22 Aug: Vol 24, #12 - UWA News staff magazine - The University of ...

UWA 1911newsEstablishedUWAThe University of Western Australia22AUGUST 2005 Volume 24 Number 12

UWAnewsA cathedralThe Gravity Discovery Centre has won itsfounders, UWA’s David Blair and CurtinUniversity’s John de Laeter, the $10,000Australian Government Eureka Prize forpromoting the understanding of science.The science centre dedicated to the big questions of theuniverse was first conceived as a visitor centre for the AustralianInternational Gravitational Observatory near Gingin.“We are searching for gravity waves predicted by Einstein butnever seen,” said physicist Professor David Blair, Head of theGravity Wave Research Group.“The new information this discovery could give us about ouruniverse is staggering. We knew we had to share the excitementof our search with the public.”Emeritus Professor John de Laeter from Curtin University ofTechnology worked with Professor Blair to create the Centre.His experience in bringing science to the public through hisinvolvement with the founding of Scitech made him the idealperson to chair the Gravity Discovery Centre Foundation.Working in their spare time with a team of volunteers, theyhave raised more than $5 million. Among the many attractions atthe growing centre are the largest publicly accessible telescope inthe southern hemisphere and a collaborative telescope that letsstudents study the night sky in other countries.Since the Centre opened in 2003, students have measured theEarth’s rotation with a Foucault Pendulum; taken a one kilometrescale walk to the edge of the Solar System; and studied howobjects move as they fall into a giant Black Hole.They can listen to themselves in the past using the Time Coil;hear the song of the wind on an Aeolian harp resonating througha giant interferometer pipe; learn about Australian technologyinnovations; and cook their lunches on solar barbeques.Professor Blair calls it a cathedral to the heartbeat of space.Professor David Blair (below) and Professor John de Laeter (above) atthe opening of the Gravity Discovery Centre nearly two years agoto theheartbeatof spaceFrank Howarth, Director of the Australian Museum, whichawards the Eureka Prize said: “Every culture has asked questionsabout Life and the Universe. Professor Blair and Professorde Laeter are giving the next generation of explorers theopportunity to discover the answers in unique ways. They areworthy winners of the $10,000 Australian Government EurekaPrize for promoting understanding of science.”The prize is awarded to individuals or groups for outstandingworks of science communication and outreach that promoteinterest and enthusiasm about science in the general communityand enhance the public’s ability to assimilate information onscientific issues in an informed and accurate manner, or increasethe community’s understanding of the value of continuing withscience studies in senior secondary school and beyond.The award is sponsored by the Commonwealth Minister forEducation, Science and Training.EDITOR/WRITERUWAnews Lindy BrophyTel: 6488 2436 Fax: 6488 1192 Email: lindy.brophy@uwa.edu.auEDITOR-IN-CHIEFColin Campbell-Fraser Tel: 6488 2889 Fax: 6488 1020Designed, typeset and printed by UniPrint, UWAPlease note our new web addressUWAnews online: http://uwanews.publishing.uwa.edu.au/THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

Vice-Chancellor’scolumnTrackingprogress on theAcademic ProfileOur Academic Profile wasdeveloped in 2000 as an integralpart of the University’s planningprocess.It was designed to provide the academicbasis for developing (and directingresources preferentially towards) areasof particular strength, importance andopportunity over a 10 year period.It set out a strategy for combininga greater emphasis on the selectivedevelopment and resourcing of particularactivities within the University, withinthe overall context of a comprehensiveteaching and research mission.This week, I provided to Senate amid-term (2005) assessment of progresstowards achieving the Academic Profilewhich particularly highlighted two keyareas.The first relates to enrolment targets.Our Academic Profile set an enrolmentgrowth target of between 20-25 per centover 10 years – with targets (by 2010) ofa total enrolment of around 20,000; anundergraduate : postgraduate mix of 70:30;and within the 30 percent of postgraduates,a mix of 18 per cent research and 12 percent coursework. This year, we have atotal enrolment of 16,987, with 76.6 percent undergraduate, 10.4 per cent higherdegree by research, and 13.0 per centpostgraduate coursework.Set against a growth rate of 12 percentsince 2001, we can conclude that ourgrowth target of 20,000 by 2010 will bemet. However, while we are likely to farexceed the 12 per cent higher degree bycoursework target, unless we continue toact to ensure we increase higher degree byresearch enrolments, we will not achieveour higher degree by research target.We have already intervened to increasethe number of higher degree by researchenrolments as a result of a review ofpost-graduate research. Initiatives includeincreasing the number of University fundedscholarships, establishing a fund to meetthe cost of fees of a number of internationalresearch students and increase in teachinginternships. However, it is likely that theimpact of these changes will take some timeto become apparent.The second issue of importance relatesto the areas of ‘strategic opportunity’ whichwere identified in the 2000 Academic Profileas: exploration, production and exploitationof minerals, oil and gas; managementof agricultural and natural ecosystems;genetic epidemiology; humanities and socialscience research program; health andbiomedicine, injury research, prevention,repair and rehabilitation; Indigenous studies;information technology, telecommunicationsand computer science; and internationalmanagement and business studies.We have found that many of these areashave advanced as a result of significantexternal funding, and the clustering ofresearch into areas of strategic opportunityis by key staffing appointments.However, we have also learned that ithas been difficult to advance many of theseareas of strategic opportunity in the absenceof general discretionary funding.We also know that although most of ourresearch and training centres fit within theeight strategic areas, relationships betweenexisting centres are not sufficiently strongto gain advantage by related centres forminga research cluster within the eight areas.In this context, formation of ‘wholeof institution institutes’ within which thecentres would work to assist in buildingresearch critical mass. Such a model hasbeen demonstrated to work successfully ina number of high-performing research-leduniversities in other parts of the world andI believe it is a structure which we shouldconsider at our University.Alan RobsonUWAnewsVice-ChancellorSmall schoolThe smallest school in theUniversity, Agricultural andResource Economics (ARE),ranks third in terms ofresearch.The Dean of the Faculty of Natural andAgricultural Sciences, Professor AlistarRobertson, described the school as “thejewel in the crown” of the faculty.