CoHeSion

COHESION 

FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE JULY 2007 

Can we reduce the 

impacts of groundwater 

extraction?

Executive Dean’s Message 

Dear Colleagues, 

This issue of CoHeSion shows some of our star students 

receiving their awards for high achievement during their time at 

ECU. It is a great outcome to see such a wide range of people 

receiving awards in their chosen fields of endeavour. In this 

issue you will also see the ECU Formula Ford in the Motorsports 

course is achieving success with Cade Bell winning all three 

races in the one day of recent competition. The point being that 

ECU students can be high achievers and influence our various 

communities. 

In this issue we ask questions about groundwater extraction 

and its implications as well as look at the science of detecting 

arsenic in ground water. These are issues which concern us all 

given we share the same environmental space and outcomes. 

I am delighted that Professor Kamal Alameh and his team in the 

Electron Science Research Institute have their NanoPhotonic 

Fabrication Facility installed and have completed the initial 

testing phase. The facility ensures the team will continue to 

expand its research capabilities in nanophotonics here at ECU 

now they have a production capability. 

The Faculty has provided an opportunity for more Western 

Australian’s to enter University with a wide range of courses 

open to a second semester intake in 2007. Our new Micro 

Brewing course is just one option and takes its first enrolment 

in July and the micro brewery has been tested and is fully 

Star student - Meagan Shorten 

Since graduating in 2005 from 

a Bachelor of Science degree 

with a major in Nutrition, 

Meagan has been working at 

the Lung Institute of Western 

Australia, based at the Sir 

Charles Gairdner Hospital in 

Subiaco. 

As a Clinical Trial 

Coordinator Meagan’s 

primary role is to coordinate 

the Institute’s clinical trials for lung diseases and asthma, 

administering research protocol procedures relating to the 

clinical management of participants. Additionally Meagan is 

responsible for: 

• 

• 

2 

Recruitment and liaison with patients regarding medical 

conditions, study medications and appointments; 

Data entry of routing clinical and patient details; 

operational. The challenge will be to see what quality beer 

can be produced by ECU students. The ECU Nursing program 

is the largest in WA and is also planning a significant intake of 

studentsthis semester who will want to make use of the new 

facilities coming on stream in January 2008 with the move to 

the Joondalup campus. Easy access by train and large parking 

facilities make this a further attractive option for students. 

The Faculty will begin occupancy of the new health and 

Wellness Building at Joondalup, building 21, which provides 

opportunities for the Vario Health Institute to begin operation 

from August this year. Occupational Therapy and Nutrition will 

move in shortly with Nursing and Midwifery moving late in 

the year. The Faculty now has an operational health complex 

(buildings 17, 19 , 21 and 30) where we have been able to 

bring together most of our teaching and research staff in the 

health area for the first time in our history. This is a significant 

development and has already opened expansion opportunities 

for the Faculty in the health area and these will be revealed in 

future editions of CoHeSion. In the meantine we look forward to 

the formal opening ceremony in the near future. 

Kind regards 

Prof Tony Watson 

Executive Dean 

• Liaising with sponsors and ethics committees and 

• Phlebotomy (process of collecting blood samples) 

Whilst completing her studies Meagan worked on a 

casual basis at a local supermarket and at the same time 

participated in State level Callisthenics, which required careful 

time‑planning. Talking of her experiences whilst studying at 

ECU, Meagan says “I had a great experience at ECU and it was 

the basis of my career. It taught me the skills I needed to start 

my path to success and gave me the opportunity to work in the 

place where I am now.” 

Looking toward the future Meagan mentions that she may 

consider further study, possibly a Masters in Dietetics or further 

studies within the health area.

ESRI establishes a new NanoPhotonic 

Fabrication Facility 

The Electron Science Research Institute (ESRI) is the host of the 

WA Centre of Excellence for MicroPhotonic Systems (COMPS). 

COMPS researchers have access to state‑of‑the‑art 

MicroPhotonic facilities and focus on advancing applied 

sciences for the evolution of photonics from single discrete 

devices to strongly interacting, integrated intelligent photonic 

systems. 

Recently, a Nano‑Photonic fabrication facility was established 

at ESRI. This facility will enable the growth of layers of different 

materials and thicknesses (as small as several nanometers) to 

realize novel nano‑engineered photonic crystal structures and 

custom engineered materials and devices. 

Micro‑ and Nano‑Photonics are diverse groups of technologies 

that enable applications in ICT, Consumer Electronics, Health, 

Security, Agriculture and Environment. 

COMPS research capabilities in Photonic Crystal modelling 

and fabrication have produced innovative approaches for 

process control (such as real‑time thickness monitoring), which 

will be integrated for the first time into our NanoPhotonic 

facility. Nano‑scale thickness monitoring using interferometric 

techniques is crucial for manufacturing nano‑engineered 

photonic structures. 

It is ESRI’s plan to gradually expand the capabilities of the 

NanoPhotonic facility to a commercial level where it can 

be used by national and international organizations seeking 

development of specialized thin‑film structures and high‑speed 

nano devices. 

ESRI research program on modern magneto‑optical materials, 

specifically Magneto‑Photonic Crystal structures, will also open 

many opportunities in a broad range of telecommunications, 

sensing, agriculture and security. Specific applications include 

high‑speed optical devices for telecommunication switching, 

magnetically‑controlled photonic integrated circuits, optical 

data processing and storage, and environmental multi‑ 

parameter sensors. 

Prof. Kamal Alameh (right), Dr Michael Vasiliev (middle) and 

PhD Student Muhsen Aljada (left) at ESRI’s Nano-Photonic 

Facility. 

3

Can we reduce impacts on 

groundwater dependent 

ecosystems by modifying 

groundwater abstraction 

practices? 

4

The consequences of unsympathetic groundwater 

abstraction on groundwater-dependent 

(phreatophytic) vegetation has been observed 

throughout Australia. With increasing demand for 

water and a changing climate regime, the need to 

mitigate the environmental impacts of groundwater 

development is increasing. Current bore operation 

practices in Australia are largely responsive to 

consumption demand and often in conflict with 

peak environmental needs for groundwater 

during summer, resulting in drought stress and 

sometimes death of phreatophytic vegetation. With 

community and industry demand for groundwater 

highest during the dry period of each year (up to 

3 times the winter demand), the risk of impact on 

ecosystems dependent on shallow groundwater is 

high. 

In Western Australia, the single largest source 

supplying drinking water to the city of Perth 

is the Gnangara Groundwater Mound located 

within and to the north of the metropolitan area 

on the Swan Coastal Plain. Overlying much of the 

Mound is phreatophytic native Banksia woodland 

that is susceptible to prolonged separation from 

the unconfined aquifer during Perth’s hot, dry 

Mediterranean summer. During the last 30 years, 

a drying climate coupled with altered land use 

and increased abstraction for public and private 

water supply has contributed to a general decline 

in groundwater levels across the Gnangara 

Mound, resulting in heightened ecosystem impact. 

Sustainable use of this important water resource 

is therefore imperative as Banksia woodlands are 

considered functionally important features of the 

Swan Coastal Plain landscape. 

Previous research by Associate Professor 

Ray Froend on phreatophytic vegetation, has 

revealed seasonal variability in both the quantity 

of groundwater used and the relative importance 

of groundwater as a water source. Use of 

groundwater by phreatophytes is highest during 

the driest season of the year when alternative 

water sources become depleted and demand is 

highest. It follows therefore, that phreatophytic 

vegetation is most vulnerable to lowering of the 

water table during the dry summer months and 

that a more sympathetic groundwater abstraction 

practice would avoid pumping during this period. 

Whilst a precautionary approach is valid given 

the absence of information on phreatophyte 

adaptability and tolerance to drawdown, further 

research is required to determine the potential, if 

any, for operating bores whilst minimizing impacts 

on vegetation. An Australian Research Council 

Linkage project led by Associate Professor Ray 

Froend is designed to assess the response of 

vegetation to operating bores during periods of 

low environmental demand and at lower pumping 

rates. Modifying pumping to be sympathetic to, 

rather than in competition with environmental 

demand, offers benefits for sustainable operation 

of bores, especially large bore fields. Low 

magnitude and rates of change in groundwater 

levels as opposed to rapid drawdown, may also 

allow intra- and inter-generational adaptation and 

persistence of phreatophytes. 

