GENERATIONS AT UTAS - Alumni & Friends - University of Tasmania

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GeNeRATIoNS 1990s – The Internet age Population of Tasmania in 1990: 462,200 Prime Ministers: Paul Keating (1991-96), John howard (1996-2007) UTAS students in 1990: 5,877 (2,937 males and 2,940 females) At UTAS: hobart-based UTAS campus merged with Tasmanian State Institute of Technology; opening of the Cradle Coast campus (1995); University Foundation established and commencement of University scholarships. Studies into blindness are in the genes By Catherine Rogers The eyes have it: Dr Kathryn Burdon is making her mark in researching the genetic aspects of blindness. Photo courtesy of Flinders University. WheN DR KAThRYN BURDoN (BSc hons 1999, PhD 2004) was completing her PhD into genes that cause congenital cataracts in children, she discovered a new gene that caused Nancehoran syndrome – a disease characterised by severe congenital cataracts, abnormal teeth and mental retardation. “I fell into the area of eye disease when there was a project available at Menzies during honours,” said Kathryn, who became the first lab-based graduate from the Menzies Centre for Population health Research (now Menzies Research Institute). “Throughout school I wanted to be an ophthalmologist. My grandfather was an ophthalmologist and I thought he was pretty cool. Somewhere through high school I realised that being an ophthalmologist was a type of doctor, but I never had any real inclination to study medicine. “So it seemed to me like a sign or tribute to him when the project into the genetics of blinding diseases came my way.” Kathryn’s passion for genetic research has seen her work in America, where she conducted postdoctoral studies 12 | ALuMNI NeWs | DECEMBER 2010 • Issue 38 in molecular genetics at Wake Forrest University in North Carolina. Upon her return to Australia, she took up the position of Junior Postdoctoral Fellow with the Department of ophthalmology at Flinders University. Interestingly, the department was co-founded by her grandfather, Dr Bill Scales. At Flinders University, Kathryn continues to research the genetics of cataracts in children. She also investigates genetic aspects of blindness on several NhMRC studies, such as diabetic eye disease and various aspects of glaucoma. “There is not a lot of research in these areas, so we are working with others to help understand these diseases,” she said. “For example, the Glaucoma Inheritance Study, conducted by Professor David Mackey from the School of Medicine, has formed the basis of the population cohort for the study on glaucoma.” With the discovery of several genes to her credit, there is little doubt Kathryn’s grandfather is proud of her achievements, particularly for understanding the importance of these new genes and how they can lead to blindness. A passion for the aquaculture industry: David Ellis is nearing the end of a research masters degree with the National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability. A quick pathway that turned into a career By Associate Professor John Purser, Australian Maritime College (AMC) DAvID eLLIS (DipAppSc [Aq] 1993) probably never imagined his plan for a quick pathway into the aquaculture industry would end up being an 18-year association. David was a member of a very enthusiastic student group who graduated in 1993, eager to secure a job in the industry. on leaving the University David worked for huon Atlantic Salmon (now huon Aquaculture Company), putting his university training into practice while developing new skills vital to understanding the commercial operations of aquaculture facilities. Keen to further his career, David moved to Western Australia and then to work in the pearl and tuna industries. For the past eight years David has been research manager for the Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Association. In this role David has developed a close rapport with the industry, gaining representation on a number of local and national boards and committees. Among this busy schedule David has advanced his professional standing through a rural leadership program and company directors training. As part of his masters degree at AMC, David has been researching the body temperature changes in southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) associated with food intake and energy content of the baitfish. This research employs internal archival tags to measure the post-prandial temperature profiles.
