Issue 18. 17 November 2008 - UWA Staff - The University of Western ...
Issue 18. 17 November 2008 - UWA Staff - The University of Western ...
Issue 18. 17 November 2008 - UWA Staff - The University of Western ...
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Tea study<br />
gets<br />
green<br />
light<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> NEWS<br />
<strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> Volume 27 Number 18<br />
Dr Min Zhang pours green tea for her colleague Pr<strong>of</strong>essor D’Arcy Holman<br />
by Lindy Brophy<br />
“<br />
Early studies have<br />
shown that drinking<br />
just one cup <strong>of</strong> green<br />
tea every day could<br />
be beneficial in<br />
helping to prevent<br />
cancer<br />
“<br />
In China, where drinking green tea is a centuries-old tradition, the rate<br />
<strong>of</strong> breast cancer is <strong>18.</strong>7 per 100,000 women.<br />
In Australia, where fewer than one per cent <strong>of</strong> the population drink green tea every<br />
day, the rate is 94.9 per 100,000.<br />
<strong>The</strong> parallel seems obvious but, <strong>of</strong> course, turning anecdotal evidence into<br />
epidemiological pro<strong>of</strong> is harder than it appears.<br />
Dr Min Zhang, a senior research fellow in the School <strong>of</strong> Population Health, is directing<br />
an Australian-Chinese project to do just that.<br />
She has been working on green tea as an anti-carcinogen for 10 years. A gynaecological<br />
oncologist at Zhejiang <strong>University</strong> in China, Dr Zhang came to Australia in 1997<br />
to study hospital management. But she changed direction and moved into<br />
epidemiology, completing a PhD on dietary and lifestyle factors associated with<br />
ovarian cancer, and joining the School <strong>of</strong> Population Health fi ve years ago.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor D’Arcy Holman, who holds the Chair in Population Health and is<br />
Permanent Guest Pr<strong>of</strong>essor at the School <strong>of</strong> Medicine at Zhejiang <strong>University</strong>, said<br />
Dr Zhang’s recent successes with a $1 million National Health and Medical Research<br />
Council grant and a competitive Australian Government Endeavour Award were<br />
rewards for her determination and perseverance in diffi cult times.<br />
continued on page 2<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> scoops awards<br />
All finalists in every available category <strong>of</strong> the Premier’s Science Awards are from <strong>UWA</strong>,<br />
both staff and students. Read the details in the Vice-Chancellor’s column on page 4.
Scholar’s full life<br />
It appears that Rhodes Scholars must have more hours in each<br />
day than the rest <strong>of</strong> us.<br />
This year’s winner, at the age <strong>of</strong> 22 has a double degree in Science and<br />
Engineering; he plays keyboards and guitar in a band; plays squash, tennis<br />
and golf; is setting up a children’s charity with his brother; and has worked<br />
as a volunteer for the Lions Eye Institute and Siemens Healthcare in Sydney.<br />
On top <strong>of</strong> all this, John McAnearney (pictured left) is a personable, mature,<br />
generous, community-minded young man.<br />
He is the 14th successive Rhodes Scholar from <strong>UWA</strong> and a departure from<br />
the law graduates who <strong>of</strong>ten dominate this highly-prized award.<br />
His brother Stephen is also studying Science and Engineering at <strong>UWA</strong> and<br />
together they have established Engineering Happiness, a charity to help<br />
and encourage children in hospital, teaching them science and<br />
mathematics in what John calls a fun way.<br />
“I’ve only just completed my honours thesis in Engineering, so I will have<br />
almost a year before I go to Oxford,” John said. “So I want to really get this<br />
charity going. We’ve already had talks with the Starlight Foundation.”<br />
At Oxford, John will work towards a DPhil in biomedical engineering and<br />
one day hopes to develop technology to help severely disabled people<br />
communicate.<br />
“Brain computer interface is any system which allows direct communication<br />
from a human brain to an external device, such as a computer, and that’s<br />
where I hope my research at Oxford will lead,” he said.<br />
John’s thesis, handed in just the day before he was announced the <strong>2008</strong><br />
Rhodes Scholar, is on transcranial magnetic stimulation for a braincomputer<br />
interface. He hopes to publish his work this year, before taking up<br />
his scholarship.<br />
Tea study gets green light continued from page 1<br />
“Thank goodness for the <strong>University</strong>’s Safety Net funding,”<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Holman said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> funding is available for senior researchers who have<br />
already been successful with NHMRC funding, but strike a<br />
bad year.<br />
“It can happen to anyone and enables them to continue their<br />
work until the next round <strong>of</strong> funding when they get a second<br />
chance to continue with their success.<br />
“Min’s million-dollar grant, followed by her Endeavour Award<br />
are evidence that the Safety Net is a worthwhile initiative by<br />
the <strong>University</strong>,” he said.<br />
“Min’s big grant, in my opinion, signals a new direction for<br />
the NHMRC. As far as I am aware, this is one <strong>of</strong> the first <strong>of</strong><br />
its larger project grants to fund research being done with<br />
overseas populations.<br />
It signals that the NHMRC sees itself as supporting<br />
Australian researchers who aspire to lead major<br />
international research collaborations, especially with major<br />
trading partners such as China,” Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Holman said.<br />
With this grant, Dr Zhang is now the Director <strong>of</strong> the Lu Cha<br />
(green tea) Sino-Australian Research Collaboration. It will run<br />
a multi-centre program <strong>of</strong> causal pathways research in<br />
China’s Zhejiang and Liaoning Provinces, using genetic<br />
biomarkers related to green tea metabolism.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Endeavour Award will enable her to start the other half<br />
<strong>of</strong> the original vision for Lu Cha, focusing on green tea<br />
intervention research.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Endeavour Award provides high-achieving individuals<br />
with support for research collaboration in areas <strong>of</strong> shared<br />
interest between the people <strong>of</strong> Australia and the Region.<br />
Dr Zhang’s collaborators at <strong>UWA</strong> include Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Holman,<br />
who is leading the international research project, Dr Max<br />
Bulsara and Dr Frank Sanfilippo, also in Population Health,<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Michael Millward (Medicine and Pharmacology)<br />
and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Christobel Saunders (School <strong>of</strong> Surgery).<br />
“It’s been a long road for Min and all <strong>of</strong> us, but we now have<br />
a multi-faceted international research program with China<br />
on green tea and cancer control,” Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Holman said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> public health and epidemiological data analysis will be<br />
done here and the genetic testing will take place in the<br />
collaborating laboratories in China.<br />
Dr Zhang said early studies had shown that drinking just<br />
one cup <strong>of</strong> green tea every day could be beneficial in<br />
helping to prevent cancer.<br />
“But to continue the study here in Australia, we will have to<br />
use capsules <strong>of</strong> green tea extract, as so few people drink<br />
green tea here,” she said.“I am very excited to be beginning<br />
this new phase in genetic biomarkers.”<br />
2 <strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia
First year’s the hardest<br />
First year engineering student Dominique Morgan met Jock Clough (left) and Roland Berndt,<br />
head <strong>of</strong> engineering at Clough Limited, with Dean A/Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Carolyn Oldham to hear all<br />
about the new centre<br />
It is not <strong>of</strong>ten that tales <strong>of</strong> failure<br />
dominate the launch <strong>of</strong> a clever<br />
initiative and a generous funding<br />
partnership.<br />
But at the announcement <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Clough First Year Centre for<br />
engineering students, successful<br />
engineers admitted that failure is<br />
common among engineering students,<br />
with first year being particularly tough.<br />
John Smith, CEO <strong>of</strong> Clough Limited,<br />
who signed the partnership deal with<br />
the Vice–Chancellor, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Alan<br />
Robson, to help fund the centre, said<br />
that in his year at Glasgow <strong>University</strong>,<br />
only 50 per cent <strong>of</strong> the class made it<br />
to graduation.<br />
Nedlands MLA Bill Marmion, another<br />
engineer, who has close links with<br />
both <strong>UWA</strong> and the Clough family, said<br />
that his father started first year<br />
engineering with Harold Clough.<br />
“I started engineering here at <strong>UWA</strong> the<br />
year before Jock Clough, but he soon<br />
caught up, when I failed a year,” he<br />
said.<br />
“Of the 277 students who started,<br />
only 44 finished. It’s tough going, but<br />
I commend Clough and <strong>UWA</strong> for this<br />
new first year centre which I’m sure<br />
will encourage high school students<br />
to come to <strong>UWA</strong> and study<br />
engineering.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Clough family has sold its<br />
remaining stake in Clough Limited, but<br />
they have put up 50 per cent <strong>of</strong> the<br />
sponsorship, which includes three first<br />
year engineering scholarships each<br />
year for the next five years and prizes<br />
for students who top their first year<br />
units.<br />
<strong>The</strong> centre will be open 24 hours a<br />
day, seven days a week, providing a<br />
home base for students and another<br />
step along the path from university to<br />
the workplace.<br />
Dean <strong>of</strong> the Faculty <strong>of</strong> Engineering<br />
Computing and Mathematics,<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Carolyn Oldham,<br />
