New course aims to 'demystify' acute care nursing

January 31, 2007

A new postgraduate program at the University of New England is attracting Registered Nurses from around Australia who want to gain specialist skills in acute care nursing.

About 50 nurses arrived at UNE yesterday for the program's first residential school.

The program, leading to a Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing, is the first of its kind in Australia. Part of its uniqueness lies in the breadth of its scope: it covers emergency, intensive care and coronary care nursing as well as nursing in and around the operating room.

Dr Mary Cruickshank, the UNE Senior Lecturer who designed the program, said it addressed a widespread shortage of nurses trained in acute care. "Planning for the program started in 2004," Dr Cruickshank said, "with discussions between Jackie Lea (UNE's Clinical Coordinator) and Pat Howarth of Port Macquarie Hospital. Pat's major concern was that the average age of nurses working in operating rooms was 49; younger nurses were unwilling to work there without special training."

"During the subsequent planning process," she said, "the hospitals asked for emergency, intensive care and coronary care nursing to be included in the program, along with perioperative nursing."

Dr Cruickshank and her UNE colleague Dr Penny Paliadelis conducted this week's residential school.

All the students are working nurses, and the majority of them are already working in acute care. Most of them are aged between 25 and 30, and many are graduates of UNE's Bachelor of Nursing program. "It's nurses such as these that Area Health Services are wanting to go into acute care nursing," Dr Cruickshank said, "and they need us to demystify it for them."

Expert clinicians from several Area Health Services have joined UNE academics in writing the certificate program, and are involved in its teaching. "It wouldn't have been possible without them," Dr Cruickshank said. "Thanks to them the course is clinically current. The students are thrilled to have expert clinicians talking to them about the latest developments."

One of the students, Tegan Thomas (pictured here), completed her Bachelor of Nursing degree program at UNE last year and already has a full-time position in the operating theatre at Dudley Private Hospital in Orange. "This course will help me along," she said. Another student, Chris Evans, has been working in operating rooms for 36 years, and is now at Warragul Hospital in Victoria. Her involvement began when she agreed to accompany a younger colleague through the course, but she is looking forward to complementing her wide range of practical experience with some new knowledge.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Tegan Thomas displayed here, taken yesterday in UNE's Clinical Laboratory, expands to include David White (Nurse Manager, Critical Care and Retrievals, Tamworth Hospital), who has helped in the writing and the teaching of the Graduate Certificate program, and Dr Penny Paliadelis.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:36 PM

Pioneer of Japanese at UNE retires

January 30, 2007

One of the mainstays of Japanese language teaching at the University of New England is retiring after more than a decade at the university.

Dr Sato Van Aacken joined UNE's Department of Asian Languages, as it was then known, in 1995. Since then she has coordinated units in Japanese for beginners through to advanced learners.

Among Dr Van Aacken's achievements at UNE were the development of a computer program to help people learn Japanese and the negotiation of exchange programs with four Japanese universities. Dr Van Aacken also negotiated $800,000 in scholarships funded by the Japanese government, which have enabled 60 UNE students to study in Japan since 1996.

The computer program Dr Van Aacken designed, "Tokidoki Japanese", is still used to teach Japanese to undergraduate students at UNE.

The convenor of Japanese at UNE, Associate Professor Hugh de Ferranti, said Dr Van Aacken had been a pivotal figure in Japanese language teaching at UNE.

"The shape of the Japanese curriculum at UNE today is largely the result of Sato's efforts in writing, revising and rejuvenating materials for all the mainstream units," he said.

"We are lucky to have had someone of her enthusiasm and ability driving the program for so long."

The exchange programs Dr Van Aacken negotiated were "crucial to the success of UNE students who continue their Japanese study at high levels and achieve fluency", he said.

For her part, Dr Van Aacken said an important change to UNE's Japanese curriculum in recent years had been a new emphasis on Japanese culture as well as language.

"Since Hugh joined us in 2003, he has focused strongly on both culture and language, and that has been very good for the program," Dr Van Aacken said. "Culture is the hardest part to teach outside of Japan, but it is essential to students' understanding of Japanese language."

After completing her BA at Keio University Dr Van Aacken taught Japanese in Tokyo. She received her MA from the University of Hawaii and her PhD from the University of Wollongong. She has taught Japanese for the Foreign Ministry of Japan, the University of Maryland and the Nebraska State Education Department. After migrating to Australia, she worked at the University of Newcastle, Flinders University and Adelaide University, before making the move to UNE in 1995.

Dr Van Aacken is leaving Armidale to move to Melbourne, where she has family.

Posted by Leon Braun at 03:22 PM

UNE scientists honoured on Australia Day

January 29, 2007

Two scientists at the University of New England - Dr Wal Whalley and Professor Keith Entwistle - were made Members of the Order of Australia (AM) on Australia Day.

Today's posting focuses on Dr Whalley, while Professor Entwistle will be the subject of a subsequent posting.

Another recipient of the same award this year was Professor Brian Hills (School of Medicine, University of Queensland), who was Head of the Department of Physiology at UNE from 1986 to 1994. Professor Hills, a specialist in respiratory physiology, died last year.

Dr Ralph (Wal) Whalley, now an Honorary Fellow in Botany at UNE, retired as Associate Professor of Botany at the end of 1998. Throughout his UNE career of more than 40 years, he and his students have played a leading role in researching and promoting the use of native grasses. They began by researching the various properties of the grasses, and were then able to move on to commercialisation in collaboration with seed producers.

During those 40 years, Dr Whalley has seen what he called a "dramatic change" in the understanding and use of such grasses. His award was "for service to conservation and the environment, particularly through research into Australian native grasses and the promotion of their use for pasture, lawn, and revegetation of degraded natural landscapes".

