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Jim Scanlan
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Leon Braun
(02) 6773 3771
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David Elkins
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November 2005
September 2005UNE plant scientist receives international award
October 31, 2005
Acram Taji, Professor in Horticultural Science at The University of New England, has been awarded the International Association for Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology’s (IAPTCB) Award of Excellence. This award recognises the excellence and significance of the winner’s sustained contribution to research in plant tissue culture and biotechnology.
The prize ceremony was held in Perth as part of the IAPTCB Conference, which is held every four years. In presenting the award the president of the association, Professor McComb, said: “It is an honour to have someone of Professor Taji’s calibre amidst us”.
Professor Taji said that it was a privilege to have been the recipient of the association’s highest research award.
“Such an award adds fuel to our fire, so that we can work harder, enabling us to contribute at a high level nationally and internationally to the research profile of the association and our institutions,” Professor Taji said.
Professor Taji came to UNE from the University of the South Pacific in 1995, and in 2000 became UNE’s first ever female professor in rural science. Professor Taji is a horticultural scientist/crop physiologist with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (University Medal) from the University of Tehran, Iran. She also holds a Graduate Diploma in Horticultural Science from the University of Sydney, a PhD in Crop Physiology from Flinders University, and a Certificate in Higher Education from Harvard University.
Professor Taji has worked in the Department of Environment and Planning in South Australia, where she used tissue culture techniques to propagate Australian native plants. She has also taught biology, agronomy, crop physiology, plant biotechnology and horticultural science in Australia, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Japan and the US.
Professor Taji has been the recipient of 12 national and international research and teaching awards including the University of the South Pacific in Fiji’s Lecturer of The Year Award, the Japanese Prime Minister’s Senior Fellowship for Foreign Specialists, the Australian Society of Plant Physiologists’ Prize, the Australian College of Education and NSW Minister for Education and Training Quality Teaching Award, and the Australian Award for University Teaching. She has authored more than 200 scholarly articles and six books.
For more information contact Professor Acram Taji on (02) 6773 2869 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photograph is available to accompany this story.
Posted by Leon Braun at 04:50 PM
National Summit aims at equal opportunities for regional students
October 28, 2005
The meeting is the first of its kind since the founding, at The University of New England in 2004, of the National Centre of Science, Information and Communication Technology, and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR Australia).
This, the first “SiMERR National Summit”, will bring together representatives of Federal Government departments, State and Territory education authorities, national teachers’ associations, universities, parent associations, and other groups. Stimulated by talks from several of Australia’s leading educationalists, they will discuss strategies for ending the disadvantage faced by many non-metropolitan students of science, ICT and mathematics. They will also be presented with the initial results of SiMERR Australia’s first national project – a survey of all regional primary and secondary schools in Australia concerning the teaching and learning of these subjects.
The SiMERR National Summit, at the Australian Science and Mathematics School in Adelaide, will begin on Tuesday 8 November, when about 100 delegates will listen to speakers including Professor Kaye Stacey (Foundation Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Melbourne), Professor Kwong Lee Dow (Chair, Commonwealth Review of Teaching and Teacher Education, 2002-2003), and Dr Gregor Ramsey (Chair, Interim Board, National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership). In his review of teacher education in NSW titled Quality Matters – Revitalising teaching: Critical times, critical choices, and completed in 2000, Dr Ramsey strongly endorsed UNE’s proposal to establish SiMERR Australia, saying: “Clearly . . . the supply of mathematics teachers overall is falling rapidly. In particular, there is an approaching crisis in supply to inland and isolated schools.”
The meeting will continue on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 November with a series of workshops for about 50 representatives of SiMERR Australia’s “hubs” at universities in every State and Territory.
UNE’s Professor John Pegg (pictured here), the Director of SiMERR Australia, said the meeting was occurring at a critical time for rural and regional Australia.
“Nothing can be more destructive for rural communities than for their children to under-perform at school through reduced opportunities,” Professor Pegg said. “The results of the SiMERR National Survey, to be discussed at the meeting and followed up in the workshops, will give Governments a basis for formulating policies that will lead to improved educational outcomes.”
The project manager for the SiMERR National Survey, Dr Terry Lyons of UNE, will present data from the survey based on responses from 2,954 teachers and 928 parents.
Media contact: Professor John Pegg, SiMERR National Centre, UNE (02) 6773 5070 or Dr Debra Panizzon, SiMERR National Centre, UNE (02) 6773 5061.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:18 PM
Moving beyond 'magic pudding' concepts of food supply
October 27, 2005
Professor Scott (pictured here), who holds the inaugural Chair of Mixed Farming Systems at The University of New England, will argue that “magic pudding” concepts of food supply are prevalent in “a population that is now largely disconnected from the realities of farming”. “In spite of this disconnection,” he says, “everyone retains a vital interest in food, expecting cheap, high-quality food to be available continuously. Many people expect the ‘magic pudding’ – based on agriculture – to go on producing high-quality food for consumers without environmental degradation.”
