Faculty of ABLE 2024 Highlights

To wrap up 2024, the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics is reflecting on the year that was and featuring highlights from each school.

While there have been many achievements, we have selected just a few that demonstrate what a special year this was for our students, staff, and alumni.

Adelaide Business School

1. Academics received Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement. Ms Marta Khomyn won the Excellence in Research Early Career Award, and Dr Amelie Burgess won the Excellence in Teaching (Early Career) Award.
2. ABLE Commendations for Grant Excellence were awarded to Professor Ralf Zurbrugg, Dr Taylor Willmot, Dr George Mihaylov, Associate Professor Chelsea Liu, Ms Marta Khonym, Dr Rajeev Kamineni, Associate Professor Steve Goodman, Dr Jonathan Baker, Associate Professor Jean Canil, Associate Professor Chee Cheong, Associate Professor Armando Corsi, Dr Manjula Dissanayake, Dr Tracey Dodd, Associate Professor Rebecca Dolan, Associate Professor Christopher Graves, and Dr Wendy Lindsay.
3. Adelaide Business School celebrated student achievements at its annual Prize and Awards Ceremony at the National Wine Centre. Hosts Professor Noel Lindsay (Dean of Business, Adelaide Business School, and Pro-Vice Chancellor Entrepreneurship) and Dr Tiffany De Sousa Machado welcomed guest speaker Nell Keyvani, Senior Program Coordinator at PwC, who presented to more than 200 staff, prize winners, sponsors, and guests.
4. Professor Arvid Hoffmann and PhD student Lachlan Schomburgk achieved the top media story at the University of Adelaide this year. Their research, ‘Less cash, more splash? A meta-analysis on the cashless effect’ published in the Journal of Retailing captured widespread attention and generated 174 media items (TV, online, and radio) between June and November.
5. Professor Noel Lindsay, Dean of Adelaide Business School and Pro-Vice Chancellor Entrepreneurship took part in his forth consecutive Vinnies CEO Sleepout, where he brought his total fundraising amount to $15,190.
6. We again welcomed students from North Carolina State University (NCSU) down under on an exchange. They experienced the best of South Australia, learning about our world-famous wine, attending an AFL game, meeting the locals at Cleland Wildlife Park, kicking a football with Glenelg Football Club, and much more. They made these memories while successfully completing their course units.
7. The 2024 Executive MBA study tour to New York City and Boston was a success. The students learned firsthand about the corporate management systems of 8 organisations, receiving tours from local businesses and networking with international industry experts. A highlight for the group was visiting Harvard Business School.
8. Syuzanna Mosikyan, a PhD researcher from our Wine Business group completed a knowledge exchange and research journey across France, Italy, and Germany. The trip was supported by the Outbound Knowledge Exchange Bursary. Syuzanna attended wineries, conferences, and meetings with industry experts and researchers, facilitating dialogue on climate change adaptation and novel grape variety acceptance in South Australia's wine industry.
9. PhD Candidate Jyoti Khisha was one of the three winners of the 3 Minute Thesis Faculty Final for ABLE. The three faculty winners represented ABLE at the University 3 Minute Thesis. Jyoti’s presentation was: ‘Do entrepreneurs catch optimism within startup incubators?’
10. Executive MBA student Taylor Cowell won a 2024 Westpac Future Leaders scholarship, which provides up to $120,000 over 2–3 years. Cowell was awarded the scholarship to further his study of leadership and building resilient communities, specifically in the veteran community. The funds support students to undertake postgraduate study/research, and to take part in a nine-month tailored leadership program.
     

