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UQ News Online<br />
www.uq.edu.au/news<br />
UQ NEWS<br />
NOVEMBER 2003 NO. 530<br />
Engineers<br />
educated<br />
in reality
Learn more<br />
about one <strong>of</strong><br />
Australia’s top<br />
universities<br />
Find out about the range <strong>of</strong> flexible <strong>and</strong> career-tailored postgraduate<br />
coursework options at the UQ Postgraduate Evening.<br />
Whether you want to boost your qualifications or make a career change,<br />
UQ postgraduate qualifications put you a world ahead.<br />
UQ Postgraduate Evening<br />
Customs House, 399 Queen Street<br />
Tuesday December 2, 5pm–7.30pm<br />
www.uq.edu.au
November 4, 2003 Issue 530<br />
UQ news<br />
5<br />
6<br />
9<br />
MESSAGE FROM<br />
THE VICE-CHANCELLOR<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Queensl<strong>and</strong><br />
recorded an outst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
achievement in October when the<br />
Australian Universities Quality<br />
Agency (AUQA) released its<br />
overwhelmingly positive audit<br />
report <strong>of</strong> UQ (see story page 4).<br />
The report was issued amid<br />
continued uncertainty about proposed Federal Government<br />
reforms to the higher education sector.<br />
There are a number <strong>of</strong> issues which are clouding the drive<br />
for change, including the Federal Government’s attempt to<br />
tie much needed additional funding for universities to its<br />
workplace reform agenda. UQ <strong>and</strong> many other universities<br />
have expressed strong opposition to this proposal.<br />
Another contentious matter in the proposed legislation<br />
surrounds governance, with Federal Minister for<br />
Education, Science <strong>and</strong> Training Dr Brendan Nelson in<br />
favour <strong>of</strong> restricting the size <strong>of</strong> governing councils in future.<br />
It is noteworthy that AUQA panelists specifically<br />
commended UQ’s 35-member Senate, describing it as<br />
“reflective <strong>and</strong> engaged”. They also praised the positive<br />
relationship which existed between the Senate, <strong>University</strong><br />
executive <strong>and</strong> the wider UQ community.<br />
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Margaret<br />
Gardner’s <strong>of</strong>fice is co-ordinating preparation <strong>of</strong> a plan,<br />
indicating the actions the <strong>University</strong> intends to take in<br />
addressing the audit report findings.<br />
The action plan will be submitted with comments from the<br />
Academic Board to Senate for approval in December, with<br />
onward submission to AUQA early in 2004.<br />
I am confident we have the systems, but more importantly,<br />
the people, in place to continue to improve. I would like to<br />
thank the dedicated <strong>and</strong> outst<strong>and</strong>ing staff who continue to<br />
contribute to this magnificent effort.<br />
RESEARCH<br />
GRANTS<br />
LONG JOURNEY<br />
ENDS IN HOPE<br />
GECKO<br />
DISCOVERY<br />
NEW TRAINING<br />
LABORATORY<br />
SHOWCASING TEACHING<br />
METHODS AND REWARDING<br />
EXCELLENCE PAGE 7<br />
AUDIT REPORT RELEASED ................................................... 4<br />
CORPORATE BRAIN TEASE ................................................... 8<br />
TECHNOLOGY INCUBATOR UNVEILED ............................... 11<br />
RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS ...................... 12<br />
DEPRESSION INITIATIVE LAUNCHED ................................. 16<br />
UQ IPSWICH CELEBRATION ................................................ 17<br />
TELSTRA AWARDS UQ GRADUATES .................................. 19<br />
AQUACULTURE FACILITY REFURBISHED ............................ 22<br />
10 15 21<br />
ALUMNI AWARDS<br />
ANNOUNCED<br />
IN PRINT: NERIDA<br />
NEWTON<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John Hay<br />
COVER PHOTO: Senior lecturer Caroline Crosthwaite in a<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Engineering laboratory.<br />
UQ NEWS is produced by the <strong>Office</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Marketing</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Communications</strong>, The<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Queensl<strong>and</strong>, Brisbane, Qld, 4<strong>07</strong>2, Australia Telephone: (<strong>07</strong>) 3365 3367<br />
Facsimile: (<strong>07</strong>) 3365 1488 Editor: Brad Turner (<strong>07</strong>) 3365 2659, b.turner@uq.edu.au<br />
Editorial: Joanne van Zeel<strong>and</strong> (<strong>07</strong>) 3365 2619, j.vanzeel<strong>and</strong>@uq.edu.au; Chris Saxby<br />
(<strong>07</strong>) 3365 2479, c.saxby@uq.edu.au Art: Wendy Oakley Photography: Chris Stacey<br />
(<strong>07</strong>) 3365 1735, c.stacey@uq.edu.au; Diana Lilley (photo librarian) (<strong>07</strong>) 3365 2753,<br />
d.lilley@uq.edu.au Printing: Print Works, Geebung<br />
Circulation: 15,000<br />
Advertising (external): John Treacy <strong>and</strong> Associates (<strong>07</strong>) 3846 0655 (internal): Tina<br />
Hannan (<strong>07</strong>) 3365 2049<br />
Registered by Australia Post Publication No. QBH <strong>01</strong>04<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Queensl<strong>and</strong>’s web address is www.uq.edu.au
Quality appraisal<br />
result applauded<br />
UQ has been highly commended after a<br />
thorough audit by an independent, national,<br />
not-for-pr<strong>of</strong>it higher education agency.<br />
The Great Court, St Lucia campus<br />
The Australian Universities<br />
Quality Agency (AUQA) has<br />
praised UQ for outst<strong>and</strong>ing leadership<br />
<strong>and</strong> excellent quality performance in<br />
an audit report released on October 1.<br />
The audit panel agreed the <strong>University</strong>’s<br />
claim in its internal audit that<br />
“...UQ has an embedded culture <strong>of</strong><br />
quality at the institution-wide <strong>and</strong> individual<br />
level”, was a justified claim.<br />
AUQA praised UQ’s self-review –<br />
outlined in its 2003 Performance Portfolio<br />
– <strong>and</strong> found its quality processes<br />
to be <strong>of</strong> a very high st<strong>and</strong>ard.<br />
The overwhelmingly positive<br />
report, based on an audit panel visit<br />
from June 1–5 this year, concluded that<br />
“...UQ benefits from strong leadership<br />
which sets a clear strategic direction<br />
that is well-defined, widely-communicated<br />
<strong>and</strong> broadly embraced”.<br />
Vice-Chancellor Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John<br />
Hay said the report was a strong endorsement<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>’s excellent<br />
management practices which<br />
focused on continuous improvement.<br />
“The report reflects very well on<br />
staff, students <strong>and</strong> graduates who have<br />
all contributed magnificently to the<br />
culture <strong>of</strong> excellence at UQ,” he said.<br />
AUQA – which has carried out a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> audits <strong>of</strong> Australian<br />
Mr Stumer<br />
universities in the past two years –<br />
concluded that UQ was monitoring<br />
itself effectively on a continuous basis.<br />
The panel, chaired by <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> New South Wales Pro Vice-Chancellor<br />
(Education) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Adrian<br />
Lee, conducted interviews with more<br />
than 300 staff, students <strong>and</strong> other UQ<br />
stakeholders.<br />
The AUQA panellists also commended<br />
UQ’s 35-member Senate, describing<br />
it as “reflective <strong>and</strong> engaged”<br />
<strong>and</strong> praising the positive relationship<br />
between the Senate, UQ executive <strong>and</strong><br />
the wider <strong>University</strong> community.<br />
The report contained 19 commendations<br />
which singled out UQ’s<br />
outst<strong>and</strong>ing strategic management,<br />
teaching <strong>and</strong> learning processes <strong>and</strong><br />
strong support for researchers.<br />
It noted UQ’s excellence in<br />
research “...is not achieved at the<br />
expense <strong>of</strong> teaching” <strong>and</strong> praised UQ’s<br />
Teaching <strong>and</strong> learning enhancement<br />
plan as “...a live document, acted upon<br />
<strong>and</strong> regularly updated”.<br />
Significantly, the auditors prefaced<br />
its recommendations for action<br />
by acknowledging UQ had already<br />
identified most areas requiring action.<br />
Recent organisational change at UQ<br />
– involving rationalising the number <strong>of</strong><br />
schools <strong>and</strong> reorganising faculties –<br />
had been h<strong>and</strong>led well, the panel found.<br />
Other key areas <strong>of</strong> commendation<br />
included the following:<br />
• Strategy, planning <strong>and</strong> management:<br />
The report commended UQ’s method<br />
<strong>of</strong> prioritising its budget to support<br />
strategic priorities <strong>and</strong> found UQ’s devolved<br />
method <strong>of</strong> operation effective.<br />
• Teaching <strong>and</strong> learning: UQ’s quality<br />
processes for monitoring <strong>and</strong> enhancing<br />
teaching <strong>and</strong> learning <strong>of</strong> students<br />
was praised as was UQ’s ongoing<br />
school review process.<br />
• Research <strong>and</strong> research training:<br />
UQ’s strong support for higher degree<br />
students, managed by the Graduate<br />
School, <strong>and</strong> for early-career researchers,<br />
was commended.<br />
• International activities: Several<br />
aspects <strong>of</strong> UQ’s international student<br />
recruitment activities were comm-<br />
’<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
UQ benefits from<br />
strong leadership<br />
which sets a clear<br />
’<br />
strategic direction<br />
ended, including the rigorous process<br />
involved in appointing overseas<br />
agents.<br />
• Community partnerships: UQ’s outreach<br />
work with schools, particularly<br />
its Bright Minds project, was commended.<br />
UQ’s “...thoughtful <strong>and</strong> extensive<br />
work with the Gatton <strong>and</strong> Ipswich<br />
communities” was also highlighted.<br />
• Administrative <strong>and</strong> support services:<br />
UQ’s excellence was noted in the<br />
provision <strong>of</strong> a highly pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
Cybrary, a range <strong>of</strong> IT services <strong>and</strong><br />
effective student support services.<br />
Acknowledging the role students<br />
at UQ play on committees <strong>and</strong> panels,<br />
AUQA encouraged the <strong>University</strong> to<br />
provide them with additional support<br />
<strong>and</strong> agreed UQ should further develop<br />
its student experience survey.<br />
The AUQA audit panel also consisted<br />
<strong>of</strong> Emeritus Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mairead<br />
Browne, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Sydney; Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John Gavin, New<br />
Zeal<strong>and</strong> Cancer Control Trust; Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Colin Macleod, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Western Australia; <strong>and</strong> Dr David<br />
Woodhouse, AUQA.<br />
w www.auqa.edu.au/<br />
qualityaudit/sai_reports<br />
Scholar on Rhodes to Oxford<br />
A UQ graduate has been chosen<br />
as the 2004 Queensl<strong>and</strong> Rhodes<br />
scholar.<br />
Andrew Stumer graduated from<br />
UQ with a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Arts/Law (first<br />
class honours) in May 2002.<br />
He will head to the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Oxford in the United Kingdom next<br />
year to take up the scholarship.<br />
The 24-year-old, who has a passion<br />
for ancient history, said he was<br />
delighted to have been chosen to<br />
receive the scholarship.<br />
“I’m hoping to study for a research<br />
degree with a focus on international<br />
law,” he said.<br />
Mr Stumer, who has an outst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
academic record including several<br />
Dean’s Commendations for High<br />
Achievement, received a <strong>University</strong><br />
Medal in 20<strong>01</strong> for his exceptionally<br />
high Grade Point Average (GPA).<br />
The Governor <strong>of</strong> Queensl<strong>and</strong> Her<br />
Excellency Quentin Bryce, AC<br />
announced the winner on October 28<br />
at UQ’s St Lucia campus.<br />
The selection committee interviewed<br />
six short-listed c<strong>and</strong>idates<br />
before choosing Mr Stumer who will<br />
join five other state winners <strong>and</strong> three<br />
from Australia-at-Large.<br />
Founded in 1902 under the will <strong>of</strong><br />
the late Cecil John Rhodes, the<br />
scholarships are for an initial two<br />
years, with the possibility <strong>of</strong> a third.<br />
C<strong>and</strong>idates must be aged between<br />
19 <strong>and</strong> 25 years <strong>and</strong> citizens <strong>of</strong> the<br />
country from which they are selected.<br />
Since the scheme began, approximately<br />
500 Rhodes scholars have<br />
been selected, with women becoming<br />
eligible in 1972.<br />
The qualities set out by the late<br />
Cecil Rhodes for those seeking Rhodes<br />
scholarships include academic <strong>and</strong><br />
intellectual excellence; integrity <strong>of</strong><br />
character; respect for fellow beings;<br />
<strong>and</strong> a capacity for leadership; with<br />
sporting prowess an advantage, but<br />
not a necessity.<br />
4<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Craik<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Paull <strong>and</strong> PhD student Judy Odam with a scramjet.<br />
Nation’s leading linkages<br />
UQ remains one <strong>of</strong><br />
Australia’s top<br />
beneficiaries <strong>of</strong><br />
Federal Government<br />
funding allocations<br />
for research.<br />
UQ topped the nation’s universities<br />
in funding from the first<br />
round <strong>of</strong> Australian Research Council<br />
(ARC) Linkage Projects announced<br />
on October 15.<br />
UQ’s Linkage Projects for 2004<br />
are worth $19 million, made up <strong>of</strong><br />
$8.7 million in ARC funding <strong>and</strong><br />
$10.3 million in industry partner<br />
contributions, ensuring UQ remains<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the nation’s leaders in the<br />
Commonwealth Government’s funding<br />
allocations, announced by Federal<br />
Minister for Education, Science <strong>and</strong><br />
Training Dr Brendan Nelson.<br />
“It is an outst<strong>and</strong>ing result <strong>and</strong><br />
UQ is clearly the leader in Linkage<br />
Projects around the country,” said<br />
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor David Siddle.<br />
The Linkage Projects program<br />
funds collaborative projects between<br />
university researchers <strong>and</strong> partner<br />
organisations.<br />
UQ also attracted another $19<br />
million in the ARC Dis<strong>cover</strong>y Projects<br />
scheme, including two grants worth<br />
almost $2 million each.<br />
UQ’s ground-breaking research<br />
into scramjet engines, through its<br />
HyShot program, was awarded one <strong>of</strong><br />
the largest-ever ARC grants <strong>of</strong> $1.8<br />
million over five years (2003–20<strong>07</strong>).<br />
Led by Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Allan Paull from<br />
UQ’s Centre for Hypersonics, <strong>and</strong><br />
joined by Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Richard Morgan,<br />
Dr David Mee <strong>and</strong> Dr Tim McIntyre,<br />
the funding will go towards furthering<br />
research into the field.<br />
In particular, the team will aim to<br />
develop an engine that operates at 10<br />
times the speed <strong>of</strong> sound, which would<br />
revolutionise air <strong>and</strong> space travel.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor David Craik from UQ’s<br />
Institute for Molecular Bioscience<br />
(IMB) <strong>and</strong> Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Marilyn Anderson from La Trobe <strong>University</strong><br />
were awarded $1.75 million to<br />
