Chronicle, Vol 48 issue 2 - May 2013

Chronicle

May 2013

He Kupu Whakamahara

Graduation highlights Hatching bright futures

Hatching bright futures

Chronicle 48 no.2

May 2013

Editor: Renee Jones 364 2987 ext 6072 S taff Writers:

Sub–editor:

Kip Brook Renee Jones Jann O'Keefe Col Pearson

Photos: Duncan Shaw–Brown

Eve Welch

Artwork: Brian Carney

Printer: Toltech Print

D istribution: Canterbury Educational

Printing Services E–mail: communications@

canterbury.ac.nz Address: Communications and

Stakeholder Relations, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch.

Thanks to everyone else who’s played a part making this issue happen.

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UC Innovators is an initiative that is creating an “entrepreneurial ecosystem” to encourage and develop our students’ innovative ideas and provide an inspirational environment for bright sparks to flourish.

The initiative was officially launched at the end of April and, according to Executive Director Dr Chris Kirk, “This is all about students and their ideas. We offer experiential learning through workshops, competitions and the like, and fast-track the setting up of new student ventures through The Hatchery.”

“Working with what already exists, we’re filling in the gaps so students can experience first-hand any or all aspects of innovation while they are at UC,” he said.

Manager Dr Rachel Wright could not be more enthusiastic about the unit.

“Smart, innovative and creative thinkers are crucial in today’s knowledge-based economy,” she said. “UC Innovators is about harnessing student talent and providing an environment where ideas can flourish and where success is nurtured and celebrated.

“Our fully serviced Hatchery is a really exciting notion. UC Innovators is open to all disciplines — arts, education, science, engineering, business, law — and we recognise that social entrepreneurship is as important to the well-being of society as is business entrepreneurship.

“The Hatchery is a student incubator where we can assist students to generate new ventures based on their ideas, whether commercial or not-for-profit. We act as a conduit for putting appropriate teams of students together and can connect them with people from our large group of experts and mentors around the city who are keen to support and assist in any way.”

At the April launch, an ambitious student employability initiative was also released — the UC Careers Kit — comprising detailed information on UC’s 72 undergraduate major subjects and the career pathways to which each may lead.

These are to help secondary school students, current UC students and recent graduates to envisage how tertiary study could enhance their employability.

The kit was put together by a team from Student Services and Communications with input from academics and industry.

Director Lynn McClelland said, “At UC, we see graduate employability as a set of achievements — it is the skills, understanding and personal attributes which students develop during their time at UC that make them more likely to gain employment and to be successful in their chosen occupation.”

“Both initiatives are clear evidence of how UC is focusing on providing students with the knowledge, experiences and resources required to ensure they can truly make a difference in the world when their tertiary studies are completed.”

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Bikes salvaged for UC students.

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UC celebrates graduation.

Premature babies and cognitive delay.

Caption

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Around the world on UCXchange.

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Stuttering research.

3 CHRONICLE 48, No.2, May 2013

Professor David Norton

Farmers’ involvement crucial for long-term biodiversity Sustaining native plants and animals on New Zealand and Australian farms must be addressed before more endemic species become threatened or extinct, according to a new book by UC’s Professor David Norton.

Nature and Farming: Sustaining Native Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes, co-authored with Professor Nick Reid of the University of New England, New South Wales, explains the ecology of native biodiversity in farming systems.

It presents a series of case studies about farmers who have successfully managed their land for both economic production and biodiversity conservation, and outlines the key issues in developing and implementing practical approaches to safeguarding native biodiversity in rural areas.

“We strongly believe that we cannot successfully conserve native biodiversity by just focusing on public conservation lands such as national parks and reserves. We also need to manage native biodiversity in landscapes that are used for economic production such as farming. Native biodiversity is part of what makes us Kiwis and Australians, and hence it is important that we ensure that it survives in all parts 4

of Australasia, not just on public conservation land,” Professor Norton said.

“We wrote the book to highlight the many positive examples of how farmers and others have managed land in a way that delivers both economic values and also sustains native biodiversity. We hope the book will provide inspiration for farmers and will result in more farmers managing their land in a way that benefits native species. We also want to encourage agency staff, scientists and the general public to support farmers and others with this work.”

Professor Norton said the book argued that farmers should play a key role in looking after conservation on private land.

“We cannot rely on public conservation land to sustain all native biodiversity. We need to recognise that farmland can also be important for sustaining native biodiversity and doesn't need to be managed like a national park. Farmers can do heaps to sustain biodiversity so long as their contribution is recognised, valued and supported, and the government and society needs to do a lot more to support farmers in facilitating biodiversity conservation,” he said.

Professor Norton added a new approach to native biodiversity and farming was needed.

“If native biodiversity is to be sustained on agricultural land a new approach is required, because the present one is not working in many instances. Without a new

approach, the biodiversity train wreck that lies ahead could exceed even our worst fears. We need trust and respect between farmers, conservation interests, scientists and officials as the basis for a strong partnership,” he said.

“We need a new kind of rural adviser trained in ecological and agricultural science whose role would be to provide biodiversity information, management and planning advice to farmers, and to help them apply for funding. We need to encourage conservation advocates, government agencies, ecologists and farmers to work together in developing novel solutions to farmland biodiversity problems.

