Issue 562 (March 2007) - Office of Marketing and Communications

ST LUCIA IPSWICH GATTONUQnewsISSUE562 MARCH 2007Sun and fun at theBRIDGE’SBIG DAY

www.uq.edu.au/careersfairUQ Careers Fair2007 Wednesday 21 MarchUQ Centre11am - 4pmMEET WITH OVER 140EMPLOYERS & AGENCIES

www.uq.edu.au/news ISSUE 562 MARCH 200704 05 12MESSAGE FROM THEVICE-CHANCELLORThere is growing national recognition of the importanceof high-quality university teaching, as shown by theestablishment of an enhanced program of nationalawards for university teaching, the Learning andTeaching Performance Fund, and the Carrick Institutefor Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.UQ’s teachers have thrived in this increasinglycompetitive environment, collecting more awards thanany other institution’s teachers in the past decade,reaping outstanding results from the fund and theInstitute’s grants and fellowships program, and generallyensuring that UQ’s reputation for teaching and learningexcellence is second to none.This position will only be sustained if the Universitycontinually updates strategies, policies and practices,enhances the student experience, and promotes aculture of excellence in teaching and learning. Ongoingsuccess in national funding and awards will demanda commitment of time and resources to evaluation,improvement and accountability.Since July 2005 the Deputy Vice-Chancellor(Academic), Professor Michael Keniger, has providedtremendous leadership in teaching and learningand contributed to UQ’s successes in this area. Inthe second half of 2006 I gave him the additionalresponsibility of external and community relations,encompassing the vitally important area of alumniengagement.To ensure that UQ continues to advance inteaching and learning, while simultaneously deliveringbetter service to alumni and the broader community,I have created the position of Pro-Vice-Chancellor(Teaching and Learning). Professor Keniger and I aredelighted that Professor Deborah Terry has agreed toundertake the position as a half-time role. ProfessorTerry will continue as Executive Dean of the Faculty ofSocial and Behavioural Sciences and will receive strongsupport from the Deputy Executive Dean, ProfessorCindy Gallois.Professor Terry will report to me through ProfessorKeniger, whose wide range of responsibilities willcontinue to encompass the overall direction of teachingand learning, academic policy, and overseeing theintegration of teaching and learning resources andservices.I thank both Professor Keniger and ProfessorTerry for their leadership in what will most certainlybe a challenging era. As our Teaching and LearningEnhancement Plan is scheduled for review this year, itis highly opportune to ensure that all of UQ’s teachingrelatedstrategies are aligned to deliver the best resultsfor students and to augment the University’s globalreputation.Professor John Hay, ACImportant role forUQ learning leadercontents0608091116181921Nepal’s newbeginningLifesavers in theIndonesian jungleO Week 2007 round upYoung Einsteins make an early startThe serious business of humour in the workplaceSmart lighting no longer science fictionAll set for UQ Careers Fair 2007UQ’s healthy new partnershipManufacturing a metals breakthroughCuddly companions need homesBridge Fun Day amajor success14 15 22Building researchexcellence at GattonEx Wallabies boostrugby in the “bush”UQ News is delivered off-campus to our neighbours at St Lucia and acrossthe Eleanor Schonell Bridge. We hope you enjoy catching up with news andevents at the University. If you would like to comment on the magazine,telephone 07 3365 3367 or email communications@uq.edu.auUQ NEWS is produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications, The University of Queensland,Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia. Telephone: (07) 3365 3367. Facsimile: (07) 3365 1488Editor: Brad Turner (07) 3365 2659, b.turner@uq.edu.auEditorial: Cameron Pegg (07) 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au; Miguel Holland (07) 3365 2619,m.holland@uq.edu.auArt: Felicia Chetcuti; Wendy OakleyPhotography: Chris Stacey (07) 3365 1735, c.stacey@uq.edu.au; Jeremy Patten (07) 3346 7685,j.patten@uq.edu.au; Diana Lilley (photo librarian) (07) 3365 2753, d.lilley@uq.edu.auPrinting: Scanlon Printing VirginiaCirculation: 15,000Advertising: Tina Hannan (07) 5460 1739Registered by Australia Post Publication No. QBH 0104The University of Queensland’s Web address is www.uq.edu.auCOVER: Among the large crowd enjoying the perfect weather at the Bridge Fun Dayat St Lucia on February 25 were Emma Rose (left) and Cara Sawkins.PHOTO: CHRIS STACEY

4U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7Universal appealof BrisScienceA series of entertaining sciencelectures will begin with a journey intothe final frontier.Astrobiologist and cosmologist DrCharles Lineweaver will deliver the first 2007BrisScience lecture at 6.30pm on Monday,March 19 at Brisbane City Hall where hewill explore questions about the origins ofthe Universe and life: where and when thefirst stars and terrestrial planets formed;the locations of liquid water in the Universe;the age of life on Earth; and whether life iscommon in the Universe.Now coordinator of the PlanetaryScience Institute, Dr Lineweaver was partof the Cosmic Background Explorer teamwhich discovered fluctuations in the cosmicmicrowave background.BrisScience, a UQ outreach initiative,made a successful debut in 2006, showingthe popular potential of public sciencelectures. BrisScience director Jennifer Dodd,of UQ’s School of Physical Sciences, said thenine 2006 lectures had built a loyal following.“The success of BrisScience shows thatscience has popular appeal,” Dr Dodd said.“If you give talented sciencecommunicators an opportunity to explaintheir work in a relaxed evening forum, theaudience will follow.”Speakers in 2006 included UQ’sProfessor John Drennan, Professor IanFrazer, Professor John Mattick and ProfessorJohn Quiggin; the University of Sydney’sProfessor Ed Blakely; the Australian NationalUniversity’s Professor Brian Schmidt; andwriter and commentator Margaret Wertheim.“BrisScience has drawn a diverseaudience including school and universitystudents, retirees, public servants,academics, and business people,” Dr Doddsaid. “The events are free, and because weprovide wine, soft drinks and cheese after thelectures, they are an occasion for social andprofessional networking.”Dr Dodd has teamed up with charismaticUQ physicist Dr Joel Gilmore to develop the2007 program, which will be posted at www.brisscience.org. To subscribe to the mailinglist, email signup@BrisScience.org.LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCEUQ’s first Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teachingand Learning, Professor Deborah Terry,sees great opportunities for strengtheningthe UQ student experience.Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay, AC,appointed Professor Terry in February.The role expands her portfolio as ExecutiveDean of the Faculty of Social and BehaviouralSciences, and comes at a time of leadershipby UQ in teaching and learning, and of ongoingchanges in higher education policy and themarketplace.“We’ve seen in teaching and learning a movefrom making sure the right processes are in place,to treating teaching and learning more like we treatresearch: monitoring, understanding and beingresponsive to the key indicators of quality in thisarea,” Professor Terry said.Reforms billed for both the national highereducation scene and within UQ will create newopportunities, she believes.“Done right, the (Federal Government’s)Research Quality Framework (RQF) will enhanceteaching and learning,” Professor Terry said.“We will continue to build the research profile ofthe University, and that will be recognised throughthe RQF.“This will, in turn, enhance teaching andlearning quality, through the staff we attract andthe way in which we engage research excellencein our teaching and learning.“The challenge will be to bring together whatwe’re doing in different areas in teaching andlearning, to align them more closely to ensurethat teaching and learning remains strategicallyimportant in the RQF environment.”Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) ProfessorProfessor Terry meets studentsduring O Week.Michael Keniger retains responsibility for the overalldirection of teaching and learning and academicpolicy. He will also oversee the integration ofteaching and learning resources and services.UQ’s policy of regularly updating corestrategies affords an opportunity to sharpen theteaching and learning focus.The University’s five-yearly Teaching andLearning Enhancement Plan is scheduled forreview this year, as is the curriculum reviewprocess. The outcomes of these will feed in to theongoing review of teaching quality appraisal.Professor Terry will chair the enhancementreview committee and sees the next plan, covering2008 to 2012, as an opportunity to identify thecurrent key priorities in teaching and learning, andto incorporate a stronger focus on outcomes.“The ideal end result will be better experiencesfor UQ students, as measured by factorsincluding student satisfaction, retention rates andemployment outcomes,” Professor Terry said.“Close attention to program structures,flexibility, and the role of pedagogical technologieswill be integral.“We need to respond to the fact that some ofour students want to fast-track their studies, andmany are working and have other responsibilities.“We need to look more closely at how we canenhance the online experience, and how we canmake better use of the Summer Semester andother concentrated modes of course delivery.”Outcomes will be measured by UQ’s successin attracting national awards for teaching andlearning, the Learning and Teaching PerformanceFund outcomes, and grants and fellowships fromthe Carrick Institute.However, Professor Terry stresses theimportance of global standing and the internationalcurrency of a UQ qualification.“It’s imperative that we put in place strategiesthat will ensure that we have national andinternational recognition for excellence in bothour program offerings and in our teaching andlearning,” Professor Terry said.EVENT DETAILS:The Origin of the Universe andLife by Dr Charles Lineweaver6:30pm-7:30pm, Monday, March19Ithaca Auditorium, City Hall(King George Square, Brisbane)Free, no RSVP requiredContact: Jennifer Dodddirector@BrisScience.org

