Partnership's new boost to primary industry innovation

February 28, 2007

The NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, visited the University of New England yesterday to formally announce that his Department would co-fund, with UNE, the new position of Director of the Primary Industries Innovation Centre for the next five years.

Mr Macdonald said that the appointment of a Director was central to ensuring that the Centre, which is based at UNE, continued to deliver agricultural innovation in Australia.

"Today’s announcement is an important milestone that will ensure the continued success of the Primary Industries Innovation Centre (PIIC) well into the future," Mr Macdonald said. "The decision to jointly fund and appoint a Director for the Centre signals an overwhelming commitment by the NSW Government and UNE to remain at the front of the race to develop solutions to the problems facing our farmers.

"The success of the PIIC since its inception two years ago has been exceptional. So far, research projects completed by the Centre’s scientists have made significant inroads into a huge range of research areas – from molecular genetics and bio-fuels through to livestock management and climate change. The scope of the Centre justifies a full-time Director to ensure even greater value from the partnership between the State Government and UNE."

"Innovation is the only way our farming businesses can stay internationally competitive," Mr Macdonald added, "and I am certain the PIIC will deliver innovation in spades."

The Centre – a partnership between DPI and UNE – brings together researchers and practitioners from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines in both organisations to tackle major questions using a multidisciplinary approach.

Mr Macdonald said that DPI and UNE would shortly advertise the position of Director. "The Director’s role will be to provide leadership for the Centre’s researchers and extension and education staff, and to seek out new opportunities to ensure continued expansion and innovation," he said.

Current PIIC projects include research in identifying high-production traits in animals, determining economic returns on investment in bio-fuels, and identifying risk factors of climate variability for mixed faming practices. There are also four co-funded PhD projects – in crop production, cereal quality, integrated pest management, and responsible resource use.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Mr Macdonald (left) and the Chancellor of UNE, Mr John Cassidy, displayed here expands to include (to Mr Macdonald's left) UNE's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, and (to Mr Cassidy's right) the Director-General of the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Mr Barry Buffier. The photograph was taken yesterday at UNE.

Posted by at 04:52 PM

UNE recognised as supportive employer of women

February 27, 2007

The Australian Government's Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) has once again recognised the success of the University of New England in promoting the interests of its women employees.

The Agency announced today the recipients of its "Employer of Choice for Women" citations for 2007. UNE, which is one of 131 recipients across the nation this year, has received the annual accolade continuously since 2002.

The EOWA citation is awarded to organisations with more than 100 employees that have demonstrated that they have policies and practices supporting women across the organisation, and that these have had a positive outcome for both women and the business.

Professor Alan Pettigrew, the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, said he was "very proud" of the University's achievement in fostering the careers of its women employees, and delighted by the Agency's continuing recognition of that achievement.

"I take an active part in the process by chairing the University's Equal Employment Opportunity Committee," Professor Pettigrew said, "enabling it to develop a strategy for the whole University."

"That strategy starts with the selection of candidates for employment," he explained. "We train our selection panels in the relevant aspects of equity. The strategy then proceeds into programs that help women through their professional development."

"It's important that UNE, as the largest organisation in the region, sets a good example in this respect," Professor Pettigrew said. "We'd be very happy to work with other organisations to share our experiences and learn from them."

Lyn Tucker, UNE's Employment Equity and Diversity Officer, said that 40 per cent of academic staff and 59 per cent of general staff at UNE were women. "Women hold a number of key positions at UNE," Ms Tucker said, "currently including one Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean, six Associate Deans, and three Heads of School. A number of women also hold senior positions at the levels of Director and Deputy or Assistant Director, and as Heads of Residence."

She said the Agency had particularly commended several of UNE's equity programs, including the training of members of recruitment selection committees, the consideration of women in the allocation of "early career" research grants, and the "Pathways to Careers and Preparation for Promotion" program that focuses on the career development of academic women.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here, taken soon after UNE received its 2006 "Employer of Choice for Women" citation, shows Lyn Tucker with the certificate.

Posted by at 01:34 PM

Minister approves $5 million funding for Sport UNE

February 26, 2007

The Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop, has approved funding of $5 million for the construction and upgrading of sports facilities at the University of New England. The money will come from the Government's Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) Transition Fund.

Minister Bishop officially informed UNE's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, about the grant late last week. Professor Pettigrew said he was delighted by the news. "It's a very positive response from the Government to the impact of VSU on UNE," he said.

The Government set up the VSU Transition Fund to help universities cope with the change from compulsory to voluntary student unionism that came into effect in the middle of last year. The $5 million grant, from the VSU Transition Fund for Sporting and Recreational Facilities, will be used to assist Sport UNE build a new, multi-purpose facility, buy new gymnasium equipment, and upgrade the swimming pool. (Sport UNE is pictured here.)

The new facility will house Sport UNE's third indoor court (for a variety of sports, including basketball, netball and volleyball), and a new weight-training gym.

In the same letter, the Minister informed Professor Pettigrew that she had also approved funding to UNE of up to $491,000 over three years under the VSU Transition Fund for Small Businesses on Regional University Campuses. This money will help create opportunities for small businesses to provide on-campus services for students, staff, and the wider community.

Professor Pettigrew said that the wide range of facilities provided by Sport UNE was "a vital part of students' life on campus, and an important resource for the Armidale and New England communities".

"The funding will enable us to ensure that Sport UNE and other businesses on campus continue to serve the University and the community," he said. "This will help to attract students to UNE, and could also attract other community activities onto the campus."

"This is a payment from the Government's one-off VSU Transition Fund," he concluded. "We'll make very good use of it for the longer term."

Posted by at 04:02 PM

Preserving the world's endangered writing systems

February 23, 2007

Karen Stollznow, a postgraduate researcher from the University of New England, is a member of a team in the United States that is working to preserve the scripts of ancient, obscure and minority languages by making them intelligible to computer systems.

"We share our writing system, the (modern) Latin script, with hundreds of other languages," Ms Stollznow said. "But there are many other kinds of alphabets in existence – scripts that generally use a symbol for each sound. Other writing systems include abjads (representing consonants only), syllabaries (that represent syllables), and ideographs (images that represent ideas). "

"Just as English is dominating the economic world, our writing system is dominating the computer industry," she said. "Imagine if your script wasn’t recognised by your computer. This is a serious problem faced by many speakers and scholars throughout the world."

