CONNECT: RESEARCH & INNOVATION NEWS January - March 2014 issue Funding gAlvanises best ARC year to date Two major announcements round off a record $49.1 million of Australian Research Council (ARC) funding for UOW in 2013, with a new 3D Electromaterials Centre of Excellence and the Australian Steel Manufacturing Research Hub
CELEBRATING WOLLONGONG’S UP AND COMING academics Our new Discovery Early Career Researchers & Future Fellows
Scientists fabricate silicene in australian first UOW researchers successfully fabricate novel material
The University of Wollongong ranks in the top 2% of research universities worldwide
Research & Innovation News is the research magazine of the University of Wollongong. Contact: Research Services Office Building 20, Level 1 University of Wollongong Northfields Ave, Wollongong NSW, Australia, 2522
Source: QS World University Rankings 2013/2014 Subscriptions: Visit www.uow.edu.au/research to subscribe to electronic versions of Research & Innovation News. This Publication is produced by: Sharon Martin Vicky Wallace Melissa Coade Email: research@uow.edu.au With thanks to our other UOW contributors.
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Contents
16 04 message from Dean of research
As the push for open access publishing begins, Professor Tim Marchant discusses academia’s digital dilemma
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16 spotlight
Dr Terumi Narushima writes about her project to use 3D modelling and printing for custom-design microtonal flutes
19 award
australian made silicene A team of UOW researchers have unlocked the properties of a 2D form of silicone, known as silicene
08 profile
Geoscientist Professor Neil Williams’ life-long achievement has been honoured with the Science Academy’s 2014 Haddon Forrester King Medal
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Travel tale
Amidst rising political tensions in Thailand, UOW lecturer Julie Posetti traveled to Bangkok for the UNESCO Global Forum on Media and Gender
Dr Pia Winberg is scaling-up seaweed production in Australia as we enter a new era of seaweed glycobiology
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ARC funding announcement
A new Centre for 3D Electromaterials Science and Australian Steel Manufacturing Hub have topped off UOW’s best Australian Research Council (ARC) funding year ever
26 Opinion
Dr Mitchell Byrne makes the case for Drug Courts in NSW and points out the pitfalls of treating addiction in prison
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NEWS
Publish and be cited - or perish
Dean of Research Professor Tim Marchant
University education is now an extremely competitive international business where institutions compete for students on the basis of their academic reputation
Academics have always been under pressure to publish learned articles to develop their career and further the reputation of their academic institution. Indeed the phrase ‘Publish or Perish’ was first used in the late 1930s in the academic context. The digital age however has placed additional demands on academics which can be summarised as ‘publish and be cited, or perish’. In this opinion piece I will describe some national and international trends and discuss some strategies for academics to be well cited, in this new digital publishing age. University education is now an extremely competitive international business where institutions compete for students on the basis of their academic reputation. A key way this reputation is measured is via the three main University rankings; the QS World University Rankings (UOW=276th), Times Higher Education World University Rankings (298th) and Academic Ranking of World Universities (352th). UOW aims to rank within the top 1% of world Universities, which equates to a rank of 200th or higher, as an improved reputation attracts additional high quality staff and students to UOW, as well as increased amounts of research income. These University ranking schemes all include journal publication volumes and their associated citations, as collated by the Scopus and Web of Science indices, as
part of their measures so it is critical that UOW researchers publish Scopus and/or Web of Science indexed journal articles to encourage the citation of their works. UOW has implemented a number of new policies and initiatives to support researchers in this aim. The Research Active Policy encourages the publication of indexed journal articles and the Open Access Policy encourages authors to place their work in the UOW repository, Research Online, to allow the widest possible circulation of their research. It has been shown that research papers placed in open access repositories are more widely cited than those that appear on journal sites alone. It is also important for researchers to maintain a single Scopus and Web of Science database profile, with a UOW affiliation. Many researchers have profiles that are split between name variants or multiple institutions which means that their H index is artificially reduced and UOW does not receive full credit for their publications and citations, in the University rankings. In today’s digital age publishing high quality work is only the first step to a successful research career. Establishing a strong online profile, to encourage the dissemination of your work and subsequent citations, is now just as important in developing your research reputation.
Global Challenges seed funding announced The University of Wollongong’s Global Challenges Program (GC) has brought together researchers from across the University in its first round of Seed Grants. Ten projects have been granted funding to addresses the core challenges of Living Well, Longer; Manufacturing Innovation; and Sustaining Coastal and Marine Zones. The successful projects comprise researchers from diverse backgrounds who have brought their expertise to these real-world problems. “The need to address major challenges facing our region and our globe will become more urgent as we move further into the 21st century,” GC Director Professor Chris Gibson said. “By harnessing the work of our researchers and collaborating with the community, we have started the conversation about how we transform lives and regions.”
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GC FIRST ROUND SEED FUNDING GRANTS: •
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Creative Responses to the NBNEmpowered Digital Economy: Modelling Super-Fast Broadband Innovations in Korea for the Illawarra Research and Action to Pioneer Dementia-Friendly Communities and Organisations in Australia (see p14)
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Blue Carbon Futures: Opportunities and Challenges for Mangrove Regeneration in Vietnam
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Redesigning leadership to improve Retention of Volunteers in the NSW SES
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Re-energising the Illawarra Through Additive Manufacturing
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Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Exploring Innovative Pathways to Efficient, Safe and Secure Vessel Movements
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An Innovative Ergonomic Conceptual Design of Heavy Duty Vehicle Driver Seat
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Reducing Energy Use in Affluent Households: Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone in the Illawarra
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Dragging the chain: Minimising Impacts of Deep Water Anchorages on Australia’s Eastern Seaboard
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3D Modelling, Printing and Testing of Custom-Designed Microtonal Flutes (see p16)
NEWS
Breaking away from traditional histories
Dr Ben Maddison will deliver the first Uni in the Brewery talk this March 26 on Class & Colonialism in Antarctica >>Find out more http://uowuib.eventbrite.com.au
UOW historian Dr Ben Maddison has returned to Australia after spending nearly a month travelling through Antarctica as part of a research expedition marking 100 years since explorer Sir Douglas Mawson (and his crew) ventured the very same subzero path. The Spirit of Mawson Australian Antarctic Expedition saw scientists, historians and adventurers embark on a journey to the remote continent to revisit century-old measurements and collect new data for records about the earth’s health. Dr Maddison set sail from Bluff, New Zealand in early December last year and, somewhere in the vicinity of the open bay that Sir Mawson discovered in 1912, he launched his forthcoming book on class and Colonialism in Antarctic exploration. The trip was Dr Maddison’s 10th to Antarctica. “Every time I go to the ice I learn something new about the place and the environment, and that makes me appreciate new aspects of the working class contribution to our heritage history of Antarctica,” Dr Maddison said.
“Between 1750 and 1920, over 15,000 people visited Antarctica. Yet, despite such a large number, the historiography has ignored all but a handful of celebrated explorers.”
The histography has ignored all but a handful of celebrated explorers “My book aims to tell people about the work that it took to get these expedition heroes down to and across the ice; it comes as a bit of a revelation to many to think about that,” he said. ‘Class and Colonialism in Antarctic Exploration’ takes the point of view of “history-from-below”, lambasting the biased concept of heroes, exploration and discovery as reflecting only the activities of a few prominent individuals.
“I wrote the book out of a sense of historical justice, and I got the idea after talking with Russian, Ukrainian, Phillipino and Dutch crewmen on Antarctic ships today, for whom going to Antarctica was not an adventure, but just wage work,” Dr Maddison said. “At the same time, I was giving lectures to passengers on eco-adventure tourist ships that these sailors and kitchen staff were working on, and the history books I was reading had virtually no mention of the workers’ contirbution to the whole process. So I decided to investigate it by looking at Antarctic exploration as a process of production, rather than a wild and romantic adventure.” According to Dr Maddison the traditional legacies of our Colonial explorers must be rexamined. “Antarctic exploration was really just an extension of colonialism, right up to the 1920s when a ’scramble for Antarctica’ occurred amongst many nations. My book is trying to get away from the routine of having to identify heroes in the exploration process,” he said. >>http://bit.ly/1neBMLb
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Silicene fabricating the future L-R: Professor Xiaolin Wang, Dr Stefan Eilers, Dr Germanas Peleckis, Professor Shi Xue Dou, Dr Yi Du and Dr Xun Xu stand alongside the STM
cells and computer capabilities, it is also an extremely difficult material to fabricate, with complicated formation chemistry and physics. “The breakthrough allows us to discover new properties with the aim of maintaining those properties as we scale the materials up from the nano scale to a scale that would be useful in manufacturing and production,” ISEM Director Professor Shi Xue Dou said. “Silicene is an exciting new material, rich in physics, chemistry sciences and possible applications -- it is fantastic that we have been able to replicate it here,” he said.
In an Australian-first, a team of Wollongong researchers have successfully fabricated the complex material silicene to unlock its mysterious properties for our technological future. The research team, based at UOW’s Institute of Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM), is one of a small number of teams around the world to successfully fabricate the material with the aid of a
three-chamber low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) that allows researchers to undertake surface imaging at an atomic level. Silicene is a two-dimensional form of silicone that shares the same honeycomb structure of graphene, and is a singleatom-thick. Toted to offer exciting new approaches for medical technologies, solar
From smaller, faster computer chips to more practical and efficient solar cells, through to advances in medical technology, the promise of silicene’s future applications, with the ability to manipulate it at an atomic level, is tremendous. The purchase of the STM was made possible after ISEM and its collaborators were successful in securing a $2.5M grant from the Australian Research Council in 2010. The team will continue efforts to better understand the fundamental properties of silicene and its potential applications.
