101 Things about UniSA

We hold a place among the world’sbest and brightest for our educationprograms in the top 100 of the 2015QS World subject rankings.Our plans for a new education precinct atMagill, including an on-campus birth to year12 school, will also transform how we offerteaching in education into the future.

The University has partnered with global IT giant Hewlett Packard Enterprise to support South Australia’s IT innovators, including students, and industry with a new space to exchange and explore ideas. The plan also incorporates anIT Honours program that integrates world-class education with industry experience through a built-in internship.

UniSA scientists delivered a wearable computer andaugmented reality kit to aid Australia’s ground-breakingbionic eye research project. The technology allowsBionic Vision Australia to run studies where participantssee what those with a bionic eye would be seeingas close as possible. The new backpack providesthe company with more processing power, reducedweight and advanced battery technology.

UniSA is home to Australia,sonly internationally-recognisedArchitecture Museum locatedat our City West campus. It wasformed in the mid-1970s afterarchitectural historian DonaldLeslie Johnson initiated a privatecollection and in the absence ofa local repository to preservedocuments related to the historyand practice of architecture andrelated professions in SouthAustralia. In 1990, he donatedit to the School of the BuiltEnvironment, part of the SouthAustralian Institute of Technology(one UniSA,s antecedentinstitutions). The acquisitionincluded drawings, practicerecords, personal papers, photos,slides, books and periodicals.

Our QS five Stars™ business school ranking, awarded by theQuacquarelli Symonds international rating system, places us inthe top one per cent for Business Schools globally. We are alsorated five Stars in five sub-categories: teaching and student quality,internationalisation and diversity, facilities, engagement, andprogram strength in the Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Our Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory houses state-of-the-art equipment for measuring human brain activity during cognitive tasks, including a Biosemi Active Two high-density (256 channel) EEG system and a Magventure MagPro X100repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator in combination with a Brainsight2 neuronavigator.

Our researchers are engaged in more than 500 international collaborations worldwideacross 45 countries.

The Cambrian is the erathat extends between 542and 488 million years ago.During this time, the Earthlooked quite different,with land masses shiftingover time to form theworld as we know it inthis day and age. Researchundertaken by UniSAresearchers, has foundthrough work in Antarcticathat the Tasmanian andAntarctic land masseswere actually quite closetogether circa 500 millionyears ago – a find whichonly further enhances ourunderstanding of the worldduring this importantgeological period.

The Hon DrBasil Hetzel isa pioneeringpharmacistwhose work in theelimination of iodinedeficiency disordershas improved thelives of millions ofpeople worldwide.Dr Hetzel’s research established a link between iodine deficiency and brain damagein unborn children. Following this discovery, Dr Hetzel led a worldwide campaign toincorporate iodized salt into the diets of more than two billion people in more than 130countries. Dr Hetzel is a National Living Treasure (awarded by the National Trust), a recipientof Thailand’s most prestigious medical award, the Prince Mahidol Award, the Inaugural Chairof the Hawke Centre and was made the University’s second Chancellor in 1992.

QS ranks UniSA amongthe world’s top 50 universities under 50 years of age.QS World University Rankings 2015

UniSA’s Magill campus has a television studio with one of the largest green screens in SouthAustralia. Students also gain hands-on experience producing radio journalism and broadcasting on the UniSA-based internet radio station UniCast.



Emeritus LaureateProfessor JohnRalston’s (AO FAAFTSE) distinguishedcareer as one ofAustralia’s mostprominent physicalchemists led tobreakthroughs in thepractice of mineralsprocessing andparticle and surfacetechnology worldwide.He also led the establishmentof The Ian Wark ResearchInstitute (1994 to 2015), theAustralian Research Council’sSpecial Research Centreof Excellence in Particleand Material Interfaces.The Wark performed first-class fundamental research,significantly, the AMIRAInternational Project whichmade steep changes to theprocessing of mineralsworldwide. Professor Ralstonwas named as the University’sfirst Emeritus LaureateProfessor in 2006 and wasmade an Officer of the Orderof Australia in 2008.

Material science researchers could eliminate the need forwindscreen wipers using permanent coatings on transparentmaterials which in turn would eliminate the need for glasswindscreens. Replacing these with lighter plastic windscreens alsomeans less reinforcement in car bodies, resulting in cheaper carsand better fuel economy.