The project represents a significant contribution 

to Australian and international research on 

ecosystem dependency on groundwater. It 

is particularly innovative as it aims to use 

phreatophyte groundwater requirements and 

adaptability to formulate sustainable bore field 

operations. The project represents a long-term 

commitment by the Chief Investigators and partner 

organizations to research that leads to sustainable 

water resource development and management. 

With the paucity of research on sustainable 

groundwater resource development in Australia, 

this project represents a significant contribution 

to improved management of the resource and the 

environment in general. 

5

Faculty prize giving ceremony 

The Faculty prize giving ceremony was held at the Perth 

Convention Centre on Sunday 25 February 2007. Students, 

family, friends, staff and sponsors attended the ceremony which 

recognises those students within the Faculty that have excelled 

in studies at either a course or unit level. 

The Faculty would like to extend its thanks to the sponsors and 

donors for their generosity. Thanks also to Michelene Petrofski 

and Clare Ashby from the Faculty Office who were responsible 

for organising the ceremony and ensuring it ran smoothly on the 

day. 

Congratulations to all prize winners! 

6 

Faculty Medal 

Melina Jokic 

Awarded to a graduating student for 

outstanding achievement in an undergraduate 

program offered by the Faculty of Computing, 

Health and Science. 

Amanda Allnutt Memorial Prize 

Debra Kelly 

Awarded to the Bachelor of Nursing student 

who has achieved the highest standard in 

Stage 5 clinical practicum. 

Faculty Research Medal 

Dr Justin Brown 

Awarded to a graduating student for 

outstanding research in a higher degree 

program offered by the Faculty of Computing, 

Health and Science. 

Australian Federation of Air Pilots 

Award 

Brad Hilton 

Awarded to the student who has displayed 

the highest levels of academic performance, 

commitment to flying and service to the 

community. 

Prize winners unable to attend the ceremony: 

Ms Alison Spicer-Wensley 

Australian Library and Information Association Prize for Teacher 

Librarianship 

Mrs Kelly Gibson 

Australian Psychological Society Prize 

Claire Chapman 

Laerdal Award for Academic Excellence in Paramedical Science 

Tamar Cassey 

Pearson Education Australia Award for Academic Excellence in 

Second Year Human Biology 

Toni McKenzie 

Dr John Woolcott Scholarship 

Alcoa World Alumina Australia Prize 

John Braid 

Awarded to the most outstanding student 

completing the requirements in the Bachelor 

of Environmental Science determined by the 

highest course‑weighted average. 

Australian Library and Information 

Association Prize for Information 

Science 

Nathan Hobby 

Awarded to the graduating student with 

the highest course‑weighted average in the 

Graduate Diploma of Science (Information 

Services) Information Science Specialisation.


Association Prize for Library Technology 

for the Associate Degree of Science 

(Library Technology) 

Gregory Burford 



Associate Degree of Science 

(Library Technology). 

Barry Harwood Study Centre Award 

Laura Juliff 

Awarded to the student achieving the highest 

weighted average mark in the eight first year 

units of the Bachelor of Science 

(Sports Science). 

Carroll Howieson, Pike Psychology Prize 

Jennifer Clarke 

Awarded to a first year undergraduate 

Psychology student who has the highest score 

in PSY1101. 


Association Prize for Library Technology 

for the Bachelor of Science (Library 

Technology) 

Robyn Clifton 



Bachelor of Science (Library Technology). 

Bethesda Hospital Nursing Ethics Award 

Eva Mia Nizic 

Awarded to the student with the highest 

overall mark for the Bachelor of Nursing unit 

NMI2201 Ethics and Law in Nursing. 

Dr Heather MacGowan OAM, 

Professional Practice Prize 

Anthea Mawson 

In recognition of outstanding work by a 

student in the presentation of a professional 

practice portfolio in Sports Science 

Applications 2 (SPS 2303). 

Australian Society of Archivists Inc.- The 

Margaret Jennings Award 

Brian Davis 

Awarded to the most outstanding graduating 

student in the Graduate Diploma of Science 

(Information Services). 

Bio-Rad Molecular Prize 

Christopher Doropoulos 

Awarded to the student who achieved the 

highest combined score for the units SCB2222 

Cellular and Molecular Biology and SCB3322 

Applications Molecular Biology. 

Engineers Australia Electrical College 

Medal 

James Papanastasiou 


weighted average mark for the Engineering 

component on completion of the Bachelor of 

Engineering degree. 

7

8 

IET Prize 

Andrew Bhatia 

Awarded to the student who achieves the 

highest academic record upon completion 

of third year of Bachelor of Engineering in 

Electronic Systems, Computer Systems or 

Communication Systems, which are mutually 

accredited by Engineers Australia and IET. 

McGraw-Hill Developmental Biology 

Prize 

Kristina Brown 

Awarded to the eligible student with the 

highest mark in the Developmental Biology 

unit SCH3244 in BSc (Human Biology). 

Pearson Education Australia Award 

for Academic Excellence in First Year 

Human Biology 

Sarah Monaco 

Awarded to the eligible student with the 

highest weighted average mark (WAM) in the 

units SCH1111; SCH1133; SCH1134; SCH1132 

and SCH1143. 

IEEE Prize 

Rolando Suarez 

Awarded to the student who achieves the 

highest mark in the unit ENS3251: Digital 

Signal Processing. 

Nurses Memorial Trust Olive Anstey 

Award 

Kathryn Harban 

Awarded to the student with the highest final 

mark in the Research unit NST3208 Research 

for Health Practice in the Bachelor of Nursing 

program. 

Pearson Education Australia Award for 

Academic Excellence in Human Biology 

Kristy Shaw 

Awarded to the eligible student graduating 

with the highest course‑weighted average 

mark (WAM). 

JB Flood Memorial Prize 

Carolyn Minto 

Awarded to the most outstanding student 

in the Bachelor of Health Science (Health 

Promotion). 

Nurses Memorial Trust Olive Anstey 

Award 

Alice Arndt 

Awarded to the student with the highest final 

mark in the Research unit NST3208 Research 

for Health Practice in the Bachelor of Nursing 

program. 

Police & Nurses Credit Society Ltd Prize 

Kirsten Wilkinson 

Awarded annually to the student who has 

demonstrated the highest weighted course 

average mark in the Bachelor of Nursing (pre‑ 

registration) course.

Ross Consulting Prize 

John Kimenye 

Awarded to the graduating student with the 

highest weighted average in the Bachelor of 

Computer Science with a major in Software 

Engineering. 

Safety Institute of Australia – WA 

Division Prize 

Peter Snowden 


the highest weighted average mark in the 

course work, Masters of Occupational and 

Environmental Safety and Health (V74). 

St John Ambulance Inc. The College of 

Pre Hospital Care Prize for Excellence 

in First Year Theoretical Study of 

Paramedical Science 

Roland Sylvestre 

Awarded to the first year student with the 

highest weighted average mark in the units 

SCH1143, SCH1104 and SCH1105. 

Royal Australian Chemical Institute 

Chemistry Student Prize 

Simon Gazia 


course average, who has met all the 

requirements in the Bachelor of Science 

(Applied and Analytical Chemistry). 

Safety Institute of Australia – WA 

Division Prize 

Robert Alvin 



Graduate Certificate in Occupational Safety 

and Health (F58). 

St John Ambulance Inc. Western 

Australian Ambulance Service Award 

of Excellence in Academic and Applied 

Paramedical Practice 

Russell Jaggard 


weighted mark in the unit SCH3209. 

Royal Society of Western Australia Prize 

John Braid 

Awarded to the graduate with the highest 

course average completing the requirements 

of the Bachelor of Environmental Science or 

the Bachelor of Science (Biological Science). 