The Script Encoding Initiative (SEI) was established in 2002 at the University of California (UC), Berkeley (where Ms Stollznow is currently a lecturer and researcher). It aims to encode over 100 historical and modern scripts and script elements that are not yet supported in Unicode (the universal computing standard for the representation of text in all modern software). The SEI project is led by Dr Deborah Anderson of UC Berkeley, in conjunction with Unicode Vice-President Rick McGowan. "The project entails the enormous task of collecting historical, linguistic and demographic data, creating proposals, seeking funding, and liaising with communities," Ms Stollznow said.

"Scripts currently not encoded include historical forms, living minority scripts, and others undergoing a revival," she explained. "Some are obscure and short-lived. The Albanian Buthakukye script was used for only a short period in the mid-19th century. There are ancient scripts like the Egyptian and Mayan hieroglyphs, the Aztec pictographs, the Indus Valley script, and Linear A. Some are 'parent' scripts, like Aramaic – the proto-script of many Eastern scripts – and Brahmi, the ancestor of all modern Indian and many Asian writing systems. Others are exotic, mysterious scripts, like Rongo Rongo, an undeciphered script from Easter Island, Nushu, the secret 'women's writing' of China (created and used exclusively by women), and the Bassa Vah of Liberia (a secret code used by the Bassa people to avoid slave traders). Sadly, many scripts are poorly attested, with few examples still in existence. There are only a few stone inscriptions of the Byblos and Palmyrene scripts, scant remains of Pyu on burial urns, and a small assortment of artefacts inscribed with Cypro-Minoan."

"The domain that has provided us with the most prolific and best-preserved examples has been belief systems," she continued. "Many endangered scripts were created for liturgical or ritualistic purposes. Astrological charts, incantation bowls, magical spells, scriptures and prayers: these can all be tools of scientific inquiry when they are the sole examples of an otherwise extinct writing system. The Indonesian Batak script is understood and written only by priests. Christian missionaries were fervent in translating the Bible and prayers into local scripts (like Father LeJeune, who created the Chinook script and produced a publication that lasted 30 years, bringing religion and literacy to these indigenous people). Writing is often connected with paranormal beliefs: for example, the Ersu Shaba of China and Tibet, a picture writing system in which colour expresses meaning, is used to write scriptures that are recited in divination and when treating the sick."

“As history, culture, communication, and art, it would be tragic to lose these remarkable scripts," Ms Stollznow concluded.

For more information, visit: http://www.linguistics.berkeley.edu/sei/index.html

Posted by at 02:47 PM

AgLaw Centre's key role in Climate Change Summit

February 22, 2007

A research centre at the University of New England will play a prominent role in the NSW Premier's Climate Change Research Summit in Sydney tomorrow [Friday 23 February].

The full-day meeting on "Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation" at the NSW Trade and Investment Centre will include a session on primary industries. Professor Paul Martin, the Director of UNE's Australian Research Centre for Agriculture and Law (AgLaw Centre), will chair that session, and present an overview of scientific, environmental, legal and social issues that need to be addressed if primary industries are to cope more effectively with climate-change priorities. He will then introduce three speakers from the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Addressing an audience of leaders in government and industry from throughout the State, Professor Martin will argue that, for both environmental and social reasons, the government regulations designed to minimise the environmental impact of agriculture need to be drastically reduced in number, and made fairer and more behaviourally effective. Speaking on the eve of his presentation, he asked: "How can we be innovative and effective with 250 State and national resource laws?" "Under these conditions," he said, "it's simply beyond the capacity of most people to understand their obligations and to comply adequately. Complexity also adds an enormous burden to coordination and implementation by government."

The AgLaw Centre is the first research organisation in Australia devoted to the interaction of the law with rural science and industry. In explaining the Centre's role in environmental protection, Professor Martin said: "You cannot achieve the necessary technical changes without major changes to policy and regulation. We need to integrate science and policy across entire industries." (Professor Martin is a member of the Premier's E10 Taskforce, which is examining a proposal to introduce the mandatory use of ethanol in petrol.)

He said there was a need to reintroduce the politically contentious word "conservation" into the debate about preparations for climate change. "We need to talk about conservation, not avoid it," he said. "But we need to talk about (and implement) it in a way that's fair to everyone – including farmers."

In this context, he spoke about what he called "middle-class shelters": the virtual immunity of city-dwellers from many environmental controls and costs. "People in Sydney are not required to measure or plan their environmental impact as many rural people are," he said – "for example, in biodiversity loss or the emission and retention of carbon."

The NSW Greenhouse Office is convening the meeting. Tim Flannery, the prominent scientist, conservationist and author – and 2007 Australian of the Year – will present the keynote address. Other speakers will include Professor Brendan Mackey, Director of the WildCountry Research and Policy Hub at the Australian National University (ANU), and Professor Tony McMichael from ANU's National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health.

Posted by at 05:27 PM

UNE goes wireless

February 21, 2007

UNE staff and students can now send and receive emails from the lawns of Booloominbah or download documents over coffee, thanks to the installation of a wireless computer network on campus.

The ability to connect computers via wireless networks has become common on laptops, personal digital assistants and mobile phones. UNE has sought to capitalize on this trend by establishing a wireless network on campus, as well as overhauling the university’s existing computer network. As the upgrade of UNE’s computer network continues, more and more of the Armidale campus will be covered by wireless.

Gordon Smith, Principal IT Officer at UNE, said the wireless network had aroused great interest among staff and students.

“They want to be able to move around the campus with their laptops and still be able to access their documents and emails," he said. "It saves a lot of time and makes sense for people to be able to continue working wherever they may be.”

Students especially are set to benefit from the new network, which will improve their access to information and their ability to use technology effectively.

“Laptops are becoming easier to use, and when you combine that with the flexibility and ease-of-use wireless connection offers, students have an incentive to make greater use of IT resources as part of their study,” Mr Smith said.

