Master Class Resource Personnel

Master Class in Research Management in Agriculture

Held at the Hyde Park Plaza Suites, Sydney

October 7th to October 20th 2001

Resource Personnel

Professor Bernie Bindon
Beef CRC
University of New England
Armidale NSW 2351, Australia
Tel: 02-67733513 Fax: 02-67733500
Email: beefcrc@metz.une.edu.au

Professor Bernie Bindon is the Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative Research Centre for Cattle and Beef Quality, a $60 million project established in 1993. He is the former Assistant Chief of the CSIRO Division of Animal Production and Officer-in-Charge of the Armidale resources of CSIRO. He is well known locally and internationally for research in reproductive biology of cattle and sheep and began his career in beef cattle research in CSIRO, Brisbane in 1963. Since 1990, Bernie Bindon has made a significant contribution to the Australian beef industry by putting in place Australia’s largest integrated research program, designed to understand the genetic and environmental factors influencing beef quality. The CRC for Cattle and Beef Quality, conceived in 1990, recognised the need to integrate genetics, nutrition and meat science in studies of pedigree cattle from Australian seedstock herds. This led to the establishment of the world’s largest progeny test for meat quality traits, based on seven purebreeds and a terminal crossbreeding project based on 1,000 Brahman females and nine sire breeds. At the same time, the CRC initiated world-class research in molecular biology, designed to identify gene markers and candidate genes for carcase and meat quality attributes. In 2001, Australia now enjoys world leadership in these fields with CRC outcomes promising handsome economic return for the domestic and export beef trade through improvements in tenderness, retail beef yield, marbling, net feed conversion efficiency and meat safety. The CRC also established three new industry-funded chairs at the University of New England, to materially change the fact of meat industry education in Australia. The CRC received additional Commonwealth funding for a further seven-year term from October 1999. The project represents a further $83 million for beef quality research.

Professor Burgess has had extensive experience in research, teaching and administration at the University of Sydney, including 11 years as Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture. His career-long research interests have been concerned with the biology and control of soilborne fungal pathogens. His personal research program has been focussed on the genus Fusarium and he is an authority on the taxonomy of this complex group. He has published widely with 110 refereed publications in international journals and books. Professor Burgess is coordinator of two international research-capacity building projects funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), one in Vietnam involving several research centres in Hanoi and one in Indonesia (northern Sulawesi) based at Sam Ratulangi University. Both projects are concerned with fungal diseases of selected tropical field, vegetable, fruit and industrial crops. He currently supervises or co-supervises four PhD and three research masters students. Professor Burgess holds an Adjunct Professor position at Kansas State University and is a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society and the Australasian Plant Pathology Society.

Bob Clements is the Director of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). He began his career as a farmer in the Cowra district (NSW, Australia) before attending the University of New England (Armidale) where he graduated with a degree in Rural Science in 1964. He then joined CSIRO Plant Industry, where he undertook research on plant breeding and on aerial establishment of pasture plants. In 1968, he joined the Agronomy Department at Massey University, New Zealand, where he taught plant breeding and pasture agronomy. He obtained a PhD degree from Massey University in 1971. In 1973 he joined the CSIRO Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures as a plant breeder, working on forage plants. With co-workers, he produced new cultivars of lucerne and Centrosema (a tropical legume genus). He also undertook pioneering research on plant adaptation, and genetic diversity. In 1983 he changed his research field and commenced new work on beef cattle production, including studies on grazing behaviour, leading to new ideas about the sustainability of improved pastures based on twining tropical legumes. He became Chief of the Division in 1988. In 1995 he left CSIRO to become Director of ACIAR, where he has championed the need to deliver benefits from international agricultural research. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Fellowships of the Tropical Grasslands Society and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He was previously the Chairman of the Continuing Committee of the International Grassland Congress, and is currently the President of the Organising Committee of the International Crop Science Congress.