Sports Medicine Australia – (WA) Prize 

Roger Pegoraro 

Awarded to the student completing the 

requirements for the Bachelor of Science 

(Sports Science) with the highest course 

average. 

St John of God Healthcare Midwifery 

Prize 

Gay Adomeit 

Awarded annually to the student with 

the highest aggregate mark for the units 

Midwifery Theory (MIT5101 & MIT5201) and 

Midwifery Practice (MIP5101 & MIP5201) in 

the Post‑graduate Diploma in Midwifery. 

9

10 

St John of God Healthcare Prize 

Lynne Galati 

Awarded annually to the Bachelor of 

Nursing (Pre‑registration) student who has 

demonstrated the highest level of excellence 

in clinical nursing, based on the student who 

achieves the highest number of rating ‘1’ in 

clinical stages rotations. 

Timothy Lin Memorial Aviation Prize 

Kendal Boughton 

Awarded for the highest combined mark 

in the four (4) 1st year aviation units by a 

student who has also completed 

SCA1111 Flying Training 1. 

Wetlands Award 

Gareth Watkins 

Awarded to the student who scores the 

highest final mark in the unit SCI2257 

Water and Wetlands Management. 

StateWest Credit Society Prize 

Melanie Zilembo 

Awarded annually to the student who has 

achieved the highest weighted course 

average mark in the Bachelor of Nursing 

(Honours) course (pre‑ or post‑registration). 

WA Naturalists’ Club Serventy Memorial 

Prize in Natural Sciences 

Helen Tanner 

Awarded to the most promising 1st year 

student naturalist who has successfully 

completed the SCI1185 Ecology unit. 

The Institute of Engineers Australia, 

John Renner Medal 

Roland Domorand 

Awarded on the basis of academic 

achievement, qualities of leadership and 

interest in the Institute of Engineers, 

Australia. 

Westinfo Services Prize 

Darren Jasper 



Bachelor of Science (Internet Computing). 

Photographs from the prize giving ceremony are 

copyright and are reproduced with the permission 

of Lumiere Photographics. 

To obtain copies of these photos please contact: 

Rod McLeod 

9228 47777 

www.lumierephoto.com.au

Cyber bullying research 

Research by the Child Health Promotion Research Centre 

(CHPRC) at Edith Cowan University has found that about 25 per 

cent of young people who are bullied have been bullied with the 

use of technology. 

The findings were announced at a seminar at Burswood 

Convention Centre on Wednesday 30 May, as part of National 

Safe Schools Week. 

Since 1999 the CHPRC has been leading Australian research to 

determine ways to prevent or reduce bullying. 

The Centre recently received funding from the Department of 

Education, Science and Training (DEST) to conduct a nation‑ 

wide survey to better understand the prevalence of, and 

effective responses to, all forms of covert bullying. 

The seminar was organised by DEST and provided both parents 

and schools with advice and tips on how to keep young people 

safer from bullying. 

ECU Professor Dr Donna Cross spoke about how school bullying 

is changing and becoming more covert especially with the 

advent of technology. 

“Unlike face‑to‑face bullying, 50 per cent of young people 

bullied via technology don’t know who is bullying 

them,” Professor Cross said. 

“Thirty per cent who bully and/or are victimised 

also cyber bully or are cyber bullied. Fifty‑ 

nine per cent of children pretend to be 

someone else when online, with 17 per 

cent doing so to act mean towards 

others and get away with it. 

“Young people say they feel they 

can be nastier if they are bullying this 

way as they don’t have to look at the 

person’s face.” 

“Our research suggests ways to help parents and schools 

effectively deal with this and other forms of bullying.” 

Professor Cross recommends some of the following tips for 

parents to help reduce bullying: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Encourage your children to talk to you and tell them you are 

glad he or she has raised the situation with you. 

Be aware of your response and react in a calm, helpful and 

supportive manner. 

Ask your child what you could do to help make the situation 

better. 

Encourage your child to identify what actions he/she will 

try to help make the situation better, giving him/her some 

control. 

Make sure your child knows how to get help and support at 

school. 

Talk with your child’s teacher to find out what will be done. 

Once you have spoken with your child’s teacher and 

decided on some actions, support these decisions at home. 

Help your child work out a plan of what he/she could do to 

help make the situation better. 

Keep a record of what happens each day. 

Keep in contact with the school, even if the situation seems 

to have improved, to ensure the changes continue. 

11

LIS@ECU 2007 

Library and Information Science (LIS) at ECU began this year 

with a get‑together during Orientation Week for new and 

continuing students and recent graduates at the Aroma coffee 

shop, Mount Lawley. Naturally many students attended in 

spirit only, since almost 70% of them study wholly online. 

New students took the opportunity to become part of the SCIS 

learning community, meet potential colleagues and staff, find 

their way around the Mount Lawley campus and familiarise 

themselves with the facilities offered through SCIS. 

Destinations: From ECU to the workplace 

At the end of week 4, LIS held another function for local 

students where recent graduates entertained and enlightened 

us with their impressions of what it is like to move from 

university into the workplace. Jonathan Dutton spoke on behalf 

of the library technicians, Julie Jones for the librarians and 

Alison Spicer‑Wensley for the teacher librarians. The talks were 

followed by questions and a wine and cheese tasting. 

Recently placed graduates include: 

Jeanette Ward ‑ Library Technician, Murdoch College. 

Kirsten Kane ‑ Information Research Assistant, BCI Australia 

Pty Ltd 

Cathy Corbitt ‑ Evaluation Officer, DETWA 

Jonathan Dutton ‑ Library Technician, Perth College 

Brenda Clover ‑ Director of Library, Perth College 

Melissa Oakley ‑ Records Manager, Sharr Medalist 2006, 

State Library WA 

Hoi Ng ‑ E-Services Librarian, Victoria Park 

12 

Donna Barber ‑ Library Technician, Faculty and University 

medalist 2006, University of Canterbury, NZ 

Jossie Thebe ‑ Teacher Librarian, Debswana Diamond Company, 

Orapa, Botswana 

LIS@ECU Seminar series - Picnic PD 

During the mid‑semester break LIS@ECU held the seventh 

installment of the seminar series. Based on feedback from the 

previous seminar in 2006, participants were offered a series 

of three 2‑hour workshops. These included an introduction to 

podcasting, ably presented by Trevor Bennett (LDS), designing 

web pages for newbies by Bryan Garnett‑Law (CHS Web 

Master) and curriculum materials by Roslyn Marshall (John 

Curtin Library).

Feedback from the seventy‑five participants indicated that the 

taster was definitely not enough! As a result, LIS will consider 

running full‑day workshops later in the year on a variety of 

topics, including web design and podcasting. Participants also 

indicated that they want sessions dealing with the integration 

of these technologies into the workplace environment. 

MOU – Australian School Libraries Research 

Project 

LIS@ECU has signed off on a Memorandum of Understanding 

between our major accreditation bodies, the Australian Library 

and Information Association (ALIA) and the Australian School 

Library Association (ASLA). This project is in response to 

research conducted in 2003/2004 by the ALIA‑ASLA Policy 

Advisory Group. Major objectives include a national data 

collection to determine the state of school libraries in Australia, 

the number of qualified personnel and an examination of 

national literacy results to determine if there is a connection 

between student literacy levels and well resourced, 

professionally staffed libraries. Research conducted overseas 

by the OECD and OLEMA indicates that this is the case, but this 

is the first time such research has been conducted in Australia. 

ECU will host the research Web portal for the project and data 

collection is scheduled to begin in August 2007. 

Upcoming events 

LIS@ECU has merged with the SCIS Information Systems 

Research cluster to run the TILC conference for the third 

successive year. The theme of this year’s conference is 

T 2 : Transformations and Technology (30 November – 

1 December). We encourage everyone to contribute by placing 

an abstract at http://conferences.scis.ecu.edu.au/ocs2 

Major tracks for the conference are: 

Business transformation (Value IT) 

Knowledge and information service transformation 

Learning transformation 

Government transformation 

Workplace practice, refereed and virtual papers (double 

blind) will be published on the conference proceedings. The 

conference will be hosted at ECU. Enquiries: tilc@ecu.edu.au 

We look forward to seeing you there. 