“Farmers are in the best position to manage significant native biodiversity assets on their land. Farmers are not afraid to be innovative. Society will applaud new initiatives that achieve their intended objectives, including novel solutions that might raise eyebrows in traditional farming and conservation circles. Critics on both sides of the fence will need to permit new approaches to be trialled and evaluated for a reasonable period of time, years rather than months.”

Professor Norton added that conservation interests needed to recognise that most farmers wanted to do the right thing and protect native biodiversity, subject to time, money, feasibility and the likelihood of success. What they required was appropriate encouragement, support and recognition.

Researchers working on high-tech stroke rehabilitation tool UC researchers have created a virtual reality environment to help rehabilitate stroke victims using technology controlled solely by their eyes.

Professor Tanja Mitrovic said the three-year project was the first of its kind in the world and used the Tobii eye tracker to help stroke patients regain their cognitive skills after a stroke.

“While there is a lot of research into the rehabilitation of motor functions of stroke patients, there is very little research focusing on the cognitive and prospective memory side of things,” she said.

“We have been developing a 3D virtual reality environment in which the stroke patients will be asked to perform various actions similar to those in real life, such as making a cup of coffee or a sandwich.

“In the project, we are exploring many things ranging from how the patients are going to interact with the virtual reality environment, to how we can help them regain their cognitive skills. We are focusing on improving prospective memory, which is remembering to do things in the future such as going to your doctor’s appointment on Friday, or taking your pills at 6pm. We hope to have a web-based system that will allow patients to practise and regain their cognitive skills.”

The research, funded by the Marsden Fund, involves Dr Moffat Mathews, master's student Jon Rutherford, Research Fellow Jay Holland, psychologist Dr Audrey McKinley and Professor Stellan Ohlsson from the University of Illinois, Chicago. The team hopes to begin testing the system on stroke victims within the next 18 months.

Mr Rutherford has been investigating the various methods for patients to easily use the virtual reality system, which currently simulates a typical kitchen scene, including using eye movement to control functions on the computer screen.

“One of the main ideas is that it may be hard for people who have had a stroke to use more traditional input methods such as

a keyboard or joy stick because they have limited arm mobility. I am looking at more natural ways of using the programme including eye movement to perform actions,” he said.

“Tobii has four cameras below the screen that record eye movement. It means you can control things by looking to the left or right and the screen will pan whatever way you are looking. To select an item such as the jug to make a cup of coffee, the user simply has to blink, and that simulates a mouse click. We are also looking at head movements and prolonged gazes to allow the user to make selections. The idea is you can do typical actions as part of the rehabilitation just using your eyes.”

Dr Mathews said using traditional daily tasks during rehabilitation was a new approach.

“Until now only digits and numbers have been used for cognitive and prospective memory rehabilitation, not

things that you would use in every day life,” he said.

“It’s important because they are not fake tasks; they are actual tasks that people are struggling to perform at home, and are also the ones that don’t give patients autonomy, which is why many stroke patients usually need 24-hour care. It’s making cups of coffee or putting things on the stove that’s dangerous because they can forget that they have done it.”

Dr Mathews said strokes were one of the leading causes of death in New Zealand and the team hoped their research would make a difference, helping patients move out of 24-hour care and gain a better quality of life.

“The Government is interested in getting patients out of full-time care and into their jobs, or at least to have more autonomy in their lives. We hope our work will make a real difference for those people recovering from a stroke.”

(From left) Research Fellow Jay Holland, Dr Moffat Mathews, master's student Jon Rutherford and Professor Tanja Mitrovic.

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UC Bike president Hannah Howard and UC Sustainability Projects Facilitator Katie Nimmo.

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Abandoned bikes given new lease of life Abandoned bikes that would otherwise be destined for the dump are being painstakingly restored and recycled as part of a unique initiative to get more UC students using bikes.

The UC Sustainability Office, the UC Bike club and the University of Canterbury Students' Association have joined forces to ensure students have access to recycled bikes at a reasonable price through the UC Community Bike Scheme.

UC Sustainability Projects Facilitator Katie Nimmo said the initiative, which included student volunteers to fix the bikes, came about after they decided to put to good use the growing collection of bikes that had been left on campus and not claimed by their owners from security for over a year.

“UC Sustainability Advocate Matt Morris had long been aware of the potential of repairing abandoned bicycles to sell on to students at a reasonable price — and it became one of my first projects when I started in July 2012,” Ms Nimmo said.

“This project has multiple outcomes. It makes a form of sustainable and efficient transport available to students who may not be able to afford a new bike. We’d like to think that this, in turn, supports healthy and affordable exercise for students.

“The ‘sustainable transport’ dimension encompasses reducing fossil fuel use and associated carbon emissions, plus, in the long-term, a larger community bike scheme could help to reduce demand for parking on campus. The project also reuses materials that could end up in the landfill.”

UC Bike president Hannah Howard said the project had been so popular they have been unable to keep up with demand.

“So far we have restored more than a dozen bikes since launching in December last year. We have had lots of comments from students about how good the price is and the bikes are going to really

appreciative people who will look after them. We sell them for about $50. It’s not to make a profit, it’s just to cover our costs and provide students with a means of commuting,” the arts and law student said.