3D picture worth a thousand Neanderthal words X-ray 3D imaging and micro biomechanical modelling have revealed that Neanderthals communicated with each other through speech. By testing the microstructure and biomechanical features of a Neanderthal hyoid found in Israel’s Kebara Cave in 1989, scientists compared it to that of modern humans to show they communicated in the same way. Part of the research group to make the discovery was UOW Visiting Professorial Fellow and geochronologist Professor Claudio Tuniz. “The hyoid, a small horseshoe-shaped bone in the neck, is critical to phonation and in the development of our articulated language,” Prof Tuniz said. “It plays a key role in speech as it provides support for the larynx and anchorage for the tongue and other muscles required for speaking.” According to Prof Tuniz, the findings 6
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reinforce the notion that Neanderthals were so much more than they are often portrayed-- as dumb brutes. “Given that our results add support for the proposition that Neanderthals engaged in
speech, the question may then become: were they capable for the critical thought and syntactical ability necessary for complex language?” Prof Tuniz says the team is now looking to analyse the only other Neanderthal hyoid in the world (from Spain) as well as hyoids from other hominids, such as the Homoheidelbergensis (a common ancestor we share with Neanderthals). The study is a collaboration between researchers at the University of Wollongong, the University of NSW, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara (Italy), The “Abdus Salam” International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Italy), Tel Aviv University (Israel), Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste (Italy) and the University of Toronto (Canada). >>Read the PLOSone Paper http://bit.ly/1bWMMX9
Humans implicated in thylacine extinction
Dingoes are off the hook with humans and aridity to blame for the mainland extinction of Australia’s marsupial thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) and the related devil (Sarcophilus harrisii). Findings from the latest ecological modelling extend an overdue pardon to dingoes, the species long-blamed for the disappearance of its fellow mammal as a result of competition and predation. Writing for the ‘Perspectives’ segment in the journal Science, Professor Richard (Bert) Roberts has summarised the modelling outcomes published last year.
UOW Centre of Archaeological Science Director & Australian Laureate Fellow Professor Richard Roberts
Vindication of the dingo for the extirpation of the thylacine and devil puts people - and perhaps climate change - squarely in the frame
“The pivotal role played by humans in this recent extinction event, superimposed on a background of climate change, echoes the earlier extinction of the Australian mega fauna and highlights the repeated impacts of hunter-gatherers on Australian ecosystems over the last 50,000 years,” Prof Roberts wrote. “Thylacines were familiar to Aboriginal Australians and are depicted at numerous rock art sites in north and northwest Australia. A radio carbon date of ~3500 years before present (yr B.P.) has been reported for a desiccated thylacine carcass found in a cave in southern Australia, but reliably dated sites with fossil remains of the thylacine and devil are scarce, frustrating attempts to establish exactly when and why they went extinct on the mainland.”
Enter the dingo. Genetic estimates place its introduction at or before 4600 years ago, but no dingo fossils of such antiquity have been discovered. An almost complete dingo skeleton dated to ~3400 yr B.P. is one of the few remains older than 3000 years, with the sparse record hinting at dingo arrival shortly after 4000 yr B.P. Given the poorly resolved chronologies for entry of dingoes and exit of thylacines and devils on mainland Australia, the modelling approach evaluated the processes responsible for the extinction of these two marsupials.” Modelling eight different scenarios to represent various alternatives to the introduction of the dingo on mainland Australia, the growth of human populations and climate change, the authors included a range of plausible archaeological, ethnographic and ecological values. “Vindication of the dingo for the extirpation of the thylacine and devil on mainland Australia puts people—and perhaps climate change—squarely in the frame. Humans are also implicated in the demise of the Australian megafauna. Prowse et al.’s scenario-testing approach offers a new lens through which to study the range of dynamic interactions and impacts responsible for this earlier mass extinction.” >> Read Prof Roberts’ full article here http://bit.ly/1eWjcV1 R esearch & I nno v ation N ews
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Something in the water
While seaweed production industries in neighbouring countries, such as the Phillipines and Indonesia, have grown since the 1980s, Australia has been slow to adopt the same industries. We are now poised to increase seaweed production to a three tonne scale this year, with a vision to reach thousands of tonnes in the future. Driving the charge is UOW’s Dr Pia Winberg who joined the University 12 years ago. Dr Winberg is the founder of Venus Shell Systems Pty. Ltd., a new Australian Company producing high quality marine biomass. Dr Pia Winberg joined UOW in 2002 where she undertook some of the first research to demonstrate the benefits of protection zones in NSW marine protected areas. With a background in sustainable aquaculture systems, Dr Winberg concurrently lectured on this topic and drove the development of opportunities for sustainable aquaculture in the state. She helped people and industries understand that marine conservation is not always about closing an area to human impact. In 2008 she established the Shoalhaven Marine and Freshwater Centre (SMFC). The Centre was part of the University’s strategy of providing the Illawarra and far South Coast regions of NSW with access to tertiary teaching and research, while investigating sustainable marine food production systems.
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KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE SMFC Under the direction of Dr Winberg, the Centre has developed pilot-scale, integrated, marine aquaculture systems with private industry; conducted research and development in collaboration with aquaculture industries across Australia; and been a key driver of Seaweeds Australia -- a new national network of research and industry partners -- to coordinate the development of integrated seaweed industries in Australia. MAJOR PROJECTS INCLUDE: The development of the Aquaponics Garden at Basin View Masonic Village Fish, yabbies, water, plants and art have been integrated into an aquaponics dementia-friendly garden, which can
produce 350kg of fish and 150kg of yabbies per year, as well as supporting vegetables, flowers and fruit trees. The garden has transformed village life by involving most of the aged-care residents, including people with dementia, as well as their carers and family members. The Oyster Information Portal Developed with support from the Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC) and the Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority, the Portal addresses the need for oyster farmers to access information about their “paddocks”, the estuaries within which they grow their oysters. The industry is the biggest aquaculture industry in NSW and is heavily impacted by coastal land use. Throught the portal, farmers can now access point source data on monitoring
crops present a new and environmentally friendly industry for the nation. They are the source for a plethora of bioactive molecules such as Omega-3s and seaweed gels or glycopolymers. VENUS SHELL SYSTEMS
programs from multiple agencies operating within estuaries and can improve management of their stock as well as contribute to improved management of the estuaries themselves. The SMFC has been integral in recent progress of the NSW oyster industry. >Watch a video about the Portal http://bit.ly/1dpK2GE The creation of Seaweeds Australia, a networking forum for research, development, marketing and commercialisation of seaweed nationally. Dr Winberg’s next focus is seaweed cultivation for markets ranging from food, health and medical products, agricultural and aquaculture applications and even biofuels. These systems have the ability to offset the nutrient and CO2 pollution along Australia’s coastline. Additionally, seaweed
Dr Winberg (left) is now an Honorary Research Fellow, following five years as the UOW Shoalhaven Marine & Freshwater Centre Director. She will continue her research collaboration with UOW in the fields of lipid and glycobiological research for human health and medical applications, but now as the founder of Venus Shell Systems Pty. Ltd. This new Australian company is taking the science of marine biological systems through to production of high quality marine biomass, with a focus on Seaweed. “Seaweed is one of the oldest ‘plants’ used by humans with records reaching back to Tasmanian aboriginal communities,”Dr Winberg said. “Some of the oldest middens in Chile (13000 BC) show that they were traded for nutrition. Then Europe started using them for their gelling properties in medical dilating devices, and last century the industrial processing of seaweed gels increased dramatically. ”Today we have seaweed ingredients in toothpaste, the paint on our walls, printer ink, ice cream and salad dressing. It seems we are immersed in a world of seaweed
molecules,” she said. According to Dr Winberg, Austraila is entering a new era of seaweed glycobiology where seaweed molecules can, for example, target the flu virus. “There are structural details at this molecular level that we need to better understand and we are already starting to develop this knowledge,” Dr Winberg said. “Seaweed gel nasal spray products against bird flu have already been developed but we need more clinical trials. These are relatively very safe molecules that function not through toxicity, but communication pathways.The medical research sector needs to recognise this opportunity and the importance of natural glycomolecules,” she said. ISAP2014 CONFERENCE Core aspects of this field of science, including algae/seaweed cultivation for food, health, and other industries will be presented at the 5th Congress for the International Society for Applied Phycology in Sydney (June 2014). Dr Winberg is convening the event with colleagues from the CSIRO and other university and industry scientists. 600 international delegates are expected to attend with the aim of bringing seaweed development to many countries, including developing nations where the industry has played a key role in transforming the economy while developing a sustainable industry. >>Find out more http://bit.ly/1b1BlOr R esearch & I nno v ation N ews
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FEATURE
Big dollars breathe new life into science & industry UOW researchers have received $30 million in funding to develop a new world centre for 3D electromaterials and an Australian Steel Manufacturing Research Hub