6orientation week 2007U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7HELD ACROSS UQ’S THREECAMPUSES, THE 2007ORIENTATION PROGRAMOFFERED A WEEK OF FUN ANDGAMES FOR THE UNIVERSITY’SAPPROXIMATELY 8000 BEGINNINGSTUDENTS.Fresh start atO WEEK

7New UQ students were given their first tasteof campus life during annual Orientationcelebrations held in February.Highlights of the week-long program includedthe popular campus market days, which drewthousands of students happy to take advantageof faculty demonstrations and hundreds ofinformative exhibits.With more than 150 clubs, societiesand groups affiliated with The University ofQueensland Union and UQ SPORT on display,students took the opportunity to sign up tosporting teams, meet new friends, and take partin the many social events on offer.Kelly Chapman from UQ SPORT saida growing number of students were takingadvantage of the University’s sporting facilitieseach year.“It seems like more than ever, students areinterested in keeping themselves active whilestudying,” she said.Capping off the packed O Week programacross the University’s three campuses was theBig Bang concert at St Lucia, featuring some ofthe biggest names in Brisbane music across threestages.But it wasn’t all fun and games, with theUQ Student Centre and UQ Union running arange of tours, seminars and workshops toadvise students on anything and everything frombudgeting and cooking tips to how to settle in totheir studies.UQ Union President Julie-Ann Campbell saidthe event had provided the perfect start to the2007 academic year.“Thousands of new students were given agreat start to their UQ experience at O-Week2007,” Ms Campbell said.“O Week is always a great way to kick off firstsemester, not only because it’s a fun and laidbackintroduction to UQ, but because it showsstudents the Union is here to help and supportthem in any way we can.”U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7Opposite page: (clockwise from top left)O Week crowds at the Great Court; Ipswichmarket day action; Cromwell College studentsat St Lucia; and Grace College student MonicaBauman.This page: (clockwise from top right) Physiotherapystudent Jay Whittem; Susanne Wessling andVeronica Thorsson at St Lucia; and UQ Gattonstudents Belinda Smith and Anna Marwede.

8U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7Queensland Academy students Rob Murdock, Pree Jeewandara and Eliza Chew with tutor Annie Chen (second left).SMART KIDS GETTING HEAD STARTTHE NEWEST STUDENTS TO STUDY AT UQ MAY BE YOUNG, BUT THEY SURE ARE BRAINY.For their first five weeks of school,students of the new QueenslandAcademy for Science, Mathematicsand Technology at Toowong are spendingone day a week working with top UQacademics at the University’s researchinstitutes.As part of their UQ practical experience,the students are taking part in workshopsand tutorials in biology, biomedical science,chemistry, mathematics and physics.But their UQ experience will not endthere – the “Smart State” Academy willmaintain an ongoing and close link withthe University, allowing its high-achievingstudents to develop their skills through aleading-edge curriculum.Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay, AC,said the arrangement would provide academystudents with an enhanced learning experienceand the opportunity to develop research andinvestigation skills in a world-class environment.“The University has cultivated a traditionof research and teaching excellence that willafford students every opportunity to fulfil theirpotential,” Professor Hay said.“As well as being provided with access tocutting-edge technologies in innovative fieldssuch as robotics, biomedical science, forensicscience and gene technology, students are beingexposed to a groundbreaking researchenvironment that has produced researchsuccesses of the likes of our scramjetproject and life-saving cervical cancerresearch.”The 242 inaugural academy students aretaking on the International BaccalaureateDiploma program, a two-year curriculumthat prepares 16-to-19-year-olds foruniversity.As well as being able to fast track theirlearning by combining their schooling withtertiary studies, students are presentedwith opportunities to gain valuable workexperience.RewardingexcellenceNominations are being invited forThe University of Queensland’s 2007Awards for Excellence in Teaching andAwards for the Enhancement of StudentLearning.AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHINGThese awards were established in 1988 torecognise, encourage and reward sustainedexcellence in teaching at the University.Academic staff with teaching or teaching/research appointments who have a minimum oftwo years academic teaching-related employmentwithin the University are eligible for nomination.Candidates must be nominated by at leastfive members of the University’s academic staffor current or former students (those who havebeen taught by the nominee within the last fiveyears). Of the five people who nominate, at leastone must be an academic staff member and onea current or former student. Self-nominations willnot be accepted.Information, including posters, guidelinesand nomination forms, is available in faculty,school and centre offices, Student Centres andat: http://www.uq.edu.au/teaching-learning(Select Teaching Excellence) or by contactingJenny Bjarnesen on (07) 3365 3206 or emailingj.bjarnesen@admin.uq.edu.au.Nominations, completed on the appropriateform, should be submitted by Friday May 4, 2007to the Director of Studies of the nominee’s faculty.AWARDS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OFSTUDENT LEARNINGThese awards were established in 2001 bythe University’s Academic Board. They recogniselearning and teaching support programs andservices that make an outstanding contributionto the quality of student learning and the studentexperience of higher education.Self-nominations are being invited for theseawards, which are open to innovative teachingand learning related projects or services initiatedby curriculum teams, groups or units withinsupport services, administrative units, centres,schools, or programs of study. They can also beUniversity-wide initiatives.Information packages, including posters,guidelines and application forms, are available indivisions and central services and school officesand at http://www.uq.edu.au/teaching-learning(Select Teaching Excellence) or by contactingJenny Bjarnesen on (07) 3365 3206 or emailingj.bjarnesen@admin.uq.edu.au.Applicants should submit their completedapplication form with appropriate endorsementand a two-page synopsis of the nominatedproject by Friday May 4, to Jenny Bjarnesen,Room 629, Level 6, J D Story Building.