13

Exercise and Sports Science well 

represented at the Busselton 

half-Iron Man Triathlon 

On Saturday May 5th, a field of 

nearly 1000 competitors completed 

the 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 

21km run of the half‑Iron Man 

triathlon in Busselton. Five staff 

members and postgraduate students 

from Exercise and Sports Science 

were among the competitors. Those 

representing Exercise and Sports 

Science included Masters students 

Brad Wall and Roger Pegoraro, 

former Honours students and now 

sessional tutors Lucy Millar and 

Liam Johnson, as well as Associate 

Professor Paul Laursen. While the 

wet and cool conditions that day 

were somewhat unpleasant for 

spectators, they represented ideal 

race conditions for competitors, 

making race times that day relatively 

fast. 

Liam Johnson was first over the line from Exercise and Sports 

Science in a lightning‑fast 4:18:32, cutting 20 min off last year’s 

time to win the Men’s 25‑29 age category for a 29th place 

overall. Next in the group was Paul Laursen, who dusted off 

the cobwebs to finish in 4:40:23; 25th in the 35‑39 category and 

147th overall. Brad Wall was next, improving by more than 30 

min on last year, finishing in 4:50:52. This placed Brad 17th in 

14 

the 18‑24 age category and 223rd overall. 

Right behind was Lucy Millar finishing in 

4:51:12, also improving by more than 25 min 

on last year, placing her 8th in the 18‑24 

category and the 30th female overall. Last 

but not least was Roger Pegoraro, who 

finished his first half‑Iron Man triathlon in 

an impressive 5:22:29; 81st in the 35‑39 age 

category and 543rd overall. 

On the whole everyone was pleased with 

their performances and excited to give the next one a go! It 

was great to see such good participation from Exercise and 

Sports Science – a staff and student group that practice what 

they preach!

School of Psychology – 10 Years 

In March this year, the ECU School of Psychology held a function 

on the Joondalup campus to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. 

The function was also designed to bid farewell to the first Head 

of the School, Associate Professor Lis Pike on her retirement 

from ECU and to mark the occasion with a few tributes. All the 

staff from the School of Psychology attended, as did several 

friends of the school from around the university and a number of 

past graduates and former staff members. 

Several people spoke at the event. The current Head of School, 

Associate Professor Craig Speelman, spoke about some of the 

history of the School of Psychology over the last 10 years and 

highlighted some of its achievements. Noel Howieson and John 

Carroll, former staff members, then provided some reflections 

on the school and on Lis. Associate Professor Adrianne Kinnear 

spoke about Lis’s time with ECU, particularly prior to the 

establishment of the school and finally Dr Julie Ann Pooley also 

talked about Lis’s time at the school. 

The ECU School of Psychology had a long gestation. The 

School had its origins in a number of operations across several 

campuses (CH, ML & JO). At one stage it was a Behavioural 

stream within CABS (Community & Behaviour Studies), which in 

turn fell within CALS (Community & Language Studies). In 1992 

the stream became a Department of Psychology and then in 

1997, the department became a school. 

While these various configurations were evolving, Psychology 

moved from being located in Building 4 on the Joondalup 

campus for the most part to Building 2 next door. Interestingly, 

Building 2 was recently renamed Building 30. To add to the 

physical movements, the university has regularly moved the 

school from one faculty to another. In the 10 years since its 

establishment, the school has been in 3 faculties: HHS or Health 

and Human Services, CSESS or Community Studies, Education 

and Social Services, and now CHS or Computing Health and 

Science. Given that Psychology is indeed a science, the school 

is now very happy to be where it belongs. 

The ECU School of Psychology was the fourth such school 

in Perth. Its courses were accredited with the Australian 

Psychological Society in 1993 and have been re‑accredited 

three times since. Since 1997 over 1000 graduates have passed 

through the school’s doors, most into employment. In fact, many 

of its postgraduate students can’t even get out of the school’s 

doors before being snapped up into employment! 

Ever since the establishment of the school, it has enjoyed a 

unique profile amongst the 4 schools of Psychology in Perth. 

Two of its postgraduate courses are unlike any other in Perth: 

Community Psychology is one of only two such programs in 

Australia and Forensic Psychology is one of only eight such 

programs in the country. The ECU School of Psychology is the 

only school in WA to offer its undergraduate course externally 

(and this has recently been converted to an online form of 

delivery). The school is also the only School of Psychology 

in Australia to operate a clinic that is not on campus and is 

located in a CBD. 

The School of Psychology has also developed a student support 

model that is not only unique amongst the Perth Schools of 

Psychology, but also unique amongst most Schools of any 

discipline in any university. The RAPTS program, and now its 

successor the EQUAL program, involves a number of strategies 

such as peer mentoring and learning communities, that are 

designed to ease the transition of new students to campus life. 

This program won the ECU Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching 

and then the AAUT award in 2003. 

It is worth noting that all of these unique features had their 

origin during the time that Lis Pike was Head of School of 

Psychology. Indeed much of the character of the School today 

can be traced to Lis’s leadership, despite her tenure ending in 

2001. 

And Lis’s vision will continue even after she leaves us. She 

was instrumental in the establishment of the new Family 

Relationships Centre in Joondalup (along with Paul Murphy and 

Alan Campbell), an initiative funded by the Federal Government. 

Her research work in the Family Court has also resulted in 

changes to the way in which families work their way through 

separation and custody disputes. 

Finally, at only 10 years old, the School has enjoyed a 

ground‑breaking childhood and is now ready for a remarkable 

adolescence! When Lis became Head, the school was in its 

infancy and procedures and curricula had to be implemented 

from scratch. Today the school stands as a very strong 

competitor in the WA Psychology market, producing graduates 

who are in high demand and have an exemplary reputation. As 

Lis will tell you, the first 5 years of life are the very important 

formative years. These years determine much of how the future 

years will unfold and given the strong upbringing that this 

school’s mother has provided, the School of Psychology can look 

forward to a very bright future. 

15

ECU Open Day 

Despite the overcast conditions and the occasional shower, 

more than 4000 visitors, potential students, parents and 

interested members of the public made ECU Open Day 2007 

a successful event. 

Staff and students from the Faculty of Computing, Health 

and Science collaborated to put on a great range of displays, 

showcasing all the courses, facilities and opportunities which 

await any new ECU student. Thank you to all the staff and 

students for their planning and hard work on the day. 

The study area “tasting tents” were busy all day with the 

‘Nursing, Health and Psychology’ tent being particularly 

cramped with staff from 3 schools trying to find a place to 

display their course information. A double tent next year, 

I think! 

16 

Located inside and on the lower walkway of Building 5 near the 

study area tasting tents, were many displays from the School 

of Engineering and Mathematics. The simulators, both Aviation 

and Motorsport, were busy all day and the Physics and Security 

displays also proved to be popular. 

The School of Biomedical, Exercise and Health Science was 

clearly the best represented with many displays from the areas 

of Biomedical Science, Paramedical Science, Occupational 

Therapy, Human Biology, Public Health, Nutrition, Exercise 

and Sports Science. A party atmosphere was emphasized with 

technical staff dressed as clowns handing out plenty of give‑ 

aways. Many visitors tried out the rowing machine; had a test 

drive in a wheelchair; checked their lung capacity and vertical 

jump measurements. The ambulance between buildings 17 and 

19 certainly attracted a lot of passing interest and pulled many 

visitors into the buildings.

The School of Natural Sciences presented several displays in 

the laboratories including the Magic of Chemistry show and the 

research boat located on the grass at the front of Building 17. 

Head of School, Dr Mark Lund, gave several interesting talks 

on Wetlands and his fascination with Coke and Mentos. SONS 

were also a clear winner with FREE beer tasting in the brewery! 