said the Clough centre, combined with<br />
the Monadelphous Integrated Learning<br />
Centre (also opening next year), would<br />
create a very modern learning<br />
environment.<br />
“We wouldn’t be here today without<br />
the vision and enthusiasm <strong>of</strong> Yola<br />
Szymakowski, the Associate Dean<br />
(first year), the quiet determination <strong>of</strong><br />
Mark Bush (former Dean) and the skills<br />
<strong>of</strong> Quang Ly (faculty development<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer) in nurturing these relationships<br />
with the industry,” A/Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Oldham<br />
said.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Robson said the <strong>University</strong><br />
had enjoyed a long association with<br />
Clough over more than 30 years.<br />
“This relationship has involved the<br />
establishment <strong>of</strong> the <strong>UWA</strong> Futures<br />
Foundation for Oil and Gas Education<br />
as well as funding for scholarships,<br />
vacation employment, student prizes<br />
and research projects,” he said.<br />
Representatives from other big<br />
engineering companies, Apache,<br />
Chevron and Shell, witnessed the<br />
signing. <strong>The</strong>y are all working with <strong>UWA</strong><br />
to meet the huge demand for<br />
engineers in WA.<br />
Government-supported places have<br />
increased by 180 during the past three<br />
years, with 600 students enrolling in<br />
first-year engineering at <strong>UWA</strong> this year.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia <strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 3
Uwa scoops<br />
science awards<br />
<strong>The</strong> substance <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>University</strong>’s performance at<br />
international standards <strong>of</strong><br />
excellence comes from the<br />
quality, commitment and<br />
performance <strong>of</strong> our staff and<br />
students.<br />
We are extremely pleased to<br />
celebrate the success <strong>of</strong> those at<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> who have filled every available<br />
place in the finals <strong>of</strong> the WA<br />
Premier’s Awards for Science.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se awards are the State’s most<br />
prestigious science awards. <strong>The</strong>y are<br />
aimed at providing the whole<br />
community with an opportunity to<br />
celebrate, encourage and reward<br />
the State’s best scientists, science<br />
teachers, science communicators<br />
and science students.<br />
Beyond individual performance, the<br />
fact that our university continues to<br />
attract and retain such talented<br />
scientists, researchers and students<br />
adds significantly to our ability to<br />
ensure that the State and future<br />
generations reap the benefits <strong>of</strong><br />
outstanding research.<br />
In this year’s awards, the categories<br />
applying to universities – Scientist <strong>of</strong><br />
the Year, Young Scientist <strong>of</strong> the Year,<br />
Excellence in Science Communication<br />
Outside the Classroom; and Science<br />
Student <strong>of</strong> the Year: <strong>University</strong> — have<br />
a total <strong>of</strong> 11 finalists, all from <strong>UWA</strong>.<br />
This enormous achievement reinforces<br />
the <strong>University</strong>’s place as the preeminent<br />
research and teaching<br />
institution in the State and is a<br />
CLOCKWISE FROM<br />
TOP LEFT:<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essors<br />
Cheryl Praeger,<br />
Jorg Imberger and<br />
Leigh Simmons<br />
testament to the excellence <strong>of</strong> our<br />
academics and students.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Scientist <strong>of</strong> the Year will be<br />
chosen from <strong>UWA</strong> staff members<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jorg Imberger, Director <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>UWA</strong>’s Centre for Water Research;<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Leigh Simmons <strong>of</strong> <strong>UWA</strong>’s<br />
Centre for Evolutionary Biology; and<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Cheryl Praeger, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mathematics. All are known<br />
internationally for contributions on<br />
the world stage.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Young Scientist <strong>of</strong> the Year will<br />
be selected from Dr Oliver<br />
Rackham and Dr Kevin Pfleger,<br />
both from the <strong>UWA</strong> affiliate, the<br />
<strong>Western</strong> Australian Institute <strong>of</strong><br />
Medical Research, and Dr Ben<br />
Corry from the <strong>University</strong>’s School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Biomedical, Biomolecular and<br />
Chemical Science.<br />
In the category <strong>of</strong> Excellence in<br />
Science Communication Outside<br />
the Classroom, Yvonne Van Der<br />
Ploeg from the <strong>UWA</strong>-based ARC<br />
Centre <strong>of</strong> Excellence in Plant<br />
Energy Biology and SymbioticA, the<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> Centre <strong>of</strong> Excellence in<br />
Biological Arts, are the only finalists.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Science Student <strong>of</strong> the Year will<br />
be chosen from a field <strong>of</strong> three –<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> Astronomy and Astophysics<br />
student, Jacinta Delhaise, <strong>UWA</strong><br />
Advanced Science student,<br />
Matilda-Jane Oke, and <strong>UWA</strong><br />
Conservation Biology and<br />
Management student, Clair Foster.<br />
This list <strong>of</strong> finalists builds on the<br />
success <strong>of</strong> <strong>UWA</strong> staff in 2007 when<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor David Blair was named<br />
Scientist <strong>of</strong> the Year, Dr Kristen<br />
Nowak was named Young Scientist<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Year and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Paul<br />
McMenamin won the Excellence in<br />
Teaching Award.<br />
<strong>The</strong> winners will be announced on<br />
December 4.<br />
Alan Robson<br />
Vice-Chancellor<br />
4<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia
New breed<br />
<strong>of</strong> nurses<br />
from <strong>UWA</strong><br />
One <strong>of</strong> the questions being<br />
asked about Perth’s new superhospitals<br />
is where will the nurses<br />
come from? <strong>The</strong> answer is: <strong>UWA</strong>.<br />
In July next year, we are launching our<br />
first degree that leads to registration as<br />
a nurse. <strong>The</strong> Master <strong>of</strong> Nursing Science<br />
is a graduate entry course for students<br />
with a Bachelor’s degree in any field,<br />
and will be based in the School <strong>of</strong><br />
Population Health.<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> has not <strong>of</strong>fered a degree leading<br />
to registration as a nurse before and<br />
Fiona Maley from Population Health<br />
expects the first 50 Commonwealthfunded<br />
places to be snapped up.<br />
“We canvassed our fourth year Health<br />
Science students recently and, from a<br />
class <strong>of</strong> 25, about 10 expressed an<br />
interest and five wanted to sign up<br />
immediately,” she said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> two year course will include clinical<br />
placements at Sir Charles Gairdner<br />
Hospital and other health agencies in<br />
WA, including a rural posting. Pending<br />
accreditation by the Nurses and<br />
Midwives Board <strong>of</strong> WA (which is<br />
anticipated to be finalised early next<br />
year), graduates will be eligible to be a<br />
Registered Nurse.<br />
“This course <strong>of</strong>fers a career change for<br />
people who are interested in nursing<br />
but don’t want to go back and do<br />
another undergraduate degree,” Ms<br />
Maley said. “<strong>The</strong>y will just need to<br />
complete a unit in human biology,<br />
which will be <strong>of</strong>fered on-line, as a<br />
bridging course, before they enrol.<br />
“We hope it will enrich the nursing<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession with mature, well-educated<br />
nurses with experience in lots <strong>of</strong><br />
different fields.”<br />
While the course will be predominantly<br />
delivered through the School <strong>of</strong><br />
Population Health, it will be in<br />
partnership with Sir Charles Gairdner<br />
Hospital Department <strong>of</strong> Nursing, the<br />
Faculty <strong>of</strong> Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences, the Faculty <strong>of</strong> Life and<br />
Physical Sciences and the Combined<br />
Universites Centre for Rural Health<br />
(Geraldton).<br />
“<br />
This course <strong>of</strong>fers a career change for<br />
people who are interested in nursing but<br />
don’t want to go back and do another<br />
undergraduate degree<br />
<strong>The</strong> funded places are part <strong>of</strong> an<br />
Australia-wide initiative, providing 1,000<br />
extra places for nurses. It is expected<br />
the number <strong>of</strong> places in the <strong>UWA</strong><br />
course will be increased to 75 by the<br />
second year. In the meantime, Ms<br />
Maley said the first students would<br />
benefit from small classes.<br />
Population Health already <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
postgraduate degrees for nurses and<br />
midwives (Master <strong>of</strong> Nursing Research<br />
and Master <strong>of</strong> Public Health [Nursing]).<br />
“So the addition <strong>of</strong> an Entry-to-Practice<br />
Masters degree is not as much <strong>of</strong> a<br />
leap as it may appear,” Ms Maley said.<br />
“We are building on our strengths as<br />
well as filling a niche market need.”<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Judith Finn, who holds the<br />
Chair <strong>of</strong> Nursing Research in<br />
Population Health, is leading the<br />
implementation <strong>of</strong> the new degree,<br />
“<br />
along with the Head <strong>of</strong> School,<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Matthew Knuiman, the Dean<br />
<strong>of</strong> the medical faculty, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Ian<br />
Puddey, the Executive Director <strong>of</strong><br />
Nursing at SCGH (currently Sue Davis)<br />