The wireless network is also great news for external students, who will be able to use their laptops to connect to the network while visiting the campus for residential schools.

The roll-out of the wireless network at UNE will continue throughout the year, with the whole campus expected to be wireless accessible by the end of the year.

Posted by Kate Nash at 11:33 AM

Pastures can support rich growth of carbon credits

February 20, 2007

University of New England researchers have backed calls from the NSW Farmers Association for the introduction of a carbon credit trading scheme, but have explained that scientific and economic know-how is not quite ready for the widespread use of such a scheme.

While there is some knowledge of the amount of carbon absorbed by trees and grasses, they say, more work is needed on the details of measuring and trading these offsets to carbon emissions for the benefit of farmers.

Dr Wal Whalley, an Honorary Fellow in Botany at UNE, explained the concept of carbon trading in simple terms. "By driving cars, or through industry, we are emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere," he said. "When plants are growing they absorb that carbon dioxide and store it in the plant material and in the soil. Carbon credits enable the person who manages the land in a way that maximises this carbon absorption and retention to receive compensation for their effort from the industry (or person) that emits it into the atmosphere. We can turn around the greenhouse effect by getting a balance between the amount of carbon going in and out of our atmosphere."

Dr. Whalley, who was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on Australia Day this year for his work on native grasses and grassland ecology, is keen to dispel the myth that carbon credit trading schemes merely involve the "locking up" of forests. "Grasslands – and using grasslands for grazing – can provide more effective soil carbon storage than trees, as grasses have small, fibrous roots and quickly put carbon back into the soil," he said. "Through modern methods of grazing management and/or pasture cropping you can quickly increase the amount of organic matter in the soil. This is good for the grazing animals, the pasture and the soil."

"If the carbon credit trading scheme devised is simply with trees," he explained, "the science is easier because the estimation of the amount of carbon tied up in forests per year is relatively easy and commonly accepted. We don't know much about the measurement and forms of carbon increases in soils and grasslands, but our vast pastures and grasslands can probably lock up much more carbon than all our forests or plantations. Without standardised measurements of carbon increases, a widespread carbon credit trading scheme cannot exist, as there wouldn't be a fair way to work out the compensation amount. I hope that research will yield results within the next few years."

Professor David Brunckhorst, the Director of UNE's Institute for Rural Futures, said that the other area in need of considerable research was an understanding of the nature of offsets, the potential products, and how to value and trade them across markets. (Professor Brunckhorst is pictured here, at right, with Dr Whalley.)

"Where graziers are managing their land well, maximising ground cover and biomass before grazing, and then allowing sufficient rest from grazing to build up pasture and root biomass, lots of carbon can continuously and relatively quickly be stored in the soil," Professor Brunckhorst said. "Farmers can view that ground cover as a living storehouse of carbon. They will be able to sell the locked-up carbon as an offset to industries that are emitting carbon dioxide."

"However, there is not a clear understanding as to exactly how these contracts would be entered into," he continued. "Some current deals are simply one-off payments. A better option, that needs investigating in detail, might be the establishment of a commodity – tradeable in an open market – of carbon offsets. There also needs to be a consistent and accurate means of assessing the amount of locked-up carbon, against a universally accepted benchmark. Farmers have long been versatile and resourceful in the diversification of their farm business operations. I believe that carbon credit trading could be another form of diversification – a new source of income on the farm with sustainability benefits."

"Establishing a carbon credit trading scheme might also allow for an overhaul of drought policy in Australia," Professor Brunckhorst said. "By providing the right incentives to increase ground cover, build biomass, increase organic matter in soil, capture more water, and increase soil moisture retention, farm practices that increase soil carbon could also make the land more drought-resilient."

Posted by at 05:06 PM

UNE professor's article among 'most cited' in leading journal

February 19, 2007

An article by a zoologist at the University of New England has been named as one of the most influential papers published by the leading international journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (PBZ) in its 80-year history.

UNE's Professor Fritz Geiser, a world authority on hibernation, collaborated with his European colleague Professor Thomas Ruf in writing "Hibernation versus daily torpor in mammals and birds", published by PBZ in 1995.

In its 80th anniversary issue, PBZ includes a list of its 80 "most cited" articles – i.e., the articles most often referred to in the scientific literature as being authoritative bases for subsequent research. Professor Geiser's paper is the most recently-published in the list, meaning that it has received as many citations since 1995 as some of the other papers in a list that goes back to1927.

The paper analyses physiological data from 104 species of mammals and birds in its comparison of hibernation (prolonged torpor) with the similar but shorter-term state of daily torpor. It concludes that the most reliable feature in distinguishing between the two states is "maximum torpor bout duration" (1.5 – 22 hours for daily torpor; 96 – 1,080 hours for hibernation) rather than measures of "shallow" and "deep" torpor.

Professor Geiser and his UNE colleagues and students have carried out extensive research on torpor patterns in mammals such as echidnas, marsupial "mice", pygmy-possums, gliders, bats and rodents, and birds such as kookaburras, tawny frogmouths and owlet-nightjars. Professor Geiser is pictured here with an eastern pygmy-possum.

"Hibernation and daily torpor both result in a pronounced reduction in body temperature and metabolism, causing a decrease in energy and water requirements," he said. "Understanding the mechanisms at work in producing this condition could help to solve many medical problems. For example, if the heart could be cooled and slowed down, surgeons would have more time to operate. And if the brain's requirement for oxygen could be lowered substantially as it is in hibernators, it might be possible to salvage brain tissue that would otherwise be lost after a stroke or other brain injury."

Professor Geiser's work on hibernation also has implications for conservation biology. At a recent "recovery workshop" at Melbourne Zoo on the endangered mountain pygmy-possum, which hibernates for six months under snow in the Australian Alps, his work was crucial in establishing maintenance and breeding plans. The aim of the recovery team is to breed mountain pygmy-possums in captivity that - unlike previously-bred individuals – are able to hibernate, and can therefore be released into the wild.

He feels he is fortunate in being able to make a fundamental contribution to science in the company of delightful creatures such as pygmy-possums. "My wife often suggests that I love my little marsupials more than her," he said.