IT’S NO JOKE…FUNNY BUSINESS IS SERIOUS WORK FOR A UQ LECTURERWHO’S RESEARCHING HUMOUR IN THE WORKPLACE.Dr Westwood9U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7UQ Business School academic Dr BobWestwood believes the TV program BigBrother can tell us something profoundabout humour at work.Dr Westwood said the Big Brother OfficeOlympics episode broadcast last year was funnyprecisely because it was subversive.“Most research on humour at work to datehas come out of a functionalist framework with,ultimately, the idea of capturing the benefits ofhumour as a way of improving productivity,” hesaid.“But the Office Olympics episode, with itsmockery of the “boss” figure, showed humour atwork at its most subversive and dangerous.”Dr Westwood has recently co-edited (with CarlRhodes, University of Technology, Sydney) a booklooking at humour in the workplace.Humour, Work and Organisation is publishedby Routledge and brings together academics fromAustralia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, and theUS to provide an alternative to the managerialistperspective that Dr Westwood believes continuesto drive much of the research.With examinations of gender, humour, andorganisations; humour in workplace meetings; anin-depth look at TV’s The Simpsons; a chapterentitled “The comedy of ethics”; and a finalsection examining the organisation of humour,the book is a surprise package.Dr Westwood said it was a scholarlyacademic book, produced from withinthe academy, by an established andestablishment publishing house.Contributors include Sam Warrenand Stephen Fineman, who examinethe intriguing idea of “prescribed fun”at work, while Martin Parker studiesthe interplay of organisational cultureand popular culture by providing along list of satirical books, televisionshows and websites, all predicatedon the stereotype of work as thelast place you’d want to be and “theboss” as a tyrant.“It constitutes a location [for hischapter [Theory as Joke] within theextant power structures that largelymilitate against the possibility ofsubversion and transformation,” hesaid.In other words it’s no joke.Join NTEU at UQWe know higher education.We have a full-time office at UQ.We are a democratic union.The National Tertiary EducationUnion (NTEU) is open to all Generaland Academic Staff at UQ. Werepresent all staff in negotiationsabout your pay and conditions. Weassist individual members with issuesranging from performance appraisalto probation.Our recent achievements include:• 4% pay rise on 1 Jan 2007.• 26 weeks paid maternity leave.• Short-term contract roll-over.• Guidelines limiting academicworkloads.• Raising research staff issues.• Improved casual loading.We want to do more but we need your help. Join NTEUtoday! It’s an essential investment in your future.To find out more or join online visit www.nteu.org.auContact the UQ Branch office on 336 52538,or email m.mcnally@qld.nteu.org.auThere has never been a moreimportant time to join a union.

11U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7SMART LIGHTING SWITCHES ONLIGHTING EFFECTS COULD BE REVOLUTIONISED THANKS TO A NEW UQ ENGINEERING PROJECT.BY CAMERON PEGGIt’s not that often that an engineer findsinspiration for their research at the ballet. Butfor UQ graduate Aaron Tan, the theatre wasthe perfect place to start his search for smarterlighting design.Working with Dr Ralf Muhlberger from UQ’sSchool of Information Technology and ElectricalEngineering (ITEE), Mr Tan hopes to createthe world’s first interactive or affective lightingsystem, which can respond intuitively to themood of audience members and performers.At present, lighting design is both time andlabour intensive, requiring each effect to beplotted manually during rehearsals and thenfollowed on cue during each performance.Mr Tan said two of his primary goals were todigitise the process – making it faster and moreefficient – and to produce lighting effects thatbetter reflected the emotions of those both onand off the stage.“There’s really no intelligence behind currentmood lighting,” he said.“The technology in question enables morecontrol and accuracy in classifying emotion,providing a more robust and efficient approachto visual storytelling.“This will also reduce the mental workloadof the operator and lighting designer.”Central to the project is the developmentof “emotional impact sliders”, which wouldallow designers to portray stock sensations(happiness, sadness, anger, shock, fear anddisgust) more easily and effectively.Mr Tan’s undertaking is part of ITEE’sbroader research program into how emotionsare expressed and affected throughtechnologies such as video conferencing,computer games and email.“A lot of what we currently know aboutemotions is conjecture, and wishful thinking justisn’t science,” he said.“The measure of emotion is elusive in natureand I’m trying to improve that process.”As part of his research, Mr Tan attendedtechnical rehearsals for a recent QueenslandBallet production, and consulted industryexperts including Steven Newman, director ofphotography on the blockbuster film SupermanReturns.He said a possible experiment involved placingsensors on a person’s skin to measure theiremotional reaction to different lighting effects.Once these values were quantified, Mr Tansaid lighting design could become a “smart”technology, which could sense the mood ofusers and adjust in real time.“The research has proved that intelligentlighting is possible today with emergingtechnologies,” he said.“As current user interfaces are inadequatefor the needs of emotion-based lighting, theresearch is also focused on new designinterfaces to define and represent emotions.“With more research, the mental controlof lighting systems will be a reality in the nearfuture.”Researcher Aaron Tan (left) watches a lighting designer at work.

12cover storyU Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7BridgeTOFUNIT WAS PARTY TIME AT THEUNIVERSITY’S ST LUCIA CAMPUSWHEN THOUSANDS GATHEREDTO TRY OUT THE NEW ELEANORSCHONELL BRIDGE AND ENJOYA HOST OF ACTIVITIES, DISPLAYSAND EXCELLENT ENTERTAINMENT.More than 6000 Brisbane residents tookpart in the biggest celebration of theEleanor Schonell bridge to date – UQ’sFamily Fun Day on February 25.Families from around Brisbane walked, bikedand bussed their way across the bridge, whichlinks the University’s St Lucia campus with DuttonPark.Among the free activities on offer during theday were historical tours of UQ’s Great Courtled by University sculptor Rhyl Hinwood, juniorsporting clinics, and a pet-friendly lunch at thePizza Caffe.In addition, UQ’s faculties and researchcentres had informational displays, and theUniversity’s Art, Antiquities and Anthropologymuseums and Biological Sciences Library wereopen to the public.An Indigenous welcome to country openedthe event, followed by a presentation from LordMayor Campbell Newman, congratulating UQ forbeing Brisbane’s biggest water-saver.Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay, AC, saidthe University was pleased to host the communityso people could discover the many attractions ofthe St Lucia campus.“The Eleanor Schonell Bridge illustrates theUniversity’s commitment to the local communityand the environment, allowing easier and greateraccess than ever before to the outstanding publicfacilities UQ has to offer,” Professor Hay said.“With thousands of Brisbane residentsattending and proceeds from the day supportingthe Multiple Sclerosis Society of Queensland, theevent was an outstanding success.”Since the bridge opened in December, manyUQ staff members, students and visitors havetaken advantage of the new public transportoptions on offer, with more than 7700 buspassengers and 1400 cyclists commuting to andfrom the campus per day at the start of semester.The fun day was run in partnership with theBrisbane City Council and sponsored by QuestNewspapers.

