March 2014
He Kupu Whakamahara
Nuclear impact on seafood studied Stars in their eyes Orientation highlights
Big tick of approval for UC UC has jumped to 19th in the world in civil and structual engineering in the latest QS world university rankings by subject.
Chronicle 49 no.1
March 2014
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Thanks to everyone else who’s played a part making this issue happen.
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Two years ago UC was ranked in the 51st to 100th group of universities in the same category. The latest rating by the independent London-based university ranking company puts UC well within the top one per cent of universities in the world in this discipline. UC Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Engineering) Professor Jan Evans-Freeman said the top 20 ranking in the world is the highest ranking UC has ever reached, putting it ahead of institutions such as Oxford University, Cornell University and University College London. “This is fantastic for us and will really help attract and retain more students. Our civil and natural resources engineering department has a long tradition of research into innovative solutions for many hazards facing society today, driven in part by the particular needs of living in New Zealand. The department is especially well regarded internationally for its research into seismic engineering,” she said. “Professor Andy Buchanan, Professor Stefano Pampanin and Dr Alessandro Palermo have developed a completely new system of earthquake-resistant buildings using post-tensioned structural timber. “Their work has resulted in a step-
change in the use of timber as a structural material, allowing direct competition with concrete and steel for many multi-storey buildings. New buildings of up to 10 storeys are being built in Europe, North America and Australia, with proposals for a 30-storey timber building on the drawing board in Canada.” UC features among the world�s elite (top 200) universities in 16 subjects in this year's QS world university rankings by subject. Out of 3000 universities, UC is rated in the top 100 in history, civil and structural engineering, geography, law and education. UC is ranked in the top 200 in linguistics, computer science and information systems, chemical engineering, psychology, media and communication, statistics and operational research, modern languages, mechanical engineering, earth and marine sciences, environmental sciences and sociology. UC is currently ranked among the top three per cent of universities in the world and is the only New Zealand university with a five star QS rating.
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Bringing astronomy to the masses.
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Orientation 2014
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Study reveals the impact of nuclear disaster on Caption Pacific fish stock.
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Seismic impact on churches investigated.
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UC student launches a tasty business.
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Social service delivery to be analysed A research project involving UC researchers has secured $1.4 million in Government funding to strengthen ways for social services to engage with families/whānau. The project will improve the health, education and general well-being of high-needs families such as high-risk parents with young families, Pasifika youth with emerging mental health needs, and people facing family violence, alcohol and drug use or anger management issues, by helping them make better use of existing support services. UC academic Dr Jörg Finsterwalder (Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship) said the team would look at the project from a service systems approach. “We treat service as a system rather than as a simple provider-recipient transaction. The approach draws on systems thinking and service science. It analyses service outcomes as the result of interactions between critical actors and resources including those for whom services are intended,” he said. Dr Annabel Taylor (left) and Dr Jörg Finsterwalder.
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“It also maps the critical actors and resources and identifies what matters most for these actors. This research project is not only relevant nationally but also globally because research related to improving well-being has been named one of the top 10 research priorities in an article in the Journal of Service Research.” UC’s Dr Annabel Taylor (Social Work), Director Te Awatea Violence Research Centre, was looking at the project from a social work perspective. She said the research had the potential to be integral to the profession in developing a model of evaluation that evolved from service users, and which connected with the principles of empowerment and social justice that underpinned social work practice. “Social work is positioned critically in the public-private interface and, to be effective, it needs to demonstrate models and practices that reach diverse populations,” she said.
Project leader Dr Jeff Foote, from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), said the project team was working with three service providers — Family Help Trust, He Waka Tapu and Q-nique Pacific Navigation Team — to find ways social service providers could improve how they delivered their services. “Social services are delivered by a broad range of government and non-government agencies, iwi and community,” Dr Foote said. The project is funded by the 2013 Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Health and Society Research Investment Round and is led by ESR in collaboration with UC, the Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit within the Families Commission, Q-nique and He Oranga Pounamu. The project will run until September 2016.