Adelaide Law School

1. We had the first offering of our new course, ‘Nuclear Regulatory Law’, which addresses international and domestic legal regulation relating to nuclear energy, with a particular focus on the law relating to nuclear safety, safeguards and security.   
2. Adelaide Law School conducted two student study tours. The Biodiversity Study Tour to regional Australia to examine the impact of federal and state laws on our diverse environments, towns and peoples in remote isolated regions.  The "Aboriginal Peoples and the Law" three-day field trip to the Yorke Peninsula saw students learn from Narungga elder Mr Quenten Agius.  
3. Dr Phillipa McCormack was awarded a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from the Australian Research Council, which will fund her project, ‘Preparing Australia for a fiery future: Five strategies to guide law reform’.  This achievement is particularly noteworthy as DECRA grants are rarely awarded in law, with only 3 being awarded this round.
4. The Research Unit on Military Law and Ethics (RUMLAE) launched a podcast series, starting the conversation on contemporary challenges in the areas of military law, national security, international law, military justice, international relations, strategic policy and space law through regular podcasts with leading experts.
5. Professor Andrew Stewart, John Bray Professor of Law, was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. The Academy of Social Sciences in Australia includes leading researchers and practitioners across the breadth of social science disciplines. Fellows represent an outstanding contribution to one or more fields of social science research or practice in Australia.
6. Several staff received University awards recognising their contribution to teaching and research, including Dr Gabrielle Golding (Excellence in Research (Impact) Award); Dr Peta Spyrou (Exceptional Service Recognition Award); Professor Dale Stephens (University Commendation for the Enhancement of and Innovation in student Learning) and Dr Philippa McCormack (ABLE Commendation for Grant Excellence).
7. Recent graduate Madeleine McNeil is the 115th Rhodes Scholar-Elect, and will head to the University of Oxford next year. Madeleine graduated with First Class Honours in the Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Philosophy. Madeleine plans to use her research to contribute to the administration of post-conflict justice.
8. Tirana Hassan, graduate of Bachelor of Laws, won a University of Adelaide Distinguished Alumni Award, in recognition of her outstanding contribution and ongoing commitment to the protection of human rights on a global scale.
9. Adelaide Law School academics presented Research Tuesdays public lectures, sharing their discoveries which make a difference to people's lives across the world. One lecture was ‘Identifying Cyber Threats’ with Dr Colette Langos and colleagues from the School of Social Sciences. Another was ‘Our New Right to Disconnect’ by Dr Gabrielle Golding.
10. Bachelor of Laws student Charlotte Brown attended the 87th Session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Geneva as an Intern to Expert Member, Ms Natasha Stott Despoja AO. Charlotte also accompanied Ms Stott Despoja to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in New York, with Australia’s official delegation.  

Elder Conservatorium of Music

1. Dr Elizabeth Layton was awarded the Excellence in Teaching (Individual Teaching in a Continuing Position) Award as part of the Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement.
2. International jazz sensation Jazzmeia Horn returned to Adelaide and delivered concerts, masterclasses, and collaborated with DEM MOB, students from our Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) and our state's rising jazz students from the Elder Conservatorium of Music to write, record and produce a new music track and video.
3. The 2024 Concert Series, ‘Generations’ was a success. Generations featured 39 concerts featuring performances by current students, the Elder Conservatorium Chorale, Australian String Quartet, University of Adelaide Big Band and Latin Ensemble, Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Elder Conservatorium Wind Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Elder Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra, and many more talented musicians.
4. ‘A Day at the Con’ received more than 650 registrations across our Classical, Jazz, Music Theatre and Creative Practice departments. Prospective students enjoyed free workshops, masterclasses, and performances by our staff, students, and alumni.
5. Top Class, our annual classical performance showcase concert, featuring top student performers, saw $1500 in prizes shared between Alexander Byrne and Arjun Singh. Top Class was supported by the Peter Brooker Prize for Musical Excellence.
6. The new Elder Conservatorium Circle was launched with a Gala Concert. The Circle is a group of leading supporters who will raise funds to support the Conservatorium's ongoing mission to help students achieve the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary for professional employment and musical growth
7. Our Music Theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar sold out 5 weeks prior to opening night.
8. 19 Music Theatre students took part in the State Opera South Australia and State Theatre Company South Australia production of Candide, in a work-integrated-learning context.
9. Internationally recognised opera singer Teddy Tahu Rhodes joined Elder Conservatorium of Music, where he’ll play a leading role in the Classical Voice department as a teacher and mentor.
10. Professor Anna Goldsworthy, Director of the Elder Conservatorium of Music, recorded the opening 2024 ABC Boyer Lecture – the first of four orations delivered by noted musicians and luminaries on classical music in the contemporary age. The lecture was broadcast nationally on ABC TV on Saturday 2 November and is available to stream on iview until 31 January 2025.