and the new course advisory panel.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Finn believes that, where<br />
possible, clinical practice should be<br />
guided by sound scientific evidence<br />
rather than routine or ritual. “While not<br />
all clinicians will necessarily be<br />
researchers, all should at the very least<br />
be critical consumers <strong>of</strong> clinical<br />
research,” she said.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> <strong>UWA</strong> Master <strong>of</strong> Nursing Science<br />
will bring together the science and<br />
practice <strong>of</strong> nursing within a public<br />
health framework to ensure that<br />
graduates are well prepared for the<br />
current and future challenges facing the<br />
health system.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia <strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 5
Science Futures Foundation:<br />
Financing a future<br />
“<br />
If we are to<br />
attract the best<br />
and the<br />
brightest, we<br />
must allow<br />
them to explore<br />
new directions<br />
and challenge<br />
accepted<br />
wisdoms<br />
“<br />
It’s all about numbers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> biggest campaign ever<br />
launched at <strong>UWA</strong> aims to raise<br />
$53million for science research which<br />
would, in turn, be likely to increase our<br />
world ranking for this field which is already in<br />
the top 50.<br />
But the ranking is just a side benefit <strong>of</strong> the Science Futures Foundation, which<br />
is designed to boost research to enrich the lives <strong>of</strong> Australians through health<br />
and wellbeing, economic prosperity and minerals, energy and agricultural<br />
development.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Foundation will set up endowed academic chairs, postdoctoral<br />
fellowships, scholarships and awards for excellence, and a rising star fund for<br />
early-career researchers.<br />
“If we are to attract the best and the brightest, we must provide them with<br />
cutting-edge facilities and allow them to explore new directions and challenge<br />
accepted wisdoms,” said the Vice-Chancellor, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Alan Robson.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Foundation was introduced to senior staff earlier this month at an<br />
information session and cocktail party. <strong>The</strong> launch will take place next year<br />
when campaign manager Judy Giddings hopes at least half <strong>of</strong> the total will be<br />
committed.<br />
“We are not raising money for buildings or infrastructure; we are investing in<br />
people,” she said. “This initiative will add to the health and wealth in Australia<br />
and globally.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Foundation is planning to develop new partnerships to attract investment<br />
at a time when the <strong>University</strong>’s ability to fund future research projects is being<br />
affected by external factors including the volatile investment market.<br />
This, combined with the local resources boom, has put pressure on academic<br />
staff recruitment and retention and impacted on attracting students to pure<br />
science, particularly in postgraduate research.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Science Futures Foundation has been established to meet those<br />
challenges.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first Pr<strong>of</strong>essorial Chair funded through the Foundation is in the area <strong>of</strong><br />
Tropical Microbiology. It has been established in perpetuity through the<br />
generosity <strong>of</strong> Marjorie Le Souef in honour <strong>of</strong> her late husband, Dr Leslie Le<br />
Souef.<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> the world’s most debilitating diseases are caused by tropical<br />
microbes. It is an under-researched area in which <strong>UWA</strong> can now play a<br />
crucial role in developing a better understanding <strong>of</strong> how to diagnose, treat<br />
and prevent tropical diseases.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Rising Star fund will help researchers in their first couple <strong>of</strong> years.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>y may need to go on a research trip, employ a technician for six<br />
months, buy a piece <strong>of</strong> equipment or just to get on with their work while<br />
waiting for a research grant to be approved,” Ms Giddings said.<br />
She said anybody could donate to the Rising Star fund. “We will accept<br />
donations from $1 to a million dollars!”<br />
If you would like to donate to the fund or the Foundation, please contact the<br />
Office <strong>of</strong> Development at judith.giddings@uwa.edu.au<br />
6<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia
Hot and<br />
cold<br />
running<br />
movies<br />
Moments captured from I’ve Loved You So Long,<br />
Buddha Collapsed Out <strong>of</strong> Shame and Young @Heart<br />
This year’s Lotterywest Film Festival is truly<br />
a festival for all seasons.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 20 weeks <strong>of</strong> fi lms in the open-air Somerville<br />
Auditorium will take us from the chilly evenings <strong>of</strong><br />
early summer, through the hottest nights <strong>of</strong> the year,<br />
back to jumpers and rugs for the fi nal weeks in April.<br />
It will be the longest fi lm festival the Somerville has<br />
hosted.<br />
In what has now become a popular tradition, the<br />
season opens on December 1 with a comedy,<br />
Young@Heart, which is described by Festival fi lm<br />
program manager Sherry Hopkins as “an irresistibly<br />
funny and uplifting story <strong>of</strong> a US chorus <strong>of</strong> seventy-,<br />
eighty- and ninety-something year-olds who belt out<br />
anything from David Bowie and <strong>The</strong> Clash to Sonic<br />
Youth and the Rolling Stones and, in the process,<br />
break the stereotypes <strong>of</strong> ageing and become a<br />
testament to friendship and creativity.”<br />
French director Francis Veber, who brought us <strong>The</strong><br />
Dinner Game, <strong>The</strong> Closet, <strong>The</strong> Valet and Tais-Tois!<br />
has become a favourite with Somerville patrons.<br />
This year his A Pain in the Ass is about an unlikely<br />
friendship between a pr<strong>of</strong>essional hitman and a<br />
suicidal husband. This fi lm has its Australasian<br />
premier at the Somerville in early March.<br />
And once again, French fi lms feature heavily in the<br />
program. <strong>The</strong> delightful Kristin Scott Thomas shows<br />
<strong>of</strong>f her superb command <strong>of</strong> French again in I’ve<br />
Loved You So Long, a tale <strong>of</strong> family struggles and<br />
redemption.<br />
Other French <strong>of</strong>ferings include a thriller, Crossed<br />
Tracks, a romantic comedy-<strong>of</strong>-manners, Shall we<br />
Kiss? And <strong>The</strong> Grocer’s Son, about a young man<br />
discovering life and love in the quiet countryside <strong>of</strong><br />
Provence.<br />
Scandinavian movies are also well represented.<br />
From Sweden, the Australasian premier <strong>of</strong> a period<br />
drama, Everlasting Moments; a family drama<br />
Suddenly, featuring Mikael Nyqvist, who starred in<br />
the unforgettable As It Is In Heaven, the beautiful<br />
fi lm about the church choir that was a gem <strong>of</strong> the<br />
2006-07 Somerville season; and the funny poetic<br />
You, <strong>The</strong> Living.<br />
From Finland comes a suspense, Black Ice and<br />
from Denmark, Just Another Love Story.<br />
Three Screenwest shorts, written and directed by<br />
local fi lmmakers, will be shown before the feature<br />
fi lms from February 23 to March 15. <strong>The</strong>se have<br />
become another much-anticipated highlight <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Somerville season.<br />
A fourth locally-made fi lm Karla, a dreamtime story<br />
<strong>of</strong> how fi re came to the Noongars <strong>of</strong> the Pinjarra<br />
region, will be screened as part <strong>of</strong> the Perth<br />
International Arts Festival Welcome to Country on<br />
February 13.<br />
Programs for the fi lm festival are available from<br />
BOCS at the Octagon (and other venues), where<br />
you can also buy tickets in advance, to beat the<br />
queues at the Somerville.<br />
Images and preview clips are available at<br />
www.perthfestival.com.au<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia <strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 7
Rural specialist heads for Cambridge<br />
But the former Bunbury student is a<br />
country boy at heart and will be<br />
investigating the factors which<br />
contribute to poorer survival rates for<br />
rural cancer patients, compared with<br />
their urban counterparts.<br />
Andrew, who like many medical<br />
students, is taking a year <strong>of</strong>f from his<br />
MBBS for a year <strong>of</strong> research, has been<br />
promoting medicine in the bush since<br />
he began his medical studies.<br />
A traditional seat <strong>of</strong> learning,<br />
embedded in conventional<br />
<strong>Western</strong> culture, is the unlikely<br />
destination for a medical student<br />
who has been named Rural<br />
Medical Student <strong>of</strong> the Year.<br />
Andrew Webster has just completed<br />
fourth year and is <strong>of</strong>f to Cambridge<br />
Andrew Webster working with Indigenous children in the Northern Territory<br />
Work-out for<br />
your work-day<br />
<strong>University</strong> for six months to work on his<br />
Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Medical Science, under the<br />
supervision <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jon Emery,<br />
Head <strong>of</strong> the School <strong>of</strong> Primary,<br />
Aboriginal and Rural Health Care and<br />
chair <strong>of</strong> General Practice in <strong>UWA</strong>’s<br />
Faculty <strong>of</strong> Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Rural High School Visit program<br />
was instrumental in me choosing to<br />
study medicine and I wanted to<br />
contribute to the program, so I’ve been<br />
going back to Bunbury, Mandurah and<br />
Narrogin each year to talk to high<br />
school kids, to tell them all about a<br />
career in medicine,” Andrew said.<br />
He has also visited schools in the<br />
Northern Territory, where he has<br />
worked with medical practitioners in the<br />
remote Aboriginal community <strong>of</strong><br />