His free lecture, in Armidale Town Hall at 7.30 pm on Thursday 3 November, will examine viable alternatives to the “magic pudding” philosophy, alternatives that he has been exploring throughout his career as an agricultural researcher and academic. It will be his Inaugural Lecture as Professor of Mixed Farming Systems.
Professor Scott, who gained his PhD in pasture agronomy from UNE in 1987 and joined the University’s academic staff in 1989, is also the foundation Coordinator of UNE’s Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems. Since its inception several years ago, the Centre has grown to include 27 academic staff involved in cross-disciplinary research of relevance to farmers.
As the Centre’s Coordinator, Professor Scott is working towards improving the economic, environmental and social conditions of mixed farming communities by engaging groups of farmers in projects related to sustainable agriculture. The project closest to home is the Cicerone Project, established in 2000 on 200 hectares of land just south of Armidale. Led by local producers themselves, the Cicerone Project is working to help farmers on the Northern Tablelands make the most of local conditions. “It aims to understand how different management approaches affect the sustainability and profit of whole farms in the region,” says Professor Scott, who is a long-term Board member of the project. “We are hoping there will be opportunities to work with farmers in mixed farming areas, too, on projects important to them.”
He says his lecture will “examine the quest for long-term sustainability and review the progress made towards developing a sound understanding of viable whole farm systems”.
“I will propose that this is a task not just for those directly concerned with farming,” he says. “Rather, it is a task that all consumers of food, fibre and energy will need to embrace if mankind is to continue to enjoy bountiful harvests.”
Media contact: Professor Jim Scott, School of Rural Science and Agriculture, UNE (02) 6773 2436 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 10:18 AM
Nurseries 'might be liable' for mis-labelling of weedy plants
October 25, 2005
A report prepared by researchers at The University of New England suggests that, where labelling of plants by nurseries is inadequate or misleading, liability for weed invasion might arise.
The report also suggests that it is in the interests of the environment, farmers, and the nursery industry to come up with an effective labelling scheme to reduce weed risk.
Commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and prepared by UNE’s Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law (AgLaw Centre), the report develops a Senate committee’s proposal for mandatory labelling of invasive garden plants. In doing so, it draws attention to the existence of legal frameworks (including sections of the Trade Practices Act) that could form the basis of nursery liability.
While considering both the advantages and the disadvantages of a mandatory labelling scheme, the report establishes a strong case in favour of it. Professor Paul Martin (pictured here), the Director of the AgLaw Centre, said the report acknowledged, however, that an effective strategy to control invasive plants at the point of sale required “a lot more than labelling”. “While accurate labelling of nursery plants, so that consumers can make an informed decision, is a basic requirement,” Professor Martin said, “this needs to be supported by an education program. An effective information strategy can reduce the need for more regulatory controls. It is in everyone’s interest to create an effective behaviour change that doesn’t rely on regulation.”
Preparation of the report, titled “The Costs and Benefits of a Proposed Mandatory Invasive Species Labelling Program”, is the first funded project of the AgLaw Centre, which was established at UNE in 2003. “While WWF-Australia commissioned the report,” Professor Martin said, "it is an objective assessment based on our research, and on the views of environmental and farmers’ groups, government and research organisations, and the nursery industry."
The report (available at http://www.une.edu.au/aglaw/research/) deals with invasive aquarium fish as well as plants. Professor Martin said it had been an ideal first project for the AgLaw Centre, as it was right in line with the Centre’s mission to combine legal, agricultural and environmental expertise in finding practical solutions to significant problems. He added that UNE itself had a strong record of commitment to issues involving invasive species, and was a partner in the CRC for Australian Weed Management.
The report points out that weeds cost Australia $4 billion a year. “In December 2004, the Australian Senate handed down the report of its inquiry on invasive species,” it says. “Among the findings of that report were recommendations that a process be established under the National Weeds Action Plan to examine the merits of a mandatory labelling scheme on invasive garden plants. Our report aims to provide an impetus to those proposals. It is focused on the potential contribution of such a mandatory labelling scheme for garden industry-distributed plants, and also ornamental fish, to the reduction of the costs of invasiveness upon the environment, upon government, and upon primary industry.”
“Our report addresses an environmental issue that is of real practical importance to farmers and primary industry – weeds and invasive fish,” Professor Martin said. “For its part, the WWF was keen to show that it is committed to effective cooperation with industries such as the nursery industry. While helping WWF-Australia in its consultations with the Federal and State governments, and in its dealings with the nursery and ornamental fish industries, the report will also feed into the WWF’s world-wide conservation program.”
