Page 27 - Luce 2017

A l umni News

I now work as a Senior Lecturer in the JCH Rhodes
Faculty of Law at Monash University, Scholar,
where I teach litigation and dispute Leng Lee (2004),
resolution, health law and legal ethics. was a welcome
My research is empirical and trans- visitor to the
disciplinary, and I collaborate with College during a
colleagues in health services research, recent trip back
injury epidemiology and health to Melbourne
economics. Research problems don’t from Oxford,
exist in disciplinary silos, so it makes where he is
sense to build diverse teams to produce Head of Product at Everwise, a company
the best answers. I use evidence to specialising in enterprise software.
address real-world problems about
law and legal systems, with research Lucilla Ronai (2013) is working in the
partners including the Transport Accident conservation wing of the Australian
Commission, WorkSafe Victoria and the National Maritime Museum with
State Insurance Regulatory Authority of responsibility for paper, book and
NSW. photographic material in the National
Maritime Collection. She notes
I often reflect on my experience at JCH that included in the 146,000 strong
when I interact with students now. collections are ‘incredible journal logs
College life gave me insight into the Helen Garner wins Walkley Award that almost carry the smell of sea spray,
varied backgrounds and commitments and correspondence between loved ones
students bring with them to their studies. I Once again we have reason to separated by the sea’.
can certainly remember being intimidated congratulate College Fellow and
as an undergraduate student, and I try distinguished writer, Dr Helen Garner
to build rapport with my students to (1961). In November 2017 she won the
encourage them to participate and get the prize for Feature Writing (long-form) at
most out of their university experience. the 62nd Walkley Awards for Excellence
in Journalism.
At Monash I am Co-Director of the
Australian Centre for Justice Innovation. The award recognised her essay, ‘Why
Law and the legal profession are She Broke: The Woman, her Children
undergoing a period of enormous and the Lake’, published in the June
disruption, with technology rapidly issue of The Monthly and in her latest
changing the way disputes are resolved collection from Text Publishing, True
and services are delivered. It is an Stories: The Collected Short Non-Fiction. Lucilla Ronai
exciting time to be teaching and Her essay explores the tragic story of
researching in the law. Sudanese refugee, Akon Guode, whose Dr Suzanne Kirkwood (1970)
three youngest children drowned For the past 25 years I have been living
At the moment, though, I am taking when she drove her car into a lake in in rural mid Wales while working as
a little break – in December 2017 my Melbourne in 2015. a Sexual and Reproductive Health
partner Michael and I welcomed our Gynaecologist in Chester. With an
baby boy Maxwell Franklin Grant. The Walkley Judges commented: interest in healthcare in developing
“... ‘Why She Broke’ is gripping, wise, countries, I believe access to effective
Dr Jo Bell (Hawkes 1963) visited the honest and true, bringing her novelist’s contraception holds the key to attaining
College with her husband Kevin from eye and humanity to bear. ‘If a full-bore the UN Millennium Sustainable
Western Australia, where they practise as jury trial is a symphony, a plea hearing is Development Goals.
veterinarians. a string quartet. Its purpose seems to be
to clear a space in which the quality of During 2017 I was privileged to spend
mercy might at least be contemplated,’ four weeks in Uganda involved with
Garner writes. And so does the piece, development projects run by two small
remarkably so. Garner’s is one among UK charities.
many entries this year to research the
backstory of a well-publicised crime, Dolen Ffermio (Farming Link), a charity
but the sheer power and quality of the linking mid Wales with Eastern Uganda
writing lifts it ahead of that crowded and for the past twenty years, mainly focuses
rich field.” on livestock improvement but also
supports orphan projects, facilitates
links between schools and promotes
environmental projects. We are involved
in raising awareness of world food and
farm issues in UK schools, colleges and
Dr Jo Bell with husband Kevin the wider community.

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