Geography’s Nick Key takes the UC quadcopter for a spin.
Geography research taking off A state-of-the-art UC quadcopter is helping provide video footage of earthquake damaged homes along cliff tops on the Port Hills. Associate Professor Peyman Zawar-Reza (Geography) said footage from the quadcopter was being collected for consulting firm Aurecon on behalf of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. “Flights were flown focusing on the damaged houses where it was too dangerous for people to inspect from the ground. This helped Aurecon engineers obtain a better picture of the damage and condition of the hill suburb to enable them to develop a plan for demolition and slope stabilisation,” he said. “We also worked alongside one of our graduate geography students who is now working at Aurecon while undertaking this work. We have also put flights inside the Moa Bone Cave to determine damage to the cave for Aurecon on behalf of the Christchurch City Council. “Since 22 February 2011, no one has been inside the cave because of the existing risk. We undertook a series of flights in and
around the cave to enable engineers to establish the extent of damage to the cave interior.” The quadcopter has also done aerial mapping work of the Springfield fault line in the Canterbury foothills. This research is still in progress and is being carried out for UC’s Dr Brendan Duffy (Geology) and Dr Chris Gomez (Geography) with more flights planned. “Visiting international students will also be using the imaging as part of their projects this year,” Professor Zawar-Reza said. The quadcopter will carry out aerial mapping work around Waimakariri River terracing near Springfield and at Cass Field Station in Canterbury. It has also undertaken flights in Antarctica around Scott Base, demonstrating its capabilities to Antarctica New Zealand and the US Antarctic Programme staff. A demonstration flight has been made for the New Zealand Fire Service during its recent emergency exercise on campus. The quadcopter has also flown in and around various locations on the Avon River and the Avon-Heathcote Estuary to provide footage for a documentary film being
produced by 2013 Erskine Visitor, Professor Peter Newman, of Perth’s Curtin University. The film will be premiered in Christchurch in April. Later this year, it is planned to fly the quadcopter up the Fox Glacier to undertake some imaging work of the glacier moraine. The quadcopter operation is performed by a qualified pilot, Department of Geography Technician Nick Key. Dr Gomez said the department had more than five years� expertise using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the environment. “We have done research on river vegetation changes and floods in the US and in Japan as well. I've just got research funding from the Royal Society of New Zealand and the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Sciences to do more monitoring of the Tamagawa River floodplain in Tokyo using UAVs,” he said. The Department of Geography is taking leadership in including quadcopter technology as part of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. The quadcopter is heavily used in at least two courses at undergraduate level. 5
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Prime Minister John Key
Group brings star-gazing to the masses There is more than meets the eye in the night sky and two UC science students are showing it to the public. Ryan Ridden-Harper and Toby Hendy, members of the Canterbury Astronomical Society, were keen to show their passion for astronomy and developed Christchurch Urban Astronomers along with the society’s Malcolm Locke. Their aim is to educate and inspire the public. “The Urban Astronomers initiative is a way to encourage people to look up at the sky and consider what it may hold,” said Ryan. “We want to show people that astronomy is not just an abstract subject but, rather, one with great influence to life on Earth and our perspective of the universe.” Ryan and Toby, who are studying physics and mathematics, have been running the urban astronomy sessions since late last year, showing the public interesting bright
objects such as the moon, Saturn and Venus and, more recently, allowing them to see the sun using solar telescopes. “We started running night time urban astronomy sessions in September last year, at the Pallet Pavilion. We began using the solar telescopes in January this year. We’ve run a few sessions across Christchurch, mainly at the Re:Start Mall,” Toby said. The group mainly targets foot traffic so it can reach people who might otherwise never have used a telescope, or had the opportunity to develop an interest in astronomy. “Generally, people are curious about the telescopes and approach us to see what we are doing. This gives us a wide range of people to talk to such as Christchurch residents and tourists from all over the world,” said Ryan. “We welcome anyone interested in becoming involved. All that is needed is a passion for science and a willingness to interact with the public.”
UC students Ryan Ridden-Harper (left) and Toby Hendy are passionate about astronomy.