develop the next generation <strong>of</strong> drug<br />
design <strong>and</strong> insecticides.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Craik is researching the<br />
unique structure <strong>and</strong> function <strong>of</strong> circular<br />
proteins that has exciting prospects<br />
to be applied in pharmaceuticals<br />
<strong>and</strong> agriculture.<br />
Circular proteins have no ends,<br />
making them exceptionally stable <strong>and</strong><br />
resistant to enzyme digestion, which<br />
is perfect for the development <strong>of</strong><br />
drugs <strong>and</strong> insecticides.<br />
UQ also performed well nationally<br />
in the three fellowship categories that<br />
are integrated into the Dis<strong>cover</strong>y grants.<br />
It received the second highest<br />
number <strong>of</strong> Australian Research Fellowships<br />
(two) <strong>and</strong> equal-second<br />
highest number <strong>of</strong> Australian Pr<strong>of</strong>essorial<br />
Fellowships (three), <strong>and</strong> 11<br />
Australian Postdoctoral Fellowships,<br />
fourth highest in the country.<br />
UQ also performed well again in<br />
the Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment<br />
<strong>and</strong> Facilities (LIEF) grants with $1.85<br />
million in ARC funding <strong>and</strong> $2.8<br />
million from its partners to have $4.6<br />
million in total devoted to five large<br />
infrastructure projects.<br />
in<br />
brief<br />
Art exhibition<br />
1962: Scott Redford selected<br />
works 1983–1992 will be on<br />
display at the <strong>University</strong> Art<br />
Museum until November 22.<br />
“Scott Redford is one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
few artists to have sustained a<br />
successful <strong>and</strong> critically acclaimed<br />
national <strong>and</strong> international<br />
practice from Queensl<strong>and</strong> since<br />
the 1980s,” said <strong>University</strong> Art<br />
Museum Director Ross Searle.<br />
He said the Brisbane-based<br />
artist directly referenced international<br />
art styles in his work.<br />
The exhibition focuses on Mr<br />
Redford’s well-known black<br />
“paintings” <strong>and</strong> floor pieces,<br />
with its title referring to the<br />
artist’s birth year <strong>of</strong> 1962.<br />
The museum is on level five<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Forgan Smith Tower, UQ St<br />
Lucia, <strong>and</strong> is open every Tuesday<br />
to Friday from 10am–4pm <strong>and</strong> on<br />
Saturdays from 12–4pm.<br />
UQ Gatton on show<br />
UQ Gatton will have a high pr<strong>of</strong>ile<br />
at Farm <strong>and</strong> Food Expo 2003<br />
from November 15–16.<br />
UQ Gatton’s Dr Rob Fletcher<br />
<strong>and</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Daryl Joyce will<br />
give presentations.<br />
The free event will be held<br />
from 9am–4pm at St Joseph’s<br />
College, Twigg St, Indooroopilly.<br />
Information:<br />
www.agriprose.com.au/expo<br />
Moreton Bay open day<br />
UQ’s Moreton Bay Research<br />
Station will hold an open day on<br />
November 16 from 10am–3pm.<br />
Events include tours <strong>of</strong> the<br />
station, guided field walks,<br />
research talks, display tanks <strong>and</strong><br />
a sausage sizzle.<br />
The free event will take place<br />
on the corner <strong>of</strong> Flinders Avenue<br />
<strong>and</strong> Fraser Street, Dunwich,<br />
North Stradbroke Isl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003 5
in<br />
brief<br />
Cromwell celebrations<br />
Cromwell College will hold a<br />
weekend <strong>of</strong> celebrations<br />
marking 50 years <strong>of</strong> residency in<br />
June 2004.<br />
In 1954, Cromwell became<br />
the first college to accept residents<br />
at UQ St Lucia.<br />
The celebratory weekend<br />
will include a dinner dance at<br />
the Brisbane Hilton on June 5<br />
<strong>and</strong> a celebration in the college’s<br />
Griffith Memorial Chapel on<br />
June 6.<br />
Information: www.uq.edu.au/<br />
cromwell<br />
Mr Hoskin with a Gulbaru gecko.<br />
Free IT classes<br />
UQ staff <strong>and</strong> students can<br />
improve their IT skills free via<br />
web-based flexible-learning<br />
options<br />
The UQ Library has renewed<br />
subscription to the Monash<br />
Learning Fast package, which<br />
includes interactive tutorials<br />
(including tests) in Word, Excel,<br />
Access, PowerPoint, webpage<br />
design, Internet search skills <strong>and</strong><br />
MYOB accounting.<br />
Information: http://<br />
askit.uq.edu.au/learningfast<br />
Youth leaders awarded<br />
UQ international students Sheikh<br />
Mohammod Rafiqul Hasan <strong>and</strong><br />
Petra Suhren are two <strong>of</strong> six<br />
inaugural Commonwealth Youth<br />
Leadership Award winners.<br />
The awards <strong>of</strong>fer opportunities<br />
to postgraduate Australian<br />
Development Scholarship holders<br />
from eligible Asian <strong>and</strong> Pacific<br />
Commonwealth countries to<br />
prepare for leadership roles in<br />
their home countries.<br />
Mr Hasan, studying for a<br />
Master <strong>of</strong> Geographical<br />
Information Science, <strong>and</strong> Ms<br />
Suhren, completing a Master <strong>of</strong><br />
Financial Management, said they<br />
would use the opportunity to<br />
further their careers <strong>and</strong> create<br />
positive changes in their<br />
countries.<br />
The awards are a Youth For<br />
The Future initiative <strong>and</strong> are<br />
funded by AusAID.<br />
Gecko<br />
goes<br />
public<br />
A pair <strong>of</strong> glowing<br />
red eyes signalled<br />
an important find<br />
for a PhD student in<br />
North Queensl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
AUQ PhD student has dis<strong>cover</strong>ed<br />
an ancient <strong>and</strong> remarkable<br />
species <strong>of</strong> leaf-tailed gecko in a<br />
remote area north-west <strong>of</strong> Townsville,<br />
in North Queensl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Conrad Hoskin from UQ’s School<br />
A Gulbaru<br />
gecko<br />
<strong>of</strong> Life Sciences has described the<br />
new species, known as the Gulbaru<br />
gecko (Phyllurus gulbaru) in the<br />
Australian Journal <strong>of</strong> Zoology.<br />
He has already expressed concern<br />
for the species <strong>and</strong> said under current<br />
international conservation criteria it<br />
warranted an endangered listing.<br />
He said the Gulbaru gecko was<br />
a spectacular creature that was<br />
prickly <strong>and</strong> large – about 13cm long.<br />
“Like most geckos, it has no<br />
eyelids <strong>and</strong> has to keep moistening<br />
its eyes with its tongue,” he said.<br />
“It is perfectly camouflaged to its<br />
rocky environment, with granite-like<br />
colourings <strong>and</strong> is hard to find.<br />
“Unlike most geckos, it has no<br />
pads on its skinny fingers, so it cannot<br />
climb windows like common household<br />
geckos: instead it has sharp<br />
claws for climbing rocks.<br />
“Leaf-tailed geckos are so-called<br />
because their tails look like flat<br />
leaves, but the Gulbaru gecko’s tail<br />
is long <strong>and</strong> cylindrical.”<br />
In 1998, Mr Hoskin dis<strong>cover</strong>ed<br />
a distinct leaf-tailed gecko, the Mt<br />
Elliot gecko (Phyllurus amnicola) in<br />
a neighbouring area near Townsville.<br />
In 20<strong>01</strong>, he was with a UQ group<br />
checking skink populations <strong>and</strong><br />
during a nocturnal search to look for<br />
geckos, he was confronted by a pair<br />
<strong>of</strong> red eyes glowing in the dark.<br />
It was the Gulbaru gecko, an<br />
obviously different species which on<br />
genetic examination proved to be<br />
more closely related to leaf-tailed<br />
geckos from the Mackay area than<br />
the Mt Elliot gecko Phyllurus<br />
amnicola Mr Hoskin had previously<br />
dis<strong>cover</strong>ed.<br />
He said only two small sub-populations<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Gulbaru gecko were<br />
known to exist, both in rocky rainforest<br />
areas surrounded by open eucalypt<br />
forests, little <strong>of</strong> which were protected.<br />
“It is one <strong>of</strong> the most narrowly<br />
restricted reptile species in Queensl<strong>and</strong>,”<br />
he said.<br />
“The species is distributed in two<br />
sub-populations near Townsville in<br />
a total area estimated at less than 14<br />
square kilometres.<br />
“The destruction <strong>of</strong> habitat by<br />
unmanaged burning continues to<br />
reduce <strong>and</strong> further fragment it.”<br />
Mr Hoskin is also describing a<br />
new frog <strong>and</strong> species <strong>of</strong> reducedlimb<br />
lizard from North Queensl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
He said the dis<strong>cover</strong>ies were <strong>of</strong><br />
considerable interest as it was rare to<br />
find a new vertebrate species, especially<br />
along the populated east coast.<br />
His thesis on rainforest speciation<br />
in frogs is being supervised by UQ<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hamish McCallum<br />
<strong>and</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Craig Moritz at the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> California at Berkeley.<br />
His work has received support including<br />
a UQ Graduate School Travel<br />
Award, an Australian Postgraduate<br />
Award, <strong>and</strong> funding from the National<br />
Science Foundation, Cooperative<br />
Research Centre for Tropical Rainforest<br />
Ecology <strong>and</strong> Management <strong>and</strong><br />
the Queensl<strong>and</strong> Museum.<br />
6 UQ NEWS, november 2003
Education in focus<br />
OTHER UQ TEACHING<br />
AND LEARNING WEEK<br />
HIGHLIGHTS<br />
The second annual UQ Teaching <strong>and</strong> Learning Week from November<br />
10–14 will showcase teaching methods <strong>and</strong> reward excellence.<br />
ACHIEVERS ACKNOWLEDGED<br />
UQ Teaching <strong>and</strong> Learning Week<br />
will begin with the announcement <strong>of</strong><br />
UQ’s 2003 excellence in teaching,<br />
research supervision <strong>and</strong> enhancement<br />
<strong>of</strong> student learning awards.<br />
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Margaret Gardner<br />
said the awards were designed to<br />
recognise, encourage <strong>and</strong> reward<br />
sustained excellence in teaching,<br />
supervision <strong>of</strong> research higher degree<br />
c<strong>and</strong>idates, <strong>and</strong> excellence in the<br />
learning environment <strong>and</strong> provision <strong>of</strong><br />
student services.<br />
The awards will be announced at<br />
a gala ceremony on November 10 at<br />
Brisbane’s Customs House.<br />
Five winners will receive $10,000<br />
Awards for Excellence in Teaching,<br />
which were established in 1988 <strong>and</strong><br />
are funded by the <strong>University</strong> <strong>and</strong> The<br />
Alumni Association <strong>of</strong> The <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Queensl<strong>and</strong> Inc.<br />
Up to three $10,000 Awards for<br />
Excellence in Research Higher<br />
Degree Supervision will also be<br />
awarded.<br />
Australia’s first <strong>of</strong>ficial university<br />
awards for excellence in research<br />
higher degree supervision were<br />
established at UQ in 2000 <strong>and</strong> are an<br />
initiative <strong>of</strong> the UQ Graduate School<br />
<strong>and</strong> the UQ Union.<br />
For the second year, two teams,<br />
programs or organisational units will<br />
be presented with $20,000 Awards for<br />
Enhancement <strong>of</strong> Student Learning by<br />
the <strong>University</strong> Academic Board.<br />
Third-year chemical engineering students (from left) Lynette Luo, Michael Zed <strong>and</strong><br />
Jordan Mellick with Ms Crosthwaite.<br />
SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS<br />
Novel teaching methods designed to<br />
produce successful graduate outcomes<br />
will be under the spotlight at a Teaching<br />
<strong>and</strong> learning excellence showcase<br />
from 5.30–7pm on November 13 in the<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Bioscience Precinct<br />
auditorium, UQ St Lucia.<br />
The free public event will focus<br />
on undergraduate teaching initiatives<br />
in engineering <strong>and</strong> science.<br />
Two presentations will demonstrate<br />
ultra-modern techniques for imparting<br />
in-depth knowledge <strong>and</strong> specific<br />
graduate attributes – <strong>and</strong> include tips<br />
on how high schools, students <strong>and</strong><br />
parents can prepare for university<br />
study.<br />
Caroline Crosthwaite from the<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Engineering will showcase<br />
the project-centred approach used to<br />
enhance teaching <strong>and</strong> learning in<br />
chemical <strong>and</strong> environmental engineering.<br />
Students take on realistic projects,<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten sourced from industry, <strong>and</strong> work<br />
in teams to develop communication<br />
<strong>and</strong> project management skills as well<br />
as technical engineering knowledge.<br />
A teaching team from the Faculty<br />
<strong>of</strong> Biological <strong>and</strong> Chemical Sciences<br />
will discuss strategies for developing<br />
excitement <strong>and</strong> a love <strong>of</strong> science in<br />
first-year biological science students.<br />
The strategies include new ways <strong>of</strong><br />
mentoring at-risk students, advanced<br />
study programs for exceptional students,<br />
innovative learning guides <strong>and</strong><br />
novel uses for computing facilities.<br />
Parking <strong>and</strong> refreshments will be<br />
available.<br />
BOOKINGS (BY NOVEMBER 11):<br />
TELEPHONE <strong>07</strong> 3365 7045,<br />
EMAIL E.KERR@UQ.EDU.AU<br />
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3–<br />
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14<br />
Online open house<br />
Designed for UQ staff <strong>and</strong><br />
students to dis<strong>cover</strong> how flexible<br />
learning works. Each faculty<br />
will present a copy <strong>of</strong> a WebCT<br />
site demonstrating good online<br />
practice. Discussion areas will<br />
not include student contributions,<br />
for privacy reasons. Visit<br />
www.webct.elearn.uq.edu.au<br />
<strong>and</strong> type in the word “staff ” for<br />
both username <strong>and</strong> password.<br />
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12<br />
Teaching excellence showcase<br />
Curriculum design in animal<br />
physiotherapy plus innovations<br />
from the Faculty <strong>of</strong> Natural<br />
Resources, Agriculture <strong>and</strong><br />
Veterinary Sciences’ Learning<br />
Enhancement Project will be<br />
highlighted at the free public<br />
event, which includes lunch,<br />
from 11am–3pm on November<br />
12 at UQ Gatton.<br />
Bookings: c.steel@uq.edu.au<br />
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14<br />
Postgraduate Flexible<br />
Learning Funding Scheme<br />
workshop<br />
Potential grant applicants can<br />
investigate flexible learning<br />
directions <strong>and</strong> program development,<br />
discuss ideas with<br />
Teaching <strong>and</strong> Educational Development<br />
Institute (TEDI)<br />
educational designers, <strong>and</strong> see<br />
presentations by previous grant<br />
winners from 9.30–11am in the<br />
seminar room, TEDI, UQ St<br />
Lucia.<br />
Bookings: <strong>07</strong> 3365 2666,<br />
staffdev@tedi.uq.edu.au<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003<br />
7
Teams <strong>of</strong> challengers at UQ’s Corporate brain tease.<br />
Brains teased for good cause<br />
More than 200 trivia buffs from the<br />
corporate sector <strong>and</strong> the <strong>University</strong> put<br />
their reputations on the line in a gala<br />
fundraising event last month.<br />
Paynter Dixon’s Erica Lambert <strong>and</strong> Wes Smith with Queensl<strong>and</strong> Health`s<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jennifer Abbey (centre).<br />
Popular Brisbane television<br />
newsreader Rod Young had 40<br />
teams <strong>of</strong> would-be quiz wizards<br />
