UNE strengthens ties with Naresuan University

November 29, 2007

A four-year collaboration between the University of New England and Naresuan University in Thailand in health and medical education and research has resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between these two rural-based universities.

The ceremony was held at Naresuan University on Tuesday 27 November. It involved high-level officials from both universities, including the two Vice-Chancellors and Presidents, Professor Alan Pettigrew and Dr Mondhon Sanguansermsri.

A significant project to emerge from this collaboration is the establishment of the National Centre of Expertise on Hospital and Health Service Management. UNE is a key partner in this project, which is recognised by the World Health Organisation.

David Briggs, a Senior Lecturer in UNE's School of Health, has been working with a large team of health researchers from both Australia and Thailand – and Thai students in the Doctor of Health Service Management program at UNE – on projects associated with rural medical education and health service delivery models. The establishment of the WHO Centre in Thailand offers a further opportunity to increase the number of programs related to workforce training in health service management in Asia.

In welcoming the UNE delegates, President Mondhon Sanguansermsri from Naresuan University noted that both universities were "widely recognised for their mission and expertise in improving the quality of life and health services for people living in rural communities". "This agreement will further promote and support a number of teaching and scholarship activities that will make a difference in improving health care delivery," he said.

President Sanguansermsri has provided scholarships for senior staff of his university to undertake the Doctoral program in Health Service Management at UNE. These include Dr Prawit Taytiwat, who takes up his appointment as Dean of the Faculty of Public Health at Naresuan University in early 2008.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, in responding to President Sanguansermsri, said that the long-standing relationship between UNE and Naresuan University was "a strong reflection of both universities' commitment to address rural issues and workforce training through collaboration".

"The most significant advances in the future will come from international collaborations such as these, where the partners have an opportunity to learn from shared experiences in their respective countries," Professor Pettigrew said. "I have been very impressed with the quality of the facilities at Naresuan University and the opportunity we have to broaden our relationship in a range of academic areas that are strengths at both institutions."

Discussions were held about the exchange of medical students from UNE and Naresuan University that would enrich both their medical education and their cultural awareness. The UNE delegates also learnt about the delivery of rural dental education in Thailand – a subject of great interest to Australia given the shortage of dentists working in rural dental practices.

Posted by Leon Braun at 05:49 PM

UNE Professor to deliver annual Classics lecture

November 28, 2007

Professor Majella Franzmann, a leading scholar from the University of New England, has been invited by the Australian Academy of the Humanities to give the Trendall Lecture for 2007. She will speak about her research into the position of women in early religions.

Professor Franzmann (pictured here), an international authority on early Christian, Gnostic and other religious writings in the Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Coptic and Syriac languages, was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 2001. She is the first UNE scholar to have been asked to give the highly-regarded annual address.

Her lecture, "Beyond the stereotypes: female characters and imagery in Manichaean cosmology and story", will be at the University of Sydney tomorrow evening (Thursday 29 November).

"Manichaeism was one of the most important religious movements that arose in the Graeco-Roman world and was a serious competitor for early Christianity," Professor Franzmann explained. "The position of women in the group has always been held to be much better than the position of women in Christianity as it developed, but serious work on this question has not been done in the past."

"I'm honoured to be invited to give this year’s Trendall Lecture," she said, "and I'm pleased to be able to disseminate the results of my research further."

The Trendall Lecture was inaugurated in 1997 to honour the memory of Professor A.D. Trendall (1909-1995), who was Professor of Greek at the University of Sydney from 1939 to 1954. Professor Trendall was one of the twentieth century's foremost authorities on the history of Greek art. The Trendall Lecture, originally developed in conjunction with the Institute of Classical Studies in London, is given each year by a distinguished scholar on themes associated with Classical studies.

The public lecture is free and will begin at 6 pm in the General Lecture Theatre in the University of Sydney's Quadrangle Building. Refreshments will be served from 5.15 pm. For more information on the lecture, and to notify the organisers of intentions to attend, phone (02) 9351 5658.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Professor Majella Franzmann displayed here expands to show her with her book Jesus in the Manichaean Writings.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:10 PM

Technology keeps lecturers in touch with student learning

November 27, 2007

Computer touch pads are the latest additions to lectures at the University of New England.

First-year UNE chemistry students have trialled Personal Response Systems (PRS) that track their level of understanding and allow them to answer questions without even putting up their hands.

"It can be a task to get first-year students to respond to questions," said Dr Peter Lye, a Lecturer in Chemistry at UNE. "As soon as you ask, everyone's eyes drop. This way is anonymous. It means they don't have to feel that if they are wrong they'll make a fool of themselves."

The credit-card-sized keypads (pictured here), which are connected to the lecturer's computer, are handed out to students and are then used to answer questions. The students' responses are immediately analysed and graphically shown on a screen at the front of the lecture theatre.

"This allows instant feedback on how students have answered," Dr Lye said. "It also helps the lecturer know if the class has understood key concepts or whether the content needs to be changed." (In the recent Federal election PRS were used to create "the Worm", which tracked voters' reactions. The systems are also used on the popular television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.)

Surveyed students said the PRS made lectures more enjoyable and interesting while giving them a good break from writing.