The full title of the 1995 paper by F. Geiser and T. Ruf in Volume 68 of PBZ is "Hibernation versus daily torpor in mammals and birds: physiological variables and classification of torpor patterns". It can be found on the Internet by going to:
http://www.esnrm.une.edu.au/staff/fritzgeiser.html.

Posted by at 06:11 PM

School students strive to be 'Lord of the Weeds'

February 16, 2007

School students around the nation are doing their bit to address Australia's multi-billion dollar weed problem by competing for the title "Lord of the Weeds".

"Lord of the Weeds", a national competition for schools, is an initiative of the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management (Weeds CRC). Susanna Greig, the Weeds CRC's Educational Officer, developed the competition and runs it from the CRC office at the University of New England.

"Weeds cost the Australian agricultural community $4 billion each year," Ms Greig said, "yet many know little about them. In 'Lord of the Weeds', students investigate a local weedy area and then write a report that introduces the area, describes the weeds, and recommends a solution. Through the competition, students develop solutions to local environmental problems, and experience the satisfaction that such work can bring. They also develop a sense of pride in their school and neighbourhood."

Schools should register for the competition by the 23rd of February 2007, and reports are due by the 25th of May 2007. For more details on "Lord of the Weeds", to see the rules and the resources for teachers, and to read previous winning reports, go to the Web site:
www.weeds.crc.org.au/for_schools/competition.html. "The only thing left to do is to find a weedy area," Ms Greig said.

"More than $3,500 in total prize money is offered to the winning schools," she said. "Following its previous success, the competition has secured additional prize money from the States' weed societies. More prize money means more winning schools."

Last year, prizes went to 16 secondary schools around Australia. (Although "Lord of the Weeds" is a secondary schools competition, some primary schools have become involved.)

The competition has been popular with schools. Comments from teachers include:
"It is a real and worthwhile challenge for our students."
"Providing the certificates and personalised feedback is appreciated! The feedback is unique for a national schools competition."
"The resources provided are terrific and made this an assignment prepared and ready to go."

PHOTO (by Kate Blood) of blackberry weed: Weeds CRC.

Posted by at 03:09 PM

UNE professor receives Iran's top science award

February 15, 2007

Acram Taji, Professor of Horticultural Science at the University of New England, has been honoured at a ceremony in Tehran during which the President of Iran, Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, presented her with Iran's highest award for scientific achievement.

Professor Taji, who grew up in Tehran, travelled back to the capital of Iran for the presentation of the 20th Khwarizmi International Awards (KIA). She was one of 39 scientists who received KIA awards at the ceremony on February 6. (She is pictured here during the award ceremony.)

"These awards celebrate the achievements of scientists across the world and in many fields – including agriculture, engineering, emerging technologies, basic sciences and medical research," Professor Taji said. "The office of the Iranian Organisation of Science and Technology received more than 800 applications – from across Iran and from 41 other countries – for this 20th set of awards. Thirty of the 39 awards went to Iranian scientists working in Iran, and the nine international awards went to scientists (including myself and one other Iranian expatriate) from Australia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, China, India, Malaysia and the United States."

Professor Taji, from UNE's School of Rural Science and Agriculture, received the award in the "Agriculture" category for her contribution to in vitro plant breeding and plant tissue culture. She also received a separate and special award from the Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (one of KIA's sponsors) for her contribution to sustainable development through her work in the conservation of rare and endangered plants.

She said that Dr Ahmadinejad's address at the conclusion of the ceremony had been "excellent", emphasising that scientific endeavour was "for the benefit of all humanity". He had spoken about the strong tradition of science and technology in Iran, explaining that the Khwarizmi Awards had been named in honour of the 9th century Iranian mathematician and astronomer Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. He had concluded by saying: "Advancement in science and technology is fundamental to peace and prosperity in the world."

Among the audience of several thousand were a number of dignitaries, including the Iranian Ministers for Science, Eduction and Defence and ambassadors from many participating countries. Professor Taji said that the function had been "a good opportunity to introduce UNE to an international audience". "Each award winner was provided with a booth," she explained, "where, after the ceremony, we spoke to officials and visitors and displayed material illustrating our work and introducing our various institutions. Dr Ahmadinejad, who had been told about my work in support of Iranian students at UNE and other Australian universities, was delighted to hear about Iranian students in Australia and thanked me for helping them."

"I feel immensely privileged," she said, "to be the recipient of an award that contributes to UNE's international presence and prestige." She added that, as a speaker of Farsi, she had been sought out in Tehran for interviews in the print and electronic media, and had appeared on talk-back radio. "I emphasised the need – internationally – to keep women graduates in science by providing career paths that allowed 'time out' in the early years of motherhood," she said.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here expands to show Dr Ahmadinejad presenting a Khwarizmi International Award to Professor Taji in Tehran last week.

Posted by at 04:13 PM

Pioneering online program set for renewal

February 14, 2007

One of the world's first fully online degree programs, introduced by the University of New England in 2001, is to undergo a renewal process to maintain its position as a showcase of distance education practice.

More than 200 students around the world are currently enrolled in UNE's Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics) program (MAAL), and more than 100 have completed the program. Dr Karen Woodman, who coordinated the development of the program, said it had been particularly popular with graduates wanting to become teachers of ESL (English as a Second Language) and ESL teachers needing to upgrade their skills.

The MAAL program has just received University grants totalling $156,000 (including $96,000 from UNE's Distance Education Project Advisory Committee) for its "strategic renewal" over the next two years. Dr Woodman (pictured here) said the process would begin with the collection of information from current students, graduates, and staff members that would "inform the revision of MAAL units incorporating the latest technology".

Dr Woodman's experience abroad last year will contribute to that process. She spent nine months in California as a Visiting Professor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies – one of the English-speaking world's leading centres of expertise in language teaching, translating and interpreting. (It has given its name to the "Monterey Model" of language teaching.)

Working in the Institute's Graduate School of Language and Educational Linguistics, Dr Woodman not only taught a unit titled "Principles and Practices of Language Teaching", but developed an online version of the unit with the benefit of her experience at UNE.