scratching their heads at the UQ<br />
Development <strong>Office</strong> Corporate Brain<br />
Tease on October 8.<br />
The tough trivia-question event<br />
was one <strong>of</strong> the major fundraising<br />
activities for UQ’s Brain Disease<br />
Challenge, <strong>and</strong> added more than<br />
$20,000 in cash <strong>and</strong> in-kind support<br />
to appeal c<strong>of</strong>fers.<br />
The challenge aims to raise funds<br />
for much-needed research into brain<br />
<strong>and</strong> nervous system diseases including<br />
Alzheimer’s, Cerebral Palsy,<br />
Multiple Sclerosis <strong>and</strong> stroke.<br />
Besides a host <strong>of</strong> prizes for Brain<br />
Tease team members, including meals<br />
for two at leading Brisbane eateries,<br />
there were also two well-subscribed<br />
raffles.<br />
Brisbane Lions coach Leigh<br />
Matthews, also a co-chair <strong>of</strong> the Brain<br />
Disease Challenge, donated an<br />
autographed team jumper as worn by<br />
the three-time Australian Football<br />
League premiers.<br />
The second raffle prize, donated<br />
by Lexus <strong>of</strong> Brisbane, was a weekend<br />
loan <strong>of</strong> a luxury vehicle.<br />
The winning team was Quizzical,<br />
who scored 52 correct answers from<br />
60 questions after leading the event<br />
from the first round.<br />
Development <strong>Office</strong> Director<br />
Margaret Burke said the event<br />
attracted widespread support from<br />
Brisbane’s corporate sector, as well as<br />
from within the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
“We’ve had such a positive response<br />
we will be conducting this<br />
fundraising event on an annual basis,”<br />
she said.<br />
To make a tax-deductible donation<br />
to the challenge, contact Ms Burke.<br />
☎ <strong>07</strong> 3346 3902<br />
e margaret.burke@uq.edu.au<br />
8 UQ NEWS, november 2003
From left: Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Gardner, Mr Beattie <strong>and</strong> Mr Dessert<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Lindsay in the new teaching laboratory<br />
All systems go<br />
Model <strong>of</strong> a 737 AEW&C Wedgetail aircraft<br />
A major partnership<br />
between Boeing <strong>and</strong><br />
UQ will have<br />
significant, long-term<br />
benefits for the<br />
aviation industry.<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003<br />
year $1.55 million grant to UQ to<br />
establish a Boeing Pr<strong>of</strong>essorship in<br />
Systems Engineering.<br />
Part <strong>of</strong> the funding was ear-marked<br />
to establish the teaching laboratory,<br />
which has been equipped with workstations<br />
<strong>and</strong> s<strong>of</strong>tware tools worth more<br />
than $3 million.<br />
More than 300 postgraduate <strong>and</strong><br />
undergraduate students a week, as well<br />
as researchers, are expected to use the<br />
new laboratory for aviation <strong>and</strong><br />
aerospace research involving complex<br />
systems, such as those used on<br />
Boeing’s Wedgetail 737 Airborne<br />
Early Warning <strong>and</strong> Control (AEW&C)<br />
project .<br />
Boeing provided funding for the<br />
AEW&C project being run in<br />
conjunction with the Commonwealth<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> is set to become a<br />
major training centre for Australia<br />
<strong>and</strong> south-east Asia to address<br />
a critical, world-wide shortage <strong>of</strong><br />
systems engineers.<br />
UQ <strong>and</strong> the Boeing Company<br />
launched a new training laboratory<br />
at the <strong>University</strong>’s St Lucia campus<br />
on September 24 as part <strong>of</strong> a multipronged<br />
strategy to overcome such<br />
shortages.<br />
Students using the Boeing<br />
Systems Engineering Teaching<br />
Laboratory <strong>and</strong> enrolling in a<br />
Master <strong>of</strong> Systems Engineering<br />
program which begins next year.<br />
They are expected to be in<br />
international dem<strong>and</strong> once they<br />
graduate.<br />
The program is one <strong>of</strong> only a<br />
few in the country <strong>and</strong> has a unique<br />
emphasis on computer-based<br />
systems.<br />
Systems engineers build highly<br />
complex, computer-based systems<br />
such as aircraft.<br />
A common example <strong>of</strong> a<br />
complex system is an Automatic<br />
Teller Machine (ATM), which<br />
allows people to withdraw money<br />
from bank accounts which might<br />
be on the other side <strong>of</strong> the world.<br />
Boeing has provided a five<strong>of</strong><br />
Australia. Australia has contracted<br />
for four 737 AEW&C systems <strong>and</strong><br />
Boeing expects to deliver the first two<br />
in 2006.<br />
The Wedgetail system requires<br />
interdisciplinary expertise, <strong>and</strong> it is<br />
important for Australia’s defence to<br />
have the capacity to build or contribute<br />
to such systems.<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Premier Peter Beattie<br />
<strong>and</strong> senior Boeing executives<br />
including Ross Dessert <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Wedgetail airspace surveillance<br />
program attended the <strong>of</strong>ficial opening<br />
<strong>of</strong> the laboratory.<br />
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Margaret Gardner<br />
congratulated Boeing on its foresight,<br />
<strong>and</strong> said the funding from the<br />
company had enabled UQ to establish<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Lindsay with an F-111 jet fighter plane at the Amberley Air Force Base at Ipswich.<br />
PHOTO: LYNDON MECHIELSEN, THE AUSTRALIAN<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the few systems engineering<br />
programs in the country.<br />
“It will help develop further<br />
expertise in the aviation <strong>and</strong> aerospace<br />
industry, which employs 4000<br />
people in Queensl<strong>and</strong>,” she said.<br />
Patrick Gill, Boeing Vice-<br />
President, 737 AEW&C Programs,<br />
said Boeing was happy to help further<br />
improve the outst<strong>and</strong>ing capabilities<br />
<strong>of</strong> UQ’s engineering programs.<br />
UQ’s first Boeing Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
Systems Engineering, Peter Lindsay,<br />
said the IT <strong>and</strong> communications<br />
revolution meant systems were<br />
integrating together extremely quickly,<br />
highlighting the need for the development<br />
<strong>of</strong> a whole new generation <strong>of</strong><br />
systems engineers.<br />
“The existing international shortage<br />
<strong>of</strong> systems engineers is set to<br />
increase dramatically <strong>and</strong> to perhaps<br />
even as much as double in the next<br />
few years,” he said.<br />
“The recent American example<br />
when more than 50 million<br />
people lost power because <strong>of</strong> a<br />
simple failure in one part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
electricity grid highlights the<br />
importance <strong>of</strong> systems engineering.<br />
“Protection systems are supposed<br />
to isolate such failures.<br />
“We have technology enabling<br />
massive power generation <strong>and</strong><br />
transmission, but we still don’t<br />
underst<strong>and</strong> the integration systems<br />
designed to enable systems<br />
to st<strong>and</strong> alone as a protection<br />
mechanism.<br />
“The new lab will enable such<br />
systems to be modelled <strong>and</strong> analysed<br />
to underst<strong>and</strong> how to manage<br />
such large, complex systems.”<br />
9
Financiers<br />
focus on<br />
service<br />
With a background in<br />
industry, UQ’s new Chief<br />
Financial <strong>Office</strong>r will focus on<br />
providing complete customer<br />
service to students, faculties<br />
<strong>and</strong> external clients.<br />
Paul Mullooly, who has experience<br />
in a variety <strong>of</strong> large <strong>and</strong><br />
complex industries, has worked as<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Finance at the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Auckl<strong>and</strong> for the past two<br />
years.<br />
He took up his new appointment<br />
at UQ on October 6.<br />
He said in financial terms there<br />
was no real difference between a<br />
university <strong>and</strong> a commercial<br />
business.<br />
“We are here to provide a<br />
service to the rest <strong>of</strong> UQ in terms<br />
<strong>of</strong> financial management, providing<br />
appropriate internal controls,<br />
management <strong>of</strong> information <strong>and</strong><br />
financial advice,” he said.<br />
Before entering the university<br />
environment in Auckl<strong>and</strong>, Mr<br />
Mullooly coordinated finances for<br />
organisations ranging from pip<br />
fruit exportation to pharmaceutical<br />
distribution.<br />
“My role was focused in reengineering,<br />
restructuring <strong>and</strong><br />
devising management information<br />
systems in those industries<br />
while they were going through<br />
deregulation,” he said.<br />
The new position <strong>of</strong> Chief Financial<br />
<strong>Office</strong>r replaces that <strong>of</strong><br />
Bursar.<br />
Mr Mullooly said he would use<br />
the role to place an emphasis on<br />
total customer service <strong>and</strong><br />
anticipate financial needs <strong>and</strong><br />
requirements at UQ.<br />
“This team is going to be<br />
completely client-focused,” he<br />
said.<br />
Mr Mullooly<br />
Mr Aleer<br />
Harrowing journey ends in hope<br />
Fleeing from country to country in constant danger, a Sudanese<br />
refugee has finally found his home <strong>and</strong> long-lost sister in Australia.<br />
It’s been a long, 15-year walk to<br />
freedom for former “Lost Boy”<br />
Abraham Aleer.<br />
Since the age <strong>of</strong> five, the Sudanese<br />
refugee has been running from one<br />
refugee camp to another, fleeing from<br />
soldiers <strong>and</strong> wild animals <strong>and</strong> walking<br />
daily with death.<br />
But now he has found a new life,<br />
missing family <strong>and</strong> a sense <strong>of</strong> purpose<br />
as an Australian <strong>and</strong> a UQ Bachelor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Arts student.<br />
The happy ending to his harrowing<br />
journey, spanning three African<br />
countries, was recently featured on<br />
Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes program.<br />
Mr Aleer was born in Sudan <strong>and</strong><br />
during civil unrest in 1987 his village<br />
was attacked, his father killed <strong>and</strong> he<br />
<strong>and</strong> his brother separated from their<br />
mother.<br />
“We ran away <strong>and</strong> hid thinking we<br />
would go back later,” he said.<br />
“But we couldn’t go back as there<br />
was nothing left.<br />
“We saw some people walking so<br />
we followed them. We all walked<br />
together.”<br />
Mr Aleer was one <strong>of</strong> some 18,000<br />
“Lost Boys”, a term used to describe<br />
male children aged between five <strong>and</strong><br />
12 displaced by civil unrest in Sudan.<br />
For many their only option was to<br />
run away or join the army <strong>and</strong> fight<br />
in the bloody civil war.<br />
Walking through desolate country,<br />
they were easy prey to wild animals<br />
such as lions, crocodiles <strong>and</strong> hyenas<br />
<strong>and</strong> many died along the way.<br />
“We survived on water <strong>and</strong> by eating<br />
leaves. Sometimes we’d catch a<br />
fish <strong>and</strong> cook it on the fire – but not<br />
always,” he said.<br />
“My brother died on the way after<br />
mistakenly eating some poisonous<br />
leaves. Every day boys died <strong>and</strong><br />
every day you waited for your time.”<br />
Mr Aleer’s group arrived at a refugee<br />
camp in Ethiopia but were forced<br />
to move on when war broke out in 1991.<br />
They finally reached the Kakuma<br />
refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya<br />
where life became more settled <strong>and</strong><br />
Mr Aleer started school.<br />
It was at Kakuma that he met UQ<br />
arts/social sciences student Troy<br />
O’Neill while he was doing three<br />
months, volunteer refugee work.<br />
Mr O’Neill was amazed that not<br />
only had Mr Aleer survived such<br />
harrowing experiences but that he was<br />
also determined to go to school.<br />
’<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
Every day boys<br />
died <strong>and</strong> every day<br />
you waited for<br />
your time<br />
“Getting an education in a refugee<br />
camp in the middle <strong>of</strong> the desert wasn’t<br />
easy, but not only did Abraham do it,<br />
he excelled at it,” Mr O’Neill said.<br />
Mr Aleer was one <strong>of</strong> 82 “Lost<br />
Boys” accepted into Australia <strong>and</strong><br />
arrived earlier this year.<br />
With Mr O’Neill’s encouragement,<br />
Mr Aleer approached UQ.<br />
“I was very nervous when I attended<br />
my first lecture,” Mr Aleer said.<br />
Having never seen tall buildings,<br />
mobile phones or Automatic Teller<br />
Machines (ATMs) before coming to<br />
Australia, computers presented a<br />
problem.<br />
Mr Aleer now studies part-time<br />
<strong>and</strong> works for the Brisbane City<br />
Council helping other newly-arrived<br />
Sudanese young people settle into<br />
life in Australia.<br />
He recently found a distant cousin<br />
living in the Brisbane suburb <strong>of</strong><br />
Kingston caring for his now 15-yearold<br />
sister, whom his mother was<br />
carrying at the time <strong>of</strong> the attack.<br />
Mr Aleer now lives with them <strong>and</strong><br />
hopes to work for the United Nations<br />
or the Australian foreign affairs<br />
department as an international aid<br />
worker.<br />
“I was a refugee for 15 years. It<br />
was my childhood. I was brought up<br />
by the international community so<br />
my responsibility is to go back <strong>and</strong><br />
help if I can,” he said.<br />
10<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003
Incubator drives<br />
biotech boom<br />
UniQuest Pty Ltd, UQ’s main<br />
technology commercialisation<br />
company, has unveiled the<br />
<strong>University</strong>’s first formal<br />
technology incubator.<br />
The incubator includes <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
<strong>and</strong> dry laboratory facilities <strong>and</strong><br />
is home to two start-up companies<br />
that have attracted multi-million<br />
dollar investment: Fultec Pty Ltd<br />
<strong>and</strong> QRxPharma Pty Ltd.<br />
The facility, which provides<br />
resources to assist the commercialisation<br />
<strong>of</strong> new technologies,<br />
also accommodates the Queensl<strong>and</strong><br />
Executive <strong>of</strong> the Australian<br />
biotechnology industry’s peak<br />
body, AusBiotech Ltd.<br />
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Paul Greenfield <strong>of</strong>ficially<br />
opened the incubator on<br />
October 9.<br />
UniQuest Managing Director<br />
David Henderson said start-up<br />
companies generally occupied<br />
such facilities for a period <strong>of</strong><br />
around 12 months after which they<br />
sought more extensive commercial<br />
premises.<br />
“The incubator provides an<br />
environment midway between the<br />
laboratory <strong>and</strong> the commercial<br />
world,” he said.<br />
“Its advantages are nearness to<br />
UniQuest resources such as information<br />
technology, administration<br />
<strong>and</strong> accounting support, <strong>and</strong> to the<br />
wealth <strong>of</strong> expertise, facilities <strong>and</strong><br />
equipment at UQ.”<br />
QRxPharma was formed to<br />
commercialise a UQ-developed<br />
package <strong>of</strong> health sciences technologies.<br />
In October 2002, it secured a<br />
$10 million investment deal –<br />
believed to be one <strong>of</strong> the largest<br />
ever financing agreements involving<br />
an Australian university<br />
technology transfer company.<br />
Fultec, which recently received<br />
$1 million from the Allen & Buckeridge<br />
(A&B) Emerging Technologies<br />
Fund, is commercialising the<br />
Transient Blocking Unit (TBU).<br />
The TBU is an innovative<br />