"It is important that the staff at UNE are supported in trialling and evaluating technologies in order to know how best to implement innovation," said Dr Belinda Tynan from UNE's Teaching and Learning Centre.

Dr Lye and the Teaching and Learning Centre have been evaluating the systems for their project "Edutainment: or Enhancing Student Outcomes?" Dr Lye is now applying for funding to buy touch pads to use for the next five to ten years.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:49 PM

An animated experience for gifted school students

November 26, 2007

Sixty Gifted and Talented school students from around New England and north-west NSW travelled to the University of New England earlier this month to become film-makers for a day.

The students, in Years 5 to 8, were nominated by their schools to take part in a talent enrichment program hosted by UNE's School of Education. They came from as far afield as Walgett.

After learning about different styles of animation, they worked in groups to create short animated films using computer software, digital cameras, and their own props – with some outstanding results.

The UNE Creative Animations Student Enrichment Day for Middle School Students on Saturday 3 November was UNE's fourth major event for Gifted and Talented students this year. All of the events have focused on developing skills that can be taken back to the schools and used in the classroom, and have given the students the rare opportunity of working with a group of peers with similar interests.

Teachers and parents were also involved in the enrichment program. During a Teacher Professional Learning Day on the previous day (Friday 2 November) teachers were trained in the use of the animation techniques and created their own animations. On the Enrichment Day itself, parents were given demonstrations and information, held a forum to discuss provision for gifted students, and signed up for a parent networking group. In the afternoon they attended the screening of the students' animated films and the award ceremony.

The coordinator of the event, Dr Susen Smith from UNE's School of Education, said that the program had been very successful and enjoyed by all the participants, with the UNE community throwing its support behind the project. She said lecturers from the School of Education's ICT and Learning and Teaching teams, together with UNE students, had supported the school students and teachers over the two days.

"The program allowed the students and teachers to be creative problem solvers in a collaborative context and to use a variety of computer software and other materials to support their creations in an enjoyable learning environment," Dr Smith said.

"The National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR), which is based here at UNE, provided some funding," she added, "enabling the most creative groups to be commended for their imaginative storylines and their productive use of the technology."

Dr Smith thanked MAC1 for sponsoring the event by providing 50 laptop computers, an education facilitator (Liz Perry), and some additional staff support.

Students and teachers were given copies of their finished animations, which are in the process of being placed on UNE's TalentEd Web site (http://scs.une.edu.au/TalentEd). Photographs taken during the two-day enrichment program are displayed on the Web site.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:35 PM

Arts, Science researchers share discoveries in 'vibrant conference'

November 23, 2007

Researchers on topics as diverse as "baroque harpsichord accompaniment" and "blood flow in the human carotid artery" will report on their work during a conference at the University of New England this weekend.

Forty researchers from UNE's newly-formed Faculty of Arts and Sciences will present papers at the Faculty's two-day Postgraduate Conference for 2007.

The conference, titled Global Directions – Regional Futures – Tomorrow's Leaders, will begin this evening with a reception for participants at "Booloominbah". Then, moving to Arts Lecture Theatre A1, the program will proceed with the official opening by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, followed by the keynote address by Dr Adrian Walsh, a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at UNE.

The research papers themselves will be presented (in parallel sessions in the Arts Building and the Oorala Centre) throughout tomorrow and on Sunday morning. Among the many reports on ground-breaking research will be that of the conference convener, PhD student Greg Falzon (pictured here), in a talk titled "The Medical Applications of Synchrotron Radiation".

The two plenary speakers at the conference – UNE graduate Dr Andrew Whitten (now a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) and UNE Senior Lecturer in English and Theatre Studies Dr Anne Pender – are both highly successful professional researchers.

Joanna Drake, the administrator of the conference, said it was designed to provide a supportive environment in which postgraduate researchers could practise the presentation skills required not only in academia but also in many other professions. "While gaining this experience," she said, "they will also obtain valuable feedback from fellow students and supervisors."

Ms Drake said that the level of enthusiasm among the participants promised "a vibrant conference". "We're encouraging students and members of staff from throughout the campus to attend any of the sessions they might have an interest in," she said. "As well as the project reports, there will be 'question-and-answer' sessions with panels of research supervisors, and seminars on writing grant applications and 'Surviving your Thesis'."

"This is a 'pilot' event within the new Faculty," she added, "and we're hoping it will be the first of many such conferences."

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 09:58 AM

Our fragile heritage 'in need of stories'

November 22, 2007

An archaeologist from the University of New England, Professor Iain Davidson, has emphasised the importance of "storytelling" in preserving our material heritage.

For example, the preservation of the remarkable works of Aboriginal rock art (such as that pictured here) in north-western Australia's Dampier Archipelago, in the face of encroaching industrial development and natural gas exploitation, depended on relating the art to "stories that everyone wants to hear", he said. "Only then will public opinion prevent further damage to it."

Professor Davidson was presenting this year's Academy Lecture at the Annual Symposium of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in Brisbane last week. His topic (and that of the symposium as a whole) was the impact of new technologies in the humanities. "Although new technologies enable us to measure more properties of things, and to collect and disseminate more data, there's still a need to find the best way to turn the data into stories that everyone wants to hear," he said. "The technologies are a tool, not an end in themselves."