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A record $49.1M in Austrailan Research Council (ARC) funding was announced for UOW in 2013, ranking Wollongong 2nd relative to size* and 8th on total funding awarded nationally. *based on Australian Department of Industry staff statistics
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FEATURE
$30M tops off UOW’s best ARC funding year ever The future of Australia’s steel manufacturing industry and functional bio-systems has received a $30 million backing with the latest round of Australian Research Council (ARC) funding announced in December last year. The funding marks a real turning point for the respective industries, breathing new life into steel manufacturing and a firm pledge for next generation materials development, energy conversion and storage systems. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Judy Raper said the funding marked a year of ARC success for the University. “These two ARC successes cap a fantastic year for UOW and demonstrate our strength in putting together large ARC Success 2013 A record $49.1M in Austrailan Research Council (ARC) funding was announced for UOW in 2013, ranking Wollongong 2nd relative to size* and 8th on total funding awarded nationally. *based on Australian Department of Industry staff statistics
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interdisciplinary teams to do outstanding internationally renowned research,” Professor Raper said. 3D ELECTROMATERIALS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE UOW’s ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) is the recipient of $25 million from the ARC to develop the next generation of innovative functional 3D devices from their new centre in Wollongong. Long-term aims of the Centre include development of systems that will have profound implications for advances in materials development, energy conversion and storage, systems that interact with living tissue and soft robotics. The Centre will collaborate with leading academics around the world to further develop their work on smart nano-materials, creating 3D devices with capabilities over their 2D counterparts. Among the planned applications include a 3D robotic prosthetic hand with a neural interface system and
a solar fuel device that will use the sun to convert carbon dioxide into fuel. It is hoped the new Centre’s breakthroughs will have a direct impact on existing industries for batteries, solar cells and medical implants. ACES Executive Director Professor Gordon Wallace said the group’s vision is to create the preeminent world centre for electromaterials science. “We are well placed to take a global leadership position in 3D electromaterials science and to use this knowledge to create new industries for Australia,” Professor Wallace said. The new Centre will combine research strengths from across six countries including five new international partner organisations, bringing together leading experts in materials, modelling, fabrication and device development. Joining UOW, Deakin University, University of Tasmania and Monash University for the new Centre are the University of Melbourne, the Australian National University, Dublin City University, University of Warwick UK,
Photo: Mark Newsham
AUSTRALIAN STEEL MANUFACTURING HUB According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian steel industry employs around 90,000 people and adds more than $8.7 billion value to the economy. A $12 million program, which aims to secure Australia’s steel manufacturing future, will see UOW partner with steelmaking icon BlueScope Steel Ltd to establish the first Australian Steel Manufacturing Research Hub (ASMH). The ARC announced funding of $5 million to establish the Hub, with BlueScope Steel contributing an additional $5 million to the $12 million program. Associate Professor Brian Monaghan from UOW’s Faculty of Engineering and
Information Sciences and Mr Oscar Gregory from BlueScope, who will join UOW, will be at the helm of the Australian Steel Manufacturing Research Hub. According to A/Prof Monaghan, the projects will lift Australia’s global competitiveness by drawing together the capacities of universities and steel industry partners. “The Hub will address economic and environmental challenges in iron and steelmaking, positively impact on downstream partners and end users, securing the industry for future generations,” A/Prof Monaghan said. “Attracting significant industry investment of over $5 million, this collaboration with universities will help secure the longterm competitiveness of Australian steel manufacturing. It will revitalise the steel industry both locally in the Illawarra and nation wide,” he said. The Hub will adopt an integrated, value
Above: Professor Gordon Wallace with recent Intelligent Polymer Research Institute PhD graduate Dr Dennis Antiohos Opposite: IPRI PhD graduate Dr Cameron Ferris Below: ACES lead node, the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute at the Innovation Campus AIIM Facility in Wollongong
chain-wide approach to the steel sector, with projects already mapped out for innovation strategy and management, customerfocused product development, innovation in coating and surface engineering technology, and economic and environmental sustainability of iron and steelmaking. Other collaborating groups in the Steel Hub project include Arrium, Bisalloy, Cox Architects, and the University of Queensland, University of NSW, University of Newcastle, Swinburne University of Technology and RMIT.
Photo: Dee Kramer
Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen Nuremberg, Hanyang University Korea and Yokohama National University.
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NEWS
UOW teams up with Alzheimers Australia Accommodating for the growing number of dementia sufferers is a multifaceted challenge that one Global Challenges initiative hopes to address - Dr Lyn Phillipson explains. L-R: Professor Richard Fleming and Dr Lyn Phillipson
Professor Richard Fleming, will also be given a significant opportunity to continue his work in the design of environments to improve the quality of life and participation of people with dementia. Whilst Richard’s previous work has focused on residential care and acute care (hospital) environments, this project will facilitate the translation of this expertise into community environments and public spaces as well, which is very exciting,” she said.
The increasing prevalence of dementia in our society, demands a shift in the social environments (attitudes, stigma, inclusion, organisational culture, and service delivery) and the physical environments (the land, buildings, furniture, public spaces, housing and transportation) within which we live. The creation of ‘Dementia Friendly Communities and Organisations’ requires systems of support that recognise the experience of people with dementia, and strategies to best provide assistance for them to remain engaged in everyday life in a meaningful way. “We know that our ability to maintain social connectedness and participation in meaningful activities contributes significantly to the overall quality of life for people as they age,” Dr Lyn Phillipson said. “Whilst we know something of the features of cities and towns, which must be taken into consideration, that make a place ‘age-friendly’, we know much less about the particular priorities of those living with dementia and their carers. In response, this project looks to provide communities and organisations with practical information and strategies that will prioritise the consultation and contribution of people living with dementia and their carers to ensure that any age-friendly strategies are also dementia friendly,” she said. By its very nature, the creation of DementiaFriendly Communities and Organisations, is a complex and multidimensional task, which can only be met by a dedicated collaboration of the community, researchers, service14
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providers and policy makers from a variety of backgrounds. THE TEAM An expert multidisciplinary team from UOW will be joining with Alzheimer’s Australia during the initial planning and pilot phase of an Australian ‘Dementia Friendly Communities and Organisations’ initiative. The team, led by Dr Lyn Phillipson (Population Health) is: Professor Richard Fleming (Environmental Design), Professor Sandra Jones (Social Marketing), Associate Professor Peter Caputi (Psychology), Professor Chris Cook (Engineering), Dr Chris Brennan-Horley (Human Geography), Professor Andrew Bonney (Medicine), Associate Professor Helen Hasan (Information Systems) and Dr Christopher Magee (Psychology). “My particular area of interest is ensuring that research methodology is inclusive and facilitates the participation of people with dementia and their carers. Due to the perceived ethical and practical challenges of including people with dementia in research, their voices often go unheard,” Dr Phillipson said. “I also have particular interest in the stigma surrounding dementia and the way that this impacts on social inclusion and utilisation of health and social care. This project has a particular focus on understanding how we can improve the capacity of communities and organisations in both of these important areas.” “One of my colleagues on the team,
THE APPROACH This UOW Global Challenges project will utilise an ‘action-research’ approach to support a multidimensional model that will guide both the implementation and evaluation of the program during 2014. Action research is being increasingly used within translation projects due to its focus on assisting identification of both real-world problems and solutions. ACTIVITIES • Partnerships – developed through the support of an active collaboration between UOW academics from distinct discipline backgrounds; Alzheimer’s Australia; and people with dementia (and their carers) • Formative research – conducted within each academic discipline to assist with conceptualisation of a multidisciplinary model and its component parts to support the ‘Dementia Friendly Communities’ initiative • Pilot data – collected from initial pilot ‘Communities’ (during 2014) to assist in problem definition, as well as inform strategies and evaluate their impact • Publications - articles describing the processes which support the development of a model for implementation and development of the initiative “We look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as we work with our industry partner, Alzheimer’s Australia as part of responding to the global challenge to live well, longer,” Dr Phillipson said. >>For more information about the Alzheimer’s Australia vision for creating Dementia Friendly Communities and Organisations see: http://bit.ly/19WEEcN
ALUMNI PROFILE
Illuminating science In the 15 years since he completed his PhD at the University of Wollongong, materials chemistry engineer Professor Jun Chen has built himself a global name in academia.
Professor Jun Chen graduated with his PhD at the University of Wollongong in 1999, where he was supervised by Prof Shi Xue Dou and Prof Hua Kun Liu at the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM).