Dr Whalley led a UNE project that resulted in the commercialisation of three varieties of native weeping grass (Microlaena stipoides) that can be used in a wide range of domestic and agricultural applications. Seed of the first of these became commercially available last year.

The biggest change he has seen during his time at UNE has been in pasture management. One of his PhD students, Dr Greg Lodge of NSW Agriculture, completed research in the early 1980s that demonstrated for the first time that the species composition of pastures could be changed by grazing management alone. Later developments of this principle showed the huge advantages of rotational grazing. The beneficial results for grasslands have been "dramatic", Dr Whalley said.

"The aim is to manage the landscape for 100 per cent ground cover," he explained, "by keeping livestock in each paddock for only a few weeks each year. In this way, skilful managers can actually use their animals as a means of conserving species biodiversity. I did not expect a result like this back in the 1970s."

The view that has emerged, he said, is one that regards each property as an ecosystem, and the grazing animals as part of that system. The resting of pastures is a critically important part of management according to these principles. "The only way to manage is to use grazing animals very intelligently," Dr Whalley concluded.

Dr Whalley is the Editor of The Rangeland Journal, the author of many scientific papers and book chapters, and co-author of three books: Pasture Plants of the Slopes and Tablelands of New South Wales (2003), Grasses of New South Wales (2002), and Grassed up: A Guideline for Re-vegetating with Australian Native Grasses (2000).

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 06:12 PM

UNE alumnus recognised for 'outstanding contribution' to archaeology

January 25, 2007

The most recent recipient of the nation's highest award for archaeology, Dr Mike Smith, was the first person to graduate with a PhD from the University of New England's Department of Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology.

Dr Smith (pictured here), who received his PhD degree from UNE in 1988, pioneered research into the Aboriginal settlement of Australia's deserts. Now the Director of Research and Development at the National Museum of Australia, he was presented with the 2006 Rhys Jones Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Archaeology last month. The medal is an annual award of the Australian Archaeological Association.

Iain Davidson, Professor of Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology at UNE, said that Dr Smith had "dedicated himself to the deserts of central Australia and the prehistory of their people". Dr Smith's research at the Puritjarra rock shelter 350 km west of Alice Springs has added 20,000 years to the date of the earliest-known settlement in the Australian desert. He is working on several research projects in central Australia in association with UNE's Dr June Ross.

"He has put the human occupation of southern-hemisphere deserts on the world agenda," Professor Davidson said, referring to a current international conference series - initiated, planned and conducted by Dr Smith - about the southern deserts of Australia, Africa and South America.

Dr Smith was elected to fellowship of the Australian Academy of Humanities in November 2006.

Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology at UNE became world famous in 2004 after Professor Mike Morwood led the international team that discovered the skeletal remains of a hitherto unknown human species on the Indonesian island of Flores, and Professor Peter Brown confirmed the discovery by analysing the remains. Renowned for its research in this and other nationally-funded projects, the department is able to inject the excitement of discovery into many aspects of its teaching.

Two new archaeology degree programs beginning at UNE this year will reflect this approach. One of them, leading to a Bachelor of Archaeology (Honours) degree, is designed for students aiming to become professional archaeologists. It is the first Australian degree program of its kind to be available through distance education. The other leads to a Master of Education (Archaeology and Ancient History) degree, and is designed for Ancient History teachers who did not have the opportunity to study archaeology during their training. In addition, the department will offer a unit on Forensic Archaeology for the first time this year, complementing its popular Forensic Anthropology unit.

Dr Smith's award is the latest in a series of achievements by – and accolades to – UNE archaeology graduates. Among these distinguished graduates are Dr Sue O'Connor (Head of the Department of Archaeology and Natural History at the Australian National University), Dr Heather Burke (Head of Archaeology at Flinders University), and Associate Professor Claire Smith (President of the World Archaeological Congress, who will succeed Dr Burke as Head of Archaeology at Flinders next year).

THE PHOTOGRAPH (by Stuart Grant) displayed here shows Dr Mike Smith at work in the Simpson Desert in May 2006.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:34 PM

Worriers wanted for study

January 24, 2007

Are you a worrier? Do you constantly "sweat the small stuff" and stress over things you have no control over? Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive worrying. Researchers at the University of New England are seeking people who may suffer from GAD to participate in a study to assess whether exercise can help with their condition.

People thinking of participating in the study should have experienced high levels of anxiety and worry about a range of things over at least the last six months. They need not have actually been diagnosed with GAD, although people who have are still welcome to apply.

Participants in the study will be asked to record their anxiety levels for a week during which they get their usual level of exercise, followed by a week during which they exercise every day. After participants have repeated this regimen for four weeks, researchers will analyse the results to see whether exercise has had any effect on the participants' anxiety levels.

Dr John Malouff, who is coordinating the study with Dr Nicola Schutte and PhD student Sally Rooke, said exercise was known to be an effective treatment for a range of mental health problems, but to date no studies had been conducted to see whether it could help sufferers of GAD.

"Exercise has been studied as a treatment for depression, where it has about the same effect as psychotherapy," Dr Malouff said.

"Exercise releases endorphines and releases muscle tension and depletes excess adrenaline. It could be particularly effective if they do something interesting that focuses their attention on something other than the thing they've been worrying about," he said.

Dr Malouff said activities such as tennis, bike riding and even gardening could all potentially help people with GAD.

"If this treatment does work, that's good news for people with this disorder," he said. "It means there's something they can do to help themselves. If there is evidence that exercise is effective in treating GAD, people might be more inclined to try it."