You probably didn’t know that when your favourite glass of white is starting to look hazy, thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) are generally responsible. Current practice to prevent the hazing of wines involves using bentonite to remove haze forming proteins (HFPs) like thaumatin. There is currently no specific method to detect its presence and tailor bentonite treatment. This leads to the treatment of wine which may not require it, subsequently affecting taste, quality and cost. The identification of the responsible proteins by the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) has allowed UniSA researchers to start working on the development of a specific colorimetric dipstick sensor. The porous silicon-based sensor will deliver a YES/NO result indicating the presence of TLPs, followedby subsequent quantification by further analysis.

UniSA’s commercialisation arm ITEK Ventures works with virtual reality and simulation company Jumbo Vision International, using augmented reality in the design process to improve efficiency andreduce development costs across a wide range of industries including engineering, building, airline, shipping and healthcare.

UniSA’s Practice-Based Nursing Lab is home to Noelle, a state-of-the-art birthing manikin.Noelle and baby Hal can simulate a range of scenarios including breach, caesarean and uncomplicated births.

Biophilia is a termthat defines theaffinity humanshave with nature.The term was first broughtinto prominence by eminentbiologist Edward O. Wilson,who suggested that aconnection with the naturalenvironment is essential toleading healthy and fulfillinglives. UniSA’s Barbara HardyInstitute has a research unitdedicated to the creationof biophilic cities throughhands-on research activitiesthat allow city-dwellersto immerse themselves inthe natural environment ascollectors and analysers ofenvironmental data. CitizenScience helps environmentalscientists to gather thevaluable geographicalinformation they needthrough communityvolunteers who, in turn,become more engaged withtheir natural world throughobservation and recording.

The University iswell-connected to industry through more than 2000partnerships with local and global heavyweights including Hills Limited Hewlett Packard Enterprise,Santos Coca-Cola Unilever Google ANZ ESPN Foxtel, Mars Nielsen and more.

Ever wondered A UniSA research team is set on finding out with the help where your of volunteer pet owners around Adelaide. Cat Tracker is cat goes? an innovative project that uses GPS tracking equipment to track the movements of local cats. The study aims to determine just how far cats venture in order to better understand their personalities and behaviours.

The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre is committed to delivering a diverseprogram of events and exhibitions throughout the year which reflect theirfundamental themes of strengthening our democracy, valuing ourdiversity and building our future.It has been engaging meaningfully with the South Australian community throughits public lectures since 1997 having presented hundreds of speakers reachinghundreds of thousands of people in South Australia and globally. The Centre’snamesake is former Prime Minister, the Hon Bob Hawke, who was a majorsupporter of education, international understanding and of the balance betweeneconomy and equity for the social good.The Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, part ofthe Centre, also provides a dedicated space for organisations to convey theirsocial messages through art.

Students training to become healthcareprofessionals may have access to new technologydeveloped by UniSA researchers that cansimulate an infinite range of medical conditions.The new manikins use Spatial Augmented Reality(SAR) to project various types of physiologyand conditions onto an array of 3D shapesrepresenting body parts and without the needfor VR goggles or headwear. The technology alsosupports the tracking of trainee hand movements,turning the manikin into an interactive learningspace with diagnostic prompts and othereducational questions integrated into the system.

In 2003, the Kenyan Government tookthe monumental step of ending schoolfees, opening up the education systemto all for the very first time.However, while all now had menu, made from local,access to education many seasonal produce andwere still either skipping combined with mentoringschool or leaving early and tutoring support fromin search of food. Ann university students, AnnWawira Njiru understood developed a program thatthe problem and took has seen participants’the skills and knowledge school attendance improveshe learnt through her drastically. Ann hopes tonutritional sciences take the project to thestudies at UniSA back Kenyan government to behome to Kenya to help adopted by schools acrossthese children.Working the nation.to develop a nutritious

Did you know thatalmonds wereAustralia’s mostvaluable horticulturalexport in 2014/15?According to theAlmond Board ofAustralia, the popularnuts are expected togenerate around 10per cent of nationalhorticulture’s grossvalue of production.UniSA is supportingthis thriving industry,working with HorticultureInnovation Australia(HIA) to improve almondprocessing in threeways. The first involvesreducing the loss ofdamaged kernels throughimproved crackingtechnology. The team isalso looking at improvingthe aeration in storagefacilities so that farmerscan harvest and storenuts earlier, as well asproducing more effectivehulling methods.



