News Release:
Final degree puts academic in seventh heaven
| Date 27/11/03 No 213/03 Seven university degrees may seem like an overwhelming challenge to most people, but not to Dr Chris Reading, a lecturer at the University of New England. One degree did not prove challenging enough for Dr Reading, who has just completed her seventh and final degree since enrolling at UNE as a student in 1971. “I initially enrolled because I received a government-funded teaching scholarship to UNE (although I seriously contemplated taking up a similar scholarship in Sydney),” Dr Reading said. What makes this feat even more astonishing is that it was not Dr Reading’s need for knowledge that initially drove her to re-enrol, but her love for soccer. She played soccer for UNE and Robb College from the 1980s through to the ‘90s, in which time the teams often won local, regional and national competitions. Dr Reading soon found she had, however, developed an interest in a number of disciplines, which stretched over all four Faculties at UNE, and this quickly became her motivation for enrolling, even after her soccer-playing days were over.
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Her partner, John Harris, said: “It was Christine’s passion for soccer and a determination to represent UNE at intervarsity level that led Christine to re-enrol after completing a Bachelor of Science (Hons). Enrolment in a course was a requirement for representation.” The degrees (Bachelor of Science (Hons), Diploma in Education, Diploma in Computer Science, Master of Science, Bachelor of Arts, PhD and, recently completed, Bachelor of Commerce) are all at Distinction or High Distinction level. Each degree has contributed directly to Dr Reading’s career as tutor, secondary school teacher and lecturer in the School of Education at UNE. When asked if there would be an eighth degree, Dr Reading replied: “There's no plan at this stage.” Her genuine interest in knowledge, however, suggests that only time can tell. Media contact: Dr Chris Reading, School of Education, UNE, Armidale
(02) 6773 5060 or Lydia Clifford, Public Relations Manager, UNE,
Armidale (02) 6773 2779. |