Keith Entwistle is a veterinarian with extensive experience in teaching, research and research management in tropical animal production, and in senior University managment. He recently retired as Dean of the Faculty of The Sciences at the University of New England, and now operates a family beef cattle farming operation, has returned to some teaching and research and is a consultant to the beef cattle industry in both Australia and overseas. Keith’s areas of research expertise are in reproductive physiology and reproductive management of tropical beef cattle and he has published widely in these areas. During almost 20 years in the Graduate School of Tropical Veterinary Science at James Cook University, Townsville, he supervised 42 Masters and PhD students from Australia and overseas. He has worked extensively in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Latin America, the USA and Africa and has a deep understanding of the problems of animal agriculture in developing countries. He is currently project leader for a cattle project in Indonesia supported by ACIAR. In conjunction with a small team he was responsible for the development and implementation of a managed, integrated and coordinated beef cattle research program, the first of its type, the North Australian program of the Australian Meat Research Corporation, which he managed from 1986-1992. The success of this managed research approach is reflected in the fact that this program is now entering its fourth phase, having been in operation for 15 years. Communication of research results to end-users has always been an area he has been involved in and committed to, and he has devoted much of his research and management career to the development of close linkages with extension staff and farmers

Before taking up his current role as Research Director with the Export Grain Centre of WA, John Hamblin was the Director of the CRC for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA). This followed several years as the leader of the cereal program for ICARDA (the International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dryland Areas). John brings years of experience in agriculture, research and primary industries to the Master Class.

Professor Bruce Holloway AO FAA FTSE graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1948 and was appointed Plant Pathologist at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute. In 1953 he obtained his Ph. D from the California Institute of Technology where he studied Neurospora genetics under Nobel Laureate George Beadle. After appointments at the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne, in 1968 he became Foundation Professor of Genetics at Monash University, and remained Chairman of the Department of Genetics until he retired at the end of 1993, when was appointed Honorary Professorial Fellow and Professor Emeritus His research interests have been in the genetics of bacteria with particular reference to micro-organisms used in biotechnology. From 1985 - 2000 he was coordinator of a project funded by ACIAR aimed at identifying new approaches to the control of Bacterial Wilt disease in tropical crops. In 1994 he became Director of Master Classes, The ATSE Crawford Fund. He has also worked with ISNAR since 1994 in the training of developing country agricultural scientists in research management of agricultural biotechnology.

Neil Inall grew up on a farm in the Hawkesbury Valley of NSW. He has been a jackeroo, station hand, extension worker, broadcaster and company director. He is best known for his work in national rural radio and television programmes with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and commercial networks. In 1985 he was co-founded of a rural communications consultancy known as Cox Inall Communications which is now one of the foremost groups of its type in Australia. To-day as a consultant he is Chairman of the NSW Native Vegetation Advisory Council, a member of the Board of NSW Forests, Board member of Rangelands Australia and NSW State Co-Ordinator of Topcrop…the national extension programme of the Grains Research and Development Corporation. Recently Inall helped form two new rural groups …one known as Rural Enablers and the other IMW Media Services. But he still spends much of his time talking…chairing national agricultural forums, facilitating farmer workshops, speaking at conferences and to students as well as on radio and television. Neil Inall has won awards for his work in agricultural communications…..he was voted Man of the Year in Australian agriculture in 1980; was a Fulbright Scholar to the United States in 1989 and won an IBM significant achievement award in 1990 for presenting a series of videos entitled "On Borrowed Time" about sustainable farming systems.

Originally from England with B.Ag. Sci from University College of North Wales and Ph.D in crop Agronomy from University of Nottingham, School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, U.K. Arrived in Australia in 1970 and worked as both a district agronomist and research officer with Victorian Agriculture until 1980 specialising in crop nutrition and new crop development work. At this stage also started an interest in determining better ways of establishing research priorities and alternative research funding options. Moved to Agronomy and Soil Science at UNE in 1980 and have retained research interests in new crops (pulse development and release of new triticale lines) and crop nutrition studies. Has operated in both Australia and in Java/Sumatra and has interests in developing international research programs.