electronic component designed to<br />
protect complex electronic circuits<br />
such as high-speed communications<br />
interfaces from voltage<br />
surges.<br />
ON THE TRAIL<br />
OF RESEARCH<br />
UniQuest Pty Ltd has<br />
launched a competition to<br />
reward <strong>and</strong> develop<br />
innovation at UQ.<br />
The Trailblazer Challenge<br />
aims to: provide funding to<br />
advance research outcomes<br />
with commercial potential;<br />
develop new ideas; <strong>and</strong> reward<br />
key staff.<br />
UniQuest Managing<br />
Director David Henderson<br />
said five prizes <strong>of</strong> $8000<br />
each would be awarded to<br />
UQ students or employees<br />
to be used for equipment,<br />
travel or research costs.<br />
“The competition aims to<br />
get people thinking about the<br />
commercial potential <strong>of</strong> their<br />
ideas <strong>and</strong> research,” he said.<br />
Verbal presentations <strong>and</strong><br />
judging will take place on<br />
November 14.<br />
Mr Henderson said in<br />
addition to the prizes, shortlisted<br />
applicants would be<br />
provided with a package <strong>of</strong><br />
services to help progress<br />
their ideas or research<br />
activities <strong>and</strong> enhance<br />
commercial potential.<br />
in<br />
brief<br />
E-health victory<br />
Ex-Ray, a novel e-technology<br />
screening tool utilising speech,<br />
text <strong>and</strong>, in the future, image,<br />
was recently awarded a prize in<br />
the e-health category <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Secrets <strong>of</strong> Australian IT<br />
Innovation Competition 2003.<br />
Ex-Ray, which monitors a<br />
wide range <strong>of</strong> psychiatric <strong>and</strong><br />
physical conditions, was developed<br />
by the School <strong>of</strong> Information<br />
Technology <strong>and</strong> Electrical<br />
Engineering’s Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Joachim<br />
Diederich <strong>and</strong> the Centre for<br />
Online Health’s Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Peter<br />
Yellowlees.<br />
ICTE Summer courses<br />
UQ’s Institute <strong>of</strong> Continuing <strong>and</strong><br />
TESOL Education (ICTE) has<br />
announced its 2004 Summer<br />
courses program.<br />
Run from January 10–<br />
February 1, the courses attract a<br />
20 percent discount for UQ staff.<br />
Topics include society; natural<br />
environment; art therapy; photography;<br />
creative writing; poetry;<br />
mind <strong>and</strong> body; <strong>and</strong> personal<br />
<strong>and</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional development.<br />
Information: www.icte.uq.edu.au<br />
UQ Gatton weekend<br />
UQ Gatton graduates are invited<br />
to attend a Back to College<br />
Weekend on December 6-7.<br />
The Gatton College Past<br />
Students Association Inc is<br />
organising the event, with<br />
feature years including 1953,<br />
1963, 1973, 1978, 1983 <strong>and</strong> 1993.<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 5460 1724<br />
From left: Mr Henderson,<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Greenfield <strong>and</strong><br />
UniQuest Board <strong>of</strong> Directors<br />
Chair Norbury Rogers<br />
Sir Llew honoured<br />
UQ Chancellor Sir Llew Edwards<br />
has been awarded an honorary<br />
doctorate by the Queensl<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Technology.<br />
Before becoming Chancellor<br />
in 1993, Sir Llew was Queensl<strong>and</strong>’s<br />
Deputy Premier from<br />
1977–1983 <strong>and</strong> Chief Executive<br />
<strong>Office</strong>r <strong>of</strong> World Expo 88.<br />
He holds a number <strong>of</strong> executive<br />
positions including Chair <strong>of</strong><br />
the Asia Pacific Economic Forum<br />
<strong>and</strong> Executive Consultant to<br />
Jones Lang LaSalle.<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003 11
UQFOUNDATION<br />
RESEARCH<br />
EXCELLENCE<br />
AWARDS03<br />
AWARD<br />
WINNERS<br />
The outst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
performance <strong>and</strong><br />
leadership potential <strong>of</strong><br />
seven <strong>University</strong> earlycareer<br />
researchers has<br />
been recognised through<br />
UQ Foundation Research<br />
Excellence Awards<br />
totalling almost $500,000.<br />
The winners <strong>of</strong> the highly<br />
sought after awards were<br />
honoured during a<br />
celebration at the UQ<br />
Centre on September 25,<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the highlights <strong>of</strong><br />
UQ Research Week.<br />
RUMOURS CAN<br />
CAUSE RUIN<br />
The spreading <strong>of</strong> rumours<br />
during periods <strong>of</strong> organisational<br />
change can cause panic<br />
<strong>and</strong> have dire commercial<br />
consequences, according to a<br />
UQ researcher.<br />
Dr Prashant Bordia, a<br />
senior lecturer in UQ’s School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Psychology, has been<br />
awarded $55,000 for his studies<br />
into the collective impact <strong>of</strong><br />
rumours during corporate<br />
organisational change.<br />
“Rumours can damage<br />
reputations, erode trust <strong>and</strong><br />
create panic, <strong>and</strong> are especially<br />
rampant during organisational<br />
change,” Dr Bordia said.<br />
“They <strong>of</strong>ten pre-empt<br />
formal announcements by<br />
management, predicting the<br />
nature <strong>of</strong> the change such as<br />
mergers, or alleging dire<br />
consequences for employees<br />
like lay-<strong>of</strong>fs.”<br />
He said previous research<br />
had shown harmful corporate<br />
rumours were heard almost<br />
once a week <strong>and</strong> could cause<br />
businesses to lose consumer<br />
confidence, market share <strong>and</strong><br />
stock value.<br />
“They are more than just<br />
rumours, they are how we<br />
make sense <strong>of</strong> our world <strong>and</strong><br />
we act on them, have faith in<br />
them <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong>ten live by them,”<br />
he said.<br />
“By gaining a greater<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> the way we<br />
deal with rumours we can<br />
become better consumers <strong>of</strong><br />
information as individuals as<br />
well as finding better ways for<br />
organisations to deal with their<br />
impact.”<br />
MATH ADDS UP TO<br />
QUANTUM LEAP<br />
UQ theoretician Dr Jon Links is<br />
developing rigorous mathematical<br />
techniques to underpin<br />
quantum computers.<br />
He has been awarded<br />
$70,000 to develop the<br />
cutting-edge project.<br />
Dr Links, a research fellow<br />
with the School <strong>of</strong> Physical<br />
Sciences, is undertaking a<br />
detailed study into theoretical<br />
models <strong>of</strong> Bose-Einstein<br />
condensates, the coldest form<br />
<strong>of</strong> matter known to science.<br />
Dr Links said underst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
the manner in which Bose-<br />
Einstein condensates interacted<br />
through a phenomenon known<br />
as quantum tunnelling would<br />
provide the insight to build a<br />
quantum computer.<br />
He said quantum tunnelling<br />
allowed a particle to pass<br />
through a seemingly impenetrable<br />
wall.<br />
“A quantum computer is a<br />
way <strong>of</strong> using the physics <strong>of</strong><br />
quantum mechanics to produce<br />
very fast processors,” he said.<br />
“Computers are based on<br />
a binary system <strong>of</strong> zeros <strong>and</strong><br />
ones.<br />
“In quantum mechanics<br />
you can have zero <strong>and</strong> one<br />
working at the same time.<br />
“The Bose-Einstein<br />
condensate plays a unique role<br />
in testing our underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong><br />
quantum physics.<br />
“Because a large number<br />
<strong>of</strong> particles occupy the same<br />
quantum state, the microscopic<br />
behaviour <strong>of</strong> the system<br />
is amplified to such an extent<br />
that it can be observed on the<br />
macroscopic level.”<br />
SULPHATE IN BODY<br />
TO BE STUDIED<br />
Underst<strong>and</strong>ing how sulphate<br />
works in the human body<br />
might lead to a cure for<br />
reduced fertility <strong>and</strong> treatments<br />
for disorders such as seizures,<br />
growth retardation <strong>and</strong><br />
gastrointestinal disturbances.<br />
UQ School <strong>of</strong> Biomedical<br />
Sciences senior lecturer<br />
Dr Daniel Markovich is<br />
conducting world-first research<br />
into the importance <strong>of</strong><br />
sulphate in the body, <strong>and</strong> how<br />
its levels are controlled.<br />
Dr Markovich has received<br />
a $65,000 award to progress<br />
his research into what is<br />
known as hyposulfateamia.<br />
While little is known about<br />
the mineral, Dr Markovich said<br />
low sulphate levels affect<br />
growth, <strong>and</strong> have also been<br />
linked to diseases such as<br />
Alzheimer’s <strong>and</strong> Parkinson’s.<br />
“The kidneys control the<br />
levels <strong>of</strong> many minerals in the<br />
body <strong>and</strong> we’ve isolated a<br />
gene, Nas1, which plays a key<br />
role in sulphate absorption<br />
from the diet <strong>and</strong> regulates its<br />
excretion,” he said.<br />
“Most sulphate in the body<br />
comes from food <strong>and</strong> if there is<br />
too much the excess is<br />
excreted.<br />
But when the Nas1 gene is<br />
missing, the body excretes<br />
large amounts <strong>of</strong> sulphate <strong>and</strong><br />
blood levels drop to five times<br />
lower than normal.”<br />
Using mice, Dr Markovich<br />
found that low blood sulphate<br />
levels led to reduced fertility,<br />
seizures in later life <strong>and</strong> an<br />
overall growth retardation <strong>of</strong><br />
25 percent.<br />
12 UQ NEWS, november 2003
MINING DATABASE<br />
INFORMATION<br />
A researcher at UQ’s Institute<br />
for Molecular Bioscience is<br />
opening new avenues <strong>of</strong><br />
scientific exploration by using<br />
“database mining” to dis<strong>cover</strong><br />
how cells work.<br />
Dr Rohan Teasdale is<br />
employing the technique to dig<br />
through the incredible wealth<br />
<strong>of</strong> information contained in the<br />
genomes <strong>of</strong> mice <strong>and</strong> humans,<br />
<strong>and</strong> will use his $75,000 award<br />
to continue this work.<br />
Dr Teasdale said combining<br />
“database mining” with<br />
traditional cell biology allowed<br />
a more intuitive approach to<br />
identifying information, <strong>and</strong><br />
gave a greater underst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
<strong>of</strong> the role different cell<br />
membranes played in physiological<br />
processes.<br />
“Cell membranes <strong>and</strong> the<br />
proteins embedded in them are<br />
essential mediators <strong>of</strong> the<br />
transfer <strong>of</strong> material <strong>and</strong><br />
information between cells <strong>and</strong><br />
their environment, compartments<br />
within cells, <strong>and</strong><br />
between regions <strong>of</strong> organ<br />
systems,” Dr Teasdale said.<br />
Transporting newlysynthesised<br />
proteins to<br />
different cell membranes is a<br />
fundamental cellular process.<br />
Its disruption has been<br />
linked to high cholesterol <strong>and</strong><br />
diseases including cancer.<br />
“By combining ‘database<br />
mining’ with cell biology we<br />
will develop reliable computational<br />
prediction methods<br />
allowing us to identify<br />
membrane proteins in<br />
genomes <strong>and</strong> predict their<br />
location in the cell,” he said.<br />
BIOETHICAL PLACE<br />
IN HISTORY<br />
Historian Dr Sarah Ferber is<br />
redefining contemporary<br />
bioethics to include an<br />
historical dimension.<br />
She is planning a series <strong>of</strong><br />
articles <strong>and</strong> a book, funded by<br />
her $65,000 award.<br />
The book will include<br />
topics such as medicine <strong>and</strong><br />
social morality; human experimentation;<br />
women <strong>and</strong><br />
reproductive medicine; genetic<br />
research; <strong>and</strong> euthanasia.<br />
Dr Ferber’s project, one <strong>of</strong><br />
the first <strong>of</strong> its kind, aims to<br />
reshape scholarly inquiry,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional medical training<br />
<strong>and</strong> public debate on bioethics.<br />
It will also, she hopes,<br />
boost public debate by encouraging<br />
people to bring nuanced<br />
views to emotive issues.<br />
“History is not just a body<br />
<strong>of</strong> dead facts,” Dr Ferber said.<br />
“Reflection <strong>and</strong> analysis<br />
increase underst<strong>and</strong>ing, help<br />
explain change, <strong>and</strong> inform the<br />
way we think about the world<br />
we’re making.<br />
“I want to create a new<br />
idea <strong>of</strong> what medical history<br />
<strong>and</strong> bioethics are, <strong>and</strong> provide<br />
a major intervention in three<br />
emerging disciplines: the social<br />
history <strong>of</strong> medicine; the medical<br />
humanities; <strong>and</strong> bioethics”.<br />
Dr Ferber, a lecturer in the<br />
School <strong>of</strong> History, Philosophy,<br />
Religion <strong>and</strong> Classics, said the<br />
historical context promoted<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>ing at the personal<br />
level, where medical <strong>and</strong> social<br />
values interacted.<br />
“It helps you make<br />
comparisons <strong>and</strong> exp<strong>and</strong> your<br />
choices,” she said.<br />
INSIGHT INTO<br />
BRAIN AND SIGHT<br />
A UQ researcher is trying to<br />
dis<strong>cover</strong> if the human brain<br />
uses multiple systems to<br />
produce a range <strong>of</strong> “opinions”<br />
when interpreting ambiguous<br />
information from the senses.<br />
Dr Guy Wallis <strong>of</strong> UQ’s School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Human Movement Studies is<br />
using non-invasive techniques to<br />
stimulate regions <strong>of</strong> the cortex in<br />
a project promising unprecedented<br />
insight into the brain.<br />
“If successful, the results<br />
will have broad impact in the<br />
field <strong>of</strong> human visual cognition<br />
<strong>and</strong> provide insight into the<br />
neural underpinnings <strong>of</strong><br />
consciousness,” Dr Wallis said.<br />
“The work could inspire the<br />
design <strong>of</strong> artificial vision systems<br />
<strong>and</strong> help us more fully underst<strong>and</strong>,<br />
simulate <strong>and</strong> improve the<br />
essential linkages between<br />
perception, cognition <strong>and</strong><br />
movement as they occur in a<br />
broad range <strong>of</strong> human skills.”<br />
Dr Wallis has been awarded<br />
$65,000 to work on his project,<br />
which incorporates studies <strong>of</strong><br />
the brain as it switches from left<br />
to right hemispheres.<br />
Evidence suggests all<br />
humans constantly switch back<br />
<strong>and</strong> forward between the two<br />
hemispheres.<br />
Fundamental to Dr Wallis’s<br />
work is UQ’s new Frameless<br />
Stereotactic Guidance system,<br />
which allows the seamless<br />
integration <strong>of</strong> three brainimaging<br />
tools to assess brain<br />
activity <strong>and</strong> connectivity.<br />
It is the only one in<br />
Australia <strong>and</strong> one <strong>of</strong> a few in<br />
the world to be used for such<br />
research.<br />
BROADENING<br />
INTERNET CONTENT<br />
The increasing role <strong>of</strong> broadb<strong>and</strong><br />
Internet technology in<br />
world economics <strong>and</strong> cultural<br />
innovation <strong>and</strong> preservation<br />
has made content development<br />
a lucrative research area.<br />
Dr Philip Graham from the<br />
UQ Business School is heading<br />
an international, interdisciplinary<br />
group researching broadb<strong>and</strong><br />
content development, <strong>and</strong><br />
has been awarded $70,000.<br />
“Broadb<strong>and</strong> is high-speed<br />
Internet access technology <strong>and</strong><br />
is delivered via Asymmetrical<br />
Digital Subscriber Lines, optical<br />
