Jack Sinden's Retirement
Video: Jack's farewell speech
The AARES New England Branch and BEPP co-hosted an afternoon tea on Friday 14 October, 2011 to celebrate the career of Associate Professor Jack Sinden. Jack retired on 22 July, 2011 after 44 years of service to UNE. Happily, Jack will continue as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School. Jack has made a significant contribution to agricultural and resource economics over a long and inspiring career. Through his teaching, research and research supervision, Jack has influenced generations of UNE graduates, with many going on to leading roles in their fields, nationally and internationally.
Head of School, Professor Alison Sheridan, congratulated Jack on his valued contributions to the various departments/schools that he has been associated with since joining UNE in February 1967. AARES New England Branch President, Dr Robyn Hean, thanked Jack for his wonderful contribution to the discipline. Robyn and Susie Hester took it in turns to read out 21 messages of congratulations sent to Jack from past colleagues and students from around the world. Jack responded with an eloquent speech describing the many highlights of his career working for UNE. Jonathan Moss presented Jack with a gift, from colleagues and friends, which included a leather-bound backgammon set, a notebook for recording scores, a “gold” pen, gift vouchers to New England Hobbies and Dymocks, a bouquet of native flowers and a bottle of wine.
The following week, Jack wrote: “Dear colleagues, Thank you for the wonderful farewell party last Friday. I was surprised to see so many there. It was great to listen to the emails from past students. It all went so smoothly and I appreciate all the planning and effort that went into it. The flowers and the "gold" pen were just right. When we returned home, Marly and I opened the backgammon set and the excellent wine. We played 5 games. I still did not have the best of luck. But I will catch up. Thank you again. Jack”.
Thank you to the Alumni Office and Honey Greenwood for helping to obtain the messages from Jack’s past colleagues and students, as a surprise for him.
Emails from Students and Colleagues
Dr John Omiti, The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis
On this occasion marking the end of your long and devoted service to UNE, I wish to sincerely thank you for being a dedicated professor, committed supervisor to many post-graduate students and an amiable member of both the university community and the larger Armidale society.
Being lecturer, supervisor and mentor to many students from different parts of the world, I keenly observed your polite sense of understanding of the diverse needs of many of your students from different multi-cultural and educational backgrounds. Rest assured that we are also passing on the knowledge that we learnt at UNE to younger generations of scholars.
At a personal level, I wish to profusely thank you influencing me with your hilarious and infectious interest in the wonderful sport of cricket. Please keep enjoying the sport in your retirement.
I wish you and your family a happy and enjoyable retirement.
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Dr Greg Smith, University of New England
Jack, I used to call on you to provide guileful spin given the depletion of Australian stocks in this area. But the real story is your consummate batting over a long and productive career, an admirable combination of defiant defence and well-judged aggression. A fine innings.
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Professor Dodo J. Thampapillai, National University of Singapore and Macquarie University
I remain forever grateful Jack: for your sound mentorship and guidance; for your serious scholarship and your friendship and colleagueship.
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Dr Maureen Rogers, Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University
Hi there Jack, It’s been awhile, and I've often wondered if you were still at your desk, doing great work. Many years have passed and a great deal of water under both our bridges, no doubt... but I would like to take this opportunity to send you a heartfelt thank you. Your support and guidance established solid foundations for my career - and I have thought of you often over the years. I wish you all the best in the next stage of life, and may the train track take you into unexpected places.
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Dr Sandy Walpole, Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet
Dear Jack, congratulations on the wonderful contribution that you have made to both teaching and research during your time at UNE, as well as to the broader Agricultural and Resource Economics community. Best wishes for the future.
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Dr Maria Estela Varua, University of Western Sydney
Associate Professor Jack Sinden was my lecturer in cost benefit analysis in 1988 and was my supervisor for both my MEc and PhD thesis. His broad knowledge and flexibility of mind made him an accommodating advisor at all times. He also showed much understanding for his student's competing demands with work and young family to juggle. Jack's care and understanding has helped me to persist with my interest and move forward on my path.
I am particularly grateful for Jack's interest not only in my work but also on the well being of my family. Jack was instrumental in my landing an academic job in Australia - for which I will forever be grateful.
I wish Jack all the best for his retirement, which I am sure will be anything but quiet and laid back. Jack, may your retirement allow you to concentrate on what you enjoy most.
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Professor Muhammad Ashfaq, University of Agriculture, Pakistan
Dear Jack, you are one of the wonderful persons, I come across in my life. You played your inning very gracefully. Your contribution in the field of teaching and research will be remembered till long by your students and colleagues. You and Marly helped us a lot and made our stay comfortable during my PhD studies at UNE. I am wishing you a wonderful time ahead.
Kind regards.