Media contact: Professor Paul Martin, AgLaw Centre, UNE (02) 6773 3811 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:18 PM
Lecture to discuss new approaches to classroom grammar
October 24, 2005
New communication media that allow a more intimate blend of words and images are prompting education researchers to devise new approaches to grammar that include the “grammar” of pictures.
Len Unsworth, Professor in English and Literacies Education at The University of New England, is a leader in this field. He will discuss this new perspective on literacy during a free public lecture in Armidale next week.
“What we need is a grammar that clearly describes the ways combinations of words and images convey meanings,” Professor Unsworth said. His Inaugural Lecture, in Armidale Town Hall at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 2 November, will be illustrated with examples of such verbal/visual texts, including several from the Internet. These range from government reports to electronic versions of children’s books. “We need to develop the theory and practice of teaching the multiliteracies required in diverse aspects of contemporary educational and social life,” he emphasised.
“At the moment there’s an imbalance,” he explained. “We have detailed grammatical systems describing how words communicate meaning, but nothing comparable for pictures. School English syllabuses are increasingly recognising that, in many texts, words and images are interrelated, and need to be ‘read’ as a whole. But there’s still no consensus among educators about the real nature of this mixture of images and language or about the grammar needed to describe it.”
Professor Unsworth (pictured here), who was a classroom teacher for 10 years before moving into teacher education, said that Basic Skills Tests in all Australian States were becoming more sensitive to the role of images in literacy.
His book "Teaching Multiliteracies Across the Curriculum" (Open University Press, UK, 2001) was a pioneering work on teaching school students to appreciate the subtleties of verbal/visual communication. Among his other books are "Teaching Children’s Literature with Information and Communication Technologies" (with co-authors Angela Thomas, Alyson Simpson and Jenny Asha), published by the Open University Press in 2005, and "E-literature for Children: Enhancing Digital Literacy Learning", to be published shortly by Routledge.
He is the Principal Investigator in two large research projects funded by the Australian Government on the subject of “multimodal reading”. The second of these projects, to begin next year, is subtitled “Multimodal reading comprehension in conventional and computer-based formats”. He is convening a national conference on “Multimodal Texts and Multiliteracies”, to be held at UNE next September.
“My main concern is looking for meaning at the intersection of language and image,” he explained.
Media contact: Professor Len Unsworth, School of Education, UNE (02) 6773 2677 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:16 PM
Report warns global industry about decline in livestock diversity
October 21, 2005
A report commissioned by the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) says the accelerating decline in the diversity of livestock breeds in the developing world could have serious consequences for livestock production around the world.
Professor John Gibson from The University of New England, one of the authors of the report published today, pointed out that more than 50 per cent of the beef produced in Australia comes from breeds that originated in the developing world.
"These breeds have the ability to survive and thrive in the difficult environments of northern Australia," Professor Gibson (pictured here) explained. "Australia continues to source and test livestock genetic resources from the developing world looking for even better-adapted genotypes that will support a larger and more profitable economy. The loss of genetic resources in the developing world will mean loss of future options for Australian farmers."
The joint report recommends a forward strategy for CGIAR's activities in the global management of livestock and fish genetic resources. Professor Gibson, the Director of The Institute for Genetics and Bioinformatics at UNE, prepared the section on livestock genetic resources. "The priorities for action in the report are focused on activities of CGIAR and its partners in helping the poorest of the poor in the developing world," Professor Gibson said. "However, the loss of genetic diversity in the developing world poses a substantial threat to livestock production and livelihoods globally."
The report emphasises the need to accelerate research into identifying and conserving livestock genetic resources before a substantial proportion of the global diversity is lost forever. "The Australian Government has been a leader in supporting the conservation of plant genetic resources globally," Professor Gibson said, "but until recently has largely ignored livestock genetic resources. That is now changing. Australia, backed by its expertise in livestock genetics research and development, is well placed to make a substantial contribution to the international effort to conserve and utilise livestock genetic resources.
The CGIAR is an autonomous international agency with an annual budget of about US$350 million, provided by more than 60 member countries. It operates 15 research institutes, most of which are in the developing world. They are all focused on alleviating poverty in the developing world through research and development in agriculture, fisheries and forestry.
The report is available from today at: http://www.sciencecouncil.cgiar.org/activities/spps/index.html.
Copies are also available from The Institute for Genetics and Bioinformatics at UNE: contact Lisa Mascord (phone 02 6773 2940 or e-mail lmascord@une.edu.au) or Professor John Gibson (phone 0437 039 951).
