26 June 2009
Gala dinner marks Founders’ Day
Professor Margaret Gardner AO, Vice-Chancellor and President, and Dame Elisabeth Murdoch share a moment at the Founders’ Dinner.
Storey Hall’s unique shapes and spaces were inspired partly by “chaos” mathematics, particularly fractal geometry.
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In June 1887, RMIT opened its doors as the Working Men’s College. This June, more than 240 RMIT staff, alumni, industry partners and benefactors celebrated Founders’ Day with a gala dinner at Storey Hall.
As demonstrated by the compelling creative media and research on display, the theme of the evening was “technology”.
Professor Margaret Gardner AO, Vice-Chancellor and President, said the first radiography program in Australia was taught at RMIT in 1929, and in the same period courses in still and motion picture projection and broadcasting were developed and taught at RMIT.
“Today technology pervades our education, as RMIT has taken architecture into virtual worlds, such as Second Life, automotive engineering students design a hydrogen-powered racing car, and biotechnology and nanotechnology programs bring ways to transform food, materials and health.
“The magic, power and practicality of technology were in the minds of those who imagined this new educational institution some 122 years ago.
“They could not imagine what we can do today and what we will do tomorrow. But they saw as we know that it is technological education and research that shows us that nothing is impossible,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
Following the Vice-Chancellor’s address, guests warmly welcomed presentations from Professor Aleksandar Subic, Head of School, School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; Professor Ian Burnett, Head of School, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Dr Amanda Barnard, RMIT Alumnus of the Year.