School of Economics and Public Policy

1. Academics received Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement. Dr Qazi Haque won the Excellence in Research Award; and Professor Peter Draper, Dr Nathan Gray, Vutha Hing, Harry Wardana, Lydia Jaloshin, Sarah Warner, and Jade Ryles won the Excellence in International Partnership Award.
2. Dr Alexandra Peralta, Dr Qazi Haque, Associate Professor Duygu Yengin, Mr Theo Simos, Dr Rida Akzar, Associate Professor Patrick O’Connor, Dr Craig Johns, Dr Trang Nguyen, Professor Peter Draper, Associate Professor Stephane Mahuteau, and Thu Thuy Pham received ABLE Commendations for Grant Excellence.
3. The School hosted a ‘Budget Breakfast’, where our academic experts shared insights into the 2024 Australian Federal Budget. The panel discussed key budget priorities, including the economic outlook, decarbonisation and alternative fuels, and the gender economic gap. Following their presentations, the experts engaged in a Q&A session, answering questions from the audience.
4. The School held its annual student prize ceremony, where staff, students, and donors gathered and celebrated student achievements. Dr Guy Debelle, Honorary Professor, Honorary Doctorate holder, and alum, gave a speech and handed out awards. We also had the great honour of having donors in attendance, who handed out the awards their donations make possible.
5. PhD Candidate Jack Hetherington was one of the three winners of the 3 Minute Thesis Faculty Final for ABLE. The three faculty winners represented ABLE at the University 3 Minute Thesis, where Jack was Runner Up. Jack’s presentation was: Helping Little Miss Muffet to find a better 'whey'.
6. Student Longcan Li for won the University Medal for outstanding academic performance. Longcan graduated with a Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours. On the same day he also received three Excellence Awards and the John Lorenzo Young Endowed Prize from the School of Economics and Public Policy.
7. Grace Tulysewski won the Community Contribution Award, and Jack Hetherington won the Strategic Collaboration Award in the Inaugural Higher Degree by Research (HDR) awards.
8. The South Australian Centre for Economic Studies (SACES) hosted its 42^nd year of the Economic Briefing Program. In August, Dr Steven Kennedy, Secretary to the Australian Treasury, explored Evidence informed policy making. In December, Dr Sarah Hunter, Chief Economist and Assistant Governor (Economic) at the Reserve Bank of Australia explored, Shedding light on uncertainty: using scenarios in forecasting and policy.
9. The University of Adelaide hosted a successful and engaging joint workshop in Macroeconomics in November at the Crowne Plaza Adelaide. The event brought together leading economists, researchers, and policy-makers from around the world for a dynamic series of discussions and presentations that showcased the latest advancements in macroeconomic theory and policy.
10. Dr Serey Chea, graduate of Doctor of Philosophy in Economics, won a University of Adelaide Distinguished Alumni Award, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the University, economics, and the Kingdom of Cambodia, including her advocacy for women’s economic empowerment.

School of Education

1. Academics received Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement. Dr Walter Barbieri won the Excellence in Teaching (Work Integrated Learning) Award, and Associate Professor Joanna Anderson won the Excellence in University Values and Behaviour Award.
2. The School of Education Awards Night celebrated the achievements of outstanding students. 30 students were honoured with awards. The event was also attended by several South Australian teacher associations, including the Australian Education Union SA Branch (AEU) and the Independent Education Union South Australia (IEUSA).
3. The School of Education had its nation-first Apple Distinguished School designation extended to 2027. Not only are we still the only university in Australia to have this title (which was originally instated in 2021) but this extended designation will officially carry through to Adelaide University, commencing teaching in 2026.
4. The Micro-credentials for Classroom Confidence launched, a collaboration between the University’s Professional and Continuing Education team and the School of Education. With the first two of three micro-credentials now in-market, thousands of educators across Australia are enrolling in this free, online professional development opportunity. The project was also shortlisted for the Global QS Reimagine Education Awards in the category of Lifelong Learning.
5. Master of Teaching alum Hayley Wedding was nominated for ARIA Music Teacher of the Year. Hayley also studied a Bachelor of Music (Education and Pedagogy) at the University of Adelaide. Hayley teaches at Seaview High School where she's raised participation in the music program from 6% in 2021 to 43% in 2024.
6. New training formulated by the School of Education is set to boost disability and inclusion studies in teaching degrees, creating more inclusive environments for neurodivergent learners. 
7. A new nationwide study giving parents access to strategies to help their children cope with anxiety and bullying is resulting in better behaved students at home and in the classroom. The  Thriving Kids and Parents Schools Project is a collaborative study involving researchers from our School of Education, the University of Queensland, and Monash University.
8. Our Inclusive Education Research Hub (IERH) team, Professor Chris Boyle, Associate Professor Joanna Anderson and Dr Tom Porta, alongside Sandra Goodwin and Petra Galbraith, won a DFAT Australia Award grant worth $1.5 million. The team will design and deliver a Graduate Certificate in Education, with a focus on inclusive education, to 30 experienced teachers from Papua New Guinea.
9. PhD candidate Saadia Adnan received a Higher Degree by Research Achievement Award from Adelaide Graduate Research School. The award, presented by Professor Carolin Plewa, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Education and Development) and Dean of Graduate Studies, recognised Saadia's outstanding contributions to fostering a collaborative research environment among her fellow doctoral candidates.
10. Associate Professor Mathew White received the Australian Council for Education Leaders Hedley Beare Award for Educational Writing. This award aims to promote quality writing by educators about education leadership.
     

