Duval College guest speaker to talk about Afghanistan

May 31, 2006

A UNE graduate in Rural Science who has worked as an agricultural development team leader and consultant in nine countries in Asia and Eastern Europe will be the speaker at this year’s Duval College Guest Speaker Dinner at The University of New England.

Richard Hicks will fly back from Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina to speak at the annual dinner, on the evening of Thursday 1 June, at Duval College. His talk will be titled “Afghanistan ... a development fiasco”.

Mr Hicks worked in Afghanistan as an agricultural consultant for Relief International, and as a director of agricultural projects for the US-based Citizens’ Network for Foreign Affairs, between 2003 and 2006. He is currently team leader of an agricultural support program in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has also worked in Kosova, Albania, Indonesia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and China.

He is a former Resident Fellow of Duval College, and graduated from UNE with a Bachelor of Rural Science degree in 1979 and a Master of Rural Science degree in 1986. He has lived and worked in some of the world’s most difficult war-torn areas, and has an international reputation for understanding and dealing with significant economic reforms and policy issues, with a strong focus on promoting sustainable economic expansion in agriculture. His friends and colleagues say he is “someone who makes every opportunity a winner”.

The dinner (which is for college members and guests only) will precede the talk (which will be open to the public). The talk is scheduled to begin at about 8 pm. For more information or bookings, ring Duval College on (02) 6773 6700.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:19 AM

Iraqi scholars find fellowship at UNE

May 31, 2006

The University of New England is playing a part in rebuilding one of war-torn Iraq’s most precious and badly depleted assets: its higher education system.

UNE has welcomed seven UNESCO-sponsored Iraqi fellows to its Armidale campus, to participate in a three-month professional development program. The program involves 67 institutions in 15 different countries. So far UNE is the only Australian university to participate in the program.

The program is being coordinated at UNE by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Development and International), Professor Robin Pollard. Professor Pollard says the program presents an excellent opportunity for UNE, as well as the Iraqi scholars.

“The fellows and their UNE hosts have an opportunity to forge substantial long-term relationships between UNE and the respective Iraqi universities,” he says. “Such links will include staff and student exchange, and collaborative teaching and research.”

Dr Abdul Farhood, who teaches semiconductor physics at the Al-Qadisiya University College of Science, is looking forward to continuing his research at UNE. He recently had a paper on radon pollution published in an Iraqi scientific journal, and says he is interested in finding solutions to Iraq’s pollution problems, including radiation left over from the use of depleted uranium shells in both Gulf wars. He is also excited about access to sophisticated optical and electrical equipment that he hasn’t seen since completing his PhD in the UK in 1990.

Dr Salah Sahib Shaker from Baghdad University has already benefited from the visit. He has found valuable articles that will help him in his research, and observed classes in accounting and auditing, his field of specialisation. Food scientist Dr Sabri Chethier Abood says the program is “a small step towards helping our universities to develop”.

“We have been looking at equipment and visiting classes and research labs,” he says. “We will transfer all of these things to our own universities when we return.”

Dr Amin Badawy, who teaches microbiology at the University of Tikrit, says he hopes the fellowship program will “open a line” between his university and UNE.

“We hope to make a relationship with UNE to exchange staff and students,” he says. “Also, we would like to collaborate on research with UNE.”

Decades of war, oppression and international sanctions have taken a heavy toll on Iraq’s universities. Thousands of academics fled the country during the 1990s, leaving behind holes their colleagues struggled to fill. Those who remained carried on despite dwindling salaries, and lack of access to equipment and scholarly journals. Until recently, most Iraqi universities weren’t even equipped with computers, let alone connected to the Internet. Salaries and access to equipment have improved since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, however security remains an overriding concern. Students and staff are often frightened to travel to work due to frequent bombings and outbreaks of fighting.

For the seven fellows, the next few months will bring the opportunity to interact with their international colleagues in a way many of them have not been able to for decades. And for Iraq’s universities, the program represents a small step towards regaining their position at the forefront of the scholarly world.

For more information contact Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photo is available to accompany this story.

Posted by Leon Braun at 10:36 AM

Gift symbolises UNE's living link with its origins

May 30, 2006

A gift to The University of New England by the great-granddaughter of Frederick White, the original owner of “Booloominbah”, symbolises the continuing strong links between the University and the community that founded and nurtured it.

Yesterday, in the office of UNE’s Vice-Chancellor – originally the bedroom of Frederick White and his wife Sarah – Mrs Sue Grace presented the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, with a Royal Copenhagen ceramic vase. She placed the vase on the mantelpiece where it is known to have stood in the first decades of the twentieth century.

Mrs Grace explained how, after meeting Professor Pettigrew’s wife, Mrs Ann Pettigrew, and talking about her association with “Booloominbah”, she had had the idea of making a gift of the vase to the University. “It can be clearly identified on the mantelpiece in a photograph taken in my great-grandparents’ bedroom in 1920,” she said. “After talking to Ann, and learning that the bedroom was now her husband’s office, I thought I would like to present it to him so that it could stand in its original position once again.”

“I think it’s very exciting,” she continued. “It’s one of only a few original things that have come back to the house. I feel very proud of the fact that I live here in Armidale and am associated with ‘Booloominbah’.”

Professor Pettigrew said he was delighted by this new link to the family that had built the house in the 1880s, and had occupied it for more than four decades before its rebirth as a university college. “We’re very grateful to the family for the generous gift of this artefact, which is returning to ‘Booloominbah’ after 75 years,” he said. “Among other things, it symbolises the vital relationship between the University and the community.”

Mrs Grace’s father, John Eversley Belfield, was the son of Amelia, the second-youngest child of Frederick and Sarah White. Amelia lived in “Booloominbah” from the age of five until her marriage to Vere Eversley Belfield in 1905. Later in life she lived in the nearby house “Trevenna” (now the Vice-Chancellor’s residence) with her sister Florence Wilson, and Mrs Grace has many happy memories of visiting her there. Mrs Grace’s daughter, Mrs Jane Solly, accompanied her to Booloominbah yesterday.

Mrs Grace said that the vase, which is beautifully (and unusually) decorated with images of bats and pine-tree branches, had been among items left to her by her uncle, Henry Eversley Belfield.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Mrs Sue Grace (centre) placing the vase on the mantelpiece in "Booloominbah" after presenting it to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew. Professor Pettigrew, accompanied by Mrs Ann Pettigrew, confirms its position in the 1920 photograph.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:09 PM

UNE research could help Thailand care for farmers' health

May 29, 2006

A team from The University of New England has carried out research in rural Thailand that could help Thai health officials in their efforts to improve primary care for the country’s 35 million poor farmers.

The team leader, Dr Mary Ditton (pictured here) from UNE’s School of Health, said that she and a colleague – Dr Leigh Lehane, also from the School of Health – had recently returned from Thailand after gathering data on the delivery of health care by a primary care unit at Bungaor Tambon in Nakhon Ratchasima (“Khorat”) Province, about three-and-a-half hours’ drive north of Bangkok.

“Health officials in Thailand are keen to improve primary care services to the country’s rural poor,” Dr Ditton said, “and encouraged our work. Those at the Khorat Provincial Health Office received our preliminary report very warmly.” She explained that her team had assessed the performance of the primary care unit against criteria published by the World Health Organisation and other agencies.

A UNE Research Grant allowed the two Australian researchers to visit Thailand twice — for two weeks in February to prepare for the project, and four weeks in April–May to gather data. Dr Ditton and Dr Lehane returned to UNE earlier this month, while Dr Prawit Taytiwat, the Thai member of the team, stayed in Thailand to gather data for his doctoral thesis. (Dr Taytiwat, who assisted in the research and acted as the main interpreter, is studying for a Doctor of Health Service Management degree at UNE.)