fibre cables or microwave <strong>and</strong><br />
satellite networks,” he said.<br />
Dr Graham is working with<br />
researchers from the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Waterloo’s Canadian Centre<br />
for Cultural Innovation (CCCI)<br />
on a project closely associated<br />
with the Australian Creative<br />
Resources Archive (ACRA)<br />
based at UQ Ipswich.<br />
He said although<br />
broadb<strong>and</strong> could always be<br />
improved by increasing data<br />
transfer rates, the lack <strong>of</strong><br />
content was a major problem.<br />
“A good analogy would be<br />
the emergence <strong>of</strong> television,”<br />
he said.<br />
“None <strong>of</strong> the program<br />
formats that we are familiar<br />
with existed prior to television.<br />
“It took years for content<br />
developers to create the<br />
programs we watch.<br />
“It also took a long time<br />
for large-scale industries to<br />
emerge, copyright laws to be<br />
established, <strong>and</strong> for distribution<br />
<strong>and</strong> business production<br />
models to be sorted out.”<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003<br />
13
Fresh start for<br />
local waterways<br />
The 2003 Healthy Waterways<br />
Report Card shows the health <strong>of</strong><br />
Moreton Bay improved in the past year.<br />
The report card, representing a<br />
comprehensive estuarine, marine <strong>and</strong><br />
freshwater monitoring program, was<br />
jointly coordinated by UQ, Griffith<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>and</strong> the Environmental<br />
Protection Agency (EPA).<br />
UQ Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Paul Greenfield<br />
presented the report card to the<br />
Minister for the Environment Dean<br />
Wells at a ceremony attended by<br />
Brisbane Lord Mayor Tim Quinn at<br />
New Farm Park on October 23.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Greenfield, Chair <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Healthy Waterways Scientific Expert<br />
Panel, described the report card as<br />
cutting-edge.<br />
“It involves the collaboration <strong>of</strong><br />
State Government, all the councils,<br />
A new report card has given an<br />
improved grade to the health <strong>of</strong> some<br />
<strong>of</strong> south-east Queensl<strong>and</strong>’s waterways.<br />
research organisations <strong>and</strong> scientific<br />
organisations in this region to give us<br />
a statistically valid <strong>and</strong> very useful<br />
analysis,” he said.<br />
The report showed despite drought<br />
<strong>and</strong> continued population growth,<br />
there had been little change in the<br />
health <strong>of</strong> freshwater streams in the<br />
region.<br />
UQ lecturer in marine biology <strong>and</strong><br />
a project coordinator, Dr James Udy,<br />
said UQ provided the scientific<br />
support, conducted some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
fieldwork <strong>and</strong> collaborated with the<br />
EPA to provide coordination for the<br />
estuarine <strong>and</strong> marine components.<br />
“UQ was involved in the design<br />
<strong>and</strong> implementation <strong>of</strong> the program<br />
in 1998 <strong>and</strong> has continued to play an<br />
important role since, though the<br />
majority <strong>of</strong> the field-work is currently<br />
conducted by the EPA,” Dr Udy said.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Greenfield <strong>and</strong> Cr Quinn<br />
with the report card.<br />
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14 UQ NEWS, november 2003
Clockwise from left: Dr Lee (PHOTO: WERKZPHOTOGRAPHY); Sir Llew congratulates AVM Hammer (PHOTO: LYLE RADFORD); Ms Chan (PHOTO: FUNG TSANG<br />
STUDIO); Dr Lindsay (PHOTO: courtesy Dr Lindsay).<br />
Awards for high-flying alumni<br />
UQ has <strong>of</strong>ficially<br />
recognised <strong>and</strong><br />
honoured the<br />
achievements <strong>of</strong><br />
four <strong>of</strong> its most<br />
successful alumni.<br />
Four high-achieving graduates<br />
were honoured with UQ alumni<br />
awards in September.<br />
Air Vice-Marshal Julie Hammer<br />
CSC was named UQ’s Alumnus <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year; marine scientist Dr Dhugal<br />
Lindsay the Young Alumnus <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year; Singapore Government Minister<br />
Dr Lee Boon Yang the International<br />
Alumnus <strong>of</strong> the Year <strong>and</strong> Gloria Chan<br />
received the inaugural Alumnus<br />
Community Service Award.<br />
The Alumnus <strong>of</strong> the Year award is<br />
presented annually by The Alumni<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Inc.<br />
The Young Alumnus <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
award, recognising the achievements<br />
<strong>of</strong> a graduate aged under 35; the<br />
International Alumnus <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
award; <strong>and</strong> the Alumnus Community<br />
Service Award are initiatives <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>University</strong>’s Development <strong>Office</strong>.<br />
Ms Chan received her award in<br />
Hong Kong on September 22 <strong>and</strong> Dr<br />
Lee was presented with his award in<br />
Singapore on September 23 as part <strong>of</strong><br />
UQ’s annual international graduation<br />
ceremonies.<br />
The remaining awards were<br />
presented at the 2003 Courting the<br />
Greats luncheon hosted by Chancellor<br />
Sir Llew Edwards at Customs House<br />
on September 17.<br />
An electronics engineer in the Royal<br />
Australian Air Force (RAAF), AVM<br />
Hammer holds a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Science<br />
with honours in physics from UQ<br />
(1976).<br />
She also holds a Master <strong>of</strong> Science<br />
in aerosystems engineering <strong>and</strong> a<br />
Graduate Diploma in strategic studies.<br />
Joining the RAAF in 1977, she has<br />
served in aircraft maintenance;<br />
technical intelligence; electronic<br />
warfare <strong>and</strong> comm<strong>and</strong>; control,<br />
communications <strong>and</strong> intelligence<br />
systems acquisition; <strong>and</strong> support.<br />
Until her promotion to Air Vice-<br />
Marshal in August 2003, she was also<br />
Comm<strong>and</strong>ant <strong>of</strong> the Australian<br />
Defence Force Academy.<br />
“I consider this award to be enormously<br />
significant not only to me personally,<br />
but also as tangible recognition<br />
<strong>of</strong> achievement by women in nontraditional<br />
fields,” AVM Hammer said.<br />
“I hope this award might encourage<br />
young women to consider careers in<br />
engineering <strong>and</strong> the physical sciences,<br />
in the military, or even better, in both.”<br />
In 1985, AVM Hammer was the<br />
first female engineer promoted to<br />
Squadron Leader <strong>and</strong> in 1992, the first<br />
woman to comm<strong>and</strong> an operational unit<br />
in the RAAF, the Electronic Warfare<br />
Squadron, being awarded a Conspicuous<br />
Service Cross for that comm<strong>and</strong>.<br />
She was the first woman in the<br />
RAAF to become a member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
General List on promotion to Group<br />
Captain in 1996, <strong>and</strong> the first serving<br />
woman in the history <strong>of</strong> the ADF to be<br />
promoted to One Star level, on<br />
promotion to Air Commodore in 1999.<br />
Dr Lindsay works at the Japan<br />
Marine Science <strong>and</strong> Technology Centre<br />
– Japan’s premier oceanographic<br />
research station.<br />
He holds a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Science <strong>and</strong><br />
Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Arts (1992) from UQ <strong>and</strong><br />
received his PhD in aquatic biology<br />
from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Tokyo (1998).<br />
His work centres around developing<br />
state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art occupied submersibles<br />
<strong>and</strong> remotely-operated vehicles,<br />
allowing the study <strong>of</strong> deep sea animals.<br />
Dr Lindsay is also one <strong>of</strong> Japan’s<br />
most accomplished young haiku poets<br />
<strong>and</strong> was the first non-Japanese writer<br />
to win the prestigious annual<br />
Nakaniida Gr<strong>and</strong> Haiku Prize.<br />
Dr Lee, Singapore’s Minister for<br />
Information, <strong>Communications</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
the Arts, graduated from UQ with a<br />
Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Science in<br />
1971.<br />
After working as a vet, Dr Lee became<br />
a Member <strong>of</strong> Parliament in 1984<br />
<strong>and</strong> has served as Minister <strong>of</strong> State for<br />
Trade <strong>and</strong> Industry <strong>and</strong> Senior Minister<br />
<strong>of</strong> State for National Development;<br />
Home Affairs; <strong>and</strong> Defence.<br />
Ms Chan completed a Bachelor <strong>of</strong><br />
Arts in psychology <strong>and</strong> a Postgraduate<br />
Diploma in social planning at UQ <strong>and</strong><br />
also has a Diploma in counselling.<br />
While a student she founded the<br />
radio station 4EB, which broadcast in<br />
English <strong>and</strong> Cantonese.<br />
She has served as a counsellor at<br />
UQ <strong>and</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Hong Kong<br />
<strong>and</strong> is Charter President <strong>of</strong> the Rotary<br />
Club <strong>of</strong> Queensway in Australia.<br />
Named International Woman <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year for Services to the Community by<br />
the American Biographical Institution<br />
in 1994, she has won numerous awards<br />
for voluntary service.<br />
A third UQ international graduation<br />
ceremony was held in Kuala<br />
Lumpur on September 25.<br />
Sir Llew, Vice-Chancellor Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
John Hay, Deputy Vice-Chancellor<br />
(International <strong>and</strong> Development) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Trevor Grigg <strong>and</strong> Secretary <strong>and</strong><br />
Registrar Douglas Porter <strong>of</strong>ficiated at<br />
all three events.<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003<br />
15
UQ in the<br />
NEWS<br />
SOME OF THE STORIES THAT<br />
PUT UQ STAFF IN THE MEDIA<br />
October 2003<br />
ENGINEERING<br />
The Australian, The Courier-Mail,<br />
Newscastle Herald <strong>and</strong> Central<br />
Coast Herald as well as various radio<br />
<strong>and</strong> television news programs<br />
reported the opening <strong>of</strong> UQ’s Boeing<br />
Systems Engineering Teaching Laboratory.<br />
FOOD SCIENCE<br />
Ockham’s Razor on ABC Radio<br />
National featured Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Ian Godwin from UQ’s School<br />
<strong>of</strong> L<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Food Sciences discussing<br />
Genetically-Modified (GM)<br />
food.<br />
HIGHER EDUCATION<br />
The Australian, The Courier-Mail<br />
<strong>and</strong> Campus Review reported UQ’s<br />
postive audit report by the Australian<br />
Universities Quality Agency.<br />
Time Australia ran a story on the $50<br />
million Australian Institute <strong>of</strong> Bioengineering<br />
<strong>and</strong> Nanotechnology to<br />
be built at UQ’s St Lucia campus.<br />
POLITICS<br />
The Courier-Mail published an<br />
analysis by Dr Renee Worringer<br />
from UQ’s School <strong>of</strong> History,<br />
Philosophy, Religion <strong>and</strong> Classics on<br />
the Middle Eastern conflict.<br />
POPULAR CULTURE<br />
Indigenous radio station 4KIG in<br />
Townsville featured Dr Toni<br />
Johnson-Woods from UQ Ipswich’s<br />
Contemporary Studies Program in<br />
What’s on the box, a weekly program<br />
analysing popular TV shows such as<br />
Temptation Isl<strong>and</strong>, Kath <strong>and</strong> Kim<br />
<strong>and</strong> Jamie’s Kitchen.<br />
Red light to blue feelings<br />
UQ researchers have<br />
developed a program<br />
aimed at preventing<br />
<strong>and</strong> reducing the<br />
development <strong>of</strong><br />
depression in young<br />
people.<br />
As part <strong>of</strong> a $5.2 million partnership<br />
with beyondblue: the<br />
national depression initiative, UQ<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Psychology reseachers have<br />
developed a school-based program<br />
equipping adolescents with skills to<br />
deal with life’s challenges.<br />
It was launched by Queensl<strong>and</strong><br />
Premier Peter Beattie at Mitchelton<br />
State High School on October 7.<br />
Also attending the launch was UQ<br />
Vice-Chancellor Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John Hay<br />
<strong>and</strong> beyondblue Chair <strong>and</strong> former<br />
Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett, as<br />
well as representatives from the<br />
schools involved.<br />
“We want to provide knowledge<br />
<strong>and</strong> awareness through a school<br />
community approach that will help to<br />
build individual resilience <strong>and</strong> harness<br />
the good work that schools already do,”<br />
said chief investigator Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Sue<br />
Spence.<br />
Called the beyondblue schools<br />
research initiative, the program will<br />
involve 50 schools nationally (18 in<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong>).<br />
It will use a multi-pronged<br />
approach including curriculum-based<br />
programs in the classroom; identifying<br />
pathways to care; community<br />
forums with key partners such as<br />
health services <strong>and</strong> community<br />
groups; <strong>and</strong> a whole-<strong>of</strong>-school approach<br />
to enhance a supportive environment.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Spence said the broad<br />
base <strong>of</strong> the research <strong>and</strong> the whole<strong>of</strong>-school<br />
<strong>and</strong> community approach<br />
was a unique strategy in attempting<br />
to address adolescent depression.<br />
“This type <strong>of</strong> work coming out <strong>of</strong><br />
UQ <strong>and</strong> Australia is leading the way<br />
in the prevention <strong>of</strong> depression,” she<br />
said.<br />
Mr Kennett speaking<br />
at the launch.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hay said the project was<br />
a practical example <strong>of</strong> UQ research<br />
in the community.<br />
“UQ recognises the value <strong>of</strong> such<br />
important research hence our willingness<br />
to be involved in partnerships<br />
such as the beyondblue initiative,” he<br />
said.<br />
“It is partnerships like this that<br />
strengthen the links between the<br />
<strong>University</strong>, local school communities,<br />
parents <strong>and</strong> students.”<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Spence said the threeyear<br />
project would follow Year 8<br />
adolescents through to Year 10.<br />
“We are looking at educating<br />
young people about mental health <strong>and</strong><br />
wellbeing to help try to break down<br />
the barriers that prevent them seeking<br />
help,” she said.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Spence said she <strong>and</strong><br />
State Coordinator, UQ’s Dr Jeanie<br />
Sheffield, in collaboration with<br />
researchers from across Australia,<br />
had spent the past year writing<br />
curriculum for the classroom component<br />
<strong>and</strong> building links with<br />
education systems, schools <strong>and</strong><br />
community groups.<br />
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16 UQ NEWS, november 2003
UQ Ipswich<br />
enters a<br />
new era<br />
More than 300<br />
people celebrated an<br />
important milestone<br />
at UQ Ipswich last<br />
month.<br />
Representatives <strong>of</strong> community,<br />
government <strong>and</strong> academe attended<br />
a formal ceremony followed by<br />
lunch on October 10 to mark completion<br />
<strong>of</strong> UQ Ipswich’s Phase One development<br />
– a three-stage, $51 million<br />
transformation <strong>of</strong> the former Challinor<br />