In the course of that project she learnt new techniques for the incorporation of video footage into online programs. "Video footage of experts speaking on a particular topic can 'personalise' an online course," she said, "and can help students to develop a sense of critical awareness by providing different perspectives from a range of authorities."

Dr Nick Reid, the coodinator of the MAAL program at UNE, said the "strategic renewal" of the program could well involve the development of more extensive – and more technologically advanced – use of video, and Dr Woodman's experience at the Monterey Institute would be a valuable resource in that process.

While in the United States, Dr Woodman explored the opportunities for UNE graduates to continue their studies at the Monterey Institute, which is entirely devoted to postgraduate teaching. She also attended last year's annual International TESOL ("Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages") Conference in Tampa, Florida, and will return next month for this year's conference in Seattle. At the Seattle conference she will assume the role of Chair Elect of the organisation's Teacher Education Interest Section, and will become Chair in 2008.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Dr Karen Woodman displayed here was taken during her time in California.

Posted by at 05:29 PM

Japanese students arrive for 'highlight' of their studies

February 13, 2007

The arrival in Armidale last week of a third group of students from Chubu University in Japan illustrates just one aspect of the dynamic relationship between that university and the University of New England.

The group of 18 second-year students from Chubu University (near Nagoya) will be spending the next five months undertaking a specially designed program of study in UNE's English Language Centre. Travelling with them from Japan were three exchange students who, after spending five months at UNE last year, have now returned for the whole of 2007. (Two UNE students are currently at Chubu University studying Japanese, and a third will join them in April.)

The relationship between the two universities also involves the exchange of academic staff: a Senior Lecturer from UNE spent a month at Chubu University last year, and this year will see a two-way exchange of academics.

Professor Tadashi Shiozawa, Chairman of Chubu University's Department of English Language and Culture, said that the university required all its students majoring in English to spend half a year abroad in an English-speaking environment. Professor Shiozawa conducted an extensive selection process, involving visits to several Australian universities, before choosing UNE as the provider of this overseas-study program. He accompanied the first group of students to UNE in 2005, and has returned this year with the third group.

"I like the environment at UNE," he said. "I feel that the students are safe here. Also, the English Language Centre is really committed to the program, and has been able to provide exactly what we require. And the students just love this place; the first group that I accompanied here didn't want to leave."

"For all our students of English, this five-month period of study abroad is the highlight of their degree program," Professor Shiozawa explained. "They choose Chubu University partly because of this requirement."

As well as attending almost 300 hours of language-oriented classes in the English Language Centre, the students (several of whom are pictured here) will be joining UNE undergraduates for lectures and discussions in a linguistics unit called "Cross-cultural Communication Study". "We want them to experience – and contribute to – an English-language academic environment by being part of a regular class," Professor Shiozawa said. "This is difficult for our students, as they arrive at UNE with only limited proficiency in spoken English, but the lecturer – Professor Cliff Goddard – is so good that they learn a great deal. And UNE provides them with a support teacher who prepares them for each of Professor Goddard's classes."

An important part of the students' learning will be a period of "homestay" during the Easter vacation, when they will be billeted with Armidale families to experience Australian family life. (In term time they live in UNE's residential colleges.) They will also go on several informative excursions, including a week-long visit to Sydney at the end of their time in Australia.

"We are really grateful for everything that UNE has done for us," Professor Shiozawa said. "Professor Robin Pollard (UNE's Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Development and International) has given us great support, and the English Language Centre has worked closely with us in making this program really successful.

"And everyone – staff, students, and members of the Armidale community – is very friendly. The students always make a lot of friends here."

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here, taken during a welcome function at UNE earlier this week, shows two of the Chubu University students: Ayumi Endo and Mayo Kawaguchi. It expands to include (at left) Naoko Inoue.

Posted by at 05:41 PM

UNE gets blogging

February 12, 2007

UNE staff and students can now broadcast their ideas to the world, using new blogging software on the university website.

"Blogs" (short for web-logs) are user-generated web sites that consist of a number of posts, usually presented in reverse chronological order. Recent estimates put the number of blogs on the web at close to 60 million. Blogs come in a variety of forms, with some focusing on a particular subject, while others are more personal. Many researchers are establishing knowledge logs, or "k-logs", as a way of sharing their research and establishing knowledge communities.

One keen blogger at UNE is Prof Klaus Rohde in the School of Biological, Biomedical and Molecular Sciences. Prof Rohde says blogs are potentially valuable research tools, particularly for cross-disciplinary research.

"It gives me the opportunity to communicate my ideas to a wider public, with the possibility of getting feedback,” he says.

Prof Rohde's blog (http://blog.une.edu.au/klausrohde/) is dedicated to discussing various aspects of science, particularly ecology and evolution, and exploring links to other fields of knowledge.

UNE's Uniting Church chaplain, meanwhile, has set up the Uniting Church Chaplaincy News blog (http://blog.une.edu.au/unitingchaplaincy/). Rev Judy Redman says: “I've been enjoying reading a blog that a friend has set up while she's studying overseas for six months and a number of other people I know use blogs for a range of things, so I thought I'd give it a go.”

“My main aim is to provide information about peace, justice and environmental sustainability from a Christian perspective, with a particular focus on activities that people can be involved with on campus.”

To set up your own blog, or read other UNE-blogs, simply visit blog.une.edu.au. The blog editing interface WordPress Mu makes starting a blog simple. All you need is a UNE username and password. If you want to know more about how to get blogging, contact university webmaker Ross Bennetts at ross.bennetts@une.edu.au.

Posted by Kate Nash at 04:18 PM

Orientation bigger and better than ever

February 09, 2007

The University of New England is preparing to welcome its new students for 2007 in an Orientation program that will, in many respects, be bigger and more varied than ever.

Orientation begins on Monday 12 February with a series of events designed to welcome new students - along with their visiting parents and friends - onto the UNE campus. It continues on Tuesday 13 February with course advice and introductory talks by senior members of the academic staff. "Lifesaver Day", on Wednesday 14 February, is when student and community organisations set up stalls in UNE's Central Courtyard to alert new students to the vast potential for involvement - both on and off campus - in sporting, cultural, and community-oriented activities. The academic program for new students begins on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 February with talks on study methods, campus life, and specific areas of study.