David Blake and Clay Millar poured nearly 2 kegs of beer 

throughout the day. 

Staff from The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Postgraduate 

Medicine were on hand to check blood pressure and even help 

deliver a baby! They also previewed their future at Joondalup 

with a model of the new Health and Wellness Building, due to 

open in late 2007. 

If computer games interest you, some of the work by students in 

the Games Programming courses from the School of Computing 

and Information Science lived up to expectations. 

To all staff who helped make the day a success – thank you! 

17

WA Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care launch 

In February this year, the State Health Minister, the Honourable 

Jim McGinty, applauded the research of the WA Centre for 

Cancer and Palliative Care (WACCPC) by celebrating the new 

collaboration between Curtin University of Technology and 

Edith Cowan University (ECU). 

Researchers at both universities 

have joined together to enhance 

the development of the WACCPC. 

At the launch held at Oceanus 

on the Beach at City Beach, the 

Minister signed a commemorative 

certificate with Curtin’s VC 

Professor Hacket and ECU’s VC 

Professor Cox. The event was 

attended by approximately 140 

health professionals, university 

academics and researchers, as 

well as corporate representatives. 

The WACCPC is a multi‑disciplinary research centre that 

undertakes research focused on cancer and other progressive 

terminal illnesses and palliative care. Curtin Pro‑Vice 

Chancellor Research and Development, Professor Linda 

Kristjanson, first set up the Centre with a small research team 

10 years ago when she was at ECU. Professor Kristjanson was 

the inaugural Chair of Palliative Care – a position funded by 

The Cancer Council WA that has been instrumental in fostering 

the development of this internationally recognised centre. The 

close involvement of health professionals and clinical providers 

such as Silver Chain, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and others 

18 

The WACCPC Team 

in shaping the research program of the centre has ensured 

that results are ready for application to practice. The centre 

is committed to improving cancer care and palliative care for 

Western Australians. 

The WACCPC is growing its 

local, national and international 

research partnerships under the 

professional leadership of Curtin’s 

Professor Moyez Jiwa and ECU’s 

Associate Professor Samar Aoun, 

who were appointed as Co‑ 

Directors last year. 

Locally the Centre will launch a 

study in WA high schools, colleges 

and universities into the links 

between unhealthy habits such as 

smoking and body image, and work closely with the WA cancer 

and palliative care network in streamlining the care pathways 

of lung cancer patients. 

Nationally, it plans to develop guidelines for a palliative 

approach for aged care in the community and internationally it 

aims to build on its collaborative research projects in palliative 

care. 

Pictured Above (L-R): A/Prof Lynn Oldham, A/Prof Samar Aoun, 

Prof Kerry Cox (VC, ECU), Hon Jim McGinty (Minister for Health), 

Prof Jeanette Hackett (VC, Curtin), Prof Moyez Jiwa, Prof Linda 

Kristjanson, Dr Neale Fong.

World-class control engineering in 

Joondalup 

A joint effort between Engineering at ECU and Siemens has 

given Joondalup the best teaching and training facility in 

WA for instrumentation control engineering. The facility is 

equipped with the latest industry standard equipment and 

has already proved to be invaluable for further training of 

engineers from a number of WA industries. The first intensive 

5 day course commenced on 30th April 2007, with engineers 

from Pfizer Australia, Midland Brick, Albany Bulk Handling, 

AP Automation, WATRI and ECU receiving advanced training 

on the Siemens control hardware, which has widespread use 

in Australia. “This is an excellent example of how industry 

and academic institutions can work together for the benefit of 

both sectors …” says Daryoush Habibi, Head of the School of 

Engineering and Mathematics. “We have earned a top‑class 

teaching facility, which enhances our ability to offer industry‑ 

relevant engineering education, and the industry has earned 

an excellent training facility in the harmonious surroundings 

of our Joondalup Campus”. It is anticipated that besides its 

educational use for engineering courses at ECU, many more 

industry training courses will be conducted in Joondalup using 

this facility. “The SIEMENS TIA (Total Integrated Automation) 

concepts setup at ECU is undoubtedly the best in WA.” says 

Andrew Phan, Director of AP Automation who ran the first 

training course. 

The first group of industry trainees. Left to right: Behrooz Rohani 

(WATRI), Xiaoli Zhao (ECU), Doug Adam (Midland Brick), Jason 

Cordon (Albany Bulk Handling), Jason Spurrier (Pfizer Australia), 

Sholeh Pirmorady (AP Automation), Andrew Phan (Trainer from 

AP Automation) 

ECU Motorsports races into 1st place 

ECU Motorsports raced into 1st place at the Barbagallo raceway on April 21st with driver Cade Bell winning all three races held on 

the day. Congratulations to staff and students involved, and thanks to Brett Lupton at Fastlane Racing for making this happen. 

19

20 

HAZMAT at ECU! 

On the 28th May students in the School 

of Natural Sciences attended a mock 

HAZMAT (hazardous materials) incident 

in the laboratories of building 19 at the 

Joondalup campus. The alarm in Building 

19 sounded and students had to evacuate 

due to a fire arising from an accident in a 

biological hazards laboratory. The students 

unfortunately had to evacuate past a staff 

member who was lying on the ground and 

another who had dragged the staff member 

out as he had collapsed. Later it became 

evident that both were contaminated with 

the biological agents Cryptosporidium 

neoformans and Legionella pneumophila and 

were also overcome with smoke. 

The students evacuated to the back of 19 

where they informed Fire and Emergency 

Services Staff what had happened. The 

students provided expert advice on how to 

handle the incident in terms of assessing the 

hazards, managing them and cleaning up. 

There was a risk that the students were also 

contaminated with the biological agents and 

they required decontamination. 

This collaboration between FESA and SoNS 

provides an invaluable learning platform for 

students studying chemistry, environmental 

forensics, environmental management and 

biological sciences. The students learn how to 

assess hazards but also how to manage them 

in a practical situation. This activity would 

not have been possible without the support of 

FESA and we sincerely thank HAZMAT/CBR 

Officer John Henderson and the FESA crew from 

Osborne Park for making this learning experience 

as real and relevant as possible.

Interzone Nullarbor 2007 

You may remember the Nullarbor game development 

competition and demoparty from 2006. Organised by Dr. Martin 

Masek from the ECU School of Computer and Information 

Science and Adrian Boeing, a PhD student and lecturer from 

UWA, it attracted hundreds to ECU’s Mount Lawley campus and 

provided a full day of entertainment. This year, the organising 

team stayed the same, but things got huge. 

The newest player in the Perth games industry, Interzone 

Games, signed on for naming rights and the competition was 

officially named Interzone Nullarbor. Several of the competitors 

were subsequently offered jobs at Interzone, who are furiously 

recruiting to grow the staff at their Perth studios to around 300. 

The theme of Iznullarbor 07 was ‘Bigger and Better’, and it 

lived up to its name. It was held in conjunction with the GO3 

Electronic Entertainment Expo and Conference at the Perth 

Convention and Exhibition Centre. The duration also increased 

to three days – Friday for industry and competitors only, and the 

weekend for the public. Estimated attendance over the three 

days was 10 000. 

The competition categories of Game, Demo, Animation, 

Graphics and Sound were fought over, with over $10 000 

worth of prizes from sponsors up for the taking. The Game 

competition proved the most popular, with 15 entries. Entries 

came from around Australia and New Zealand from a variety of 

sources with the majority being student groups and independent 

game developers. 

Entries were voted for by the public. 30 PCs were hired for the 

competition, with the GO3 Expo giving Iznullarbor a large space 

on the expo floor. The competition machines were available 

to the public to view/play the entries and votes were taken on 

voting forms. 

In addition to the free‑play area, a formal screening was also 

held where videos of all entries were played on the big screen. 

The screening, MC’d by Martin Masek, attracted a huge crowd 

to the stage. Following the screening there was some frenzied 

vote counting, followed by the prize giving ceremony. 

ECU students were well represented in the competitions. 