Bathurst Island, under a John Flynn<br />
Placement Program scholarship. Next<br />
year he will go to another community<br />
on the Gove Peninsula. But Cambridge<br />
also has its place in Andrew’s plan.<br />
Would you like to improve your fitness but don’t<br />
want the students you deal with every day to see<br />
you when you are most vulnerable (and sweaty)?<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> Corporate Fitness is for you.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>UWA</strong> Sport and Recreation Association has set up a<br />
studio exclusively for <strong>UWA</strong> staff, in the Watersports Complex,<br />
so you can exercise overlooking Matilda Bay.<br />
“<strong>UWA</strong> Corporate Fitness is all about synergy,” said Jay-Lee<br />
Longbottom, a Graduate Officer at the Sport and Recreation<br />
Association. “It’s about aligning your work-out with your workday.”<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> Corporate Fitness classes run between 7am and<br />
8.45am and 5.15pm and 6.45pm.<br />
Flex and Flow (a combination <strong>of</strong> yoga, pilates and tai chi) and<br />
Zone and Tone (low impact aerobics, core strength training,<br />
yoga and pilates) are two classes <strong>of</strong>fered exclusively to staff.<br />
Total Conditioning incorporates cardio interval training using<br />
equipment, and dynamic resistance exercises using free<br />
weights. It is aimed at burning fat, sculpting lean muscle and<br />
improving overall fitness.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Fitness Unlimited program includes one personal training<br />
session a week, access to <strong>UWA</strong> Corporate Fitness classes as<br />
<strong>The</strong> new corporate fitness program will help you<br />
find a better way <strong>of</strong> combining work and exercise<br />
well as unlimited access to the <strong>UWA</strong> Fitness Centre for just $20<br />
a week before salary packaging.<br />
And to make you feel even better, the <strong>UWA</strong> Corporate Fitness<br />
packages can be salary packaged, which will bring the final cost<br />
down even more.<br />
To get fit, at a convenient time and place, and at a competitive<br />
price, contact Jay-Lee Longbottom on 6488 3077 or check out<br />
the <strong>UWA</strong> Corporate Fitness site at www.sport.uwa.edu.au<br />
8<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia
London and beyond<br />
Having won gold in Beijing, Sport Science, Exercise<br />
and Health graduate and Paralympian Justin Eveson<br />
is passing on his passion and his skills to what he<br />
hopes will be a new generation <strong>of</strong> superstars.<br />
As a sports development practitioner at Wheelchair Sport WA,<br />
he works to inspire young sportspeople.<br />
Mr Eveson, whose postgraduate degree was in Exercise<br />
Rehabilitation Science, said the moment when his wheelchair<br />
basketball team snatched victory from their greatest rivals,<br />
Canada, was one <strong>of</strong> the best <strong>of</strong> his life.<br />
“Canada beat us in Athens and we came home with Silver.<br />
So to beat them 72-60 in Beijing and claim Gold was<br />
fantastic,” he said.<br />
As well as basketball, a sport in which he plays a forward<br />
position, Mr Eveson is a Paralympics swimmer, claiming<br />
Bronze and Silver for this sport in Sydney.<br />
He now has his sights set on the wheelchair basketball world<br />
championships in Birmingham in 2010 and the London<br />
Olympics in 2012, with training under way.<br />
Another <strong>UWA</strong> graduate and Paralympian, javelin and shot putter<br />
Damien Bowen, also has his eyes on London — and national<br />
and international athletics meets between then and now.<br />
for <strong>UWA</strong><br />
Paralympians<br />
Justin Eveson’s Gold-winning style<br />
Damien completed a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Exercise and Health and a<br />
Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Exercise Rehabilitation Science at <strong>UWA</strong>. Beijing,<br />
where he competed in the javelin events, was his fi rst<br />
Paralympics.<br />
“Words can’t describe how amazing it was,” he said from<br />
Canberra where he has his own exercise physiology business,<br />
Vibe Physio and Rehab.<br />
“Beijing exceeded every expectation. It was the best<br />
Paralympics we’ve travelled away to. Obviously because<br />
Sydney was home, it was special, but Beijing’s organisation<br />
was superb and you got 50,000 people turning up to watch<br />
some sessions, which is unheard <strong>of</strong> for Paralympics.<br />
“Travelling around was easy and the people were really helpful.<br />
Now it’s London and beyond!”<br />
Celebrate the past with a group for the future<br />
It was a night for nostalgia when members<br />
gathered in the Old Senate Room in the Irwin Street<br />
Building on James Oval to celebrate the<br />
inauguration <strong>of</strong> the <strong>UWA</strong> Historical Society.<br />
Simon Dawkins as Warden <strong>of</strong> Convocation and Reg<br />
Appleyard, President <strong>of</strong> the Society, recollected their student<br />
days when Simon spent many hours in pursuits other than<br />
study and Reg bowled out former Prime Minister and<br />
graduate Bob Hawke.<br />
Vice-Chancellor Alan Robson launched the Society and<br />
spoke with passion about his 42 years’ association with the<br />
campus and his pride in being appointed the Hackett<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor in Agriculture. He pointed out he was the fi rst<br />
Vice-Chancellor to be a graduate <strong>of</strong> <strong>UWA</strong> and one <strong>of</strong> only<br />
three Vice-Chancellors born in Australia. “It has taken us a<br />
hundred years to get over our cultural cringe,” he said.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Robson said it was not possible to make<br />
decisions in the present or plan for the future without<br />
understanding the past. He congratulated the Society on its<br />
formation and commended the variety <strong>of</strong> projects it has<br />
planned.<br />
If you would like to attend Society events or participate in one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the project teams, contact Heritage Offi cer, Shobha<br />
Cameron at shobha.cameron@uwa.edu.au or on 6488 3556.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia <strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 9
Workplace<br />
fun<br />
Keith Rappa and some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Faculty, Schools and other staff<br />
organising the first <strong>UWA</strong> staff<br />
sports day<br />
<strong>The</strong> mortar-board throw, the computer toss, spit the<br />
dummy and hurl the mouse were some <strong>of</strong> the ideas<br />
for novelty events at the first-ever <strong>UWA</strong> staff sportsfun<br />
day on Friday <strong>November</strong> 28.<br />
None <strong>of</strong> these will actually be run, but don’t be surprised if<br />
your colleagues rope you into a tug-<strong>of</strong>-war, an egg and spoon<br />
race, the Vice-Chancellor’s Dash or even a <strong>UWA</strong> version <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Amazing Race which, with help from Terry Larder from the<br />
Visitors Information Centre, will be created along similar lines<br />
to its television namesake complete with puzzles, clues and<br />
challenges to navigate.<br />
At a meeting convened by the day’s organiser Keith Rappa,<br />
the Business School’s Faculty Manager, representatives from<br />
faculties, schools and administrative areas planned the day<br />
down to almost the last detail with record-breaking speed and<br />
efficiency.<br />
Besides the novelty events, there will be shortened versions <strong>of</strong><br />
various sports and games including volleyball, tennis, netball<br />
and bocce and even chess.<br />
Up, up and away<br />
Do you want to attend an overseas conference with all expenses paid?<br />
If so, why not apply for a $5,000 scholarship.<br />
Two are on <strong>of</strong>fer — the <strong>UWA</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development Scholarships are available<br />
exclusively for all <strong>University</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional and academic staff.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essorial Fellow Shelda Debowski, Director <strong>of</strong> Organisational and <strong>Staff</strong> Development<br />
Services, explained the scholarships were designed to help the winners in their personal<br />
and pr<strong>of</strong>essional development, through attendance at a relevant, international conference,<br />
or the scholarship can be used to undertake further study in their chosen field.<br />
Applications for entries close on March 27, 2009.<br />
For more information, please visit OSDS webpage: www.uwa.edu.au/page/151476 or<br />
telephone Luana McDermott, Project Manager (Scholar-ships) Perth Convention<br />
Bureau 9324 3355 or luana@pcb.com.au<br />
<strong>The</strong> idea came from my undergraduate days where we use to<br />
organise inter-Faculty challenges that created a sense <strong>of</strong> fun<br />
and collegiality between participants,” said Mr Rappa, a <strong>UWA</strong><br />
graduate.<br />
“What was really fantastic to see back then was the level <strong>of</strong><br />
participation in those events, not only from the players but<br />
also from those who came along to support their team. I<br />
thought it would be good to extend the concept to the whole<br />
<strong>of</strong> the university to provide an opportunity for <strong>UWA</strong> staff to<br />
enjoy a bit <strong>of</strong> fitness, participation and fun together. It has also<br />
been really heartening to see the widespread support shown<br />
for the event with every faculty and central area nominating<br />
representatives to coordinate their respective teams.”<br />
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Margaret Seares,<br />
will open the afternoon’s fun and the Vice-Chancellor,<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Alan Robson, will close it and invite everyone to<br />
enjoy a sundowner. Sponsors for the day include UniCredit,<br />
UniPrint and the <strong>University</strong> Club.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> the cost <strong>of</strong> $5 per person will go to the charity Uni<br />
Camp for Kids.<br />
Perth Convention Bureau Managing Director<br />
Christine McLean, PCB Project Manager –<br />
Scholarships, Luana McDermott and<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Shelda Debowski at the<br />