Used creatively, however, those technologies can enable archaeologists to tell stories that might otherwise have remained untold. The work of Professor Davidson and his students (particularly Dr June Ross) on the rock art of the Selwyn Ranges, south-east of Mount Isa in Queensland, was enhanced through the development (by another of those students – Dr Malcolm Ridges) of a geographic information system that revealed complex social and cultural patterns linking art sites spread over an area of 150 square kilometres.

With the help of such technologies, Professor Davidson said, stories can be told about the interaction of fluctuating human populations and changing climate patterns over the past 40,000 years – stories that could provide illuminating perspectives on the current combination of climate change and massive population growth.

In making the point that our "archaeological past" lives in and around us he quoted from a poem by Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) that begins: "Let no one say the past is dead / The past is all about us and within."

The annual general meeting that followed the symposium marked the end of Professor Davidson's two-year term as the Academy's Convener of Prehistory and Archaeology. The meeting also saw the election of a UNE archaeology graduate – Dr Sue O'Connor – as a Fellow of the Academy. Dr O'Connor, who is now the Head of the Department of Archaeology and Natural History in the Australian National University's Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, is the first person with a Bachelor's degree from the Department of Archaeology at UNE to be elected to Fellowship of the Academy. Last year Dr Mike Smith, who was the first person to graduate from UNE's Department of Archaeology with a PhD degree, was elected to Fellowship. Dr Smith is a Senior Research Fellow at the National Museum of Australia.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of rock art in the Dampier Archipelago displayed here expands to include UNE PhD student Ken Mulvaney (holder of a rock art research scholarship funded by Woodside Energy Ltd) and Trinidad Martinez (a UNE Visiting Fellow from the University of Valencia in Spain).

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 12:22 PM

'AskUNE' provides more answers

November 21, 2007

A University of New England Web site that provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) from current and prospective students is being re-launched to provide even more information.

"During the past few months the 'AskUNE' site has been revamped, with updated content and a new 'look and feel'," said Eve Woodberry, UNE's Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Services).

"AskUNE" is the customer-facing element of a much broader system now called Student Relationship Management (SRM). Users are able to give feedback on the quality of the answers and, if they are unable to find the answer to their question, can submit their query to UNE using a Web form provided. "As more feedback is received from users, further FAQs will be generated to meet demand for information from current and future students," Ms Woodberry said.

The SRM system uses technology provided by RightNow, one of the world leaders in software for customer relationship management. "Planning is under way to extend the use of this technology to fully integrate the management of administrative contact with students," Ms Woodberry said. "This involves the management of all communication channels, including face-to-face, phone, e-mail, and other emerging Web-based technologies such as 'live chat'. These developments are designed to ensure that UNE continues to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its services to students."

UNE administrative units now actively using the system include Student Administration and Services, the University Library, the Teaching and Learning Centre, and Information Technology, with more areas of the University becoming involved as the project progresses.

"In 2008, the SRM system itself will undergo a version upgrade that will improve its functionality and 'look and feel' for end-users and staff," Ms Woodberry said. "The success of the SRM project so far has been down to great team work and considerable effort by staff from many areas, and I would like to thank everyone involved for their contributions."

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:54 PM

Unveiling a God that sacrifices power for love

November 20, 2007

The traditional idea that God is not only everlasting but also unchanging has been challenged in a book by the University of New England's Professor Peter Forrest.

Peter Forrest (pictured here), who holds the Chair in Philosophy at UNE, spells out his argument that, while initially all-powerful and all-knowing, God's development means that it increasingly relinquishes power over that which it created.

The book, Developmental Theism: From Pure Will to Unbounded Love, is published by Oxford University Press.

For Professor Forrest, the Primordial God that existed before creation could not love anyone, nor could it be loved by anyone. However, with a series of acts, including the creation of autonomous agents and the Holy Trinity, God developed from pure will to an entity capable of loving and being loved. It is in this vein that Forrest develops his "kenotic theism" – i.e., with the creation of a natural order God's power of divine intervention became limited.

These explorations into speculative philosophy also provide the reader with real responses to the age-old philosophical question regarding the problem of evil: How can evil exist in a world with an all-powerful, all-knowing and loving God?

Forrest also argues that materialism, traditionally regarded as a hurdle for theist philosophies to overcome, need not exclude the idea of a deity; indeed, he claims the two are mutually supportive.

The book is a result of Professor Forrest's visit to Oxford University in 2004 to deliver the Wilde Lectures in Natural and Comparative Religion, which are presented by leading experts in the field from around the world.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:27 PM

Armidale playwright to perform in Budapest

November 19, 2007

Barbara Albury, an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Theatre Studies at the University of New England, will be performing one of her own plays in Hungary this week at an international women's conference.

The World Conference of Hungarian Women, sponsored by the Association for Women's Career Development in Hungary, will take place on the 23rd and 24th of November in the historic Parliament House building in Budapest. About 400 delegates – more than 100 of them from outside Hungary – are expected to attend.