14U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7Mooters lay downthe law in nationalsUQ has swept the pool at thenational final of the Philip CJessup International Law MootCourt Competition.Students from UQ’s TC Beirne School of Lawtook overall honours in the final held at the HighCourt of Australia in Canberra last month.On the way to victory, the team of dual Lawand Arts degree students won all seven of itsmoots, and in addition, the team’s three mainadvocates made a clean sweep of prizes for first,second and third best oralists in the preliminaryrounds.Jessica Howley won the best oralist award,Laura Grant took second place and third placewent to Belinda McRae. Other members of theUQ’s national mootingchampions Laura Grant,Angus O`Brien, AnthonyBremner, Belinda McRaeand Jessica Howley.victorious team were Anthony Bremner andAngus O’Brien.The victory will enable the UQ team tocompete at the competition’s international finalheld in Washington this month (March 25 to 31).The Jessup Moot Court Competition placesstudents as representatives in a dispute beforethe International Court of Justice, in the largestcompetition of its kind in the world.UQ has demonstrated a tradition ofexcellence in the competition with the UQ teamreaching the international final the past threeyears, winning in 2005.Dr Jonathan Crowe of the TC Beirne Schoolof Law said the team members were grateful forthe support of the Mooting Program sponsors,Allens Arthur Robinson, Dibbs Abbott Stillmanand Minter Ellison.UQ lecturers are helping to rebuild democracy inNepal.NEW ERAFOR NEPALUQ’s TC Beirne School of Lawis helping Nepal’s governmentstrengthen the country’s legalsystem.The School’s Centre for Public, Internationaland Comparative Law (CPICL), has beenawarded a consultancy with AusAid’s PublicSector Linkages Program to provide training tothe National Judicial Academy (NJA) in Nepal.CPICL Director, Professor Suri Ratnapala,said the consultancy was primarily aimed attraining the faculty of the NJA to better performits mission of developing and delivering trainingprograms for judges, lawyers and governmentlegal officers in the country.“What we are essentially providing theAcademy with is technical assistance in coursedesign, program development and in the variousmethods of training and teaching,” he said.“We will also be giving them some substantiveknowledge in selected areas of the law; inparticular, constitutional law and constitutionalgovernment, judicial ethics and accountability,and aspects of criminal law and evidence.”Nepal is recovering from years of civil unrest.After adopting a new constitution in 1990 whichcreated a parliament under a constitutionalmonarch, the country descended into near civilwar following a Maoist rebellion before KingGyanendra reclaimed complete control of thecountry.In 2006, following weeks of publicdemonstrations, the King agreed to reinstate theparliament and establish an interim governmentleading to the election of a Constituent Assemblywhich will draft a new constitution.Professor Ratnapala said the project thereforecame at a critical moment in Nepal’s politicaltransition to a constitutional democracy.“For a democratic form of government tooperate properly it has to be on the basis ofthe rule of law, and a strong, competent andindependent judiciary is essential to having sucha system of government,” he said.“It is everyone’s hope that it will be a newbeginning for Nepal.”The project will be undertaken throughout thisyear and will involve training activities in Nepaland Brisbane for senior judicial staff and courtadministrators.

15U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7Facilities at UQ’s Gatton campus.ANIMAL SCIENCE ADVANCEDUQ CONTINUES TO BUILD ITS PORTFOLIO OF WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH CENTRES WITH THECONSTRUCTION OF A NEW $33 MILLION ANIMAL SCIENCE FACILITY AT GATTON.The future profitability and security ofQueensland’s multi-billion-dollar animalindustries has received a major boostwith the awarding of a contract to develop the$33 million Centre for Advanced Animal Science(CAAS) at UQ’s Gatton campus.Leading private Queensland constructioncompany McNab has been awarded the contractto build the complex and started work last month.CAAS is a joint project between theQueensland Department of Primary Industriesand Fisheries (DPI&F) and the University.UQ’s Executive Dean of the Faculty of NaturalResources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science,Professor Roger Swift, said CAAS would boastworld-class research facilities in the areas ofanimal growth, adaptation, welfare, health andvaccines.“It will have thepotential to contributetens of millions ofdollars annually to theQueensland economythrough the applicationof groundbreakingresearch andtechnologicaldevelopments”“These are key areas of strategic investmentto ensure continued growth, diversification andprotection of Queensland’s animal industries,”Professor Swift said.“CAAS will encourage increased national andinternational collaboration between scientists inthe developed and developing world.“It will also strengthen the interactionbetween researchers and industry and ensurethat research and development leads to rapidpractical outcomes.”Acting Director-General of the DPI&FRobert Setter said CAAS would make a majorcontribution to the Queensland Government’sR&D priorities.He said the CAAS would be at the forefrontof developing smart industries, safeguardingQueensland and its environment, and capitalisingon the advantages offered by a tropical climate.“It will have the potential to contributetens of millions of dollars annually to theQueensland economy through the applicationof groundbreaking research and technologicaldevelopments,” Mr Setter said.“CAAS is part of a major redevelopment ofresearch facilities in Queensland.“It will be a centre of DPI&F research in theareas of animal production, health and welfareand biosecurity and will link to the proposeddevelopment of an Ecoscience Precinct at BoggoRoad and a Health and Food Sciences Precinctat Coopers Plains, Brisbane.“DPI&F research at the Ecoscience Precinctwill focus on improving the profitability of animalindustries while minimising environmentalimpacts through innovative biological pest controltechnologies that reduce chemical use.“At the Health and Food Science Precinct,Biosecurity will be a priority for DPI&F inprotecting the livestock industry by allowingfaster and even more accurate diagnosis ofanimal pests and diseases and their effectivemanagement.”Professor Swift said CAAS would provideadvanced education and training for futuregenerations of researchers and practitioners inthe animal industries.“CAAS complements perfectly the existinganimal infrastructure at the Gatton campus, whichincludes a modern dairy, piggery, poultry unit,equine centre and wildlife enclosure,” he said.“Proximity to the Brisbane research facilitiesand an international airport, together withQueensland’s respected animal scientists ensurethat CAAS will increase collaboration and visitsby other leading animal researchers. There is nocomparable centre elsewhere in Australia.”Animal industries are vital to the economic,social and environmental wealth of Queensland.They contribute in excess of $4 billion annuallyin gross production value and are underpinnedby an investment in people, infrastructure andresources in the vicinity of $25 billion.They also provide major employment in ruraland regional Queensland and are an importantpart of the human capital of Queensland.Mr Setter said the CAAS had been madepossible by funding from UQ, DPI&F and theQueensland Government Smart State ResearchFacilities Fund.