Media contact: Professor John Gibson, The Institute for Genetics and Bioinformatics, UNE, on 0437 039 951, or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
THE PHOTOGRAPH of Professor John Gibson displayed here is available at:
http://photodatabase.une.edu.au/albums/incoming/2005/staff/John%20Gibson%20001.jpg
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 09:17 AM
UNE Council appoints Professor Alan Pettigrew as next Vice-Chancellor
October 20, 2005
The University of New England Council has appointed Professor Alan Pettigrew as the University’s next Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer.
In a special meeting late yesterday the Council agreed to appoint Professor Pettigrew for a five-year term beginning after the retirement of Professor Ingrid Moses in early January 2006.
Professor Pettigrew (pictured here) is, currently, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health and Medical Research Council. This role has given him a broad insight into Australian government policy in issues relating to research and the higher education sector.
He has held senior executive positions at the University of Sydney, where he was Professor of Veterinary Physiology, at the University of Queensland, where he was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Biological Sciences) and Executive Dean (Biological and Chemical Sciences), and at the University of New South Wales, where he was a Deputy Vice-Chancellor between 1998 and 2000.
The Chancellor of UNE, Mr John Cassidy, said that he is delighted with the Council’s decision and is confident that Professor Pettigrew will bring a clearly articulated vision for the future of UNE and a well grounded background to strategic development, leadership and stakeholder relations.
Media contact: John Kauter, Public Relations Manager, UNE (02) 6773 2779 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:39 AM
New study asks what kids really want
October 19, 2005
Forget lollies, money and videogames. All kids really want is for mum and dad to be happy and to spend time with their friends. A new study at The University of New England has found that young children are far less materialistic—and much more positive about the future—than was previously thought.
Jonathon Sargeant, a lecturer in special education and behaviour management at UNE, asked more than 500 primary school students aged eight to twelve what worried them and what they needed to be happy. He found that kisses and cuddles were much more important to most children than Game Cubes or watching TV. By far the most common response to the question “What do you need to be happy?” was family and friends, with pets a close runner-up.
He also found that while young children are aware of issues such as terrorism and global warming, they are a lot more worried about the safety and happiness of those closest to them. That their parents would divorce worried many children. Other common fears included bushfires and dangerous animals, such as snakes and spiders.
The children's focus on home and school life did not reflect an ignorance of world events, however, Mr Sargeant said. When he asked the children what one thing they would change about the world if they could, most gave the environment, war and terrorism as their top concerns.
“If I could change one thing about the world it would be no fighting in the world or pollution,” wrote one ten-year-old boy.
“I would like to change the Bali bombings and killing, it is horrible. I would like to save animals and people's lives,” wrote a nine-year-old girl.
Mr Sargeant has proposed the concept of an “importance filter” to describe the way children process and prioritise information about the world.
“Children have no real power over the world,” Mr Sargeant said. “They can't go out and earn more money for mum and dad. They can't solve global warming or stop international terrorism. So they tend to focus on things they have control over, things they can do something about. If they don't have some mechanism to filter out the stuff they have no control over, we will have a lot more stressed kids.”
Adults could sometimes interfere with children's importance filters by placing too much emphasis on an issue a child had already dealt with, Mr Sargeant said.
“Sometimes by talking an issue up you can create worry instead of relieving it,” he said.
For more information contact Jonathon Sargeant on (02) 6773 3831 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photograph is available to accompany this story.
Posted by Leon Braun at 03:38 PM
New book advocates reform of prostitution laws
October 18, 2005
A newly published book by a sociologist from The University of New England advocates broader legislative reform of the sex industry in the interests of public health.
The book, "How Modern Governments Made Prostitution a Social Problem", argues that current legislation has created a two-tiered system of management that unnecessarily discriminates against sex workers who work privately from home or as escorts.
"Much legislation surrounding the sex industry has been preoccupied with the problem of street work in inner city environments," the book's author, Dr John Scott (pictured here), explained. "In seeking to address this problem, it does not account for issues associated with sex work in suburban, regional or rural contexts. This has health and safety ramifications for sex workers, their clients and the community."
"How Modern Governments Made Prostitution a Social Problem" was published last month by The Edwin Mellen Press in the UK. It discusses, in historical context, a model for the social control of prostitution that involves the empowerment of prostitutes themselves.
The internationally acclaimed British criminologist Professor Pat Carlen, visiting UNE late last month, launched the new book. Professor Carlen, who examined Dr Scott's PhD thesis, on which the book is based, said: "It was one of the best PhD theses I've ever examined, and the resulting book is both extremely scholarly and elegantly written."
Professor Carlen contributed a Preface to the book, in which she says that it "makes an important contribution to studies of both power and prostitution". "This book is a very timely must-read for campaigners, theorists and policy-makers," she says.