More recently Jun was a part of a successful 2014 Australian Research Council (ARC) grant worth $350, 000 with researchers at UOW. The ARC project
His research expertise is in the area of lightweight materials and nanostructures for energy storage and conversion. Where are you now? Since 2002, Jun has been Chair Professor for energy chemistry at Nankai University, which is located in Tianjin, China. In 2005, he was promoted to a Cheung Kong Scholar Professor at Nankai University. He is currently the Deputy Dean of the Chemistry College and the Director of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education) at Nankai University. His research focuses mainly on nanomaterials electrochemistry, batteries, fuel cells and solar cells with efficient energy storage and conversion. In 2011 Jun was recognised with second-prize in China’s most prestigious national natural science award, for his project entitled ‘Energy storage and electrochemical performance of several types of inorganic materials including hydrogen, lithium, and magnesium.’ Jun is currently collaborating with groups in Australia, USA, UK, and Israel; and his collaboration on energy storage and conversion with ISEM Professor Doug Bradhurst continues.
spinels as oxygen reduction and evolution electrocatalysts’ is published in Nature Chemistry (2011, 3, 79-84). Why do you enjoy research into batteries and solar cell technology? “This is a clean energy area since the energy is from the conversion of solar (to electricity), and then the batteries can do the electrochemical energy storage and conversion. From a theoretical point of view, it is a very satisfying area of research. Practically, there are a number problems to be solved, which can be quite frustrating. For example, the structure and surface/ interface with reversible electrochemical reactions are needed, in which both science and technology are key.”
aims to develop rechargeable lithium batteries with novel advanced materials and non-flammable ionic-liquid-based electrolytes for use in electric vehicles, making a significant contribution to improving the safety of typical lithium-air batteries. From 2012-13 alone, his research group published approximately 40 Science Citation Index (SCI) papers in Nature Chemistry, Chemical Society Reviews, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Advanced Materials, and Nano Letters. One of his latest papers, ‘Rapid roomtemperature synthesis of nanocrystalline
Did you enjoy your time at UOW? “The Australian study experience at UOW shaped my career in China, in not only in reaching my highest level of education (a PhD), but also as the start of my scientific research.” Jun’s advice to PhD students “Learn more scientific research methods and focus on research areas which have a global, social need.” >> Contact Prof Chen: PH: +86-22-23506808 | E: chenabc@nankai.edu.cn | W: http://old.nankai.edu.cn/english/ R esearch & I nno v ation N ews
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SPOTLIGHT
3D printed flutes hit the right notes Musician and Creative Arts Lecturer Dr Terumi Narushima liked the sound of what 3D printing could offer the world of science & technology. Then she was struck by a great idea - why not use 3D printing to create innovative new instruments? Here she explains.
It is often taken for granted that the scale found on our musical instruments is the universal standard. This scale is best represented by the 12 black and white notes of the keyboard and most of the music we hear is built around this scale. In reality, however, many other systems of tuning are possible. For example, a rich variety of scales with many more notes than just 12 is found in music from different cultures of the world, and Western music itself has a long history of different tunings also. Today there is growing interest among musicians from various genres in exploring ‘the notes that fall between the gaps’, or the ‘microtones’. In the future it’s believed that, instead of a single system of tuning, there will be many different approaches. The challenge, however, is that conventional instruments are inadequate for playing microtonal music. Kraig Grady and I are musicians specialising in microtonal tuning systems, a rapidly growing field in which practitioners are experimenting with a diverse range of scales in their search for new resources for making music.
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3D LECTURE AWAKENS LOST NOTES In August (2013) we attended a public lecture given by Professor Gordon Wallace at the Wollongong Science Centre entitled ‘Empowering Creativity with 3D Printing’. We were impressed with the idea that 3D printing allows customisation, whether it be to build bespoke mechanical components or biological implants that are made specifically for individual patients. Prof Wallace’s emphasis on creativity as the driving force for innovation led us to wonder what kind of applications might be possible for 3D printing in our area of research. Already there is significant interest in instruments with microtonal capabilities such as keyboards and guitars, but there seems to be very few microtonal wind instruments on the market. To fill this gap, we wondered whether it would be possible to build a set of microtonal flutes that can play music in a variety of scales. We thought we had an interesting idea for a project but we needed input from experts in other fields.
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE UOW’s new Global Challenges Seed Funding Grants had just been announced to encourage researchers from different faculties to collaborate in multidisciplinary projects. This seemed like the perfect opportunity for us to test our ideas so we met with members of the Global Challenges (GC) Executive Committee during their information and drop-in sessions. Their positive response gave us confidence to pursue our project further. Flutes will serve as the initial stage in our investigation, which have the potential to be extended to other woodwind and brass instruments in the future. Our broader aim is to explore the potential of 3D modelling and printing in the manufacture of customdesigned instruments. INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS The GC Leader for Manufacturing Innovation Professor Geoffrey Spinks connected us with two other researchers; ANFF Research Fellow Dr Stephen Beirne and Associate Professor Christian Ritz from the School of Electrical, Computer and
Above: Materials Research Fellow Dr Stephen Beirne from the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute Opposite page: A/Prof Christian Ritz, Dr Terumi Narushima (centre) and Kraig Grady in UOW’s Anechoic (echo-free) Chamber
Telecommunications Engineering (SECTE). We met with Dr Beirne who toured us around the additive fabrication facilities at the Australian Institute of Innovative Materials (AIIM). A/Prof Ritz suggested the development of digital signal processing models for the acoustics of microtonal instruments, which would differ from standard musical instruments. This would allow us to test alternative designs through software simulation before producing the actual instruments on a 3D printer. Furthermore, once the customised flutes are made, their tuning accuracy and other acoustic properties could be tested in the UOW Anechoic Chamber, a cross-faculty facility that offers a noise-free environment for recording and analysing sounds. THE SOUND OF ENDLESS POSSIBILITY 3D printing allows for more radical designs to be implemented, such as double flutes as well as novel bore shapes and mouthpieces. Complementary 3D scanning techniques could also be used to replicate rare or inaccessible instruments, such as flutes from different cultures as well as
historical examples. Another direction we would like to explore is the use of different types of materials in additive fabrication. Of course we intend to create new music for these instruments too. We were thrilled when we received the good news that our application for GC seed funding was successful. The grant will allow us to design, build and test a range of microtonal flutes. We plan to begin with simple designs based on pre-existing models, then extend our instruments to explore the effects of modifying several variables, such as the position and size of tone holes, as well as the shape and dimensions of the tube. These are parameters that normally cannot be varied using standard manufacturing methods. In the future, our investigation could be extended beyond microtonal flutes to other musical instruments, such as customised designs for people with physical restrictions or injuries, or more affordable, lightweight student models for use by children who require different sized instruments as they grow. Perhaps if instruments were more readily available,
more schools would be able to introduce music programs for children to learn instruments. It has been demonstrated that such programs can improve not only musical abilities in young children, but other learning skills such as reading and mathematics as well. Research conducted in the US has also found that instrumental music programs can have significant impact on closing the learning gap between disadvantaged and wealthy schools. We are looking forward to working on our project in 2014 and hope that our investigation into the customised design and manufacture of musical instruments might one day develop into a new niche.
>>Find out more about the successful projects to receive seed-funding in Global Challenges’ 2013 scheme. Full list here: http://globalchallenges.uow.edu.au/ UOW161074.html >> View photos from the GC December 2013 launch http://on.fb.me/18Eu6yn
AWARDS
Accolade for cataract insights
UOW research attributing age-related cataract to the deterioration of proteins, which make up the human lens, has been
awarded $15,000 by the National Foundation for Eye Research (NFER) in the US. As part of the award Professor Roger Truscott has travelled to Kona, Hawaii (24 January) to speak at the biennial NFER International Conference and deliver the prestigious Kinoshita Lecture. Based at the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), Prof Truscott specialises in age-related and neurodegenerative diseases. The NFER this year recognised Professor Truscott’s research contribution to better understanding the aetiology and prevention of cataract development with its international prize named in honour of renowned vision researcher, the late
Professor Jin H. Kinoshita. Although cataract is one of the leading causes of vision impairment in older Australians, researchers do not yet know how to prevent it. Surgery, which involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an intraocular lens, is the only treatment, creating a real barrier for sufferers in third world countries where surgery is not readily available. “Understanding the biochemical mechanisms responsible for cataract may allow us to intervene in this process,” Prof Truscott said. >>Read more
http://bit.ly/18Yb1av
Book on ‘Basic minds’ wins 2013 Outstanding Academic Title UOW philosopher Daniel Hutto has co-authored a book that has been chosen as an Outstanding Academic title by Choice Magazine in the US. Professor Hutto, who specialises in philosophical psychology or ‘philosophy of the mind’, is part of the vanguard of a new wave of thinking that conceives of the primary job of mind not as representing the world but, rather, as essentially engaging with it in dynamic ways. His co-authored book ‘Radicalizing Enactivism: Basic Minds without Content’, supplies novel arguments for thinking that cognition does not always and everywhere involve content. “Most of what humans do and experience is best understood in terms of dynamically unfolding interactions with the environment. Many philosophers and cognitive scientists now acknowledge the critical importance of situated, environment-involving embodied engagements as a means of understanding basic minds—including basic forms of human mentality,” Prof Hutto said. “And yet, many of these same theorists hold fast to the view that basic minds are necessarily or essentially contentful—that they represent conditions the world might be in.” Choice Magazine is an initiative of the American Library Association, and the prestigious roll call reflects the best in scholarly titles reviewed by the magazine, bringing with it the extraordinary recognition from the academic library community. The annual list is published in January 18
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and contains approximately ten per cent of some 7,000 works reviewed in Choice each year. Reviewers of ‘Radicalizing Enactivism: Basic Minds without Content’ have given the book high praise, among them: “One of the most original contributions … in recent philosophy of mind … No collection in modern philosophy of mind is complete without this ground breaking book” – Choice; “a thorough and rigorous criticism of classical and contemporary analytical theories of content”—Intellectica; “a great little book … it’s implications are profound … spells disaster for most
analytic philosophy of mind as well as contemporary cognitive science” —Minds and Brains; “opens the door to a full new program of research within the cognitive sciences” - The Philosophical Quarterly. ‘Radicalizing Enactivism’ was published by MIT Press in 2013 and is co-authored by Professor Erik Myin, Head of the Centre for Philosophical Psychology, University of Antwerp. >>Find out more about the book here http://bit.ly/1icyKqk
awards
A celebrated contribution to geoscience Professor Neil Williams, one of Australia’s most respected geoscientists, has been honoured with the 2014 Australian Academy of Science Haddon Forrester King Medal. He led Geoscience Australia for 15 years (1995-2010) and was the chief geoscience advisor to the Federal Government on a range of geoscience issues including geohazards (earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis), environmental and land management (dry-land salinity, groundwater resources and CO2 geosequestration) and earth-resource availability and prospectivity (fossil and nuclear fuels and metalliferous resources). Prof Williams, who holds the record for being the longest-serving CEO of Australia’s national geological survey and topographic mapping agency (Geoscience Australia), is currently involved in teaching and research with UOW’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences as an Honorary Professorial Fellow. The medal is one of the Australian Academy of Science’s career awards for life-long achievement and outstanding contribution to science. It recognises original and sustained contribution to earth and related sciences of particular relevance to the discovery, evaluation and exploitation of mineral deposits. The award is sponsored by Rio Tinto with a $3,000 honorarium and up to
$7,000 offered for a short lecture tour. Since becoming an Honorary Professorial Fellow at UOW, Prof Williams is maintaining his interest in the application of geoscience to the economic, environmental and social challenges facing modern society. In the 2006 Australian Day Honours,
Prof Williams received the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service in the provision of geoscientific advice to government, geoscience services, industry and the public, and was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 1996.