Ms Albury, who is of Hungarian origin, will be the only delegate from the Southern Hemisphere at the conference in Budapest; all the others travelling to Hungary will be from Europe, North America and Israel. "I was invited to attend after I served as compère for the 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, held at Parliament House, Sydney, in October 2006," she said. "I'm delighted to be able to participate in an event of this kind, which has as its objectives the strengthening of democracy in Hungary and the promotion of equal opportunities for Hungarian women."

Barbara Albury (pictured here) is well-known in the Armidale area as an accomplished theatre director and actor. She is also a successful playwright, whose works have been staged professionally in Sydney and broadcast on ABC Radio National.

Her play Hungarian Sunday was first produced in 1998 as part of the Olympic Arts Festival in Sydney. Dealing with the experiences of Hungarian migrants coming to Australia, it was praised by the Sydney University academic Dr Zita Weber, in her study of post-war migration, for the skilful way in which it "encapsulates concepts of change, loss and grief".

For the Budapest performance, Ms Albury has adapted a 20-minute section of her play for presentation as a two-person dramatic reading with multimedia. Assisting her in the performance will be Laszlo Tahi Toth, one of Hungary's leading film and TV actors. The evocative viola score for the production is played by another UNE affiliate: Chris Cunningham, an Honorary Fellow in the School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences. Sound recording and multimedia preparation were done by Andrew Nash, the Audio Engineering teacher at Armidale TAFE.

In addition to her dramatic presentation at the conference, Ms Albury will participate in a panel session on the perennial problem of balancing family and professional responsibilities. "Being the mother of a disabled child has added an extra dimension to the 'family' side of the equation for me," she said, "but I have always tried to continue my professional theatre work, even if it's at a reduced level."

Her contribution to the panel discussion will focus on how she and other women in similar circumstances have managed their career aspirations. "It's a difficult problem," she said, "and no two people's situations are exactly the same. But it's important to get the issue of women with disabled children on the agenda in any discussion of women's careers."

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:51 PM

UNE gives twin boost to Indian shepherds' income

November 16, 2007

Sheep in the Indian State of Maharashtra are having twins thanks to a 14-year collaborative project led by the University of New England.

The project, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), has involved scientists from India and Australia working with traditional Indian shepherds.

Seven scientists from UNE – the commissioned Australian research institution for the project – have participated over the years, together with several from CSIRO and the University of Melbourne. In collaboration with their Indian colleagues, they have demonstrated that an increase in the productivity of Maharashtra's sheep flocks – with a corresponding increase in shepherds' incomes – can be achieved by introducing a "fecundity gene" from the Garole sheep of West Bengal into the Deccani sheep of Maharashtra.

The Indian team involved in the project has just won an important award from the Indian Government in recognition of the project's success. The leader of that team is Dr Chanda Nimbkar who – as part of the project – studied at UNE for her PhD degree in genetics, graduating in 2005. Dr Nimbkar is now the Director of Animal Husbandry at the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) in Maharashtra, founded by her father. Her team is joint winner of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Award for 2007 for Science and Technology Innovations for Rural Development, to be presented by the Indian Prime Minister.

"UNE's 'systems analysis' approach, emphasising the importance of understanding the social, economic and biological aspects of traditional shepherding in Maharashtra – including the needs of the shepherds themselves – has guided the project from the start," said Associate Professor Steve Walkden-Brown, who has led UNE's involvement in the project since 1998. "We set about systematically discovering what the shepherds themselves wanted, rather than foisting something onto them. It's been very much a two-way process."

Dr Walkden-Brown explained that Deccani sheep (in common with the vast majority of Indian sheep breeds) have a comparatively low reproductive rate, with ewes producing only one lamb every 10 to 12 months. As the shepherds' income depends largely on the sale of lambs for meat, an increase in the number of lambs per ewe has been the principal objective in this project aimed at raising the shepherds' standard of living.

"One option was the introduction of Garole sheep to Maharashtra," Dr Walkden-Brown said. "Our Indian colleagues found, however, that they did not thrive on the Deccan plateau. Another option was to create a new breed, but our survey of more than 100 shepherds showed that they wanted to retain the characteristics and appearance of the sheep with which they had a traditional association. Our solution, then, was – through a complex cross-breeding process – to retain the appearance and hardiness of the Deccani breed while introducing the Garole 'fecundity gene'."

"While the initial project work was mainly on flocks at research institutes," he continued, "in the past five years the work has been focused on 26 collaborating shepherds' flocks into which the new sheep have been introduced. In these flocks we are undertaking extensive documentation of social, economic and biological indicators to ensure that the new sheep type is appropriate for the environment in Maharashtra and of benefit to the shepherds breeding them."

Since the development of a DNA test for the gene in 2002, it has been possible to select lambs that carry the fecundity gene. This new strain has been named "NARI Suwarna". NARI Suwarna ewes are now giving birth to twins at least every second lambing – a rate that, while being more profitable for the shepherds, is still manageable by their traditional methods of husbandry. A flock of 500 NARI Suwarna ewes has been established at NARI itself, and rams carrying the gene have been successfully disseminated through more than 30 shepherds' flocks.

In the course of their research, the scientists discovered that Garole sheep have better resistance to internal parasites than Deccani sheep, and the breeding program is also capitalising on this characteristic.