17Students engage inHEALTHYCOMPETITIONU Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7Students of the Faculty ofHealth Sciences are set toclash for prizes and prestigewhen UQ hosts an innovativenew health care competition.The UQ Health Care Team Challenge, whichwill be held at the St Lucia campus on April4, will see teams of students from areas suchas dentistry, medicine, nursing, occupationaltherapy and pharmacy battle it out in a bid to findmanagement solutions to complex health carecase scenarios.The teams, comprised of one studentrepresentative from each of the Faculty’sdisciplines, will present their management plansto an audience of students, academics, cliniciansand sponsors from the community.Faculty of Health Sciences Executive DeanProfessor Peter Brooks said the Challenge wouldoffer students a unique opportunity to work in ateam towards finding solutions for complex, butrealistic health problems.“Most health science professionals do notget to experience inter-professional practice on asignificant level until they graduate or achieve theirrelevant qualifications,” Professor Brooks said.A team prepares for the UQ Health Care Team Challenge.“The UQ Health Care Team Challenge will notonly give students the chance to extend theirknowledge about the dynamics and possiblechallenges of modern health care, but will alsoenhance their knowledge about other healthprofessions and their respective roles in theclinical area.“The event will also provide them with anavenue to present themselves in a strong lightto an audience of potential future employers,showcasing their abilities to work in a team andprovide the highest level of patient care.”Project Coordinator, Ms Monica Moran fromthe School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences,said while prizes would be awarded, the realbenefit for students would be the invaluableopportunity to showcase their skills to cliniciansand employers from around the region.“One of the intangible but very real benefitsfor students will be the chance this event givesthem to present their expertise in teamwork andpatient management to an audience of expertsand employers in their fields,” she said.Ms Moran said the competition would aim toprovide an authentic inter-professional experiencevia a fun, extracurricular event that would inform,educate and inspire both competitors andaudience members.$1000 Diversity design contestUQ is holding a design competition for Diversity Week2007 (May 14-18).The competition is open to all current staff andstudents. The winning design will earn $1000 cash,and may appear in a range of UQ materials such asgreeting cards and posters.The theme of Diversity Week 2007 is “We All Count”. It linkswith the 40th anniversary of the referendum that changed theAustralian Constitution to give fairer recognition to Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander people. Submitted designs shouldlink to this theme.For details: www.uq.edu.au/diversity-weekMAY 14–18, 20071224 APR04 CP CRICOS Provider Number 00025B

19U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7metals discoveryGOES AGAINST THE GRAINLife in the laboratory is a stroll along thebeach for two UQ researchers, afterdiscovering metals bear exciting similaritiesto granular materials such as sand.Christopher Gourlay and Professor Arne Dahlefrom the CAST Cooperative Research Centremade the discovery when deforming metals asthey were solidifying, publishing their findings inthe journal Nature.The authors explain that we are all familiarwith wet sand drying up around our feet when wewalk on the beach.This happens because our weight forces thesand grains to rearrange, opening up spacesinto which the surrounding water flows – aphenomenon known as “dilatancy” which wasfirst described in 1885.Mr Gourlay and Professor Dahle have provenfor the first time that metallic alloys can alsoexpand in the same way when cooled from theliquid state – the process used to manufactureeveryday products such as steering wheels andmobile phone covers.Mr Gourlay said the findings were an earlybut important step towards understandinghow metals deform during industrial castingprocesses.“The experiments take us another steptowards understanding the deformation ofsolidifying alloys within the wider context ofgranular mechanics,” Mr Gourlay said.The research behind the Nature paper, titled“Dilatant shear bands in solidifying metals”formed the backbone of Mr Gourlay’s recentlysubmitted PhD thesis.Professor Dahle said the findings opened upAnother world: Metal crystals under an opticalmicroscope.new and exciting links between alloy solidificationand research areas as diverse as volcano andearthquake science, soil mechanics and theprocessing of cereal crops.“It puts the research area on the mapand provides new opportunities for furtherinvestigation and collaboration,” Professor Dahlesaid.Based at The University of Queensland’s StLucia campus, the CAST CRC was established in2005 with a seven-year, $200 million investmentfrom the Federal Government and industry tosupport excellence in light metals research.CYBER SEEDS PLANTEDCybersmart: Dr Vic Galea with studentsat UQ’s Gatton campus.The pursuit of an efficient way toidentify, diagnose and treat diseasesin plants has led a UQ lecturer on aninteresting learning curve through cyberspace.Dr Vic Galea from the School of Land, Cropand Food Sciences (LCAFS), developed theunique project, A Virtual Plant Pathology LabCD-ROM, in response to a challenge from theUniversity to enhance the learning opportunitiesfor students through the use of technology.Dr Galea’s project was recognised at theprestigious Australasian Society of Computersin Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE)conference, winning not only the President’sAward for Excellence but also an individualaward for outstanding achievement.Dr Galea said the Virtual Plant PathologyLab project was a collaborative undertakingbetween himself and the University’s Teachingand Educational Development Institute (TEDI),with the original concept born from thenecessity to provide students in the field with areliable and comprehensive diagnostic tool.The Virtual Plant Pathology lab givesagronomy students the ability to work their waythrough a variety of scenarios in relation to thecrop they are diagnosing, eliminating potentialdisease culprits as they examine the symptomsin the field.“This project is a great example of thetechnology and innovation that characterisesthe agricultural industries in Australia andaround the world,” Dr Galea said.“With an increasing global population, theneed to be able to minimise and eliminatediseases in food and grain crops is becomingvitally important.”