“It especially appeals to international students who want the bikes for six months or so while they are on an exchange here but then sell or give them back to us when they leave. There are a few programmes like this around but they are quite pricey, so we wanted to do something that’s a bit more affordable.”

Hannah said that everyone involved in the restoration volunteered, and that it usually took about three hours to restore a bike.

“We make sure the bike is functional and the gears and brakes are working. We adjust tubes and degrease all the chains.

Our sponsor, R&R Sport, give us good prices.”

Ms Nimmo said she had even seen one of the restored bikes in action.

“Just the other day I saw one of the bikes being ridden down Riccarton Road by an international student. The bike was laden with shopping, which is exactly what we wanted the project to be doing – providing affordable, sustainable transport for students. It is also very satisfying to see perfectly useable bikes being put back into use,” she said.

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Rare texts donated to UC collection A collection of rare classical texts owned by a former UC professor have been donated to the University’s James Logie Memorial Collection.

Professor Douglas A. Kidd graduating with an MA in Classics, 1936.

The family of the late Professor Douglas A. Kidd, who was the head of UC's Department of Classics from 1957 until 1978, has donated some of his precious books which date from the 15th century, to celebrate their father’s contribution to the University.

Professor Kidd’s two daughters, Alison Lloyd Davies and Aileen Regan, gifted 12 books from his personal collection, which includes early writing on astronomy as well as translations of Tacitus, Cicero, and Vergil, among others.

One distinctive text, Arati Solensis Phaenomena cum commentariis, was published in 1499 and is bound in vellum.

Another, written by Gawin Douglas Bishop of Dunkeld, is a translation into the Scottish verse of Vergil's Aeneis and was published in 1610.

Professor Kidd, who died in 2002, is credited with overseeing the development of classics and allowed a greater emphasis on teaching Greek and Roman literature and philosophy.

Logie Curator Penny Minchin-Garvin (left) and co-curator Terri Elder.

Prior to his time at UC, Professor Kidd served as a navigator in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. In retirement, he added to his extensive list of publications by producing the important scholarly work Phaenomena, a commentary and translation of the writing of astronomer-poet Aratus.

“The Kidd Collection books are not only fascinating objects in their own right, but valuable teaching tools which support and enhance the Greek and Roman ceramics in the Logie Collection,” said Logie Curator Penny Minchin-Garvin.

“In future the Kidd Collection will be available for staff or student research projects, and the books will have great appeal across a number of disciplines, such as astronomy, languages and literature, as well as classics,” co-curator Terri Elder said.

The Kidd Collection will be featured in a Classics Day exhibition on Level 2 of the Central Library from 3 to 14 June.

Premature babies at high risk of cognitive delay Findings of a UC research project show children who are born extremely premature are at high risk of cognitive delay and impairment.

The research was undertaken by Professor Lianne Woodward, now based at Washington University in St Louis but retaining an adjunct faculty position at UC, together with Dr Samudragupta Bora from UC’s Canterbury Child Development Research Group.

The study investigated one group of 104 very pre-term (born at less than 32 weeks’ gestation) infants and another group of 107 full-term (37-41 weeks) infants who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Christchurch Women’s Hospital over a two-year period.

The findings revealed that by the age of four, at least a third of very pre-term children were subject to some form of cognitive delay. This compared to about 15 per cent of the children born at full-term.

“At age six, a similar pattern of results was observed. Although there was some suggestion that the proportion of very pre-term children subject to intellectual and executive function delay may have increased somewhat,” Professor Lianne Woodward said.

Importantly, the study found that white matter abnormalities seen on children’s MRI scans at term equivalent age were a strong independent predictor of later cognitive problems. White matter is the cabling network of the brain which allows different parts of the brain to communicate.

“Children born very pre-term who had no evidence of cerebral white matter abnormalities on their neonatal MRI scan were found to have similar levels of cognitive functioning to their full-term peers once social background and other factors were taken into account.”

Dr Samudragupta Bora

“In contrast, very pre-term children with white matter abnormalities on neonatal MRI were at increased risk of later cognitive impairment, with these risks increasing as the severity of white matter abnormalities increased.”

"We had previously shown that cerebral white matter abnormalities were an important predictor of cerebral palsy by age two, but results were less clear when it came to predicting cognitive functioning, in part due to the young age of the children studied,” Professor Woodward said.

Dr Bora believed that the results of the study could make a difference in identifying abnormalities earlier.

“Despite considerable improvements in survival rates of very pre-term infants over the past two decades, risk of long-term morbidities still remains high. Critical to reducing this risk is the need for a better understanding of the neuropathological

and socio-environmental mechanisms that place some, but not other, very pre-term infants at risk of neurodevelopmental impairments,” he said.

“Identifying neonatal clinical and neurological markers may help for the early identification of those very pre-term infants who are most likely to be at risk of later developmental challenges and accordingly assist with planning of appropriate follow-up and timely interventions to optimise developmental outcomes.

“Based on the recent findings we have published, cerebral white matter abnormalities as identified on neonatal MRI are likely to provide useful information to assist with post-discharge planning and monitoring when interpreted alongside other influences on child cognitive development such as family social circumstances and functioning,” he said.

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Exchange opens doors around the world Clare Gatenby never expected to work towards her UC degree in Spain, but that’s exactly what happened last year.

