Reflections from the Book Launch: Honouring Dr Lynne Armitage and a Collaborative Journey

✨ Last Friday’s launch of the book, 'Advancing Real Property Valuation: AI, Drones and Emerging Digital Technologies in Professional Practice and Education' was one of those rare moments that felt both celebratory and grounding.

Being part of this volume edited by Dr Johari Amar and the late Dr Lynne Armitage as a contributing author has been meaningful in its own right. However, gathering in the same room with so many colleagues, practitioners and friends brought a different kind of clarity about the collective work behind the project.

I’m grateful to Dr Johari Amar for inviting Samuel Gardner, Armin Taklif and me to contribute a small part to the book. Our two chapters grew out of conversations that initiated with Lynne's suggestions, and consolidating and expressing those ideas in the context of a published volume has been a challenging yet rewarding journey in every sense.

After the event, Sam and I found ourselves reflecting on how central Dr Lynne Armitage was to the room. Not just in memory, but in the way people spoke about her: the stories of her teaching, her mentorship, her generosity. It became clear that the connections between us — authors, practitioners, academics — were in many ways shaped by her influence. That realisation stayed with me. It reminded me that the most enduring academic legacies are not theoretical frameworks or publications, but the people shaped along the way.

Hearing Dr David Parker deliver the keynote and listening to Justin Clarke’s reflections on Lynne added depth to the afternoon. Their contributions grounded the event in both professional insight and personal memory, which is a rare and generous combination.

Returning to Bond University added another layer of meaning. This campus is where the journey began for Samuel, Armin and me — where we first learned how to think critically and how to view property, planning and technologies as interrelated disciplines. Walking back onto campus for the launch felt like closing a loop. It reminded me how much of our identity is shaped by place, by the people who teach us, and by the peers who walk alongside us.

I’m incredibly grateful to Johari and the editorial team for the care, rigour and dedication that shaped this volume. Projects like this don’t come together by accident; they emerge from years of conversations, drafts, revisions and shared commitments. I’m proud to have been part of it — and proud to have shared the journey with Samuel and Armin. 📘