Sustainable production of food isincreasingly important as the world’spopulation grows and the landavailable for farming decreases. It’sin the space of improved engineeringsolutions that UniSA researchers areworking to improve how we growour food products more sustainably.For instance, a grain harvestermodified to also destroy weed seedswill allow farmers to reduce chemicaluse and better manage weeds whichare becoming herbicide-resistant.Our researchers are improving thelivelihoods of farmers in the MiddleEast by promoting conservationagricultural practices such as no-tillfarming – a practice which helps toreverse soil degradation, conserve soilwater and improve crop water useefficiency. In South East Asia, low-costmachinery solutions are beingdeveloped and promoted to improvethe establishment of direct seededrice and address labour shortages.

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A Lean Management Leaders Education partnership between the UniSA Business School and the RoyalAustralian Air Force put it on track to achieve $500 million in savings without sacrificing capability.

Brenton Ragless, David Bevan, Rebecca Morse, Sally Sara, Sabra Lane, Clive Mathieson, Patrick Keane, Indira Naidoo,Michael Vincent, Lainie Anderson, Emma Reballato, Helen McCabeUniSA has been graduating some of Australia’s fiinest journalists,editors, commentators and media personalities since 1973.

The collective intelligence of minutecreatures can generate vast andunexpected systematic complexity.Take the underground ant empires in Melbournethat stretch across more than 100km and are hometo millions of ants. All are conceived and createdby tiny creatures with far less individual processingpower than our own. Called swarm intelligence,UniSA’s Defence and Systems Institute is working onUnmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) that mimic thebehaviour of swarm insects to create armies madeof tiny robots that work together to complete asingle task. The technology uses sophisticatedmathematical modelling to overcome the sightlimitations of traditional machine visionsystems by drawing inspiration fromthe visual capabilities of a fly.

Tiny babies within the womb Yet, as adults our bodies lose this capacityare capable of regenerating and – sometimes to the point where woundsrepairing their skin to the extent fail to heal at all.This is partly due to a protein called Flightless I (FLii) which that wounds leave no trace. has found to be counterproductive to the wound healing process. Researchers at UniSA have developed an antibody which reduces the amount of FLii and has proven to improve wound healing and reduce scarring.The team is now trialling the use of cell-populated dressings containing the antibodies with a final goal of commercial production.

UniSA was the first university to implement the FootballUnitedTM program outside of New South Wales. Theprogram provides free football matches for at-risk youth,in particular refugee, migrant and Indigenous children.

Roadside and workplacedrug and alcohol testingmay become easier thanks totechnology developed by UniSAresearchers. While currenttechnology is particularlyeffective at detecting opiatesand amphetamines, the finalconfirmation of a positive resultfor cocaine and cannabis is stilldependent on biological tests.The new technology could allowofficers to confirm the detectionof drugs of abuse at point ofcollection via a mobilised,lab-on-chip application whichoutputs reliable results at thesite of testing.



UniSA is the onlyuniversity in SouthAustralia to offerdegrees in primaryand middle as wellas design andtechnologyeducation.

From exploring the outer limits of space, to overcoming thebarriers of racial prejudice and forging a highly successfulcareer in space administration, Major General CharlesBolden Jr has led an extraordinary life. As head of NASA for more than 30 years Bolden has overseen an era of expansionand exploration supported by the advancement of space and aeronautics technology.Bolden’s worldwide advocacy for access to education and commitment to makingthe seemingly impossible, possible spans a lifetime and has been recognised by theUniversity with an Honorary Doctorate.

The quality of water that is supplied to communities can profoundly affectthe health outcomes of wider populations. Chemical disinfection is themost widely used technique to control waterborne pathogens, ensuringthat water can reach the consumer safe from microbial contamination orfree from harmful/unpleasant compounds. Treatment methods however,can unfortunately leave behind harmful by-products. NDMA is an emergingcontaminant categorised as probably carcinogenic to humans, and UniSAresearchers are working to produce an electrochemical sensor for the rapid,sensitive and reliable detection of NDMA in water samples.