The third-year accounting and finance student studied at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the UCXchange programme, which enables UC students to study at an overseas university for a semester.

“The first two weeks were pretty challenging because I had only a little Spanish,” she said. “But if you immerse yourself fully in the culture you pick things up really quickly. I lived in a flat in downtown with another international student and two Spanish people. The TV was in Spanish, the music, and conversations — so you soon learn.”

UCXchange opens doors to 50 universities around the world in Asia, Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia.

Many of the courses available can be

credited towards a UC degree and there are financial awards available to students who meet certain criteria.

Clare was one of about 100 students who took part in the initiative last year and approximately 75 are expected to do so this year.

“Often we were with Spanish students who had to take their lessons in English and other international students from really different cultures and backgrounds.

Timetabling was also a bit strange to begin with, from 10am to around 8.30pm, but you soon adapt,” Clare said.

“Barcelona itself was an amazing city with such a feel-good culture. The public bike system was great and there were public gyms right on the beachfront.”

Seonaid Palmer, a psychology student, also took in European culture on her exchange, but in Denmark at the University of Copenhagen.

“After home life in New Zealand I loved living in an apartment with ready access to so many people my own age. It was great to

Third year UC student Clare Gatenby enjoying the sights of Barcelona.

be in a city with free live music every night and something always happening,” Seonaid said.

“I did a third-year paper in social psychology while I was there and had an excellent lecturer who has offered to organise work experience if go back. I also did courses in Danish culture and language for interest, but could have taken all psychology papers which would all have cross-credited to my UC degree.”

Both agreed the experience was one of the best of their lives. Seonaid advised others intending to go not to be daunted by the mountain of paperwork on both sides, but to persist, because it was all worth it.

Clare said, “Just do it – no questions asked. Make friends with the local people and immerse yourself in the culture as much as possible. See and do as much as you can.”

For more information visit www.canterbury.ac.nz/international/ exchange

Researcher mussels in on mining wastewater treatment

Professor Michael Robb

Researchers target stuttering About 45,000 New Zealanders stutter and a UC researcher is seeking a way to help them.

The percentage of preschool children affected by stuttering is about three per cent with a significant number of them outgrowing the condition.

UC communication disorders Professor Michael Robb said there are a slew of theories as to why children begin stuttering.

“They range from poor parenting to biological, but none of these theories seem to capture all possible instances of stuttering. Most of us have met someone who stutters. The peculiarity of this condition is undeniable and it is one of the most identifiable communication disorders.

Reports of stuttering can be traced back centuries. The disorder received widespread attention in the 2010 film, The King’s Speech, which profiled the impact of stuttering on the life of King George VI,” he said.

“We have a large team of researchers here, as well as a number of postgraduate students, actively researching stuttering behaviour. The goal of our research is to unravel some of the characteristics of stuttering that may interfere with successful treatment of the condition. The programme consists of three themes. The first involves the interaction between language and stuttering. Our research has shown that the language used by people who stutter is not necessarily the same as those who do not stutter.”

Professor Robb pointed to PhD student, Amanda Lee, who has been evaluating the change in language behaviour that occurs in adults who stutter after completion of a stuttering treatment programme.

“The amount of stuttering was found to decrease following treatment. Unexpectedly, the type of language used by these same individuals also changed,’’ Professor Robb said.

A second theme of the UC research examines the role of anxiety in people who stutter. Their research has shown that people who stutter do not differ from non-stutterers in regard to general levels of anxiousness. However, they have found a strong predisposition for different levels of anxiety in certain situations.

Recent master's graduates Janine Diehl and Bianca van der Merwe completed theses evaluating anxiety in adults and children who stutter.

“The third theme of research involves examining the role of the brain in stuttering.

We have been looking at physiological and behavioural methods,” Professor Robb said.

“We believe people who stutter may be using both sides of the brain when producing speech, whereas people who do not stutter tend to show more reliance on the left side. PhD student Myriam Kornisch is examining this topic as it applies to bilinguals who stutter. While the cause of stuttering remains elusive, our research brings us closer to unravelling the unique characteristics of this disorder.”

UC researchers are investigating an ecologically engineered treatment system to solve wastewater problems, such as acid mine drainage, on mining sites.

Acid mine drainage is a significant water pollution problem for mining industries with thousands of kilometres of streams and rivers severely affected each year globally.

UC natural resources engineering PhD student Benjamin Uster, working under the supervision of Dr Aisling O’Sullivan, is studying an environmentally friendly treatment system to remove acidity and metals from the mining-affected waters.

“Polluted mining water impacts aquatic systems downstream from a mining site.

Streams affected by acid mine drainage typically support little, if any, living organisms and are unsuitable for recreational water activities,” Benjamin said.

“I am conducting several lab-scale experiments using waste mussel shells that neutralise the acidity and remove the metals from the mining wastewater. I am also using other waste products including compost and wood bark mulch that feed the bacteria responsible for the treatment.

No synthetic products or any chemical re-agents are used in this treatment system so it is a relatively sustainable strategy.”

The research – funded by CRL Energy Ltd and by the University of Lausanne, Switzerland – builds on previous work within the research group in collaboration with Solid Energy that was the first worldwide to use waste mussel shells instead of more common quarried limestone to treat acid mine drainage.