An online class in adventure By Catherine Rogers Adventure is a mind-set: Andrew Hughes has developed an online expedition program that teaches primary school students about the environment. Photo courtesy of The Mercury. ADveNTUReR ANDReW hUGheS (BSc 1999, BTeach 2005) has spent the past few months travelling through the wilderness in search of the Tasmanian tiger – and he took more than 5,000 Aussie school kids with him! Andrew is the founder of Expedition Class, an online adventure program that teaches primary school students about the natural environment. The idea behind the concept came to Andrew while he was a postgraduate education student at UTAS. Building bridges to future cities By Janette Brennan vISIoN oF A BRIDGe LINKING A Tasmania to the mainland, created in part by UTAS environmental design graduates, was selected for the 2010 venice Architecture Biennale. Aaron Roberts (BenvDes 1998), from the hobart- and Melbourne-based architecture firm Room 11, said Island Proposition 2100 is a highly speculative idea. The concept of a 600km bridge, which would span Bass Strait via King Island, sets out to encourage discussion about future urban conditions. Well, the proposition certainly succeeded in generating discussion when it featured in a local newspaper. It seems that Tasmanians are more than happy to be unconnected to mainland Australia. “I’d always been on adventures,” Andrew said. “So I started thinking about ways to share the adventure through education, rather than going straight into the classroom to teach students.” For two to six months each year, Andrew heads off on an expedition. The latest adventure took him to southwestern Tasmania and the jungle of Papua New Guinea – by foot, canoe and sea kayak – in search of the Tasmanian tiger. But the real purpose of the trek was to explore biodiversity. Island Proposition 2100 was a collaboration between Room 11, UTAS environmental design graduate Scott Lloyd (who now lives in Switzerland) and a lecturer at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Katrina Stoll. The design was selected as one of 17 projects to be included in the Australian pavilion at the prestigious Italian cultural exhibition. The brief challenged entrants to create a vision of Australian cities in 2050 and beyond. For more information on Island Proposition 2100, go to: www.ip2100.info GeNeRATIoNS Students and teachers determine their level of involvement in the program – from following a 10-week curriculum developed by the Department of education, to simply reading the daily reports, looking at the photos and discussing the word or question of the day. Past expeditions have included kayaking up the east coast of Australia (2006), sea kayaking around Papua New Guinea (2008), and climbing the highest peak in each state and territory of Australia (2009). “I want to engage with students and understand what expedition will gain the most interest from them,” Andrew said. “I want to provide real world experiences so students can feel part of the action.” Expedition Class operates within Bookend Trust, a not-for-profit organisation that provides funding and organisational support. The University of Tasmania, through the Faculty of Science, engineering and Technology, is a proud partner of Expedition Class. Last year Expedition Class won the Australian Geographic Society Spirit of Adventure Award and this year it took out the Tasmanian Award for environmental excellence in education. “Adventure is a mind-set, not a skillset,” Andrew said. “I’ll keep doing these adventures, with the help of the students, for as long as we continue learning from them. That promises to be a very long time.” Australian Cities Beyond 2050: A vision of a bridge linking Tasmania to the mainland, created in part by UTAS environmental design graduates, was selected for the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale. aLUmni neWs | DECEMBER 2010 • Issue 38 | 13
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Page 4 and 5: ALUMNI AND FRIeNDS The return of an
Page 6 and 7: GeNeRATIoNS Celebrating our golden
Page 8 and 9: GeNeRATIoNS 1940s - The world at wa
Page 10 and 11: GeNeRATIoNS 1970s - Free tertiary e
Page 12 and 13: GeNeRATIoNS The prodigal handbag By
Page 16 and 17: GeNeRATIoNS 2000 - The Noughties Po
Page 18 and 19: GeNeRATIoNS Postcard from Banglades
Page 20 and 21: FeATURe A honeymoon period that las
Page 22 and 23: ACCoLADeS A flying start for Nichol
Page 24 and 25: Our graduates have what it takes. 2
Page 26 and 27: CeLeBRATIoN Graduation celebrations
Page 28 and 29: KeePING IN ToUCh 2000s Naomi Stewar
Page 30 and 31: ALUMNI Alumni events around the wor
Page 32 and 33: vALe A drive to make a difference O
Page 34 and 35: ALUMNI BooKS Levée Line and Martia
Page 36: eEdition Connect with Northern Tasm

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