“Thailand is doing very well – for a developing country – in the delivery of health services,” Dr Ditton said, “but there’s still a lot of scope for improvement in rural areas. Some of the major health problems among poor farmers are related to the heavy use of insecticides, and the susceptibility of rural workers to foot injuries. Bicycle and motorcycle accidents are also a major source of injuries.”

“The UNE Research Grant provided us with a wonderful opportunity,” Dr Ditton said, “and could lead to more extensive research on the quality of primary health care in Thailand, aimed at improving health care for the 35 million or so rural poor in that country.”

She said that the work had been encouraged and supported in Thailand by Senator Paichit Pawabutr, formerly Dean of the School of Public Health at Naresuan University, Pitsanulok Province, and staff of the Khorat Provincial Health Office.

UNE has developed strong links with Naresuan University over the past two years – especially in the areas of health and education. This has included exchange visits, and discussions about how the two universities could collaborate to improve health management training for medical professionals in Thailand and Australia.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:09 PM

Fulbright scholarship for UNE student of Aboriginal languages

May 26, 2006

A postgraduate student of Aboriginal languages at The University of New England has won a scholarship that will enable her to spend a year in America working with linguists who are world leaders in the study of indigenous languages.

Sophie Nicholls (pictured here) was presented with a Fulbright Postgraduate Award at a ceremony in Brisbane last week. The award will take her to the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, in August, and then on to the University of California, Santa Barbara, in January.

Her study abroad will enable her to use the latest linguistic techniques in her research on two Aboriginal languages: Roper River Kriol (a hybrid language with English-influenced vocabulary) and Ritharrngu (an indigenous language still spoken in the Northern Territory). “My aim is to investigate the ‘discourse’ (or conversation) style of the Kriol language, and to compare it with that of the traditional indigenous language,” Ms Nicholls said. “I want to test my hypothesis that Kriol could have preserved some features of traditional discourse such as an emphasis on taking turns, the use of pauses, and a profound sensitivity to family relationships.”

“The Fulbright scholarship is a fantastic opportunity to work with experts in the linguistic techniques of ‘discourse analysis’,” she said. “They’re techniques that will be invaluable in my research.”

Ms Nicholls – just back from six weeks’ fieldwork in the Northern Territory – was among the 21 Australian recipients of Fulbright Awards (including 12 Postgraduate Awards) honoured at the presentation ceremony. During the ceremony, at Queensland University of Technology on Thursday 18 May, she – along with the other recipients – was presented to Queensland’s Deputy Premier, the Hon. Anna Bligh MP, Dr William Stanton, Charge d’Affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Canberra, and Dr Paul Kerin, President of the Australian Fulbright Alumni Association. Among the guests at the ceremony were the Vice-Chancellors of nine universities, including the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew.

The Fulbright Program, created by US Senator J. W. Fulbright and the US Government in 1946, is the largest scholarship program of its kind. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through international educational exchange, it currently operates between the United States and 150 other countries. In Australia, the scholarships are administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission, and funded by the Australian and US Governments and a group of corporate partners. In 2006 the Fulbright Commission is supporting 20 Americans studying at various institutions throughout Australia. Several of those American scholars attended last Thursday’s presentation ceremony in Brisbane.

After graduating from UNE in 2004 with First Class Honours in Linguistics (and a University Medal), Ms Nicholls spent a year working at the Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre in the Northern Territory, facilitating the teaching of Aboriginal languages to schoolchildren and recording oral histories. “Making friends with the people I was working with was very rewarding,” she said.

She explained that her current research, which she hopes might lead to insights helpful for cross-cultural communication, had been inspired by her work – and friendships – in the Aboriginal community.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:12 PM

Night of fun and fashion to help sick children

May 25, 2006

The Children’s Medical Research Institute will receive a cheque for almost $24,000 during the Earle Page College Charity Fashion Parade on Saturday evening (May 27).

The money is the fruit of fund-raising activities by students at The University of New England’s Earle Page College last year. Those activities included annual events such as the Charity Fashion Parade and the Coast Run.

Mr David Ward, Master of Earle Page College, said last year’s fund-raising result was a record for the College. “It was a wonderful effort by students of our University,” he said, “and we’re hoping to beat it this year.”

The Charity Fashion Parade will be in the Armidale Ex-Services Memorial Club Ballroom, starting at 7 pm. Tickets, available at the door, are $20 (adults), $15 (adult students) $10 (school students). They can also be bought in advance by ringing Earle Page College on 6773 5300. Mr Ward said that about 60 students and staff members from the College would model garments from more than 20 local clothing businesses. “It’s Armidale’s biggest community-based fashion parade,” he said. “Our models create their own routines, which makes for a very entertaining evening.”

During the evening, Mr Tim Purser, a Resident Fellow at Earle Page College and convener of last year’s fund-raising activities, will present the cheque to Mr Stephen Ryall, Manager of Community Relations at the Sydney-based Children’s Medical Research Institute.

For more information, contact Earle Page College on (02) 6773 5300.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here was taken at last year's Earle Page College Charity Fashion Parade.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:38 AM

UNE group attracts international experts to Linguistics Institute

May 24, 2006

Six leading European and American linguists will travel to Australia in July to contribute to the Australian Linguistics Institute (ALI) 2006 - a week-long series of intensive courses organised by researchers from The University of New England.

The 12 courses in this year's ALI are designed to cover recent research (and current thinking) by international authorities in some of the most important branches of linguistics. The group of 12 presenters will also include five from Australia and one from New Zealand.

Organised by members of UNE's Language and Cognition Research Centre, ALI 2006 will be at the University of Queensland in Brisbane from July 10 to July 14. The organisers say it will be "a unique opportunity for graduate students, advanced undergraduates, professional linguists and language professionals to upgrade their knowledge and skills in key areas of linguistics".

They are hoping it will also attract people from other disciplines with an interest in linguistics. Many of the courses in ALI 2006 will be on a theme - "language and cognition" - which has far-reaching ramifications. The Language and Cognition Research Centre at UNE includes philosophers, psychologists, neuroscientists and archaeologists, as well as linguists, among its members. One of these - Professor Brian Byrne from UNE's School of Psychology - will be among the ALI presenters. Professor Byrne is a Principal Researcher in a major international project, funded by the Australian, Norwegian, Swedish and US Governments, that is analysing children's reading ability into components influenced by their genetic inheritance and/or their home and school environment. His course will be on "Language and Genetics".

Among the other presenters will be Professor Lera Boroditsky from Stanford University in the United States ("Language and Thought"), Professor Istvan Kecskes from the State University of New York ("Bilingualism: Cognitive Aspects"), Professor Mark Steedman from the University of Edinburgh ("Combinatory Grammar and Natural Cognition"), Professor Stephen Crain from Macquarie University's Centre for Cognitive Research ("Logic in Child Language Acquisition"), and Professor William Foley from the University of Sydney ("Papuan Languages"). Full program and registration details are at: http://www.ali2006.une.edu.au/

"Early bird" registration for ALI 2006 (at a reduced fee) closes on May 26, but registration will remain open until July 10. For more information, contact organising-committee members Professor Cliff Goddard (cgoddard@une.edu.au) or Dr Andrea Schalley (andrea.schalley@une.edu.au) at UNE.