20inprintU Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7WISESTWORDSAN ANCIENT JAPANESE RITUALHAS INSPIRED CREATIVITY ANDENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS.For generations, Japanese women havepushed themselves to their physical limitdiving for valuable abalone in Ise Bay atToba City in the Shima region 400 kilometressouthwest of Tokyo.Historical references to the women, known asama, date from as early as 900AD, but little otherpublished work on the cultural tradition is availableprior to the early 1960s.Dr Kumi Kato from UQ’s School of Languagesand Comparative Studies is adding a uniqueresource to the story of the ama in collaborationwith sound researcher, composer and musician DrRos Bandt.Dr Kato and Dr Bandt, of the Australian SoundDesign Project at the University of Melbourne,have collaborated to capture the life of the ama ofToba City in words, images and sounds.Dr Kato has also written a chapter basedon her research for Hearing Places (CambridgeScholars Publishing), a 35-chapter book focusedon the role of sound in understanding theenvironment which is due for release in October.Dr Kato has become fascinated by the ama’sdedication to the natural environment, the physicalextremes to which they push themselves whilediving and the sounds they make in between theirdives, known as isobue or sea whistle.During a two-week field trip in 2005, sheand Dr Bandt recorded the sights and sounds oftraditional ama life, interviewing 20 women agedbetween 54 and 88, in and out of the water.“These women dive up and down quitefrequently, so in between they have to breathequickly and go down again. Because they have atime limit of 30 minutes or an hour, their breathing,the whistle, is critical,” Dr Kato said.“I was also interested in these women’sphysical strength, but most importantly, theethics they had towards the ocean resource, theirspiritual connection with the ocean environmentand their observations about environment andclimate change.”The story of the ama, titled Waiting for the tide,will be featured in a one-hour special to be airedmid-year on ABC Radio National’s Radio Eye.It is scripted and narrated by Dr Kato and withDr Bandt’s specialist recordings it provides anin-depth illustration of the women’s life.An Australia Council grant enabled them toearn artist/research residency at ABC Radio,Sydney to compile and produce the material.Plans are also underway for a two-disc CDfeaturing the recordings and images, as wellas ama-inspired musical improvisations andcompositions by Dr Bandt.The project appears timely as modern hazardsseriously threaten the survival of the centuries-oldtradition.“Where once ama dived naked from boatsDr Katorowed by men, they now wear wetsuits andgoggles and only dive off the shore for 10 to 30days a year,” Dr Kato said.“It is interesting to know that women resistedboth goggles and wetsuits, fearing they wouldlead to over-harvesting.“In the region, women believe they areconnected to the Sun Goddess, who theirabalone is still offered to three times a year at theIse Shrine.“I believe the isobue symbolises thewomen’s strict sense of ethics and their senseof connection with the mythology and the oceanenvironment.“In the last 20 years the catch is a tenthof what it used to be and the women are fullyTHE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND BOOKSHOPCURRENT BESTSELLERS1. Down to This (Bishop-Stall S)Univ. of QLD Press (PB) $34.95Non-Fiction Biography2. Suite Francaise (Nemirovsky I)Chatto & Windus (PB) $32.95Fiction3. Inheritance of Loss (Desai K)Hamish Hamilton (PB) $32.95 Fiction4. Inconvenient Truth(Gore A) Bloomsbury (PB) $35.00Environmental studies. Also availablein video or DVD format5. True Green (Mckay K & Bonnin J)ABC Books (PB) $19.95 Enviromentalstudiesaware of social and environmental changes thatsurround them – illegal fishing, pollution, erosionand climate change.”Dr Kato believes preserving the kindsof cultural traditions practised by the amahas much to contribute to conservation ofnatural environment, and as a whole, to theunderstanding of sustainability.“Such cultural practice is intangible andinvisible, but intangible cultural heritage, I believe,makes a vital linkage between nature and culture,science and humanities,” she said.“Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage isa new concept, and then of course there is thequestion of what do you do with it, and what canbe done about it.”6. CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet Book2 (Noakes M & Clifton P) Penguin(PB) $ 34.95 Health7. Perfume The Story of a Murderer(Suskind P) Penguin (PB) $9.95Fiction8. Bad Blood (Fairstein L) Little Brown(PB) Crime Fiction9. Perilous Power The Middle East &US Foreign Policy (Chomsky N &Achcar G) Hamish Hamilton (PB)$29.95 Politics10. Josephine Wants to Dance(French J) Harper Collins (HB)$24.99 Children’s Fiction

21CALLING ALLcatloversU Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7LOVABLE FELINE COMPANIONSWHO HAVE DONE THEIR BIT TOADVANCE IMPORTANT SCIENCEARE NOW LOOKING FORFRIENDLY FAMILIES.Daisy, Butler and Pepper are among threehealthy and cared-for cats who are readyto be adopted after helping out in a studyinvestigating the factors involved in feline diabetesand obesity.UQ PhD scholar Marcia Coradini, whoconducted the research with veterinarians fromThe Centre for Companion Animal Health in UQ’sSchool of Veterinary Science, said the studynot only provided an insight into how diabetesdeveloped in cats and how to prevent it, but alsoafforded an avenue for many pound cats to bere-homed.“Just like in human medicine, diabetes is amajor problem in veterinary medicine, and as inpeople, obesity and lack of physical activity areimportant contributing factors in cats,” she said.“Thirty-two healthy cats helped us in thisstudy during the past year, many of whom havealready been adopted, however there are stillseveral wonderful cats looking forward to findingnew homes to go to.”All of the cats are healthy, de-sexed,Ms Coradini and Sissyvaccinated, de-wormed, on flea controlmedication, and microchipped.They cost $55 (the price of the microchip) andall have very different personalities, Ms Coradinisaid.“Many of them are tolerant of dogs, some arecuddly, others love to play and some are shy andprefer not to be among other cats,” Ms Coradinisaid.“One thing they all have in common is theylove attention.”The Centre for Companion Animal Healthcommonly re-homes rescued animals throughits unwanted pet re-homing program and has astrong commitment to promoting responsible petownership and the health and welfare of furry andfeathered friends.Through their studies, researchers at theCentre discovered that an early treatment with anovel insulin and low carbohydrate diet resultedin remission for most newly diagnosed diabeticcats.The discovery has been hailed worldwide,and is also being used towards furtheringunderstanding of the mainstream medical issueof diabetes and obesity in humans.Research is also underway to investigatewhy some owners make the decision to give uptheir pets. This study will look at the health andbehaviour of abandoned or surrendered pets, aswell as the owners’ knowledge, bond with thepet and expectations of the pet’s behaviour.For more information, phone 3365 2110between 8am and 5pm weekdays, or MsCoradini on 0414 011 393.Pictures of the cats and a brief description ofthem are available at the Centre’s website: www.uq.edu.au/vetschool/centrecah/in briefLITERARY STARS RETURNAward-winning authors David Malouf andVenero Armanno have returned to TheUniversity of Queensland Press (UQP) thisyear.Typewriter Music, (published in June) isDavid Malouf’s first new volume of poetrysince 1980 and will be one of the literarypublishing events of 2007.It has been more than 15 years sinceUQP has published new books by eitherauthor and publisher Madonna Duffysaid their return signalled an exciting anddynamic phase for UQP after a recentrestructure.“We have been working hard to reestablishUQP as a competitive publishingforce and I believe that this year’soutstanding list of books will cement ourplace in the hearts and minds of Australianreaders and booksellers,” Ms Duffy said.“2007 is set to be one of ourbiggest years yet, with more excitingannouncements to come.”Ms Duffy described Typewriter Musicas “a rich and revealing collection thatcontinues with Malouf’s earlier themes oftransformation, but also offers the new andunexpected.”Ms Duffy welcomed the return of “one ofQueensland’s best”, Venero Armanno withThe Dirty Beat (published in October), whichshe said is his most electric novel sinceRomeo of the Underworld.“This is Armanno at his finest,” Ms Duffysaid.“The novel opens in unforgettablefashion, with the narrator witnessing hisown autopsy. We are then taken on adizzying tour through the dark and dramaticexcesses of his life.”DEVELOPMENT ROLECarla Boeckman has been appointednew Director, Office of UniversityDevelopment and Graduate Relations. MsBoeckman was most recently Developmentand Alliances Director of Cambia, a not-forprofitresearch institute based in Canberrathat creates tools to foster innovationand collaboration in the life sciences forpublic good.Prior to this appointment, MsBoeckman was for three years AssociateDirector, Strategic Insight at the GenevabasedWorld Economic Forum.Ms Boeckman brings to UQ 17 yearsof program management, marketing andinternational experience, and holds aBachelor of Science in Mathematics fromthe University of Illinois and a Master ofArts in International Affairs from JohnsHopkins University.