School of Humanities

1. Dr Maggie Tonkin and Dr Paul Monaghan received ABLE Commendations for Grant Excellence, and several colleagues received Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement: Aaron Humphrey and Simon Walsh won the Excellence in Research Interdisciplinary Team Award, and Claire Walker won the Excellence in Research HDR Supervisor Award.
2. At our annual School of Humanities student prizegiving, staff, students, and donors gathered to celebrate student achievements! Prizes were awarded in the areas of: English, Creative Writing and Film; European Languages and Linguistics; German Studies; Historical and Classical Studies; Digital Humanities; Philosophy; and Classics.
3. PhD Candidate Megan Moon was one of the three participants in the 3 Minute Thesis Faculty Final for ABLE. The three faculty finalists represented ABLE at the University 3 Minute Thesis. Megan’s presentation was: ‘Lighting the Fuse: BTS’s ‘Dynamite” and K-pop’s English Explosion’.
4. Recent Humanities and Law graduate Madeleine McNeil is the 115th Rhodes Scholar-Elect, and will head to the University of Oxford in 2025. Madeleine graduated with First Class Honours in the Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Philosophy. Madeleine plans to use her research to contribute to the administration of post-conflict justice.
5. The School of Humanities announced the appointment of a new Chair in the Department of Historical and Classical Studies, Professor Stuart Ward, currently at the University of Copenhagen. A distinguished historian specialising in the British imperial world, Professor Ward will extensive experience in both research and academic leadership when he takes up his post in June 2025.
6. Numerous ‘Art of Curation’ events were held throughout the year, hosted by the Museum and Curatorial Studies program in the School. These includes lectures and conferences featuring international guests, strengthening our relationship with the local and national museum and heritage sector.
7. Alumnus Hossein Asgari was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and the Miles Franklin Literary Award for his novel, Only Sound Remains.
8. The School of Humanities hosted one of the University's inaugural International Fellows, Professor Elleke Boehmer from the University of Oxford, one of the world's leading scholars of postcolonial and World literatures.
9. Professor Amanda Nettelbeck was awarded $461,067 in the latest round of Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Projects grants for a project focusing on transcultural and gendered histories of Australia’s railways, which will contribute to a digital story map with the aim of making Australia’s transcultural and gendered railway heritage accessible to new audiences.
10. We held numerous research events throughout the year including: Dusklands at 50, an international conference to mark the anniversary of J. M. Coetzee’s first book, which drew scholars from 19 universities on 5 continents; Speaking from the South conference as part of the 150^th Anniversary celebrations; and the ‘Women in Power, Powerful Women: Medieval and Early Modern Insights’ workshop.
     

School of Social Sciences

1. Associate Professor Tim Legrand, Dr Nathan Manning, Dr Jared Dmello, Dr Rubayyat Hashmi, Professor Joanne Wallis, Dr Pam Papadelos, Professor Lisa Hill, Dr Amy Clair, Associate Professor Megan Moskos, and Kira Page received ABLE Commendations for Grant Excellence. In the latest round of Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Projects grants, a team led by Dr Amy Clair was awarded $693,896, and Professor Lisa Hill was awarded $403,272.
2. Multiple academics won awards; Dr Connie Musolino, Professor Megan Warin, and Associate Professor Kayoko Enomoto all won Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement, and the Australian Centre for Housing Research won the Interdisciplinary Research Team Award in the 2024 University of Adelaide Awards for Outstanding Achievement.
3. Many students received awards; more than 50 students were awarded prizes at the annual Social Sciences Prize Giving Ceremony in October, and PhD Candidate Eden Blazejak won the Education Excellence Award in the inaugural ABLE Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Awards.
4. The School hosted the 2024 Porous Boundaries Forum, which was three times the size of the inaugural event in 2023. The Forum involves sharing our research with industry and community and learning how we can work together. The Forum was facilitated by Professor Bronwyn Parry from The Australian National University.
5. Bachelor of Arts (Advanced) Student Annabel Brock-Fabel was named 2025 SA Young Australian of the Year. Amber founded the South Australian Youth Forum in 2021 at just 17 years old. Under Amber’s leadership, the Forum has secured partnerships and collaborations with various organisations, gaining national and international recognition.
6. Professor Megan Warin was announced in Cosmos’ “50 remarkable and inspirational women in Australian science” who are making a profound impact in research and innovation for Australia and beyond. Professor Warin is a social anthropologist who has made international contributions to the anthropology of food and eating, particularly around eating disorders and obesity.
7. Dr Thomas Wanner received an Australian Award for University Teaching. Dr Wanner aims to develop the critical thinking skills of his students so that they understand how power relations shape those issues and that they feel empowered to become ‘agents of change’ for a more equitable and sustainable world.
8. Professor Fran Baum AO, Program Director of Stretton Health Equity was invited to speak at the Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health Dinner at Australian Parliament House.
9. Social Sciences academics presented Research Tuesdays public lectures, sharing their discoveries which make a difference to people's lives across the world. One lecture was ‘Identifying Cyber Threats’ with Associate Professor Russell Brewer and Dr Katie Logos from the School of Social Sciences, and Dr Colette Langos from Adelaide Law School. You can watch the recording online.
10. Associate Professor Shoko Yoneyama, from the Department of Asian Studies has received an award from the Japanese Foreign Minister, for her work promoting Japanese culture and language education in Australia.