“To be ranked third out of 33 schoolsis a tremendous achievement and nextyear’s Honours projects in this schoolreflect the breadth of the new faculty.They are not just agricultural projects: theschool also includes resource economics,and there is a great diversity of research,”he said.Professor Robertson was speaking at acelebration of an unprecedented amountof funding secured by Honours studentsfor their projects next year.Seven of the nine Honours studentshave external funding and the othertwo have support in kind from industrypartners.Head of School, Associate ProfessorMichael Burton, said the school usuallyhad one or two Honours studentson scholarships, but this year wasoutstanding, with the students bringing inmore than $16,000.“It’s great, not just for the financialside, but for the contacts with theprofession that are being made by thestudents and the school,” he said.Professor Robertson said it wasparticularly important that the studentshad gone out and negotiated their ownfunding because this was what “life afteruniversity would be like.”The Honours projects range froman evaluation of BankWest’s databaseon farm businesses in WA to a wastetransportation model for BHP Billiton’sactivities in the Pilbara.Matt Titmanis has $5,900 funding fromBankWest to use their extensive databaseto investigate what useful information itcontains, specifically the determinants ofprofitability, variability in profitability, andfarm efficiency. His supervisor is Dr BenWhite.Lyon McLeod has sponsorship in kindfrom BHP Billiton to look at its wasteTHE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

hasbigtransportation methods. Wastes fromseveral mine sites in the Pilbara aretransported over distances of up to 500kilometres.“I’m also interested in company policyrelated to the management of wastesand the costs these policies incur onsuch companies,” said Lyon, who is alsosupervised by Dr White.Rob Kelly is looking at biologicalwool harvesting: its impact on economicsustainability and adoption in theGreat Southern. He is funded by aGreat Southern Agricultural ResearchScholarship for $2,000.“A decreasing number of shearersmeans biological wool harvesting, wherethe sheep are injected with a hormonewhich causes their wool to fall off, isbecoming a viable option,” Rob said. “Myproject will help farmers to understandthis alternative.”Another project based in the GreatSouthern is Kate Shearer’s research intoUWAnewsideasthe value of biodiversity and recreationat inland lakes: a case study of LakeTowerrinning, also known as Moodiarrup.Kate won the Jennifer ArnoldMemorial Research Grant ($1,168),awarded for projects that encourage amore perfect understanding of the naturalenvironment and of its value.She hopes to find the social value ofrecreation and biodiversity and how thecommunity views the potential conflict inuse and that this information will be usefulin the management of Lake Towerrinning.Kate and Rob are both supervised by DrJo Pluske.Abbie McCartney, Melissa Lamb andJeremy Roberson all have funding fromthe Department of Conservation andLand Management (CALM) for theirprojects: Abbie’s is an assessment of thesocial value of the major seascapes in theJurien Bay marine park.“CALM’s interest is in distinguishingwhich seascapes within the park are ofmost importance to local and touristcommunities, so that conservation effortscan be directed efficiently,” Abbie said.Melissa is investigating the applicabilityof a permit system for the Broke Inlet inthe Warren Region. She and Abbie areboth supervised by A/Professor Burton.Jeremy’s project is a model surveydesigned by find out the current humanusage of the proposed Gnangara Park, thepreferred land use for the area and thefuture usage of the zone. He has $800 forthe project, Abbie has $1,000, and Melissahas $1,500.Ellen Walker won a CRC WeedsScholarship for $4,000 to determine iffarmers find information provided bytheir peers, through participative farmergroup research, more valuable than othersources of information. Her supervisor isDr Rick Llewellyn.Jacqueline Giblett has in-kind supportfrom the Department of Agriculture WAto evaluate the potential of the WA dairyindustry to export heifers to China. Sheis supervised by Dr Greg Hertzler andis also working with Brad Plunkett fromDAWA and Dr Ross Kingwell (DAWAand UWA).Honours students share their project ideas:(STANDING) Melissa Lamb, Rob Kelly, EllenWalker, Abbie McCartney, Kate Shearer(SITTING) Matt Titmanis, Jeremy Roberson,Lyon McLeodTHE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

UWAnewsGermination discoverya big dealHutch Ranck and Professor Alan Robson sign the agreementF a r m e r s a l l o v e r t h eworld should be able,within a decade, to use aseed germination processdiscovered at UWA and KingsPark.In a deal described as one of themost exciting commercialisationagreements with which the Universityhas been involved, international chemicalcompany DuPont has signed a researchdevelopment licence to evaluate andexplore the seed germination technology.Hutch Ranck, Managing Director ofDuPont Australian and New Zealand, saidhis company could spend up to $US 200million on the project.And Australia’s only Nobel Prizewinningchemist has also taken an interestin the work.Researchers in different parts of theworld had been trying for 15 years toisolate the chemical compound in smokethat could germinate seeds. Years ofhard work by Adjunct Professor KingsleyDixon (Kings Park and Plant Biology),Professor Emil Ghisalberti (Chemistry)supervising PhD student Gavin Flematti,and Professor Robert Trengove (sincemoved to Murdoch University) hit thejackpot and, in 2003, the team applied fora patent.Their ground-breaking research waspublished in Science in June 2004.Dr Andy Sierakowski, Director of theOffice of Innovation and Industry, whohas a background as an organic chemist,admitted that the smoke deal had been apet project for him.“Simon Handford, in OII, has done aremarkable amount of work negotiatingthe deal between the researchers andDuPont and thanks must go to him forkeeping me on track,” Dr Sierakowskisaid. “I must have driven Simon crazy, butI was just so excited by the prospects,which are now coming to fruition.”Dr Sierakowski completed apostdoctoral research project in organicchemistry with Nobel Prize winnerJohn Cornforth, and he contacted hisformer supervisor, knowing he would beinterested in the research.