Uster’s work is showing how fast the treatment can be achieved and how much more efficient mussel shells are than limestone at treating the mining wastewater.

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Graduation a testament to students’ persistence Four graduation ceremonies took place at the CBS Canterbury Arena on 17 and 19 April with 1156 students graduating in person and a further 83 in absentia.

Presiding over the ceremony, Chancellor Dr John Wood said the University was in good heart.

“After the worst that nature could throw at us, we have not only delivered two full years of teaching and research, but are well set on the path to recovery,” Dr Wood said.

“Although we are not out of the woods yet, the dedication and hard work of the University community has seen us safely through thus far. The resilience of our staff and the persistence of our students are the indelible hallmarks of the University’s response to the most extraordinary period in our long history.”

Dr Wood pointed to the signs of recovery on campus including remediated buildings and new facilities, and also the less visible work that was going into building a new relationship with the Government, as the University’s principal stakeholder.

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“We expect our UC Futures business case for support and investment from that quarter to have been considered by Cabinet by the end of this year,” he said.

“A favourable outcome will lend vigour and stimulus, not only to the University itself, but to our city, our region and our nation.”

Dr Wood offered his deepest congratulations to the graduands and acknowledged their talents, their commitment to the goals they had set and their discipline.

“You will remember this moment for the rest of your lives,” he said. “Now is the time to celebrate both your hard work and your resilience, because winning a university qualification never comes easily. Along with your triumph, you should never forget the setbacks, disappointments and doubts you encountered and had to overcome to be here today.”

Dr Wood highlighted the students’ potential to make a difference in the world.

“Many of you will become leaders in your professions, and all of you will work in the service of humanity. You can contribute knowledge of the latest research and developments in your fields and have the

ability to think on a higher intellectual plane,” he said.

“Wherever you choose to live and work, you have the skills to contribute to the making of a better world. You leave us now with the electric charge of success which is so critical to the re-invention of the University.”

A highlight of the graduation week was the awarding of three honorary doctorate degrees.

Leading New Zealand artist Bill Culbert (Doctor of Fine Arts), Supreme Court Judge Sir William Young (Doctor of Laws) and former Tongan prime minister Dr Feleti Sevele (Doctor of Letters) were recognised for the significant contribution each have made in their respective fields.

Graduation was also a special time for two UC staff members who donned gowns to graduate alongside their fellow students. They were philosophy lecturer Carolyn Mason (Doctor of Philosophy) and Accounting and Information Systems lecturer Alistair Hodson (Masters of Laws with first Class Honours).

Supreme Court judge receives Honorary Doctorate Supreme Court judge, Sir William Young, was among the elite company who received Honorary Doctorates at the April graduation ceremonies.

Following his graduation from UC with an LLB in 1974, Justice Young completed a PhD at Cambridge University.

He was a partner of the law firm Young Hunter, becoming a barrister sole in 1988 and Queen’s Counsel in 1991.

Justice Young was appointed Judge of the High Court in 1997, to the Court of Appeal in 2004, to Presidency of the Court of Appeal in 2006 and to the Supreme Court in 2010. He was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007 and received a knighthood in 2009.

During the graduation ceremony Justice Young recalled his years of study at UC during the 1970s.

“Many part-time lecturers were actually practising law, but giving lectures either early in the morning or in the evening and there were many

part-time students, so neither the teaching nor learning of law was as exacting as it is now,” Justice Young said.

Justice Young applauded UC students and staff for their response to the earthquakes and the subsequent recovery.

“For the public, your response was characterised by the energy and ingenuity of the Student Volunteer Army which struck such a chord in the hearts of all New Zealanders. One very tangible point which came out of this is the reality that it is possible to make a difference – as these students did,” he said.

“During the long recovery since, the University has been adapting, often under pressure of and to catastrophically changed circumstances, but at the same time planning for a successful and sustainable future which had to be achieved using facilities and infrastructure that were far from ideal.”

“In concluding,” Justice Young said, “It was easy to think that those were the worst of times. But by reason of your responses, today is very much the best of times for both you, your families and friends who must be very proud of you, and tickled pink to be able to share the day with you — as am I”.

(From left) Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Town, Sir William Young and Pro-Chancellor Sue McCormack.

Piper hits different note at graduation ceremony

UC student Angus Hawke (left) takes over his older brother Harry’s usual role of piper while he graduated.

Harry Hawke has been attending UC Graduation ceremonies as official bagpiper since 2010, but this year he donned a cap and gown and walked off the stage with a commerce degree.

While Harry received his degree, his younger brother Angus, who is in his second year at UC, played the bagpipes during the procession.

Harry began learning the bagpipes from his father at the age of eight, and when his aunt, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Education Professor Gail Gillon, made the University aware of his talent, things just led on from there.

“I also play at funerals, weddings and random other jobs,” he said. “Last year I was on a cruise ship over New Year for three nights just to play Auld Lang Syne at midnight, and recently I was somehow convinced to pipe for the Highlanders rugby clash against the Crusaders.”

Harry is intending to pipe his final year for UC this December with younger brother, Angus, hoping to take over the role.

“I'm sure he would love to take over for the coming couple of years,” he said.

Harry said he was drawn to studying a commerce degree because it involved subjects that had most interested him during his school years.