Anyone interested in participating in the study should contact Sally Rooke on (02) 6773 3742 or by email at srooke@une.edu.au.

Posted by Leon Braun at 03:37 PM

Hong Kong students tackle Aussie English in context

January 23, 2007

Nineteen students have just returned to their university in Hong Kong after a two-week "language and cultural immersion" experience in Armidale, NSW.

The students, who stayed with families in and around Armidale and attended practical English classes at the University of New England, learnt how to apply their English language skills in a variety of new cultural contexts.

They are all in their first year of studies at Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST). It was that university's international program called LIBRA (for "Language Immersion by Residence Abroad") that brought them to Armidale and UNE.

Mark Cooper, Deputy Director of Studies in UNE's English Language Centre, said it was the first time UNE had been involved in the LIBRA program, and added that he and his colleagues were keen for that involvement to continue. Mr Cooper developed a program of academic and cultural activities for the students that enabled them to successfully engage with a broad cross-section of Australians. He said that, because they had arrived with a high level of competence in English, they had been able to focus on more complex, culturally oriented communication strategies.

Melissa Megan, a former teacher in UNE's English Language Centre who now teaches at HKUST, escorted the students to Armidale. She explained that their experience of domestic life with their host families was an important part of the program.

The students confirmed that their immersion in the lives of their host families had been illuminating. One of them, Koon Kong, said it had been "a wonderful opportunity to experience Australian culture". He, like his fellow students, commented on the friendliness of Australian families, and the fact that "you can ask them about anything". Steve and Jacqueline Weir of Uralla, who hosted Koon Kong for a week, said it had been "a wonderful, positive experience" for them and their young daughter Evie.

Ms Megan said that, in its placement of students abroad, the LIBRA program avoided big cities like Hong Kong. "This ensures that they have a very different experience," she said. The students commented appreciatively on the healthy natural environment of New England, the bigger living spaces (compared to the small city apartments of Hong Kong), and the slower pace of life. They also commented on differences in teaching styles between Hong Kong and Australia. (They were used to a strictly academic approach to teaching and learning, while their UNE experience had included many learning activities that, while designed to be educational and challenging, were also meant to be fun.)

During their two-week stay, the students saw a wide range of landscapes – from beaches to rainforest and tablelands – and visited museums and galleries to gain further insight into Australian culture and history. They were particularly interested in Aboriginal culture, and learnt how to throw a boomerang. Each of the students made a terracotta tile at Rick and Susanne Hatch's "Weemala" Pottery near Armidale, and took the tile back with them to Hong Kong.

"Overall, the experience was educational for both the Hong Kong students and the staff of the UNE English Language Centre," Mr Cooper said. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology."

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Mark Cooper (right) with one of the HKUST students, Jacky Ma. It expands to include the coordinator of this month's LIBRA program at UNE, Cindy Schneider.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:59 PM

Vice-Chancellor moved to record 'majestic' celestial show

January 22, 2007

"Trevenna", the Vice-Chancellor's residence on the edge of the University of New England campus, is in an excellent position for viewing the night sky. It has allowed the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, to gain an awe-inspiring view of Comet McNaught.

Professor Pettigrew, who has a strong interest in both astronomy and photography, took a series of spectacular photographs of the comet from "Trevenna" between 8.45 and 9.10 pm on the evenings of Friday 19 and Saturday 20 January. One of them is displayed here. (The image at right expands into the complete photograph.)

Professor Pettigrew has had a life-long interest in astronomy, but was still unprepared, he said, for the "absolute beauty" of Comet McNaught. "To see something like that in the sky – the changing colours, and the tail curving away beyond it – is a truly memorable experience," he said. "Such a majestic sight also makes you realise how small and vulnerable we all are here on planet Earth."

He said his fascination with astronomy began when, as a child, he listened to his father talk of his experiences as an Air Force navigator during World War II. "I was fascinated by the fact that they had to navigate by the stars," he said. This early enthusiasm for astronomy developed into a more general interest in science, which led eventually to a distinguished career in medical research.

"One of the advantages of living in Armidale is the clarity with which you can see the stars," Professor Pettigrew said. "And the comet has appeared at the perfect time of day – against the setting sun." He used a variety of telephoto techniques – and a variety of exposure times – to capture the spectacle.

"I've never seen anything in the sky to compare with this," he said, "even though I saw Halley's Comet from a couple of vantage points in 1986."

Associate Professor David Lamb, a UNE physicist, said that Comet McNaught was the brightest comet to have been seen in Australian skies in more than 40 years. "It's best observed at sunset," he said, "and is one of very few comets that can be seen by the naked eye in daylight. Its head is brighter than Venus (the 'Morning' and 'Evening Star') and its tail stretches from near the horizon half-way up to the zenith."

Dr Lamb said that the comet was 140 million kilometres from Earth, and had a head that was bigger than Mount Everest and a tail that stretched 30 million kilometres into space.

Below: more images of the Comet McNaught taken by Professor Pettigrew. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 05:58 PM

The op shop that creates opportunity

January 19, 2007

Community spirit runs strong in Glen Innes. Whether it's volunteering for the Rural Fire Service or marching in the street parade at the annual Celtic Festival, Glen Innes residents have always been willing to lend a hand for a good cause.

It's that same community spirit that motivates Shirley Edwards and other volunteers at the Glen Innes Opportunity Shop to provide a scholarship worth $5,000 a year for a local student to gain a degree at the University of New England. The money goes towards textbooks, stationery, and living expenses. The scholarship is particularly aimed at nursing students, in the hope of addressing the town's chronic shortage of trained nurses.