Dr Nick Reid (pictured here), another member of the committee, explained that Australian Linguistics Institutes had been hosted every two years by different universities. “This year’s ALI event will be the first to be organised by UNE’s Linguistics discipline and the Language and Cognition Research Centre,” Dr Reid continued. “While each of the earlier events was two weeks long, we’ve redeveloped it as an intensive five-day program, with a focus on language and cognition. We're very happy that we've been able to get such big names and such a wide variety of topics onto the program."

UNE’s Language and Cognition Research Centre organised the highly successful International Language and Cognition Conference, at Coffs Harbour in September 2004, which attracted leading experts from 17 countries.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:31 PM

Year 8 maths students share their enthusiasm at UNE

May 23, 2006

Year 8 students from 27 schools throughout northern NSW had a chance to share their enthusiasm for mathematics during a day of competitive teamwork at The University of New England last Friday.

More than 160 students from schools as far afield as Narrabri, Lightning Ridge, Grafton and Port Macquarie took part in the 12th annual Year 8 Mathematics Day at UNE. A team from Lightning Ridge Central School (which was competing for the second successive year) won the “central schools” division, while a team from Armidale High School won the “general” division.

The New England Mathematical Association, UNE’s School of Education, and the National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (based at UNE) jointly sponsor the annual event. It aims to broaden students’ perspective of mathematics (for example, its application in real-life problems) at a time in their education when they are about to embark on more advanced mathematical studies.

Mathematics teacher Terry Creagh, who travelled to UNE from South Grafton High School, said his students had had “a great time”. “They didn’t think it would be this good,” he said. “But now they say it’s the best day’s excursion they’ve been on.”

“It’s made them realise that maths can be fun,” Mr Creagh continued, “and they’ll pass this message on to their classmates. They’ve also enjoyed meeting the students from other schools.”

Each of the four members of the two winning teams received a certificate and a medallion, and the two teams took the Mathematics Day’s perpetual trophies back to their schools. A team from Narrabri High School won the maths trivia competition, and McCarthy Catholic College in Tamworth and Manilla Central School won lucky door prizes – class sets of graphics calculators worth $7,000 a set – donated by Texas Instruments.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows the Convener of this year's Maths Day, Robyn Hadfield (right) and the Honorary Secretary of NEMA, Anne Parnell (left), with PLC Armidale student Georgie Anderson in UNE's Lazenby Hall.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:12 PM

Warm welcome for two books by leading scholars

May 22, 2006

Two books launched in Armidale last week are the work of scholars from The University of New England who are among Australia’s leading experts in their respective disciplines of film studies and American literature.

Dr Neil Rattigan, author of "Strictly Ballroom: A Film for Our Time", and Dr Stephen Harris (pictured here), author of "Gore Vidal’s Historical Novels and the Shaping of American Political Consciousness", are lecturers in UNE’s School of English, Communication and Theatre and members of UNE’s Centre for Australian Language, Literature, Theatre and Screen Studies (CALLTS). Both books received a warm welcome during the celebration of them and their authors at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) last Thursday evening.

Karen Stapleton, English Consultant with the Association of Independent Schools in Sydney, launched "Strictly Ballroom" by describing it as “a highly informative critical analysis” of a film that had “truly iconic status”. She said the book was “a great read” as well as a work of astute criticism, and would be read and enjoyed by academics, students, and film-lovers alike. “He weaves a story as he explores the film,” she continued, “and he had me laughing at times – for example with chapter headings such as ‘Cinderella and Her Reluctant Fella’.”

“Most importantly,” Ms Stapleton concluded, “it raises as many questions as it answers. It brings the film alive, and makes you want to see it again.”

UNE’s Associate Professor Michael Sharkey launched "Gore Vidal’s Historical Novels", calling it “a wonderfully incisive study” that would “open up further democratic vistas in the work of Gore Vidal”. He reminded his audience that Vidal had “one of the finest radical minds America has produced”. “In concentrating his sceptical gaze on crucial events in his country’s history,” he continued, “Vidal alerts us to the lies and concealed truths relating to the ‘facts’ on which national myths are built.”

“Stephen Harris argues most persuasively that Vidal’s fiction has at its heart a darkly comic view of humanity – a view that looks more like pessimism than despair,” Dr Sharkey said. “One of the most illuminating aspects of Stephen’s book is his revelation of Vidal’s refusal to embrace despair, when so much historical evidence of human behaviour would persuade us that barbarism has never been so thinly covered as now by a veneer of civilised illusions.”

In his own remarks, Dr Harris commented further on the importance and relevance of Vidal's work in today's world. "We need satirists," he said.

"Strictly Ballroom" is published by CALLTS, which, together with the New England Writers’ Centre, organised the event at NERAM. The evening included entertainment by ballroom dancers Bethany Baldwin and Benjamin Guest from Duval High School (Year 11) and the choir Con Brio.

"Gore Vidal’s Historical Novels and the Shaping of American Political Consciousness" is published in the United States by The Edwin Mellen Press.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:18 PM

'Step To The Future' forum will inspire young people

May 19, 2006

The University of New England expects 600 secondary school students to attend the second annual youth forum the University has hosted as part of a national series of events that has inspired teenagers around Australia.

Called “Step To The Future”, the program engages local high-school students themselves in organising the forums, at which prominent Australians speak about their road to success. It aims to motivate 15-to-18-year-olds by sharing the life experiences of a diverse group of highly inspirational speakers representing, business, politics, entertainment, sport and the general community.

At this year’s UNE forum, on Friday 26 May, the guest speakers will be Eric Bailey (former All American and NBL professional basketball player), Armondo Hurley (singer, actor and songwriter), and the motivational speakers Deborah Storer, Shelley Sykes, and Bram Collins and Trevor Tim. Last year, one of the speakers was Barbara Holboro OAM, the former Sydney Children’s Court Magistrate who is an outspoken commentator on the rights of young people.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, will open the forum, which will be in UNE’s Lazenby Hall from 9.15 am to 2.45 pm.

Last year’s forum at UNE – the first in the New England North West region – attracted 530 secondary school students from centres including Gunnedah, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Glen Innes, Inverell and Barraba. This year's event is shaping up to be even larger, with Lazenby Hall likely to be filled to capacity. A Toowoomba school is among those planning to attend this year.

The program began in Sydney as a pilot project in 2002, and its immediate success led to events in other State capitals and Canberra (as well as its debut in regional NSW) in 2003. Each forum is organised and run by a committee of local students in Years 10-12. The committee members are representative of the diversity of their communities, and come from government, private, and Catholic schools.

The student committee not only selects the speakers, but decides on the format of the event, markets it in their schools and local communities, and makes audio-visual recordings of it on the day. There will be a live cross to 7news (one of the many sponsors of the program) during the forum.

For more information, go to www.steptothefuture.com.au or phone John Kauter at UNE on 02 67732779.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here, taken at last year's "Step To The Future" forum at UNE, shows (from left) Mim Gardiner and Beth Crocker of Calrossy High School, Tamworth, and Julian Burton, one of the guest speakers.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:23 PM

Kenyan research student finds 'ideal study environment' at UNE

May 18, 2006

A Kenyan researcher mid-way through his PhD program at The University of New England (UNE) has described his experience as the best he could have hoped for anywhere in the world. Francis Karanja came to Australia to undertake his PhD because of its international reputation for quality eduction. He said that he was drawn to UNE because of the expertise he found in his specialised field, and has been delighted by what he has experienced at the regional university.

Mr Karanja (pictured here) completed a Bachelor of Forestry degree and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science at Moi University in Kenya. (Moi University, which has 10,000 internal students, is in Nairobi – a city of more than 3.5 million people.)

