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In high school, Tali Adams didn't have university on her bingo card - especially since she decided not to get an ATAR. T...
01/06/2026

In high school, Tali Adams didn't have university on her bingo card - especially since she decided not to get an ATAR.

Today, Tali is one of the inaugural recipients of a Snow Scholarship, made possible with the support of The Snow Foundation, one of Australia’s most generous and transformative undergraduate programs.

She’s now enjoying the uni experience as she pursues a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at UC's Faculty of Health.

“The road to uni isn’t always a straight line, but I think it’s important to know there are many paths. If you just have a goal you want to reach, you’ll find a way to get there. Just be open to different perspectives and opportunities – and persevere,” Tali says.

Most of all though, she's looking forward to taking her skills and knowledge into remote Indigenous communities after graduation.

"As a First Nations Australian, it’s important to me to give back to Indigenous communities and peoples, and help to uplift our mob, to help give them a voice and make them feel heard and appreciated within the healthcare system,” she says.

“I am where I am because of my community, and they continue to inspire me to work hard.”

Read more on UnCover: https://bit.ly/43b1sWp

As wars and global conflicts increasingly spill into online spaces, parliaments and everyday conversations, how can mult...
29/05/2026

As wars and global conflicts increasingly spill into online spaces, parliaments and everyday conversations, how can multicultural democracies like Australia respond constructively rather than become more divided?

Researchers from UC's Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance are tackling this growing challenge through a new Australian Research Council-funded project exploring the relationship between foreign conflicts and domestic social cohesion.

From the war in the Middle East to the conflict in Ukraine, the project examines how overseas conflicts are reshaping public debate, social media discourse and relationships within and between communities in Australia.

The project lead, Professor Selen Ercan says social cohesion is often misunderstood as simply the absence of disagreement.

“Social cohesion doesn’t mean everyone agrees,” she says. “It’s about how we create spaces where people can engage constructively across difference, even during periods of tension and conflict.”

The interdisciplinary project brings together expertise from political science, media and communication studies to analyse how these conflicts unfold across multiple spaces – from parliamentary debate and media framing to online interactions and everyday community conversations.

Researchers are also investigating how social media platform norms and moderation shape public responses to conflict, including what kinds of digital spaces may reinforce division, and which conditions help foster more reflective and respectful dialogue.

At the centre of the project is a deliberative approach: the idea that meaningful dialogue, listening and respectful exchange can help communities engage with and navigate even deeply polarising issues.

Professor Ercan says one of the most inspiring aspects of the research on deliberative democracy has been seeing the capacity and willingness of ordinary Australians to be part of complex conversations.

“There are many inspiring examples of deliberative engagement emerging across Australia, particularly at the community level. We’ve seen community groups organising local discussions – sometimes even around kitchen tables – to create opportunities for people to listen to one another and engage differently. There is no reason why similar approaches cannot be used to address the spillover effects of foreign conflicts in local communities,” she says.

The project aims to help governments, institutions and communities better respond to social division in a digital age, while strengthening democratic resilience and intercultural understanding across Australia.

The project team includes: Dr Jordan McSwiney and Distinguished Professor Emeritus John Dryzek from the Centre for Deliberative Democracy along with Dr Ehsan Dehghan from QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Dr Sofya Glazunova from The University of Melbourne, and Dr Kurt Sengul from Macquarie University.

UC’s littlest learners from Kirinari and Wiradjuri Early Childhood Education filled our Ngaladjima Garden with joy yeste...
28/05/2026

UC’s littlest learners from Kirinari and Wiradjuri Early Childhood Education filled our Ngaladjima Garden with joy yesterday as they celebrated National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) 📖

Now in its 26th year, NSS brings millions of children across Australia together at the same time to share the joy of storytelling.

This year, the children listened wide‑eyed as Library Services Coordinator Sam Ferrara read Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller, written by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd, and illustrated by Jake Minton 🦘

“NSS is such a wonderful opportunity to bring our on-campus Early Learning Centres together in the library space and share a story with children all over Australia,” Sam said.

“We can’t wait to bring more events like this to the library.”

The fun continued with Luna Roo-themed crafts and soccer activities led by local Monaro Panthers FC players Heath Ilitch and Jonathan Olaoye ⚽

The National Walk for Truth arrived on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country yesterday, marking the end of a journey of more tha...
28/05/2026

The National Walk for Truth arrived on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country yesterday, marking the end of a journey of more than 900km from Victorian Parliament in Naarm to Parliament House in Canberra.

Led by Kerrupmara Gunditjmara man Travis Lovett, the walk brought thousands of people, including our own UC community members, together across Country to deliver an open letter to the Prime Minister supported by more than 10,000 signatures.

It formed part of a national call for truth‑telling – recognising the full history of this country and the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as a step towards Reconciliation, healing and meaningful change.

At the University of Canberra, we recognise and support the importance of this work, and the role universities play in listening, learning and engaging more deeply with First Nations knowledge and perspectives.

As National Reconciliation Week begins, it’s a reminder to keep that work going.

Expressions of interest are now open to partner in the design and delivery of a world-class North West Health and Wellbe...
27/05/2026

Expressions of interest are now open to partner in the design and delivery of a world-class North West Health and Wellbeing Neighbourhood at the University of Canberra.