Harry will spend another year at UC working on a Graduate Diploma in Management.

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Husband and wife get PhDs on same day

Married couple Michael and Francine Harland graduated together.

Friday 19 April, 2013 was a special day in the Harland household when husband and wife Michael and Francine both graduated as Doctors of Philosophy during the same ceremony.

Having met eight years ago through friends at UC, Michael joked that he was the “token arts student” in a group of science and engineering students of which Francine was an integral part.

Francine soon specialised in environmental chemistry, studying toxic benthic algae in Canterbury lakes and rivers.

Michael’s interests drew him to the History Department to focus on the history of intervention and democracy promotion in American foreign policy.

Although their theses couldn’t have had less in common, they are now both wellversed in their partner’s special knowledge having read each other’s thesis from front to back. Although both admitted that any feedback tended to be more grammatical than technical.

PhDs always entail hard work and sacrifice, but in this case, the earthquakes added extra stresses to the process, and they both agreed that this presented the greatest challenge during their time as doctoral students.

Witnessing the happiness of the couple as they graduated on the day, it’s obvious that all the hard work and sacrifice have been well worth it.

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Doctorate a family affair Achieving a doctorate is a special moment for any family, and UC’s Dr Annabel Taylor admits she was enormously proud to watch her daughter, Mairin Taylor, graduate with a Doctor of Philosophy and Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology after eight years at UC. The newly-capped Mairin admitted it was her family’s support that made her achievement possible and her mother provided plenty of inspiration.

“It was very special to have all my family at graduation. They have all been instrumental in my completing my degrees, particularly my very understanding partner and four–year-old daughter,” she said.

“My mum showed me the flexibility of a PhD in terms of balancing work and family commitments. She also demonstrated that the main motivation and ongoing fuel for a PhD in the social sciences, is a constant passion for a topic and dedication to the needs of the population I interviewed and researched with.”

While Mairin was busy studying psychology at UC, her mother was teaching nearby as a senior lecturer in Social Work and Human Services.

“We have shared quite a bit over our respective PhD journeys,” Dr Taylor said.

“Mairin assisted with the statistical data analysis for my own PhD and she taught into one of our Social Work/Human Services research courses when we were badly impacted by the earthquakes. We have some pretty lively discussions about our shared interests and how services and responses can be improved in our respective areas of interest.”

Mairin's thesis in psychology explores some of the difficulties faced by individuals in New Zealand with ADHD as they reach adulthood.

“In particular, my results suggested that ADHD in adulthood is highly associated with high levels of psychological distress — such as mood, anxiety difficulties and suicidal risk — as well as much higher levels of risky behaviours including self-harm, drug and alcohol use, driving and violence,” she said.

“My research has prompted me to start a small private practice in Christchurch specifically including work in ADHD as individuals with ADHD are currently not well catered for in terms of psychological support.”

UC’s Dr Annabel Taylor (Left) with her daughter, Mairin Taylor.

UC student Morgan Jones being awarded his degree with trusted dog OJ and biology bridging teacher, Sue Adkins.

Student follows passion to degree To enthusiastic applause, biology student Morgan Jones received his science degree accompanied by his biology bridging teacher, Sue Adkins and OJ, a beautiful black labrador — Morgan’s loyal companion and guide dog.

At the age of six, Morgan lost his sight and part of one leg in a rail accident. As he neared the end of his high school years, he received a wealth of advice on what he should do.

“People suggested massage therapy, social work and music,” he said.

“But I couldn’t see myself doing any of these, so I had to think hard about what I really wanted to do. One of the things I most enjoy is walking in the bush and listening to birds. Before my accident, I would spend hours rummaging through bushes, rock pools and other places, searching for various invertebrates, so I guess biology was a natural choice,” he said.

“I’m especially keen on behavioural ecology and would really like to work in that area somehow now I’m through my

studies. The field trips I went on were definitely a special highlight of my courses.”

When asked what was the hardest academic challenge his disability presented, he put graphs at the top of the list.

“There’s so many graphs in ecology, it’s really difficult if you can’t actually see them. While the Alternative Format Centre were great in that they made the graphs tactile, even then, out of context they often didn’t make sense,” he siad.

Morgan has a special love of birds and he has even learned to mimic some of them.

“OJ has had to get used to this,” he said.

“He’s been surprised by keas suddenly poking their heads into the back seat of the car, and another time, I was so busy trying to record birds that I didn’t realise OJ was being attacked by a weka!”

Morgan’s love of animals is so apparent in the close relationship he shares with OJ, which obviously goes a lot deeper than that for just a working dog.

Associate Professor Annette Mills.

Honorary Doctorate recipient Bill Culbert.

Dr Feleti Sevele with Professor Mark Francis.

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In pursuit of national happiness A UC statistics researcher is taking a statistical approach to gauge the level of New Zealand’s gross national happiness.

Lisa Henley hopes to quantify the nation’s contentedness in a PhD study supervised by the Head of the Mathematics and Statistics department Professor Jennifer Brown, and geography senior lecturer Dr David Conradson.

“I'm trying to build a statisticallyguided, more rounded approach to measuring human-flourishing. Humanflourishing is based on improving society by not relying on perpetual growth, and that we can be happy without consuming so much,” she said.

“Most people are not happy with having or consuming less, so this is about a cultural shift in the way we measure progress and well-being in the long term.”