"Most of the nurses at our local hospital are at an age when they would probably rather be retired," Shirley said. "We thought if we could sponsor a nurse and get her through the course, then she might come back to work in Glen Innes."

With the current scholarship holder it looks as though Shirley might get her wish. Sarah Bryson, who comes from Glen Innes, began her nursing studies at UNE - with the help of the Glen Innes Opportunity Scholarship - last year. She said she intended to do her postgraduate year at Glen Innes Hospital and hoped to work there when she finished her studies. She said the scholarship made a big difference to her life, by allowing her to focus on her nursing degree course instead of worrying about money.

"I'm a single mum, so it's difficult for me to work on top of studying full-time," Sarah said. "This scholarship means I don't have to. It's helped with textbooks as well as general costs."

Sarah said she felt lucky to have received the scholarship. "I know for a lot of others it's really difficult," she said. "Nursing textbooks are expensive."

The Glen Innes Opportunity Shop started during World War II, when a group of local women got together to sell tea and scones to buy wool, which they knitted into socks and balaclavas for Australian soldiers. After the war, the women didn't want to disband, so they opened a shop selling second-hand clothes and bric-a-brac, with all proceeds going to the local community. Last year they raised more than $60,000 for a variety of causes, including the UNE scholarship.

About 40 women volunteer at the shop, which is located at 179 Lang Street. "We do two shifts a day, and we've always got three or four people on at a time, so no one has to work too hard," Shirley said.

She said she was glad the scholarship was helping Sarah to achieve her academic goals. "When you live out in an area where there are not a lot of study facilities it's very hard on young people. It means they either have to live away from home or give up the thought of it - and living away from home can be very expensive. That's our motivation for offering this scholarship."

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Mrs Shirley Edwards (right) with the scholarship holder Sarah Bryson. It expands to include (at left) Mrs Joy Geddes, also from the Glen Innes Opportunity Shop. It was taken at last year's undergraduate scholarship presentation ceremony at UNE.

Posted by Leon Braun at 12:26 PM

Study Weekend to focus on Malta

January 18, 2007

The Mediterranean island nation of Malta is to be the focus of the 37th Annual CWA Weekend Country of Study School at the beginning of February.

More than 200 members of the Country Women's Association (CWA) of NSW will take part in the three days of lectures, discussions and cultural events at the University of New England from Friday 2 February to Sunday 4 February. They will travel to UNE from all parts of the State.

Hosted by UNE's Earle Page College and organised by the UNE Conference Company, the Study School takes a deep and informative look at a different country each year. (Last year's country was Denmark.) Sharon Gallen, Manager of the Conference Company, said the Country of Study Weekend was one of the longest-running annual events hosted by UNE. It is one expression of a long-standing relationship between the University and the CWA.

Ms Joanna Pisani, the Maltese Consul General for NSW, will present an "Introduction to Malta" to begin the lecture program in UNE's Wright Centre on the Saturday. Among the other talks that day will be studies of Maltese politics and Maltese settlement in Australia, as well as a talk by Mr Lino Vella, Editor of The Maltese Herald, titled "The Malta news". (The Maltese Herald is the only national bi-lingual Maltese/English newspaper in Australia.)

The talks on the Sunday morning will include one on the language and literature of Malta by the linguist Roderick Bovingdon. (Mr Bovingdon is an authority on the Maltese language of Australia – "Maltraljan".)

During a formal dinner in the Earle Page College Dining Hall on the Friday evening, the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, will welcome the delegates to UNE, the Mayor, Councillor Peter Ducat, will welcome them to Armidale, and Ms Pisani will present a "Welcome to Malta".

The multicultural band "Skorba" will give a performance on the Saturday evening that will focus on the culture of the Maltese islands and their beauty, as well as on the Neolithic temples of Malta that are between 6,000 and 8,000 years old.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 05:11 PM

School students get a taste of scientific adventure

January 17, 2007

The University of New England is welcoming high-school students from throughout northern NSW into its laboratories this week, giving them an experience of real, hands-on science.

The annual Siemens Science Experience allows students entering Year 10 to get a taste of experimental work in a university laboratory, and to meet, listen to, and interact with leading scientists in a variety of fields.

Jim Sonnemann, the National Director of The Siemens Science Experience (TSSE), visited UNE during this year's event, which is running from Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 January.

Mr Sonnemann explained that almost all of Australia's universities were involved in the program, which aimed to develop students' interest in science, and to encourage them to continue with science in senior secondary school and at university. "It gives them an idea of the breadth of the sciences, and the opportunities that exist for careers in science, engineering and technology," he said.

This week, more than 50 high-school students are conducting experiments in UNE laboratories in disciplines as diverse as physics, chemistry, robotics, zoology, psychology, microbiology and physiology. They are also attending a series of short, entertaining lectures (with titles such as "The code of life" and "The chicken or the egg") presented by some of UNE's most distinguished scientists.

Associate Professor Jim McFarlane, director of the Siemens Science Experience program at UNE, said: "The laboratory sessions are designed to give the students an opportunity to use research equipment, and to experience some of the things that scientists do on a day-to-day basis." (THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Jim Sonnemann, left, and Associate Professor Jim McFarlane.)

The laboratory activities at UNE this year include extracting DNA, examining microbes, analysing musical sounds, and programming robots.

Mr Sonnemann said that a survey conducted in 2005 revealed that 83 per cent of participants in TSSE had felt more motivated, as a result of the program, to continue with science in Years 11 and 12. "The findings of the study indicate that participants' attitudes to science did change as a result of their involvement in hands-on activities provided by TSSE," he said.

TSSE, sponsored nationally by Siemens and organised by The Science Schools Foundation, is conducted at universities with the support of local Rotary Clubs and with the involvement of Young Scientists of Australia.