Scholarships announcement<br />
10<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia
Escape to France<br />
through words<br />
by Sally-Ann Jones<br />
What do you do as an Australian<br />
woman interested in women’s<br />
writing, who has had a long love<br />
affair with France, and who has<br />
an Honorary Fellowship in<br />
European Languages and<br />
Studies?<br />
If you’re Dr Rosemary Lancaster<br />
(pictured below), you write a book<br />
entitled Je Suis Australienne –<br />
Remarkable Women in France, 1880 –<br />
1945. Published by <strong>UWA</strong> Press, the<br />
book tells the stories <strong>of</strong> several diverse<br />
Australian women travellers.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>y’re heroic, individual and<br />
unusual. Some are bohemian. Some,<br />
like the nurses, were thrust by their<br />
vocation into an alien environment,”<br />
Dr Lancaster said. She added that the<br />
most time-consuming aspect <strong>of</strong><br />
preparing the book was fi nding<br />
women who were not only interesting<br />
enough, but who had written<br />
extensively enough for her to be able<br />
to mine their letters and diaries and, in<br />
some cases, their novels and and<br />
autobiographies.<br />
Much <strong>of</strong> the material was gathered<br />
from the Australian War Memorial and<br />
the National Library <strong>of</strong> Australia. And<br />
Dr Lancaster travelled to France and<br />
Britain to photograph some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
places where her women worked and<br />
trained. She was also able to<br />
illustrate her six chapters with a<br />
photo <strong>of</strong> a handwritten diary entry <strong>of</strong><br />
one <strong>of</strong> her subjects and the paintings<br />
<strong>of</strong> another.<br />
Sixteen year-old Daisy White, who<br />
travelled to a Parisian fi nishing school<br />
from her father’s New South Wales<br />
station in the 1880s, is the subject <strong>of</strong><br />
the fi rst chapter <strong>of</strong> the book which, in<br />
its chronological examination <strong>of</strong> the<br />
women’s lives, is also a record <strong>of</strong> the<br />
evolution <strong>of</strong> women’s travel.<br />
Daisy’s diaries, kept in the<br />
National Library had not<br />
been looked at for over<br />
a century until they<br />
were discovered in 2001<br />
by a French scholar.<br />
Dr Lancaster viewed<br />
the original manuscript<br />
and encountered a<br />
young woman who<br />
immersed herself in French<br />
poetry, literature and theatre only to<br />
die <strong>of</strong> fever in Brisbane at the age <strong>of</strong><br />
32. Dr Lancaster subsequently<br />
discovered that Daisy had become a<br />
medical doctor.<br />
A Tasmanian novelist, whose<br />
pseudonym was Tasma, and who<br />
worked as a journalist for “<strong>The</strong><br />
Australasian” newspaper is the focus<br />
<strong>of</strong> the next chapter. She was in Paris<br />
during the decadent Belle Epoque and<br />
wrote <strong>of</strong> the music halls when they<br />
were at their height. Eight nurses who<br />
cared for their patients in Somme<br />
military nursing stations and whose<br />
letters tell <strong>of</strong> their regard for their<br />
charges are the<br />
subject <strong>of</strong> the third chapter.<br />
Stella Bowen, an artist who became<br />
the <strong>of</strong>fi cial Australian artist <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Second World War, comes next.<br />
“Stella Bowen is the woman I like<br />
most,” Dr Lancaster said. “She<br />
suffered humiliation at the hands <strong>of</strong> her<br />
philandering lover, Ford Maddox Ford,<br />
had a daughter by him and was a<br />
good mother. She didn’t have much<br />
money but she did have a lot <strong>of</strong> grit.<br />
She was determined to be an artist,<br />
no matter what.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> novelist Christina Stead, who<br />
worked as a secretary for a troubled<br />
Paris bank after the Wall Street crash<br />
and who wrote about the bank as a<br />
metaphor for a Europe plagued by the<br />
rise <strong>of</strong> fascism, is the next chapter’s<br />
subject. <strong>The</strong> last is devoted to Nancy<br />
Wake, the Resistance fi ghter who<br />
trained as a secret agent.<br />
Dr Lancaster’s next project is a book<br />
about the poet Rene Char and his<br />
interactions with and responses to<br />
artists, from those who created<br />
prehistoric cave paintings to fi gures<br />
such as Picasso and Dali.<br />
And then she plans to write about<br />
women who visited the Riviera –<br />
women like Katherine Mansfi eld, the<br />
celebrity chefs <strong>of</strong> their day Elizabeth<br />
David and Julia Child, and the writers<br />
Collette and Francoise Sagan.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia <strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 11
Shenton thanks <strong>UWA</strong><br />
If you think the students are<br />
getting younger, it’s not just<br />
because you’re getting older.<br />
High school students, mainly from<br />
Shenton College, are spending more<br />
time at <strong>UWA</strong> and involved with <strong>UWA</strong><br />
staff and projects than ever before.<br />
More than 100 staff have devoted time<br />
over the past two years to Shenton<br />
College students, as part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Learning Links program.<br />
Shenton College thanked them all at a<br />
function in the Sunken Gardens earlier<br />
this month.<br />
<strong>The</strong> students had been included in<br />
more than 50 collaborative projects<br />
over 2007 and <strong>2008</strong>.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Andrew Lynch, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Denis Haskell and Dr Keiran Dolan from<br />
the School <strong>of</strong> English and Cultural<br />
Studies were thanked for the ongoing<br />
help they had given year 12 English<br />
Literature students.<br />
<strong>Staff</strong> across several areas were thanked<br />
for ASPIRE, a day organised by<br />
Student Services’ Filomina D’Cruz,<br />
designed to inspire high school<br />
students to come to <strong>UWA</strong> to study.<br />
Dr Judy Skene, Megan Henderson,<br />
Gary Cass, Dr Dave Webb, Jay Jay<br />
Jegathesan, Dr Chris Thorne and Tsu<br />
Yen Wong were all presented with<br />
certificates.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Shenton College aquatics<br />
program, run through the School <strong>of</strong><br />
Exercise Science, Sport and Health,<br />
resulted in Shenton winning the <strong>2008</strong><br />
A-grade schools carnival, thanks to<br />
Uniswim manager Will Schaeffer, senior<br />
student Sam Alexeef and lecturer<br />
Canon Richard Pengelly.<br />
<strong>The</strong> ARC Centre <strong>of</strong> Excellence in Plant<br />
Energy Biology continued its high<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ile program with the students,<br />
helping them to design and implement<br />
their own plant molecular biology<br />
research projects. Yvonne van der<br />
Ploeg was complimented for her work.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Robson presents certificates <strong>of</strong> appreciation<br />
to <strong>UWA</strong> staff involved with Learning Links<br />
<strong>The</strong> Virtual Universe Project benefitted<br />
from the help <strong>of</strong> photography students<br />
from Shenton College as they learnt<br />
how to use s<strong>of</strong>tware to create threedimensional<br />
images from their pictures.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jane Long, Filomina D’Cruz,<br />
Megan Henderson, Jay Jay<br />
Jegathesan, Dr Chris Thorne and Tsu<br />
Yen Wong were once again thanked for<br />
their involvement.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Shenton College Learning Links<br />
thank you ceremony is held every two<br />
years. <strong>UWA</strong> also has Learning Links<br />
with Belmont City College and Perth<br />
Modern School.<br />
Treats to promote research<br />
Rani Varathan (in white tee-shirt)<br />
surrounded by her pink elephant stall team<br />
Tiny cupcakes, most <strong>of</strong> them pink, home-made pink<br />
marshmallows, strawberry cordial and a fabulous palepink<br />
iced cake made by the fruit cake champion at the<br />
Perth Royal Show were just some <strong>of</strong> the tempting<br />
delights on <strong>of</strong>fer at the sixth annual pink elephant stall<br />
in the Guild Village.<br />
All have been organised by Rani Varathan, a research<br />
administration assistant in the Business School, who this year,<br />
with a special fund-raising home-page as well as the stall, raised<br />
$2,502.60 for research into breast cancer – a disease that claims<br />
the lives <strong>of</strong> more than 2,600 women and 95 men every year.<br />
Supported by her Business School colleagues, Rani collected a<br />
selection <strong>of</strong> second-hand books, DVDs and Breast Cancer<br />
Foundation and other donated merchandise to sell, along with<br />
tea, c<strong>of</strong>fee and mineral water supplied free by Broadway IGA.<br />
She also organised a forum with four speakers to share their<br />
breast cancer experiences. Rani thanks members <strong>of</strong> the PINK<br />
team who helped to prepare and run the fund-raising events, and<br />
the Guild for its support.<br />
<strong>The</strong> special fruit cake, made by Cheryl Weerasekera, a friend <strong>of</strong><br />
one <strong>of</strong> the stall organisers, was raffled.<br />
12<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia
STAFF ADS<br />
Classified advertising is free to<br />
staff. Email staffads@uwa.edu.au<br />
WANTED<br />
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FOR SALE<br />
Dell <strong>17</strong>20 MONO LASER PRINTER.<br />
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TO LET<br />
SCARBOROUGH: Fully furnished 2<br />
bedroom villa + 1 bathroom,<br />
floorboards all around, $470/week.<br />
Located in a quite complex <strong>of</strong> 8<br />
villas. Air conditioning, kitchen with<br />
fridge, microwave, oven, fridge.<br />
Separate toilet, laundry with<br />
washing machine. Single carport +<br />
visitors parking bay, courtyard to<br />
rear. Master bedroom has TV +<br />
DVD. Living area with s<strong>of</strong>a bed, TV<br />
+ DVD. Maximum 3 people, no<br />
smoke, no pets, minimum stay 30<br />
days. Bills not included. Email:<br />
mike@physics.uwa.edu.au or call:<br />
0404 872 944.<br />
FRENCHMAN BAY, ALBANY:<br />
