2022
Articles
From Wollongong to the world
The University of Wollongong graduates whose passion for science is helping change the world.
Putting science education under the microscope
The University of Wollongong graduates whose passion for science is helping change the world.
Shaping safety through augmented reality
The University of Wollongong graduates whose passion for science is helping change the world.
Growing globally, working locally
For Scalapay, the fast-growing Australian e-commerce company, the world is its oyster, but the Illawarra is its home
Bright minds, bold ambitions and boundless passion
Three UOW alumni share the stories of coming of age and finding their dream jobs right after uni
Breaking the communication code
Whatever Matrix-era stereotypes you might hold about the cyber security industry, Louis Cremen and Susan Zhang embody their opposite. Sunny and full of respect, Louis and Susan’s dual mentorship and close friendship has been integral to each-other’s success, proving itself in unexpected ways.
Re-writing the narrative
Close friends Mick Bainbridge and Jaymee Beveridge met at UOW while pursuing two extraordinarily different career pathways. But their divergent journeys shared the same goal: to rewrite a common narrative and help others do the same.
Paying it forward
Maheshika Nanayakkara and Sarah Lisle first met on opposite sides of the UOW international program. Along with Maheshika’s partner Asiri Nawarathna, the pair’s friendship is a perfect example of finding connections where you least expect them.
Bottle racket
Childhood friends Jared Smith, Dean Martelozzo and Tom Simnadis combined three unique skill sets into one well-fitting bundle and distilled a new local industry in the process.
A globetrotting friendship
A University snow trip to New Zealand helped push Barron Hanson and Michael Appleford from childhood acquaintances to best mates. They’ve been chasing each other around the world ever since.
A different kind of network
Kristen Patchett, Antonia McInnes, and Natalie Piucco met on their very first day of study at UOW. Eight years later–as the three best friends reach new heights in their respective careers–they take time to reflect on how they’ve each helped each other along the way.
A UOW love story
Tony Okely and Mylie Goodhew both enrolled in the exact same UOW course in the exact same year. Thirty years later, the husband and wife have some advice for you.
More than fun and games
Ashleigh and Grant Neill met while balancing education degrees and jobs at a South Coast theme park. Seventeen years later, the husband and wife have built an acclaimed business that is raising the bar for children’s care—while they raise their own family in the process.
Podcasting a friendship
When Lizzie Jack entered Jennifer Macey’s lecture theatre, it was unlikely she could have predicted just how influential Jennifer would be in her life thereafter. Turns out, the feeling was mutual.
The accident that nearly ended Sarah Carli’s Olympic dream
During a routine training session at the gym, Sarah Carli faced a life-threatening injury. After emergency surgery, she was told she couldn’t exercise for five months. Competing in the Tokyo Olympics five months later seemed impossible.
Beyond the breakers
With its stunning beaches and surf breaks, the Illawarra is renowned for producing talented professional surfers. But for every young athlete that makes it on the competition circuit, countless others don’t – so it’s crucial to prepare for alternate futures.
Community, connections and giving back
For some, graduating from the University of Wollongong (UOW) means leaving an era of study and late nights behind, but for others, maintaining a connection with their alma mater has proven invaluable.
Educating politics
The best intentions on entering politics often get swallowed up in the game. But for Jihad Dib MP – NSW Member for Lakemba and Shadow Minister for Emergency Services and Energy and Climate Change – his motivation is the same as it has always been: to change lives for the better.
Graham West: ‘a good bloke’ working tirelessly to help the homeless
Graham West remembers a brief but poignant conversation decades ago at Sydney’s Central Rail Station when a homeless man stopped him for the time.
Meet the UOW graduate tackling loneliness through storytelling
Tessa Blencowe understands loneliness. The UOW business and journalism graduate-turned-counsellor has spent years learning what it means for people to be lonely, and how we can address it as a society.
Life-changing innovation for the disabled and their carers
When Danny Hui graduated from the University of Wollongong (UOW) in 1999, his engineering degree launched him on an exciting and varied career in the electricity industry.
Climate change: a defining moment
Climate change is the defining issue of our time, and as the United Nations has emphasised, we are at a defining moment.
10 tips to help manage post-grad anxiety
Completing University is both exciting and stress inducing. As one chapter closes and another begins, many students worry about the uncertainty of the future. This transition period can spike anxiety levels, leaving new graduates feeling overwhelmed with the change. Fortunately, there are ways that you can manage this post-grad anxiety and step into your bright future with confidence.
Creating change
Mark Dombkins and his wife Anna had just adopted three children in Tanzania. As Mark walked out of the baby home and passed by other children who wouldn’t be coming home with him, he asked himself, what needs to change?
Nature and nurture
For Amanda Essery, Founder and CEO of award-winning premium Australian lifestyle brand Lovekins, creating a business around loving care for people and the planet was like coming home.
The heart of social justice
On paper, Dr Romina Santos Reyftmann may look like your typical high achiever: years of study in medicine and law, helping establish a successful fertility clinic with one of Australia’s leading IVF teams, and extensive high-impact work in First Nations justice and human rights law. But you don’t have to dig deeply to see that every success has been hard-won.
Harnessing data to solve problems
From predicting when an airplane needs servicing to increasing the number of mattresses sold at a furniture start-up, this former BlueScope cadet shows how diverse a career in mathematics can be.
Building a business in Asia with roots in Wollongong
Starting university can mean a lot of change. For some students, it’s the first time they leave home – perhaps even the first time they learn how to cook for themselves or do their laundry.
From crash to Colombian classroom
Misfortune can change lives for the better, but that was the last thing on Ed Broadbent’s mind when he found himself on an operating table in India waiting for doctors to mend his broken body.
How this UOW graduate is improving health outcomes for Australians
In June 2022, UOW graduate and CEO of Australian Pathology, Liesel Wett, was awarded the prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to medical administration, particularly during COVID-19. A few weeks earlier, we visited Liesel at her office in Canberra and asked her about her role at the outbreak of the pandemic.
UOW graduate visits campus after two decades
After more than 20 years, Sri Lankan graduate, Shironica Karunanayaka, returned to the University of Wollongong (UOW) campus.
Risk taking, patience and dream jobs
Nicholas Underhill’s career is one that many would dream of having – he’s worked with some of the world’s top musicians at Spotify and is now in a senior marketing role at Google in New York City. But Nicholas didn’t get there overnight – it took commitment, time, and risk.
Celebrating nurses
“It was like nursing chose me. I really felt like I found my place and my home,” said Alera Bowden, the first recipient of the Pamela Jane Nye Working Nurse Scholarship at the University of Wollongong.
BlueScope cadet alumni stories
From its earliest beginnings, the University of Wollongong was formed in partnership with industry. A cadetship program with BHP and now BlueScope was established more than 40 years ago and continues to develop an outstanding group of leaders.
The journey of a parenting expert
He’s carved out a reputation as one of Australia’s best known parenting experts, but this 24/7 job was not something that always came easily.
From Berkeley to Boral
Zlatko Todorcevski is living proof that the path to a successful international career at the highest executive levels is not always paved with privilege.
Trading steel for silicon
A cadetship at the local steelworks might seem an unusual path to an international career with some of Silicon Valley’s biggest names. But for Omar Devlin, it provided a perfect grounding in solving complex problems.
Dynamic Duo
Meet Michael and Natalie Chapman. Despite having two very different careers, the couple share a deep passion and accomplishment in their work.
Set up for success
A BlueScope cadetship sent Deborah De Santis on a pathway to become a business leader in the Illawarra.