Uni updates

$21 M for pioneering stem cell research
The University has been awarded $21 million from the Australian Research Council to establish Stem Cells Australia (SCA), an initiative that will position Australia as a major world player in stem cell research.

University researcher wins NHMRC Australia Fellowship
Professor Ashley Bush from the University and the Mental Health Research Institute has been awarded an Australia Fellowship for his groundbreaking work in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's.

Melbourne tops ERA report
The University of Melbourne has established itself as the leading research university in Australia, topping the key indicators in the Excellence in Research for Australia report.

Melbourne's reputation best in Australia
The University of Melbourne has the best reputation among universities in Australia and is 45th in the world, according to the Times Higher Education first World Reputation Rankings.

Great great grand-daughter of one of the University's first female graduates studying at Melbourne
Twenty-year-old Sophie Curtis began her Bachelor of Arts degree this year exactly 130 years after her great great grandmother, Lydia Amelia Harris, enrolled in an Arts degree at the University in 1881.

The Festival of Ideas
A week-long series of lectures on 'The Pursuit of Identity: Landscape, History and Genetics' was held at the University in June. Visit the Festival of Ideas website to hear podcasts and view vodcasts featuring many of the key presenters including Thomas Keneally, Gareth Evans and Professor Naomi Chazen.

Offers for undergraduate places to students from disadvantaged backgrounds increase by almost 10%
Through the Access Melbourne programs, more than 1700 disadvantaged students, including those from rural areas and from low socio-economic backgrounds, received first-round offers in 2011.

University of Melbourne receives largest bequest in its history
In August 2010 the University became trustee of the AE Rowden White Foundation, and received more than $16 million from the estate of Sir Alfred Edward Rowden White, CMG. If you would like to know more about leaving a bequest, please email Sue Girling-Butcher, Bequests Manager or call +61 (0)3 8344 1056.

First Melbourne Model graduates confer degrees in 2010
2010 saw the first graduates of the Melbourne Model. A total of 2303 students completed one of our six New Generation bachelor degrees in Arts, Biomedicine, Commerce, Environments, Music or Science.

Baillieu Library gets facelift
The first stage of the Baillieu Library's redevelopment is due to be completed in July. Also look out for the new Faculty of Business and Economics and Melbourne Graduate School of Education Library at 111 Barry St (in the ICT building) scheduled for opening in Semester 2.You can follow the progress of the Ballieu redevelopment via the Flickr page.

Partnership with Zoos Victoria
The University of Melbourne has formally launched its partnership with Zoos Victoria. The partnership will deliver significant benefits in biodiversity conservation, sustainability and veterinary science on matters of global, national and state importance.

First woman to be appointed Dean of Law
Professor Carolyn Evans has taken up the position of Dean of the Melbourne Law School. She is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost experts on the relationahip between law and religion.

Elizabeth Alexander AM announced as new Chancellor of the University of Melbourne
Ms Elizabeth Alexander AM (BCom 1964) was formally installed as Chancellor in April, succeeding the Hon. Alex Chernov AO QC (BCom 1962, LLB (Hons) 1967).

Melbourne researchers awarded largest number of ARC funding grants in Australia
More than $42.8 million in funding was awarded to University of Melbourne researchers in the 2011 Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage and Discovery Grants.