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Ryan and Toby said they had received extremely positive feedback from the public. “We have had comments that we have made a real impact on people’s knowledge of the sky and have introduced them to ideas that they had not yet considered. “Many are blown away that they are able to see such objects in an urban area. With solar viewing, people are often surprised with what the sun looks like when it is made safe to view through filters. “One of the most rewarding things is to see children leaving with an enthusiasm to learn more about what we have shown them,” Toby said. The sessions are weather dependent. Urban Astronomers can be contacted through Facebook at www.facebook.com/churbastro for more information about viewing session times and locations.
Trial sheds new light on treatment for ADHD Nutrients are significantly better than placebos in the treatment of ADHD in adults, a rigorously controlled UC research trial has found. Professor Julia Rucklidge (Psychology) said the results would open new doors for children, teachers, families and adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). About five per cent of New Zealanders suffer from the condition. “It will help in treatment options for children with ADHD who may not tolerate medications or do not respond to the first-line treatments. If supported by further studies, micronutrients may be viewed in time as a viable treatment option for many families,” Professor Rucklidge said. “We have recently received funding to run a similar type of trial with ADHD children and plan to launch this study early next year, and are open to referrals.
Professor Julia Rucklidge
“We are also conducting other clinical trials in the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Group investigating different nutrient treatments across a wide range of symptoms, including depression, sleep and addictions.” Professor Rucklidge said people had been using micronutrients to treat mental illness for many decades though the research has been scant or non-existent. “Many people vouch for micronutrients as a treatment but base their recommendations on anecdotal evidence that is not backed by rigorous scientific approaches. As such, many scientists and clinicians have dismissed nutrients as a viable way forward due to this history. “The study needs to be replicated before we can give clear advice to people affected by ADHD. However, if replicated, it will offer people with ADHD another treatment option.” This was the first trial to show that the benefit of micronutrients for the treatment
of ADHD symptoms was not simply due to the placebo effect, Professor Rucklidge said. When people participated in trials they often get better simply from non-specific factors associated with trials: they were being cared for, they met clinicians every couple of weeks and were monitored closely. All these factors were known to have positive effects on people. In order for the field to take this treatment approach seriously, research that compared micronutrients to placebos was essential. There were no adverse effects associated with trial participants taking the nutrients. Professor Rucklidge’s paper on the trial was recently published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, one of the top psychiatric journals in the world. Her research was largely funded by a private donation from Marie Lockie and from the Vic Davis Trust.
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Assessing nuclear pollution in South Pacific seafood UC researchers have been collaborating with the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) to determine whether there is any evidence of radioactive contamination of seafood arising from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The year-long research, undertaken by UC student Emma Puloka in partnership with ESR’s National Centre for Radiation Science (NCRS), examined radioactivity in fish taken from local markets in Tonga, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna. “My research focused on radioactivity in South Pacific fish, specifically those that are exported and that people eat locally in the South Pacific islands including snapper, tuna and skipjack tuna,” she said. “The aim was to establish a baseline level for how much artificial radioactivity is present in the fish we eat, as well as how much naturally occurring radioactivity is present, for future studies.” Emma, who carried out the research while undertaking honours in environmental science, discovered that there was no evidence of fish being contaminated by the Fukushima event but she did find low levels of residue from the atmospheric nuclear weapon testing conducted in the South Pacific during the 1960s and 1970s. However, the levels are so low that they do not pose any health risk to people eating the fish. “Each type of nuclear event has its own radioactive signature so we looked for each one and found the Fukushima signature was not present in any of the samples. It was good to see that no pollution at this stage has crossed the equator down to the islands,” she said. “In terms of radioactivity, the fish in the South Pacific are safe. I am hoping to pass my research on to the Tongan Ministry of Fisheries so they can reassure consumers
and export markets that there is currently no evidence of Fukushima contamination in South Pacific fish.” Emma said the levels remaining from the atmospheric nuclear testing were not high enough to be a health concern. “I considered the atmospheric nuclear testing that happened in the Pacific region, particularly those conducted in French Polynesia and the Marshall Islands. “I found low levels of the radionuclide caesium-137 that was released during the atmospheric testing, which was interesting given the time since those events. While these levels are so low that they cannot pose a health risk to people who would be eating the fish, it is still interesting from an environmental point of view that what we do really does leave signatures in the environment.” Emma said it highlighted the need for countries without nuclear programmes to have monitoring programmes in place. Emma’s research also revealed that the amount of artificial radioactivity in the fish was lower than the amount of natural radioactivity, which occurs naturally due to radioactive minerals in the Earth’s crust. Emma, who is from Tonga and whose study is supported by a UC College of Science Pacific Scholarship, was being supervised by UC’s Dr Sharyn Goldstien (Biological Sciences), Dr Sally Gaw (Chemistry) and Dr Nikolaus Hermanspahn (ESR). Emma is now working towards a Master of Education at the College of Education.