“John is also excited about this discoveryand subsequent commercialisation bid, andhe has come up with a couple of ideas onwhich some Honours students are nowworking,” he said.Dr Sierakowski said DuPont had beenchosen because the universities needed apartner who had a recognised researchand development capability, access tothe agri-chemical production world, anda seed technology company. It was alsoimportant that DuPont had a good recordof working with Australian universities.“I had worked in my own agri-chemicalcompany as an organic chemist and Iknew the players in the field, which alsohelped,” he said.At the signing of the deal, Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor DougMcEachern said having a brightidea, working it through andgetting the science right wasnot the end of a project.“We recognise that we, asa university, don’t have theexpertise and capabilities tofollow through this bright idea,and we thank DuPont for taking up thechallenge.”Mr Ranck said the chemical andanalytical skills and the botanic andbiological knowledge of the researcherswere world class.“Today is the first step on a journeyof bio-prospecting. At the end of it, wewill be able to replicate one of nature’sphenomena and the prospects of usingthis compound are truly exciting. But thejourney will take at least five to sevenyears.”As reported in UWAnews on July 25this year, the compound has the potentialto be used to control weed germinationthat could save Australian farmers billionsof dollars a year. It could be used togerminate native species without the useof fire, thereby saving native fauna. And itcould help with swift restoration of minesites by germinating seeds in the topsoil.Dr Andy Sierakowski …a pet projectTHE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

UWAnewsIn the 1980s young Australian women wereenjoying the fruits of the feminism battle, workingalongside men in every area of endeavour —except, it seems, geology.In that decade, it was still not acceptable for women to work onoffshore drilling rigs. The story of how that changed was the winningentry in the Share Your History competition, run by UWA’s Centre forWestern Australian History.When the Centre launched its Historical Encyclopedia of WesternAustralia project, community response was so enthusiastic thatthe centre ran a Share Your History promotion to encourage localcontributions, the best of which would be posted on the encyclopediawebsite.The response was a deluge of entries, “and some of them were sogood that we decided to have an adult and junior prize for the bestones,” editor-in-chief Associate Professor Jenny Gregory said.The winning junior entry came from Imogen Forbes-Macphail,and the adult winner was UWA research fellow Marjorie Apthorpe,whose contribution revealed that it was not until the 1980s thatwomen geologists were accepted as co-workers on offshorepetroleum drilling rigs in Australia.The breakthrough for Ms Apthorpe came only because of atechnical problem at a Woodside Petroleum offshore site. Drillinghad not reached the expected target at the expected depth, andthe company needed speedy answers to pressing questions, so MsApthorpe and production geologist Judy Garstone were flown byhelicopter to the drill ship.Their arrival created “something of a stir,” recalls Ms Apthorpe(pictured right on the rig). “Not all the crew were happy about thisradical new staff development; we were told that at least one drillerhad to rummage for shorts to cover his normal off-duty garb ofunderpants.”The two women set to work, and after midnight on day two MsApthorpe confirmed that the rock samples she was examining werewithin 30 metres of the top of the gas reservoir. Within minutes thedrill bit was cutting into the top of the reservoir and the gas pressurewas showing up on the instrument monitors. “We had finally reachedthe sandstone reservoir, and it contained gas! Collective relief spreadrapidly through the entire crew.”Women quickly became accepted on the team of geologists,reservoir engineers, paleontologists (usually palynologists) and otherswho now regularly work on offshore rigs. “Young women entering thepetroleum industry today are often totally unaware of how recentlythis acceptance of women occurred.”You can see the winning contributions, plus a selection of the bestentries on the HEWA website: www.encyclopedia.uwapress.uwa.edu.au.Although the stories generated by the promotion will not be includedin the encyclopedia, a selection of commissioned entries intended forpublication can be seen on the WA Snapshots page of the website.As expected, compiling an encyclopedia is a huge undertaking. “Wehave commissioned 837 entries and received 748, so things are goingwell - though of course every entry has to go on to an expert readeror reviewer,” editor Dr Jan Gothard said. “We have 479 writersworking for us, and 152 expert readers involved.”The entries are compiled according to a number of selectedthemes such as Aboriginal history, sport and recreation, agricultureand so on. If all goes according to plan, the encyclopedia will belaunched in 2006.Womenon rigsa very short historyTHE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

UWAnewsGreen star for Business School‘Green Star’building for Business Schoolby Maureen de la HarpeA spectacular new building is due to take shape nextyear at the south-eastern corner of the campus.The Business School will invest the southern end with a newcontemporary identity, in the same way that Winthrop Hall reflects theuniversity’s classical heritage at the northern end.It will also be UWA’s first Green Star-rated building, possibly even thefirst in WA, according to project and systems coordinator Patrick Whelan,UWA’s representative on this project. This national rating has been devisedby the Green Building Council of Australia, and although the Council doesnot yet formally rate educational institutions, based on their guidelines, thebuilding will meet the requirements for top Green Star rating.Ross Donaldson, director of architects Woods Bagot, said that althoughglass would be a feature of the building, taking advantage of views to theriver, the east-west axis meant the summer sun would not strike theglass. “And instead of normal air conditioning, there will be chilled beamtechnology, so the energy consumed is low.”He describes the design as “quite unconventional in the WAsocial spaces and learning environments. It will feel somewhat dthe buildings on the campus.”It also reflects the future direction of tertiary educationwhose company has worked with educational institutions arglobal trend is towards a social mode of learning that calls foraccommodate groups in lounges and cafes, and allow for wireleas seminar rooms and lecture theatres.The State’s landscape and economy are reflected in the descolours, and patterns in copper, zinc, aluminium and stainless stwill not carry through the terracotta roof theme, terracottawalls, along with limestone hues.The spectacular wing (pictured above) jutting out at a dramlecture theatre, which will have raked seating. A side wall featby photographs of Western Australian landscapes.Ross Donaldson sees the project signaling a new era for thehis own degree at UWA and is enjoying “being able to give salma mater.”THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