Dr Scott has published a number of articles examining public health and criminal law responses to the sex industry, and has been awarded an international prize for his research in this field. His other recent publications include a co-edited book on human sexuality that includes a chapter he wrote on sex work in Australian contexts. He is currently examining the organisation and regulation of the sex industry in rural Australia through interviews with rural sex workers.
Media contact: Dr John Scott, School of Social Science, UNE (02) 6773 2116.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:27 PM
UNE researchers identify brain centre controlling 'the munchies'
October 17, 2005
In exploring the link between cannabis and hunger, scientists at The University of New England have discovered chemical processes in the brain that could be exploited in the treatment of conditions such as anorexia and obesity.
"An increase in appetite, or the so-called 'munchies', is a well-known side effect of smoking marijuana," said Dr Paul Mallet, a leading researcher on the function of cannabis-like chemicals ("cannabinoids") occurring naturally in the brain. "However, the way in which the brain controls the hunger-inducing effect of cannabis was not well understood - until now."
Dr Mallet (pictured here) and Dr Aaron Verty, using laboratory rats, discovered that appetite is greatly increased by injecting the cannabis extract THC directly into the brain region called the "paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus" (PVN). "For years I have been trying to identify the purpose of cannabinoid substances that are released within numerous brain regions, including the PVN," Dr Mallet said. "The cannabinoid system plays a role in the 'rewarding' effects of addictive drugs, and it is also involved in the transmission of pain signals. My previous work revealed that brain cannabinoids play a role in learning and memory (or, perhaps more precisely, in forgetting)."
"Our latest finding that appetite is increased by injecting THC into the PVN suggests that natural brain cannabinoids and their receptors play an important role in normal appetite regulation," Dr Mallet continued. "The fact that smoking cannabis stimulates appetite is probably just a side effect caused by the overstimulation of cannabinoid receptors within the PVN."
Dr Verty (now a postdoctoral researcher at Monash University) said this discovery could lead to the development of new, more effective treatments for abnormal body weight. "Cannabis and commercially-produced cannabis extracts are being used by patients who need to gain weight, such as those suffering from anorexia, HIV, or chemotherapy-induced weight loss," he said. "Also, drugs that block brain receptors for cannabis are undergoing successful trials in the treatment of obesity. We hope our new discovery will lead to the development of more specific cannabinoid-based treatments, having fewer side effects than cannabis itself."
The study will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal "Neuropharmacology".
Media contact: Dr Paul Mallet, School of Psychology, UNE (02) 6773 3725 (e-mail: paul.mallet@une.edu.au), or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
The photograph of Dr Paul Mallet displayed here is available at:
http://photodatabase.une.edu.au/albums/incoming/2005/press/Paul%20Mallet7.JPG
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:29 PM
Bird flu 'would have difficulty spreading' in Australia
October 14, 2005
An internationally respected poultry researcher from The University of New England, Associate Professor Julie Roberts, says Australian poultry farmers are well placed to combat and contain any outbreak of avian influenza.
"The Australian poultry industry is far more regulated against bio-hazards than its counterparts in many Asian countries," Dr Roberts said. "In contrast to the largely automated nature of the industry in Australia, in Asian countries such as Vietnam it characteristically involves large numbers of people, domestic poultry and wild birds in close proximity."
"The only serious outbreak of avian influenza in NSW hit the Tamworth area in 1997," she said. "That outbreak was entirely contained. While it was not a strain of avian influenza virus that can infect humans, the case of Tamworth's 1997 outbreak should alleviate some fears."
For more than two decades, Dr. Roberts (pictured here) has conducted research into the Australian poultry industry, often focusing on poultry diseases. "While we do have to remain vigilant," she said, "I'm confident that if the strain of avian influenza that is potentially fatal to humans does appear in Australia, it would have difficulty spreading at a rapid rate. Not many people come in contact with poultry, and not many wild birds interact with domestic birds."
"I am concerned that the Australian poultry industry will suffer because of public fears that domestic poultry will bring avian influenza into their country," Dr Roberts continued. "Many scientists feel it is more likely that a highly contagious strain of avian influenza could be carried into Australia by a human.
"Despite the low risk of a so-called 'pandemic' spreading through Australia, scientists and government agencies are already doing a lot. The flight paths of migratory birds are currently being mapped internationally, while in Australia, government agencies are monitoring movements of domestic birds such as chickens and emus. This knowledge, coupled with high levels of bio-security, is making us increasingly prepared. Poultry owners can take precautionary measures to prevent interaction between wild birds and their domestic fowls. I strongly urge people to keep themselves informed by up-to-date sources of information such as www.fao.org."
For more information please contact Associate Professor Julie Roberts on 6773 2506.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:29 PM
Scholarship gives UNE research a global audience
October 13, 2005
A timely and valuable scholarship from The University of New England (UNE) has allowed the long arm of quality Australian research to make an impact in three distant countries.