“I needed to do my PhD outside of Kenya because a PhD means that you are at the cutting edge of your field and you need access to the latest data in the world,” he said. “I have that at my fingertips here, but I didn’t in Kenya.”

“My PhD research is on the economic valuation of ecosystem services,” he explained, “which basically means attaching a monetary value to environmental goods and services. After my Master’s degree I started searching the Internet; I discovered that a respected researcher with expertise in my specific field, Associate Professor Nick Reid, was at UNE. We corresponded, and I came here. I am enrolled in Ecosystem Management, and am lucky to have supervisors in two Faculties: Dr Reid from The Sciences and Dr Oscar Cacho from Economics.”

Mr Karanja considers himself fortunate to have found an ideal environment for his PhD research. “I’ve seen a lot of universities, in Australia and overseas,” he said. “UNE stands out because it has world-class expertise, yet enormous benefits that come from its small size and regional setting.”

“The advantages of being at UNE as a PhD student, compared to other universities that I’ve seen, include the accessibility of facilities and equipment, services, and even office space,” he continued. “As a PhD student here, I have instant access to the latest resources and reference material. Many government and research organisations, such as the Cooperative Research Centre for Cotton Catchment Communities and several government departments, have a presence at UNE. I am fortunate to be at a university with established relationships with such organisations. They are accustomed to working with researchers at UNE, and my work has benefited from their collaboration.

“I find the lower ratio of supervisors to PhD researchers is very important. All I have to do is pick up the phone or go and see them; you don’t get that in a city university, and it makes a huge difference.”

The adjustment Mr Karanja faced when heading to Armidale in northern NSW was made easier by a well-established support network, including the UNE Postgraduate Association and the International Students’ Association.

“Armidale is a serene environment for study,” he said. “I am only 2 ½ hours from the coast and surrounded by great National Parks, but generally there aren’t too many distractions - and it’s safe. The on-campus lifestyle available at UNE is also extremely convenient. I live in Wright Village, which accommodates a lot of international students. In this supportive international community you don’t feel alone.

“Once I’ve completed my PhD, I want to return to working for the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Kenya. It is a globally respected non-government organisation through which I could do a great deal of rewarding work throughout the African continent.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:46 PM

Expert on early Christian 'heresies' comments on 'The Da Vinci Code'

May 17, 2006

Professor Majella Franzmann, an internationally renowned authority on religious movements that competed with orthodox Christianity in the first few centuries of its existence, says today’s fascination with books such as "The Da Vinci Code" is partly a means of “moving away from the authority of the Church”.

“Also,” she said, “people are becoming aware of some of the complexities in the history of early Christian groups, and the immense variation in the way that these groups interpreted Jesus, his life, and his teachings.” Professor Franzmann (pictured here), who lectures in Religious Studies at The University of New England, has written two books on interpretations of Jesus within this "heretical" literature: "Jesus in the Nag Hammadi Writings" (1996), and "Jesus in the Manichaean Writings" (2003).

“For many people, it’s a case of finding new information that may be quite liberating in that it presents an alternative view to that proposed by the institutional Church,” she continued.

She has been surprised, nevertheless, at the readiness of many readers to accept propositions put forward in a work of fiction. “It’s a very strange thing that people are taking the novel seriously,” she said. “After all, most readers are familiar with the methods of historical fiction, which uses historical material merely as a backdrop to a fictional plot. Why, in this case, are people taking it a step further and wanting to make fact of the fictional part?”

Professor Franzmann, who found "The Da Vinci Code" “a good read”, said naive readers might not be aware how easy it is for an author to base an argument – true or false – on an isolated passage from a text. She was referring to the text in the "Gospel of Philip", from the Nag Hammadi Library, which states that Jesus used to kiss Mary Magdalen on the mouth. The author of "The Da Vinci Code", Dan Brown, uses this text as one of the bases for his theory of a liaison between Jesus and Mary Magdalen. “Dan Brown is ‘proof-texting’ here,” she said. “That is, he’s taking a single line from a text that may or may not be intended to be interpreted literally, without being aware of the difference that knowing the whole text might make to its interpretation. In this case he has wrongly interpreted the verse as referring to the physical rather than the spiritual plane.”

“In 'The Da Vinci Code', in particular, the fact that such arguments are put into the mouth of a fictional character should act as a warning,” she said.

Speaking on the eve of the eagerly awaited Australian release of Hollywood’s version of "The Da Vinci Code", Professor Franzmann said the book – and, she hoped, the film – could raise more awareness in the general public about the development of religious groups in the early centuries of the Christian era. “The institutional Church has its own view on that history,” she said. “But there are other views, from as early as the third and fourth centuries, espoused by groups that didn’t survive to become institutions in their own right.”

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:24 PM

UNE researchers discover new population of rare native plant

May 16, 2006

The long-term conservation of a rare native shrub gained momentum this week when researchers from The University of New England discovered a new population of the elusive plant on an isolated spur at Dangars Gorge in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

Working on a hunch, Associate Professor Caroline Gross and Dr Mohammad Fatemi skirted the rim at Dangars Gorge to a location that they had spied from the platform at the edge of the falls. “The tell-tale grey foliage of the shrub – Bertya ingramii – was the hint that a big population might exist across the chasm,” Dr Gross said.

Within 30 minutes the researchers reached the site and were overjoyed to discover at least 300 shrubs nestled among the rock outcrops with other rare species such as Acacia ingramii. “This new population brings the known populations of B. ingramii to three, with a total of about 400 plants,” Dr Gross said. “Before this discovery we knew of only about 70 plants in two populations: one on the other side of Dangars Gorge, and the other at Mihi Gorge, about six hours’ walk away.

B. ingramii (pictured here), which is related to wedding bush, resembles lavender in appearance (particularly because of its grey leaves). Biological Conservation students at UNE, who study the endangered plant, refer to it familiarly as “Bertie”. “'Bertie' has been a wonderful vehicle for integrating research into teaching,” Dr Gross said.

The researchers, from UNE’s School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources Management, have used DNA fingerprinting to genotype the species, and say this new population might explain the novel genes they have detected in one of the other populations. “The flowers are wind pollinated, and so we will check if the plants are exchanging pollen across the 1 km chasm that divides these two closest populations,” Dr Fatemi explained.

Dr Gross suspects that there are other populations of B. ingramii – and other rare and elusive species – in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. “The gorge country is one of the few remaining areas in eastern Australia that are in critical need of a thorough botanical assessment,” she said. “The few areas we have looked at are home to many endemic species, and with a concerted effort we will find many more botanical treasures and probably many new species.”

“Such work is expensive,” she continued, “because of the safety issues and the vastness of the gorge network. However, at UNE we are ideally placed to undertake this work, with the University’s many expert field botanists and its internationally recognised New England Herbarium, where we can check the identities of species and lodge specimens that add to a vast database of Australia’s biodiversity.

“Meanwhile 'Bertie', now represented by three populations, will be put through its paces by Biological Conservation students during their UNE Summer School in January 2007.”

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:52 PM

Opening of "Let's Hang It" a joyful event

May 15, 2006

The prize-winning works in this year’s University of New England School Acquisitive Art Prize came from schools at Black Mountain and South Grafton as well as from three Armidale schools.

The winners were announced during the official opening, at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) last Friday evening, of “Let’s Hang It” – an exhibition of the 50 finalists’ entries.

In opening the exhibition, the Executive Dean of UNE’s Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies, Professor Victor Minichiello, thanked all the finalists – and, indeed, all 332 entrants in the competition – “for bringing joy into our lives”. Professor Minichiello said the School Art Prize was a celebration “of young people’s talent in rural and regional Australia”, and “of art itself as an important way of expressing who we are”. He thanked NERAM for making the public exhibition possible.