22sportU Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7Mr HolbeckFormerWallabieshead westTwo former Wallabies answered the call todevelop rugby in the country by travelingto Condamine as part of The Universityof Queensland Rugby Academy’s (UQRA)two-day camp last month.Nick Stiles, a veteran of 93 games forthe Queensland Reds and 12 tests forAustralia, joined former ACT Brumbies andWallaby centre James Holbeck in deliveringthe professional camp to players andcoaches on February 10 and 11.Boasting three teams, rugby union isa growing sport in Condamine as youngpeople decide to stay in the country.Without the facilities of metropolitanclubs, there is a great need for professionalcoaching in country areas.Mr Stiles said it was important todevelop the game in the west.“It was a great opportunity to go to therural areas and do some work with thecountry guys out there,” Mr Stiles said.“I think it’s definitely important todevelop rugby in the country. When I wasplaying for the Reds we were very awarethat we weren’t just representing Brisbanebut that there was a very strong following ofrugby in the bush.“I’ve done a few visits to the countryregions with the Reds and the guys outthere are very talented and passionateabout their rugby.”More than 50 players and coaches fromCondamine participated in the camp, thatcovered a wide range of topics includingrugby-specific skills, tactical game play andstrength and conditioning.A sponsor of the event, Jason Johnsonof Rural Insurance, said Darling Downsrugby gained much from the expertcoaching at the camp.“It benefited many of our clients andtheir family members, from players tospectators of quality Darling Downs rugby,”Mr Johnson said.Ms Seipel and Menora WildfireRIDING HIGHA UQ GATTON STUDENT CONTINUES TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES ONTHE WAY TO ACHIEVING HER SPORTING DREAM.Para-Equestrian dressage rider SusanSeipel has to jump many fences in her life,the most important of which is not allowingher disability to get in the way of her educationand sporting ambitions.Ms Seipel, who is studying for a Diploma inApplied Science (Equine Studies), is nationalPara-Equestrian champion. She won a bronzemedal at the Pacific Rim International and was arunner-up in the Rebel Sport Rookies program fortalented young Australian athletes.She was born with Arthrogryposis Multiplex,a rare condition characterised by fusion of jointsand absent muscle formation in the legs.She said that through her studies she wasable to combine both her sporting and academicinterests and set herself up for a career in theequine field.“I chose this course because it was theonly one in Queensland that offered the EquineStudies stream. It was a very easy decision forme as I have always had a passion and interestfor horses,” she said.“I have really enjoyed the course so far. I likethe diversity in the course as it not only covers allaspects of the horse industry but other livestockand agricultural management, which has beenchallenging but interesting as it opens up furtherwork and study opportunities.”Ms Seipel trains every day on her horseMenora Wildfire.“The object of dressage is the developmentof the horse into a happy athlete throughharmonious education. As a result it makes thehorse supple, loose, flexible and also confident,attentive and keen, thus achieving perfectunderstanding with the rider,” she said.Ms Seipel said it was a challenge combiningboth her academic and sporting passions butshe said the University had offered her excellentassistance and support.“Through Student Support Services, I havebeen able to organise help ranging from having aperson drive me around the paddocks, to havinga seat in the dairy,” she said.She said her long-term goal was to representAustralia at the Paralympic Games, the WorldChampionships, and World Cup.“I would love to make it to Beijing but it isgoing to be tight with just over a year to go. Iam more focused on the 2010 World Cup inKentucky, which will be the first World Cup toincorporate equestrian classes for people withdisabilities with able-bodied classes,” she said.