"It has been wonderful to have 10 years of ACIAR funding to solve this problem in a systematic way," Dr Walkden-Brown said, "and we are grateful for this. At the end of 2008 we'll have a workshop in India summarising our findings and setting directions for the future. It is likely that the fecundity gene will be introgressed into other major Indian sheep breeds following our success with the Deccani. Although this should not require further Australian funding, there will be continuing links between NARI and UNE and the possibility of collaboration on future genetics-based projects.

"So, if you're travelling through India in the future and see lots of twin lambs by the roadside, they're probably an outcome of this project."

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here expands to show Dr Chanda Nimbkar (right) inspecting twin lambs at a flock near the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute, Maharashtra.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 10:59 AM

UNE Holds Graduation Ceremony in Hong Kong

November 15, 2007

The University of New England held its annual graduation ceremony in Hong Kong this week, with families and friends attending the joyful celebration of 97 graduates at the Miramar Hotel.

The graduates completed awards in Administrative Leadership, Counselling, Gerontology, Communication and Management and Professional Studies.

UNE has been offering courses in Hong Kong for more than a decade in partnership with The Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong and Shue Yan University. The courses are offered via distance education with intensive residential schools occurring in Hong Kong. UNE academic staff deliver the lecturers with the assistance of local tutors.

In delivering this year's Occasional Address, Professor Alan Pettigrew, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of UNE, said a university education should develop values of critical thinking, intellectual approaches to problem solving and intellectual consideration of what the future may bring.

"There are many challenges facing the world, especially through climate change and economic and social disparity," Professor Pettigrew said.

"Issues such as these provide a wonderful opportunity for graduates who have experienced an international collaboration in their education, and which has led to a qualification based on international values and experience, to make a difference in society.

"These thoughts are also crucial to our own planning at UNE as an international provider of tertiary education. We are moving quickly to renew the content and rigour of our programs and to create new study opportunities that are more attuned to the world situation and developments in modern societies.

"We aim to offer programs that will impart up-to-date, work-ready skills and strong values to all our graduates," he said.

Ng Chui Yee, a graduate from the Bachelor of Administrative Leadership, delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of the newly admitted graduates.

Ms Ng said that she found the course of a high standard and spoke about the support and guidance she received from both UNE academic staff and local Hong Kong tutors.

"The course provided me with new critical thinking skills that are so important to my professional development and the workforce," she said.

Posted by Leon Braun at 02:47 PM

UNE musician and academic acclaimed for Vienna recital

November 14, 2007

The University of New England's Dr Terrence Hays has given his second organ recital in St Peter's Church, Vienna – the church where Mozart's children were baptised.

Dr Hays's performance, on Sunday 11 November, was part of an international recital series that has featured organists from across Europe and from the United States.

He was invited back to St Peter's after giving his first performance there last year. A large audience filled the church – the second oldest in Vienna – for Sunday evening's concert.

"St Peter's, while it is the most lavishly decorated baroque church in Vienna, has one of the best examples of a Johann Kauffmann grand romantic organ," Dr Hays said. "My program, with works by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, Mendelssohn and Gigout linking the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, was chosen to demonstrate the tonal capacity of the grand organ."

The Director of St Peter's Church, Father Christian Spalek, said Dr Hays's "virtuosity, dramatic use of registration, and attention to the musical line" had combined to "make the Kauffmann organ sing" and to "thrill and inspire" the audience. "We look forward to his return in 2008," Father Spalek said.

Dr Hays is a Senior Lecturer in Music Education at UNE. In addition to music performance and education, his areas of expertise include community arts development and administration. A Churchill Fellow (2005-2006), he is the Artistic Coordinator of the Australasian Piano Summer School (Armidale, January 2008) and Artistic Director of the Australian National Seniors' Creative Arts Festival (Sydney, July 2008).

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Dr Terrence Hays at the Kauffmann organ in St Peter's Church, Vienna.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:08 PM

Biodiversity creates greener pastures for wool growers

November 13, 2007

While clear-felling and pasture improvement might have been the priority thirty years ago, today’s wool growers are taking a more balanced approach to managing native vegetation, thanks in part to research conducted at the University of New England.

Working with 25 local property owners, Associate Professor Nick Reid and other members of the Land, Water & Wool Northern Tablelands Project have identified a range of management practices for profitable, biodiverse wool production in temperate regions.

"Considering over half the average wool property in the region is native vegetation, managing native vegetation is core business for local growers," Prof Reid said.

Among the tactics recommended by the researchers to assist biodiversity are stocking conservatively, fencing of gully erosion, matching fertiliser inputs to land capacity and establishing shelterbelts, including the use of native species.

"It’s in growers' best interests to manage native vegetation well," Prof Reid said. "Shade and shelter is essential for maximising profits and minimising stock losses, especially with our sometimes harsh New England winters."

Managing farms for biodiversity not only increased short-term productivity and maintained producers' options in an uncertain world, but also resulted in a higher quality end-product, Prof Reid said.

"The high-tensile strength, superfine wools that this region is known for are a result of the productive balance between the region’s diverse native and introduced pastures, and accompanying woody vegetation," he said.

