News of Bruce Munro (FB'58), Jane Grogan (A'83), Franc Tetaz (A'88), Anthony McKnight (P'93), Toby Dundas (Timbertop '96), Andrew Latreille (Cu'96), Lorenzo Sillitto (Cu'99), Missy Higgins (Cl'01), Zara Walters (EM'21) and Edward Phillipson (Cu'22) feature this month.
Bruce Munro (FB'58)
After five decades of helping others see clearly, Bruce has set his sights on retirement. The father-of-three opened his ophthalmology practice on Ryrie St in 1974 and was married the following year. After attending GGS, Bruce got his medical degree at Melbourne University and spent some of his training in London and Melbourne, before returning to Geelong. In later years, he volunteered his services in Bangladesh doing cataract surgery on locals. Since 2018 Bruce has worked with Deakin University's Department of Optometry helping to educate and pave the way for the next generation. Bruce will close his practice by Christmas, and we want to recognise him for 50 incredible years of helping tens of thousands of people.
Jane Grogan (A'83)
Head of Research at Biogen, Jane has been named in Forbes 50 over 50. Inspired to by her schooling at Geelong Grammar School to follow a career in science, Jane joined Biogen in 2023 after a two-decade career that included research at Genentech in immunology and immuno-oncology and as chief scientific officer at gene-editing company Graphite Bio and T-cell company ArsenalBio. Jane arrived at Biogen as it sought to reinvigorate its processes for moving drug candidates more efficiently through the arduous approval process. Jane gained a following outside of biotech as co-host of the podcast, "Two Scientists Walk into a Bar," where complex research topics are broken down for an everyday audience. Congratulations to Jane on this significant recognition.
Franc Tetaz (A'88), Missy Higgins (Cl'01), Toby Dundas (Timbertop '96) and Lorenzo Sillitto (Cu'99)
Triple J hosted a special countdown on Saturday 26 July. Instead of voting for their favourite songs of the year, listeners were asked to vote for the hottest 100 Australian songs of all time. Opening on 17 June, 2.65 million votes were received - the highest number of votes for a special countdown. The Hottest 100 of Australian songs were announced on 26 July, and OGGs were well represented. Missy Higgins (Cl'01) had a remarkable two songs in the countdown, with "Scar" at number 4 and "The Special Two" at number 52, both from her 2004 debut studio album, The Sound of White. Toby Dundas (Timbertop '96) and Lorenzo Sillitto (Cu'99) featured at number 11 with "Sweet Disposition", the ARIA nominated single by The Temper Trap. Franc Tetaz (A'88), was recognised for "Somebody That I Used To Know" at number 10 - a track he engineered and mixed for Gotye, which earned them Record of the Year at the 55th Grammy Awards.
Anthony McKnight (P'93)
Anthony has released his debut novel. The Gruselmeister's Apprentice is set in a quirky club in the 1930's where monsters are made - not hunted. Inside the eccentric Hunt Club, elaborate taxidermy creatures are crafted to substantiate members' tall tales of epic chases and narrow escapes. Alby "Stinger" Swift is the artisan behind these faux beasts, but things take a dark turn when club members start dying, and the monsters may not be as fake as they seem. The novel also features a playful nod to Anthony's school days, with Easter eggs that OGGs will recognise. Familiar hallways and characters inspired by School life are sprinkled throughout. If you're ready to peek behind the grand oak doors of the Hunt Club and see how many references you can spot, The Gruselmeister's Apprentice is available on Amazon.
Andrew Latreille (Cu'96)
Andrew recently held a solo photography exhibition in Vancouver titled Crossover - a body of work that traces its inspiration back to his time at Timbertop. The exhibition's title refers to a term used by firefighters to describe the moment when the boundary between night and day is obscured by smoke, creating an uncanny, suspended atmosphere. The collection features cool-toned, large-scale photographs that, as described by Dorothy Woodend, Culture Editor at The Tyee, "resemble drawings". Taken between November 2021 and March 2023, Andrew used the lunar calendar to pinpoint nights when a full moon lent its otherworldly luminescence, giving the mountains and valleys a knife-edge clarity and deep blue light. Crossover closed in July but you can follow Andrew online to view his work and when his next exhibition will be.
Zara Walters (EM'21)
Congratulations to Zara on winning this year's Super Netball championship with the Melbourne Vixens in her second full season with the club. The Vixens won a nail-biting grand final on Saturday 2 August against this season's minor premiers, the West Coast Fever, holding on to win by a solitary goal. The Vixens won the big moments throughout the finals series, prevailing by a single goal in their preliminary final victory, and two goals in the semi final. Zara, dynamic as ever at Wing Attack, was a model of consistency throughout the finals series, averaging 12.33 assists and just one turnover per game across the series; creating many chances for the Vixens' shooters while also protecting possession.
Edward Phillipson (Cu'22)
Edward is gearing up for his first season of college football as a punter for the University of Massachusetts Minutemen. Edward, who graduated in 2022, is in his freshman year at UMass's Amherst campus. Edward represented GGS in both 1st Cricket and 1st Football, and is one of an ever-increasing number of Australians trying their luck as a punter in the college system. Jam Sheahan (P'15) had a stellar career as a punter at the University of California, and is in the midst of his third season playing professionally with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. Edward is one of two punters on the roster for the Minutemen and, as luck would have it, Edward has travelled halfway across the world to compete for the starting role with Keegan Andrews, who attended high school just 30 minutes up the highway from Corio at MacKillop College Werribee.