Some countries are already starting to think about how happy their people are.

The Kingdom of Bhutan already has a gross national happiness measure.

“The welfare of a nation can scarcely be inferred from a measurement of national income. Gross domestic product misses crucial components of a nation’s welfare including those parts that exist outside of the monetary exchange,” Lisa said.

“Materialistic values which encourage continual consumption are in direct opposition to a sustainable future on a planet with finite resources. Policy makers have the potential to influence personal and cultural values. If we are interested in creating a sustainable future, it may be time to review the values being promoted at a national level.”

Lisa said there are many well-being measures already available at a national and global level, including life satisfaction ratings and measures which include a sustainability component such as the Happy Planet Index. Other indicators include general and mental health statistics.

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Economics student takes top prize The 2013 Peter Windle Prize of $25,000 has been awarded to Amy Rice, a second year UC economics student.

This major academic prize was set up in 2009 to help an exceptional student through their undergraduate studies at UC. It is awarded annually to a second year student in any discipline who achieved the best academic record in their previous year of study, and who has demonstrated their potential to be a success in life.

The prize was established through a donation made to the University by Peter Windle, a frequent visitor to New Zealand from Singapore, to express his admiration for the country and its people.

Amy’s love of economics was kindled while she attended Villa Maria High School, so she was very keen to embark on a Bachelor of Commerce at UC after being offered a scholarship by the School of Business and Economics.

“Economics always inspired me,” Amy said. “I love modelling what is happening in real life, the management of numbers and UC student Amy Rice

formulas, the study of people and the choices they make. The lecturers here at UC have inspired me even more . They’re so good at what they do.”

Her goals are to work at the Reserve Bank, or to be involved in the World Bank, trade organisations or a national monetary fund. She intends to put some of the prize money towards a student exchange next year, and was looking at places like Vienna or Copenhagen to do this.

“When I’ve finished my undergraduate degree,” she said, “I’ll definitely do an honours year, and if I don’t get offered a job straight away, will look at a master's in Economics.”

When asked what advice she would give other aspiring students she replied, “Get passionate about what you do and always work hard. The rewards will flow naturally from that. Don’t expect something for nothing. I had no idea this prize existed until I was told I’d been short-listed for it. So hard work does pay off, and this now means I can cut down on the part-time work during the rest of my studies. I’m really grateful for it.”

Sizzling new books for winter from CUP A collection of poems by New Zealand’s first woman war poet and an in-depth guide to exploring the beautiful landscape and wildlife of the West Coast are two of the latest books published by Canterbury University Press (CUP).

The Judas Tree contains a collection of 55 startling poems written by Christchurch poet Lorna Staveley Anker and edited by writer Bernadette Hall. The collection contains the best of Mrs Anker's published poems and a substantial number never seen before. The book was second on the New Zealand Fiction for Adults Bestseller Charts in April.

Mrs Anker, who was born in 1914 and died in 2000, wrote poems about her experiences as an infant during the First World War, in which three of her uncles were killed in France, and many years later as a young mother in Christchurch when her husband left to fight in the Second World War. Ms Hall said she wanted to edit the collection of poems to show the world the work of Mrs Anker, whom she described as “New Zealand’s first woman war poet.”

“The reason she is so significant is there is no other New Zealand woman poet who has written about the First World War,” she said.

“There are poems that arise from her childhood memories, like when a dummy of Kaiser Bill was dragged through the streets of Brighton. She was also a ‘war widow’ in the Second World War, one of the civilian casualties who make up what is known as ‘the unsung generation’. Fortunately her husband returned safely to her.”

Mrs Anker’s love affair with poetry was sparked by the tragic death of her son when she was in her late fifties and continued until her death in her eighties.

The Judas Tree outlines not only her poignant poems about war but also her poems about modernism, feminism, religious dogma, science and the developing world.

Ms Hall, who met Mrs Anker through the literary community in Christchurch more than 20 years ago, said she was delighted to discover a plethora of new poems while searching through the artist’s manuscripts.

West Coast Walking: A naturalist’s guide is a new book by ecologist Kerry-Jayne Wilson about the natural features and wildlife found on the West Coast.

“This book presents an introduction to the West Coast’s physical environment, plants and animals, and a guide to the walks, lakes and highways of the region.

Short easy paths are described in some detail, along with the plants, animals and natural features to look for along the way,” Ms Wilson said.

“Longer, more demanding trails are described in less detail. The lakes and lagoons described are best explored by kayak, and guidance is given for the paddling naturalist.”

Ms Wilson said she wanted to write a book that would encourage people to explore the stunning natural environment.

“The book is a nature guide to the West Coast,” she said. “It's objective is to encourage New Zealanders and overseas visitors to get out and enjoy, explore and experience the West Coast. The emphasis is on short easy walks in the Department of Conservation front country, interpreting these in some detail. It will also appeal greatly to bird watchers, botanists, natural historians and ecologists,” she said.

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UC’s Chris Hawker

New centre builds on disaster research and management The UC Centre for Risk, Resilience and Renewal (UCR3) has been established to consolidate the University’s strong, internationally recognised strengths in hazard and disaster research following the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011.