Centre site into one <strong>of</strong> Australia’s first<br />
totally Web-enabled campuses.<br />
Stage One construction began in<br />
1998 <strong>and</strong> finished in time to welcome<br />
the first 500 students in February 1999.<br />
Stage Two was completed in 2000<br />
– a $25 million rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> eight<br />
buildings in the central Heritage<br />
Precinct plus a new, twin-block general<br />
purpose building (Building 12).<br />
Building Eight <strong>and</strong> associated<br />
works (the $9.27 million Stage Three)<br />
was completed this year.<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Premier Peter Beattie;<br />
Ipswich City Acting Mayor Paul Pisasale;<br />
Chancellor Sir Llew Edwards;<br />
Vice-Chancellor Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John Hay;<br />
<strong>and</strong> Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International<br />
<strong>and</strong> Development) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Trevor Grigg spoke at the ceremony.<br />
Mr Beattie also opened Building<br />
Eight, home to the Library; Student<br />
Centre; Information Technology Services;<br />
Student Support Services; Health<br />
Service; Equity <strong>Office</strong>; Aboriginal <strong>and</strong><br />
Torres Strait Isl<strong>and</strong>er Unit; Student<br />
Union; Chaplaincy Service; <strong>and</strong> the<br />
Campus Manager’s <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
Sir Llew said completion <strong>of</strong> Phase<br />
One had created more than the physical<br />
infrastructure <strong>of</strong> a university – it<br />
had also created a place <strong>of</strong> intellectual<br />
vigour with a remarkably strong community<br />
tradition <strong>and</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the best<br />
town-<strong>and</strong>-gown pr<strong>of</strong>iles he had seen.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hay emphasised the<br />
strong ties between campus <strong>and</strong> community<br />
<strong>and</strong> said: “...the <strong>University</strong>’s future<br />
is not only entwined with the future <strong>of</strong><br />
Ipswich City... it depends on it.”<br />
“This campus is shaping up well,<br />
<strong>and</strong> it’s fitting to celebrate a milestone<br />
like this in the company <strong>of</strong> those who<br />
helped shape <strong>and</strong> achieve the vision,”<br />
said Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Grigg, whose portfolio<br />
oversees the campus.<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003<br />
Outside Building Eight<br />
Above: the Library inside Building Eight, <strong>and</strong> below, from left: Sir Llew, Mr Beattie, UQ librarian Janine Schmidt, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hay <strong>and</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Grigg.<br />
17
in<br />
brief<br />
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED<br />
Childhood anxiety<br />
Children with anxiety problems are<br />
needed for a UQ School <strong>of</strong> Psychology<br />
study into the effectiveness <strong>of</strong> different<br />
modes <strong>of</strong> therapy delivery for anxious<br />
children.<br />
Participants must be 7–14 years old<br />
<strong>and</strong> have experienced problems such<br />
as being constantly worried or anxious;<br />
shyness; insecurity; or being afraid <strong>of</strong><br />
people or particular situations.<br />
The treatment involves either<br />
weekly, face-to-face therapy sessions<br />
for 12 weeks, or parents receiving<br />
training to conduct weekly sessions at<br />
home with pr<strong>of</strong>essional support.<br />
There is a $100 charge for<br />
participation, including all material.<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 3030 8361<br />
Problem gambling<br />
UQ psychologists are seeking<br />
volunteers for a therapy program<br />
designed to examine the benefits <strong>of</strong><br />
Cognitive Behavioural Treatments<br />
(CBT) for problem gamblers.<br />
The program provides participants<br />
with information, skills <strong>and</strong> strategies<br />
to help them underst<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> change<br />
dysfunctional gambling behaviours<br />
<strong>and</strong> deal with associated issues.<br />
Participation is free, can be<br />
withdrawn at any time <strong>and</strong> involves six<br />
sessions, once a week for six weeks,<br />
delivered by trained clinicians.<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 3346 9417<br />
Overweight children<br />
Around 150 Brisbane families are<br />
needed for a research project designed<br />
to reduce childhood obesity.<br />
The study will evaluate Lifestyle<br />
Triple P, a free, 12-week parenting<br />
program for overweight children aged<br />
from 5-10 years old.<br />
Lifestyle Triple P is based on the<br />
Triple P – Positive Parenting Program,<br />
with extra sessions focusing on<br />
nutrition <strong>and</strong> physical activity.<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 3365 62<strong>07</strong><br />
Stroke therapy<br />
People who have had a stroke affecting<br />
their arm are needed for a UQ study.<br />
The study will assess the effectiveness<br />
<strong>of</strong> a new form <strong>of</strong> therapy.<br />
Participants must live in Brisbane<br />
or the Gold Coast <strong>and</strong> have had a stroke<br />
causing them to only have a small<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> arm movement <strong>and</strong> an<br />
inability to reach.<br />
They will receive 12 therapy<br />
sessions in their home <strong>and</strong> will have<br />
to attend UQ St Lucia for three tests<br />
over four months.<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 3365 4567<br />
Ankle sprain<br />
People aged between 18 <strong>and</strong> 55 years<br />
with a current ankle sprain are being<br />
sought to participate in a physiotherapy<br />
treatment trial study.<br />
Project supervisor Dr Bill Vicenzino<br />
said UQ Musculoskeletal Pain<br />
<strong>and</strong> Injury Research Unit researchers<br />
had received encouraging results from<br />
preliminary studies <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
treatments prescribed for ankle<br />
injuries.<br />
Participants have to attend UQ St<br />
Lucia for a two-hour session.<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 3365 4567<br />
Parental disability<br />
Young people whose parents have a<br />
disability or illness are being asked to<br />
take part in a survey to gather<br />
information to develop better services<br />
<strong>and</strong> intervention programs for them.<br />
UQ’s School <strong>of</strong> Psychology is<br />
conducting the project in collaboration<br />
with Griffith <strong>University</strong> <strong>and</strong> the<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Council <strong>of</strong> Carers.<br />
People aged between 10–25 years<br />
whose parent or parents has an illness<br />
such as cancer; an intellectual or<br />
physical disability; an alcohol or drug<br />
problem; or mental illness are needed.<br />
Information: 0413 733 578,<br />
okochi@psy.uq.edu.au<br />
Youth obesity<br />
Overweight <strong>and</strong> obese children aged<br />
between 5-11 are needed for a UQ<br />
study to identify syndrome indicators<br />
<strong>and</strong> establish whether increased physical<br />
activity is an effective treatment<br />
or prevention option.<br />
Volunteers will be tested to<br />
measure body composition; insulin<br />
sensitivity; dietary intake; <strong>and</strong> physical<br />
activity level before <strong>and</strong> after a 12-<br />
week exercise program.<br />
Tests <strong>and</strong> supervised physical<br />
activity sessions will be conducted<br />
after school weekly for 14 weeks.<br />
An exercise instructor will also<br />
conduct a weekly personal training<br />
session at each child’s home.<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 3636 5243<br />
Adoption aftermath<br />
A UQ project is seeking volunteers for<br />
a study comparing aspects <strong>of</strong><br />
individual <strong>and</strong> relationship wellbeing<br />
in adult adoptees <strong>and</strong> non-adoptees.<br />
The study focuses on people who<br />
have lived at home with two parents<br />
(adoptive or biological) for at least the<br />
first 16 years <strong>of</strong> their life.<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 3365 6257,<br />
keegan@psy.uq.edu.au<br />
18 UQ NEWS, november 2003
In the fast lane<br />
Two dynamic Queensl<strong>and</strong> business leaders<br />
have not allowed age or gender to be any<br />
barrier to their drive to succeed.<br />
Self-described as a “...woman who’s<br />
going places fast” Sarah Seckold<br />
has been recognised as one <strong>of</strong> the most<br />
outst<strong>and</strong>ing young business women in<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Ms Seckold, who graduated with<br />
a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Business Communication<br />
in 20<strong>01</strong>, won the 2003 Telstra<br />
Young Business Woman <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
Award on September 26.<br />
There was double success for UQ<br />
when the 2003 Telstra Business<br />
Woman <strong>of</strong> the Year Award went to UQ<br />
Business School graduate Lynne<br />
Saint, Chief Financial <strong>Office</strong>r for the<br />
Mining <strong>and</strong> Metals Global Business<br />
Unit <strong>of</strong> Bechtel Corporation.<br />
At only 22, Ms Seckold is director<br />
<strong>of</strong> The Direct Empire marketing <strong>and</strong><br />
talent agency based in West End.<br />
She has established relationships<br />
with some <strong>of</strong> the world’s most recognised<br />
br<strong>and</strong>s including Ford, Adidas<br />
<strong>and</strong> Coca-Cola.<br />
“My involvement in the Telstra<br />
Business Women’s Awards has attracted<br />
an overwhelming amount <strong>of</strong> attention<br />
<strong>and</strong> I’m amazed by the amount <strong>of</strong><br />
support I’ve received from business<br />
people throughout Australia,” she said.<br />
“It’s a truly inspirational experience<br />
<strong>and</strong> I’m honoured to be recognised by<br />
such a prestigious awards process.”<br />
Ms Seckold, who bought The<br />
Direct Empire when she was just 19,<br />
manages more than 400 staff.<br />
Ms Seckold completed the final<br />
semester <strong>of</strong> her degree full-time while<br />
managing the company.<br />
She said UQ had provided her with<br />
the essential time-management skills<br />
<strong>and</strong> discipline needed to run a<br />
successful business.<br />
“While there is a lot <strong>of</strong> trial <strong>and</strong><br />
error <strong>and</strong> experience is important, I<br />
feel my time at UQ was invaluable in<br />
assisting me to make the best possible<br />
decisions in times <strong>of</strong> organisational<br />
change <strong>and</strong> to operate effectively on a<br />
day-to-day basis,” she said.<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Business Woman <strong>of</strong><br />
the Year, Ms Saint, who graduated<br />
with a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Commerce in 1983<br />
<strong>and</strong> a Postgraduate Diploma in<br />
educational studies in 1999, is<br />
accountable for the financial <strong>and</strong><br />
commercial operations <strong>of</strong> the mining<br />
<strong>and</strong> metals sector at Bechtel – one <strong>of</strong><br />
the world’s largest engineering <strong>and</strong><br />
construction companies.<br />
Ms Saint said while her commerce<br />
degree was the backbone <strong>of</strong> her<br />
business career, her educational<br />
studies were the cornerstone.<br />
“What leaders do to coach <strong>and</strong><br />
mentor, facilitate learning <strong>and</strong> develop<br />
others, results in teams with greater<br />
skill sets <strong>and</strong> functionality,” she said.<br />
Ms Seckold<br />
Test speeds childhood virus results<br />
A UQ researcher has developed a cheaper,<br />
faster <strong>and</strong> more reliable test for two severe<br />
yet common childhood viral diseases.<br />
The real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction<br />
(PCR) test slashes diagnostic times from days<br />
to a matter <strong>of</strong> hours <strong>and</strong> promises to revolutionise<br />
worldwide laboratory procedures.<br />
Dr Ian Mackay, a senior researcher with UQ’s<br />
Clinical Medical Virology Centre (the Sir Albert<br />
Sakzewski Virus Research Centre) based at the<br />
Royal Children’s Hospital, developed the test in<br />
response to outbreaks <strong>of</strong> human enteroviruses<br />
(HEV) <strong>and</strong> human metapneumovirus (hMPV)<br />
infection in Melbourne <strong>and</strong> Perth in 1986 <strong>and</strong><br />
1999 respectively, <strong>and</strong> Queensl<strong>and</strong> during 20<strong>01</strong>.<br />
Enterovirus 71 (EV71) can cause h<strong>and</strong>, foot<br />
<strong>and</strong> mouth disease, encephalitis, aseptic<br />
meningitis <strong>and</strong> paralysis in children.<br />
hMPV causes serious respiratory tract disease<br />
in children <strong>and</strong> adults <strong>and</strong> until Dr Mackay’s test, it<br />
was estimated 40 percent <strong>of</strong> cases went undetected.<br />
In 78 percent <strong>of</strong> cases during the 20<strong>01</strong> outbreak,<br />
children were admitted to hospital for<br />
between one <strong>and</strong> 14 days with 12 cases requiring<br />
oxygen therapy.<br />
Dr Mackay’s test allows the amplification <strong>of</strong><br />
tiny amounts <strong>of</strong> RNA up to a billion-fold to<br />
enable easy detection <strong>and</strong> subsequent molecular<br />
manipulation. It also provides a far cheaper<br />
alternative to traditional culture methods.<br />
He said while PCR had been available since<br />
the 1980s, real-time PCR was a more recent <strong>and</strong><br />
significant improvement to the technique.<br />
“Fluorescent emissions can be collected from<br />
a closed tube at any stage <strong>of</strong> the amplification<br />
process, which eliminates the risk <strong>of</strong> contamination<br />
to the laboratory environment,” he said.<br />
Dr Mackay said real-time PCR brought many<br />
benefits to the diagnostic laboratory such as<br />
increased speed, reducing assay times from days<br />
to hours; reliability or good reproducibility; <strong>and</strong><br />
specificity – the inclusion <strong>of</strong> an oligonucleotide<br />
probe to ensure the PCR product was as expected.<br />
He said the PCR also allowed technicians to<br />
check whether a microbe responded to antimicrobial<br />
drugs <strong>and</strong> provided the ability to rapidly<br />
diagnose new <strong>and</strong> emerging microbes such as<br />
hMPV by monitoring viral “load” (amount or<br />
level) from patient specimens from different age<br />
groups <strong>and</strong> disease states.<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003<br />
19
in<br />
brief<br />
Bali tribute song<br />
A song by UQ student b<strong>and</strong><br />
Xavier to raise money for<br />
victims <strong>of</strong> the Bali terrorist<br />
bombing was played as part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the October 12 memorial<br />
service in Bali.<br />
The b<strong>and</strong> attended the<br />
ceremony to hear their tribute<br />
song, entitled Loving It, Bali,<br />
played.<br />
The song was written by<br />
its Indonesian-born guitarist<br />
Rocky Rashid <strong>and</strong> features<br />
both Indonesian <strong>and</strong> English<br />
lyrics.<br />
All proceeds from the song<br />
will be donated to victims.<br />
Drummer Ellie Dunn said<br />
the b<strong>and</strong> was very grateful for<br />
the sponsorship which made<br />
the Bali trip possible.<br />
Together for about four<br />
months, the b<strong>and</strong>’s four<br />
members, including their<br />
manager, are all UQ students.<br />
Dean honoured<br />
UQ Faculty <strong>of</strong> Social <strong>and</strong><br />
Behavioural Sciences Executive<br />
Dean Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Linda Rosenman<br />
will lead the newly incorporated<br />
Australasian Council <strong>of</strong> Deans <strong>of</strong><br />