Recovery Camp wins mental health nursing award
An innovative mental health nursing program developed by a team of UOW academics has received national recognition from the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.
Professor Lorna Moxham, Dr Susan Liersch-Sumskis, Ms Renee Brighton and Mr Chris Patterson have received the Major Partnerships in Wellbeing Award at the 2013 annual Australian College of Mental Health Nurses in Perth, for the Recovery Camp (RC) – a program designed to offer an immersive learning experience for nursing students. The innovative program brought together 15 undergraduate nursing, psychology and exercise physiology students and 28 people with a lived experience of mental health issues to promote an understanding of individual mental health recovery. “The RC, with its strengths-based and person-centred philosophy, was a true partnership in well-being,” Professor Moxham said. “By building strong alliances and partnerships, it provided all who attended the opportunity to collaborate with one another and engage in a number of therapeutic recreation experiences and
activities – from challenging themselves in a range of physical and mentally testing activities such as rock climbing to appreciate each other’s personal journeys and focusing on strengths and solutions, not weaknesses and illness.” Students had to meet specific nursing objectives under the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council competency standards, with the main aim of dealing with the clients through more holistic lens and away from the acute care model seen in a hospital. Associate Professor Angela Brown, Head of UOW’s School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health said she received an extraordinary amount of positive feedback. “My colleagues are to be congratulated on this fantastic innovation.. [They] have made a significant contribution to the well-being of the participants and that their efforts have been acknowledged by the mental health nursing fraternity.” RC will run again in 2014. R esearch & I nno v ation N ews
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AWATR AWARDS feature
Researchers to watch in 2014 Introducing UOW’s latest Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) recipients and Future Fellows.
discovery early career researcher Dr Nicholas Deutscher The global carbon cycle and the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane, are important drivers of climate change. Understanding the fluxes of these gases to and from the atmosphere is crucial for understanding past, present and future climate variability. This project uses simultaneous co-located measurements of greenhouse gas amounts, together with modelling their atmospheric co-variability, to better estimate these fluxes by individual processes. Field measurements will be combined with co-located solar remotesensing to improve flux estimates and atmospheric modelling.
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future fellow Associate Professor Valerie Harwood Children with low socio-economic status (LSES) backgrounds are three times less likely to attend university than their high socio-economic peers. For families without experience of higher education it is difficult to know how to encourage young children’s aspiration for educational futures. A/Prof Harwood’s ARC project is focused on improving the educational futures of children in low socio-economic status (LSES) backgrounds. A social marketing intervention targeting parents, children and educators will be developed and interviews conducted. The project will also produce a unique ‘education promotion’ strategy for early childhood. >>Go to online publications: http://bit.ly/1dKdIKq
discovery early career Researcher Dr Tao Yu Australian infrastructure has long suffered from deterioration as a result of the corrosion of steel reinforcements and sections. This project will inevstigate a new form of hybrid column- fibre reinforced polymer confined concrete-encased steel composite columns specifcally. The combination makes the column a durable and ductile alternative to steel or concrete columns, while also providing a more efficient method for retrofitting deteriorated steel columns. The study will examine the structural behaviour of fibre reinforced polymer confined concreteencased steel composite columns, and develop design methods to pave the way towards their wide practical applications.
discovery early career Researcher Dr Maxime Aubert For some time now archaeologist Dr Maxime Aubert he has been conducting field work on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. This DECRA project will allow him to further investigate early cave art on Sulawesi as well as other key Indonesian islands located along likely human migration routes from Borneo to New Guinea. The results will have major implications for our understanding of the cultural behaviour and dispersal of early modern humans who went on to colonise Southeast Asia and Australia at least 50,000 years ago. discovery early career Researcher Dr Zongqing Ma (not pictured) has received $377,050 to enahnce the density of current in Magnesium diboride superconducting wires.
future fellow Dr Kerrylee Rogers Saline coastal wetlands store large amounts of carbon and are potentially the most efficient sinks of carbon amongst natural ecosystems. This project will use isotopic tracers to quantify carbon retention within saline coastal wetlands in southeastern Australia and establish the vulnerability of wetlands to sea-level rise. This information will be used to predict their distribution and estimate the carbon sequestration potential of coastal wetlands within a ‘low-carbon economy’, providing a proper economic evaluation of saline coastal wetlands restoration of thye region to be used to offset carbon emissions. >>Go to online publications: http://bit.ly/1ed0gDD
discovery early career Researcher Dr Fenghui Ren After completing his PhD in Computer Science in 2010, Dr Ren won a UOW ViceChancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship with the School of Computer Science and Software Engineering. His major research interests include include agent-based concept modeling of complex systems, data mining and pattern discovery in complex domains. Dr Ren’s DECRA will automate Service-Level-Agreement (SLA) negotiation through intelligent and computational models, so as to improve the efficiency of web-based service systems. The research will enable software engineers to develop more robust and intelligent service-oriented systems .
future fellow Professor Xiaolin Wang Discovery of new classes of materials with new functionalities or significantly improved performance has always been the driving force for the advancement of modern science and technology, and the improvement of our daily lives. Prof Wang’s team is developing a new class of electronic materials whose properties are fundamentally different from conventional materials. One example is a new class of material which is an insulator on the inside but is simultaneously conductive on the outside. It is expected that these novel materials will provide a new platform for superconductivity, magnetism, spintronics, optical and multi-disciplinary sciences, and lead to future generations of advanced multifunctional electronic devices.
discovery early career Researcher Dr Jiakun Liu In 2010 Dr Liu was awarded a Simons Postdoctoral Fellowship from Princeton University. The mathematician has since moved to UOW to take up a continuing position. Dr Liu has been awarded a DECRA to develop a new theory on Monge-Ampere type equations in nonlinear optimisation (which is a much broader area than its fully nonlinear counterpart), investigating the fundamental properties of solutions and their real-world applications. The outcomes of this project will have a substantial impact on partial differential equations and related research subjects.
discovery early career Researcher Dr Dylan Cliff Although levels of physical inactivity and screen-based entertainment are alarmingly high among preschool children, little is known about the independent effects of these behaviours on cognitive and psychosocial development during early childhood. Dr Cliff will investigate the associations between physical activity and screen-based entertainment as well ass cognitive and psychosocial development in preschool children. The findings will identify how much and which types of these behaviours influence developmental outcomes in young children.
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TRAVEL TALE
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Media sexism faces a global response The UN has backed a global alliance to help female journalists fight back against discrimination. UOW Journalism lecturer Julie Posetti traveled to Thailand to present the New Matilda’s ‘Women in the Media’ project to the founding meeting in December 2013. I was excited to speak at UNESCO’s first Global Forum on Media and Gender in Bangkok this week. Excited because after decades of international research confirming the marginalisation and abuse of women in the media, the event, which gathered journalists, activists and academics form around the globe, promised action. I was privileged to hear the stories of extraordinary women journalists reporting from the frontline of conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Africa. Women who risked everything to report on state corruption in eastern Europe and organised crime in Mexico. Women who said they returned to work determined to continue telling these stories in the public interest, even after being attacked, tortured and burying all of their friends. There was the woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo who asked participants how she should respond to this advice issued by her editors: “It is better to be a bad living journalist than a good dead one.” The point of this advice was to discourage women journalists from becoming victims of gendered violence. We know that rape is used as a weapon of war. Rape and the threat of murder are also used as weapons designed to silence women journalists in many parts of the world. Courageous women journalists who report the Arab world told a Doha Centre for Media Freedom seminar held during the UNESCO forum about being imprisoned and tortured by the security forces of despotic regimes because they refuse to discredit their own journalism. They spoke about the additional risk they face as female journalists – the threat of sexual violence. Clearly, gender equity and women’s empowerment in and through media remain issues of critical importance internationally. But Australian women journalists aren’t facing the daily threat of being tortured and raped for their work, we have it easy by comparison, so we should stop whining about sexism in the media, right? Wrong. When I presented a case study on New Matilda’s Women in Media project to
the UNESCO Forum in Bangkok, there were audible gasps from the audience in response to the images I showed demonstrating overtly sexist portrayals of Australia’s first Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s licensing of sexism in the media. I was asked by one participant from a developing country “How can it be that a rich democracy like Australia can still be so sexist?” Good question. There is an abundance of research indicating that women journalists in Australia are still subjected to very high levels of sexual harassment and discrimination and blocked by the ‘glass ceiling’ within media organisations. Meantime, women are under-represented and subjected to sexist stereotyping in mainstream media reporting. While we can celebrate the appearance of equality and progress generated by the female dominance of TV current affairs presentation in Australia, we should be lamenting the fact that the reporters of the stories featured on their programs and the editorial powerbrokers are overwhelmingly male. This imbalance may serve to entrench the impression of women as on screen “ornaments” whose sex appeal is critical to ratings. Remember John Westacott’s “Fuckability Index”? The problem it underscored is still alive and well in Australian journalism. So, the research confirms we have a problem. The critical question now is: how do we bring about change? That was the core focus of the UNESCO forum. A GLOBAL ALLIANCE The first step towards transformative action was taken when the forum voted overwhelmingly to establish a Global Alliance on Media and Gender, which committed to gender equality and women’s empowerment across generations with the stated desire of changing: • • •
Access to and participation in digital media Safety of women in media Fair and balanced reporting of women across all media platforms & content
Julie Posetti at the UNESCO Global Forum on Media and Gender in Bangkok, Thailand.
