UTS: University of Technology Sydney

Sadly, another grad season has come to a close, and we say goodbye to another cohort of students. Without a doubt, graduation is one of the most cheerful and inspiring times on campus. With bright, happy faces seen covering the Alumni Green of graduates and loved ones alike. We can't wait to see what you do next and welcome you to our UTS Alumni 🎓🎉

Algenie has been awarded $1.4 million through the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Program to scale breakthrough tech combining photobioreactors and AI to grow algae more efficiently at scale 👏

Algenie builds on cutting-edge research from UTS that has built patented algae bioreactors that centre on a novel helix shape that can grow algae to its maximum biological potential.

“Algae can be a very powerful solution to capture a lot of carbon from the atmosphere,” said Associate Professor Mathieu Pernice, deputy director of the UTS Climate Change Cluster.

As global feedstock supply chains become increasingly volatile, innovations like this could play an important role in building more sustainable, resilient industries powered by renewable resources.

Read more 🔗 https://ow.ly/yI6M50Z5rfG

Fashion generates 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually, with the vast majority made from fossil-fuel based materials and ending up in landfill 😳

But a breakthrough has been made possible through a collaboration between UTS x Noéma, a materials innovation startup. Together, they have announced the successful development of Noéma’s first prototype garments made entirely from its novel biobased, fully compostable yarn.

These prototypes mark a major step toward replacing harmful synthetic yarns by using a feedstock of agricultural by-products from plants such as corn or sugar cane in clothing supply chains.

Read more 🔗 https://ow.ly/Bu4Q50Z43Y6

Jonathan Frogley is running a 100-kilometre 'Stride for Stuttering' ultra-marathon to raise funds for UTS's Australian Stuttering Research Centre.

Stuttering is sometimes a hidden and often misunderstood condition, where speech disruptions hamper a person’s ability to communicate. Jonathan Frogley, a Sydney-based professional who has lived with stuttering since childhood, is raising awareness and community funding for research with a full-day run at Narrabeen Lagoon on Friday 29 May 🙌

💬 “Studies show the quality-of-life impairment of stuttering is equivalent to that of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer,” said Associate Professor Robyn Lowe from the Australian Stuttering Research Centre at UTS.

Read more 🔗 https://ow.ly/H3RQ50Z43Az

Comparison is the thief of joy. This exam season, we wanted to remind you to focus on doing your best rather than comparing your progress to others'. As we approach the end of the semester, make yourself proud!

From Ancient Country to new horizons 🌏

UTS student and proud Yolngu Yawuru-Kidja woman, Kayla Baker-Peris, is spending a year in Japan through the New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program. Building cultural connections and representing UTS as the 2026 First Nations Fellow.

"My whole life experience has pretty much boiled down to intercultural communication and intersectionality. The New Colombo Plan program touches on that intersectionality and creates opportunities to communicate with people from other backgrounds."

As part of her time in Japan, Kayla will complete an intensive language program and a cultural subject for credit towards her UTS degree, as well as a professional internship, one of the program's core requirements.

She also wants to inspire other Indigenous students at UTS to experience the world.

“Being a young Indigenous person in Australia, there are a lot of opportunities in the world, and we should always grab them with both hands.”

Learn more about Kayla and the Program here 🔗 https://www.uts.edu.au/for-students/experience-uts/experience-global-programs/ancient-country-new-horizons

Twelve UTS research projects with industry partners have secured approximately $6.9 million in Australian Government funding to help tackle issues of national importance.

The research spans across engineering, environmental sciences, human society and computer science, with projects that will enhance industrial productivity and develop sustainable technologies.

💬 “This latest round of grant announcements shows that we continue to excel at one of the things UTS is best known for: undertaking collaborative connected research with our industry partners that solves practical problems and generates real impact,” said UTS Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Kate McGrath.

Find out more about each of the projects 🔗 https://ow.ly/mgpp50Z2ZWU

Nominations are now open for the 2026 UTS Alumni Awards 🏆

Each year, we celebrate UTS graduates making an impact through exceptional public service and significant contributions to their communities. This year’s awards feature several new categories, including Emerging Leader, First Peoples Impact, Entrepreneurial Leadership and Creativity and Culture.

Nominate now 🔗 https://ow.ly/1wzG50YYw0M

Blue skies ☀️

Image credit: chalzone on Instagram.

UTS has built and now operates the first facility in the world where all of a country's mobile network operators work together to strengthen the resilience of emergency calling. This week, Minister for Communications the Hon Anika Wells MP visited Tech Lab to see this UTS capability firsthand.

Commissioned by the Australian Government after major network outages exposed vulnerabilities in Australia's Triple Zero system, the Controlled Test Facility at UTS Tech Lab brings Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom into a single, independent research environment - hosted and operated by UTS.

Our researchers, working with the network operators, safely recreate critical network failure scenarios that can't be studied on live networks. The impact is already global, UTS-led testing has directly informed software updates improving emergency calling across mobile devices worldwide.

UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT

How do we redesign our economic systems so nature is recognised, and financed, as essential infrastructure for a net zero future? 🧐

Join us at Net Zero Futures: Nature as Climate Infrastructure, where researchers, First Nations communities and industry leaders will explore how nature-positive solutions can drive measurable emissions reductions across supply chains and land systems.

🗓️ Date: 18 June, 9:30am-4pm AEST
📍 Location: UTS Great Hall

Register today 🔗 https://ow.ly/44Z350YUP4s

UTS Transdisciplinary School

The cost-of-living crisis is putting university out of reach for many students.

Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are twice as likely to consider deferring or dropping out due to financial pressure. At UTS, philanthropic support is helping change that.

Scholarships such as the Curtis Foundation Humanitarian Scholarship and the Crookes Family Foundation U@Uni Scholarships, are helping students stay enrolled and succeed, with UTS low SES student success rates now 12% higher than the national average.

💬 “Financial stress, not academic ability, is now one of the leading drivers of attrition,” says Amy Persson, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Social Justice and Inclusion).

Read more 🔗 https://ow.ly/AXwy50YKJRq

Earlier this week at UTS, Steve Whan MP, Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, announced the launch of WORK: Fashion + Sustainability Jobs of the Future. A new report mapping the roles that will shape a more sustainable fashion industry in Australia through to 2030 and beyond.

Developed by the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion + Textiles, a collaboration between UTS and TAFE NSW - provides a blueprint for building the skills and roles needed to transform the industry.

“A sustainable fashion future is within reach. Some leaders are already demonstrating these skills, which are highlighted in the report through case studies", Dr Lisa Lake, UTS Faculty of Design and Society. An example is Shirley Tam who works at UTS as a 3D Knitting Technical Officer, where she bridges research, industry and making 🙌

Read more 🔗 https://ow.ly/RnYs50YSfU9