Arts, Social Sciences <strong>and</strong><br />
Humanities (DASSH) for 2003–4.<br />
DASSH aims to lead <strong>and</strong> promote<br />
the arts, social sciences <strong>and</strong><br />
humanities, nationally <strong>and</strong> internationally,<br />
with emphases on the<br />
importance <strong>of</strong> teaching, research<br />
<strong>and</strong> scholarship in the arts,<br />
social sciences <strong>and</strong> humanities.<br />
It will provide a key<br />
networking role allowing the<br />
sharing <strong>of</strong> information <strong>and</strong><br />
dissemination <strong>of</strong> best practice.<br />
It will also foster research,<br />
create alliances with related<br />
organisations both nationally<br />
<strong>and</strong> internationally <strong>and</strong> identify<br />
relevant issues for those<br />
involved in the arts, social<br />
sciences <strong>and</strong> humanities.<br />
Conference<br />
call<br />
To publicise your<br />
conference or seminar,<br />
email Joanne van Zeel<strong>and</strong><br />
at j.vanzeel<strong>and</strong>@uq.edu.au<br />
BENEVOLENCE<br />
Benefit,burden,trace:<br />
the legacies <strong>of</strong> benevolence:<br />
December 11–14, UQ<br />
Ipswich<br />
The interdisciplinary conference will<br />
be hosted by the Postcolonial<br />
Research Group from UQ’s School <strong>of</strong><br />
English, Media Studies <strong>and</strong> Art<br />
History.<br />
The conference will focus on<br />
benevolence <strong>and</strong> representations <strong>of</strong> it<br />
in a wide variety <strong>of</strong> forms.<br />
Topics will include anthropology<br />
<strong>and</strong> academic study; culture; ecology<br />
<strong>and</strong> environment; education <strong>and</strong><br />
training; governance <strong>and</strong> administration;<br />
history; literary representation;<br />
medicine <strong>and</strong> welfare;<br />
migration <strong>and</strong> resettlement; military<br />
<strong>and</strong> police activity; religion <strong>and</strong><br />
missionary activity; <strong>and</strong> trade <strong>and</strong><br />
commerce.<br />
Speakers include Associate<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Rajeswari Sunder Rajan<br />
(Oxford <strong>University</strong>, United Kingdom);<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Patrick Brantlinger<br />
(Indiana <strong>University</strong>, United States);<br />
<strong>and</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John Frow (<strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Edinburgh, Scotl<strong>and</strong>).<br />
Information:<br />
www.emsah.uq.edu.au/<br />
conferences/benevolence-2003<br />
ECONOMICS<br />
One-day symposium<br />
on long-term issues<br />
in superannuation: November<br />
26, UQ St Lucia<br />
Organised by the School <strong>of</strong> Economics,<br />
topics will include long-term<br />
saving issues <strong>and</strong> superannuation;<br />
superannuation <strong>and</strong> the labour<br />
market; long-term modelling <strong>of</strong> the<br />
economy <strong>and</strong> superannuation <strong>and</strong><br />
optimum international asset allocation;<br />
<strong>and</strong> hedging strategies for<br />
superannuation funds.<br />
Speakers will include Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
John Foster <strong>and</strong> Dr Jon Stanford<br />
(UQ); Dr Michael Drew (Queensl<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Technology); Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Ian McDonald <strong>and</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John<br />
Freebairn (<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Melbourne);<br />
<strong>and</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Johannes Juttner<br />
(Macquarie <strong>University</strong>).<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 3365 6594,<br />
g.barr@economics.uq.edu.au<br />
HEALTH<br />
Introductory<br />
workshop in<br />
evidence-based practice:<br />
November 27–29: UQ St Lucia<br />
Organised by UQ’s Centre for<br />
Evidence-Based Practice in the<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Population Health, the<br />
three-day workshop is aimed at health<br />
care pr<strong>of</strong>essionals who want to<br />
develop or exp<strong>and</strong> their underst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
<strong>and</strong> skills in evidence-based<br />
practice.<br />
The workshop will focus on<br />
developing core skills such as<br />
formulating answerable clinical<br />
questions; searching for up-to-date<br />
evidence; critically appraising evidence;<br />
<strong>and</strong> incorporating evidence<br />
into practice.<br />
Information: www.sph.uq.edu.au/<br />
ebp, d.schultz@sph.uq.edu.au<br />
COGITO<br />
ERGO<br />
SUM<br />
PHILOSOPHY<br />
Australasian Society<br />
for Continental<br />
Philosophy conference:<br />
November 20–22: UQ St Lucia<br />
The annual international conference<br />
is designed to provide a forum for<br />
local <strong>and</strong> overseas students <strong>and</strong><br />
academics working in the field <strong>of</strong><br />
continental philosophy.<br />
Themes will include imagination,<br />
engagement; violence; freedom; <strong>and</strong><br />
evil.<br />
Emeritus Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Max Deutscher<br />
(Macquarie <strong>University</strong>); Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Moira Gatens (<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Sydney);<br />
<strong>and</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Paul Patton (<strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> New South Wales) will be plenary<br />
speakers.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Deutsher’s latest book,<br />
Genre <strong>and</strong> void: looking back at<br />
Sartre <strong>and</strong> Beauvoir (Ashgate) will<br />
also be launched during the conference.<br />
Information: www.ascp.org.au,<br />
a.armstrong@uq. edu.au<br />
PSYCHOLOGY<br />
Second annual<br />
conference for<br />
personality <strong>and</strong> individual difference<br />
researchers: December 5:<br />
UQ St Lucia<br />
Hosted by UQ’s School <strong>of</strong> Psychology,<br />
the conference is modelled<br />
on the International Society for the<br />
Study <strong>of</strong> Individual Differences<br />
(ISSID).<br />
It will focus on experimental <strong>and</strong><br />
correlation studies <strong>of</strong> personality;<br />
intelligence; aptitudes; attitudes;<br />
values; <strong>and</strong> psychophysiological<br />
processes.<br />
Information: chrisj@psy.uq.edu.au<br />
20 UQ NEWS, november 2003
UQP<br />
UQ PRESS<br />
RECENT RELEASES<br />
inPRINT<br />
A flat-out<br />
master <strong>of</strong><br />
fiction<br />
Nerida Newton:<br />
The Lambing Flat<br />
(UQ Press, $24)<br />
A recently released UQ Press<br />
novel tells an historical tale<br />
with a modern undercurrent<br />
where historical fiction<br />
parallels 21st Century fact.<br />
Published in October, Nerida<br />
Newton’s debut novel entitled The<br />
Lambing Flat follows two very<br />
different young people as they<br />
struggle for underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>and</strong><br />
survival.<br />
“In part, it tells a story <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
repeated in the history <strong>of</strong> Australia<br />
– that <strong>of</strong> immigrants <strong>and</strong> the<br />
hardships they suffer based on racial<br />
prejudice,” Ms Newton said.<br />
Described as “confident” <strong>and</strong><br />
“powerful”, The Lambing Flat is the<br />
first fiction novel to specifically<br />
explore the Lambing Flat riots from<br />
a Chinese perspective.<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Janette Turner<br />
Hospital, who graduated<br />
from UQ with a Bachelor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Arts in 1966, was Ms<br />
awarded her first major<br />
Australian literary prize<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Turner Hospital last month.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Turner Hospital, who received an honorary<br />
doctorate from UQ in May, was awarded the $25,000<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Premier’s Literary Award for Best Fiction Book<br />
for her recent novel Due Preparations for the Plague<br />
published by Harper Collins.<br />
Her works include seven critically-acclaimed novels<br />
<strong>and</strong> four short story collections published in more than<br />
20 countries <strong>and</strong> 11 languages.<br />
Nine <strong>of</strong> her books have been published by UQ Press.<br />
She is currently Distinguished Writer in Residence <strong>and</strong><br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> English at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> South Carolina.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Wilks<br />
Ms Newton<br />
Set in the 1850s <strong>and</strong> 1860s,<br />
the book follows the lives <strong>of</strong> two<br />
main characters: the first, Lok,<br />
is a young Chinese man who<br />
comes to Australia as part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
gold rush; the second, Ella, is the<br />
daughter <strong>of</strong> a grazier living in the<br />
harsh <strong>and</strong> unexplored regions <strong>of</strong><br />
central Queensl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Ms Newton, who completed<br />
a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Arts at UQ <strong>and</strong> is<br />
studying for a Master <strong>of</strong> Philosophy<br />
in creative writing, said<br />
the characters more or less wrote<br />
themselves.<br />
“The paths <strong>of</strong> the two characters<br />
cross <strong>and</strong> through their<br />
subsequent relationship, they<br />
explore what it means to belong<br />
– to a place, to another person,” she<br />
said.<br />
She said the story mirrored<br />
events in Australian society today.<br />
“There are a lot <strong>of</strong> parallels <strong>and</strong><br />
I don’t think we have come as far as<br />
we think we have,” she said.<br />
In 2002, the book won the<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Premier’s Literary<br />
Award for Best Emerging Author <strong>and</strong><br />
was nominated for The Australian/<br />
Vogel Literary Award – Australia’s<br />
two major prizes for unpublished<br />
manuscripts.<br />
Ms Newton said writing for her<br />
was a need not just a desire.<br />
“As soon as I could put words<br />
into sentences <strong>and</strong> sentences into<br />
stories I knew that was what I<br />
wanted to do,” she said.<br />
After taking a year <strong>of</strong>f to travel<br />
– what she describes as “...the great<br />
Australian rite <strong>of</strong> passage” – she<br />
turned to education for guidance,<br />
writing the book as part <strong>of</strong> her<br />
masters thesis.<br />
“The thesis gave me the motivation<br />
<strong>and</strong> direction to sit down <strong>and</strong><br />
write,” she said.<br />
She did not set out to write an<br />
historical novel.<br />
After returning from her travels<br />
around Europe, the Middle East <strong>and</strong><br />
Asia, she found herself unsettled <strong>and</strong><br />
unsure <strong>of</strong> her place in the world.<br />
It was then she became inspired<br />
to explore stories <strong>of</strong> other people who<br />
had not found their place in society.<br />
“The book is about displacement<br />
<strong>and</strong> finding a sense <strong>of</strong> belonging,”<br />
she said.<br />
“The stories <strong>of</strong> Chinese gold<br />
diggers at Lambing Flat struck me as<br />
not dissimilar from the displacement<br />
<strong>and</strong> difficulties still facing immigrants<br />
today.<br />
“It was simply too compelling a<br />
time <strong>and</strong> place to ignore so I decided<br />
to use this as my backdrop <strong>and</strong> the<br />
story unfolded around it.”<br />
Ms Newton said she was working<br />
on a new novel based on environmental<br />
shifts during the 1960s <strong>and</strong><br />
1970s.<br />
UQ success at literary awards<br />
There was further success for UQ when postgraduate<br />
student Kimberley Starr was selected as the Best<br />
Emerging Queensl<strong>and</strong> Author.<br />
Ms Starr, who is completing a Master <strong>of</strong> Philosophy<br />
in creative writing, submitted two manuscripts for the<br />
award <strong>and</strong> both were short-listed.<br />
The winning manuscript The Kingdom Where Nobody<br />
Dies will be published by UQ Press in September 2004.<br />
The other manuscript entitled Antiquities, a mystery<br />
thriller about a museum curator specialising in bizarre<br />
collections, was written for Ms Starr’s masters thesis.<br />
The thesis is being supervised by author <strong>and</strong> lecturer<br />
in creative writing Am<strong>and</strong>a Lohrey from UQ’s School<br />
<strong>of</strong> English, Media Studies <strong>and</strong> Art History.<br />
There was also success for UQ Press when Catherine<br />
Bateson won the Best Children’s Book award for Rain<br />
May <strong>and</strong> Captain Daniel.<br />
The book also won the Children’s Book Council<br />
Children’s Book <strong>of</strong> the Year Award for Younger Readers.<br />
Bronwyn Lea <strong>and</strong> Dr Martin<br />
Duwell (editors), The Best<br />
Australian Poetry ($22)<br />
This is the first in a series <strong>of</strong> anthologies<br />
to be produced annually by UQP to<br />
showcase contemporary Australian<br />
poetry.<br />
Each year, a guest editor will be<br />
invited to select poems <strong>and</strong> write an<br />
introduction with contributing poets<br />
including commentaries.<br />
The inaugural issue contains<br />
works by some <strong>of</strong> Australia’s most<br />
prominent poets including Clive<br />
James, Les Murray <strong>and</strong> Judith<br />
Beveridge.<br />
Dr Duwell was a poetry reviewer for<br />
The Australian <strong>and</strong> is a senior lecturer<br />
in Australian studies <strong>and</strong> poetics at UQ.<br />
Ms Lea is the author <strong>of</strong> Flight<br />
Animals (UQP), which won the Wesley<br />
Michel Wright Award <strong>and</strong> the FAW<br />
Anne Elder Award.<br />
She lectures in poetics at UQ <strong>and</strong><br />
is the poetry editor for UQP.<br />
Sue Abbey <strong>and</strong> S<strong>and</strong>ra Phillips<br />
(editors), Fresh cuttings: a<br />
celebration <strong>of</strong> fiction <strong>and</strong> poetry<br />
from UQP’s Black Australian<br />
Writing series ($25)<br />
This collection <strong>of</strong> fiction has been<br />
drawn from books in UQP’s prestigious<br />
Black Australian Writing list.<br />
Extracts from novels have been<br />
used as self-contained short stories <strong>and</strong><br />
are from novels such as Bitin’ Back<br />
(Vivienne Cleven); Caprice (Doris<br />
Pilkington Garimara); Unbr<strong>and</strong>ed<br />
(Herb Wharton); <strong>and</strong> Plains <strong>of</strong><br />
Promise (Alexis Wright).<br />
Between each extract is a selection<br />
<strong>of</strong> poems from such collections as<br />
Itinerant Blues (Samuel Wagan<br />
Watson); <strong>and</strong> Black Lives (Jack Davis).<br />
Sue Abbey is founding editor <strong>of</strong><br />
UQP’s Black Australian Writing series<br />
<strong>and</strong> S<strong>and</strong>ra Phillips is the managing<br />
editor <strong>of</strong> Aboriginal Studies Press.<br />
Alasdair Duncan, Sushi Central<br />
($22)<br />
Calvin is 16, gay <strong>and</strong> out <strong>of</strong> control.<br />
His narrative is delivered through<br />
a fragmented <strong>and</strong> fast-paced series <strong>of</strong><br />
emails, text messages <strong>and</strong> miniature<br />
film scripts along with more<br />
traditional descriptive passages as he<br />
deals with the pain <strong>and</strong> confusion <strong>of</strong><br />
first love <strong>and</strong> is drawn into a world more<br />
adult than he could have imagined.<br />
Sushi Central is a subversive<br />
black comedy about teenage angst<br />
pushed to its final, self-destructive<br />
extremes.<br />
Alasdair Duncan, one <strong>of</strong> Australia’s<br />
youngest published novelists, was<br />
shortlisted for the Queensl<strong>and</strong><br />
Premier’s Award for Best Emerging<br />