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UC postgraduate student Emma Puloka.
Churches’ seismic vulnerability under the microscope UC’s Dr Sonia Giovinazzi is part of a worldwide research group investigating the seismic vulnerability of New Zealand’s historic churches. The civil and natural resources engineering research fellow said the project would analyse the seismic vulnerability of several churches in New Zealand cities. The group also involves researcher Dr Tatiana Goded from GNS Science, as well as researchers from the University of Auckland, New Zealand Historic Places Trust, University of Minho in Portugal, and the University of Genoa in Italy. The project recently received research funding from the Earthquake Commission. “Our ultimate aim is to identify the most vulnerable churches and to help identify the UC research fellow Dr Sonia Giovinazzi.
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best strategies to retrofit them, aiming to mitigate damage in the event of future earthquakes,” Dr Giovinazzi said. “This project is seen as a first step towards the qualification of all historic buildings in the country, in order to preserve New Zealand’s cultural and historical heritage.” The research group will employ a simplified approach using vulnerability indexes and damage indexes calibrated on vulnerability and post-earthquake damage assessment of churches and heritage buildings, mainly in Europe. “This method has been applied around Europe with successful results, especially in the case of churches, and we hope the same will be the case in New Zealand,” Dr Giovinazzi said. “We will use damage data for 48 unreinforced masonry churches in the
Canterbury region following the February 2011 earthquake, as well as structural data for other unreinforced masonry churches around the country. “The results of this project will considerably improve our understanding of the behaviour of historic churches during the Canterbury earthquakes and will inform decision-making to make similar buildings in New Zealand structurally sound.” The final project will be presented at the 16th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering in Santiago, Chile, in 2016, as well as at the New Zealand Society of Earthquake Engineering’s annual meeting in 2015. It is expected that a paper will also be published.
New UCSA President making her mark The new University of Canterbury Students’ Association (UCSA) President, Sarah Platt, is bursting with enthusiasm and energy about the challenges of the year ahead. Sarah recently graduated with a BA with a double major in education and psychology, and began her elected role this year. One of her key goals for 2014 is raising awareness of the UCSA. “Ideally, every student on campus will know who we are and what we do. As an executive we believe in raising awareness of the UCSA by finding new and innovative ways to make sure that the student body is fully informed about what we offer,” Sarah said. “Our full executive is going into the halls of residence to directly engage with students and, once a week on a Wednesday, our executive will be out and about in the Undercroft, making it easier for students to interact with us and making us more approachable.” Sarah said she is a team player and is really looking forward to engaging with students to make their university experience the best it can be. “I am not someone who likes to sit back and let others do the work, so I will bring a very hands-on attitude. I also like to think that I’m approachable, which I think is an important quality to have in a role such as this,” she said.
“I am most looking forward to engaging with students to find out what it is that they would like to see from their UCSA and making sure that we are doing the basic things right.” Sarah said that she really enjoyed being on the general executive last year and has always loved being involved in something bigger than herself. “I am 100 per cent dedicated to this job. If I’m honest, for me it’s not a job as such. I am absolutely loving what I am doing and the team I work with is amazing, so it makes it easy to come to work in the morning.”
