MACSYS Centre Retreat

This year, the MACSYS Centre Retreat will be hosted at the Cape Schanck RACV Resort.

• Cape Schanck is a beautiful town located at the southernmost tip of Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. It features many scenic coastal walks and attractions, including a heritage-listed lighthouse and rockpools.  

The Centre Retreat is an event for MACSYS members to come together and celebrate our work and discuss our future agenda.   All Centre members are encouraged to attend!

• Transport & Getting There

• MAP:  RACV Resort Main Inside Level

• MAP:  RACV Resort Grounds

• Code of Conduct

Good to know

• Check in: 2 pm; Check out: 10 am
• Buffet breakfast is available at the Samphire Restaurant from 7-10am everyday.
  • Breakfast and meals are not covered for plus-ones.
  • Barista coffee at individuals’ expense during breakfast. Coffee cart available on Thursday.
• All guests will need to settle their own incidentals
• There will be a photographer onsite from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm Thursday. Please get ready to be photographed and/or change your outfit in the afternoon if possible
• We have hired a full-day barista coffee cart for Thursday. Coffees charged to Master.
  • Barista coffee service times:
    • Arrival: 8:30 am
    • Morning tea: 9:50 am
    • Lunch: 12:00 pm
    • Afternoon Tea: 15:30 pm
  • Morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea will be served outside the conference room.
  • Digital Detox Room/Quiet Room – Flinders Room 1
    • Please use this space to de-stress. Quiet activities will be available.
    • Can be used as a breakout room on Friday

Retreat Program – Great Southern Ballroom 1

Wednesday 29 October 

• 12:30 pm – Arrival, chill & chat over lunch 
• 1:30 pm – Director’s Welcome: Trevor Lithgow
• 2:30 pm – Coffee break 
• 3:00 pm – Training and Professional Development Session: Jean Wen
• 4:00 pm – Media and Comms Session – Tim Macuga
• 4:30 pm – Walk around resort: opportunity to discuss unmet needs, current and future actions, etc. 
• 5:30 pm – Student and ECR poster session alongside standing dinner (Banksia Room)
  • List of Poster Presentations

Thursday 30 October 

• 8:00 am – Breakfast 
• 9:00 am – Strategic Research Session: Jen Flegg, Malcolm McConville, Traude Beilharz
  • Strategic Research Committee Update
  • SIF Project Updates
• 9:50 am – Stretch break 
• 10:10 am – Research Theme Presentations 
  • Theme 1 – Mathematical & Statistical Foundations of WCMs: Chris Drovandi & Lan Nguyen
  • Theme 2 – Genotype Phenotype Mapping: Jean Wen & Marc Wilkins
  • Theme 3 – Automation: Richi Nayak
• 11:10 am – Panel Discussion – Theme 4 – Empowering Research:  Heejung Shim
  • Panel members: Marc Wilkins, Malcolm McConville, Trevor Lithgow, and Mike McDonald
• 11:30 am – Coffee break, walk and talk around venue 
• 12:00 pm – Lunch 
• 1:00 pm – Translation & Partner Engagement Session: Traude Beilharz, Beth Wilson, & Ian Paulsen, Director of SynBio CoE
  • Brief introduction to new Centre Stakeholder Engagement Officer
  • Ian Paulsen: ‘Building a culture of translation and entrepreneurship’
• 2:30 pm – Afternoon Tea
• 3:00 pm – Equity, People and Culture session: Mike McDonald, EPCC Committee members, & Christen Mirth, Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion), Faculty of Science, Monash University 
  • Equitable recruitment presentation
• 4:00 pm – Maths-meets-Biology session: Mike McDonald, Matt Coffey, & Pip Wallis, MUMA
• 5:00 pm – Free time
• 6:00 pm – Dinner (Mantellina Restaurant – below conference room)
• 8:00 pm – Drinks, desserts and chill 

Friday 31 October 

• 8:30 am – Breakfast 
• 9:30 am – Free time for activities, e.g. catch up with friends, coastal walks, golf, tennis, spa, etc. 
• 10:00 am – Morning Tea
• 12:30 pm – Lunch 
• 1:30 pm – Director’s event wrap up (Great Southern Ballroom 1)
• 2:00 pm – Conference concludes
• 2:00 pm/2:30 pm – Coach pick up (Drop-off points: Monash University, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Airport)