Manuscript by a Queensl<strong>and</strong> Author in<br />
2002.<br />
21
Aquaculture harvest<br />
A $200,000 facility refurbishment has put<br />
aquaculture back on the menu at UQ.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hoegh-Guldberg (left) <strong>and</strong> Dr Barnes<br />
Anew aquaculture research<br />
facility coordinated by UQ’s<br />
Centre for Marine Studies is expected<br />
to play a lead role alongside industry<br />
<strong>and</strong> government in advancing aquaculture<br />
research.<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong>’s growing aquaculture<br />
industry contributes more than $73<br />
million per year to the State’s economy,<br />
according to Centre for Marine Studies<br />
Director Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Ove Hoegh-<br />
Guldberg.<br />
“Aquaculture in Australia is<br />
exp<strong>and</strong>ing at a rate <strong>of</strong> about 14<br />
percent per annum, <strong>and</strong> is forecast by<br />
the industry to reach a value <strong>of</strong> $2.5<br />
billion by 2<strong>01</strong>0,” he said.<br />
More than 60 species are being<br />
farmed in Australia including pearl<br />
oysters, oysters, mussels, barramundi,<br />
prawns, crayfish <strong>and</strong> algae.<br />
The health benefits <strong>of</strong> farmed fish<br />
are its greatest attraction with many<br />
native fish species high in Omega-3.<br />
The newly-refurbished Pinjarra<br />
Aquatic Research Station will give<br />
UQ students access to industryrelevant<br />
facilities.<br />
UQ provides aquaculture pro-<br />
grams from undergraduate through to<br />
postdoctoral level.<br />
“UQ’s aquaculture program holds<br />
great promise for the State,” Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Hoegh-Guldberg said.<br />
“Thanks to Complas Industries<br />
Pty Ltd <strong>and</strong> RAD Aqua Pty Ltd, the<br />
Pinjarra Hills facility <strong>of</strong>fers cuttingedge<br />
filtration systems <strong>and</strong> state-<strong>of</strong>the-art<br />
infrastructure for aquaculture<br />
research.”<br />
The refurbished station features<br />
laboratory space; seminar room; a<br />
new, indoor, state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art, re-circulating<br />
aquaculture system; <strong>and</strong> nine<br />
ponds stocking a wide range <strong>of</strong> fish<br />
<strong>and</strong> crustaceans including redclaw<br />
crayfish <strong>and</strong> silver perch.<br />
The $200,000 upgrade was funded<br />
in collaboration with the two industry<br />
partners <strong>and</strong> with the help <strong>of</strong> a UQ<br />
Research Infrastructure Grant.<br />
The reopening <strong>of</strong> the facility coincided<br />
with the arrival <strong>of</strong> a new<br />
aquaculture academic to UQ, Dr<br />
Andrew Barnes from Scotl<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong><br />
the launch <strong>of</strong> an edited collection on<br />
aquaculture research by Adjunct<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John Lucas.<br />
Dr Barnes will focus on disease<br />
solutions for prawns <strong>and</strong> finfish with<br />
his most recent experience being in<br />
the biotechnology industry developing<br />
vaccines for aquaculture.<br />
First for nursing<br />
UQ will celebrate excellence in teaching during UQ Teaching <strong>and</strong><br />
Learning Week 2003. Major features <strong>of</strong> the week are:<br />
Wednesday, November 12<br />
11am-3pm<br />
Teaching Excellence Showcase<br />
(free public event)<br />
Presentations on curriculum design<br />
developments involving animal<br />
physiotherapy as well as the Learning<br />
Enhancement Project (Faculty <strong>of</strong><br />
Natural Resources, Agriculture <strong>and</strong><br />
Veterinary Science).<br />
Location: UQ Gatton<br />
RSVP: c.steel@uq.edu.au<br />
Thursday, November 13<br />
5.30-7pm<br />
Teaching <strong>and</strong> Learning Excellence<br />
Showcase 2003 (free public event)<br />
Presentations on a project-centred<br />
approach to the teaching <strong>of</strong> chemical<br />
<strong>and</strong> environmental engineering as well<br />
www.uq.edu.au/.teaching_learning<br />
as the latest teaching strategies for<br />
first-year biological sciences.<br />
Location: Queensl<strong>and</strong> Bioscience<br />
Precinct auditorium<br />
RSVP: e.kerr@uq.edu.au<br />
Friday, November 14<br />
9.30-11am<br />
Postgraduate Flexible Learning<br />
Funding Scheme workshop<br />
The aim <strong>of</strong> the workshop is to provide<br />
advice on flexible learning directions <strong>and</strong><br />
the process <strong>of</strong> developing programs in<br />
flexible learning to potential applicants<br />
for the funds; <strong>and</strong> to highlight past <strong>and</strong><br />
current projects, with the presentation <strong>of</strong><br />
some project outcomes.<br />
Location: TEDI Seminar Room<br />
RSVP: tedi@uq.edu.au, <strong>07</strong> 3365 2666<br />
An accelerated nursing<br />
degree will be launched by<br />
UQ next year to help address<br />
a nationwide nursing<br />
shortage.<br />
Offered through UQ’s Faculty<br />
<strong>of</strong> Health Sciences, the program<br />
will give graduates the option <strong>of</strong><br />
entering the workforce after two<strong>and</strong>-a-half<br />
years education – six<br />
months earlier than most other<br />
undergraduate courses.<br />
They will also gain more<br />
practical experience by working in<br />
hospitals for most <strong>of</strong> the program.<br />
Faculty <strong>of</strong> Health Sciences<br />
Executive Dean Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Peter<br />
Brooks said the clinical component<br />
<strong>of</strong> the program would benefit<br />
the nursing pr<strong>of</strong>ession.<br />
“In a first for Queensl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
students in the new program will<br />
receive the majority <strong>of</strong> their teaching<br />
in hospitals where they will<br />
be educated by practising pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
<strong>and</strong> gain the knowledge <strong>and</strong><br />
skills necessary to work effectively<br />
in a healthcare environment,”<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Brooks said.<br />
To complement the clinical<br />
approach, students will also attend<br />
lectures at UQ Ipswich to take<br />
advantage <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>’s<br />
highly experienced teachers <strong>and</strong><br />
extensive resources.<br />
“An accelerated studies program<br />
option, involving attendance<br />
at a Summer school, will enable<br />
students to graduate mid-year<br />
when there is strong dem<strong>and</strong> for<br />
graduate nurses,” Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Brooks said.<br />
Students will be taught through<br />
the Faculty’s Clinical Divisions,<br />
which already manage the clinical<br />
education <strong>of</strong> doctors.<br />
They will benefit from the<br />
<strong>University</strong>’s close partnerships<br />
with teaching hospitals <strong>and</strong><br />
healthcare pr<strong>of</strong>essionals.<br />
“Changes in healthcare mean<br />
practitioners now routinely work<br />
closely with a range <strong>of</strong> healthcare<br />
providers,” Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Brooks said.<br />
Through the program, students<br />
will learn how to apply theoretical<br />
<strong>and</strong> clinical knowledge using<br />
case-based examples as well as<br />
specialist areas.<br />
22 UQ NEWS, november 2003
on CAMPUS<br />
Concerts, special lectures,<br />
seminars <strong>and</strong> UQ events <strong>of</strong><br />
general interest are published in<br />
this section. Entries, including<br />
date, time, contact name <strong>and</strong><br />
telephone number, should be sent<br />
to j.vanzeel<strong>and</strong>@uq.edu.au<br />
S<br />
SEMINARS<br />
■ Wednesday, November 5<br />
Australasian Centre on<br />
Ageing, Issues for older<br />
migrants: examples from the<br />
Chinese community, Associate<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor David Ip (7.30am, Royal on<br />
the Park, CBD). Details: <strong>07</strong> 3346 9084<br />
■ Wednesday, November 5<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Molecular <strong>and</strong> Microbial<br />
Sciences, The evasive plasmodium, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Michael Good, Queensl<strong>and</strong> Institute<br />
<strong>of</strong> Medical Research (4.30pm, auditorium,<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Bioscience Precinct).<br />
■ Thursday, November 6<br />
Centre for Critical <strong>and</strong> Cultural<br />
Studies, Last night a DJ changed my<br />
life: on certain modes <strong>of</strong> strategic<br />
intervention, Paul Magee (2pm, Room<br />
402, Forgan Smith Tower).<br />
■ Friday, November 7<br />
Institute for Molecular Bioscience,<br />
Essentially yours: the protection <strong>of</strong> human<br />
genetic information in Australia,<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor David Weisbrot, Australian<br />
Law Reform Commission (noon, auditorium,<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Bioscience Precinct).<br />
School <strong>of</strong> History, Philosophy,<br />
Religion <strong>and</strong> Classics, tba, Martin<br />
Wilkinson, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Auckl<strong>and</strong><br />
(3pm, Room 348, Forgan Smith Bldg).<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Biomedical Sciences,<br />
Receptor spectral sensitivity functions<br />
<strong>and</strong> the evolution <strong>of</strong> colour vision, Dr<br />
Misha Vorobiew (1pm, Room 305,<br />
Skerman Bldg).<br />
■ Friday, November 14<br />
Institute for Molecular Bioscience,<br />
Using free radicals to fight cancer: why<br />
pacman should be chiral <strong>and</strong> other<br />
short stories, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mick Sherburn,<br />
Australian National <strong>University</strong> (noon,<br />
auditorium, Queensl<strong>and</strong> Bioscience<br />
Precinct).<br />
■ Thursday, December 20<br />
Fred <strong>and</strong> Eleanor Schonell Special<br />
Education Research Centre, Thinking<br />
in, around, <strong>and</strong> about the curriculum:<br />
the role <strong>of</strong> cognitive education, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Carl Haywood, V<strong>and</strong>erbilt <strong>University</strong>,<br />
US (7.30pm, Room 206, Steele Bldg).<br />
■ Wednesday, December 3<br />
School <strong>of</strong> History, Philosophy,<br />
Religion <strong>and</strong> Classics <strong>and</strong> The<br />
Friends <strong>of</strong> Antiquity, The Hittites:<br />
making the film, Tolga Ornek (8pm,<br />
Abel Smith Lecture Theatre).<br />
■ Thursday, December 4<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Biomedical Sciences,<br />
Engineering <strong>of</strong> plants expressing P450<br />
<strong>and</strong> AhR genes for remediation <strong>and</strong><br />
monitoring <strong>of</strong> environmental<br />
contaminants, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hideo<br />
Ohkawa, Kobe <strong>University</strong>, Japan<br />
(noon, Room 305, Skerman Bldg).<br />
■ Wednesday, December 10<br />
Australasian Centre on Ageing, Ageing<br />
in place: challenges for housing <strong>and</strong> design,<br />
Dr John Minnery, Queensl<strong>and</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Technology (7.30am, Royal<br />
on the Park). Details: <strong>07</strong> 3346 9084<br />
CONCERTS<br />
C ■ Thursday, October 30<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Music, Trio a due,<br />
Felicitas Weyer <strong>and</strong> Almut<br />
Seebeck (vocal) (12.30pm,<br />
Nickson Room, Zelman Cowen Bldg).<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Music, Choral concert: the<br />
<strong>University</strong> sings!, <strong>University</strong> Chorale<br />
<strong>and</strong> Concentus (7.30pm, Long Room,<br />
Customs House, 399 Queen St).<br />
■ Wednesday, November 5<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Music, Twilight concert,<br />
Gwyn Roberts (cello), Jenni Flemming<br />
(piano) (6pm, Long Room, Customs<br />
House). Details: <strong>07</strong> 3365 8999<br />
■ Thursday, November 6<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Music, Recital, Tuuli<br />
Rantanen (viola) (12.30pm, Nickson<br />
Room, Zelman Cowen Bldg).<br />
■ Sunday, November 30<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Music, Sundays at Customs<br />
House, Andrew Maddick (violin)<br />
(11.30am, Long Room, Customs House).<br />
WORKSHOPS<br />
W ■ Thursday, November 6<br />
UQ Business School, Br<strong>and</strong><br />
development, Mark Vincent<br />
(9am–5pm, Customs House).<br />
Details: www.bel.uq.edu.au/eed<br />
■ Monday, November 24–Thursday,<br />
November 27<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Law, Offshore energy law, Dr<br />
Michael White (8.45am–5pm, UQ St<br />
Lucia). Details: www.bel.uq.edu.au/eed<br />
■ Monday, November 24–Friday,<br />
November 28<br />
UQ Business School/Mt Eliza Business<br />
School, Maximising your knowledge<br />
assets, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Colin Ferguson.<br />
Details: www.bel.uq.edu.au/eed<br />
■ Saturday, November 29–Sunday,<br />
November 30<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Medicine, Education course<br />
in sexual health for GPs (Sunshine<br />
Coast). Details: <strong>07</strong> 3346 4813<br />
■ Monday, December 1–Friday,<br />
December 5<br />
UQ Business School/Mt Eliza Business<br />
School, Making critical financial decisions,<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Steve Gray <strong>and</strong> Richard<br />
Parker. Details: www.bel.uq.edu.au/eed<br />
PRIZES<br />
■ Percy Brier Memorial Prize for<br />
Music 2003: for an original composition<br />
by a UQ student <strong>of</strong> not less<br />
than 10 minutes’ duration. Worth:<br />
$1255. Closing: November 7.<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 3365 4949.<br />
■ Ford Memorial Prize 2003: for<br />
undergraduates who submit the<br />
best poem in English. Worth:<br />
$195 (books). Closing: November<br />
21. Information: <strong>07</strong> 3365 1984.<br />
■ Thomas Morrow Prize 2003: for<br />
an undergraduate who, as part <strong>of</strong> a<br />
course, writes the best essay on a<br />
topic in the field <strong>of</strong> Australian<br />
exploration <strong>and</strong> history. Worth:<br />
$360. Closing: November 22.<br />
Information: <strong>07</strong> 3365 1984.<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
TO RENT/HOUSE SIT<br />
■ St Lucia: 2bd + study unit, spac,<br />
f/furn, $350/wk from Jan 1.<br />
Graham: ghn@maths.uq.edu.au<br />
■ St Lucia: 3bd, 2bth hse, $400/<br />
wk. Tina: <strong>07</strong> 3365 3419<br />
■ Mt Crosby: 3bd hse, f/furn,<br />
Dec–Jan, rent negotiable for<br />
house <strong>and</strong> pet care. Joan:<br />
j.whittier@uq.edu.au<br />
■ Coorparoo: 3bd hse, Dec 4–Jan<br />
12, near transport, use <strong>of</strong> car<br />
neg, must care for small dog<br />
<strong>and</strong> guinea pig. Monia:<br />
m.moran@uq.edu.au<br />
■ Highgate Hill: 3 bd hse, p/furn,<br />
new kitchen/bthrm, near Ferry,<br />
$330/wk. Mary: <strong>07</strong> 3844 7978<br />
WANTED TO RENT/<br />
HOUSE SIT<br />
■ Visiting academic needs hse<br />
near St Lucia from Jan–Jun/Jul.<br />
Pam: propsom@depauw.edu<br />
■ Visiting academic needs f/furn<br />
hse, Jan–Mar. Alan:<br />
burns@cs.york.ac.uk<br />
■ Mature, reliable house <strong>and</strong> pet<br />
sitter, prefer 4 wks+, references.<br />
Marion:<br />
m.greenfield@library.uq.edu.au<br />
HOUSE EXCHANGE<br />
■ Vancouver Is hse, Canada, Feb–<br />
Mar. Details: ID=32678,<br />
www.homeexchange.com<br />
FOR SALE<br />
■ Motorbike: 1990 Honda revere,<br />
650cc v twin street bike, red,<br />
53,000kms, rego 12/03, VGC,<br />
$3950, 04<strong>01</strong> 704 150.<br />
UQ Library hours for 2003<br />
Hours, including amended times during the examination<br />
period <strong>and</strong> inter-semester break, are available on the<br />
Library’s homepage at www.cybrary.uq.edu.au<br />
UQ NEWS COPY DEADLINES FOR 2003<br />
Issue number Copy deadline Publication date<br />
531 Friday, November 21 Tuesday, December 9<br />
ADVERTISEMENT<br />
UQ NEWS, november 2003 23