• • •
Promotion of ethical principles and policies supporting gender equality Improvement of the gender spread in media employment Empowerment of communicators with media and information literacy skills to help the cause of gender equality
I’d suggest these practical steps as we work towards the goals above: •
Journalists need to report on gender inequality in the media and its impacts. It’s time to abandon the ‘We don’t want to belly gaze’ excuse
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Journalism education training in gender sensitivity – for both men and women
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Public journalism projects on gender issues that partner journalism academics and students with media organisations to enable researchinformed journalism designed to educate communities and impact on policy
Meantime, if you find all this unbearably depressing, go and have a look at the work of ABC News (US) correspondent turned media entrepreneur Lara Setrakian and be inspired. Setrakian runs a collaborative journalism website called Syria Deeply that covers Syria in innovative ways and is powered mostly by women. >>This post originally appeared in the New Matilda http:// bit.ly/1bP0KdO R esearch & I nno v ation N ews
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NEWS
Sustainability expert invited to Green Cities Conference 2014 to develop and demonstrate. These retrofits can be used by ordinary homeowners, designers and builders throughout Australia, to transform older, and very energy inefficient, buildings (such as fibro homes), into net-zero energy and sustainable homes of the 21st Century.
“The first place won by Team UOW in China has been followed since then with several other local, national and international Awards,” Prof Cooper said. These awards include: •
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) Denis Joseph Award for the most innovative Solar Assisted Air Condition System
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The Lord Mayor of Wollongong’s Special Australia Day Award
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The Green Gown Award for International Student Initiatives, presented at a ceremony in the UK
THE CONFERENCE Attracting a host of international keynote speakers, this year’s Green Cities annual conference will be hosted in Melbourne. The conference, jointly convened by the Green Building Council of Australia and Property Council of Australia, focuses on sustainability within the built environment. Green Cities 2014 will be the ultimate forum for discussion, demonstration and debate on building green cities. UOW Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) Director Professor Paul Cooper has been invited to present the ‘Happy Healthy Homes’ session for this year’s conference (18-19 March). WHAT IS THE PRESENTATION ABOUT? “The first retrofitted home in solar decathlon history” This is the story of the approach taken by Team UOW, the student and staff team from the University of Wollongong and TAFE Illawarra, who won the Solar Decathlon China 2013 competition last August in Datong, 300km west of Beijing. The session will go on to describe some of the detailed technical features of this unique project, particularly the energy efficiency and sustainability retrofits that the Team UOW students were able
The Green Cities Conference is recognised as one of the premier conferences on sustainable buildings and a sustainable built environment in Australia. Leading thinkers and designers from around the world are invited to present and the conference provides a tremendous opportunity for multi-disciplinary networking between designers, consultants, academics, manufacturers, government and the general public. SUSTAINABILITY EXPERTISE Prof Paul Cooper’s expertise includes sustainable buildings, energy systems, energy efficiency and fluid mechanics. He was the lead academic for the Team UOW Solar Decathlon China 2013 campaign – a project which culminated ithe team winning the international competition with their house named The Illawarra Flame. The team was not only the first Australian team ever to win entry to the finals of a Solar Decathlon, but also winners with the highest number of points scored by any team in the history of all the Solar Decathlon competitions around the world. The competition is called a Decathlon because students compete in ten different events covering all aspects of housing design, such as: Architecture, Engineering, Market Appeal, Communications, Net Zero Energy and Solar Application.
Ethics update: Research Ethics Manager, Eve Steinke, has taken six months of long service leave. Replacing her from January, on secondment from IHMRI, is Karyn Ridgway. Karyn has worked as a research development officer in IHMRI since 2010. She has a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Sydney and spent 10 years in postdoctoral positions in the UK prior to making the transition to research administration at UOW. 24
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The Animal Ethics Committee has appointed Dr Francesca Fernandez-Enright as the new Chair after the retirement of Professor Brian Ferry who served as Chair for over two years. Francesca is a Senior Research Fellow with a joint appointment between the School of Psychology and the School of Medicine. She is also a member of the UOW Centre for Translational Neuroscience, with research interests in the neuropharmacology of schizophrenia.
WHAT NEXT FOR NET ZERO ENERGY? “The Illawarra Flame is not only a demonstration of what can be achieved using products that are already available on the Australia market, but it is also a state-of-the-art test facility that we will be using to research new and innovative materials, systems and products. We will also investigate the influence of ‘human factors’ – the ways that people use these products in their homes,” Prof Cooper said. The next step in the development of the Illawarra Flame project is to replicate the retrofits that were part of the competition house more widely on existing houses throughout Australia. Already, several Team UOW students involved in the project have been assisting home-owners in the Illawarra Region apply the retrofit technologies that they learnt about and developed in the Solar Decathlon China competition. >>Find out more about The Illawarra Flame http://illawarraflame.com.au/
STUDENT PROFILE
Charles Gillon As Australia’s coastal population rises with the tide, PhD candidate Charles Gillon turns his human geography lens to the master-planned estates that dot our coastline.
Left: Charles Gillon’s thesis explores our relationship with the environment by examining residential settlements along the coastline.
decision-making and attitudes of residents. A focus on the everyday accounts of residents also allows the opportunity to explore their experiences of coastal change, and their perceptions of uncertain coastal futures.