Prof Reid also emphasised the importance of careful management of riparian zones (areas near creeks, rivers and dams) to the local ecology, livestock production and catchment health.

"Riparian zones are a crucial bit of the landscape – biodiversity hotspots if you like," Prof Reid said. "If you manage them poorly, your livestock suffer through poor water quality and lack of forage in potentially the most productive part of the landscape, and the whole downstream catchment suffers from water pollution. Manage them well, and everybody benefits."

Among the "true believers" in biodiverse farm management practices are Tim and Karen Wright, whose 3350 ha property, "Lana", lies 24 km west of Uralla. The Wrights are one of ten wool growing families profiled by the project over the past four years.

A healthy natural resource base was "100 per cent important" to the business of running a sheep farm, Mr Wright said.

"We manage for biodiversity because it gives us a better balance – more is good," Mr Wright said.

"The increase in abundance and diversity of cool season perennial grasses has given us more even feed production throughout the year. Clean water in the rivers and dams is valuable for stock, and we have a diversity of birds for pest control," he said.

The project was funded at UNE to the tune of $320,000 by Land and Water Australia and Australian Wool Innovation. Altogether, with in-kind and cash contributions, the project came to about $750,000, Prof Reid said.

"It was great to see organisations and individual farmers getting together to support this kind of project, which benefits and promotes the whole region. For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to work with so many, wonderful, progressive people," Prof Reid said.

Posted by Leon Braun at 12:03 PM

Scholarship helps provide memory assessment service

November 12, 2007

The generosity of the New England Credit Union management and staff has enabled the establishment of a PhD scholarship that will help to provide a memory assessment service for people living in the New England region.

The three-year scholarship, which is jointly funded by the New England Credit Union and the New England Division of General Practice, is for a student in the University of New England's new PhD in Clinical Psychology program. The recipient will conduct the memory assessment service within the UNE Psychology Clinic under the supervision of Clinic staff.

Dr Barbara Visser, the Coordinator of the UNE Psychology Clinic, said it was "very pleasing to be able to add this vital service to the range of services already offered to the region by the Clinic".

The inaugural recipient of the New England Credit Union Memory Assessment Program Postgraduate Scholarship in Clinical Psychology is Katrina Leonard, who is in the second year of the four-year PhD in Clinical Psychology program.

While memory assessment services have been available in the region on a "fee-for-service" basis, a shortage of clinical psychologists with experience in doing the specialised neuropsychological assessments has meant that such services have not been available on a continuous basis.

Associate Professor Nigel Marsh, the Course Coordinator of the postgraduate clinical psychology training program at UNE and supervising clinical psychologist for the Memory Assessment Clinic, said that the Memory Assessment Clinic service would "enhance the already comprehensive approach offered by the New England Primary Dementia Care Network’s memory assessment program and support services".

"The provision of this service through the awarding of a postgraduate scholarship in clinical psychology has a number of advantages over a 'fee-for-service' model," Dr Marsh added. "It guarantees continuity of service provision and, through its presence in the UNE Psychology Clinic, will encourage other students in UNE's postgraduate clinical psychology training program to consider a career in working with older adults. There is also the obvious benefit of the specialised training made available to the intern clinical psychologist who is awarded the scholarship."

The PhD in Clinical Psychology is a new professional research degree being offered by UNE. It combines postgraduate professional training in clinical psychology with the research training typical of a PhD program.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 05:26 PM

Farewell dinner for Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Meredith

November 09, 2007

UNE Partnerships hosted a farewell dinner for Emeritus Professor Geoffrey G. Meredith AM at "Booloominbah", University of New England, after a lifetime dedicated to education. Professor Meredith (pictured here) retired as Academic Director of UNE Partnerships' Professional Practice Manager Development Program, which he has been instrumental in developing over the past 20 years.

In 1967, Professor Meredith and his family moved to Armidale, where he became Professor of Accounting and Financial Management at UNE and founded the Financial Management Research Centre, specifically for small business.

During his time at UNE, Professor Meredith was involved in delivering workshops on small business management and professional practice management through the Department of Continuing Education (DCE). The DCE bridged the gap between the academic expertise of the University and the needs of the community at large through continuing education. This provided a new level of training for professionals in the small business sector in setting benchmarks to improve efficiency in the workplace.

Professor Meredith's special area of interest was healthcare practice management, and in 1987 an alliance was formed with the Australian Association of Practice Managers to identify the specific training needs of practice managers. From this the Professional Practice Manager Program was launched. This program became the foundation for identifying practice management as a profession in its own right.

In 1990, Professor Meredith moved to Lismore to become Director of Graduate Studies and Research in the School of Business and Computing Studies at UNE Northern Rivers (later to become Southern Cross University), as well as Director of the Centre for Australian Regional and Enterprise Development.

In 1997, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to tertiary business education and the development of small enterprise in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. This represented a lifetime's commitment to designing and delivering training for the small business sector.