Third prize for the Games competition went to a team called 

Game Pride for their entry Adrenaline. This was a large 

team comprising four ECU students along with students 

from Murdoch and Curtin Universities. Sami Karlajalainen, 

completing his ECU Bachelor of Computer Science with majors 

in Software Engineering and Games Programming, was Game 

Pride’s lead programmer and responsible for much of the work 

on the entry’s advanced game and physics engine. 

Fourth place in the game competition went to another ECU 

Games Programming student – David Woodham. Dave 

built his entry single‑handedly as an assignment for the 

22 

unit “Introduction to 3D Game Programming” and competed 

favourably against entries by much larger teams. 

Another great effort was by Timothy Oliver who studied 

the Bachelor of Science in Digital Media at ECU and chose 

“Introduction to 3D Game Programming” as one of his electives. 

The game he created for the unit ‑ Air Hockey X-Treme — was 

placed 8th. The game was a simulation of the classic air‑ 

hockey with a very intuitive interface. For two players, the 

game required two USB mice, with each mouse controlling a 

player. This unfortunately resulted in a disadvantage, as only 

four of the 30 competition machines had a dual mouse setup. 

Another ECU student, Paul Geronimos came second in the 

graphics competition with his entry, Guard Duty. 

To download the entries, see photos, or find out more about 

the Interzone Nullarbor competition, see www.iznullarbor.org. 

Interzone Nullarbor 07 was supported by Interzone Games, 

ECU School of Computer and Information Science, Murdoch 

University School of Media Communication and Culture, 

Microsoft Imagine Cup, Achieva Altech Computers, Anyware 

Computer Accessories, Crumpler, MadMan Entertainment, 

OneTwenty.org, PIGMI, Pixel Juice, Team Affinity, Vivendi, 

Universal and VJ Zoo. 

From left to right – ECU lecturer Dr. Martin Masek, General 

Manager of Interzone Games Robert J. Spencer, and Sandbox 

Software, the team that won the Games category of Iznullarbor.

ECU Psychological Services Centre 

The ECU Psychological Services Centre is the training clinic 

for post‑graduates studying Clinical and Clinical/Forensic 

Psychology at Masters and Doctoral level. All of these trainees 

undertake their first practical placement at the clinic, under 

intensive supervision. 

The clinic is unique in Australia because it is located off‑ 

campus, in the heart of Joondalup. This makes it easily 

accessible to the general public, who form the client base and 

facilitates excellent communication 

with other services. The clinic shares 

a building with the local Department 

for Community Services and Disability 

Services Commission. It is adjacent to 

the Joondalup Health Campus and very 

close to the new Family Relationships 

Centre. Ease of communication permits 

cross‑referrals, networking and 

collaborative programs. 

An additional advantage is the fact that 

trainees regard it very much as a workplace and are able to 

discard their student “hats” and take on a professional persona. 

“The Clinic is a very professional, supportive and encouraging 

environment,” say current trainees “where we can integrate 

contemporary, evidence‑based therapies into our practice”. 

Clients are able to self‑refer and many come to the clinic via 

personal recommendation. Referrals are also accepted from 

GP’s, paediatricians, schools, community health centres and 

other local agencies. Clients present with a wide range of 

issues, including anxiety and depression, relationship problems 

and difficulties with child behaviour management. They range 

from primary school children to older adults. Fees are low and 

are determined on a sliding scale according to employment 

status. Many clients would have no alternative means of 

accessing psychological support. Feedback surveys posted 

out to all clients a few weeks after close of service indicate 

very high levels of satisfaction. “Great service, great price”; 

“The counselor was fantastic and really 

helped me through some tough times”; 

“I loved how friendly everyone was – 

they made my child very comfortable, he 

enjoyed being there and he still asks to 

go back”. 

Trainees gain a broad experience 

which equips them to take on further 

placements in external agencies with a 

high level of confidence and skill. 

Regular Group Programs are also available. “Quit Smoking” and 

“Mood Management” groups have been popular in the past and 

“Boost Your Self Esteem” will commence shortly. 

Further information may be obtained by calling the receptionist, 

Sally, on 9301 0011. 

23

Nursing promotes careers to Year 10’s 

The pilot of an Early Career Development Program (Promoting 

Nursing as a Career to Year 10 Students) was launched to 

High School Careers Advisors from selected high schools on 

Thursday 26 April 2007. For the pilot program, the School of 

Nursing, Midwifery and Postgraduate Medicine (SNMPM) is 

aiming to recruit 24 students who are from Year 10 interested in 

nursing as a career, to participate in the week long placement 

during July. 

This program has been developed collaboratively by the School 

and Nursing Workforce, Department of Health with practical 

assistance from the WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). 

It is part of a longitudinal strategy for nursing workforce 

development and aims to cultivate an interest in the variety of 

roles and professional opportunities of a nursing career, as well 

as promoting nursing as an attractive career option for Year 10 

students to work towards. 

At the breakfast launch, Professor Cobie Rudd (Head of School, 

SNMPH ECU) welcomed the Careers Advisors, as well as 

speaking briefly about community engagement, the week 

long placement, the school and some of the new technologies 

students could expect to have access to in 2008 following their 

move to Joondalup. Di Mantell, Acting Executive Director, 

Workforce Development (Department of Health WA) talked 

about the importance of the pilot program from the Department 

of Health’s perspective gave an overview of the current nursing 

workforce and future prospects for nursing careers. 

Associate Professor Christopher Churchouse provided the detail 

around what students could expect from participating in the 

week long placement and Amanda Swift, the Undergraduate 

Coordinator gave an overview of the Bachelor of Nursing. The 

formal proceedings concluded with a presentation by Anne 

Gerick, a Graduate Nursing Student from 2006, who is now in 

the Graduate Program at the Joondalup Health Campus. Anne 

provided her account of why she chose nursing, and more 

Associate Professor Christopher Churchouse providing 

information to Careers Advisors. 

24 

Jon Mould and Anne Gerrick using SimManTM to demonstrate 

an authentic nursing situation. 

specifically why she studied at ECU. Anne also talked about 

what she gained personally from her studies and what it was 

like for her to be a nurse. 

After some questions from the Careers Advisors about the 

program, Sue Woodroff, Laboratory Manager in the school 

provided a guided tour of the anatomy museum, demonstration 

wards and laboratories. The tour group was introduced to the 

range of full human patient simulators by Lecturer Jon Mould. 

With Anne’s assistance, Jon show the group how SimMan 

can be used with nursing students to create authentic ‘nursing’ 

situations as well as offer a safe environment for students to 

test their newly acquired skills. 

Feedback from the Careers Advisors suggested they were 

looking forward to receiving further information about the 

program and with the application packages having been 

circulated we look forward to receiving student applications and 

providing a program update in the next edition of Cohesion.

Triple S Science Fair 

Kent Street Senior High School 

The first Triple S Science Fair for 2007 was held on 

Tuesday 22nd May at Kent Street Senior High School. 

The fair was very successful and attended by over 500 

interested students, parents and teachers on a beautiful 

clear night in May. 

Numerous interactive displays kept both the public and 

the stall holders busy all night. Many of the regular stall 

holders returned and we were thrilled to welcome several 

new ones. Some of the stalls included: Scitech roadshow; 

building parachutes for eggs; finding stars and planets in 

the sky with Skyscout; snake skins and other specimens 

from the WA Museum, as well as the ever popular 

RAAF/2FTS strapping students into an ejector seat. 

The Faculty and ECU were represented by a small group 

of enthusiastic stall holders. Special thanks go to: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Tanya Barrett and her troupe of Occupational Therapy 

students who tested our grip strength and let us 

go for a spin in their wheelchair. Thank you to Tara 

Metcalfe, Tyvella Scott, Kelly McCauliffe and Lauren 

Hepburn. 

Thomas Beebe for his Chemistry expertise; Rebekah 

Kenna and Rob Campbell for their mussel clump 

activity as part of a combined Natural Sciences stall. 