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Dr Cheryl Kalisch Gordon , Sydney NSW
Dear Jack, You’re a UNE institution, and one that I certainly owe a lot to. There were at least three times during my candidature when you could have exhaled a disapproving sigh when I announced that I was having a baby and my PhD wasn’t yet complete. Each time I recall the amazingly genuine congratulations that you afforded me. Given that I felt that each time I was potentially prolonging your time to retirement, I am thoroughly grateful for your understanding. For this and so much on my way to completion, thank you.
I, as one of your last students, will recall your mentoring with fondness, just as I know one of your first UNE students, my husband’s uncle Rory Gordon, also does. Such a long period of influence in the world of Agricultural & Resource Management! Best wishes.
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Dr Randall Jones, Development Bank, Philippines
Hi Jack, I hear you are retiring. Well about time is all I can say! Now you can focus on enjoying life and leisure without having to put up with pesky undergrad, Masters and PhD students.
As one of those former students I can't express enough my appreciation of the skills you have taught me, and how it has changed my life from what it would otherwise have been [see we never forget our counterfactual scenarios - "with" and "without" - even in our own lives]. It has been an honour for me to be able to say that I have been taught by one of the giants in the field of welfare economics and resource economics. I also have greatly appreciated the mentoring you have given me in our project work together in more recent years, there was also something new to learn when working with you. In addition, the work and papers we have collaborated on have been a fun experience.
I know you will be getting many long-winded speeches from all sorts of people from around the world, so I will keep mine short from here. Thanks for everything, and whenever you are in Manila, please drop in for a coffee! Best regards.
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Dr Doreen Sengati-Odom, Australian Government Department of Finance and Deregulation
Hi Jack, Well wishes from Canberra, what a milestone you have covered!!!!!, I am sure you will be missed allot by the School of Business, Economics and Public Policy. I have still not recovered from missing your advice, knowledge sharing and Wisdom you gave me over there in Armidale. I still remember all the Resource Economics concepts and theory you taught me, especially Policy Evaluation of Agricultural and Environmental issues, I am glad and proud to tell you that, I still apply the skills you taught me in my current position here in the Department of Finance and Deregulation, in the Agriculture and Industry Branch, looking after the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (your speciality).
Remember the fun of having conversation with scientists and National Parks rangers during our field trips and driving back to Armidale from Barrington Tops National Parks, discussing, conceptualising and structuring a whole chapter of my PhD thesis before I even write it!!! Thank you so much for all the help you have given me and I am sure your knowledge has transferred from generation to generation and that’s how you will be remembered by me and many others whom you made a big contribution into our carriers and therefore our lives.
Jack, I wish you all the best in your retirement and I also wish you good health, keep yourself active as much as you can and rest whenever the body says it needs a rest. Fred, Jesse and Jordan wish you the best as well and convey our regards to Marly and again enjoy your retirement!!!!!! Best regards and God Bless you.
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Dr Wendy Gong, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of NSW
Hi Jack, thanks for your mentoring and support while I did the projects in Armidale. I learned a lot from you. Specially, when I am challenged about the relevance of economics in industries other than agriculture, I remember you said that 'the basics of Economics is always the same which is about supply and demand'. That is so true and I feel more confident working in different industry (partly because of the scarcity of job opportunity in agriculture). You won’t be surprised to know that the knowledge about economic evaluation skills I learned in Armidale is applied on my daily work in pharmaceutical industry --evaluating the relative cost-effectiveness of different drugs. Enjoy your time and keep in touch.
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Associate Professor Paul Downey, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra
Dear Jack, It has been a pleasure working with you over the past 5+ years. I have learnt a lot about economics and how to apply these models in an environmental context. An area where you made a significant contribution and your retirement will be a big loss. Best wishes for the next stage of your life. Warm Regards.
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Susanna Greig, University of New England
I really respect you and your work and wish you all the best on the next phase of your life.
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Meg Star and Dr Miriam East, QLD Department of Employment, Economic Development & Innovation, and Peter Donaghy, QLD Department of Primary Industries
Jack, thanks for all the time and effort you put into your students. We really appreciate all the times we sat in your office trying to understand difficult concepts, and your ability to patiently explain them to us. We have also valued your ongoing support in our early careers with challenges that we've come across. We wish you well and thanks again for your support.
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Richard Ranken, International Finance Corporation, Russia
I was one of Jack's early students at the end of the 1960's. The Ag Eco Department back then had a great faculty: Jack himself, John Dillon, Warren Musgrave, Jack Makeham and more. The education I got from Jack went well beyond resource economics. He inspired enthusiasm, a broader view, and concern for others. This sort of thinking helped me have a very rewarding career working for The World Bank over the past 30 years. So thank you, Jack. My wife Janelle (who I met at UNE) joins me in wishing you all the best.