The University’s vision is to create a prevention-focused precinct that brings together integrated services to support community wellbeing and meet growing demand for modern health infrastructure across the ACT.

Successful partners will have the opportunity to collaborate across UC’s faculties, research centres, and specialist groups to drive innovation, learning, research translation, and workforce development.

EOIs close Friday 12 June.

Find out more: https://bit.ly/49jEsbi

| CBRE

“You can’t be what you can’t see.”A UC-led program inspiring the next generation of gerontological nurses has won Ageing...
27/05/2026

“You can’t be what you can’t see.”

A UC-led program inspiring the next generation of gerontological nurses has won Ageing Australia’s innovation award for capacity building 🏆

The Clinical Placements with Older People (CPOP) program exposes later-year nursing students to the complexity of the specialist field, helping change ageist attitudes through high-quality clinical experience.

The national program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and run in partnership with seven other universities.

CPOP Program Lead Professor Kasia Bail and Program Manager Stephanie Munk say it is transforming attitudes and convincing more students to choose aged care after graduation.

The award also recognised the program’s role in improving the quality of nursing within the sector by upskilling nurse educators, and providing positive feedback to outstanding gerontological nurses.

Well played 👏

Read more about the CPOP program and the award: https://bit.ly/4nT7CEa

Could a drink improve your cardiovascular function?UC PhD candidate and Accredited Practicing Dietitian Harshini Meegasw...
25/05/2026

Could a drink improve your cardiovascular function?

UC PhD candidate and Accredited Practicing Dietitian Harshini Meegaswatte is trying to answer just that – but specifically in postmenopausal women, a chronically under-researched population group.

“Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in women, and the risk increases significantly following menopause. Before menopause, men generally have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than women, but after menopause, women’s risk increases because we no longer receive the protective cardiovascular effects of estrogen,” Harshini says.

“Hormonal changes during menopause, including a reduction in estradiol – the most potent form of estrogen, naturally produced in the body – and an increase in follicle-stimulating hormone, may contribute to vascular dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation, and other metabolic changes associated with cardiovascular disease risk.”

Harshini is researching whether the consumption of the amino acids glycine and L-theanine can improve cardiovascular function in women over 45, who have reached menopause naturally and are not using hormone replacement therapy.

“These amino acids have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and have been identified as potential therapeutic interventions in the management of age-related and metabolic diseases,” she explains.

“They have been used in previous research involving older populations, and have shown to improve endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular responses – however, no studies have specifically investigated their effects in postmenopausal women.”

Harshini’s initial pilot study will investigate the acute cardiovascular response to an amino acid beverage. The study will include cardiovascular assessments such as heart rate variability, blood pressure, and skin microvascular function, one and two hours after consuming the drink.

She will also measure baseline cardiometabolic risk biomarkers, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical fitness and physical activity levels.

To find out more about the trial, email: [email protected]

What can 80 curious people teach you about communicating your research?Optometrist and PhD researcher Michael Tran took ...
25/05/2026

What can 80 curious people teach you about communicating your research?

Optometrist and PhD researcher Michael Tran took to the stage at a packed King O’Malley’s pub last week to present at Pint of Science AU to find out.

“It was instilled in me at O-week of my PhD journey that communication is one of inherent cornerstones of being a researcher,” he says.

Inspired to sign up after a talk on science communication by UC academic Ananthan Ambikairajah, Michael had 20 minutes to talk on his topic, asking “can we help prevent the world’s myopia epidemic with a functional solution that utilises the eye’s own circuitry?”

He stepped up to the microphone with last-minute advice from a fellow presenter: have fun and enjoy your time on stage.

“I think that’s the crux of it,” Michael says. “If you’re having fun talking about your work, the audience is going to engage with you.

“If you can relate with your audience, you’ve already got them invested in what you have to say. Thankfully (or rather, worryingly) a lot of people have myopia and want to hear about ways we can solve their visual impairment.”

He says he was challenged by “some really great and thoughtful” audience questions in the 10 minutes of question time.

If you’re a researcher curious about engaging with the community, the University runs monthly Pints and Insights sessions (https://bit.ly/43xNr53), or you could apply for the Three Minute Thesis competition (https://bit.ly/4tYsjjx).

Michael’s advice to other researchers: “Give it a go! I’m a big believer of always being outside of your comfort zone; it’s where the best things in life happen!"

Despite having lived in Singapore for almost three decades, UC alumnus PJ Roberts still refers to himself a ‘proud Canbe...
25/05/2026

Despite having lived in Singapore for almost three decades, UC alumnus PJ Roberts still refers to himself a ‘proud Canberran’, having been born and raised here.

The former pro-soccer player, who played for Canberra Cosmos in the old National Soccer League (NSL), studied at UC while at the height of his athletic career, and reflects on his time at the University as one of the best periods of his life.

“I’m so grateful for the outstanding opportunities that Canberra provided me. I had wonderful schooling, wonderful sporting opportunities, and I got a great education at the University of Canberra,” he says. “It really did set me up for success in life after professional football.”

The Faculty of Education alumnus, who now serves as the Managing Director of Operations at the Australian International School in Singapore, has moved from strength to strength following his professional sporting career, taking on roles in the USA and Malaysia before eventually landing in Singapore.

👉 Read more about PJ’s journey on UnCover: https://bit.ly/4x39A9c

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