Chris Hawker, Primary Incident Controller for UC throughout the earthquakes, has been appointed Director of the new centre, bringing to the role more than 11 years of hands-on experience in civil defence and emergency management.

Mr Hawker was jointly responsible for developing UC’s emergency management programme prior to the earthquakes and has since presented at a host of international events about the University’s response to the earthquakes, developing a valuable network of colleagues worldwide.

“The centre will focus on improved strategies for risk reduction, developing resilience and community renewal through scientific, practice-aligned research and relevant educational programmes for both professional and academic students,” he said.

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UCR3 will develop advanced-level professional short courses in emergency and risk management to enhance the training programmes currently available for emergency personnel and executive-level leaders, both nationally and internationally.

These special courses will support the recommendations identified in a postearthquake review of the Civil Defence Emergency Management response to the February 22 Christchurch earthquake.

“Particular deficiencies in emergency responses were also identified internationally following Hurricane Katrina and the twin towers terrorist attack,” Mr Hawker said.

“Recent earthquakes and tsunami in Southeast Asia and floods and bushfires in Australia have added to this global awareness, creating significant opportunities to improve the training of people involved in official emergency responses.”

To capitalise on this growing demand, the centre is developing professional courses in emergency management which will include university-level credits towards future qualifications at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

To help develop these programmes, Mr Hawker has been joined by Steve Glassey in the role of Associate Director.

Mr Glassey was previously General Manager Emergency Management for the

Ministry of Social Development and comes with extensive international experience in the emergency management sector.

He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Search and Rescue, is the former Assistant Director of the Joint Centre for Disaster Research at Massey University, and is an associate lecturer in technical rescue for the University of Central Lancashire.

On campus, UCR3 will work with researchers and academics across a broad range of disciplines and support the work of other Centres of Excellence such as NZi3 and Research & Innovation to help connect and strengthen the University’s focus and reputation in this critical area.

“It is our intention to become an internationally renowned centre for teaching and research support across faculties on hazards, risk management, resilience and urban renewal,” Mr Hawker said.

“We will focus on producing the skilled graduates and leading research outputs that we know are highly sought after by policy and decision makers on the national and international stage.”

UCR3 is located on level 3 of the Geographical Sciences building where they have offices that can accommodate centre staff and relevant visiting academics and professional colleagues.

What's on at UC? What if all New Zealand children learned sign language?

Wednesday 15 May Undercroft 101, 6.30pm – 8pm What if Wednesdays is UC’s free public lecture series and lectures are held on campus every Wednesday night. Come along and listen to Dr Dean Sutherland talk about the latest international research about sign language, common misunderstandings about what constitutes sign language, who can learn it and what the benefits of learning it are. www.canterbury.ac.nz/wiw Christchurch Careers Expo CBS Canterbury Arena Thursday 16 May, 9am – 3pm and 5pm – 7pm, Friday 17 May, 9am – 3pm, Saturday 18 May 10am – 4pm The Careers Expo has a 22-year partnership with schools and industry and is New Zealand's largest careers-centered expo, comprised of employers, industry, tertiary providers, training institutes and government departments. The expo offers an unequalled opportunity for school leavers and job seekers to engage directly with careers and employment experts. Admission is free. www.careersexpo.org.nz

Professor John Burrows QC (Co-Chair Constitutional Advisory Panel), Rachel Dunningham (President, Canterbury Westland Branch NZLS) and Jared Ormsby (Partner, Wynn Williams). The Chair will be UC’s Professor Philip Joseph. www.canterbury.ac.nz/events School of Music Lunchtime Concert Thursday 16 May School of Music, Room 205, 1pm - 2pm Come along and enjoy a lunchtime concert presented by UC School of Music students.

The students will perform with an array of instruments including the bassoon, flute and horn. www.canterbury.ac.nz/events Rhodes Scholarship Information Evening Wednesday 22 May Okeover House, University Drive, 5pm – 6pm The Rhodes Scholarship Information Evening is an annual event for students and staff interested in finding out more about the Rhodes Scholarship and the application process. This is an opportunity for prospective applicants to access information, and to ask questions and gain some first-hand

knowledge from Rhodes Scholars. The session will also be informative for students contemplating applying for a Rhodes Scholarship in the future. www.canterbury.ac.nz/events Recent length change at Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers Monday 27 May Geography building, room 406, 12pm – 1pm Dr Heather Purdie will present this seminar about Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers. Modern and historical length change records show that both glaciers have lost 3km in length and at least 3-4km2 in area since the 1800s. Within this dramatic and ongoing retreat, both glaciers have experienced periods of re-advance. While decadal length fluctuations have been linked to hemispheric oceanatmosphere variability, the overall reduction in length is a clear sign of twentieth century warming. However, thermocast complexities associated with retreating termini need further investigation, and reinforce the importance of ongoing monitoring of glacier length change during both advance and retreat. www.canterbury.ac.nz/events

The Constitution Conversation Thursday 16 May UC Kirkwood Village, KC05 , 4.30pm – 6pm The School of Law, UC and the New Zealand Law Society bring you the opportunity to have your say about New Zealand’s Constitution.

The Constitutional Advisory Panel has been appointed to listen to, consider and report on people’s views about a range of constitutional issues. Come along and listen to Emeritus 19 CHRONICLE 48, No.2, May 2013

UC Information Day 2013