Holiday rental property. 4 bedroom,<br />
2 bathroom modern house with<br />
stunning views over King George<br />
Sound. 5 minute walk to pristine<br />
Goode Beach. Fully furnished and<br />
self contained. Sleeps 8. Only need<br />
to bring linen. Contact Stephen<br />
Home on 0419 969 138 or<br />
stephen.home@uwa.edu.au<br />
BUSSELTON: “Driftwood Cottage”.<br />
New holiday house right in town.<br />
Only 250m to the beach or town<br />
centre, but quiet and secluded<br />
under big peppermint trees. Sleeps<br />
8, with big spa in main bedroom,<br />
fully self contained and you only<br />
need to bring linen. 10% discount<br />
for <strong>UWA</strong> staff. Can be viewed at<br />
http://www.stayz.com.au/29356<br />
Contact Nick Gibson on 0413 622<br />
269, 9305 9059, or nick.gibson@<br />
uwa.edu.au for more details.<br />
NANNUP: Holiday rental property.<br />
Beautiful secluded house set on 6<br />
acres. Sleeps 7/8. Fully fitted<br />
throughout to a high standard.<br />
Contact Nicky Davison on Ext<br />
3003, 9380 6508 or nicky.davison@<br />
uwa.edu.au. Also see website:<br />
www.kanjarralodge.com.au<br />
FRENCH PYRENEES: Holiday<br />
rental property. Characteristic rental<br />
property in the small French village<br />
<strong>of</strong> Rodes at the foothills <strong>of</strong> the<br />
French Pyrénées. 40 minutes from<br />
Perpignan and 2.5 hours from<br />
Barcelona. Sleeps 7. Fully fitted<br />
throughout. Contact Nicky Davison<br />
on Ext 3003, 9380 6508 or nicky.<br />
davison@uwa.edu.au. Also see<br />
website: www.voletsbleus.co.uk<br />
SITUATIONS WANTED<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> postgraduate student<br />
from New Zealand looking for work<br />
as a gardener (mainly weeding<br />
work) and cleaner, company<br />
secretary and temporary clerical<br />
work. Available now. Contact:<br />
snge@actrix.co.nz or Tel: 9389<br />
98<strong>17</strong><br />
HOUSESITTING<br />
My parents are coming from<br />
interstate and we are willing to look<br />
after your house while you are on<br />
vacation, possible dates are 22 Dec<br />
until 4th <strong>of</strong> Jan but can be changed<br />
depends on what suits you.<br />
Contact Mike. Email: mike@<br />
physics.uwa.edu.au or phone:<br />
0404 872 944<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> staff member,<br />
experienced house-sitter 6+ years.<br />
Will be available again from late<br />
January ’09. Long or short term.<br />
Good with pets and have<br />
references. Please contact David:<br />
0412 288 536; Ext 2406 or david.<br />
malthouse@yahoo.com.au<br />
NOTICES<br />
HOUSEMATES WANTED<br />
Would you like to live in the heart <strong>of</strong> East<br />
Fremantle, close to shops, cafes and the river?<br />
Ben, who uses an electric wheelchair, is an<br />
energetic, intelligent, thoughtful 22 year old who<br />
needs a housemate or two to share his recently<br />
refurbished home in King Street.<br />
Ben needs help with personal care, housework<br />
and preparing meals, but mostly he wants good<br />
company and somebody to be there at night.<br />
A team <strong>of</strong> carers from Perth Home Care Services<br />
will do a lot for Ben. His family and friends will <strong>of</strong>ten be around too, but Ben<br />
is looking forward to some independence in his new home, preferably with<br />
younger, non-smoking, people.<br />
He would like somebody to go out with for meals, concerts, rugby matches,<br />
the pub, movies and the opportunity to explore his dreams and interests.<br />
Ben enjoys going for walks, reading, music and good conversation. He<br />
hopes to develop a community garden in his backyard and looks forward to<br />
getting a companion dog.<br />
Students would fit the bill as housemates, as there would be plenty <strong>of</strong> time<br />
available for study and uni activities.<br />
If you want to know more about the benefits <strong>of</strong> sharing a home with<br />
Ben, including negotiable rent, a prime location and good company<br />
then contact Marina at Perth Home Care Services on 9204 7800.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Great Bike Ride<br />
Perth’s biggest mass cycling event, the Great Bike Ride, will take over the<br />
riverside paths on Sunday <strong>November</strong> 23.<br />
Presented by the City <strong>of</strong> Perth and hosted by Rotary, the event raises<br />
money for the St John <strong>of</strong> God Foundation Horizon House program, the<br />
Hope for Children project and the Heart Foundation.<br />
You can ride either 10km, 53 km or 106km, as an individual, a family group<br />
or a team with up to 10 members.<br />
Sponsorship is waived if you meet your fundraising target, which varies<br />
depending on the distance ridden and the number <strong>of</strong> people in a group,<br />
from just $15 for an individual under the age <strong>of</strong> 16, to $2,500 for a group <strong>of</strong><br />
10 riding the 106km course. <strong>The</strong> ride starts and ends at Langley Park.<br />
On-line registration for individuals is open until noon on Friday <strong>November</strong> 21;<br />
registration for groups or by fax closes earlier. For more information and to<br />
register for the ride, go to www.greatbikeride.com.au<br />
<strong>The</strong> event also needs up to 300 volunteers, so if cycling is not your thing,<br />
you can lend a hand packing cycling kits in Subiaco in the week leading up<br />
to the ride; act as a road marshal; drive the medics around the course; or<br />
help out at a water stop.<br />
Volunteers will be given a Great Bike Ride T-shirt and refreshments. <strong>The</strong><br />
earliest volunteer would start at 5.30am, with the last one finishing by noon.<br />
To register as a volunteer, contact Sophie Hamdorf at sophie.<br />
hamdorf@ssjg.org.au<br />
REDUNDANT EQUIPMENT<br />
CONDITION refers to the general condition <strong>of</strong> the item (1=as new, 2=good, 3=serviceable, 4=unserviceable). AGE refers to the nearest year.<br />
Schools are reminded that all university equipment available for sale must be advertised in <strong>UWA</strong> news. Receipts should be PeopleS<strong>of</strong>t account coded 490<br />
(computing with barcode), 491 (non-computing with barcode) or 493 (items with no barcode). If equipment has an existing barcode please contact extension<br />
3618 for details. Preference will be given to School bids. Please identify your bid as School or private.<br />
ITEM PRICE AGE COND SECTION CONTACT<br />
Laptop – IBM Thinkpad R31 – Win2000 $150 4 2 Medicine, Dentistry and Jeremy.McGready@uwa.edu.au<br />
CPU P3 – 1133MHZ, RAM – 256MB, HD 28GB, Health Sciences Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30am–3:30pm.9346 7364<br />
CD-RW, PCMCIA Slot<br />
Laptop – IBM Thinkpad R51 – WinSP SP2 CPU $250 3 2 Medicine, Dentistry and Jeremy.McGready@uwa.edu.au<br />
P4 – 1.60GHZ, RAM – 512MB, HD 51GB, Health Sciences Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30am–3:30pm.9346 7364<br />
DVD – CDRW, WIFI<br />
Laptop – Mac G4 Powerbook 867MHz $100 4 3 Medicine, Dentistry and Jeremy.McGready@uwa.edu.au<br />
OS X 10.3 – HD 40GB, Combo Drive, 256MB Memory Health Sciences Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30am–3:30pm.9346 7364<br />
Laptop – Mac G3 iBook 900MHz OS X 10.3 $100 4 3 Medicine, Dentistry and Jeremy.McGready@uwa.edu.au<br />
HD 20 GB, RAM – 128MB CD-RW Optical Drive Health Sciences Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30am–3:30pm. 9346 7364<br />
Laptop – Toshbia Satelite Pro 4600 Win2000 SP4 $50 4 2 Medicine, Dentistry and Jeremy.McGready@uwa.edu.au<br />
P3-897MHZ,HD – 28GB, RAM – 320MB DVD Rom Health Sciences Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30am–3:30pm. 9346 7364<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia <strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 13
NOTICES<br />
ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE<br />
ASSOCIATION OF<br />
AUSTRALIA AND NEW<br />
ZEALAND (AFAANZ)<br />
Dr Sze Koh, Dr Robert Durand,<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> Business School: ‘Saints<br />
Versus Sinners. Does Morality<br />
Matter?’—$3,670 (2009)<br />
CANCER COUNCIL OF<br />
WESTERN AUSTRALIA<br />
Dr Juliana Hamzah, <strong>UWA</strong> Centre<br />
for Medical Research: ‘Intratumoral<br />
Targeting <strong>of</strong> IFNy to Pre‐condition<br />
Soild Tumour for Effective<br />
Immunotherapy’—$25,000 (<strong>2008</strong>)<br />
CIRCADIAN TECHNOLOGY<br />
PTE LTD<br />
A/Pr<strong>of</strong> Hans Stampfer, Psychiatry<br />
and Clinical Neurosciences:<br />
‘Development <strong>of</strong> Circardian Heart<br />
Rate Analysis for Diagnostic<br />
Applications in Psychiatry’ —<br />
$60,000 (<strong>2008</strong>)<br />
COPYRIGHT AGENCY<br />
LIMITED<br />
A/Pr<strong>of</strong> Delys Bird, Dr Toby<br />
Burrows, Pr<strong>of</strong> Dennis Haskell,<br />
Humanities, Social and Cultural<br />
Studies: ‘Westerly Digitisation<br />
Project’—$36,300 (2009)<br />
HEALTH DEPARTMENT<br />
OF WA<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong> Christobel Saunders, A/<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong> S Aoun, Pr<strong>of</strong> A Wilkinson,<br />
Surgery, Edith Cowan <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Curtin <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Technology:<br />
‘WA Cancer and Palliative Care<br />
Research and Evaluation Unit’—<br />
$4,000,000 (<strong>2008</strong>)<br />
MEDICAL BENEFITS FUND<br />
OF AUSTRALIA LTD<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong> Osvaldo Almeida, Psychiatry<br />
and Clinical Neurosciences:<br />
‘Developing a Practical Clinical<br />
Approach to Healthy Ageing: <strong>The</strong><br />
MBF Foundation Study’—$413,406<br />
(<strong>2008</strong>)<br />
NEUROTRAUMA RESEARCH<br />
PROGRAM (NRP)<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong> Alan Harvey, Dr Jennifer<br />
Rodger, Anatomy and Human<br />
Biology, Animal Biology: ‘Can<br />
Gene <strong>The</strong>rapy Promote<br />
Regeneration after Distal Axonal<br />
Injury in the Brain?’—$61,000<br />
(2009)<br />
Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery<br />
other gravities<br />
a musical and literary soiree<br />
7pm Saturday <strong>November</strong> 30<br />
pi, a group <strong>of</strong> classical musicians with an extraordinary talent for<br />
improvisation presents a program based on other gravities the poetry <strong>of</strong><br />
Kevin Gillam.<br />
<strong>The</strong> performance is ‘exit by donation’. If you liked the show, you can pay $25;<br />
If not, you could “give us a couple <strong>of</strong> bucks for trying!” (Director David Pye)<br />