Nardia Bordas for her Science in Nursing display with 

simulated body fat and the smoking doll. 

Professor Mo Harris and her birthing simulator - 

many teenage girls were impressed, or should I say 

“shocked” by the experience. 

The second Triple S Science fair for 2007 is scheduled for 

Wednesday 26 th September and will be held at 

St Stephen’s School, Duncraig. 

If you are interested in participating with a stall at this fair 

please contact John Poland on 6304 2128 or 

j.poland@ecu.edu.au. 

25

Games that play you 

Imagine a game used to train members of an anti‑terrorist 

squad, in which players are placed in potentially dangerous 

scenarios. The computer monitors the players’ responses to 

different types of stress, and uses this to devise specific training 

experiences to test the team. 

Or an interactive performance system, where audience 

members are equipped with mobile sensor devices that detect 

their responses to story elements. These could be fed back in 

real time to the performers, allowing them to improvise changes 

to the performance. 

Researchers from the School of Computer and Information 

Science, Associate Professors Philip Hingston and Peng Lam, 

Dr’s Martin Masek and Alfred Tan, are working on a new type 

of computer game. One that takes full advantage of feedback 

between the virtual world of the computer and the physical 

world of the player, to achieve the best possible benefits. 

SCIS researchers have teamed up with School of Exercise, 

Biomedical and Health Sciences Associate Professors Ken 

Nosaka and Paul Laursen to investigate the use of exercise‑ 

based computer games to combat childhood obesity. 

The vision is to develop a series of computer games that deliver 

a full range of active play using feedback to monitor each 

player. This adapts the game to keep them interested and the 

level of exercise appropriate to each player’s level of fitness and 

skill. In effect, each game will work like a personal trainer. 

To achieve this vision will require innovative developments 

in artificial intelligence (to infer from sensor information, the 

physical and mental condition of the player, in game design 

so that games have the features needed to keep players 

motivated), and mobile network technology (so that players can 

interact with each other even when in different locations). 

The first appearance of this new type of game was at the recent 

Go3 Computer Games Expo at the Convention Centre in Perth. 

This game uses a GameBike, an exercise bike connected to a 

computer running the game, specially modified with a heart‑ 

rate monitor to sense the player’s physical condition. It has the 

ability to set the bike’s resistance level under computer control. 

The game proved enormously popular among visitors to the 

Expo of all ages and genders. 

Increasingly our daily interactions with our environment are 

mediated by computers, and not just through the familiar 

keyboard and mouse. Our cars rely on computer systems for 

ignition, navigation and cruise control. Our phone networks are 

computer controlled. Many of us are more likely to look up a 

word on Wikipedia than in a real ink and paper dictionary. Even 

our game playing is often done via computers. This pervasive 

presence of computers can be either a blessing or a curse. 

A contemporary example of the downside of computers is the 

supplanting of active physical games with computer games. 

This is often blamed for the current epidemic of childhood 

obesity. We all know that kids can sit at a keyboard for hours 

on end, displaying amazing determination and powers of 

concentration. With a little creative thinking, we can turn this 

into an opportunity to get our kids back on the road to healthy 

exercise. 

Fitness Australia partnership with AAESS 

I am very pleased to inform you that after much lobbying by 

AAESS, (Australian Association for Exercise Sports Science), 

Fitness Australia has agreed to accept AAESS Exercise 

Scientists (full members) and AAESS Accredited Exercise 

Physiologists (AEPs) as eligible for professional registration with 

Fitness Australia which is a requirement to work in some gyms. 

This dispenses with the previous requirement of a Certificate III 

or Certificate IV in fitness. 

26 

Further details can be found on the website www.fitness.org.au 

ECU offers the only AAESS accredited degree in Western 

Australia and one of only 6 in the country.

Detecting arsenic in groundwater 

Heavy metal contamination of ground water is a serious 

environmental problem. In the last few years Perth has had a 

number of ground water areas contaminated with heavy metals 

and arsenic due to acid sulfide soils. However, the situation is 

far more serious in other parts of the world such as Bangladesh, 

China, India, Mexico, Chile, Argentine and Mongolia. For over 

15 years people in Bangladesh and India have been drinking 

ground water contaminated with arsenic. There are now 

millions of people suffering from serious health problems as a 

result of drinking arsenic contaminated water from tube‑wells 

and it is crucial that people stop drinking from tube‑wells with 

arsenic concentrations above 50ppb. For this to happen it is 

necessary to test groundwater in all tube‑wells. However, with 

over 6 million tube‑wells and many more being formed each 

day, the current techniques for detecting arsenic are relatively 

expensive, complicated and not field based (Hydride Generation 

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, HG‑AAS and Inductively 

Coupled Plasma, ICP) or are highly inaccurate (Guitzheit test). 

Ideally, it would be best if the arsenic could be removed from 

the water but there is currently no method which could be 

easily and cheaply implemented in Bangladesh. 

This research project is developing a method for the detection 

of arsenic in groundwater which is relatively cheap, allows for 

infield testing, is easy to use, reliable and accurate. The method 

uses anodic stripping voltammetry technique, which allows for 

direct detection of arsenic and other metals in water samples. 

The instrument which is used in this method is called Portable 

Digital Voltameter, PDV6000 (Figure 1), and can be easily used 

in the field. 

Figure 1. Development of infield method for arsenic detection in 

water using PDV6000 instrument. 

This method could potentially be used in countries such as 

Bangladesh to quickly and cheaply identify tube‑wells which 

contain water that is unsafe for drinking, and thus reduce the 

number of people being exposed to high levels of arsenic. 

Currently this method has been used by an Australian company, 

‘Advanced Water Technologies Pty Ltd, to validate new 

technology which is capable of removing arsenic and metals, 

such as iron and manganese from water. In collaboration with 

Mr Gheorghe Duta, Managing Director of AWT, the arsenic 

detection method developed by Dr Wajrak using the PDV6000 

instrument, was used to validate the patented technology of 

the Chemical Testing machine (Figure 2) which was completed 

in 2006 in collaboration with Mr Gheorghe Duta, Managing 

Director of AWT. In September of 2006 the machine was 

already being used at a construction site in Nedlands to treat 

contaminated waste water at a construction site. (Figures 3 and 

4). 

Figure 2. Water treatment plant (left), Dr Wajrak and Mr Duta 

carrying out analysis of the treated water. 

AWT serves a range of clients 

globally from governments and 

non government organisations 

such as the World Health 

Organization and World Bank 

to public utilities and private 

companies. The company’s main 

focus is to provide communities 

in developing economies with 

access to safe drinking water. 

Therefore, the next step is to 

implement this technology in 

countries such as Bangladesh. 

The research carried out by Dr Figure 3. Dr Magda Wajrak 

Wajrak will be used by AWT to standing in front of the 

monitor the quality of treated Dewatch Machine outside 

water as the company needs to in Nedlands 

carry out regular checks for arsenic levels. 

Figure 4. Untreated waste water entering the Dewatch Machine 

(right) and treated water being expelled (right). 

27

Exercise & Sports Science Accreditation 

Inaugural Duathlon ECU Graduate 

Last October, early one Sunday morning on the Joondalup campus 

the Exercise and Sports Science discipline held an inaugural 

duathlon (run, cycle, run). A willing sport science student 

organised the event as part of their industry practicum. The 

message was sent out to all staff and students in the school to 

enter, however only a handful of staff took up this challenge. Barry 

Gibson didn’t enter however at the last moment was asked to 

monitor an intersection when the police academy failed to turn up. 

Thankyou Barry and your wife, Marg, for your road safety skills! 

The event was followed by a BBQ and a few drinks. 

The winners of the various divisions were: 

Fastest student team: 

Mike Barker and Roger 

Pegoraro 

Fastest individual staff: 

Jacques Oosthuizen 

Please note this event 

will be run again 

in October. So get 

training! 

