind, uplifting or fun message on a tag to leave for the next person, while you take a cookie that already has a kind tag from a stranger; Yoga on campus and online; Online exercise programs; Online self-care sessions; Craft a Card stalls on campus; and on campus workshops such as Creating Positive Habits, and many more…   

Through comprehensive formative research and engagement with the University’s community and internal partners, we aimed to design the events to be as relevant to the community as possible. We collaborated with over 25 internal Griffith University partners including The Student Guild, The Student Representative Council, The Yoga Club, Griffith Sports Collage and many more. Establishing and maintaining these partnerships throughout the project was valuable to develop my skills and capabilities in professional communications and networking through emails and meetings both face to face and online. The skills I have learned and developed throughout the course of this project will also be transferrable to my future career within public health through stakeholder partnerships, teamwork, interpersonal communications, and event and campaign organisation and implementation. I feel proud to have been a part of a team project that has made a meaningful and positive impact for my own community. This was truly a valuable and positive experience for me and the Griffith University community. 

Shaan Hodge 
Bachelor of Public Health student

Rural Collaborative Research Program

Student success despite ongoing challenges of COVID-19

This year the Griffith Paramedicine team had three Honours students successfully apply for the Griffith Research Bursary despite the ongoing challenges of COVID-19. These students are now drafting manuscripts for publications - so watch this space. Congratulations to:  

Angus Hazelton (second year). Trimester 2 Bursary Project  
Title: What is the (J) Point? Assessing student paramedic ECG interpretation of the J point. 

Mikala Hoekwater (first year). Trimester 2 Bursary Report 
Title: Ramping of Ambulances at Queensland Hospitals: Student Opinions and Attitudes Toward Ramping on Clinical Placement. 

Liam Levy (second year): Tentative Trimester 3 Bursary  
Title: COVID in the eyes of caregivers: Paramedicine student perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination. 

Steve Whitfield 
Lecturer in Paramedicine

Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

Congratulations to our School-based winners of the 2021 3MT competition. The judging panel were impressed with the quality of presentations, and were unanimous in the decision to award prizes to the following candidates: 

Pre-confirmation category (best presenter):  
Winner: Ms Vatsna Rathore - A Triple-P based online parenting intervention for promoting oral-hygiene practices and preventing dental caries in Australian preschoolers. 
LINK TO PITCH 

Post-confirmation category (two prizes): 
1st Place: Ms Laura McCosker - Homelessness in the Time of Coronavirus. 
LINK TO PITCH 

2nd Place: Mr João Martins de Mello Neto - Pathogenic Interplay between Periodontitis and Inflammatory Bowel disease. 
LINK TO PITCH 

15 winners from Schools across the Health Group and the Institute for Glycomics heats progressed to the Health Group Final.  The competition was fierce, with many worthy entries. In the end, the judges decided as follows: 
 
Runner Up: Laura McCosker - School of Medicine and Dentistry 
Winner: Amy Kirkegaard - School of Health Sciences and Social Work 
Wildcard 1: Danielle Lee - Institute for Glycomics 
Wildcard 2: Eva Sierra Silvestre - School of Health Sciences and Social Work

The Griffith 3MT Final was held on 3 September 2021, with inspiring research presentations from all finalists. The final results are as follows: 

2021 Griffith 3MT Winner: Amy Kirkegaard - An apple a day brings quality into play 
Runner-up: Julie Ballangarry - Is the education system broken? 
People's Choice: Danielle Lee - Game is on! Fungi vs Antifungals 

Be inspired by the incredible research of our 2021 finalist and watch the presentations HERE.