UCSA President Sarah Platt is excited about her new role. She is pictured making her mark on the "hands on wall" during orientation.
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UC chemical and process engineering student Stefan Warnaar.
Business idea really delivers A business delivering quality, cost-effective meals has been launched by a UC student. UC chemical and process engineering student Stefan Warnaar has created a business providing ingredients and recipes once a week to make five meals, serving four adults at a time, through his website www.myfivemeals.co.nz. His business concept has been supported and nurtured by UC Innovators, which is managed by Dr Rachel Wright. Stefan said the Christchurch student food delivery service makes deliveries every Sunday. The food for individual meals will cost about $6.50. “We deliver with cooler bins to keep the meat refrigerated. Our food will be approved 12
by health and safety regulations and delivery is free for all orders,” he said. “We will make a profit working on low margins and selling five meals at once. Food is a low-margin business and so volume is key.” Stefan said there was a similar service in parts of the North Island, although My Five Meals was aimed at regular families and students who wanted to eat well and stay on budget. “As a student I found cooking dinner a chore, but I love eating good food. Our service means students don’t have to spend time menu planning, shopping or budgeting every week,” he said. “Allowing students to choose five meals from a selection of 10 makes it simple to plan for the week. We will use higher quality cuts of meat.”
Stefan said the business’ goal was to make it simple to enjoy delicious and healthy meals and deliver the best New Zealand meat and produce to students. “My Five Meals aims to be a replacement for the supermarkets, not an exclusive premium option. We believe our costs are similar or better than the supermarkets. Our food comes from a range of established food wholesalers in Christchurch,” he said. Dr Wright said it was exciting to see students grow, create, develop and realise their business dreams and ideas. “It is great to see how Stefan has identified a need among his fellow students and has worked out a fantastic solution that has the potential to transform a large number of flats,” she said.
Study looks at technology use for children with autism Many children with autism spectrum disorder, who do not develop sufficient speech to enable them to communicate their needs, can benefit from alternative modes of communication, a UC PhD student has found. Llyween Couper said autism not only influenced their needs for learning but also their social and emotional needs, and interactions with their peers. It is estimated that one in 100 children in New Zealand has some form of autism, and a quarter of these children are unlikely to develop speech and are candidates for some form of augmentative alternative communication (AAC). “Recent developments in mobile technology, which includes iPads, smart phones, tablets and various speech generating devices, are providing tools for communication for everyone, but especially for those who are nonverbal. They are available, portable, powerful and have features that enable interaction,” Llyween said. Her study, supervised by Dr Dean Sutherland and Dr Anne van Bysterveldt (Health Sciences), replicates and expands on previous studies that have investigated how quickly children with autism and limited communication skills learn to use manual signs, picture exchange and iPad-based speech generating devices. The children were given opportunities to indicate their preference for each option and most indicated that their communication preference was speech generating devices such as an iPad. Continuing research is exploring if the child's preference influences the speed and endurance of the communication choice. It has been found from other studies that student preference could be sustained in the clinic or classroom but it was not known how or if using an AAC system could
increase self-determination and participation in the playground, Llyween said. “We know that time in the playground is when many children with autism may feel isolated, anxious and vulnerable. This is a major concern for their parents and teachers. “Very little research has investigated the playground experiences of children with autism despite the worldwide trend towards inclusion in mainstream schools. It is not known if speech generating devices can help to make their playground a more interactive, physical, social and emotionally positive experience.
“My research followed three children who attended their local rural primary school and will report on how these children spend time in their playgrounds. Playground observations, interviews and, where possible, visual feedback will describe the behaviours of the children who have limited play skills, communication difficulties and lack social and emotional competence. “It will also demonstrate the positive strategies using AAC systems which the three schools, including their principals, teachers and teachers' aides developed to increase opportunities for the children's participation and inclusion in their schools' playgrounds.”
PhD student Llyween Couper.
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Photo: supplied. The UC mechanical engineering racing car in action.