28 

In 2006 Edith Cowan University became one of only six 

universities throughout Australia to gain accreditation for its 

Exercise and Sports Science degree. ECU also became the only 

University in Western Australia offering a degree through which 

graduates could gain accreditation as exercise physiologists 

in an allied health service and facilitate Medicare rebates ‑ a 

big coup for this discipline. The Sports Science staff at ECU 

are to be congratulated for their contribution to this fantastic 

achievement. They were rewarded at leat year’s AAESS 

conference in Syndey with the official documentation and a 

plaque. 

secures position at 

the AIS 

Dale Chapman, one our Exercise 

and Sports Science PhD students, 

has just been appointed the 

prestigious position of Sport 

Scientist working in the Talent 

Identification Program at the 

Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) 

in Canberra. 

Congratulations Dale! 

ECU is certainly producing some successful graduates!

Health and Wellness building update 

Construction of the Health and Wellness building is nearing 

completion with external scaffolding recently removed and ground 

works around the building now under way. The architects have 

indicated that floors 1 and 2 which will house the Vario Health 

Institute, Occupational Therapy, Nutrition and the Joondalup Health 

Study will be ready in July, whilst floors 3 - 5 on the western side of 

the building are expected to be completed by end of August. The 

official opening date for the building has not yet been finalised, it 

is however it is anticipated to happen some time between July and 

September. The next edition of COHESION magazine will feature a 

photographic timeline from start to finish and photos taken at the 

official launch. 

An interesting piece of trivia regarding the Health and Wellness 

building - at 11,000 m 2 the building is larger than ECU’s southwest 

campus in Bunbury! 

29

VCAET Team Teaching Award 

Team: Associate Professor Gavin Leslie, 

Kerry Southerland, Fenella Gill and Lucia Gillman. 

The VCAET scheme celebrates the university’s most outstanding 

teachers in their fields of discipline. The awards recognise 

teachers (individuals and teams) renowned for their excellent 

teaching, who have outstanding presentation skills and who 

have made a broad and deep contribution to enhancing the 

quality of teaching and learning in the university. 

Each winning applicant also qualifies as a preliminary ECU 

representative in the national Carrick Institute (CAAUT) 

Teaching Excellence Scheme for 2007. 

The origins of the winning team teaching award lie with post 

registration speciality courses that have been conducted at 

Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) since the early 1970’s. Originally 

post basic courses were overseen and attended by staff 

employed within RPH. Specialty programs included Intensive 

Care, Coronary Care/Cardiothoracic and Orthopaedic/Spinal 

nursing. Whilst the post basic courses met the needs of most 

registered nurses, the transition of nursing education to the 

tertiary sector was viewed as a more rigorous means of 

preparing nurses for the dynamic challenges that confront them 

in the workplace. 

In 1991, the withdrawal of funding increased the pressure 

for RPH to relinquish its role as a traditional provider of post 

registration specialist nursing education. In 1995, funding 

pressures and the offer by Edith Cowan University to establish 

post registration specialty education in these areas resulted in 

the cessation of the RPH based programs. The following year 

ECU offered three postgraduate specialisation programs in 

collaboration with RPH. 

30 

This collaboration targeted needs identified by recent reviews 

of nursing education at national and state level, namely to 

formally recognise and practically align clinical practice and 

academic endeavour in nursing. Such collaboration offered the 

best combination of national and international consistency in 

preparation, academic rigor, practical expertise and professional 

adaptability. Working parties for each specialty (consisting 

of clinical experts and educators) were established to review 

the existing curriculum and to implement articulation of 

postgraduate specialty nursing courses into a university model. 

In 2002 the program was restructured and named The Master 

of Clinical Nursing. The School of Nursing as it was then had 

a disparate number of graduate offerings at certificate and 

diploma level which lacked articulation and encouragement for 

nurses to attain higher degree qualifications. 

The MCN encapsulates a philosophy of providing a clinically 

grounded course linked to academic development using the 

established path of coursework masters. For this approach 

to be professionally credible and academically sound a 

combination of tertiary qualified, clinically based staff was 

needed to nurture the program. 

Along with the professorial joint appointment in Critical Care 

Nursing with RPH (Assoc Prof Gavin Leslie) a new category 

of appointment was developed, the Practitioner Scholar. Two 

positions were identified in key areas of interest to the school 

and RPH in Critical Care (Kerry Southerland) and Emergency 

Nursing (Lucia Gillman). Additional adjuncts were invited from 

other specialisations, including Princess Margaret Hospital 

(PMH) Paediatric Intensive Care (Fenella Gill). These four staff 

represent the core team and have been largely responsible for 

the success of the current MCN. 

continued pg31

Paramedic education: developing depth through 

networks and evidence-based research 

University based Paramedic education into the next decade 

will require collaboration across the three sectors: University, 

Service Provider and Professional Associations, in order to meet 

the requirements of a rapidly changing health care industry 

dealing with tight budgets, isolated populations, workforce 

shortages and new models of care. The aims of this study seeks 

to answer the following two questions: 

Early morning on Thursday 7 June saw the staff from School 

of Nursing, Midwifery and Postgraduate Medicine descend 

upon the Perth Zoo for a full day of structured professional 

development activities. 

During first session, new and longer serving, learnt about 

each other’s roles and responsibilities. This generated much 

MCN program 

The MCN has three key areas upon which this application was 

based – Clinical (industry) partnerships, authentic assessment 

and quality review and improvement. 

The clinical partnerships are founded on our relationship with 

RPH and more recently PMH. Both have invested considerable 

funding and resources by providing staff and material support 

to the MCN. For example most lectures are held on the clinical 

campuses, affording better access to clinically based lecturers 

and personnel. Students from around Australia, regional and 

metropolitan WA enrol in the program whilst concurrently 

employed in their clinical specialisation (a requirement of the 

course). Recently the St Johns Healthcare Group and Fremantle 

Hospital have both supported staff to undertake the industry 

university collaborative courses. 

Authentic Assessment 

From early on it was clear that authentic clinical assessment 

would set the MCN course apart. Through a process of direct 

student feedback, literature review and research, the MCN 

team has developed leading assessment technologies for 

clinical practice in the range of specialisations offered. 

i) What can be learnt from international Pre‑Hospital Service 

Providers, Professional Associations, Universities and the 

research literature that might contribute to meeting the future 

educational needs of paramedic graduates in Australia? 

ii) What international and national models of collaboration 

and working relationships between the three parties offer best 

practice examples for fostering an ideal working relationship for 

the education of future paramedics? 

School professional development considers the kids 

discussion about future directions and gave the new staff 

opportunity to acquaint themselves with the history of SNMPM 

and the many and varied staff and departments. 

Thereafter, the staff participated in team building activities 

throughout the day which helped engender a great sense of 

camaraderie amongst colleagues and laid the foundation for 

future collaborative ventures. 

In keeping with the Who’s who at the Zoo day, all staff were 

requested to bring along a stuffed toy. An interesting and 

varied collection of toy animals have since been donated to 

Princess Margaret Hospital on behalf of the School of Nursing, 

Midwifery and Postgraduate Medicine at 

Edith Cowan University. 

Quality Review & Improvement 

Most importantly the MCN team values students’ individual 

and collective journey as they move from beginning practitioner 

to specialist nurse. Using a combination of established formal 

feedback mechanisms and individual pastoral support, both in 

the classroom and the clinical area, the MCN team integrates 

student needs, industry and academic standards into a plando-review 

and improve model. This means the MCN is a 

continually evolving course, sensitive to mature age, socially 

established, fee paying students. 

The success of the MCN team is evident from good student 

feedback, increasing enrolments and better retention rates at 

Masters level. More important is the contribution of confident, 

competent specialist nurses to quality patient care in WA and 

Australia. 

We would like to acknowledge our colleagues in the clinical 

arena who so generously support our courses with their own 

clinical expertise and in particular our clinical tutors ‑:Pamela 

Bell, Rodney Bell, Kylie Fawcett, Kerry Witton, Steven Cowin, 

Michael Smith, and Jilda Levene. 

31

Visit the Faculty’s website at: 

http://www.chs.ecu.edu.au 

32

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