UWAnewsDragon brings leaders togethercontext, focusing onifferent from most of, said Mr Donaldson,ound the world. Thea variety of spaces toss networking, as wellign through materials,eel. While the buildingtiles will be used onatic angle is the mainures a design inspireduniversity. He gainedomething back to myUWA Business School lecturer Dr Fang Liu (pictured on an earlier trip to China,above left) is in Hong Kong this week as one of 100 delegates selected toattend the Dragon 100 Young Chinese Leaders Forum.Dragon 100 is sponsored by the Hong Kong-based Dragon Foundation, set up in 2000 to create anetwork of young Chinese future leaders. Each year the foundation brings together 100 talented under-35sfrom around the world for a forum and study tour. The aim: to provide a platform for them to exchangeideas on global issues and contribute to their communities while at the same time promoting Chineseculture and heritage.The theme of the 2005 program, which runs from August 21-29, is ‘Opportunities in China: A Vision fora Shared Future’. It involves a three-day forum followed by a five-day study tour in Shanghai.“I feel very proud and privileged to be selected by the Dragon Foundation to attend this internationalevent. I understand this is the first time that UWA has nominated someone to attend this highlycompetitive event,” says Ms Liu, who lectures in marketing. “I would like to thank everyone at UWA whomade it possible.”On the study tour she expects to meet government officials and young professionals heading up varioussectors, and to visit local universities. “I want to see how China is developing and how overseas Chinesecan contribute. As Shanghai is the most developed city, there are a lot of things going on. I would like tosee the achievements, but probably also to discuss some of the social problems that have arisen from thisfast growth – such as the disparity between the rich and poor – and what is being done to solve them. Thefoundation wants us to see both sides and to contribute.”Although she visits China regularly to carry out research and attend conferences, Dr Liu has notpreviously had the opportunities that Dragon 100 will offer. “I think I have never had a really good chanceto meet and share ideas with people from different areas and diverse backgrounds such as industry,education and regional development. Being with 99 other delegates from different countries will be a goodopportunity to see what they are thinking and what I can learn from them.”Dr Liu was born and educated in China, where she gained a BA in linguistics and literature at ZhongshanUniversity, which she describes as one of the most prestigious in China. She garnered numerous academicawards during her studies, and founded a Spoken English Club and an English campus newspaper Pilgrimage(“maybe the first of such at universities in China”). A member of the Zhongshan debating team, she alsochaired the Student Union at the School of Foreign Languages. Prior to leaving China, she worked ininternational trade and management with large state-owned enterprises.While studying for her MBA and PhD in marketing at UWA, where she has been lecturing since 1999,she chaired the Chinese Scholars and Students Association for two years; she was a founding member ofthe Western Australian Chinese Scientific Association and is now treasurer.THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

10 UWAnewsWorking together creates supportA simple solution to a problem in a Universitylibrary has been an excellent example of stafffrom different areas working together.The Education, Fine Arts and Architecture (EDFAA) Libraryhas hundreds of big heavy art and architecture books that usedto fall over when somebody took a nearby book off the shelf.Straightening the shelves was becoming a problem and causingphysical pain to library staff.The problem was identified by EDFAA library staff CaroleDuffil and Judy Smith; they asked advice from Safety andHealth Office (SHO) occupational therapist Averil Riley, whodid some research and came up with an idea; staff at FacilitiesManagement, particularly tradesman, welding expert and sculptorOne of the world’s great artshows will feature a sculptureby UWA staff member LenZuks.Len’s steel sculpture of a horse andrider has been chosen to be part of theBeijing Biennale, China’s biggest and mostimportant art exhibition, opening nextmonth.He has been an artist and sculptor allhis life but says he also enjoys his work asa tradesman for the Facilities Management(FM) maintenance workshop.“It’s hard to make a living as an artist,but I don’t do it for the money, I do itbecause I love it,” he said.Len was at the exhibition of Sculpturesby the Sea at Cottesloe early this year atthe same time as a Chinese delegation.“They were talking about acquiring artfor the Beijing Olympics, so they couldline the road between the airport andthe Olympic Village with installations. Ihappened to have photographs of someLen Zuksexplains hisdesign tolibrarian JudySmithAn Aussie icon in Chinaof my work with me and showed themto them. They immediately chose oneof my pieces, then returned to Beijingwhere a committee decided on a differentpiece, then asked me to exhibit it in theBiennale,” he said.“It was one of those hugely luckycircumstances.”Len’s horse and rider sculpture is 1.8metres tall, 1.8 metres long and about ametre wide. He calls it Duffer McCreedyafter a fictitious iconic Australian outbackcharacter.“He was a hard-working but illiteratestation hand, who met a teacher whocame to the station, learnt to read andwrite, fell in love with the teacher andmarried her, but didn’t quite overcomesome of his early ways.“The police were after him for somepetty thieving, so he ran away to war,served in Gallipoli and returned hometo make a lot of money on the land, thenbecame a philanthropist.