A UNE PhD candidate in Ecosystem Management, Benjamin Villa-Castillo (pictured here), spoke to packed forums in Spain, Uruguay and Argentina during September. His trip was made possible when he received the UNE-Keith and Dorothy Mackay Short-Term (Conference) Scholarship for 2005.
In Spain he attended the World Conference on Ecological Restoration and presented a research paper entitled “Ecological Restoration of Eucalyptus-Paspalum Plantations for Native Biodiversity Conservation in Bongil Bongil National Park, Coffs Harbour, NSW”.
In Argentina and Uruguay he visited three universities to present his PhD research and visited natural grasslands to study the management of his target species, paspalum. These universities were the University of Mar Del Plata, Argentina and, in Uruguay, the National Institute of Agricultural Research and the University of the Republic.
Benjamin was enthusiastic in thanking UNE for the opportunities provided by his scholarship, wishing “a long life and progress to UNE post-graduate scholarships".
Media contact: John Kauter, Public Relations Manager, UNE (02) 6773 2779.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 01:30 PM
Self-help books as good as therapy: study
October 12, 2005
Self-help books can be as effective as psychotherapy, a University of New England study has found.
Fiona Green, an Honours student at The University of New England, found 90 per cent of people who had read a self-help book in the past 12 months reported a significant improvement in their condition. Her findings mirror the results of a 1995 survey by US magazine Consumer Reports, which found nine out of ten people who had undergone psychotherapy reported feeling significantly better. What Ms Green's study shows, however, is that the presence of a therapist is not necessarily essential to psychological healing.
Ms Green surveyed more than 130 people for the study, recruiting them from exercise classes, churches and book groups. Respondents ranged broadly in terms of age, education and income level. They read self-help books by authors such as Louise L. Hay, Stephen R. Covey and Dr Phil McGraw.
Ms Green said people who read the books closely and followed the prescribed steps for improving their lives were much more likely to feel better than those who merely skimmed the pages.
“The more people actually used the book and put an effort into changing their thoughts, lifestyle and behaviour, the greater the probability they would improve,” Ms Green said.
She said people who rated highly on psychological variables for agreeableness and conscientiousness were more likely to use the books closely and therefore reap the benefits.
Her findings were good news for people who were too embarrassed or couldn't afford to go to a therapist, she said.
The UNE study is the first of its kind to look at the effectiveness of self-help books chosen independently by their readers, as opposed to books prescribed by a psychologist as part of a course of therapy. This gave the study a “real world” edge lacking in previous studies, Ms Green said.
“The majority of people using these books aren't getting referred to them by a therapist, they're hearing about them from friends or picking them up in a bookstore,” she said. “Studies have looked at their effectiveness when a therapist has endorsed a particular kind of usage but until now no one has tested what happens when people read these books by themselves.”
UNE psychologist Dr John Malouff, who supervised the study, said the take-home message was that self-help books could really help people – if they made the effort to change their thinking and behaviour in line with the book's advice. He also cautioned that not all self-help books were equal and said some even promulgated dangerous ideas, such as that having an eating disorder was an automatic indicator of childhood sexual abuse. People should read reviews and talk to others who had read a book before buying it, he said.
“The good news is that self-help books, when people choose them on their own, are reasonably effective - maybe even as effective as a couple months of therapy,” Dr Malouff said. “But just like psychotherapy, the reader has to make the effort to improve. Just buying the book won't help. Just reading it won't help. You actually have to do what it says.”
For more information contact Fiona Green on 0403 971 157 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photograph is available to accompany this story.
Posted by Leon Braun at 09:20 AM
Australian science can help farmers in developing countries
October 11, 2005
A public lecture in Armidale this Thursday will explain how Australian science can help poor livestock farmers in developing countries.
In his Inaugural Lecture, Professor John Gibson from The University of New England will argue that Australian researchers, working with the latest genetic tools for improving livestock health and productivity and meat quality, can bring benefits to societies in developing countries as well as in Australia.
Professor Gibson (pictured here), the Director of UNE's Institute for Genetics and Bioinformatics (TIGB), will deliver his free lecture in Armidale Town Hall at 7.30 pm on Thursday 13 October. "It is often assumed that advanced technologies simply widen the gap between rich and poor nations," he said. "But in the case of genomic technologies it is now possible to work with livestock industries in the developing world in ways that were hitherto impossible."
He will point out in his lecture that the two decades from 2000 to 2020 will see a 50 per cent increase in global livestock production. "Australian researchers are working to help Australian producers capture some of this new market to improve their profitability," he said. "Elsewhere, researchers are working to enable poor farmers in the developing world to capture some of this market to help get them out of poverty. My talk will illustrate some of the problems facing poor livestock farmers in the developing world, and how genomic technologies and Australian expertise can be harnessed to help profit Australian society and developing world societies simultaneously in win-win partnerships."
