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Melbourne Boston 30 Year Ambassadors

As part of the 2015 celebrations of Melbourne and Boston's 30 year sister cities relationship, the MBSCA has named a number of leaders connected with both cities as Melbourne Boston 30 Year Ambassadors.

This page features profiles the Melbourne Boston 30 Year Ambassadors and their connections with the two cities. 

Robert Doyle

Lord Mayor of Melbourne

Bob Anderson 2010 Hugh Rogers Fellow, ImmusanT	Lauren Ayton 2013 Hugh Rogers Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia	Amanda Caples Victorian Government
Sue Dahn Pitcher Partners	Susan de Weger 2014 Hugh Rogers Fellow, French Horn Player	John W.H. Denton AO Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Sara James NBC Universal	Xenia Hanusiak 2011 Hugh Rogers Fellow, Visiting Scholar, Columbia University	Christine Healey 2013 Hugh Rogers Fellow, Shrine of Remembrance
Andrea Hull AO VCA and MCM	Nerida Mellerick 2013 Hugh Rogers Fellow, Clifton Hill Primary School	Emily Rochette 2014 Hugh Rogers Fellow, Melbourne Girls' College
Peter Rogers International Consultants Centre	Michael Rowland ABC News	Helen Steel Co-Chair, MBSCA
Natalie Thorne 2014 Hugh Rogers Fellow, Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance	Robert Trenberth AM Co-Chair, MBSCA	Gemma Turvey 2014 Hugh Rogers Fellow, New Palm Court Orchestra
Leonie Walsh Lead Scientist of Victoria	Peter Yates AM Myer Family Investments

Ambassadors and their connections with Melbourne and Boston

Lauren Ayton
Centre for Eye Research Australia

My time as a Hugh Rogers Fellow in Boston in 2014 was one of the most rewarding in my career – I was able to spend two months working with my collaborator Professor Joseph Rizzo at Harvard on our work, and formed new collaborations and friendships. Boston is one of my favourite places in the world, and reminded me of Melbourne in so many ways. It is clear why they are sister cities, and I believe the strong relationship between them will continue to flourish over the years.

Sue Dahn
Pitcher Partners

The strong connection between Melbourne and Boston is felt in the shape and feel of the cities and, in particular, their educational institutions. My time at Harvard University rivals my time at Melbourne University for inspirational teaching and learning.

Nerida Mellerick

2012 Hugh Rogers Fellow

Nerida Mellerick was awarded the 2012 Hugh Rogers Fellowship for her interest in pursuing research in the field of Gifted and Talented education. She holds a Bachelor of Education from The University of Melbourne and works at Clifton Hill Primary School. Nerida’s time in Cambridge at Harvard University led her to a greater understanding of how to provide Gifted and Talented students with the complexity and challenge that they require. Nerida has since pursued her interest in a 21st century ‘understanding based’ curriculum, allowing her students to grapple with complexity whilst sustaining engagement.

As Nerida visited Boston shortly after the Boston bombing terrorist attack in 2013, she witnessed an entire city in a time of change, resolve and incredible strength – the motto of ‘Boston strong’ truly captured the feeling of the time. She remembers Boston as being “a city steeped in history but very much living in the present”. Nerida was particularly impressed by Boston’s architecture and the complementary nature of the old and new. Whilst in Boston Nerida applied her learning at Harvard to her own travel experience – she consciously focused on slow looking and observation to learn deeply.

Emily Rochette

2014 Hugh Rogers Fellow

Emily Rochette is a classroom teacher at Melbourne Girls’ College in Richmond and guest lecturer at the The University of Melbourne Graduate School of Education. Fewer young women engage with and continue in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects not only in Australia but also in the United States. Understanding how educators scaffold students toward a growth mindset in the context of developing ‘21st century skills’ is a timely issue to explore to understand ways students can more successfully engage with content. Emily travelled to Boston on the Hugh Rogers Fellowship to visit secondary schools as well as Boston University and Simmons College to learn about integration of technology in science subjects. The Woodward School for Girls, Dexter Southfield School and Dana Hall opened their doors to share their unique and engaging science and technology curricula. Discussions with staff and observations of students engaging in subjects such as Engineering highlighted similar issues with technology implementation in Boston and Melbourne. These experiences also highlighted opportunities for technology implementation across the whole school for Melbourne Girls’ College and their City Edge Network to consider. Emily left Boston with some pertinent questions for future investigation including: What are the benchmarks for being able to claim schools are ‘doing’ STEM? Why should educators employ technology as a solution to problems? Emily continues to work with colleagues to deliver a government education to young women in Science through integration of technology while maintaining contacts in the Boston area.

 

Michael Rowland

ABC News