Issue 07. 2 June 2008 - UWA Staff - The University of Western ...

Sporting
champions
reflect
international
excellence
The international excellence
of our University is reflected
in very many different ways
ranging from institutional to
personal success across the
spectrum of academic,
cultural and sporting pursuits.
The outstanding performance of
UWA Motorsport to be named
World Champions of Formula SAE
motor racing is one such example.
By taking on the world’s best teams
and winning in the US state of
Michigan – regarded as the home of
the world motor vehicle industry
– the UWA Motorsport team has
again highlighted the research-led
innovation for which UWA is
renowned.
This outstanding achievement –
largely by students from the Faculty
of Engineering, Computing and
Mathematics, but also students
from other faculties and schools – is
something in which the whole
University takes pride. Their team’s
success spans a broad range of
activities from design,
manufacturing and testing, to
project management, budgeting
and marketing.
This project brings together many
important activities from the
practical applications of academic
study, to linkages and partnerships
across campus and beyond - with
the business and industry sectors.
It is also a pointer to the importance
of the student experience at UWA
which provides students with every
opportunity to fulfil multiple aspects
of their lives – in this case academic
and sporting achievement at
international standards of
excellence.
This University has a long and
distinguished sporting history which
has played a significant part in the
development of our reputation.
UWA’s founders were deliberate in
their aim to provide not just a place
of learning, but a full and rich
campus life for students.
Continuing that tradition, we
recently signed an agreement with
the Western Australian Institute of
Sport to develop an internationally
recognised high performance sport
centre for research, training and
graduate sport science education.
The centre will bring together worldclass
science and world-class
athletes under an agreement which
will benefit elite and non-elite
athletes alike, furthering our
understanding of the factors that
make high performance athletes.
And it was pleasing to see
graduates and students among the
Western Australian Institute of
Sport’s Champions Breakfast
awards that acknowledge athletes
and WAIS staff who had achieved
excellence in the past year.
They included Andrea Gilmore
(netball); Verity Long Droppert
(softball); Kobie McGurk (hockey);
Matt Doyle (WAIS Technical Analysis
Officer); Liz Chetkovich (WAIS Head
of Gymnastics); and Gilman Barnitt
(WAIS Head of Strength and
Conditioning).
Our graduates and students
continue to make up a ‘who’s who’
of Western Australian sport as the
University’s strong sporting culture
continues to grow and prosper.
Alan Robson
Vice-Chancellor
Children’s
fund award
for UWA
UWA is the first organisation in
Western Australia to receive
the Save the Children White
Flame award for its
contribution to children over
nearly 100 years.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan
Robson said the award reflected the
University’s aim of achieving
international excellence.
The award was named in honour of
Save the Children founder Eglantyne
Jebb, who was driven by the
appalling plight of Europe’s starving
children in the wake of the First
World War and became known as
the white flame for her passion for
children’s rights.
Sue Aldenton, Chair of Save the
Children’s WA State Council, said
the award recognised the
University’s longstanding record of
progressing the rights of children
through research and teaching.
She commended the University’s
outreach programs including the
annual Save the Children book sale
at UWA. Started by the wives of
academics 44 years ago, the sale
has raised more than $2 million for
programs for children in Australia
and worldwide.
“The University, through the Student
Guild, has been generous in
supporting Uni Camp for Kids for
underprivileged children,” she said.
“The university also recognises the
rights of students with disabilities,
provides substantial parental leave
and supports staff who use their
skills and expertise as they work
with children in many different
circumstances.”
Whitfeld Fellows
The last issue of UWAnews
reported that Dr Mark Ruitenberg
had supervised Jana Vukovic’s PhD
research, but it was, in fact,
Professor Alan Harvey, Dr Giles Plant
and Dr Samantha Busfield.
Dr Ruitenberg had nominated Jana
for the Whitfeld Fellowship.
4
UWA NEWS 2 June 2008
The University of Western Australia