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Professor Mike Young, University of Adelaide
Jack, Unpriced values was published by Wiley in 1979. You, more than any other Australian, pioneered non-market valuation. I can still remember talking to you about the magic of thrill in a grandchild’s head as they sit adoringly in a steam train climbing through a rainforest. In those days the rainforest was worth more than the timber in it. Our children’s children will thank you for helping us all to understand how valuable landscapes like these are.
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Dr David Mackay, Belmont Victoria
Jack taught me everything I know about Natural Resource Economics. I received my only HD in his subject Benefit Cost Analysis. I often reflect back on what I learnt from Jack, and tried to put the same effort into my lectures from the principles he taught me.
I well remember the survey of academic lecturers conducted throughout the University by the Economic Statistics students in 1969. Jack came in the top 5 for the whole of the university. A sign on his door said “The CrackJack lecturer of the year”. Indeed, this is Jack, one of the most outstanding lecturers I have come across in my days as a student (still am a student). So passionate about his subject, and so informative because of the effort he put into his lectures. I took more notes in Jack’s lectures in half an hour (rarely did his lectures last much longer), than anyone else’s lectures in 50 minutes.
We even had a publication together – do you remember Jack? “Sinden, J A and Mackay D R (1979) Wombats are Worth $30,000: A Success for Environmental Preservation. This was my first real research journal publication (thanks to Jack), which helped launch my academic career.
Happy retirement Jack.
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Emeritus Professor Jock Anderson, University of New England and World Bank, USA
Jack, Congratulations! By the way, I named one of my current dogs “Jack”, which means my regular memories of you are happy ones, as they are too for another two of my distinguished ex-colleagues, namely Jack Lewis and Jack Makeham.
In the stochastic dynamics of agricultural and resource economics at UNE over the past four decades, it has been reassuring that there was one excellent “constant” -- JAS himself! And now that anchor is to be upped; UNE will sadly not be the same.
All the Best for your post-UNE life; may you manage it better than I have! Hearty Cheers.
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Professor Kevin Parton, Charles Sturt University
As a tutor in AGEC303, Benefit-Cost Analysis, I learned much from you Jack during my early years in Australia as a PhD student (1975-78). When in professional life, I come across former UNE agricultural economics students, they, like me, emphasise the great contribution your subject has made to their development as economists. Many thanks, Jack. You are what my son’s generation calls a “legend”. All the best for your retirement.
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Diane Mitchell, University of New England
Jack, I’m very sorry that I can’t attend your celebration today. My days in Ag Economics bring back many happy memories of a wonderful staff working in the heady days of a Key Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Economics, with its outstanding national and international reputation. The academic and administrative staff were an extraordinary team and I am very grateful for my start there at UNE. Your support and guidance to me during those days, particularly in the beginning when I was learning how universities worked, was greatly valued and appreciated. I wish you, Marly and your family all the warmest wishes for the future.
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Dr Julian Morison, Econsearch
I first encountered Jack in circa 1978 when I took benefit cost analysis as a 3rd year undergraduate - “Benny Cost” as it was affectionately known, unlike the far less popular production and price analysis courses which were disaffectionately known as “prod and prick”.
Ten or so years later I was back in Armidale and had the honour of teaching “Benny Cost” with Jack (and the dishonour of teaching Prod and Prick). Teaching Benny Cost, this time round, I actually learnt something about the subject! In fact I learnt a great deal about a lot of things teaching courses with Jack – basic life skills for the young academic, like how to present material so it could be understood by the student, how not to upset the departmental secretary by having your course material ready on time and other cunning strategies.
Since leaving Armidale at the end of 1993 I’ve been constantly surprised at the number of people I’ve met who studied at UNE and who took Jack’s “Benny Cost” course. In fact for 3 years up until 12 months or so ago, there were 4 full-time ag & resource economists working in my consulting firm – all of us had studied at some time at UNE and all of us had done Benny Cost with Jack! At that time, Jack, it was impossible to change our labour mix in any way without the firm becoming worse off; indeed we enjoyed a purple patch of Pareto optimality! Alas, disequilibrium has since set in but you don’t want to hear about that.
Jack, I have, as many others have, benefited enormously from knowing you as both a student and a colleague - the NPV has been huge, the B/C ratio enormous and the IRR so large it’s undefined!
I’m sorry I can’t be there to enjoy the party but thank you and all the best with your retirement. Very best wishes.
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Dr Michael Lockwood, University of Tasmania
Jack was influential in my early academic career and his work and support was an inspiration to me. I am sorry that I am too late to have a message passed on at his farewell afternoon tea. Jack has made a major contribution to environmental and agricultural economics in this country. I wish him all the best in his retirement.
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