Professor Meredith holds Bachelor of Economics and Master of Commerce degrees and a Doctorate from the University of Queensland. He is a Life Member of the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand, which he helped establish in 1987. Apart from the numerous conference papers and journal articles he has written, Professor Meredith has published more than 20 books. His most recent book – 21st Century Practice Management, launched earlier this year – provides an essential guide to operating a medical practice.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 12:21 PM

'Love affair' with Armidale brings cultural exchange to UNE

November 08, 2007

A Japanese woman who says she "fell in love with Armidale" during a visit in 1998 has returned to the rural city five times, bringing groups of fellow-citizens with her from Osaka.

Miyako Ohtera chairs an association for retired schoolteachers in Osaka, and it is members of this association who accompany her to Armidale. They combine a two-week language course at the University of New England's English Language Centre with a "cultural experience" of Armidale and its people, staying at UNE's Mary White College. The visit by this year's seven-member group was during the second half of October.

Their hosts in Armidale are the potters Kiyo and Kumi Hashimoto, who arrange the cultural side of their visit – including activities such as garden tours and cooking classes.

Mrs Ohtera, who belongs to a square dancing group in Osaka, practises with a local group whenever she is in Armidale. "I enjoy the atmosphere of Armidale," she said. "And I like the people here: they're so friendly and kind."

One member of her association who has come with her on every visit is 87-year-old Fumiko Kawai. She, too, is a square dancer – and a talented calligrapher and creator of traditional images in silk (kagami-jishi). In 2005 she presented a magnificent example of her silk art – the result of six months' work – to the English Language Centre. (Fumiko Kawai is pictured here standing next to her gift to the English Language Centre, with Miyako Ohtera at right.)

"I always feel well in Armidale," Mrs Kawai said. "Every year I think this will probably be my last visit, but I always come back."

Another member of this year's group – Junichi Kawada – is also a calligrapher. Mr Kawada, who has exhibited his work in Tokyo, Osaka and Nara, gave calligraphy demonstrations both in UNE's School of Arts and the Armidale Art Gallery during his stay.

His demonstration at UNE was part of a Japanese Cultural Day last month organised by UNE staff and students of Japanese with assistance from Mr and Mrs Hashimoto. The half-day program included not only Mr Kawada's calligraphy performance but demonstrations of traditional Japanese dances by other members of Mrs Ohtera's group.

Mark Cooper, Deputy Director of Studies at the English Language Centre, said the group's visits were "always a treat for the Centre".

"Both the teachers and the students thoroughly enjoy their presence," Mr Cooper said. "And it's a linguistic, cultural and social experience for the Japanese group in more ways than one, as they get to meet students from many other countries. This year they mixed with students from Saudi Arabia, Korea and Thailand. They were thrilled to be able to meet such a diverse group of younger people. We look forward to their visits to UNE, and hope they continue."

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:59 PM

Chickens flourish on 'Challenge' fare

November 07, 2007

Contestants in the "State of Origin" Chicken Challenge are helping to create the animal feeds of the future.

The contest to design the most nutritious and cost-effective chicken feed has taken this group of university students – in the words of one of their lecturers – "right to the forefront of developments in animal nutrition".

Tension was high at the University of New England last week when the 50-odd contestants – from UNE and the University of Queensland (UQ) – met to hear the judges' verdict.

Both universities, in fact, were successful. In announcing the results Rebecca Richardson, a journalist with The Armidale Express newspaper, said that, in a very tight contest, the judges had finally awarded the trophy for "the most efficient diet (in terms of dollar cost of feed per kilogram of chicken weight gain)" to UQ, and the cup for "the best diet (in terms of overall weight gain of chickens during the trial period)" to UNE.

This was the second annual Chicken Challenge contest between the two universities.

Dr Ian Godwin, who teaches the UNE students animal nutrition, said the Challenge "capitalised on students' enjoyment of competition in helping them to gain a better understanding of feed formulation concepts".

Dr Godwin explained that the UNE and UQ groups, using their knowledge of animal nutrition in conjunction with computer software, had each designed three formulas. These were an "unrestricted diet" (the best and cheapest diet drawing on all of a defined set of ingredients), an "organic diet" (that excluded ingredients such as meat meal, blood meal, bone meal, and soybean meal), and a "contemporary diet" (including both palm kernel meal – a lower-cost alternative to soybean meal – and "distillers' grains" – a by-product of ethanol production from cereal grains).

All six diets were tested on chickens at both universities in a "double blind" trial in which none of the contestants knew which of the diets – labeled simply "A", "B", "C", "D", "E" and "F" – was which. A commercially-available "control diet" was tested alongside the experimental diets, most of which performed better than the "control".

"The experiment has generated useful new information about feed ingredients that are likely to become more important in Australia in the near future," Dr Godwin said. "We are planning to present our results in a paper designed for publication in a scientific journal."

Dr Gordon Dryden – Dr Godwin's counterpart at the University of Queensland – said the Challenge had taken the students "to areas their formal course work has merely touched on". He said the close result indicated that the experiment had been meticulously conducted on both sides.

Both Dr Godwin and Dr Dryden emphasised the role of the Challenge in preparing the students to "hit the ground running" when they entered the primary industry workforce.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here expands to show UNE Bachelor of Science student Sue Higgins weighing a chicken. It was taken during her involvement with the 2007 "State of Origin" Chicken Challenge.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:17 PM

UNE to host Australasian Piano Summer School

November 06, 2007

Many of Australia's leading music educators will come to Armidale next January to help conduct an innovative event: a five-day Summer School for talented young pianists.