Professor Gibson took up his UNE position in May 2004. Previously he was Program Leader for Genetics and Genomics at the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya, and Professor of Genetics at the University of Guelph in Canada.
He has more than 25 years' experience in applied genetics, and has received funding of more than $80 million for research and development projects in the developed and developing world. He recently developed the forward strategy for R & D in livestock genetics for the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research. The Group's Science Council is currently reviewing the strategy for implementation across its 15 International Research Institutes in the developing world.
In addition to his responsibilities as Director of TIGB, Professor Gibson is Program Leader for Adaptation and Welfare in the Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Genetic Technologies (based at UNE), and a Principal Investigator in an international consortium for the functional genomics of parasite resistance in cattle, mice, and buffalo.
Media contact: Professor John Gibson, Institute for Genetics and Bioinformatics, UNE (02) 6773 2930 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 01:14 PM
Celebration of Sharing challenge
October 10, 2005
The Marketing and Public Affairs (MPA) Directorate has issued a challenge to all UNE staff and students to beat last year’s record Celebration of Sharing fund-raising effort of $6,527.
Faculties, Departments and Directorates are planning a variety of events with a watchful eye on last year’s most successful team, the Faculty of Economics, Business and Law (EBL). EBL raised $2,500 at its ‘Mystery Auction’, in which staff volunteered services such as lawn mowing and house cleaning. A photographic exhibition organised by MPA, and raffles, a Melbourne Cup lunch, a breakfast barbecue, and various morning teas conducted across UNE all contributed to the record result.
Begun four years ago, Celebration of Sharing has become an annual event, pulling together town and gown in a bid to raise money for local families in need. The Patron of the charitable event is UNE’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ingrid Moses. (The photograph displayed here shows Professor Moses with UNE's Peter McClenaghan, left, and Professor Roley Piggott at the last year's photographic exhibition.)
In the past years of the event, local charities have benefited on a rotational basis; the Salvation Army and the Armidale Youth Refuge shared the funds raised in 2004. Organisers expect that this year’s cheque will be given to selected charities at the annual ‘Turning On of the Lights’ in Armidale Mall before Christmas.
“With more than nine weeks available in which to conduct fund-raising activities it will be interesting to see how generous the UNE community can be,” said MPA’s Public Relations Manager, John Kauter. MPA will hold its main fund-raising event on Wednesday 26 October: a barbecue in the Central Courtyard and a ‘metres of money’ line of gold coins on Graduate Walk.
For more information phone John Kauter on 6773 2779.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:01 PM
Graduands urged to 'keep asking questions'
October 07, 2005
“Education is about questions, not answers,” Professor Ashley Goldsworthy, Executive Director of the Business / Higher Education Round Table, reminded graduands at The University of New England today.
Professor Goldsworthy was delivering the Occasional Address at the first of the University’s two Spring Graduation ceremonies. “Never stop learning,” was his advice to the 244 graduands present at today’s ceremony. He emphasised the importance of both “a passion for learning” and “the curiosity to keep asking questions”.
In wishing the graduands success in their careers, “and more importantly, success in life”, he said: “Success is not fame and fortune, not the achievement of material goals; success is making a difference – leaving the world a better place than you found it.”
Professor Goldsworthy is a Director of Monash International and a member of the Australian Government’s Business / Industry / Higher Education Collaboration Council. The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Ingrid Moses, in introducing Professor Goldsworthy, said: “He is Chairman of several companies (some of which he founded) in fields as diverse as information technology, financial services, wellness, education and training, and nurturing inventors.” Professor Moses listed some of the highlights of his career, which include being Director of Economic Statistics for the Australian Government, Chairman of the Queensland Theatre Company, Director of the Australian Ballet, and Federal President of the Liberal Party. He is an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1982) and of the Order of Australia (1991), and received a Centenary Medal in 2003. (Professor Goldsworthy is pictured here, at left, with UNE's Deputy Chancellor, Mr James Harris.)
Today’s graduation ceremony was for graduands in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Economics, Business and Law. The Deputy Chancellor of UNE, Mr James Harris, presented graduands with their testamurs. Tomorrow’s ceremony will be for graduands in the Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies and the Faculty of The Sciences.
During today’s ceremony, too, Professor Moses presented UNE’s Young Distinguished Alumni Award for 2005 to Ms Sima-Michelle Cresswell Williamson, who graduated in 2001 with First Class Honours in both Bachelor of Natural Resources and Bachelor of Laws degrees. She now works as an environmental lawyer in Sydney for the pre-eminent international law group Blake Dawson Waldron.
