UNIVERSITY NEWS

PACE Prizes awarded to outstanding students for great experiences

Eleven prizes were awarded to exemplary individuals and groups at the 2013 Professor Judyth Sachs Participation and Community Engagement (PACE) Prizes ceremony. The awards, held in May, celebrated the mutually beneficial outcomes achieved for our partners and students, and were given to students for outstanding achievement in their PACE activities.

Recipients included social sciences student Elissa Boyd, who was the Faculty of Arts long-program winner. She undertook her internship as a PACE International student in Sabah, Malaysia, working with a local indigenous group to record their traditional knowledge on rice cultivation and its relation to the moon cycle.

Elissa produced an outstanding document for the Kadazandusun community to document their traditional practices and help to empower future generations with knowledge and understanding of their cultural history.

Arnel Yutuc and Noella Chamala were Faculty of Business and Economics short-program winners. They undertook their PACE activity with the Department of Human Services’ Wrap Around Services to identify issues with the Department’s community outreach program.

Through observation and liaison with community services, Indigenous Specialist Officers and public service employees, the students then developed a marketing plan to address the identified issues. The Department is planning to implement the strategies devised by the students.

Bronwyn Parry was the Faculty of Science short-program winner, and worked with Australian mining company Kingsgate Bowdens Pty Limited for her PACE activity.

As well as assisting with environmental monitoring on the site of a proposed silver mine, Bronwyn helped to organise the Community Open Day with Kingsgate’s Environmental Team. She spoke with community members about the proposed development, giving her real-world experience in explaining scientific concepts in a simple, jargon-free and straightforward manner.

Get involved in the PACE program through your place of work or a community organisation of which you are a member. To register your interest, go to mq.edu.au/partner-with-pace