RESEARCH GRANTS AND CONTRACTS<br />
Dr Jennifer Rodger, Dr Rachel<br />
Sherrard, Anatomy and Human<br />
Biology, Animal Biology: ‘Less<br />
Inhibition with More Stimulation?<br />
Can Ephrin Blockade and<br />
Environmental Enrichment<br />
Promote Recovery after<br />
Neurotrauma?’—$<strong>17</strong>1,000<br />
(2009‐10)<br />
Dr Jennifer Rodger, Ms Jane<br />
Dundas, Dr Gary Thickbroom,<br />
Animal Biology, Edith Cowan<br />
<strong>University</strong>, Centre for<br />
Neuromuscular and Neurological<br />
Disorders: ‘A Comparison <strong>of</strong><br />
Non‐Invasive Interventions to<br />
Maximise Plasticity in the<br />
Brain’—$150,000 (<strong>2008</strong>‐09)<br />
OFFICE OF CRIME<br />
PREVENTION<br />
Dr Joseph Clare, Dr Francis<br />
Morgan, Crime Research Centre:<br />
‘Analysing the Effect <strong>of</strong> Covert<br />
Mobile CCTV for Reducing Graffiti<br />
Vandalism’—$49,898 (<strong>2008</strong>)<br />
STATE HEALTH RESEARCH<br />
ADVISORY COUNCIL<br />
(SHRAC)<br />
Dr Glenn Arendts, Dr M<br />
Donaldson, Primary, Aboriginal<br />
and Rural Health Care: ‘Predicting<br />
Admission and Representation<br />
after Discharge in Older Persons<br />
that Undergo Comprehensive<br />
Multidisciplinary ED Assessment’<br />
— $154,700 (2009)<br />
WA HEALTH PROMOTION<br />
FOUNDATION<br />
Dr Linda Slack‐Smith, Pr<strong>of</strong><br />
Louise Brearley Messer, School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Dentistry: ‘Linking Child Health<br />
and School Dental Data Toward<br />
Prevention’—$20,000 (<strong>2008</strong>)<br />
Dr Terri Pikora, Dr Rebecca<br />
Braham, Sport Science, Exercise<br />
and Health, Population Health:<br />
‘Wet and Wild ‐ Assessing Injury<br />
Among Recreational Water<br />
Activities’—$<strong>17</strong>,3<strong>17</strong> (<strong>2008</strong>)<br />
WELSH FREE CHURCH EX<br />
LOTTERYWEST<br />
Dr Jean Chetkovich,<br />
Humanities: ‘Welsh Free Church<br />
History’—$43,500 (<strong>2008</strong>)<br />
NEW STAFF<br />
Please welcome the following new staff who joined the <strong>University</strong><br />
between May and October. This listing will continue in the next issue.<br />
Erica Anderton, Careers Adviser,<br />
Administration<br />
Melissa Ariti, Research Assistant,<br />
Natural and Agricultural Sciences<br />
Michael Armstrong, Senior<br />
Technician, Engineering, Computing<br />
and Mathematics<br />
Rebecca Armstrong,<br />
Administrative Officer, <strong>UWA</strong><br />
Business School<br />
Jessica Ashton, Admin Secretary,<br />
Life and Physical Sciences<br />
Sarah Bain, Research Assistant,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Dr David Barrie, Lecturer, Arts,<br />
Humanities and Social Sciences<br />
Dr Ge<strong>of</strong>frey Batt, Senior Research<br />
Fellow, Natural and Agricultural<br />
Sciences<br />
Megan Bell, Administrative<br />
Assistant, Administration<br />
Georgina Bender, Procurement<br />
Assistant, Administration<br />
Janina Beyer, Graduate Research<br />
Assistant, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Rebecca Blakeney, Senior<br />
Graphic Designer, Administration<br />
Noel Boylan, Research Associate,<br />
Engineering, Computing and<br />
Mathematics<br />
Denise Bracken, Administrative<br />
Officer (Finance), Medicine,<br />
Dentistry and Health Sciences<br />
Dr Liam Brady, Postdoctoral<br />
Fellow, Arts, Humanities and Social<br />
Sciences<br />
Sarah Brookes, Graduate<br />
Research Assistant, Medicine,<br />
Dentistry and Health Sciences<br />
Dr Craig Bullen, Research<br />
Associate, Life and Physical<br />
Sciences<br />
Sarah Burke, Research Fellow,<br />
Arts, Humanities and Social<br />
Sciences<br />
Caroline Buykx, Research Officer,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Jodie Callum, Web Designer,<br />
Administration<br />
Wendy Cater, Research Assistant,<br />
Administration<br />
Seyed Morteza Chalak<br />
Haghighi, Research Fellow, Natural<br />
and Agricultural Sciences<br />
Sze Sze Chau, Accountant<br />
(Faculty Support), Administration<br />
Susan Cochrane, Senior Library<br />
Officer, Academic Services<br />
Dr Catherine Colas des<br />
Francs-Small, Research<br />
Associate, Life and Physical<br />
Sciences<br />
Lynette Connor, Administrative<br />
Officer, Administration<br />
Susan Cowin, Postgraduate<br />
Student Experience Co-ordinator,<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> Business School<br />
Candice Cox, Dental Clinic<br />
Assistant, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Gavin Criddle, Computer Support<br />
Officer, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Andrea Curatolo, Research<br />
Associate, Engineering, Computing<br />
and Mathematics<br />
Richard Dalton, Graduate<br />
Research Assistant, Medicine,<br />
Dentistry and Health Sciences<br />
Dr Sushma Daniels, Dentist,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Susan Davidson, Records<br />
Management Officer, Administration<br />
Fay Davidson, Research Officer,<br />
Natural and Agricultural Sciences<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor David Day,<br />
Management and Leadership, <strong>UWA</strong><br />
Business School<br />
Sylvia Defendi, Marketing Intern,<br />
Administration<br />
Julie Denning, Admin Assistant,<br />
Life and Physical Sciences<br />
Roderick Dewsbury, Manager,<br />
Administration<br />
Dr Ian Dick, Research Associate,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Thi Do, Accounts Officer,<br />
Administration<br />
Debra Donovan, Technical<br />
Assistant, Natural and Agricultural<br />
Sciences<br />
Caroline Dowley, Assistant<br />
(Admin), Administration<br />
Sara Drake, Library Officer,<br />
Academic Services<br />
Simon Duff, Developer,<br />
Administration<br />
Karen Dunstan, Strategic<br />
Sourcing Officer, Administration<br />
Xiaoqin Fang, Dental Clinic<br />
Assistant, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Dr Keiko Fukui, Lecturer, Arts,<br />
Humanities and Social Sciences<br />
Peggy Gan, Accounting Assistant,<br />
Administration<br />
Peter Giles, Library Officer,<br />
Academic Services<br />
Kim Goddard, Senior Lecturer,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Gillian Grant, Personal Assistant,<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> Business School<br />
Samantha Greene, Science<br />
Education Officer, Natural and<br />
Agricultural Sciences<br />
Dr Qinghua Guo, Research<br />
Associate, Engineering, Computing<br />
and Mathematics<br />
Ying Guo, Soils Technician,<br />
Engineering, Computing and<br />
Mathematics<br />
Sanaa Hadad, Dental Clinic<br />
Assistant, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
14<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia
NEW STAFF<br />
Helena Halton, Associate Lecturer,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Patricia Harms, Dental Clinic<br />
Assistant, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Julie-Ann Hart, Senior Information<br />
Architect, Administration<br />
Dickon Hayne, Associate<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Tracy Hayward, Administrative<br />
Officer, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Rebecca Hitchings,<br />
Communications Officer,<br />
Engineering, Computing and<br />
Mathematics<br />
Natalie Holmes, Project Officer,<br />
Administration<br />
Edward Houston, Associate<br />
Lecturer, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Dr Zhiqun Huang, Graduate<br />
Research Assistant, Natural and<br />
Agricultural Sciences<br />
Dr Ben Jackson, Research<br />
Associate, Life and Physical<br />
Sciences<br />
Anna Jarratt, Research Assistant,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Dr Sasha Jenkins, Research<br />
Associate, Natural and Agricultural<br />
Sciences<br />
Sandy Johnston, Executive<br />
Assistant, Administration<br />
Diana Jones, Administrative<br />
Assistant, Administration<br />
Dr Ricarda Jost, Research<br />
Associate, Natural and Agricultural<br />
Sciences<br />
Dr Simeon Kaitibie, Research<br />
Fellow, Natural and Agricultural<br />
Sciences<br />
Harpreet Kaur, Administrative<br />
Officer, Administration<br />
Dr Olivier Keech, Research<br />
Associate, Life and Physical<br />
Sciences<br />
Matthew Kershaw, Administrative<br />
Assistant, Arts, Humanities and<br />
Social Sciences<br />
Lesliati Kumulia, Dental Clinic<br />
Assistant, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Jacqui Landmann, Records<br />
Management Officer, Administration<br />
Youcef Lanez, Technical Officer,<br />
Arts, Humanities and Social<br />
Sciences<br />
Dr Melissa Latter, Australian<br />
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Life and<br />
Physical Sciences<br />
Dr Wai Kwong Lau, Lecturer,<br />
Engineering, Computing and<br />
Mathematics<br />
Benjamin Lawrence, Customer<br />
Support Officer, Administration<br />
Tracie Lazaroo, Research<br />
Assistant, Life and Physical<br />
Sciences<br />
Ha Le Thi, Administrative<br />
Assistant, <strong>UWA</strong> Business School<br />
Jennifer Leen, Editorial Intern,<br />
Administration<br />
Jessica Lewis, Graduate<br />
Research Assistant, Life and<br />
Physical Sciences<br />
Tingfu Liang, Information Analyst,<br />
Administration<br />
Rabecca Light, Administrative<br />
Officer, Life and Physical Sciences<br />
Dr Roslyn London, Research<br />
Fellow, Life and Physical Sciences<br />
David London, It Support Officer,<br />
Administration<br />
Dr Rowena Long, Research<br />
Associate, Natural and Agricultural<br />
Sciences<br />
Dr Marion Macnish, Manager,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Susan Marie, Director, <strong>University</strong><br />
Extension<br />
Lauren Martin, Research Officer,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Sarah Mawson, Project Officer,<br />
Natural and Agricultural Sciences<br />
Susan McKenna, Communications<br />
Manager, Natural and<br />
Agricultural Sciences<br />
Stacey McKie, Administrative<br />
Assistant, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Kristian Menendez Rivera, It<br />
Support Analyst, Medicine,<br />
Dentistry and Health Sciences<br />
Peter Miller, Team Leader,<br />
Administration<br />
Marilyn Monaghan, Administrative<br />
Officer, Engineering, Computing<br />
and Mathematics<br />
Tanina Moretta, Receptionist,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Helen Morrell, Project Officer,<br />
Administration<br />
Felix Mueller, Research Fellow,<br />
Life and Physical Sciences<br />
Margaret Musca, Administrative<br />
Assistant, Arts, Humanities and<br />
Social Sciences<br />
Dr Gopalan Nair, Senior Lecturer,<br />
Engineering, Computing and<br />
Mathematics<br />