“It’s the story of our land ofTHE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005Len Zuks (see also below), played around with the idea and, aftera few prototypes, and the help of Peter Norgard in the electricalengineering workshop, came up with the solution; and Libraryadministration manager Annie Macnab initiated the project andfound funding for it.Judy Smith explained that while most library books weighedabout 500 grams, EDFAA’s big books could weigh up to fourkilograms. The staff were getting repetitive use strain fromcontinually sorting the books, which were held up only by otherbooks. Averil Riley contacted other art libraries and found onesolution at Curtin University of Technology: a shelf support thatcould be attached to existing shelves, to take the load of heavybooks.Len Zuks considered the Curtin model, then thought of abetter way to make the support, using less material but in athicker gauge so the extra strength gave more support.“Len also ensured that the edges weren’t sharp and they wereset back from the edge of the shelf, so nobody would scratch orgraze themselves on it,” said Ms Smith.About 600 shelf supports are needed and the FM workshophas produced and installed about 200 so far. They haveoutsourced the cutting of the zinc-plated steel supports as FMdoes not have a machine capable of large numbers of repetitions,and Len is welding them together.Ms Riley said she encouraged staff who identified manualhandling hazards to reportthem to SHO.opportunity, and it inspired me to createthis vision of a proud man on his horse,”Len said.He doesn’t know of any other WesternAustralian artists who have been invitedto exhibit at the Biennale, where he hopessomebody will buy Duffer McCreedy.Len is currently working on a life-sizedsteel sculpture of an Aboriginal man. “Thebody’s done but I have to think of a storyfor him before I do his arms and hands,which will dictate what he’s doing with hisarms,” he said.Len has been working at UWA for 16years, first in the physics workshop, thenfor FM. He is taking leave to go to Chinafor the Biennale, where he will attendseminars and workshops with otherinternational artists.

UWAnews 11Mathematics’hotyoungstarsSarah Flannery with two of her young fans from Perth Modern School.When Filomina D’Cruz heardthat UWA was hosting theInternational MathematicsSymposium 2005, she didsome quick calculations of herown.Ms D’Cruz, who is project officer forthe Student Diversity Access program,approached the conference chair, Dr PaulAbbott from Physics, to ask if one of thespeakers, Sarah Flannery, would considertalking to some high school students.She ended up with three brilliant youngspeakers, all eager to address 14- and 15-year-old students.More than 200 students from 11 schoolsand a group of 23 Indigenous students fromprivate schools attended the three sessionsand were enthused by Sarah Flannery, LucBarthelet and Phil Ramsden.Sarah Flannery was named EuropeanYoung Scientist of the Year, at theage of 16, in 1999, for her work oncryptography. After completing a BA inComputer Science at Cambridge, she isnow working in research. In 2000, a bookshe wrote with her father, David Flannery,In Code: A Mathematical Journey, became apopular science best-seller.Luc Barthelet, the most anticipatedspeaker of the three guests, makes theSims computer games. He is senior vicepresident and executive producer forthe company Electronic Arts, and isdeveloping a new simulation game. He ledthe product development for video gameswhich include The Sims, The Sims 2, SimCity4 and SimCity 3000. Although self-taughtin computing and programming, Luchas degrees in electrical and mechanicalengineering.Phil Ramsden is a consultant forgifted and talented students in London,developing learning materials for them,while working in the MathematicsDepartment of Imperial College London.He specialises in computer-based learningin higher education and runs regularmathematics summer schools.A record for the booksThe Save the Children Fund (SCF) made arecord $140,000 profit from their annualbook sale last month in the Undercroft.The secretary of the University Branch of SCF, KerenMcCullagh, said the increase was largely due to the outsidebroadcast of the ABC’s 720 Saturday Morning Program atthe sale, which attracted more buyers than usual.She said the branch was enormously grateful to UWAfor its continued support, including permission for thebroadcast.The money raised will go to SCF projects in WA andoverseas, to improve the lives of disadvantaged children.The branch thanked the University administration, staffand students for their support of the book sale.CreditdueOur on-campus creditunion has ranked 10th in anational survey.Unicredit was in the top 10in Credit Union of the Year, part of Money magazine’s 2005consumer Finance Awards.The awards were judged on the overall score of products andservices from 180 credit unions, including everyday transactionaland savings accounts, term deposits, home loans and personalloans.“We are very pleased with our position,” said Unicredit’sGeneral Manager, Michael Blackburn. “Unicredit places a highlevel of importance on offering fair fee structures competitiverates, convenient services and flexible products.”You can find out more about the award-winning range ofproducts and services by calling in to the UWA Unicredit branchon the first floor of the Guild Building, or by visiting www.unicredit.com.auTHE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

12 UWAnewsNOTICESUPCOMING INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES EVENTSPROFESSOR PETER NEUMANNMathematics at Queen’s College, Oxford UniversityMathematically challenging childrenMonday, 22 August 2005 at 6.30pm Geography Lecture Theatre 1, UWATom Lehrer notoriously advertised the view that mathematics is so simplethat only a child can do it. Nevertheless, children, and especially gifted andtalented children, can benefit greatly from being challenged and shown thatthey can in fact understand that which at first seemed impossible, even tothem. This talk will be about the use of mathematical puzzles and challengesto develop mathematical thinking in able children from age twelve up to andbeyond my own.ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MIKE ANDERSONHead of the School of Psychology, The University of Western AustraliaRace, Science and Politics: a case study ofacademic freedom and responsibilityWednesday, 24 August 2005 at 6pm Geography Lecture Theatre 1, UWAMany of us have been following the events surrounding Macquarie Universityacademic Andrew Fraser’s claim (among others) that we should considercontrolling immigration of sub-Saharan Africans because they have lowerIQs. Mike Anderson’s research concerns the nature and developmentof intelligence and he has some professional and personal acquaintancewith controversies surrounding claims about race and IQ. This case raisesimportant issues about academic freedom and academic responsibility that hewill address in this presentation.PROFESSOR HANOCH GUTFREUNDPresident Emeritus, Andé Aisenstadt Chair in Theoretical Physics,the Hebrew University of JerusalemAlbert Einstein—the Man and the ScientistMonday, 29 August at 6.00pm University Club Theatre AuditoriumA variety of events the world over are being held this year in order tocommemorate the hundredth anniversary of Albert Einstein “AnnusMirabilis”, the year in which he published several articles, which fundamentallychanged the worldview of physics. The character of these events reflects theincreasing interest, not only in Einstein’s scientific achievements, but also inhis outstanding personality and in his place in contemporary history. AlbertEinstein has become a cultural symbol and a scientist of renown among thewide public. The lecture will depict Einstein not only as the outstandingscientist of the 20 th century, but also as the man through whom the mostimportant developments and events of the century can be told.Disability Activism and the Price of Success;a British perspectiveWednesday 31 August at 6.30pm Social Sciences Lecture Theatre, UWAThis talk will focus on the history of the British disabled people’s movementand its successes over the last two decades. These include the reconceptualisationof disability as a social/political, the various legislative andpolicy changes that have subsequently occurred, and their relative impact ondisabled people and their organisations at the national and local levels.DAY OF IDEASInstitute of Advanced Studies 2-3 September 2005A Human Rights Act for Australia?Welcome DinnerFriday 2 September, 7.30pm at Lamont’s RestaurantDay of IdeasSaturday 3 September, 10am-4.30pm at the Holmes à Court GallerySpeakers include: Julian Burnside QC; Karen Brown; Andrew Clark; GregCraven; Natalie Hepburn, UWA Guild President; John Menadue; Jim McGintyMLA, Attorney General; Spencer Zifcak.Australia is the only Western country that does not have a Human Rights Actor equivalent. A campaign launched by New Matilda sets out to change this.Their goal is to have the community endorsed Human Rights Bill debated inthe Federal Parliament within 12 months from its launch.NewMatilda.com delivers a weekly online magazine to subscribers, generatingtopical analysis and debate, and gives you the opportunity to have a sayin developing policy. For more information visit New Matilda at www.newmatilda.comPlease visit www.ias.uwa.edu.au for more information and online registration.Language and Cultural Exchange (L.A.C.E.)International Friendship Project at UWAHelping new international postgraduatestudents settle into their environmentPostgraduate students and staff — all welcomeEver wondered what it’s like to be a stranger in a strange land? Join L.A.C.E.and meet great people: indulge, enjoy, relax, walk, talk & socialise. Make afriend; make a difference!Great activities & events Tuesday afternoons from 4pm onwards everyfortnight from 6 September to 15 November. Meet at Student Services, 2ndfloor, Guild Building, Student Services.Here’s what others have said they enjoyed about L.A.C.E.:“Making friends, having fun & chatting”“Talking to people outside my discipline and from all over the world”“Lots of enthusiasm, lots of smiles, lots of encouragement, lots of good food”“Events were varied, interesting and well organised”Sign up on-line at www.studentservices.uwa.edu.au/learning/lace or contactSiri Barrett-Lennard at sblennard@admin.uwa.edu.au or on 6488 2423 or6488 1820.Friendly, collegial, fun; join now!Bringing people together across cultures & languages, across the uni & theglobeOrganised by Learning, Language and Research Skills, Student Services withsupport from: the Graduate Research School, the International Centre, theUWA Student Guild, the Postgraduate Students’ Association and InternationalStudents’ ServiceDiversity Initiatives Fund grants2005The UWA Diversity Initiatives Fund 2005 application process has begun.Applications are invited from faculties, schools, groups or individuals seekingfunding to assist in the development of targeted diversity initiatives thatenhance equity for students and/or staff.The aim of the Fund is to provide financial assistance to new projects thataim to enhance educational and employment access, participation andoutcomes for groups of students and staff identified as priority areas of focusin the University’s Equity and Diversity Management Plan.Projects that have received funding in the past and have become verysuccessful initiatives include: the SmARTS Access – bridging the gap programin the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; the Link Week – Week3 Transition Support Initiative, a project developed by the Diversity Groupwithin Student Services; and, the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) InstructorTraining that has provided the expertise within UWA to raise staff awarenessabout mental health issues.Applications for funding close on Friday September 30, and successfulapplicants will be notified mid October. An application form canbe downloaded from the Equity and Diversity web site at www.equity.uwa.edu.au or by contacting Lesley Roberts on 6488 3873.Applications should be sent to Equity and Diversity, MBDP 350.All notices, classified ads and redundantequipment can now be sent to our email address:staffads@uwa.edu.auEvents are now available on the Web athttp://events.uwa.edu.auPlease call Maryvonne Bestel in Public Affairs on6488 1900 or Lindy Brophy, editor UWANewson 6488 2436 if you have any queries.We’ve changed our addressLike to read UWAnews on line?The URL has been changed, so please add the new address to your list offavourites. It ishttp://uwanews.publishing.uwa.edu.au/You can also get to the UWAnews site through the UWA staff home page’sQuick Links.THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