In addition to their academic activities, the students gain valuable experience of life on a university campus. At UNE there is the opportunity to stay in a student residence on campus and, in the evenings, to take part in a wide range of games and sporting activities at Sport UNE under the direction of trained instructors.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:42 PM

Australia's changing attitude to its convict heritage

January 16, 2007

A specialist in Australia's convict history believes the widely reported gibe at Anglo-Australians' convict heritage by the Sydney-based Muslim leader Sheik Taj al-din al-Hilaly would have "fallen on deaf ears" because the nation has outgrown its sensitivity about its convict origins.

"It was a typically provocative statement by Sheik Hilaly," said Dr David Andrew Roberts from the University of New England, "but he was merely following an old tradition of insulting Australians by referring to their convict heritage."

Dr Roberts (pictured here), who teaches convict history at UNE and produces the Journal of Australian Colonial History, has published numerous works on Australia’s convict past and is particularly interested in its impact on Australian society. "Up until very recently, the surest way to offend an Australian was to bring up the subject of convicts," he said. "We were particularly concerned about British attitudes. It was a type of national inferiority complex."

In 1899, in what Dr Roberts calls "one of the most famous faux pas of Australian history", the new British-born Governor of NSW, William Lygon, the 7th Earl Beauchamp, congratulated his subjects on what they had achieved despite their national "birthstain". "It was one of many incidents that showed how insecure and anxious Australian’s were about their convict past," Dr Roberts said. "Beauchamp thought he was paying us a compliment, but many people were seriously distressed by his remarks."

"In the early 20th century," he continued, "history books managed to explain Australian colonial history without using the word 'convict', preferring more sanitised terms like 'pioneer' and 'early settler'. Others argued that the convicts left no lasting legacy on Australian society and culture. The convict influence was supposed to have been wiped out by the massive influx of free immigrants during the gold rushes of the 1850s. It was also assumed that most convicts were men who died single and childless, so that their 'criminal genes' were obliterated.

"The strange censorship surrounding our convict history peaked between the World Wars, when Australians became passionately pro-British and overly sensitive about their lowly origins. Organisers of the 150th anniversary of Australia Day in January 1938 were so self-conscious they staged a re-enactment of the First Fleet landing – without any convicts! They were trying to say that criminality was not a typical Australian characteristic. They wanted to look to the future, not the past."

But by then, Dr Roberts said, a new generation of Australian writers and artists – such as Norman Lindsay, Mary Gilmore and Dymphna Cusack – were arguing that Australia's convict heritage was something to celebrate and be proud of because it made Australia unique and distinctive. "There was a strong anti-British self-confidence here," he said. "We were proud to be the descendants of people who were kicked out of England by corrupt judges and aristocrats. The convicts came to a healthy climate, and many achieved a level of prosperity they couldn't have dreamed of back home. The convicts were the lucky ones."

He said that Australia’s acceptance of its convict background had improved dramatically since World War II. "The phenomenal rise of Australian genealogy is proof of this," he argued. "To be descended from a convict now gives one a sense of being authentically Australian. We once had the distinction of being the only country in the world that systematically destroyed its official census records, in order to conceal the skeletons in the closets of our oldest families. This longstanding practice was overturned by legislation in 2000, and a recent census suggested that more than 20% of Australians claimed possible descent from a convict. That percentage is impossibly high, but it shows that convictism has become synonymous with Australianness."

"There was a time when Sheik Hilaly's remarks would have caused serious upset," Dr Roberts concluded, "but those times have passed. Convict heritage, though largely misunderstood, has become quintessentially Australian."

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:55 PM

Computer science students get hands-on

January 15, 2007

Computer science students at the University of New England have been making the most of their time at university by getting real job experience working on the university's computer systems.

Matthew Debus has just finished three years of computer science study at UNE. As part of his course he had the chance to work on a real-life project with the ITD Web team.

For Matthew, the chance to work on a project with ITD led not only to some valuable knowledge and terrific experience, but also to opportunities for further work in ITD.

"I came to ITD to work on a software engineering project. It was the first time I’d really worked as part of a team and on a real project that was going to be used by people," Matthew said. "I learnt so much about computing and how to work with others."

Daniel Gooch, head of the UNE Web project, said he was keen to give more students like Matthew the opportunity to gain much-needed real-world experience.

"It’s great to have students on the team," he said. "It’s a win-win situation. They are learning key skills and the university is benefiting from their training and enthusiasm."

Matthew will spend his holidays working with the Web team on the UNE Web upgrade. In 2007 he intends to build on this experience with an honors project based on his work experience at ITD.

Posted by Kate Nash at 04:42 PM

International conference to celebrate young children's art

January 12, 2007

An international conference in Armidale next month will examine - and demonstrate - the life-enhancing role of young children's art in the community.

Experts from 18 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australasia will gather at the University of New England on Monday 5 February for the 2nd International Art in Early Childhood Conference. The conference will continue till Thursday 8 February, and will include events for the whole community as well as a program of talks for those - such as teachers, parents and researchers - involved more closely with children's art.

The title of the conference will be "Our people, our place, our time". One of the conference conveners, UNE's Dr Margaret Brooks, explained that it would be, among other things, "a celebration and sharing of early childhood art education, recognising that young children's early childhood experiences are linked to people, place, and time".

"Collaborations with the wider communities and people - such as artists, galleries, museums, community groups, parents, and other educational settings - are important," said Dr Brooks's co-convener, Rosemary Richards from Massey University in New Zealand. Public events at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) and the C.B. Newling Centre ('the Old Teachers' College') on the afternoon of Wednesday 7 February will demonstrate those collaborations.