He explained that the competition had begun two years ago, at the suggestion of Frances Alter (UNE’s Lecturer in Art Education), as an expression of the University’s involvement in the wider community. The number of entries in this – the third annual School Art Prize – was double that of the first year, he said. Entries had come from 29 schools over a large area of NSW, stretching as far north as the Queensland border.

Ms Alter and Mrs Ann Pettigrew presented cheques to the winners and a Certificate of Distinction to each of the finalists. The prize-winners also received items donated by the school and university art suppliers S&S Creativity Unlimited.

The winner of the Infants’ prize ($50) was Amanda Callagher, who is in Kindergarten at South Grafton Infants School. Ms Alter said the judge – well-known New England artist Fay Porter – had commended Amanda’s work (titled “Acrobatic Angel”) for its “exuberance”. "Acrobatic Angel" is pictured here.

Stephanie Graham from Black Mountain Public School (where she is in Year 4) won the Primary prize ($100) with a painting titled “Shading with Black” described by the judge as “a dramatic and very definite statement”.

A monoprint in the form of a portrait won the Junior Secondary prize ($200) for Joshua Moffitt, a Year 9 student at Armidale High School. “The judge was impressed by the total surety of this work in such a challenging medium,” Ms Alter said.

The Senior Secondary prize ($300) went to Stephenie Elliott, a Year 10 student at Duval High School, for a landscape in mixed media that Ms Porter singled out as “an accomplished and well-developed interpretation of its subject”.

The “people’s choice” prize ($100) – the result of voting by the large crowd at the opening – went to Kate Moore (Year 8, PLC Armidale) for her lino print of a dog named “Rusty”.

“Let’s Hang It” will be on show at NERAM till Sunday 2 July.

To see all the prize-winning entries - and more - go to:
http://photodatabase.une.edu.au/thumbnails.php?album=483

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:36 PM

Careers Expo an important New England event

May 12, 2006

The Armidale and District Careers Expo last week was the biggest and most comprehensive to date. Organisers were delighted by the record numbers of students and exhibitors who converged on the Wright Centre at The University of New England.

The response from schools and individual students to this careers expo highlighted the importance of the annual event to its New England region catchment area, according to an organising committee spokesperson, Kerry De Jong.

“This Careers Expo catered for all interests,” said Ms De Jong (pictured here), who is an Events Coordinator at UNE. “There were close to 100 exhibitors – 35% more than last year. Some addressed local skills shortage issues, outlining training options such traineeships and apprenticeships.”

“The Expo was designed to be as exciting and inspiring as possible,” she continued. “Armidale’s Fleet Helicopters were there with a helicopter and insight into what it takes to achieve a career in aviation. There were 15 universities represented alongside 45 other training and education organisations. Australian Defence Force and Police recruitment officers were among the many representatives of government agencies at the Expo. Students were given the opportunity to see what university life is like at UNE, taking in the residential, academic, sporting and social aspects of the campus."

“However," she said, "what really makes the Armidale and District Careers Expo important as a stand-alone event is that it provides an abundance of information for young adults to make informed decisions about their future without the expense of a long journey. The central location of The University of New England to the New England region reduces the tyranny of distance and cost. Students were able to come to the Armidale Expo from Tenterfield as a day trip, but to go to Tamworth might have required an overnight stay.”

“It was absolutely fantastic,” Ms De Jong concluded. “We had more than 1,000 students at the Armidale and District Careers Expo. We saw busloads of students from surrounding towns such as Glen Innes and Uralla, and individual students coming from farther afield.

“The event has continued to grow because career and further education options are presented in an entertaining, yet mature fashion. The students were treated as young adults with important decisions to make about their future. To help them, we had hands-on demonstrations, displays, and personal insights from industry and education representatives.”

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:29 PM

Armidale students meet US counterparts via UNE video link

May 11, 2006

State-of-the-art communication technology at The University of New England has enabled Year 8 students from PLC Armidale to become the first Australian participants in an annual videoconference link between students in the United States and about a dozen other countries.

The 17 PLC English students spent an hour at UNE today in “face-to-face” discussion with students at Passaic Valley High School in New Jersey, USA. The special topic (chosen by the PLC students) was “Images of Youth” – the portrayal of young people in the media. They also spent some time exchanging information on each other’s lives, interests, and environments.

“It was fascinating the way stereotypes about both countries were overturned,” said Mrs Debra Kelliher, PLC’s Head of School, who accompanied the girls to UNE. “Seeing a big, culturally diverse school such as Passaic Valley High near New York has expanded our students’ horizons. They will develop into global citizens, and through this technology they are already able to communicate globally. Their generation is being described as that of ‘digital natives’, and it’s important to use teaching tools that are meaningful to them.”

This is the fourth year that the American school has organised the “Around the World” videoconference, in which its students talk – in succession, over a 24-hour period – to students at schools on all six continents. This year the countries involved were Argentina, Australia, Canada, Great Britain, India, Israel, Japan, Mozambique, Russia, Singapore and Spain. A neighbouring university in New Jersey – Mont Clair University – has provided the school with the software to enable it to set up an Internet “blackboard” on which students from all the participating countries can engage in written dialogue with each other. This will continue for another month.

Ian Truswell, Manager of UNELink Videoconferencing, said the American school had contacted him at UNE in search of an Australian participant in the project, and he had recommended PLC. (UNE has been advising the school on the future acquisition of its own videoconferencing system.) “UNE has one of the best – and best known – videoconferencing networks among Australian universities,” Mr Truswell said,” so they were hoping we could find a school close to us.”

Mrs Kelliher explained that the PLC students had been investigating the portrayal of young people in the media as part of their English studies. “This was a great opportunity to explore youth culture in an immediate way,” she said. “So much of our culture seems to be influenced by the United States. In today’s discussion they penetrated through to asking questions about values, and some deep learning occurred.”

While the video link was under way, education lecturers and students at UNE were observing to learn more about the technology’s potential. “It will help us look at the different ways in which we can use the technology with our own students,” said Dr Robyn Smyth, a UNE Lecturer in Higher Education.

The videoconferencing facility at UNE is in constant use by University staff – for everything from job interviews to international conferences. It also links the University’s network of regional Access Centres to the Armidale campus. Members of the wider New England community have been involved in UNE-based video links in a variety of educational contexts. UNELink has thus proved to be an educational resource for the entire region.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here, taken during today's video link, shows Mrs Debra Kelliher, Head of School at PLC, with Professor Ian Macdonald, Director of UNE's Teaching and Learning Centre.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:03 PM

Leading political figures to take part in UNE conference

May 10, 2006

The Speaker and the Clerk of the House of Representatives will be key participants in a public conference about the Australian Parliament to be held at The University of New England on Wednesday 17 May.

Titled "The Australian Parliament: Passing Grade or in Need of Reform?", the free, one-day conference will bring together practising politicians (Government, Opposition and Independent), political scientists, students, and the wider community to discuss the role, function and efficacy of the Australian Parliament and recommendations for its reform.

The Speaker, the Hon. David Hawker MP (pictured here), and the Clerk, Mr Ian Harris, will be accompanied by the Federal Member for New England, Mr Tony Windsor. Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (Liberal, NSW) and Senator Ursula Stephens (Labor, NSW, and President of the NSW Branch of the ALP) will also take part in the conference, which will be open to university students and staff, senior high-school students from across the region, and members of the public.