Ms Cresswell Williamson pointed out that her double degree in Natural Resources and Law was unavailable at any other university. “I had the opportunity to work with Professor David Brunckhorst (Institute for Rural Futures, UNE), and Gerry Kelly (School of Law, UNE) on a fantastic Natural Resources / Law Honours project,” she said. “This work ultimately became the basis of our book Reinventing the Common.” She said it had been “the whole UNE experience, not just getting good marks”, that had helped her in her career so far.
“In addition to her significant workload,” Professor Moses said, “Sima has written and presented various papers on environmental law, the most notable being one she has co-written on water reform implications for the mining industry presented at a recent conference.”
“As part of Blake Dawson Waldron’s pro bono program,” Professor Moses added, “Sima is involved in pro bono work for an underprivileged group in the community. Sima has exemplified excellence not only in her academic studies, but well beyond in her writing, community interests and career success.”
Media contact: Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:39 PM
Smile, you're on GradCam
October 06, 2005
Those who can't make it to Spring graduation at UNE will be able to experience the next best thing to being there thanks to “GradCam”, a digital video camera that will post live images of the ceremonies to the World Wide Web.
The camera has been placed in a window on the first floor of Booloominbah, the historic UNE homestead on whose lawns the cermonies will take place. In the event of inclement weather the ceremonies will be moved inside Lazenby Hall, and with them GradCam, which will be placed in the projection booth that overlooks the hall.
GradCam was first trialled at this year's Autumn graduations, to great success. Hundreds of people viewed the GradCam site over two days, from Australia, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, the UK and the US.
Try GradCam for yourself at: http://www.une.edu.au/gradcam.
Posted by Leon Braun at 11:00 AM
Two outstanding Australians to inspire UNE graduands
October 05, 2005
Two outstanding Australians will inspire graduands when they deliver Occasional Addresses during The University of New England's two days of Spring Graduation ceremonies this week.
They are Professor Ashley Goldsworthy and Dr Wendy Craik. Professor Goldsworthy was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1991 for distinguished service to information technology, and was a recipient of the Centenary Medal in 2003 for his outstanding contribution to Australian society. Dr Craik (pictured here), who was named Executive Woman of the Year for the Rural Sector in 1998 and Telstra Ansett Australia Private Sector Business Woman of the Year for the ACT in 1999, was also awarded a Centenary Medal in 2003.
Professor Goldsworthy, the Executive Director of the Business / Higher Education Round Table (which he helped to establish 15 years ago), will be the speaker at the ceremony on Friday 7 October for graduands in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Economics, Business and Law. Dr Craik, Chief Executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, will speak at the ceremony on Saturday 8 October for graduands in the Faculty of The Sciences and the Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies.
More than 1,000 students will be graduating from UNE over the two days, many of them attending the ceremonies in person. The University is expecting the ceremonies to bring about 2,000 visitors (graduands themselves, and their family and friends) to Armidale.
During Saturday's ceremony, Professor Bernie Bindon, who retired recently as Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Genetic Technologies, will be awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Rural Science. Professor Bindon, who holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Rural Science from UNE and a PhD from the University of Sydney, has an international reputation for his research on the reproductive biology and genetic improvement of cattle and sheep.
At Friday's ceremony, Ms Sima-Michelle Cresswell Williamson will receive UNE's Young Distinguished Alumni Award for 2005. Ms Cresswell Williamson, who works in Sydney as an environmental lawyer, graduated from UNE in 2001 with First Class Honours in both a Bachelor of Natural Resources and a Bachelor of Laws degree. Also on Friday, University Medals will be awarded to Bachelor of Arts (Honours) graduands David Bloodwood and Michael Hammond.
Media contact: Lisa Rice, Graduation Officer, UNE (02) 6773 4459 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 09:56 AM
Publicity surrounding UNESA appointment of "heterosexuality officer"
October 04, 2005
Professor David Rich, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) has issued the following statement in response to publicity surrounding the appointment of a "heterosexuality officer" by The University of New England Students' Association (UNESA):
The University of New England (UNE) shares the concern of students, staff, alumni and others over negative publicity generated by the appointment of a "heterosexuality officer" by The University of New England Students' Association (UNESA).
This appointment was made independently by UNESA, which is a representative body elected by the undergraduate students of UNE from their own ranks. The University of New England was not involved in, nor does it endorse this appointment.
UNE has a proud history of supporting disadvantaged groups and has an office dedicated to dealing with equity issues and promoting tolerance and diversity on campus. The University also funds a free counselling service that is available to all UNE students and staff.
We regret any offence caused by this appointment and reiterate that the creation of this position is in no way reflective of the position of the University itself.
Professor Rich (pictured) is Chair of the Student Access and Equity Committee.
Posted by Leon Braun at 02:50 PM