SCU Buzz | The Southern Cross University podcast

What is a circular economy and why is it so much more than just waste management? In this episode, River chats with Professor Linda Godfrey, Extraordinary Professor at North-West University South Africa, and Professor Dirk Erler, Chief Investigator of Recirculator and academic within the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Southern Cross University. They discuss the similar challenges Australia...

Bachelor of Contemporary Music student Alako Myles wants to rewrite the gigging experience for musicians. He is the brains behind the Anemoia Music Festival, a student-led live event which aimed to do things differently. Speaking to student host River for the SCU Buzz podcast, Alako discusses the financial hurdles for musicians, the creation of Liminal band, the audio experiences of vinyl versus s...

What is the sovereign citizenship movement and why do we mostly hear about it when it comes to traffic laws? Dean of Law and former magistrate David Heilpern chats about his experience with the sovereign citizenship movement and whether or not the legal argument behind it stacks up. He is joined by law student Amy and student host River as they cover the challenges of advocating a no-law society,...

The countdown is on for the Gold Coast Marathon, which is taking place on 1-2 July 2023. To help you prepare, Southern Cross University and Gold Coast Marathon gathered leading sport and exercise science experts to share their top training tips. In this episode of the SCU Buzz, Australian Olympic long-distance runner Benita Willis and Southern Cross University’s Chair of Discipline (Health Science...

River chats to Dr Hanabeth Luke, senior lecturer in regenerative agriculture at Southern Cross, about her journey to a PhD that began with coal seam gas licences, and why understanding a landscape is as important as how you manage a landscape. A fascinating chat for all those interested in farming and environmental management covering the secret to good soil, integrating animals into the mix, what...

What makes a really good engineer and a successful engineering project? Chair of our Academic Board Professor and environmental engineer Professor Andrew Rose chats to host River about the quadruple bottom line of engineering projects, the polemics of flood recovery, matchmaking in circular economies and why engineering is about finding solutions that people actually want. A fascinating insight fo...

Are SMART goals that smart or is there a better way for most people to get more active and sustain the activity? In this episode Associate Professor Christian Swann talks to student host Blake about his research into goal setting, mental health in sport, including the Manna institute's work developing programs for mental health promotion in regional and rural communities and and how his interest i...

How can art make science more digestible and emotive for non-scientists, and how can science inspire art? In our first episode for 2023, River chats to Associate Professor Grayson Cooke, media artist and Chair of Creative Arts at Southern Cross, about his work with satellite data, music and cloud fantasia, not to mention how human beings can be a geological force of nature. One for both artists an...

River chats with our 2022 Student of the Year, archaeologist and PhD candidate Marian Bailey about her work in the flood crisis response, Bigfoot's teeth and the surprising twists and turns academic careers can take. Listeners may remember Marian as one of the first guests on the SCU Buzz in 2021 - you'll be amazed at what she's been up to since then!

International Nursing student from Nigeria, Ronke, chats to SCU Buzz host River about how she would pretend to be sick just so she could experience the hospital environment as a child, what it means to see the representation of her own culture at Southern Cross, her life as an international student adjusting in Australia, (including becoming a professional bus catcher!) and her infectious positivi...

Should education be a marketplace or a human right? Is there a better way than NAPLAN to measure the performance of our education system? Education student Blake chats to Southern Cross Professor and world-renowned education expert Pasi Sahlberg on education measurement that does no harm, the importance of learning and finding a mentor early in your career and the beautiful journey of becoming a t...

Associate Professor Tobias Kretzschmar shares insights into his research, discussing the benefits and myths of hemp, his work discovering new coffee varieties in Australia, and the endless health benefits with rice!

Southern Cross researcher Dr James Sippo shares his insights on the mangrove carbon cycle, his work developing the revolutionary BlueCAM model, how we can manage future flood impact in the Northern Rivers. This episode is perfect for current or aspiring environmental scientists, or anyone interested in unique climate change research.

At the Byron Writers Festival 2022, Southern Cross students set up a mobile podcasting studio in the Electric Kombi. In this episode, Art and Design student River talks to Southern Cross graduate Jessie Cole about her latest book 'Desire; a reckoning', the tricky issue of female desire and the trauma that surrounds relationships, as well as some of the strange reactions she has to love. **Content...

At the Byron Writers Festival 2022, Southern Cross students set up a mobile podcasting studio in the Electric Kombi. In this episode, Creative Writing student Deb talks to author and EV evangelist Saul Griffith about how we can electrify our brains and cars, what we can learn from history to make radical change in our energy mix, and why the CWA will save us all **Content warning: this episode con...

At the Byron Writers Festival 2022, Southern Cross students set up a mobile podcasting studio in the Electric Kombi. In this episode, Creative Writing student Michelle interviews chef-turned-farmer and author, Matthew Evans. Matthew talks about his latest book 'Soil' and why it's important to think about what's under your feet and why regenerative agriculture is the way of the future.

At the Byron Writers Festival 2022, Southern Cross students set up a mobile podcasting studio in the Electric Kombi. In this episode, Education student Blake interviews the youngest ever winner of the Stella prize, Bundjalung author Evelyn Araluen. Evelyn talks about her work, the influence of her family and why dignified working conditions are so important.

At the Byron Writers Festival 2022, Southern Cross students set up a mobile podcasting studio in the University's Electric Kombi. In this episode, Art and Design student River interviews Dylin Hardcastle about their work. Dylin talks about trans identity and gender fluidity, the power of rage and how writing and visual art can be a vehicle to explore identity.

At the Byron Writers Festival 2022, Southern Cross students set up a mobile podcasting studio in the University's Electric Kombi. In this episode, Creative Writing student Deb interviews one of Australia's most acclaimed artists Ben Quilty. Ben talks about lockdown cricket, using his platform for social commentary and the effects of working in war zones.

Brittani Nicholl was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at age seven, yet that didn’t stop her from competing as a pro surfer or pursuing a degree at Southern Cross University. When she's not leading the University surfing team to competition glory, she runs her own business and works as a surfing commentator. In this SCU Buzz episode, Britt shares her passion for surfing, her battle with Crohn’s dise...

What does life look like as a new teacher? Southern Cross graduate Mitchell Anderson chats to Education student Blake about following a passion for education, what placements give you, teaching during COVID and more as he reflects on his experience at the University.

Course coordinator for the Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours Dr Eric Brymer has spent 30 years getting inside the minds of people who climb huge mountains, surf big waves, jump out of planes or freedive deep underwater. In this episode he chats with Education student Blake about why people participate in extreme sports and how it can make them feel more connected to nature and their o...

The first in-person graduation event at the Gold Coast after the lifting of COVID restrictions saw 850+ Southern Cross graduates cross the stage. One duo that stood out was mother and daughter Rose and Maddie Smith, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education (Primary) degree together! In this episode the pair discuss what it was like studying together at Southern Cross, their pass...

A special session from the 2022 Kyogle Writers Festival with Southern Cross Creative Writing lecturer Lynda Hawryluk and author Patti Miller. They discuss the theme of Patti's new book, True Friends, what makes a memoir truly come alive, the ethics of 'putting someone in your book' and what a 5,000-year-old story can tell us about the psychology of friendship. Some great tips and insights for stud...

Today we chat to Tara Fritz, a 4th year Occupational Therapy student studying at the Gold Coast campus. She talks about her work as a casual Occupational Therapy Assistant and as a mentor, the OT labs on campus and what a career as an OT actually involves. Hint: it's more than you think! This episode is perfect for those who are thinking about studying OT or who may have just started their degree...