UNE's Dr Jim Maher, Convener of Political and International Studies at UNE (the group that has organised the conference), will chair proceedings. "The aim is to increase the level of knowledge and understanding Australians have about the workings of the Australian Parliament," Dr Maher said. "To that end the conference will examine the workings of both Houses - the House of Representatives and the Senate - and analyse some of the recommendations for parliamentary reform. There will be opportunities provided throughout the day for questions from the floor, and the conference will culminate with a panel discussion and question-and-answer session."

Professor Alan Pettigrew, Vice-Chancellor of UNE, will officially open the conference, which will convene at 9 am in Lecture Theatre 133 in UNE's Education Building for a 9.30 am start. Speakers from UNE will include the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Michael Macklin (who is a former leader of the Australian Democrats), and Emeritus Professor Graham Maddox and Dr. Tim Battin from UNE's School of Social Science.

"A further aim," Dr Maher said, "is to highlight the teaching and research conducted by the staff of Political and International Studies in the School of Social Science, and to make prospective students aware of UNE's important contribution in this area."

"Political and International Studies at UNE has an excellent reputation nationally and internationally," he continued, "and this conference will highlight some of the work of the discipline. Some of our past students have gone on to political and diplomatic careers, gained careers as senior public servants or leading journalists, joined NGOs and other such organisations, or taken up teaching positions at universities around the world and at secondary and primary schools. Political and international studies are invaluable foundations for one's career, and for one's role as a citizen."

For more information, contact Dr Jim Maher on (02) 6773 3810.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:04 PM

Evan Thornley to give UNE's Drummond Address for 2006

May 09, 2006

The publisher, businessman and political activist Evan Thornley will discuss the relationship between economic prosperity and a fair society when he delivers this year’s D.H. Drummond Memorial Address at The University of New England this week.

The lecture, at UNE’s Drummond and Smith College on Wednesday 10 May at 6 pm, will be the 16th annual D.H. Drummond Memorial Address. All members of the public are welcome to attend.

Mr Thornley (pictured here) was a founding member of the National Union of Students. He has gone on to be active in a variety of business and community interests. He is the co-founder and former CEO of the Internet search company LookSmart, and is the proprietor of Pluto Press. He has a law and commerce degree from the University of Melbourne, and is a member of that university’s Council.

Having joined the ALP in 1984, Mr Thornley is an endorsed ALP candidate for the Victorian Legislative Council for the 2006 election. He is also National Secretary of the Australian Fabian Society and a Board Member of the Brotherhood of St Lawrence, the ALP’s Chifley Research Centre, and www.getup.com.au, a new political movement to build a more progressive Australia. He has been very involved in the establishment of www.laborfirst.com.au, an ALP grassroots renewal movement.

Mr Thornley said he would be discussing "how Australia cannot have a fair society without economic prosperity, and how we also cannot have economic prosperity without a fair society". He will also focus on "how everyone in the community can play a role in doing something about these issues".

For more information about the lecture, please contact Dr Frank Bongiorno on (02) 6773 2088.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:56 AM

UNE competition gives young artists an audience

May 08, 2006

The unique art competition that reveals the creative talent of school students in regional NSW is bigger and better than ever this year.

There are more than 300 entries in the third annual University of New England School Acquisitive Art Prize, coming from 30 schools.

A panel of experts judged the entries at UNE last Friday, choosing 50 finalists. The finalists’ works will be displayed at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) in an exhibition called “Let’s Hang It” that will be on show until Sunday 2 July. The Executive Dean of UNE’s Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies, Professor Victor Minichiello, will officially open the exhibition during a public function at NERAM at 6 pm on Friday 12 May.

“We’ve called the exhibition ‘Let’s Hang It’ because art needs an audience,” said Frances Alter, UNE’s lecturer in art education, who chairs the competition’s organising committee. “School students learn the techniques for producing art works, and they improve and perfect these techniques with the support and encouragement of their teachers. At school, it’s an achievement to have one’s work displayed on the art room walls; at home, some proud parents hang their child’s work; but all too often that is the most exposure that the art gets. This event brings exceptional pieces of youth art into the context of art museums and galleries – giving these works a new, raised status among art audiences.”

The well-known New England artist Fay Porter will judge the 50 finalists at NERAM on Tuesday 9 May, choosing the winning entries in the four age categories: Infants (prize $50), Primary (prize $100), Junior Secondary (prize $200), and Senior Secondary (prize $300). At the official opening of the exhibition on Friday, Professor Minichiello and Mrs Ann Pettigrew will present the prizes to the category winners, as well as a Certificate of Distinction to each of the finalists.

Ms Alter said the Infants category was a new addition to the competition this year. “We’ve invited students in kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 to submit works, after much lobbying for this from schools,” she said.

“We’ve been given some art supplies by the wholesalers S&S Creativity Unlimited for the prize-winners,” she added. “They say they are interested in the UNE competition because it offers a unique opportunity to be involved in an art competition for schools throughout much of regional NSW.”

The photograph displayed here shows three of the judges - (from left) Glenda Kupczyk-Romanczuk, Dr Terrence Hays, and Ann Pettigrew - during the process of selecting the 50 finalists from more than 300 entries.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:45 PM

UNE celebrates scholarships - a vital link with the community

May 05, 2006

The University of New England has held its annual celebration of its links with the community through the donation of scholarships. During the University’s 2006 Undergraduate Scholarship Presentation Ceremony on Wednesday, donors and sponsors presented 94 students with scholarships totalling almost $1 million in value.

Altogether, the University is awarding more than $3 million worth of undergraduate scholarships to new and continuing students in 2006. The scholarships presented at Wednesday’s ceremony were to students receiving them for the first time this semester.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, welcomed the 230 guests to the ceremony, with a “particular welcome” to about 50 scholarship sponsors from many sectors of the community. He thanked the sponsors for their generosity – and acknowledged their vision – in helping the recipients to achieve their educational ambitions.

Professor Pettigrew presented UNE Country Scholarships (worth $5,000 a year for the duration of the degree course) to 18 students. These scholarships, established in 1998, have so far supported more than 200 students at UNE. They are awarded to students from country areas who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, leadership ability, and participation in school and community life. Professor Pettigrew also presented several UNE Armidale District Country Scholarships – established in order to recognise and encourage the achievements of school-leavers from the University’s immediate community.

Several Country Scholarships are awarded by local government authorities to students in UNE’s Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning degree program. These sponsors include Armidale Dumaresq Council, Inverell Shire Council, Dubbo City Council, and an alliance of Wellington, Blayney and Cabonne Councils (“WBC Alliance”). The Dubbo and WBC Alliance scholarships are being awarded this year for the first time. Ms Melissa Watkins, Dubbo City Council’s Director of Environmental Services, said her Council had decided to sponsor the scholarship because of “a significant skill shortage in our industry”. “I’m actually a UNE graduate,” Ms Watkins continued, “and, as most of the planners in our Council are also UNE graduates, we thought we’d approach UNE about the scholarship.” The photograph displayed here shows Ms Watkins (right) with the scholarship recipient Erin Strong.

Individuals, community organisations, businesses, industry groups, and organisations within UNE itself are among the scholarship sponsors. Ms Anne Roczniok, Director of UNE’s Development Office, said: “This year an increased number of scholarships has been made available through donations to the Country Scholarship Scheme, and the generosity of individuals and organisations.”

Mrs Shirley Edwards and Mrs Joy Geddes, representing the Glen Innes Opportunity Shop, presented the inaugural Glen Innes Opportunity Scholarship. They were delighted to meet the recipient – Sarah Bryson of Glen Innes – and to learn that the scholarship would enable her to devote herself to her study of nursing.