UC race car team aiming to stay on track The UC race car team that won a design competition in Melbourne last year is determined to build an even more technically sophisticated car this year. Thirteen UC mechanical engineering students won the CAMS Inspired Engineering Trophy at the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia design competition in December, and this year the team are prepared to improve their award–winning design. The UC team designed and built their own racing car that clocked 0km to 100km per hour in under four seconds, and carried out other tests in the competition. More than 500 universities compete in 10 competitions held worldwide. After last year’s Melbourne competition, UC is the top ranked rookie team in the world. Team principal and mechanical engineering PhD student Tim White said 14
the main difference to the team this year was the structure. “Last year we just had final-year students involved. This year, in addition to final-year students, we are recruiting from the wider university. We need to have continuity and knowledge transfer between years so first-year students who come into the team go through all the way to their final year, gradually taking on more responsibility,” he said. “There is also a lot more to the competition than building a fast race car. There are components that require business cases, marketing plans, sponsorship proposals, communications and graphic design.
“Therefore we are recruiting from every college in the University. The team management structure is completely revised with the senior students in the team — some students from last year are now postgraduates — running it for themselves.” This year the team has been rebranded as UCM, short for University of Canterbury Motorsport. “As team principal, putting together a holistic team is what I see as being a huge part of us doing well at this year’s competition,” said Tim. To find out more about UCM, check out www.ucmotorsport.com.
Impact of extreme activity on memory studied UC research has shown that search and rescue workers could suffer cognitive overload if their rescue involves highrisk climbing. Psychology lecturer Professor Deak Helton and honours student Kathryn Darling have been working on research looking at how we communicate and what we remember when rock climbing. The findings, which have been published in the journal Experimental Brain Research, look at dual-task interference between climbing and simulated communication tasks. This work builds on other research being undertaken by Professor Helton and colleagues to help emergency responders, and others, who need to work under extreme conditions. “Disasters and emergencies are not convenient. They can occur at sea, on the side of a mountain; pretty much anywhere,” Professor Helton said. Emergency response personnel who have to perform physically demanding tasks while communicating with team members could have problems remembering information later. “Climbing is an extreme sport that is fun and physically demanding but the loss of half the information you recall after climbing demonstrates just how cognitively demanding climbing is,” Professor Helton said. Climbers taking part in the study were asked after they had been climbing to recall as many words they heard and words they replied to during the climb. The research team assessed how quickly the climbers made free association responses and how quickly and efficiently the climbers were able to climb. “Comparing the number of words recalled in a similar free association task while not climbing enabled the team to
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assess memory impairment. The climbers could only recall about half as many words after climbing as they could when not climbing,” he said. These findings replicate the memory loss seen in similar, previous research by Professor Helton. “The research improved on the earlier findings by ensuring the climbers really heard the words and by allowing the team Honours student Kathryn Darling and Professor Deak Helton.
to measure more aspects of performance during the climbing task,” he said. “Our brains have the tendency to fill gaps and make coherent, even inaccurate memories. The technology to capture and replace information is getting better and better. Properly designed technological aids could provide climbers or rescue workers with accurate external memory aids.”