Common Ground is a residential construction project that provides secure accommodation to Adelaide,s most disadvantaged people. The building comprises 52 apartments over seven levels and took 41 weeks to build and deliver. UniSA construction management graduate James Clark oversaw the project,s design and construction from start to finish and won a Professional Excellence Award in Residential Construction from the Australian Institute of Building (AIB) for his contribution to the project.

Hip replacements helpedto restore mobility to morethan 90,000 Australians in2014 and as the country’sageing populationrises safe, effectiveand inexpensive jointreplacement technology isbecoming more important.Scientists at UniSA have come upwith a novel way to reduce therisk of post-operative infectionsarising from biomedical implantsurgery. The team has developeda coating for implants whicheffectively stuns bacteria anddiscourages them from forminginfectious biofilms. It is littleknown that bacteria actuallycommunicate with each other,acting cooperatively to identifysuitable areas of the body toinfect and grow. The coating’stechnology effectively interruptsthis communication betweenthe organisms and reduces theircapacity to form into a biocolonyaround the surgical site.

UniSA has been acknowledged as anEmployer of Choice for Women by the CommonwealthGovernment’s Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency, for the past eleven years.

Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is a transparent conducting material thatenables new display technologies such as touch screens and smart windowsto function. Its use has become widespread with the recent prevalence ofsmart phones and other optoelectronic devices, and conversely, its cost isincreasing while supply is decreasing. UniSA researchers have developeda viable alternative organic based coating process that offers comparableflexibility, transparency and conductivity and are working to introduce theproduct commercially. Still in development, this coating may work as a lowcost and environmentally friendly solution.

Huge oil tankers travel theEarth’s oceans and newoffshore drilling platformsare being setup everyday to satisfy the world’sdemand for oil.Oil spills have been an unfortunate result of thisdemand, and are responsible for the widespreaddestruction of a number of marine ecosystems.UniSA researchers have been working to makethe clean-up of oil spills cheaper, easier andmore effective with the development of oil-waterseparation membranes. The membranes are drivenby gravity and are applied to recovery vesselswhich, through suction devices can suck thepolluted water through the mesh, returning cleanwater into the ocean.

Jeffrey Smart, Self-portrait at Papini’s 1984–85, oil and acrylic on canvas, 85×115 cm

Jeffrey Smart was an iconic painter andaccomplished draughtsman, graduating fromthe South Australian School of Arts andCrafts (now a part of UniSA’s School of Art,Architecture and Design). In 2011, Smartreceived an Honorary Doctorate from UniSA.He passed away in 2013, aged 91, leavingbehind an unprecedented legacy in Australianart. Smart’s unending quest for inspirationencapsulates UniSA’s enterprising spirit andthe University named its $85 million learningcentre at City West campus in his honour.

In 2013, UniSA became the first university to host anonline brainstorming event and ideas generator – UniJam.Working with IBM technology, the University communitycontributed more than 17,000 posts during the 38-hourevent about their ideas for the University’s future.

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Breaking ground: Trevor Richie graduated in2014 from UniSAto become SA’s first identified Indigenous occupational therapist.

Built in 1884, Murray Stories of ghostly encounters are varied, but one of the House rests at the most persistent is about the presence of a young girl called May, who some claim, at 12–­ 13 years of age and dressedentrance of UniSA’s Magill in period finery has been seen on the main landing of the campus. An oldworld house’s staircase. Recently, two UniSA film students decided to investigate the sightings and film their findings. Spending site, rich in history and a night in the house, the pair recorded unexplained radio heritage, the house has frequencies when touching the staircase’s balustrade. been a subject of rumour Strange sights and sounds, including a young female singing, over the years, for some as well as a presence were also reported by paranormal who believe it is haunted. experts who visited the house. While the presence of ghostly occupants remains a mystery, the student’s documentary makes an interesting contribution to the University’s history.

Placed 35th in the world, UniSA is theyoungest Australian university ranked in Times Higher Education’s ranking of topuniversities under 50 years of age in 2015.