Another inaugural award is the Booroongen Djugun Scholarship, donated by Dr Bruce Standen through the Booroongen Djugun Aboriginal Corporation, Kempsey, to assist an Indigenous student of Natural Resources Management. Mr Gary Morris, Chief Executive Officer of Booroongen Djugun, explaining that one facet of the Corporation’s work was natural resources management, said that Brendan Blacklock, the scholarship recipient, would be “a trail-blazer”.

Benjamin Quast, the recipient of the Richard See Scholarship in Student Leadership, represented all the recipients in moving a vote of thanks to the donors. “The recipients very much appreciate your support,” he said, adding that the generous donation of scholarships was an indication of the importance of UNE to its community.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 09:35 AM

Results of six-year Cicerone farm project to be presented

May 03, 2006

More than six years of research in a unique, realistic farm trial will culminate in the 2006 Cicerone symposium “Coming to conclusions?” on Thursday 11 May. The Cicerone Project, which has been generously funded by Australian Wool Innovation, is likely to wind up this year. The symposium will be a unique opportunity to hear about the findings of the project, which has used real farm conditions to explore – scientifically – whole farm performance under different management systems.

“Graziers manage complex systems dependent on variable rainfall, challenging prices, changing pastures and soil fertility, animal parasites, rising costs, and other factors,” said Jim Scott, Professor of Mixed Farming Systems at The University of New England. “And all the while, society is demanding that farmers manage their farms in a sustainable way. This trial has proved a great way of delivering the facts about the profitability and sustainability of grazing farms on the Northern Tablelands.” Professor Scott is a Cicerone Project Board member.

The Cicerone Project is based at CSIRO’s McMaster Field Laboratory, Chiswick (17 km south of Armidale on the New England Highway). The symposium, in the laboratory’s Liaison Centre, will begin with registration at 9 am.

“Farmers (including Cicerone members), representatives of funding, research and government bodies, Catchment Management Authority representatives and interested community members should come along from 9 am to 5 pm for a day of ‘coming to conclusions’,” Professor Scott said. “It will be a fascinating chance to hear key researchers (including four UNE postgraduates) and extension experts talk about their conclusions from the past several years of work. We will also hear from some of our farmer members about what it means to them.”

“Members – mostly farmers – have guided the research questions,” Professor Scott explained. “Our research partners (UNE and its postgraduates, CSIRO, and the Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre) have helped with the trials, and our adoption partners (such as the NSW Department of Primary Industries and veterinary consultants) and education partners (UNE and TAFE) have assisted in conveying our messages to existing and future farmers and their advisers.”

“Whole-farm profitability and sustainability is a difficult thing to assess,” he continued. “In 1999, Cicerone started with 200 ha of land leased from CSIRO which was then re-fenced and re-arranged, after much planning, to ensure that the three farmlets had the same natural resources in terms of landscape, soils, and past fertiliser history. Then, in July 2000, the three farm management regimes judged by our members to be the most interesting were initiated. The farm systems investigated have included ‘typical’, ‘high input’ and ‘intensive rotational grazing’.

“Over the duration of the trial, we have measured the weights of all our animals every six weeks, all our pastures every month, all fleece weights and quality factors, all inputs and products, all costs and income, and even the amount of labour used. We have also established trees on 2% of each farmlet. The Cicerone Project is not ‘white peg agronomy’. It is measuring everything we can at a scale which farmers find believable. The researchers have found it challenging to measure so many things at this scale.”

“Decisions we’ve made have been just like those you’d find in any real farm situation,” said Justin Hoad, the project’s Farm Manager. “When the drought got bad, we had to feed stock. The project hasn’t been insulated from normal farming variables, and that makes it more believable for the farmers who might adopt some of the conclusions.”

The Board of Cicerone is keen to find ways in which this unique farmer-adoption-research partnership might find support to continue with its important applied research leading to adoption. “In particular, we need to get a better understanding of the environmental consequences of the different farming systems, as many questions about longer-term sustainability have not yet been answered,” Professor Scott said.

The cost of attending the symposium is $30 for Cicerone members and $50 for non-members. For more information, please contact Professor Jim Scott on (02) 6773 2436 or Justin Hoad on (02) 6778 3871.

The photograph displayed here shows Professor Jim Scott (left) and Justin Hoad assessing pastures at the Cicerone Project.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:02 PM

UNE scientist one of the world’s ‘most highly cited’

May 03, 2006

A scientist from The University of New England has joined the ranks of the world’s most highly cited researchers.

Dr Karin Meyer is a Principal Scientist in the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) at UNE. The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) has added her to its international list of “Highly Cited Researchers”, which spans all scientific disciplines. This distinction recognises the value that Dr Meyer’s colleagues place on her published work.

The ISI Web site, where the list of “Highly Cited Researchers” is published, is: http://hcr3.isiknowledge.com. The fact that it contains the names of fewer than one half of one per cent of all published researchers testifies to Dr Meyer’s achievement. She is only the 95th Australian scientist to be included in the list.

Dr Meyer graduated from Goettingen University in Germany in 1978 and then acquired Master of Science (1979) and Doctor of Philosophy (1983) degrees from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. She has worked at AGBU (a joint unit of UNE and the NSW Department of Primary Industries) for the past 17 years. In 2002 the University of Edinburgh awarded her a highly prestigious Doctor of Science degree.

She is the author of more than 150 journal and conference articles, and a number of software packages that are widely used by colleagues across the world. These packages are designed to estimate genetic parameters that characterise livestock populations. She has made many contributions to the statistical theory that underlies these complex problems. Her high-quality software has helped many other researchers to analyse their data. She continues to make advances in the theory and in the computational efficiency of her progams so that larger data sets can be analysed with more complex statistical models.

Professor Bill Hill, recently retired Dean of Science and Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, said during a recent visit to AGBU: “I am delighted that Karin Meyer's achievements have been recognised, not least because she is a former student whose statistical and programming expertise far exceeds mine. Her contribution to quantitative genetics – particularly of livestock, but also of humans, trees and many other species in nature – has been enormous. Without her programs, much data would have been analysed badly, or not at all. I congratulate her, and am sorry that Armidale's gain was Edinburgh's loss.”

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:01 PM

Cutting edge research into our rural futures goes online at UNE

May 02, 2006

With its new website now online, the Institute for Rural Futures (IRF) at the University of New England has increased the accessibility of its groundbreaking work to those who it relates to.

“The research will be of interest to farmers, rural and coastal communities and local government. Our user-friendly website has the results of the Institute's research into the variety of combined pressures affecting change on non-metropolitan Australia,” said IRF director, Professor David Brunckhorst.

“The Institute contributes innovative and practical research, which also has direct relevance to policy and planning at all levels of Government,” he said.

“The website contains expanded content and access to a wide variety of information from past and current projects of the Institute for Rural Futures. Including for example, understanding eco-civic regions for natural resources management; farm safety, security, and rural crime prevention; collaborative environmental and resource management; farm activities via remote telemetry; farm succession issues; regional landscape management of resources across tenures; cotton community research; industrial ecosystems, biodiversity trading schemes; and understanding future scenarios of developing coastal "Sea-Change" and rural "Tree-Change" communities,” elaborated Professor Brunckhorst.

“I would strongly urge anybody in rural and regional Australia to visit www.ruralfutures.une.edu.au and see some of work being done at UNE that is of inherent importance and relevance to the non-metropolitan landscape and its' people,” he said.

The photograph shows Director of the UNE's Institute for Rural Futures, Professor David Brunckhorst, Excecutive Director Business and Administration at UNE, Graeme Dennehy and Vice-Chancellor of UNE Professor Alan Pettigrew at the new IRF website launch.