"Orientation is a very important part of the UNE experience," said UNE's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew. During the Orientation period, he said, UNE does all it can to ensure that students' transition to university is "as smooth, happy and exciting as it can be". Professor Pettigrew's address to new students, on the lawns of Booloominbah, will be at 11 am on Monday. It will be followed by an information session for parents and friends.

A free barbecue for new students in the Central Courtyard between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm on Monday is being sponsored by Armidale Dumaresq Council, illustrating the close relationship between the university and the wider Armidale community. The Mayor, Councillor Peter Ducat, will "turn the first sausage".

Tuesday's course-advice session in Lazenby Hall, from 1 pm to 3 pm, will allow students to talk to their course lecturers if they need more information.

On Wednesday, between 10 am and 3 pm, the Central Courtyard will be crowded with a record number of stalls (75 in all) representing a wide range of extra-curricular interests and activities that students can become involved in. A new feature of "Lifesaver Day" this year will be entertainment - including a bucking mechanical bull, jousting, and inflatable sumo suits. A "human chess board" will be in operation, and the Sydney band "Tokenview" will be playing. There will be a free barbecue between 12 noon and 1.30 pm, and a treasure hunt with a "university start-up kit" as the prize.

The Orientation program includes a number of special events for students living in town rather than at the residential colleges. These include a special orientation session between 10 and 11 am on Monday in Lecture Theatre A1 (during which "town students" will receive a useful back-pack containing vouchers for Armidale businesses), and a free pool party at Sport UNE on Tuesday.

Another new feature of Orientation this year will be a series of "Orientation podcasts" allowing students to download - and listen to - introductory talks on courses and services.

Rhonda Leece, UNE's Assistant Director (Student Services), said this year's "Lifesaver Day" would be "bigger and better than ever", and that, as a whole, Orientation 2007 would contain new features that would contribute to the welcoming, stimulating, and supportive atmosphere of the occasion.

Updated information on all Orientation activities will be broadcast each morning between 8 am and 9 am on UNE's student radio station TUNE! FM. For full Orientation details, click on the "2007 Orientation" icon on the UNE Home Page.

Posted by at 06:29 PM

Research success highlights importance of twin studies

February 08, 2007

Professor Brian Byrne, a principal researcher in an international project that is revealing the importance of genetic factors in children's reading ability, says the role of twin studies in medical and psychological research is becoming increasingly important.

Professor Byrne, from the School of Psychology at the University of New England, has been invited to join the new Expert Reference Group of the Australian Twin Registry (ATR). He said the Group, which would provide scientific advice to the ATR, was being established with the help of a National Health and Medical Research Council Enabling Grant.

More than 30,000 pairs of twins are currently enrolled with the ATR, which aims to enable studies of the impact of genetic and environmental factors on health, and on the treatment and prevention of disease. Professor Byrne's project (funded by the Australian research Council, the US National Institutes of Health, and the Norwegian and Swedish Research Councils) has so far involved about 250 sets of twins in Australia, and 750 in the United States, Sweden and Norway.

Professor Byrne said that the development in the 1970s and 1980s of powerful new mathematical and statistical techniques for analysing data, alongside advances in molecular biology, had enabled the current focus on the value and potential of twin studies. He said such studies were being used in a wide range of medical and psychological fields, including research on cancer, skin, bone, and eye diseases, mental illness, and personality problems.

His own research team at UNE – in collaboration with their colleagues in Sweden, Norway, and the US State of Colorado – are producing useful (and often surprising) results. In following children through the pre-school and early school years, they have found, overall, that the environmental influences of home and school become less significant as children progress from pre-school to Year 2, and genetic influences become more dominant. "We're finding substantial genetic effects on children's reading and spelling in their early school years," Professor Byrne said, "and we're not finding big effects of different schools – or even different teachers – on the literacy levels of children within the same school year."

Using DNA samples, the researchers can potentially identify specific genes involved in reading ability.

Professor Byrne explained that the principle of twin studies central to distinguishing between genetic and environmental influences on behaviour and proneness to disease was a comparison of identical twins (who share an identical genetic make-up) with fraternal twins (who share only half their genetic make-up). "Identical twins will be more similar to each other than are fraternal twins in cases where genetic variability has more influence on behavioural variability," he said. "Where the family environment is of more importance, both twin types will be equally similar."

He urged twins and parents of twins to consider registering with the ATR, and contributing to the ATR's efforts "to help make a difference to health and wellbeing". He pointed out that participation in any research project was entirely voluntary, and that the registry was open to any "multiples" – triplets, quads, etc. (His own project has involved several sets of triplets.) The contact number for the ATR is 1800 037 021, and the organisation's Web site is http://www.twins.org.au.

Posted by at 05:41 PM

UNE alumni honoured on Australia Day

February 07, 2007

Two past recipients of the University of New England's Distinguished Alumni Award were honoured by the nation on Australia Day this year. Dr Bridget Ogilvie was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) and Dr Ian Anderson a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Dr Bridget Ogilvie AC, DBE was one of the first group of students to enrol in UNE's Bachelor of Rural Science (Honours) degree program, and was the first in that program to graduate with a University Medal. She went on to a highly successful career in medical science in the UK, before becoming Director of the British medical research charity the Wellcome Trust (1991-1998). In 1996 she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).

The Companion of the Order of Australia is the highest Australia Day honour. Dr Ogilvie received it "for service to science in the field of biomedical research, particularly related to veterinary and medical parasitology, and through support for research funding to improve global health".

"My student days at UNE and being in the first lot of Rural Science students were seminal in my career," Dr Ogilvie said. "I really loved that course, and the sciences underlying animal production greatly appealed to me. It led me to Cambridge University, where I went as one of the first Commonwealth Scholars. After that I spent 17 wonderful years doing research into the responses of the immune system to parasites – mainly nematodes – at the National Institute for Medical Research in London."

Dr Ogilvie was elected to fellowship of The Royal Society in 2003 – one of only a handful of Australians to have achieved that honour. She was the recipient of UNE's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1994.