campus classifieds23around campusSEMINARS• Tuesday, March 20Australian Centre for Peace and ConflictStudies, Seeking Peace in the Midst of CivilWar – Are Local Zones of Peace the Answer?Dr Chris Mitchell (noon–2pm, Sustainable MiningInstitute Seminar Room, Level 4, Sir James FootsBuilding). Information: acpacs@uq.edu.au.• Tuesday, March 27Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies,Signs of Hope in Hard Times, Dr Mary-Wynne Ashford(noon–2pm, Don Carruthers Room, Dorothy Hill PSELibrary). Information: acpacs@uq.edu.au.• Thursday, March 29Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies, LiteraryPhrenology (or learning to love the middlebrow).Professor David Carter (5:30pm–6:30pm, James andMary Emelia Mayne Centre). Information: r.ralph@uq.edu.au.• Tuesday, April 3Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies,North Korea’s Nuclear Ambitions. Prof Herbert Wulf(noon–2pm, Don Carruthers Room, Dorothy Hill PSELibrary). Information: acpacs@uq.edu.au.• Tuesday, April 17Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies,The ICC’s Prosecutorial Mandate for Sexual CrimesAgainst Humanity. Dr Tania Steinmuller (noon–2pm,Don Carruthers Room, Dorothy Hill PSE Library).Information: acpacs@uq.edu.au.CONCERTS• Thursday, March 15Free lunchtime concert, violinist RonaldWoodcock performs a selection of Ysaÿe’ssonatas (12:30pm, Nickson Room).• Thursday, March 22Pianists Brachi Tilles and Jenni Flemming performmusic by Barber, Andriessen, Schubert andMendelssohn. Free concert (12:30pm, NicksonRoom).• Sunday, March 25The School of Music’s Sanctuary String Quartet playspieces by Beethoven and Mendelssohn at this freeCustoms House concert. (11:30am, The Long Room).• Thursday, March 29Guitarist Anthony Garcia and cellist Gwyn Robertspresent an original work alongside pieces by Bach,Nin and Villa-Lobos.School reviews for semester 1, 2007Listed below are details for the school review being undertaken by theAcademic Board Office in semester 1, 2007:School Review date Submissions dueBusiness May 28–June 1 April 2general classifiedsSubmissions are invited from all interested persons. Terms of Reference for thereview can be obtained from Secretariat Services by telephoning extension 51321.Please note that submissions must be received by the due date.* Classifieds are free, but are available only tostaff, students and visiting academics.WANTED TO RENT/HOUSE SIT• House/apartment wanted for visitingacademic from August–December 2007.Prefer furnished with two or more bedrooms,close to UQ or transport. Contact:m.hanson@uq.edu.au.• Visiting Swedish professor with wife and sonrequires furnished unit or house from lateJune 2007 to May 2008 near UQ St Lucia.Non-smoking. Contact: petfr@ida.liu.se.TO RENT/HOUSE SIT• Neat 3 bedroom unfurnished house atTennyson available during Semester 1, $290/wk. Contact: Ann Bourke 0421 573 147.• Charming house in quiet area, door-to-doorbus route to UQ. Available April 1–June30, $325 (negotiable) per week. Wouldsuit visiting academic couple. Contact:dorothydowning@ozemail.com.au.FOR SALE• Aprilia SR50 DiTech 50cc Scooter. Apriliaracing decals, high visibility yellow paintwork.Fuel–injected 2 stroke engine. Rangeis approx 350–400klm for $8–10. Only870kms travelled and registered until July.RWC to be supplied. $3950. Contact:uqnews deadlines 2007ISSUENOAndrew on 0419 772 739.COPYDEADLINEMid-semester break April 9PUBLICATIONDATE563 March 30 April 17564 May 18 June 5565 June 15 July 3Mid-year vacation June 23–July 23,mid-year orientation July 16566 July 13 July 31567 August 17 September 4568 September 21 October 9Mid-semester break September 24569 November 2 November 20570 November 30 December 18Semester 2 ends November 17Library hours are available on www.library.uq.edu.auprizes• Alfred & Olivea Wynne MemorialScholarshipsTo assist Maryborough and district students,who can demonstrate financial need. Bothnew and continuing students may apply.Closing: March 23, 2007. Information: (07)3365 1984 or http://www.uq.edu.au/myadvisor/other-scholarships-and-bursaries.• EOH Handy Memorial Scholarship 2007Available to assist two Indigenous peopleof Queensland to attend UQ. Based onacademic merit or technical excellence, andsocial and economic need. Closing: March23, 2007. Worth: $500. Information:(07) 3365 1984.• WH & HW Harris Bursary 2007Open to female students who attendeda Queensland secondary school in 2005and are of lineal descendant to a personeligible to be accepted as a member of theWar Widows Guild, Australia, QueenslandBranch. Based on best academic resultsin 2006. Closing: 23 March 2007. Worth:approximately $900 per annum for threeyears. Information: (07) 3365 1984 orhttp://www.uq.edu.au/myadvisor/otherscholarships-and-bursaries.• RN Hammon ScholarshipsOpen to assist Australian Aboriginal and/orTorres Strait Islander students who havesuccessfully completed at least one year ofa program. Preference given to applicantsstudying in the fields of science, engineering,medicine, dentistry, architecture, agricultureand vet science. Closing: March 30, 2007.Worth: $2000 per annum for durationof program, subject to annual review.Information: (07) 3365 1984.• The General Staff Prize 2007Available to members of the general staffwith a period or periods of full-time servicetotalling at least three years, who graduatedin 2006. Awarded to the applicant whoachieved the best results throughout thatdegree, with completion of a higher degreeregarded as an advantage. Closing: March30, 2007. Worth: approx $410, to be usedfor the purchase of books. Information:Please forward appropriate details to JodieHowes, Undergraduate Scholarships andPrizes Office J.D. Story Building, marked“Confidential”.• The Constantine AspromourgosMemorial Scholarship for Greek StudiesOpen to UQ bachelors or masters graduatesof not more than five years standing whoare undertaking a postgraduate programinvolving studies which pertain to at least onarea of Greek studies. Closing: March 30,2007. Worth: approx $5750. Information: (07)3365 1984 or ugscholarships@uq.edu.au.• RD Arida Bursary 2007Open to students who have undertaken noprevious study at tertiary level and whosehome residence is in Charters Towers City,or one of the shires of Dalrymple, Flinders orCloncurry. Awarded on the basis of financialneed. Closing: April 13, 2007. Information:(07) 3365 1984.U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7

24U Q N E W S , M A R C H 2 0 0 7Before and after: Liddy’s photographs chroniclethe building process from start to finish.artisticREBIRTHTWENTY YEARS AFTER WORKING AS A CARPENTER ONTHE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND,PETER LIDDY RETURNED TO PHOTOGRAPH ITS REDEVELOPMENT.The exhibition New Ground: ConstructionPhotographs by Peter Liddy at the StateLibrary, South Bank, from March 10 toMay 7, documents the doubling in size of theState Library of Queensland and construction ofthe Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), the largest inAustralia.Mr Liddy is the Operations Manager at TheUniversity of Queensland’s Art Museum locatedin the James and Mary Emelia Mayne Centre atSt Lucia.“Liddy also capturesthe humour of theconstruction site, withportraits of workerswho have stoppedbriefly to have theirpictures taken,putting a humanface on the project”His detailed photographic study reveals theimmense scale of the Queensland Government’sSouth Bank Cultural Centre construction project,its architectural achievements and the work of thepeople who built it.Mr Liddy photographed the site from May2004, when work began, until both buildingswere completed in December 2006.The 50 black and white photographs in NewGround tell the story of the construction – rangingfrom the first stark scenes of excavated groundand inside the gutted State Library to images ofthe completed buildings.His variety of approaches includesarchitectural compositions of forms and spaces,documentary images recording constructionprogress and cityscapes, closely observedstudies of people and distinctive architecturalfeatures, and abstract compositions.On the job: New Ground gives the constructionof the art gallery a human dimension.Exhibition curator Timothy Morrell said NewGround was an important change of direction inLiddy’s work, because it focused on the buildingsbeing brought to life by people.“In the past his photographs have respondedto the feeling of space and atmosphere ofarchitecture, capturing a mood of eeriness ordesolation in abandoned, empty buildings, devoidof people,” Mr Morrell said.“These photographs are a reminder of thehuman dimension essential to the success of thebuildings.“Liddy has swapped his nail bag for thecamera. He has first-hand experience of theconstruction industry, construction sites and thediverse technical procedures carried out there.”Many photographs in the exhibition showthe builders doing their specialised jobs – menup to their ankles in wet concrete, with backsarched fixing steel in preparation for a concreteslab, on GoMA’s immense roof dismantling thecrane, pulling cables, fixing steel, installing pipes— or taking a break in the empty State Libraryoverlooking the Riverside Expressway.“Liddy also captures the humour of theconstruction site, with portraits of workers whohave stopped briefly to have their pictures taken,putting a human face on the project.”Photographs taken from the platform abovethe cabin of a crane, 40 metres above theground, capture the immense scale of the project,and in some cases place it within the context ofthe city.The project was an opportunity to record thehuge architectural compositions of forms andspaces that now occupy Kurilpa Point.“Liddy has captured surprising views ofadventurous architecture in the making,” MrMorrell said.The abstract compositions include imagesof mangled steel-reinforced rods extracted forrecycling, decaying shoes uncovered by theexcavation, random prints of workmen’s boots ina puddle of cement slurry, and intricate patternsof scaffolding and cloth-draped escalators.