12-hour ambulance shift during a second wave of COVID-19 in London

2022 Griffith University Students (GUMS) Executive

It has been another great year of collaboration between GUMS and the School of Medicine and Dentistry. While there is still have a couple of months of 2021 to go, over the next little while we will be handing over to the 2022 team. Our Executive and Advocacy Representatives for 2022 are:

• President: Hamish Hamilton 
• Vice President (Gold Coast 1): Nick Ooi         
• Vice President (Gold Coast 2): Neha Athreya 
• Vice President (Sunshine Coast): Alex Turnbull 
• Secretary: Heidi Wagner                       
• Treasurer: Yovan Rasiah                       
• Immediate Past President: Janis Fernandes  
• Pre-Clinical Advocacy Officer: Josh Dsouza  
• Clinical Advocacy Officer: Tim McErlane   
• AMSA Representative: Alex Wilson  
• Year 2 Advocacy Rep (GC) - Josh D'Souza 
• Year 2 Advocacy Rep (SC) - Scott Bethune 
• Year 3 Advocacy Rep (GC) - Ryan Churchill 
• Year 3 Advocacy Rep (SC) - Harley Stiebel 
• Year 4 Advocacy Rep (GC) - Andrew Turner 
• Year 4 Advocacy Rep (SC) - Tim McErlane 
• Year 3 Rural Rep - Melanie Hobi 
• Year 4 Rural Rep - Kenta Arichi 
• International Rep - Jacqueline Tan 
• GCUH Rep - Ryan Churchill 
• SCUH Rep - Harley Stiebel 
• Logan Hospital Rep - Andrew Turner 
• The Tweed Hospital Rep - Tayla Dokonal 
• Pre-Clinical Advocacy Officer - Josh D'Souza 
• Clinical Advocacy Officer - Tim McErlane

Congratulations to you all on obtaining these important positions with GUMS. 

The Dean of Medicine and the MD team would like to thank the out-going President, Janis Fernandes, for her outstanding work at the helm of GUMS and for her tremendous advocacy on behalf of her fellow students. 

Janis herself said "I have learnt a lot and really enjoyed my role as GUMS President this year. It’s been a privilege to work with so many great students in the advocacy space and see our student community benefit." And we've been very privileged to have the opportunity to work with you also Janis. Wishing you all the very best for the next stage of your career journey.

Surgical Interest Association (SURGIA)
Shaping the Career of Students Pursuing Surgery 

Surgical Interest Association (Surgia) is the student surgical society of Griffith University, with the mission to inspire the medical and surgical leaders of tomorrow. Across 10 different portfolios, our initiatives range from educational
events such as suturing workshops, surgeon case presentations, anatomy revision lectures, ultrasound series to social events like the Amazing Race, Mentorship Mixer and Diversity In Surgery Symposium, inspiring not only surgically inclined students but equipping medical students to become better junior doctors. By offering events that not only educate, build professional and personal relationships, impart hands-on skills, our vision is that each student walks away more empowered and engaged. 

The Queensland Surgical Interest Conference (QSIC) is one of Surgia’s biggest initiatives. QSIC is a one-day conference that attracts like-minded students and provides the opportunity to gain insight into the field of surgery, learn surgical skills through innovative workshops, and network with successful surgeons to kickstart their surgical career. Our featured speakers ranged from various surgical specialties, including trauma surgery, paediatric surgery, cardio thoracic surgery, ENT, general and breast surgery. Our workshops included suturing, obstetric sphincter repair, bowel anastomosis, ultrasound-guided cannulation, laparoscopic simulation and our first ever interactive research panel! At the end of July, Surgia hosted the much anticipated Trauma Symposium, after a long three-year hiatus! Students spent the evening learning from surgeons and sonographers about patient management in trauma. The event started off with a series of engaging and informative teaching from Professor Martin Wullschleger, Dr Don Campbell and Dr Matthew Yong, outlining principles of intercostal catheter insertion, the utility of ultrasound scans in a trauma setting and current guidelines for pelvic trauma patients. Throughout the evening, we were privileged to work with cadaveric specimens while learning how to perform intercostal catheter insertion, as well as performing a FAST scan, taught by sonographers, surgeons and emergency physicians. 

Shantel Chang
President of Surgia 2021

Griffith University Dentistry Students Association (GUDSA)

As the year wraps up, the GUDSA committees reflect on the ending of a very successful year!  