Dr Ian Anderson AM was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for 2004. His Australia Day award – Member of the Order of Australia - was "for service to the community through international humanitarian aid organisations and refugee programs and services, and to the finance sector".

Dr Anderson, who graduated from UNE with a Master of Letters degree in Peace Studies in 1996 and with a PhD in 2004, has held leading positions in the international development organisation Oxfam, including Chair of the Board of Oxfam International from 1999 to 2003.

He served as Founding Chair of Oxfam Hong Kong from 1987 to 1997, Vice-Chair from 1997 to 2000, and a Council member from 2000 to 2003. In 1995 he was a founding Board member of Oxfam International, and served as that organisation's Treasurer before his election as its Chair.

Dr Anderson combined these leadership roles in Oxfam with a distinguished career in accounting, during which he held senior management positions in international tax practice and investment banking.

He was Founding Chair of Australians for Just Refugee Programs Inc. and its "A Just Australia" campaign from 2002 to 2005, and is currently its Treasurer. He has also been Treasurer of Oxfam Australia since 2003.

"I was honoured to receive the award," Dr Anderson said, "and regard it as an accolade for the organisations I've been privileged to serve."

Details of four other UNE graduates who were made Members of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2007 follow:

Mr Anthony Coates (Bachelor of Rural Science – Honours, 1963) was honoured "for service to the beef cattle industry, particularly through support for the advancement of beef cattle genetics and as a judge at agricultural shows in Australia and internationally, and to the community of Eidsvold".

Mr Coates has been Chair of the Agricultural Business Research Institute at UNE since 2005 and a Board member since 1993.

The owner/manager of Eidsvold Station since the 1970s, he has been Treasurer of the Santa Gertrudis Breeders' (Australia) Association since 1993 and was President from 1981 to 1983. He was Chair of the National Beef Recording Scheme from 1993 to 2005, and is a former Vice-President of the Australian Registered Cattle Breeders' Association.

Ms Noelene Horton (Diploma of Education, 1968) "for service to education, particularly through executive roles with professional associations, to the promotion of effective leadership in schools and to the community". Ms Horton has been Founding Director of the Alliance of Girls' Schools (Australasia) since 1996, and was National Chair of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia from 2001 to 2003.

Professor Desmond Nicholls (Bachelor of Science – Honours, 1964), "for service to statistical science in Australia as an academic and through a range of professional organisations, and to the community". Professor Nicholls has been Foundation Head of the School of Management, Marketing and International Business at the Australian National University since 2006. He was President of the Statistical Society of Australia from 1997 to 1999.

Dr Robert Wilson (Bachelor of Science, 1971) "for service to the pork industry through a range of research and producer organisations, contributions to business development and market expansion, and improved farm management practices to protect the environment". Among his many contributions to the pork industry, Dr Wilson was Chairman of the Pig Research and Development Corporation from 1996 to 2001.

Posted by at 05:49 PM

New insight into children's artistic development

February 06, 2007

The 2nd International Art in Early Childhood Conference opened at the University of New England today with a keynote address that showed how it was possible to replace vague generalisations about the value – and the process – of art education with specific details.

Professor Anna Kindler opened her address to an audience of more than 120 delegates from 13 countries by asking: "Exactly what are the children learning through art activities?"

She began her answer by presenting a model of artistic development that emphasised the complex, dynamic interaction between the artistically developing individual, the community of artists and art experts, and the "domain" of art itself. "Artistic development within this ever-changing system is in a constant state of flux," she said.

Professor Kindler (pictured here), an internationally renowned art educator and researcher from the University of British Columbia in Canada, went on to discuss two aspects of artistic development that her research suggested were of universal importance within this complex system: "visual sensitivity" and "technical proficiency".

"The development of visual sensitivity does not have to be connected to drawing and painting," she explained. "It can be achieved by helping children to make visual discoveries – for example, the different shades of green they might see in a 'nature walk'."

"We should also encourage children to reinterpret visual experience," she continued. "An example of this might be finding the shapes of creatures such as dragons and birds in the clouds."

As for technical proficiency, she said it was important for children to "learn about the medium itself". She spoke about her experiences with young children modelling with real clay (not brightly-coloured toy substitutes). She said that, when presented with a large amount of clay (to avoid the usual fixation on moulding "snakes" and "pancakes") and simple support structures, children quickly learnt about the qualities of clay, and the limitations of the medium due to a range of factors including its weight. "They were not discouraged by things falling apart," she added.

"In my experience, children love clay," Professor Kindler said. "By working in this medium they learn that making art can take a long time – that artists often have to come back to their work again and again. Children are happy to return to work on their sculptures."

The conference, organised by Dr Margaret Brooks from UNE and Rosemary Richards from Massey University in New Zealand, continues until Thursday 8 February.

An afternoon of public events in UNE's Education Building on the afternoon of Wednesday 7 February begins at 1.30 pm with a talk by Dr Barbara Piscitelli AM. Dr Piscitelli is the 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 talk will be titled "The new art gallery audience: Young children as critics, connoisseurs, creators, consumers and cultural citizens". It will be in Lecture Room 111.

Then, from 3 pm, there will be three events running in parallel. One of them - in Room 111 - will be 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 others will be an illustrated talk about children's art works from around the world by Trish Amichi from the Amichi Gallery in Sydney (Room 133), and a workshop (limited to 25 participants) on digital art for children (Computer Lab).

With delegates and expressions of interest from 22 countries on five continents, the conference will launch a Web-based International Art in Early Childhood Association, as well as an electronic Art in Early Childhood Research Journal.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Professor Anna Kindler displayed here expands to include Dr Margaret Brooks (left) and Rosemary Richards.

Posted by at 04:36 PM

Students develop skills for academic success

February 05, 2007

Students from around NSW, and from as far north of the Queensland border as Rockhampton, are "tuning up" their academic skills in a week-long program at the University of New England designed to prepare them for university study.

The program, called tUNEup, focuses on academic writing, information technology skills (particularly those necessary for online learning), and important aspects of study such as time management and concentration. It also includes tours of the Library, the Information Technology Building, and the academic Faculties. This week's course is the second of two this year.