Amarjit Kaur is Professor of Economic History at the University of New England and is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. She was born in Kuala Lumpur and obtained her BA (Hons) and MA from the University of Malaya and her Ph.D from Columbia University in New York. Prior to joining UNE, Professor Kaur taught at the University of Malaya from 1978 to 1990. She held an American Council of Learned Societies/Fulbright Fellowship at the Economics Department, Harvard University, from 1983-4. She is also senior associate member of St. Antony’s College, Oxford, and a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge. Professor Kaur’s main research interests are: Economic Development in Southeast Asia and Asia, with a focus on mechanisms of change and commercialisation; the role of institutions; globalisation and integration of regional economies; international trade and development; industrialisation; changing labour relations; women and child workers; and the environmental and social impacts of resource development.

Since September 1994 John Lovett has been Managing Director of the Grains Research and Development Corporation – the "GRDC". On moving into his present position John left an academic career which had included two periods at the University of New England and one – as Professor of Agricultural Science – in the University of Tasmania. In recognition of his academic and scientific contributions John was made an Emeritus Professor of the University of New England in February 1999. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology; a Fellow of the Institute of Biology and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Biology. John has published more than 100 scientific articles with numerous "popular" pieces also to his credit. His professional interests span the plant sciences, natural resource management and "communication" – in all its guises. John was a member of the inaugural GRDC Board, established in October 1990. Since then, the Corporation has grown to become substantially the largest of Australia’s rural R&D Corporations. The GRDC’s budget for the current financial year exceeds $100 000 000M, which will be invested to meet the needs of 25 Australian grain crops. The performance of these crops is a measure of the effectiveness of GRDC investments.

Associate Professor Ian Metcalfe was formerly an Associate Professor in Geology/Earth Sciences at UNE and is currently Deputy Director of the Asia Centre, and Wellcome Trust Research Fellow in the School of Economics, University of New England. Originally from England, he trained as a geologist at the University of Durham, and then obtained his PhD from the University of Leeds, U.K. His research interests are wide, including the geological evolution and resources of East and Southeast Asia, social science, labour and gender issues relating to Asia. He is program Director for the University of New England Research Initiative Environmental and Social Impacts of Resource Development in Asia. Associate Professor Metcalfe was also Australian Science Coordinator for the International Ocean Drilling Program and Secretary of the International Union of Geological Sciences Subcommission on Carboniferous Stratigraphy. He is a member of the Australian Academy of Science Committee for Solid Earth Science. Prior to joining the UNE, Associate Professor Metcalfe was Senior Lecturer at the University of Malaya and National University of Malaysia for thirteen years. He has been Visiting Fellow/Professor at the Universities of Nottingham, Oxford and Cambridge, U.K., Université d’Orléans, France and the Australian National University. Current activities include the development of multi-, cross, and trans-disciplinary research programs relating to Asia, including international agricultural research.

Roley Piggott is Professor of Agricultural Economics and Head of the School of Economics at the University of New England, Armidale, Australia. In addition to administrative responsibilities, he undertakes teaching and research in the areas of agricultural marketing, price analysis and policy. His international experience includes agricultural economics curriculum development in a number of Indonesian universities, assisting in restructuring of the Faculty of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at the University of Agriculture-Faisalabad in Pakistan, research on Indonesian food self-sufficiency policy, consultancies on grain marketing and a three-year period as an International Fellow in Food Systems sponsored by the Kellogg Foundation. In Australia he has been involved in a number of government inquiries, especially in relation to agricultural marketing arrangements. He has served as President of the Australian Agricultural Economics Society, Coeditor of the Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Australian Country Representative for the IAAE. Professor Piggott the degrees of Bachelor of Agricultural Economics (UNE 1966), Master of Agricultural Economics (UNE 1970) and Phd (Agricultural Economics, Cornell, 1974) and was elected to the Executive Committee of the International Association of Agricultural Economists in 2000.

Guy Roth is the Education Coordinator and Lecturer for the Australian Cotton Cooperative Research Centre, The University of New England. Last year their "Cotton Course" won the National Business and Higher Education Roundtable award for "Collaborative Training". Mr Roth has worked for 15 years as a private consultant, industry researcher, Ministerial adviser and educator in agriculture. His main research interests are in water management, crop agronomy, catchment management and environmental management systems.