At NERAM, the events will begin at 2 pm with a talk by one of the keynote speakers at the conference, Dr Barbara Piscitelli AM. Dr Piscitelli is Chair of the National Review of Visual Education as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Queensland Museum and a Director of the Collections Council of Australia. Her wide-ranging research on arts education includes work on children's learning in museums. At 3.30 pm there will be a floor talk by the Curator of NERAM, Andrea Gledhill, on an exhibition of Australian children's book illustrations that will be on show at the museum, followed by a presentation by Dr Brooks and the artist Christine McMillan on the practical involvement of young children in the work of artists and art museums.

The program at the C.B. Newling Centre will begin at 3.30 pm. It will comprise an illustrated talk about children's art works from around the world (including those of Australian Aboriginal children), an open rehearsal for a music performance by young children led by Jodie Winton of the New England Conservatorium of Music, and a workshop on digital art for children. There will also be a tour of the adjacent Museum of Education. Community members attending these events can contribute to their presentation with a gold coin donation.

For more information on these programs, as well as the conference as a whole (including registration details), ring Dr Margaret Brooks on (02) 6773 2654, or go to:
www.artlearn.net/artEC/conference.html

The conference papers themselves - to be presented in UNE's Education Building on the Tuesday (morning and afternoon), and on the Wednesday and Thursday mornings - will include about 30 by overseas speakers. They will explore topics ranging from the theory to the practice of children's art. "Art making is an essential human experience that allows young children to explore, understand and share ideas about the world in which they live," said Dr Brooks. "Early childhood art experiences help children's learning, development, and emotional wellbeing. The presentations at this conference will help us to understand young children's art experiences and how we can better provide for and support them. They will be of interest to everyone involved with young children and their art."

Keynote speakers at the conference will include the internationally renowned art educator and researcher Dr Anna Kindler, the teacher, artist, writer and filmmaker Ursula Kolbe, and Giovanni Piazza from the Reggio Emilia Schools in northern Italy. The guest speaker will be Dr Sylvia Chard, Professor Emerita of Early Childhood Education at the University of Alberta, Canada.

THE PICTURE displayed here is the prize-winning work in the infants' section of last year's UNE School Art Prize.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:39 PM

Putting remote nursing skills to the test

January 11, 2007

Before completing her Bachelor of Nursing studies at UNE last year, Lauren Moss undertook a nursing placement in Tennant Creek, a remote community of 3,500 people in the Northern Territory. Tennant Creek lies roughly halfway between Alice Springs and Katherine, and is the only town of any size in the centre of the Northern Territory.

The placement put Lauren's nursing skills to the test, as she treated everything from minor illnesses to life-threatening conditions that required evacuation by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

"There was never a dull moment," she said. "I worked primarily in the busy Emergency Department of the hospital, which is always a challenging and exciting place to be.

"The staff welcomed me into their hospital community, and they were extremely supportive and eager to share their knowledge."

Lauren said she was surprised by the "unusual beauty" of the Northern Territory landscape, as well as being taken aback by the difficult circumstances faced by the local Aboriginal population.

"This placement brought home to me the necessity of improving the health status of Indigenous people who live in town and outlying communities, especially those affected by domestic violence," she said.

Lauren took her children with her to Tennant Creek, and she hopes her nursing career will take all of them to new and exciting places in the future.

She was supported in her studies at UNE by a Joblink Plus Nursing Scholarship.

Posted by Leon Braun at 12:48 PM

UNE team to edit leading higher education journal

January 10, 2007

A team at the University of New England has won the honour of editing the international journal Higher Education Research and Development (HERD).

Academic institutions throughout Australia compete for the honour of editing HERD, which is the official publication of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia. The successful team at UNE had to go through a rigorous application process, highlighting the team members' expertise in tertiary education and their extensive international connections.

Dr Izabel Soliman from the School of Education at UNE is the convener of the editorial team, which includes Professor Ian Macdonald (Director of UNE's Teaching and Learning Centre), Associate Professor Leo Goedegebuure from the School of Professional Development and Leadership, Dr Belinda Tynan, Dr Henk Eijkman and Dr Robyn Smyth from the Teaching and Learning Centre, and Dr Peter Shanahan from the Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies.

"This is a real win," said Dr Soliman (who is pictured here with an issue of HERD). "It is national and international recognition of the expertise and multidisciplinary teamwork at UNE, Armidale."

"It will mean greater exposure for the work of many researchers at UNE," she continued. "We are strongly urging everyone at UNE whose work relates to higher education to consider submitting articles for publication by contacting members of the editorial team. We invite articles of 5,000 to 7,000 words in length, and book reviews of approximately 800 words."

"The journal seeks to publish research-based articles on the theory and practice of higher education, and has been publishing for 25 years," she explained. "Each issue is approximately 200 pages.

"It also aims to serve the needs of teachers, researchers, students, administrators, and all those who are concerned with higher education – as it is now, and its future directions."

The publishers, Taylor & Francis / Routledge, distribute four issues of the journal internationally each year. Articles submitted are subject to a peer review process. Manuscripts may be submitted as e-mail attachments to Dr Soliman or a member of the editorial team.

For more information contact Dr Izabel Soliman on (02) 6773 3158.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:17 PM

Innovative program to give students a boost

January 09, 2007

A new support program at the University of New England is to provide an academic helping hand, easing the transition of students into higher education. Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS), targeting courses recognised as "difficult", will be piloted in Semester 1, 2007 at UNE.

"PASS leaders have been appointed for four courses in Semester 1," said PASS adviser Julie Godwin. "These courses, within the Faculties of The Sciences and Economics, Business and Law, are recognised as being historically difficult."