Dr Colin Burrows (1931–2014) Dr Colin Burrows, who died recently, was an internationally known plant ecologist and conservationist who spent almost his whole working life at UC, and then had a long and productive retirement still working on botanical and conservation issues in Canterbury. Colin was born in Methven and did his undergraduate degree at UC before a short spell as a secondary school teacher. He then returned to UC to complete an MSc in 1958. On graduating, he was offered a Fulbright Scholarship to Stanford University, but had to decline because his first wife, Nancy, had become ill. Instead, he began work teaching ecology at the University of Canterbury in 1960. This was a turning point. Had he gone, he said, "I would have been a very different scientist. At that time I was involved in evolutionary biology, but when the position came up at Canterbury I changed my research thrusts, so I turned out to be an ecologist." He remained in that position until his retirement in 1993, having also found the time to gain his PhD in 1967. His research focused, in particular, on the ecological problems of Canterbury and New Zealand. He worked in alpine grasslands, wetlands and forests, and produced many reports on natural areas suitable for conservation throughout the South Island. He worked extensively on paleoecology, developing an international reputation and his DSc was awarded for his work in this field. Latterly, he returned to modern-day ecology with a book on plant succession, Processes of Vegetation Change, and ongoing research on seed ecology. His book, which was many years in gestation, was well received internationally. He also made major contributions to the Arthurs Pass National Park Board and the Canterbury Museum Trust Board, as well as 16
Dr Colin Burrows
being on the UC University Council for many years. In “retirement” he scarcely slowed down, continuing to produce numerous journal articles and another book, published in 2005, Julius Haast in the Southern Alps, which described Julius von Haast’s travels and how they assisted geological and biological exploration of the South Island. Colin also put great energy into the new project aimed at the ecological restoration of Quail Island in Lyttelton Harbour. Colin received a string of awards for his work. In 1963, he received the Hamilton Memorial Prize from The Royal Society of New Zealand for his work in evolutionary studies and systematics. He was made a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, joining only 21 other New Zealanders. In 2010, he was given New Zealand’s premier conservation award, the Loder Cup, for his
contributions to the restoration of Quail Island. Colin’s influence on ecology and conservation in Canterbury and New Zealand will be an enduring legacy. I am pleased to acknowledge my own gratitude to him, having joined Canterbury as a new lecturer in 1985 and having been “shown the ropes” as we worked together until his retirement in 1993. His extensive field knowledge and commitment to teaching were great assets, for which he will long be remembered. Dr Colin James Burrows, 19 April 1931 – 16 January 2014, is survived by second wife Vivienne, son Adam and daughter Julia and two grandchildren. Professor Dave Kelly
(From left to right) UC Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr, PhD student Robyn Johnston and Ryman Healthcare Managing Director Simon Challies.
Leading elder care provider funds UC researcher A UC PhD student has been granted $100,000 in funding for her research project aimed at improving life for older people. Robyn Johnston, a PhD student in UC’s School of Health Sciences, was awarded the funding by Ryman Healthcare and will spend the next three years studying the quality of life in the company’s villages, including in-depth research into how its residents feel about their experiences in a retirement village environment. Robyn has spent the past 36 years in the education sector, working as a teacher and a counsellor. She has a master’s degree in health sciences and her PhD work will build on her earlier research into how older people cope with transitioning into a new living environment. Robyn’s research will provide an independent assessment of the experience of living in the health care company’s village. Where residents are assessed as needing extra help, she will survey them to compare their satisfaction levels with
assistance provided in-house by Ryman and the service provided by external healthcare suppliers. Robyn will also research how residents cope with grief, loss and change. She will help develop practical ways to improve residents’ well-being and also investigate how to encourage inter-generational relationships by working with schools with ties to Ryman retirement villages. “The funding validates my previous research and acknowledges this area is important and needs further study,” she said. “It will allow me to devote the next three years to the research rather than trying to cope with part-time study and working almost full-time over five or six years. It means I’m able to follow my passion and immerse myself in the research.” Ryman’s residents range from people still in the workforce and living independently, to those needing specialist hospital and dementia care. UC Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr said UC had always been proud of the applied nature of much of its academic research. “Industry partners help shape a wide
number of research programmes, not only to ensure their relevance to real-world problems, but also to assist in the transfer of knowledge into society,” he said. “When those partners are successful local businesses with international reach, the creative and applied research of our staff and students makes a bigger difference sooner. “Ryman Healthcare’s engagement with research at UC is further evidence of how a strong, world-class university partnering with business benefits people, businesses and the community.” Ryman Healthcare Managing Director Simon Challies said Ryman was happy to support independent research into life in its villages. “We’re really interested to get Robyn’s view on the way our services work and, in particular, to measure how residents feel we compare with external providers. “We want to use her research to help understand our residents’ needs and how all the work our team does stacks up. We can use Robyn’s research to refine what we do.”
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Major award for marine ecologist UC marine scientist Professor David Schiel has received an international award for lifelong contributions to marine science.
