Rural Science Honours prepares students for work and research

December 11, 2006

Twelve students from The University of New England have just completed an Honours program that has enabled them not only to conduct research projects of benefit to rural industries, but also to develop essential skills in communicating their research findings.

The students’ Honours program culminated last month when they presented their year’s work to each other, their supervisors and other academic staff members, and their industry partners in a series of talks that extended over two whole mornings.

Most of them will graduate early next year with either Bachelor of Rural Science (Honours) or Bachelor of Livestock Science (Honours) degrees.

Professor Acram Taji, Honours Coordinator in UNE’s School of Rural Science and Agriculture, emphasised the applicability to industry of much of the Honours research, and the high quality of the research results and their presentation. “Many of the talks would have fitted quite comfortably into a national or international conference,” Professor Taji said.

She said that some of the students would go on to postgraduate studies, and others would go straight into industry. “Two of this year’s students were working on industry scholarships, and have been given jobs by their industry sponsors,” she explained. “But whatever our Honours graduates do, they will need to communicate the results of their work to their peers and colleagues. The program is designed to help them develop the skills necessary for that.”

The 12 research projects covered a wide range of topics – from the behaviour, physiology and management of dairy cattle, sheep and horses to the environmental management of mining residues. There were also projects on various aspects of meat quality, and studies of pasture composition and weeds.

One of the students, Mark Barnett, who investigated “The effect of body condition on early-stage pregnancy in mares”, intends to go on to postgraduate research. “I’d like to continue with embryonic research in large animals,” he said.

Mr Barnett, who comes from Wallabadah, will be the first graduate of UNE’s Bachelor of Livestock Science degree program, which began in 2004. He said his strong interest in animals – particularly their physiology and nutrition – had drawn him to Livestock Science after beginning his Rural Science studies at UNE in 2003.

He referred to the Honours year as “an excellent program” that enabled students to develop skills in planning and conducting a project, researching the relevant literature, understanding and interpreting results, compiling a large report, and – finally – communicating their findings.

Another student, Christie Iker, pointed out that “scientists are in the public eye more and more”, making communication skills increasingly important. She said that preparing and delivering her Honours presentation had been good training for the postgraduate research she intends to pursue. Ms Iker comes from the small town of Comet in central Queensland; her Honours topic was “Selection for tenderness in tropically adapted beef breeds”.

Mark Barnett and Christie Iker are pictured here.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at December 11, 2006 05:06 PM