The course coordinator, Frances Quinn, said that the popular program was now in its seventh year. "In response to students' requests," she said, "we have extended tUNEup this year from four days to five. Another new feature this year is a series of sessions, called 'Putting it into practice', in which students can practise particular skills of their own choice."

Ms Quinn, from UNE's Teaching and Learning Centre, said that the program was particularly useful for those re-entering the education system after an absence of some years. "Such students often have relevant skills that they have developed at work and at home," she said. "Now it's a matter of applying those skills to university study."

One of this week's students, Carrie Caruana from Rockhampton, is studying by distance education towards a combined Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Teaching degree. Carrie has already completed part of her UNE degree program, but has come to Armidale for tUNEup because she wanted to improve her assignment-writing skills. Another student, Rhys Wilkie from Port Macquarie, is about to embark on a Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Economics program at UNE while living in Armidale. Rhys, who finished school in 2005, said he was doing the course to "get back into the swing" of study after a year's deferral. (THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows, from left, Frances Quinn, Rhys Wilkie, and Carrie Caruana.)

The tUNEup program, developed in consultation with staff and students throughout the Armidale campus, won for UNE an Australian Award for University Teaching in 2002, and contributed to the award last year of a Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (one of 10 such citations that went to UNE in 2006).

Ms Quinn said demand for tUNEup had been such that the Teaching and Learning Centre was planning an online version ("tUNEup from Home") to make the program more accessible to students unable to travel to UNE.

Posted by at 03:26 PM

International collaboration unlocks secrets of bird song

February 02, 2007

The song of the Australian magpie has enticed scientists from the United States and New Zealand to conduct collaborative research at the University of New England.

They have been working in UNE's Centre for Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour with Professor Gisela Kaplan, a leading authority on magpie behaviour in general and vocal behaviour in particular.

Together, they have conducted trials and gathered data that will help to explain how songbirds synchronise control of their breathing and of their vocal organ – the syrinx – when producing their elaborate songs.

Professor Roderick Suthers from the Medical School at Indiana University in the United States thinks Australian magpies are "marvellous birds". "I'm really impressed by their intelligence and vocal ability," he said.

Professor Suthers has pioneered techniques of recording air flow and air pressure within a bird's respiratory system during song without harming the bird or altering its vocal behaviour. He brought his equipment with him to UNE, where he and his collaborators have been using it to record physiological activity during magpie song.

Professor Martin Wild from the School of Medicine at the University of Auckland joined Professor Suthers and Professor Kaplan in the UNE laboratory, where recording has proceeded for the past fortnight. (Professor Wild and Professor Kaplan are pictured here.) "It's been a very valuable trial," Professor Kaplan said, "representing a significant step forward." Professor Suthers confirmed that they had "gained new insights into the coordination between respiration and sound production".

The two overseas scientists were so keen to work with Professor Kaplan and the Australian magpie – one of the world's most spectacular songsters – that they financed their own visit to UNE. Professor Wild stayed for one week and Professor Suthers for two.

Professor Kaplan, who has made many new and unexpected discoveries about the vocal behaviour of magpies, said this was the first time that the physiological basis of their song had been investigated.

She said she was particularly excited about the collaboration because it was bringing a Southern Hemisphere songbird into the "main debate" about bird song. "It may challenge some of the current generalisations about bird song that are largely based on studies of seasonal singing and the song of Northern Hemisphere birds," she said.

"It's wonderful to be part of a collaboration that can work towards a complete picture of magpie song – from brain to behaviour," she concluded.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Professor Wild and Professor Kaplan displayed here expands to include (from left) Professor Martin Wild, Professor Gisela Kaplan, Professor Lesley Rogers (Centre for Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour, UNE), Professor Peter Flood (UNE's Pro Vice-Chancellor - Research), and Professor Roderick Suthers.

Posted by at 06:11 PM

Veterinary scientist and beef cattle researcher honoured

February 01, 2007

Professor Keith Entwistle (pictured here) is one of two scientists at The University of New England who were made Members of the Order of Australia (AM) on Australia Day.

The other recipient, Dr Ralph (Wal) Whalley, was the subject of Monday's posting.

Dr Entwistle, now an Adjunct Professor at UNE, retired as Executive Dean of the Faculty of The Sciences in 2001. He has been honoured "for service to the beef industry through research into the reproductive physiology of tropical beef cattle, and to veterinary education".

Over a 20-year period, Professor Entwistle and his team of students and collaborators conducted research into the reproductive physiology of tropical beef cattle that has enabled the north Queensland cattle industry to employ more productive management strategies.

Their work on enhancing female fertility led to simple but effective strategies such as "spike feeding" – a short burst of additional nutrition in late pregnancy that influences fertility in the following year.

Their research on bull fertility contributed to the development of new standards for evaluating the breeding soundness of bulls that are now widely used by cattle veterinarians throughout Australia.

"The industry is now more sophisticated, more productive, and better managed," Professor Entwistle said, adding modestly that he and his team had made "some contributions".

As a researcher and educator, Professor Entwistle was based at James Cook University (JCU), where he supervised more than 40 postgraduate students, many of whom have progressed to senior academic or industrial positions in Australia or overseas. He served as Head of JCU's Graduate School of Tropical Veterinary Science, and Director of the Tropical Veterinary Research Station at Charters Towers. In May last year the Australian Veterinary Association presented him with its highest award: the Gilruth Prize "for meritorious service to veterinary science". Only seven months later, in December 2006, the University of Queensland awarded him its Gatton Gold Medal for his services to veterinary science and the beef industry.

He came to UNE as Dean of The Sciences in 1993. In addition to his administrative role, he contributed significantly to UNE courses in beef cattle production, and played a leading role in establishing Commonwealth Cooperative Research Centres for beef, wool and cotton. He was elected to fellowship of the Australian Society of Animal Production in 2004.

Professor Entwistle has always had a "hands-on" interest in the beef cattle industry, and will continue to raise cattle in his retirement. "I think the Australian cattle industry is going through its most buoyant phase in the past 50 years," he said.

Several distinguished alumni of UNE were among those who received Australia Day honours this year, and a subsequent posting will focus on them.

Posted by at 06:19 PM