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Professor David Schiel
Professor Schiel (Biological Sciences) received the triennial award at the recent 10th International Temperate Reef Symposium in Perth, Australia. The conference was attended by more than 200 scientists from 24 countries. Professor Schiel, who is head of the Marine Ecology Research Group in UC’s School of Biological Sciences, was cited for his commitment to students and colleagues worldwide, his contribution to the conferences over many years and his record of high achievement during his career. It was only the sixth time the award had been presented. The presentation to Professor Schiel was made by noted marine scientist Professor Stephen Hawkins of Southampton University in the United Kingdom. Professor Schiel said it was a great honour to receive the award, and he paid tribute to his postgraduate students and colleagues at UC, NIWA and internationally. His research has examined the dynamics of kelp forests, fisheries, aquaculture, estuary ecology and oil spill effects. Since the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, his team have done significant research in the Avon-Heathcote Estuary, including assessing the effects of tilting of the
estuary floor, the impact of liquefaction, and the consequent changes in production and food web dynamics throughout the estuary. Professor Schiel was also one of the lead scientists who worked on the effects and aftermath of the Rena oil spill and, along with researchers from Waikato University, continues to study the recovery processes in the Bay of Plenty. His highly cited coastal research has highlighted the role and vulnerability of key habitat-forming species, especially large seaweeds, in maintaining the diversity and functioning of near-shore ecosystems. These seaweed habitats suffered from multiple stressors worldwide and their loss has had a great impact on coastal processes in many countries, Professor Schiel said. “Particularly over the past year, my ecology group has analysed long-term trends in climate change across New Zealand’s near-shore zone,” he said. “This shows that sea surface temperatures have increased in the north and wave forces have increased in the south of New Zealand over the past few decades, which also relates to long-term changes in coastal habitat processes.”
What s on at UC? Commerce Careers Fair 19 March Undercroft 3.30pm – 6.30pm
April Graduation Ceremony 15 April CBS Canterbury Arena, Addington 10am – 12pm
The Commerce Careers Fair will provide you with opportunities to learn more about different industries and organisations, and find out where your degree could take you. Meet potential employers face to face, find out more about summer internships, vacation work, final year and graduate positions, and gather information to inform you on your course, degree and career choices. The fair will be attended by the major national and international chartered accounting and finance firms as well as employers with ATO status for CA qualification.
Graduation ceremony for the Faculties of Humanities & Social Sciences, Creative Arts, and Education.
www.canterbury.ac.nz/events/
What if... Critically-ill patients could be helped more? 26 March C3, Central Lecture Theatres 7pm
In this What if Wednesdays lecture, Distinguished Professor Geoff Chase (Mechanical Engineering) will look at what is intensive care, why we should care and introduces one way in which engineering technology and innovation in medicine can help provide the “more” demanded, for the “less” cost needed. www.canterbury.ac.nz/wiw/
April Graduation Ceremony 15 April CBS Canterbury Arena, Addington 2pm – 4pm
Graduation ceremony for the Faculties of Law and Commerce.
Casual Arrangements, Saskia Leek Open until 20 March Ilam Campus Gallery School of Fine Arts
This exhibition brings together a selection of work covering the period from 2002-2014. It follows Desk Collection, a survey exhibition presented by the Dowse Art Museum, which toured the country last year.
EPECentre Careers Fair 3 April C3, Central Lecture Theatres 5pm – 7.30pm
This event is aimed at electrical, civil and mechanical engineering students to find out about careers in the electricity industry, and meet and interact with engineering professionals from electrical companies. There will be guest speaker presentations and Q&A sessions between students and industry representatives.
April Graduation Ceremony 17 April CBS Canterbury Arena, Addington 10am-12pm
Graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Science.
April Graduation Ceremony 17 April CBS Canterbury Arena, Addington 2pm – 4pm
Graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Engineering and Forestry.
www.canterbury.ac.nz/events/
19 CHRONICLE 49, No.1, March 2014
UC Orientation 2014