Academic – Thusheka Uthayakumar  
We’ve had a wonderful amount of guest speakers across specialties from Endodontics, Orthodontics, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Cosmetic/Prosthodontics deliver webinars and in-person seminars. Varying academic workshops targeted at each year level have successfully helped Griffith Dental, Technology and Hygiene students tackle final exams and complete 2021 on a high note.  

Sporting – Owen Drinkwater  
In Trimester 1, GUDSA sports ran weekly dodgeball and volleyball, as well as organised a beach day with UQ, featured students on the new GUDSA Sports Spotlight and held a Mario Kart tournament; Trimester 2 also included the annual GUDSA/UQ soccer game, and dodgeball with the med students! Looking forward to next year!  

Sponsorship – Joseph Hong  
We did extremely well in terms of achieving our goals despite the current circumstances. This was only possible thanks to my wonderful team who were always willing to help. Also shout out to the best and lovely executive team for their unreserved support and assistance!  

Social – Linh-Dan Pham
Trimester 2 focused on the interaction between cohorts and programs. The Boat Party, ADAQ Cocktail Night, UQDSA Mixer and GUMS Trivia Night allowed students to connect with a wider range of people. The Dental Ball proved to be extremely successful and was a night to remember. GUDSA Social has had a fantastic year due to the enthusiasm of students.  

ADSA – Cheree He  
We teamed up with ADSA for our R U OK? Day to raise mental health awareness and provide students with a laid-back afternoon with cupcakes and pizza. The Compliments Board was filled with warm personalised messages for students and teachers. Our second Bake Sale was a tremendous accomplishment, we raised $1753.41 for the ADHF charity to increase dental care for Australians. Thank you to everyone who got involved! 

Following the Annual General Meeting, we welcome our 2022 committee:  
President Shea Hironaka, Vice President Cheree He, Immediate Past President Richie Lee, Secretary Martina Ta, Treasurer Xian Kortge, Academic Jakob Hearn, ADSA Nicole Wong, Sporting Jameson Hardy and Sponsorship Victoria Zhou.  

Thank you for the fantastic year! GUDSA Exec Team 2021

Our Alumni

Congratulations to Dr Mohit Tolani (Health Group Outstanding Alumnus) and Dr Vanessa Lee-Ah Mat (Health Group Outstanding First Peoples Alumnus) on their success in the Health Group Awards categories. It is wonderful to see Mohit and Vanessa’s contributions to the communities they serve through their work and advocacy being recognised in this manner.  

Congratulations also goes to Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM on being awarded 2021 Griffith University Outstanding Young Alumnus of the year.  

For those of you who are not familiar with Dinesh, since completing his Doctor of Medicine at Griffith in 2016 he has forged a path of advocacy and medical innovation that knows no bounds. Becoming Queensland’s first quadriplegic medical intern and the second person to graduate medical school with quadriplegia in Australia was just the start of his incredible achievements, which also include a law degree, co-leading Griffith’s innovative Biospine project, advocating for those with a disability, working in Gold Coast University Hospital’s emergency department and teaching our medical students in his role as Senior Lecturer with the School. 

Quite apart from his many academic, professional and community achievements, Dinesh is a humble, engaging and warm individual with a tremendous enthusiasm for life and a deep commitment to social justice, diversity and inclusion. 

As a community we should all be very proud that three of our graduates have been recognised as the Health Group winners, with one taking out the overall award. This is an excellent outcome for the School and a testament to the impact and influence our alumni are having in the community. 

You can find out more about the other University award recipients ONLINE HERE. 

Griffith Careers and Employment Service

Check out the following short less than 90 seconds videos which showcase the range of careers and employment services available to students at Griffith.  

Careers and Employment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsZEIm_zYUQ  
What is Student Employment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsZZW_ZlOo0
Welcome to CareerHub: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVP5vxcYer0  
What is the IMP?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnxLvMvGINY  
Griffith IMP - How to apply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adodgqtmwqs  
Virtual Interview training on Big Interview: https://youtu.be/uMZFhfZpQjg