For further information please contact IRF Director, Professor David Brunckhorst: 6773 3001

Posted by Gary Fry at 09:14 AM

UNE Symposium to discuss the role of education in rebuilding East Timor

May 01, 2006

The riots involving sacked soldiers late last week and the images of traumatised women and children highlighted the volatility of post independence East Timor, together with the ongoing need for Australian support in every aspect of national reconstruction. In keeping with the University of New England's commitment to supporting the National University of Timor Leste (UNTL), a unique round-table symposium on Wednesday, 3rd May, will give Australian experts and the interested public the chance to learn from the East Timor experience.

"Education in Post-Conflict Environments: Challenges and Opportunities" will be opened by UNE Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, with Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies, Professor Victor Minichiello to close it. It will be hosted by the Centre for Research in Aboriginal and Multicultural Studies and the Centre for Research on Education in Context.

Demonstrative of the groundswell of support in Australia for East Timor's national university, speakers are coming to the symposium from Griffith, Melbourne and the Australian National University, Canberra. “We'll be joined by visiting East Timorese academics who will pass on their first-hand experiences in the reconstruction of their newly independent nation. The Dean of the Faculty of Education and Science at UNTL, Dr Miguel Maia dos Santos and Agostinho da Conceicao Anunu, a lecturer in UNTL's English Department are visiting UNE from April 27 to May 5. Their visit has been funded by a grant from the James Blythe Peace Foundation and as part of an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant,” said Dr Greg Carroll, from UNE's Centre for Research on Education in Context.

UNE has been involved in peace-building and education programs in East Timor since 2000, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNTL in 2003. Current research includes a study of "friendship agreements" between Australia and Timor Leste, the provision of non-formal education in Timor Leste, and an investigation of the role of English in nation-building, using Timor Leste as a case study.

“The commitment within the Faculty of Education to supporting our colleagues at UNTL was demonstrated when individual faculty members contributed enough money to fund a mission to UNTL to answer a call for help with curriculum reform from former UNE student, Sancho Patricio. In January, Greg Carroll, Laurence Tamatea and I went to work with the English Department,” said senior lecturer Glenda Kupczyk-Romanczuk. “Now, with this return visit to UNE, we hope to enhance the confidence of our East Timorese colleagues in delivering English language programs, and to develop their research capacities through a joint project, in which we will gather and analyse data on the perceptions of past, present and future students of the role of English and the changing needs of Timor Leste.”

“We've been made to feel very welcome. Our ability to teach English as a 2nd or 3rd language is crucial to the reconstruction and development of East Timor as a nation. We are learning a lot here,” said Dr Miguel Maia dos Santos. “According to our new constitution, Tetun is the national and official language, with Portuguese as the co-official language. English and Bahasa Indonesian are our 'working' languages,” he explained.

Dr Carroll told us that the aim of the symposium is "to bring together academics, postgraduates, and people interested in discussing the challenges and opportunities surrounding post-conflict environments, particularly, though not exclusively, Timor-Leste.

The symposium promises to intertwine analytical research and study with human experience and insights from those on the frontline of a new nation's battle for renewal.

Pictured in the above-right photograph is Dr.Rebecca Spence and Ms. Glenda Kupczyk-Romanczuk from UNE's Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies either side of their East Timorese visitors, Augustinho da Conseicao Anunu and Dr Miguel Maia dos Santos

For further information please contact: Glenda Kupczyk-Romanczuk: 6773 3838

Posted by Gary Fry at 02:34 PM

UNE researcher launches an ocean of knowledge

May 01, 2006

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England (UNE), Professor Alan Pettigrew, launched two books by Emeritus Professor Klaus Rohde and released an ocean of knowledge into the world . Both books break new ground and are certain to prove invaluable to scientific circles and the general public, locally and worldwide. The importance and relevance of the works, “Marine Parasitology” published jointly by CSIRO Publishing Melbourne and CABI Oxford, and “Nonequilibrium Ecology” published by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, to scientists and the general public are clear.

“Marine Parasitology” is of great importance for its practical applications. According to Professor Rohde, the aquaculture sector accounts for $55 billion of the global economy and marine parasites can have enormous economic impact, leading to huge financial losses. Many parasites also have medical importance. All such species are discussed in detail, describing symptoms, routes of infection and how to avoid infections. “Marine Parasitology” is the first truly comprehensive text on the subject, covering the latest existing knowledge in the area of marine parasites. As editor, Professor Rohde coordinated a team of 75 contributors from around the world, all top experts in their fields. It is a tightly structured textbook, spanning all aspects of marine parasitology.

“The text is aimed at researchers and students in the fields of marine biology, aquaculture, marine parasitology, general parasitology, invertebrate zoology, zoogeography and ecology. The text will be of great use to postgraduate students, with the emphasis on cutting-edge research, providing a stimulating guide for future research,” he said.

The first review of the book, by one of the leading experts in the field, contains the following statements: “There is no similar text that covers as broad a spectrum of marine parasitology, in such depth as this”. And: “the book will become a standard text, stimulating future work in the field not only of students recently attracted to marine parasite research but also of established scientists. At present, when most scientists studying marine parasites are specialised in their field of research and cannot be equally proficient in other directions, even for them the book will be an invaluable source of information. However, the book may find its place on the shelf of every biologist who likes the intricacies and charms of organisms adapted to symbiotic existence in the immense and rich realms of marine life”.

“The crucial need for comprehensive understanding and research into marine parasites was demonstrated by the 2004 economic devastation that rocked the oyster farming industry on the Hawkesbury River in NSW. The agent of the QX disease is a protistan parasite, and it led to the demise of Sydney rock oyster farming on the Hawkesbury River, destroying nearly a century of commercial endeavour. In total, QX affected at least 23 oyster farms, and the wake-up call concerning the crucial importance of marine parasitology rang clear.

In his “Nonequilibrium Ecology”, Professor Rohde has used his insight and understanding of marine parasites, as well as detailed reviews of work on the population and community ecology of a wide variety of animals and plants, to cast doubt on the prevailing view that natural systems are typically in a “balance”, that is, in an “equilibrium”. Balanced systems exist, but almost as a rule, natural systems are hardly ever in equilibrium. This applies to tropical rainforests, kangaroo populations, parasites, coral reefs, to mention only a few of those discussed. Causes of these “nonequilibria” are environmental disturbances and a largely empty “niche space”. In other words, contrary to the established wisdom that resources are usually exhausted by animals and plants, leading to a strong competition for these resources, they very often are not even close to exhaustion. - An important aspect discussed in the book is past and present mass extinctions, including those due to human activities, leading to nonequilibria. There is little doubt that global warming is occurring, and there is little doubt that this and human impact leading to habitat degradation and activities directly leading to extinction have caused large-scale reductions of plant and animal diversity in many parts of the world, including Australia. This trend will accelerate if steps are not taken to stop the disaster.

The 'Nonequilibrium Ecology” book will be of great importance to everybody interested in questions of ecology, evolution and conservation. It is part of a series, and indeed one of the first, published by Cambridge University Press on “Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation”.

UNE Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew heaped high praise upon Professor Rohde as he officially launched the books. “These two books are an outstanding achievement, a testament to your skill and intellect,” he said

“Interest in this book will be widespread,” concluded Professor Pettigrew.

For further information please contact John kauter on: (02) 6773 2779, or visit the websites for the books:
Nonequilibrium Ecology: http://www.cambridge.org/9780521674553
Marine Parasitology: http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/5045.htm

Posted by Gary Fry at 10:19 AM