"Pass leaders are seniors who achieved a Distinction or High Distinction in the course in question and have maintained a Credit or higher average across all of their studies," she said.

"Trained in group facilitation techniques, and working collaboratively with the unit lecturer, the PASS leaders will hold weekly sessions for small groups of students," she explained. "The sessions encourage student participation through interactive learning strategies. During these sessions the students will review lecture notes, discuss examples and concepts, and develop their study strategies."

"UNE already boasts a second-to-none learning experience for students, as documented in the 2007 Good Universities Guide," Ms Godwin said. "We have much smaller class and tutorial sizes than most metropolitan universities, and the new PASS program offers another learning arena. PASS sessions provide the opportunity for cooperative and collaborative learning in a supportive, enjoyable learning environment. Students also benefit from the guidance of the PASS leader acting as a positive role model.

"Participation in PASS is voluntary and is open to all students. It is, however, of particular benefit for students who may have limited background knowledge in the subject. Evidence has shown that students who participate in PASS improve their final marks for the unit and are able to transfer successful learning skills to other units.

"The new PASS Program is another example of the outstanding learning opportunities for students at UNE, following the University's success in 2006 with 10 out of 10 Carrick Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning."

Pictured: PASS adviser Julie Godwin with student Fiona Fishpool.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:21 PM

Supporting the sports stars of the future

January 08, 2007

Former Lord Mayor of Brisbane Clem Jones loves sport.

A lifetime member of Sport UNE, and vice-patron of UQ sport, Mr Jones was made an associate member of the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to Australian sport. One such contribution is his sponsorship of the Clem Jones sporting scholarships for student athletes at UNE. Among notable athletes to have received this scholarship are Brumbies winger Francis Fainifo and champion cross-country skier Katie Calder.

In 2006, seven athletes benefited from Mr Jones' support, to the tune of $9000.

Mr Jones' connection with UNE goes back to the 1950s, when he was Secretary of the Queensland University Sports Association. Queensland University wanted to play intervarsity sport but found the cost of travel to Sydney and Melbourne prohibitive. When he learned that UNE had been prevented from playing in the intervarsity games on the grounds that it was then a college of the University of Sydney and not a "real" university, he helped establish a regular competition between UQ and UNE. Students competed in sports including cricket, tennis, and football.

"In the course of that I made a lot of very good friends," Mr Jones said. He donated a trophy, the Clem Jones Shield, which is still contested in competitions between UQ and UNE.

Mr Jones said he was pleased with the success of the UNE athletes he sponsored.

"I have met one or two of them, and I get correspondence from a few of them," he said. "They say how well things are going."

"It's been a very rewarding exercise."

Pictured: Clem Jones scholarship recipient Tom Bedford.

Posted by Leon Braun at 11:00 AM

National interest in School of Rural Medicine at UNE already strong

January 05, 2007

The first prospective student of the new School of Rural Medicine at The University of New England has taken a tour of the facilities, as the university heads into the establishment phase of the lifeline for rural and regional Australia's health services, crippled by an endemic doctor shortage.

The UNE School of Rural Medicine is a joint venture with the University of Newcastle. UNE will utilise the University of Newcastle curriculum and capitalise on the rural-regional nexus of the two universities.

"Interest is already coming from far afield. Today, we saw a prospective student all the way from Darwin. This young man has grown up in the bush and is attracted to UNE because of its rural location and is interested in studying and practicing medicine in a rural area," said the Executive Dean of The Sciences at UNE, Professor Margaret Sedgley.

Alex Humphrey is a 17 year old student about to commence year 12 at Darwin High School. "I have been interested in science throughout my schooling career and heading into year 12, I thought I should choose a career and aim towards that goal. I’d like to study medicine because it means an important role in the community – helping people," he said.

"So far, UNE looks really good to me. There’s a good community spirit as well as good resources," said Alex. "I grew up in Jabiru, a country community in the Northern Territory’s Kakadu National Park and then went to Darwin. I would be more comfortable studying medicine at UNE in Armidale. A smaller, regional university would suit me better than going to a big city. From what I’ve seen, there’s more personal attention, smaller classes and it is just less daunting," he said.

"I definitely agree that you would be more likely to practice medicine in a country area if you study it in a country area. Country people are more at home in rural communities," he said. However, Alex has an additional, nostalgic reason to inspecting UNE, with his father having graduated from the University in the 1980s.

Meanwhile, the establishment of the School of Rural Medicine is in full swing. "We are just starting the redevelopment of one of the buildings here at UNE. We have designs in the advanced stages for an Anatomy Laboratory, tutorial rooms, and we are also refurbishing a large lecture theatre. So, plans are well underway for our first intake of students in 2008," said Professor Sedgley.

"We're expecting an extremely strong demand. We have been allocated 60 places and expect those to be filled very quickly. Given that this is a School of Rural Medicine, we will be giving preference to rural students, (students who come from regional and rural areas and fully intend to return to such areas to practice medicine). We will also be giving preference to prospective indigenous students," said Professor Sedgley. "Ultimately, down the track, we'll be opening up to international and full fee paying students."

"This facility will be unique. UNE is the only truly rural university in Australia. This will be the only truly rural School of Medicine. That has enormous implications on how medicine is taught, how it is practiced, and provides a sorely needed emphasis on rural and indigenous health related problems," she said.

Professor Margaret Sedgley and 17 year old Alex Humphrey are pictured in the above photograph.