UWAnews 13UWA Expo 2005is comingNow is the time toorganise your posters,leaflets, brochures andpromotional materialat UniPrint before itis too late!UWA Expo 2005Sunday 18th SeptemberContact Ray Horn on 6488 8790to discuss all your printing needs.Email uniprintjobs@admin.uwa.edu.auWebsite www.uniprint.uwa.edu.au25089_globe_182x132_UWA News 7/7/05 4:11 PM Page 1Have youheard about...Word-of-Mouth Dental, just a short walk to Broadway FairOver 22 years experience offeringfresh breath • healthy gums • natural smiles6389 2711Broadway Fair Shopping Centre Lower Level88 Broadway Nedlands 6009 (near UWA)wordofmouthdental.com.auUWAEmployeeAssistanceProgramThere are times when all of us havechallenging issues to deal with. Whenpersonal or work-related issues make lifedifficult, the University has an EmployeeAssistance Program (EAP) to help staffmanage these issues more effectively.The EAP is a professional, confidentialcounselling and consultation service. Theservices of Davidson Trahaire Corpsych areavailable FREE to you and your family.Counselling is also available for staff oncampus through the Support Centre(Student Services). Call Janet Renneron extension 2426 or Student Servicesreception on 2423.For appointments, please ring DavidsonTrahaire on 9382 8100. Their offices arelocated at Suite 11, 100 Hay Street, Subiaco.Further information can be obtained athttp://www.safety.uwa.edu.au/policies/eapWant a lighterhome loan?Try the switch to Unicredit.We’re ready to give you a FREE, no obligation assessment of yourcurrent home loan. We’ll highlight just how much you could beSAVING by switching to Unicredit. The Unicredit easy-switch solutionmeans a dedicated Lending Consultant will organise it all for you anddeal with your current financial institution. No headaches. No hassles.Just excellent personal service.Switch your home loan to Unicredit and enjoy:• VERY competitive rates• NO ongoing fees• NO annual loan fees• NO charge to access your redraw facility• LOW establishment feeBook your personal appointment now to find out how you canlighten your home loan.Curtin University: Wed 7 Sept 2005 Tel: 9266 7881ECU Joondalup: Wed 14 Sept 2005 Tel: 6304 5722Murdoch University: Wed 21 Sept 2005 Tel: 9332 8453UWA: Wed 28 Sept 2005 Tel: 6488 1218Or make an appointment at ourNedlands branch: Call 9389 1011.All loan applications are subject to Unicredit’s normal lendingcriteria. 1 Fees and government charges apply, including settlementattendance, valuation fees and stamp duty charges. Please referto our Fees and Charges Schedule available at any Unicreditbranch or discuss with your Lending Consultant. The UniversityCredit Society Ltd. ABN 90 087 651 901. AFSL Number 244168.THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

14 UWAnewsPROMOTION BRIEFSBriefs provided by Elizabeth Hutchinson, Executive Officer,Promotions and Tenure Committee, Human Resources.ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TO PROFESSORProfessor Billie Giles-CortiSchool of Population HealthShe is an outstanding researcher and academic who over the past severalyears has had a major responsibility in leading a productive programmeof research. She has been highly successful in obtaining research grants, intraining research students and in publishing an extensive body of researchin high quality journals in her field. Her recent research has primarily beenin physical activity and health, focusing on understanding environmentalinfluences on behaviour. In this area she has made outstanding internationallyrecognised contributions and has an established reputation as a researchleader and innovator in her field.She has demonstrated a commitment to high quality teaching at variouslevelsand has made excellent contributions in the core areas of public healthteaching. She has an excellent record in postgraduate student supervision.She is well organised, and provides clear learning objectives and up to datereferences to support the topics.She excels in her contribution to service. Beyond the usual activities at theSchool and Faculty level she has clearly demonstrated her management andleadership capacity in performing the role of being the inaugural Director ofthe Albany Centre.SENIOR LECTURER TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSORassociate professor Hélène JaccomardFrench Studies, European Languages and Studies, School of HumanitiesShe enjoys international status and has made a significant contribution toresearch. The journals in which she publishes are of high international statusand she clearly provides research leadership.She has made substantial use of technology in specialist French courses(according to the disciplines) such as Law, Economics, Business, and Scienceand in courses for near-native speakers. She stimulates the interests ofstudents and since 1996 her teaching has been rewarded regularly by highlysignificant awards. She has been invited overseas to introduce her teachingmethods and has established very strong institutional links with severalUniversities. She is also a leader in the study of French AIDS testimonies andFranco-Maghrebine literature.She has made significant contributions to the discipline and the School ofHumanities through service.SENIOR LECTURER TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSORassociate professor ANNETTE GEORGESchool of Earth and Geographical SciencesShe was promoted following a recommendation of the Promotions and TenureCommittee and in July 2005. Among her accomplishments are the following:Dr George is well known internationally as a sedimentologist and haspublished in very high impact interdisciplinary journals with large globalreaderships which clearly demonstrates a consistently high scientific standardof research output. Recognition in 2002 as the inaugural winner of theDorothy Hill Award by the Australian Academy of Science marks Dr Georgeas one of the foremost female researchers in geoscience within Australia. Herinclusion as a presenter at the 2003 Frontiers of Science symposium held bythe Australian Academy of Science is a further indication of her standing.Student ratings indicate that Dr George is a superior teacher, respected bystudents for achieving learning outcomes. Her achievements in teaching wererecognised at UWA by a Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award in 2000, a levelwhich has been maintained.Her leadership capacities are exemplified by her service as Head ofDepartment and subsequently Head of Discipline.other areas such as the use of electrokinetics for ground treatment, seismictomography in the centrifuge and backfilling of mines.He has succeeded in establishing collaboration and links withsome of the top civil engineering schools in the world and hasachieved good exposure at a variety of international conferences.His great enthusiasm for teaching is well known by both staff and studentsin the School of Civil & Resource Engineering. He is capable of successfullydeveloping an appropriate curriculum and achieving an effective teaching style.Dr Ismail’s service within and outside the University is outstanding. Hecurrently oversees the laboratory testing consultancy for the Centre forOffshore Foundations Systems, which produces an income of more than$600,000 every year.LECTURER TO SENIOR LECTURERDr Sharon PurchaseSchool of Economics and CommerceShe has a clear international profile as a researcher in the area of businessto-businessmarketing. She is a regular contributor to scholarly developmentsboth