What are you studying? I am a PhD Candidate at the Australian Centre for Cultural and Environmental Research (AUSCCER), in the Department of Geography and Sustainable Communities, Faculty of Social Sciences. What does your research focus on? My research is concerned with exploring everyday human-environment relations in coastal master-planned estates. Masterplanned estates are broadly what you would recognise in suburbia as ‘housing estates’; clusters of homes built within the fabric of existing suburbs. They have distinct boundaries, and are regulated with an overriding vision for how residents should live there. These estates are also emerging in ‘greenfield’ locations on the fringe of suburbia – in rural areas, and also on the coast. People move to these coastal locations for an improved quality of life, and an increased connection to nature; to escape the dilemmas of modern suburbia. This ‘seachange’ is usually done with good intentions towards the environment; but once residents arrive, they inevitably alter the natural landscape that they were attracted to in the first place. In Australia, coastal environments are major sites for residential settlement: over two-thirds of the population live within 50 kilometres of the coastline. As
researchers, we must explore questions of how humans can live better with the coastal environment. This is important because populations are continuing to grow on Australia’s coastline; combined with the implications of current and predicted climate change impacts (notably sea level rise, extreme storms and coastal retreat). In Australia, it seems impossible to consider populations relocating from the coast. The question becomes less about trying to dissuade people from living there, and more one of interrogating how they live there: towards changing habits, challenging ingrained values and attitudes, and broadening how we understand coastal environments. While better management of coastal environments is essential, a focus on habitual, everyday practices of coastal residents, and understandings of the coast, is equally important – for together, these humans and households aggregate to vast effects. My research involves immersive, finegrained research in coastal estates, interviewing residents, and observing everyday life in the environment. This also involves accounting for the myriad, active roles of the coastal environment in the everyday. Plants, animals, soil and sand, salt-spray and waves, for example, all have a say in both persuading and dissuading the
Why did you come to UOW? - AUSCCER is a vibrant and enthusiastic research community, asking essential questions of how humans live with their environments. The working environment is also excellent for postgrads; all of the teaching staff and researchers are incredibly supportive. I also chose UOW to have the opportunity to learn from my two brilliant supervisors, Leah Gibbs and Chris Gibson. I have been a student at the University of Wollongong since 2009, completing a Bachelor of Science majoring in Human Geography and Physical Geography in 2011, and an Honours thesis in Human Geography in 2012. When the opportunity came along to do my PhD, I was always going to choose UOW! What has been the highlight of your career so far? - Attending the Institute of Australian Geographers (IAG) Conference in July 2013 at the University of Western Australia was an exciting experience where I got to present some of my Honours findings to the wider Australian geography community. This presentation was well received and acknowledged with a Postgraduate Presentation Award – which was a huge encouragement! It was also great to be a part of the conference scene – meeting interesting researchers, and seeing inspiring presentations. >>Follow Charles on Twitter: @cgillonuow >>Learn more about AUSCCER http://bit.ly/1etX1Yt
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Opinion
Breaking the cycle of drug dependence & offending
In crime, when you take away the drugs, reoffending rates drop. According to Dr Mitchell Byrne it makes sense to rehabilitate drug-dependency among Wollongong offenders. It is common knowledge that substance dependence is associated with criminal behaviour. The media is awash with stories of alcohol fuelled crimes against the person, including violence and sexual assault. However, dependency on illicit substances also has a direct impact on rates of crime, more commonly crimes committed in order to fund drug dependency rather than crimes committed while under the influence of substances. Frequently these crimes do not involve crimes against the person, but rather ‘acquisitive’ crimes such as larceny and burglary. None-the-less, such crimes attract significant penalties and repeat offenders may face custodial sentences of significant duration. Contemporary correctional practice is predicated on what has been termed Criminogenic Needs Assessment: the determination of the idiosyncratic reasons behind offending behaviour and the delivery of tailored programs that
address those needs. The principles behind Criminogenic Needs Assessment have been applied to the treatment of sexual offenders and violent offenders, however the immediate needs to protect society while the offender undergoes treatment have mandated that the bulk of such treatment programs have been delivered within custodial environments, requiring the expense of both treatment and imprisonment. However, the delivery of drug treatment programs within prisons for offenders whose crimes are directly associated with the drug dependency has two major flaws. First, the environment in which the drug addiction developed and is maintained is not replicated in prison, and hence the generalizability of treatment beyond the prison walls is friable. Second, incarceration is both expensive and, often, iatrogenic, with offenders, whose crimes had hitherto been circumscribed and broadly less impactful than crimes against the person, virtually attending a ‘school for
crime’ through their exposure to a broader cross-section of offender types. Many have argued that a better approach is one broadly described as ‘Therapeutic Jurisprudence’, which involves an interdisciplinary approach to the law. Therapeutic jurisprudence acknowledges the effects of the law and the legal system on the behaviour, emotions and mental health of people who enter the judicial system, predicated on the basic tenant that the law ought to have broadly positive outcomes rather than broadly negative outcomes for the individual. Consistent with the principles of criminogenic needs assessment, therapeutic jurisprudence navigates decision-makers toward sanctions which ameliorate the cause of criminal behaviour where that cause relates to an identifiable treatment target. DRUG COURTS An exemplar of the therapeutic jurisprudence approach is the Drug
Court – specialist treatment courts where non-violent drug affected offenders are provided an opportunity to overcome their drug addiction and ‘get their lives back on track’. Drug Courts were introduced to NSW through legislation in 1998, with the first sitting in February 1999. The objectives of the Drug Court Act (1998) are: (1) To reduce drug dependency of eligible persons; (2) To promote the reintegration of such drug dependent persons into the community; and (3) To reduce the need for drug dependent persons to resort to criminal activity to support their drug dependency. To achieve these objectives, Drug Courts direct eligible drug dependent offenders into drug treatment programs rather than prison. To be eligible, the offender must have not committed a crime against the person (violence or sexual assault) or an indictable supply offence; they must be likely to receive a sentence of imprisonment, and to have pleaded guilty to the charges before the court. WHAT HAPPENS While drugs are not an excuse for criminal behaviour, Drug Courts have proven that when drugs are removed from the equation, rates of reoffending are reduced. Statistics from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reveal that, when compared to offenders receiving the usual custodial sentence, Drug Court offenders are 17% less likely to be reconvicted of any offence, 30% less likely to be reconvicted of a violent offence, and 38% less likely to be reconvicted of a drug related offence. Of equal importance to many, Drug Courts are also economically superior to conventional judicial sanctions. Not-with-standing the social capital of reduced offending, Drug Courts save the State Government $1.8M per annum, with a Drug Court participant costing $133,600 per year to treat and
supervise, compared to $159,630 per year to accommodate the same offender in prison. A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH Drug Courts utilise a multidisciplinary team approach to ‘case manage’ each offender referred to the Court. The team consists of the Drug Court Judge, Justice Health, Probation and Parole, the DPP, Legal Aid Commission, Police and often Community Treatment Providers. This team reviews each candidate ‘in camera’, developing an intervention plan which incorporates arrangements for treatment, supervision and, where appropriate, rewards or sanctions. Drug Court programs operate for approximately 12 months and follow three phases. In the first phase, ‘Initiation’, the goal is to reduce or eliminate drug use and cease criminal activity, with concomitant mandated drug testing at least three times a week and at least weekly attendance at the Drug Court. Phase 2, ‘Consolidation’, seeks to keep the offender drug and crime free, while developing life and job skills. Ongoing drug testing and court attendance, albeit at a reduced frequency, continues. The final phase, ‘Reintegration’, is achieved when the offender has gained or is ready to gain employment and to be financially responsible. WOLLONGONG’S PUBLIC FORUM There are only three Drug Courts in NSW: Paramatta; Newcastle; and Sydney. To access the Drug Court, an offender must be referred by a local court within the LGA jurisdiction of the Drug Court. Hence, only a limited number of offenders have this opportunity. In November 2013, a consortium of local legal and University of Wollongong advocates organised the ‘Drug Court Forum’, ostensibly designed to inform the professional, academic
and lay community of the benefits of the Drug Court approach. Numerous invited speakers presented, including Dominic Perrottet, the Member for Castle Hill (representing the State Attorney General), and Paul Lynch, the ALP Shadow Attorney General. Both Members unreservedly supported the Drug Court program, with Mr Lynch stating: “In the world of public policy, [Drug Courts] are one of those incredibly rare things – they are both morally desirable and economically rational”. A PLEDGE TO THE REGION The Illawarra Drug Court Forum advocated for the opportunity to establish the next NSW Drug Court in the Illawarra. In that regard it was successful with the Shadow Attorney General Paul Lynch announcing at the Forum, later reported in regional print and television media, that the ALP would commit to the establishment of a Drug Court in the Illawarra in its 2015 election campaign. Furthermore, Dr Don Weatherburn of the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research committed to supporting local University academics to access and utilise data derived from the Criminal Justice data base to inform formative and summative research on the further development of Drug Court methodology. The Illawarra Drug Court Forum was a resounding success for the local community and the University. The task ahead is to maintain the political will to commit to a Drug Court in Wollongong. >>By Dr Mitchell Byrne, Senior Lecturer, UOW School of Psychology
L-R at the Drug Court Forum: Dr Mitchell Byrne; Hualapai Nation Court of Appeals Judge Joseph Thomas Flies-Away; and Senior Wadi Wadi Aboriginal Woman Aunty Barbara Nicholson
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NEW STAFF
Professor Lesley Cooper’s research areas are diverse and stem from her background in social work practice. She has an interest in marginalised and at risk populations, having previously conducted research with migrants, homeless and Indigenous people, women subject to intimate violence in gangs and cults and the aged in need of care. Prof Cooper came to UOW’s School of Health and Society (Faculty of Social Sciences) from Canada where she worked in senior administrative positions in social work and campus management. Before doing post-graduate work, she spent 12 years practicing as a social worker, marriage counsellor, community worker and administrator in the health and welfare sector. She completed her PhD at the University of Queensland and on completion moved to South Australia to work at Flinders University. She is currently working on a pilot project in Canada on person-centred service delivery with men who are homeless with drug addictions and mental health problems. Her research areas are diverse and stem from her background in social work practice. She has an interest in marginalised and at risk populations, having previously conducted research with migrants, homeless and Indigenous people, women subject to intimate violence in gangs and cults and the aged in need of care. Prof Cooper’s expert interest in professional education has also led her to be involved with primary health care teams in a memory clinic, work integrated learning investigations, civic engagement and the blending of community engagement with research and teaching. She has just completed a HEQCO (High Education Quality Council of Ontario) funded project on work integrated learning in teaching.
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Using a combination of isotope geochemistry techniques and numerical modelling, Dr Alexandru T. Codilean analyses cosmogenic nuclides - minute amounts of isotopes produced in rocks at the Earth’s surface as a result of cosmic ray bombardment. With these rare isotopes he studies the physical and chemical processes that shape the Earth’s surface, to understand how they interact with tectonics and climate over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Before moving to Wollongong, Dr Codilean held an Assistant Professorship at the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) and Potsdam University. Prior to that he spent a total of 18 months working as a geographic information specialist at the United Nations in New York and had postdoctoral positions at the Universities of Glasgow and Stockholm. Dr Codilean has a BSc in Environmental Science from ‘Babes-Bolyai’ University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2003), and a PhD in Geomorphology from the University of Glasgow, Scotland (2008). Dr Codilean says UOW’s analytical facilities and ties to ANSTO drew him to Wollongong. His decision to join the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences was further swayed by the University’s reputation for Quaternary science and geomorphology in Australia.
