The Australian Government appears to have shelved the tax cuts to big business because it believes there are no votes in a policy that the electorate perceives as just benefiting big business.

Alexandra Catling indulges in her passion for scientific research on a trip to south east Asian forests. And discovers leeches.

In this edition, we’re delighted to share the campus love story of Amy and David who met when they were both doing science degrees.

A passion for gender equity brought two eminent people together to deliver this year’s inaugural Foundation Day lecture – former ANU Chancellor Emeritus Professor Peter Baume AC and ANU Alumna of the Year Dr Susan Ryan AO. Here are edited extracts of their speeches.

Her career has taken her far and wide around the world, not following a typical path. Ross Peake reports.

Dr Jodie Ward, BSc (Hons) ’03, PhD ’07, discusses her path from a childhood fascination with zoology to leading the way in DNA identification for missing persons. Eva Medcalf reports.

Dr Matthew Brookhouse, BSc (Forestry) ’97, PhD ’08, loves to peer back through time by examining the growth rings from trees. Yes, he’s a dendrochronologist. And he’s made an amazing discovery about a Henry VIII portrait. Ross Peake reports.

Studies of Thai literature in English are few and far between due to the scarcity of Thai literature in translation. Emily Hazlewood reports.

Dr Karen Fox, PhD ’09, explores tales of path-breaking women in the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

Archives come to life to inform the restoration of a significant piece of landscaping history. Amy Jarvis and Jack Dunstan report.

Amy Chin-Atkins, BSc ’92, PhD ’98, and David Atkins, BSc ’93, EMPA ’18, PhD ’98, began dating when they were studying science.

A gift of 120 Indigenous artworks features huge, stunning canvases, as Jane Faure-Brac reports.

ACT Scientist of the Year Dr Rose Ahlefeldt, B Phil (Hons) ’08, PhD ’13, is working with crystals that may one day be used to store quantum information in the next generation of computers. Will Wright reports.

A new book reveals the fascinating interaction between Christian missionaries and the Anindilyakwa-speaking people of Groote Eylandt, the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, as Adam Spence reports.

While many of us struggle to remember which bottles or plastics are recyclable and which bin they can go into, an ANU academic has turned her mind to recycling entire vehicles. Rebecca McKenzie-McHarg reports.

The whole time Tabitha Carvan is speaking to Professor Paul Martin, she feels she’s getting a headache. Should she see a doctor about it – or a psychologist?.

Who makes the decision about the next appliance in a household? And what are the consequences? Sarah Wilson reports.

How do you make plant science interesting for school students? Mel Norris reports.

Birds can quickly learn to recognise alarm calls from different species. Jess Fagan reports.

What happens when a city is rebuilt to present an imagined image of previous centuries? Evana Ho reports.

One baby’s tragic death led to a $20-million trial to prevent similar cases. Tabitha Carvan reports.

Dr Liz Allen, M SocRes ’08, PhD ’15, is a demographer and Postdoctoral Fellow at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. Here she reflects on an important day in her career and the nation’s history.