through her publications and her regular contributions to the annualIndustrial Marketing and Purchasing Group’s conference - the world’s premierconference in this area.She has a growing profile in Europe as well as in the USA - her links with theCentre in Supply Chain Management in Bordeaux and her involvement withthe IMP Group’s research project in Norway have brought both her andUWA notable exposure.She has provided exceptional performance in her teaching, coursedevelopment and service.ASSOCIATE LECTURER TO LECTURERMr Martin AndersonSchool of Human Movement and Exercise ScienceHe was promoted following a recommendation of the Promotions and TenureCommittee in July 2005. Among his accomplishments are the following:He is a dedicated and committed teacher who has coordinated the PhysicalEducation stream with the Graduate Diploma in Education for many years. Thereis strong evidence of his leadership in the development of curriculum throughscholarly assessment of the academic literature in pedagogy, and especially throughreflective teaching practice and experiential learning in the community.His research has been published in professional and internationally refereedjournals of high quality demonstrating a research active academic making asignificant contribution to scholarship.He is a Board member of The Australian Council for Health and PhysicalEducation and Recreation (ACHPER), the professional association forPhysical/Health Education teachers and has assisted in the structure of sucheducation programmes in schools through his involvement with DET. He iscurrently Chair of the Curriculum Council PE Syllabus Committee for postcompulsory studies.LECTURER TO SENIOR LECTURERDr Mostafa IsmailCentre for Offshore Foundation SystemsHe is well known and respected nationally and internationally for hisachievements in state-of-the-art element testing of soil samples and he hasextensive experience in this area having worked in soil mechanics laboratoriesin both Egypt and Kuwait. His research is published in the top geotechnicaljournals. He also reviews papers for a variety of international journals andhas recently joined the editorial board of the Geotechnical Testing Journal ofthe American Society for Testing and Materials which is the leading journalfor experimental methods and techniques in the discipline. Although DrIsmail’s research focuses on element testing, his research is diversifying intoTHE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005

16 UWAnewsthe last wordFonts fu nding faxI came to Australia some 35 years ago on aworking holiday, started work within a fewmonths of arriving and have kept workingever since. So it’s time for me to revert to theoriginal plan.Once you have decided to leave, the next issue is what to sayin your resignation letter.I remember staring at a blank computer screen about 4:30 inthe morning for ages thinking about what I should say in my letterto Russell Candy.Should I review my working history over the past 25 yearsand say what a privilege it had been to work at the University? Ihad a couple of goes at this version but then it occurred to methat Russell and some admin person in Human Resources werethe only ones likely to see the letter. So I decided not go into anyflowery recitation of my work at UWA and played around with acouple of shorter versions. I had one version that went …Dear Russell, I quit, Regards WayneI eventually opted for something a bit longer but not much.When do you submit your resignation letter?I suggest that you avoid the 1 April — April Fool’s day. I gotmy letter in on the 31 March. Even then I had some difficultyconvincing people that I had resigned.What size type face should you use?Wayne BrowneFormer Manager, Property Management, Facilities Management&An edited version of Wayne Browne’s farewell speechmachinesYou wouldn’t think that this would be an issue would you?I remember on the morning I was submitting my resignation Iprinted off different versions with different typefaces. What fontsize should you use on your resignation letter, particularly if youhave worked at the University for 25 years? If it’s too small youlook like a wimp – if it’s too large it looks too aggressive andalmost as if you are shouting out your resignation. This is notsomething that they cover in the retirement seminars. Imaginefussing over the size of the typeface. After playing around with afew different versions, it occurred to me that it was probably justas well I was leaving the University.When I joined the University in 1979 one of my responsibilitieswas to determine the number of telephone lines which could beissued to departments. The University had an old telephoneswitchboard with about 1400 lines on it. At one stage I thinkwe had 15 lines spare. So my job was to recover lines fromdepartments that had lost staff, and issue them to departmentsthat had gained staff. Anyone below lecturer level or at the adminassistant level had to share a phone. In some cases, junior staffwere allowed a third of a line each. Accommodation disputes arebad but wait until you try to take someone’s telephone away. Iwas not a very popular person at that time. Now everyone whoneeds a telephone gets one.I also had to keep track of about 300 IBM golf ball typewriterson campus, all the serial numbers which went to about 10 digitsand letters and negotiate a service contract for these each year.They are probably museum pieces now.Any departments wishing to purchase or lease a photocopymachine had to come through me and I would then make arecommendation on the type of machine to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Can you imagine a Deputy Vice-Chancellor of todayhaving the slightest interest in what sort of photocopy machine aschool/section wants to purchase?When I started, the University was required to submit itscapital works proposals every three years to the Commonwealthin what was called the triennial funding program. In one round,the University got something like $2M for a new building forArchitecture. Nowadays $2M would get you about eight bays inthe Motorola car park. Currently the University’s capital worksprogram is in the order of about $20M per year.As my six month probationary period was coming to an endI can remember saying to my wife Anita that I was not cut outfor University life and I was going to start looking for anotherjob. Not long after that I was informed that my appointment wasbeing converted to permanent and that they were very pleasedwith my work.And so here I am 25 years later deciding that I am no longercut out for University life.Thanks for being such a great group of people to work with.UniPrint 40644THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005