James Rowe is Professor of Animal Science and the Interim CEO, Sheep Industries CRC at the University of New England. Until recently he was also Head of the Animal Science Department at UNE. Professor Rowe was trained at the University of New England gaining a B.Rur.Sc. (Hons.) and then a PhD in Ruminant Nutrition. Following this he had Postdoctoral fellowships at FAO, Dominican Republic and ICI Pharmaceuticals Division, Cheshire, England. Prior to returning to UNE, he held positions of Senior Research Officer, Sheep and Wool, Principal Officer Beef Cattl, and Manager, Cattle Industries in the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia. Over the last 10 years external research funding averaging over $250,000 per year has supported a range of postgraduate student research projects and postdoctoral fellowships in the area of animal nutrition. A specific research emphasis in recent years has been the study of grain utilisation and management of fermentative acidosis. Undergraduate teaching includes coordination of Applied Animal Nutrition and support teaching of cattle production systems and animal nutrition in a range of animal production units for 3rd and 4th year students. Supervision of postgraduate students includes 6 PhD programs currently underway in cattle, horse and dog nutrition. International agriculture consultancies with United Nations Organisations (FAO, UNDP etc) have included the following countries: Mauritius; Ecuador; Nigeria; Brazil; Cyprus;Fiji; Mexico; Maracay; and Austria.

Dr Nigel Scott is Deputy Chief of CSIRO Plant Industry and Coordinator of CSIRO's Horticulture Sector. He completed a B Ag Sci (Hons) from the University of Adelaide in 1961 and was awarded a PhD in Agricultural Biochemistry from the same university in 1965. He became research scientist in the Plant Physiology Unit of CSIRO Food Research later that year. Dr Scott was also an associate lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sydney and honorary lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University. From 1970-71 he was a Nuffield Fellow at the School of Botany at Edinburgh University in Scotland. In 1982 he was appointed Program Leader, and has since held designations of Senior Officer and Officer in Charge. In 1997 he became a Program Leader in Plant Industry, Horticulture Sector Coordinator and was subsequently appointed Assistant Chief of the Division in 1998. Since joining CSIRO in 1965 Dr Scott has been involved in plant molecular biology, in latter years on the application of molecular biology techniques to horticultural crops. Dr Scott together with colleagues established the DNA typing system for grapevines now offered as a commercial service through The Australian Wine Research Institute. He initiated the application of plant molecular biology to Australian research in viticulture, which has resulted in Australia being at the leading edge of this field.In the past decade he has been instrumental in developing long-term strategic plans with Australian horticultural industries involving State Departments of Agriculture, universities and CSIRO to ensure that the objectives of horticultural industries are met with high quality science.

Professor Brian Stoddart is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & International) at the University of New England, responsible for formulating the University’s response to national and international funding and policy shifts. He trained as an historian and social scientist at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, then took his PhD from the University of Western Australia. His work was in Asian studies generally, with doctoral work on social and political development in modern south India where he was resident for several years. Before joining UNE Professor Stoddart was for three years the foundation Director for RMIT University’s educational project in Malaysia. Other international posts held by Professor Stoddart include teaching positions in Canada and Barbados; research and development work throughout Asia (including China, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia), South Africa and Europe. Professor Stoddart was Dean of Communication at the University of Canberra; and held teaching/research posts at Curtin and the universities of Western Australia and Canberra. An experienced observer of development policy formulation and implementation, he is deeply interested in cross-cultural applications of innovation.

Lloyd Thomson is the University Legal Officer for the University of New England. He has a BA LLB from Macquarie University and is admitted to legal practice in the Australian States of New South Wales and Queensland. He began his career in the Legal Publishing industry, gaining extensive experience in copyright. Part of Mr Thomson's role at the University is to provide advice on intellectual property (IP) issues arising from University research projects, the creation and maintenance of teaching materials and the University's joint venture/collaborative research and commercialisation activities. Since joining the University in 1999, Mr Thomson has drafted, examined and negotiated confidentiality agreements, options for IP, IP licences, assignments of patents and sales of IP. He has also provided general advice in relation to copyright, designs, Trade Marks, registered business names, assignments of patents and Plant Breeder's Rights, as well as taking action to force the withdrawal of works sold in breach of University copyright.

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