For further information please contact: Professor Margaret Sedgley: 02 6773 2303

A photograph with this story is available at http://photodatabase.une.edu.au/albums/incoming/2006/JANUARY%20TO%20DECEMBER/December%202006/Med.SchoolPrev.1.jpg

Posted by lcreedy at 01:06 PM

Getting down and dirty for river health

January 04, 2007

Crawling around in a river looking for bugs and slime might not be every girl's dream, but it's all in a day's work for PhD student Emilie Warner.

Emilie, a student in the School of Ecosystems Management at UNE, is looking at macroinvertebrates (bugs) and biofilm (slime) in rivers on the North Coast of NSW, as part of a program monitoring the health of the Nymboida River.

"It's not so bad, actually. It's a nice clean river," Emilie said.

The Nymboida River supplies water to the Clarence Valley and to Country Energy's hydroelectric plant at Nymboida. In 1997, after 70 years of unrestricted water extraction from the Nymboida River weir pool, environmental flow rules were implemented to limit water flow during naturally low-flow or drought periods. Emilie's research project, which she has undertaken with fellow PhD student Ruth Harlow, is looking at the amount and type of algae and other organisms attached to rocks, from which Emilie and Ruth make inferences about the health of the river. From this they can assess whether the new rules have improved the river's health or if stricter measures are necessary.

The study is being undertaken in partnership with North Coast Water and the River Monitoring Committee.

Emilie said the restrictions appeared to be making a difference, but that results were not yet conclusive.

"There seems to be something there to suggest the altered flow regime is having an effect," she said.

Emilie is due to finish her PhD studies next year. Originally from Sydney, she said she had adjusted easily to studying on a regional campus.

"I love it," she said. "I was ready to get out of the big smoke."

Posted by Leon Braun at 10:46 AM

UNE professor on the Council of the Australian Academy of the Humanities

January 03, 2007

The University of New England's Professor Majella Franzmann has been elected to the six-member governing council of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

Professor Franzmann, an international authority on early Christian and other religious writings in the Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Coptic and Syriac languages, was elected as a Fellow of the Academy in 2001. Her election as councillor for a three-year term took place at the Academy’s Annual General Meeting late last year.

“I am looking forward to using my insights from this regional university [UNE] to help rebuild interest in – and funding of – the humanities on a national level," Professor Franzmann said.

"In today's academic environment," she explained, "research with potential financial rewards, such as scientific research and development, is favoured by public and private funding bodies. The task of promoting research and attracting funding in the traditional areas of study known as 'the humanities' is a contemporary challenge, but vital – especially to the continued prestige of regional universities as holistic tertiary education institutions."

"I am particularly interested in playing a part through the Council in the national discussion about the quality and impact of research and scholarship in the humanities," Professor Franzmann said.

"I am also interested in advancing the discussion about increasing collaboration between researchers in the humanities. The tradition of the 'lone researcher' in their lonely office must be broken down. If the humanities are to achieve growth within Australian universities, researchers will have to broaden their approach to the possibilities of multi-disciplinary, national and international collaborations. The Academy has already begun to foster collaboration through its new 'e-Humanities' project, which features a central searchable database, into which researchers can enter information on their projects."

The Academy of the Humanities, established in 1969, currently has 432 Fellows who are elected to membership within these disciplinary areas: Prehistory and Archaeology; Asian Studies; Classical Studies; English; European Languages and Cultures; History; Linguistics and Philology; Philosophy, Religion and the History of Ideas; Cultural and Communication Studies; the Arts.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:31 PM

Sheep industry research finds national base at UNE

January 02, 2007

The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) supporting the Australian sheep industry is to be based - like the CRCs for the beef and poultry industries - at the University of New England.

The Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, announced the location of the new CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC) last month. The new CRC takes over from the Sheep CRC set up five years ago and based at CSIRO's Pastoral Research Laboratory near Armidale. Ms Bishop said the Government had approved funding of $35.5 million for the new CRC over the next seven years.

James Rowe, Professor of Animal Science at UNE, was the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Sheep CRC and, as CEO designate, will lead the establishment of the new CRC, which will begin operations on July 1, 2007.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, said: "It is an amazing achievement to have the three livestock-based CRCs with their headquarters at UNE. I am keen to ensure that there is close cooperation between the new Sheep CRC and the Beef and Poultry CRCs. It is a wonderful opportunity to capitalise on the consequent synergies." Professor Margaret Sedgley, Executive Dean of the Faculty of The Sciences at UNE, pointed out that the location of the new Sheep CRC at UNE would have positive consequences not only for rural industry research, but also for teaching.

As well as the headquarters of three CRCs, UNE houses the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, Sheep Genetics Australia, the International Livestock Resources and Information Centre, offices of several other CRCs, and several Institutes serving the agricultural and livestock industries.

Professor John Gibson (pictured here), Director of The Institute for Genetics and Bioinformatics at UNE, coordinated the planning for the new CRC, which involved 20 organisations and hundreds of industry and research professionals. "The commitment of UNE to planning for the CRC (including the location of its headquarters) reflects the University's established position as a leader of innovation for Australian agriculture and rural societies," Professor Gibson said.

"The new Sheep CRC brings together for the first time all the key players in the pathway from innovation to delivery," Professor Gibson continued, "with the sole objective of helping the sheep industry achieve a bright future."

Australian Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI) and Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) have each committed $10 million to the new CRC. This, together with the Commonwealth's contribution and the in-kind allocation of research staff, means that the CRC will have resources worth more than $120 million over the next seven years. There are 20 participating organisations, including AWI, MLA, the Australian Meat Processor Corporation, other industry bodies, government departments, and commercial companies.

UNE will continue to play a key role in an industry-wide education program funded through the Sheep CRC. There will be a new emphasis on postgraduate research and its alignment with major projects within the sheep industry, and the development of new training courses for agricultural consultants.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:20 PM