Dr Conrad Kobel joined UOW’s Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI) in October. His research interests include indicators for hospital utilisation and quality, the functioning of different patient classification systems as well as their incentive structure. At AHSRI he will primarily contribute to the ongoing research and development of case mix systems in Australia, feeding into the national activity based funding program. With his international experience, he will strengthen and broaden the capacity of the quantitative analysis team at AHSRI. From 2008-13 Dr Kobel worked as a research fellow at Innsbruck Medical University in Austria where he was a key researcher in the EuroDRG project, which compared multiple aspects of several European DiagnosisRelated Group systems. This research project was funded by the European Commission and project teams from 12 European countries were involved. Within the project, he primarily contributed to the methodological framework of the empirical analyses. Besides publications in a book and peerreviewed journals, he has presented his results at international conferences and workshops of the Austrian Ministry of Health. Dr Kobel has also supported clinical research with statistical analyses and taught applied statistics to medical students. Dr Kobel has a background in mathematics and financial mathematics in Germany and Sweden and completed his Doctoral Program in Social and Economic Sciences (mainly focused on health economics) in Austria.
Dr Lifu Ma is an expert in preparing and investigating ions in their liquid and gas phase. His research interests include laser spectroscopic experiments, developing new experimental techniques, theoretical calculations, organometallic synthesis, polymer chemistry and other related subjects. Now based in Wollongong as an associate research fellow, he works alongside Professor Stephen Blanksby and Dr Adam Trevitt in the areas of mass spectrometry and laser chemistry. He is involved in a number of projects at UOW, including generation and characterisation of free radicals and radical ions, development of new laser-based technologies to probe radical reactivity and spectroscopy, and modification of commercial mass spectrometry instrumentation. Graduating from Hunan University 2006 (B.Sc.), Dr Ma went on to complete a M.Sc. from Beijing University of Chemical Technology in 2009. During his Masters, he synthesised a series of air-sensitive transition metal complexes, investigating their catalytic use in polymerization. Later, under the supervision of English Professor Anthony J. Stace, his PhD investigated ultraviolet photofragmentation spectroscopy of doubly-charged metal ion-ligand complexes in the gas phase combined with theoretical calculations. During PhD research, calculations done in collaboration scientists from the University of Sussex, provided plausible interpretations of structures, energies, and electronic transitions. Dr Ma received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Nottingham in 2013.
Dr Dorna Esrafilzadeh is a research fellow at ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) and Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI). Dorna completed her Bachelor and Master of Engineering in 2005 and 2008, respectively, at Isfahan University of Technology in Iran. She joined UOW to carry out her PhD under the guidance of Professor Gordon Wallace, A/Prof Simon Moulton and Dr Joselito Razal in 2009. Dr Esrafilzadeh’s research focuses on synthesis and development of conducting structures for biomedical applications. Her dissertation work involved fabrication and characterisation of conducting fibres for different bionic applications specifically, controlled drug release using electrical stimulation and tissue regeneration. In particular, she studied the synthesis and fabrication of different organic conductors such as conducting polymers and graphene in fibrous structures for electronic textiles. In IPRI’s world class facilities, Dorna is looking forward to synthetise novel conducting platforms and explore their applications in bionic and energy fields.
Dr Xiaoying Qi is a cultural sociologist interested in historical and comparative studies, including a focus on China in a globalized world. Her current research includes a cross-cultural study of family obligation in urban China, Hong Kong and among migrants in Sydney. She has recently begun a new project on collective emotions and social movements and has joined UOW’s School of Humanities and Social Inquiry (Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts). Research on Chinese guanxi networks led Dr Qi to participate in a funded research project conducted with colleagues at Hong Kong Baptist University, ‘Social Capital and Self-employment in Urban China’. Over the past two years she has lived in Hong Kong, researching, writing and teaching. Dr Qi has extensive teaching experience at the School of Humanities & Communication Arts, University of Western Sydney. Earlier this year she was a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany. She will teach sociology in UOW’s Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts. Dr Qi completed a PhD at the Centre for Cultural Research, University of Western Sydney, in 2011 with her thesis winning the 2013 Jean Martin Award of The Australian Sociological Association. This Award is given biennially to the best PhD thesis in social science disciplines from an Australian tertiary institution. The thesis has been supplemented with subsequent research and a newly written version is being published as ‘Globalized Knowledge Flows and Chinese Social Theory’ in January 2014 by Routledge. This is her first book, although Dr Qi is no stranger to academic publishing, with a number of chapters and articles appearing in leading internationally refereed journals including American Journal of Cultural Sociology, British Journal of Sociology, International Sociology, and Journal of Sociology.
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EVENTS
2014 Leon Kane Maguire Address His pioneering research in nanomaterials was balanced by his down-the-earth attitude and a wicked sense of humour. He was made an emeritus Professor of the University of Wollongong when he retired in 2010, celebrating a lifelong commitment to science and education. This annual address commemorates and celebrates Leon’s contribution to research, the building of research teams, the communication of science and to the mentoring of the next generations of scientists.
LEON KANE-MAGUIRE ADDRESS Friday 14 February | 5.00pm–6.30pm LKM Theatre, AIIM Building, Innovation Capus, North Wollongong INFO: http://bit.ly/1deyt6A RSVP: Friday 31 January, 2014 FREE TO THE PUBLIC REGISTRATION ESSENTIAL
Leon Kane-Maguire (pictured) was one of Australia’s leading research scientists in the specialist field of conducting organic polymers and their properties. His work led to many international awards and the development of several new fields of science.
Maths royalty to visit Wollongong PRINCETON MATHEMATICIANS TO GIVE GUEST LECTURE Friday 7 & 14 February | 5.00pm G20, Building 25, UOW FREE TO THE PUBLIC Two of the world’s leading mathematicians from Princeton University, Professor GanG Tian and Sun-Yung Alice Chang, will visit Wollongong to present a special guest lectures: • Poincare conjecture and geometry, February 7th • How can we tell if it is a sphere? February 14th >>Learn more about the visiting Mathemeticians and the talks they will devlier http://bit.ly/1hbTL3t 30
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PROFESSOR DERMOT DIAMOND Director of the National Centre for Sensor Research at Dublin City University, Ireland, Dermot is particularly interested in linking the digital and molecular worlds by using analytical devices and sensors as information providers for wireless networked systems. With over 180 peer reviewed papers published in international science journals, Dermot is also a named inventor in 13 patents and is co-author of three books. Dermot’s engaging and lively presentations will undoubtedly make for a great LKM Address and if we’re lucky, Dermot will bring along his fiddle! Refreshments will be served following the Address.
EVENTS
3D printing educational outreach program ACES teams up with the Wollongong Science Centre for new 3D printing outreach program INFO & RSVP: Natalie Foxon via nfoxon@uow.edu.au Who hasn’t heard about 3D Printing? It’s the hot topic in technology. From scientists to school students, this fascinating process captures the imagination of all who hear about it, and everyone wants to learn more. In conjunction with the Wollongong Science Centre, UOW’s ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) is producing a new educational outreach show for schools about 3D Printing technology and the applications and importance in society. Designed for high school students, the 40 minute show is adaptable for years 7 through to 12 and is applicable for both science students as well as design & technology classes in the Illawarra and regional NSW. Two UOW undergraduate students have been developing the show over the Summer break, ready to launch when the school term resumes in 2014. Second year UOW Science student Lauren Bezzina has already been presenting science shows at the Wollongong Science Centre for one year, and has found the experience of developing a new show with leading 3D printing experts at ACES to be a fascinating one. “It’s been fantastic to be in contact with people who use this technology for their work and who are willing to share their stories about it and help us develop this
cutting-edge program,” said Lauren. Half of the show will focus on the technology itself, going into detail about the 3D printing process and the various materials and printers available for use. The other half of the presentation showcases the applications, from medicine and engineering to fashion and food. The program’s co-developer, third year Engineering/Computer Science student Samiyeul Habib says the program will showcase some of the work being done using 3D Printing technology.
Uni in the Brewery 2014 lineup PROGRAM ANNOUNCED March 26 : Dr Ben Maddison, Historian June 11: Dr Lezanne Ooi, Scientist November 5: Prof Dan Hutto, Philosopher Time: 5.30-6.30pm Venue: Five Islands Brewery, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong INFO & RSVP: research@uow.edu.au FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Join us in this three-part series, where we bring our best and brightest researchers into the brewery to quench your thirst for knowledge. This year’s lineup includes a historian, scientist and philosopher who, respectively, will delve into their work challenging the notion of lone heroes, fighting neurodegenerative disease and better understanding the cognitive science behind performance. UIB is where best and brightest explain their ideas and research in a relaxed and participatory environment over a few foaming ales.
“Simulated human hearts, moving parts and artwork are on the menu and will leave you hungry for more. Unfortunately, 3D Printed food will not actually be available but I’m sure what we have planned will leave you satisfied,” Samiyeul said. The show will be available to travel to schools and also run in the Wollongong Science Centre, highlighting the research being done at ACES using 3D Printing technology provided by the Australian National Fabrication Facility.
March 26 | Dr Ben Maddison: Class & Colonialism in Antarctica An avid rock-climber and former Blue Mountains climbing guide, Dr Ben Maddison has an affinity with wild places. Now he’s written a book about the world’s southernmost wild; Antarctica. Dr Maddison’s UIB presentation will examine the stories of those men and women who have carried the history of polar exploration on their shoulders - the sailors, sealers, whalers, cooks, mechanics, engineers, stokers and radio operators who journeyed alongside celebrated adventurers to wild places, and whose experiences are little-known. >>Find out more http://uowuib.eventbrite.com R esearch & I nno v ation N ews
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Research Services Office, Building 20, Level 1, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW, Australia, 2522 research@uow.edu.au | +61 2 4221 3386 | www.uow.edu.au/research
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