Dr Bibhash Nath, Research<br />
Fellow, Engineering, Computing<br />
and Mathematics<br />
Sandra Ng Wing Lit, Information<br />
Analyst, Administration<br />
Megan O’Connor, Administrative<br />
Secretary, Arts, Humanities and<br />
Social Sciences<br />
Dr Anna Parker, Senior Lecturer,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Jino Penaranda, Printing<br />
Machinist, Administration<br />
Joelle Penning, Web Content<br />
Editor, Administration<br />
Kia Pfaeffli, Research Assistant,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
Dr Maksym Polyakov, Research<br />
Fellow, Natural and Agricultural<br />
Sciences<br />
Isarut Prayurasiddhi, Accounting<br />
Officer, Administration<br />
Kathryn Ramsey, Graduate<br />
Research Assistant, Life and<br />
Physical Sciences<br />
Michelle Ridley, Web Co-<br />
Ordinator, Natural and Agricultural<br />
Sciences<br />
Maria Rioja Capellan, Research<br />
Fellow, Life and Physical Sciences<br />
Glen Robinson, Manager, Campus<br />
and Accommodation Planning,<br />
Administration<br />
Sanchia Robinson, Programme<br />
Co-Ordinator, Administration<br />
Keith Rockliffe, Library Officer,<br />
Academic Services<br />
Michaela Ruffner, Library Officer,<br />
Academic Services<br />
Kanthi Rupasinghe, Admin<br />
Assistant, Arts, Humanities and<br />
Social Sciences<br />
Dr Sergio Sara, Research<br />
Associate, Life and Physical Sciences<br />
David Seaman, Workers’<br />
Compensation Officer,<br />
Administration<br />
Larissa Sexton-Finck, Associate<br />
Lecturer, Arts, Humanities and<br />
Social Sciences<br />
Amanda Shannon, Administrative<br />
Assistant, Engineering, Computing<br />
and Mathematics<br />
Dr Jaffar Shehatha, Senior<br />
Lecturer, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Wakako Shimizu, Admin Assistant<br />
(Enrolments), Administration<br />
Geetha Shute, Postdoctoral<br />
Coordinator, <strong>UWA</strong> Business School<br />
Dr Delphine Siret, Postdoctoral<br />
Research Fellow, Natural and<br />
Agricultural Sciences<br />
Anthony Smith, It Support Officer,<br />
Medicine, Dentistry and Health<br />
Sciences<br />
David Smith, Project Officer,<br />
Administration<br />
Dr Iris Sonntag, Research Fellow,<br />
Natural and Agricultural Sciences<br />
Sharon Staniforth, Accounts<br />
Officer, Natural and Agricultural<br />
Sciences<br />
Jonathan Steingiesser, Systems<br />
Analyst, Academic Services<br />
Karen Stewart, Project Officer,<br />
Administration<br />
Dr Alison Sweet, Research<br />
Associate, Life and Physical<br />
Sciences<br />
Wee Tan, Accountant,<br />
Administration<br />
Guan Ming Teo, Web Developer,<br />
Administration<br />
Dr Christian Thomas, Research<br />
Associate, Engineering, Computing<br />
and Mathematics<br />
Neil Turner, Maintenance<br />
Technician (Ro<strong>of</strong>ing),<br />
Administration<br />
Christine Underwood,<br />
Administrative Assistant, Medicine,<br />
Dentistry and Health Sciences<br />
Dr Kerrie Unsworth, Senior<br />
Lecturer, <strong>UWA</strong> Business School<br />
Fabio Valente, Graduate<br />
Research Assistant, Medicine,<br />
Dentistry and Health Sciences<br />
Eline Van Raak, Intern,<br />
Administration<br />
James Veder, Systems Analyst,<br />
Academic Services<br />
Dr David Wacey, Postdoctoral<br />
Research Fellow, Natural and<br />
Agricultural Sciences<br />
Tahmina Wahab, Dental Clinic<br />
Assistant, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Ian Waite, Scientific Officer,<br />
Natural and Agricultural Sciences<br />
Kar Mun Wan, Developer,<br />
Administration<br />
Karen Watson, Administrative<br />
Assistant, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Michael Weaver, Co-Ordinator<br />
(Training and Documentation),<br />
Administration<br />
Dr Lars Woeckel, Associate<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Medicine, Dentistry and<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Yirga Woldeyes, Security Officer,<br />
Administration<br />
Emeritus Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Michael<br />
Wood, Visiting Pr<strong>of</strong>essor,<br />
Administration<br />
Melina Wood, Research<br />
Development Officer, <strong>UWA</strong><br />
Business School<br />
Fei Xie, Accounts Assistant,<br />
Administration<br />
Dr Sukru Yalcinkaya, Research<br />
Associate, Engineering, Computing<br />
and Mathematics<br />
Dr Maodu Yan, Postdoctoral<br />
Research Fellow, Natural and<br />
Agricultural Sciences<br />
Jennifer Yeap, It Support Officer,<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> Business School<br />
Dr Gillian Yeo, Lecturer, <strong>UWA</strong><br />
Business School<br />
Doug Youd, Network Systems<br />
Officer, Academic Services<br />
Adam Young, Technician (Animal<br />
House), Administration<br />
Dr Aibin Zhang, Research<br />
Associate, Life and Physical<br />
Sciences<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia <strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 15
the last word …<br />
Keeping abreast<br />
<strong>of</strong> succession<br />
changes<br />
John Hockley<br />
Lecturer in Succession Law<br />
Acting course coordinator, Law School<br />
Don’t die in <strong>Western</strong> Australia, the saying goes.<br />
Why? Because if you do, your estate is governed by<br />
laws that reflect the social conditions in England<br />
before 1925, conditions that never existed here.<br />
However, things are changing, slowly. For instance, informal<br />
wills are now allowed. An informal will does not have to be<br />
made in accordance with the strict provision <strong>of</strong> the Wills Act. A<br />
handwritten note and even a suicide note have been allowed<br />
as informal wills. <strong>The</strong> Wills Act 2007 takes this a step further in<br />
that it introduces a wide definition <strong>of</strong> what is now a document.<br />
A video is a document. You can make a video <strong>of</strong> yourself<br />
reading, singing, chanting or even rapping your will.<br />
An SMS message from someone lost in the outback stating,<br />
‘I leave everything to Mum,’ could be a valid will.<br />
WA has now rejoined the Uniform Succession Law Project<br />
conducted by the Queensland Law Reform Commission. <strong>The</strong><br />
Commission publishes ‘Model Laws’ from which participating<br />
States are free to take or leave various suggestions. It’s<br />
something like a smorgasbord. Nonetheless, within a certain<br />
area there is a harmonisation <strong>of</strong> the laws between the States.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Succession Laws consist <strong>of</strong> three Acts, the Wills Act, as<br />
you have seen, the Administration Act and the Inheritance<br />
(Family and Dependants Provision) Act.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first <strong>of</strong> the reformed Acts is the Wills (Amendment) Act<br />
2007. This Act was proclaimed on 9 February <strong>2008</strong> and<br />
commenced on and from that date. This Act introduces some<br />
symmetry into the law <strong>of</strong> wills.<br />
It has long been the law that when you get married your will is<br />
revoked. Now, when you get divorced your will is revoked. If<br />
you know someone who has become divorced this year,<br />
remind them to make a new will or they will die intestate<br />
(without a will) and fall into the intestacy provisions. You would<br />
not wish your worst enemy to fall into the intestacy provisions.<br />
A well-known example is an elderly woman living in a unit in<br />
Crawley with her husband, who was previously married and<br />
had two adult children. <strong>The</strong> title to the unit was in her<br />
husband’s name. <strong>The</strong> husband could not decide how to leave<br />
his estate between his children and his second wife. During<br />
his lifetime, relations between the second wife and his children<br />
were cool. He died intestate. <strong>The</strong> children turned feral towards<br />
her and insisted on their legal rights. Under the intestacy laws<br />
the wife received $50,000 (a statutory legacy) and one-third <strong>of</strong><br />
the balance. <strong>The</strong> two children received the other two-thirds.<br />
<strong>The</strong> bulk <strong>of</strong> the estate was the unit. If the intestacy provisions<br />
alone are applied, the result is that the unit would have to be<br />
sold and the widow would be forced to move, taking with her<br />
$50,000 and one-third <strong>of</strong> the estate.<br />
For some years, lawyers have been taking legal actions for<br />
such wives, claiming that the share <strong>of</strong> the estate left to them<br />
was inadequate for their proper maintenance and<br />
advancement in life under the Inheritance (Family and<br />
Dependants Provision) Act.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are proposals to change the intestacy laws to increase<br />
the statutory legacy <strong>of</strong> $50,000 to the median house price.<br />
This figure is constantly changing, but if a sum <strong>of</strong> about<br />
$400,000 were allowed, then the spouse would either obtain<br />
the matrimonial home or be in a position to borrow against it<br />
and buy out any children from her husband’s first marriage.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a Bill before State Parliament to amend the<br />
Inheritance (Family and Dependants Provision) Act. Its name<br />
will be changed to the Family Provision Act. In all Australian<br />
States there has been an increase in litigation over wills and<br />
estates. With many family homes now worth more than a<br />
million dollars, estates are worth fighting over. One <strong>of</strong> the main<br />
changes in the act is to allow stepchildren who were<br />
maintained by a deceased immediately before his death to<br />
make a claim against his estate.<br />
We need to teach Law students about the changes to the<br />
Succession Laws in WA. Hopefully, they will keep the laws up<br />
to date in the 21st century — something that was not<br />
achieved in the 20th.<br />
<strong>UWA</strong> NEWS<br />
EDITOR/WRITER: Lindy Brophy, Public Affairs<br />
with Sally-Ann Jones, Public Affairs<br />
Tel: 6488 2436 Fax: 6488 1020<br />
Email: lindy.brophy@uwa.edu.au<br />
Hackett Foundation Building, M360<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Public Affairs: Doug Durack<br />
Tel: 6488 2806 Fax: 6488 1020<br />
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<strong>UWA</strong>news online: http://uwanews.publishing.uwa.edu.au/<br />
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<strong>UWA</strong> NEWS <strong>17</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Australia