The Australasian Piano Summer School, for students in Years 10, 11 and 12, will be held at the University of New England from the 21st to the 25th of January 2008. UNE's Dr Terrence Hays, the Artistic Coordinator of the Summer School, said that it aimed to "identify and mentor" young musicians in the years before they enter tertiary education.

The Summer School program will include piano master classes and individual lessons, workshops on improvisation, composition, interpretation, accompanying and ensemble playing, choir practice, sessions on coping with stress and anxiety in performance, and classes for students of other keyboard instruments including harpsichord, fortepiano and organ.

Kawai Australia is supporting the Summer School by providing 20 upright pianos for students to use for practice as well as five grand pianos.

Participants will pay a nominal registration fee to cover living costs (at UNE's Mary White College). The organisers expect that some partial scholarships will be made available to help disadvantaged students living in rural and remote areas to participate. Applications (details of which are available at: http://www.une.edu.au/apss) close on the 13th of November.

Joining Dr Hays in the team leading the Summer School will be Dr Andrew Alter and Dr Jason Stoessel from UNE Music, the choral conductor George Torbay, Dr Christine Logan (Head of the School of Music and Head of Keyboard Studies at the University of NSW), Dr Peter Roennfeldt (Director of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music), Graeme Gilling (Head of Keyboard, School of Music, University of Western Australia), Professor Dianna Kenny (Director of the Australian Centre for Applied Research and Performance in Music at the University of Sydney), Dr Robert Curry (Principal of the Conservatorium High School, Sydney), and Glen Riddle from the Victorian College of the Arts.

Another of the Summer School leaders will be the international concert pianist Michael Leslie, who is a Professor at the Richard Strauss Conservatory of Music in Munich, Germany.

Dr Hays said that the Summer School aimed – among other things – "to establish a collaborative research forum for studying aspects of keyboard performance".

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 12:22 PM

Classic performance by Kayaking Club

November 05, 2007

Twenty-six paddlers in 15 kayaks from a college club at the University of New England entered this year's Hawkesbury Canoe Classic, and 19 of the paddlers completed the gruelling 111-km course.

The Principal of Duval, Drummond and Smith (DD&S) Colleges, Mrs Edwina Ridgway, said it had been the biggest and most successful Classic contingent from the DD&S Kayaking Club since it first participated in the event – with three kayaks – in 1998.

The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic took paddlers along the Hawkesbury River, from Windsor to Brooklyn, over the night of Saturday 27 October. Mrs Ridgway said the morale of the DD&S competitors had been "extraordinary" – particularly in the face of the fog that had descended on them at Wisemans Ferry.

About 80 people – including the 26 paddlers, the 35-strong support team, and parents and college Fellows – made up the DD&S contingent, which was able to contribute more than $3,000 to the event's designated charity: the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation.

Srdjan Mijajlovic, Coordinator of the DD&S Kayaking Club, said the Canoe Classic played an important role not only in the overall educational experience of the students involved but also in fostering close bonds between the University and the wider community. He said sponsors included the team's driver Ralph Vaughan (who donated his time to drive the coach for three days), Hardmans of Armidale (for its generous supply of a 4WD vehicle), Scolarest Australia (which has supported all the team's fund-raising activities as well as catering for the Hawkesbury trip), and a range of other Armidale businesses.

Mr Mijajlovic said that the Armidale community as a whole had contributed to the club's Hawkesbury venture by its generous response to fund-raising activities throughout the year.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Rowan Prangley (front) and Wayne Dillon, the first of the UNE contingent to arrive at the finishing line.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:04 PM

Year 6 students undertake daring 'mission'

November 02, 2007

A record number of 276 Year 6 students from around the region responded to the challenge of rescuing a kidnapped President when they met for the annual "Mission Possible" science and technology day.

Students from Inverell Public, Glen Innes Public, Guyra Central, Uralla Central, Carinya Tamworth and Tamworth Public, as well as Armidale schools Sandon, Armidale City, Newling, St Mary's, The Armidale School and PLC, accepted the challenge of rescuing the fictional President.

"Mission Possible", a joint initiative of the University of New England and The Armidale School (TAS), was held at TAS on Friday 26 October.

Teachers from TAS and staff and students from UNE combined to guide the students through a number of strategies for investigating and solving the problems, and designing and making "mission" equipment ranging from stealth gliders to alarm systems.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, the Head of UNE's School of Education, Professor Ian Hay, and the Principal of TAS, Mr Murray Guest, reviewed the progress of the rescue operation, and were impressed by the collaborative interaction within the small groups undertaking the mission.

During their morning break, the students were treated to the added stimulus of several successful test firings of solid-fuel-propelled rockets by senior TAS students.

Dr Keith Fleming from the Faculty of the Professions at UNE, who (together with Gordon McClennan from TAS) organised "Mission Possible 2007", said the students had responded magnificently to the challenge, the winning team rescuing the President in record time after solving six separate "mission" problems.

Dr Fleming said the students' level of interaction in planning, designing, making and testing their "mission" strategies and equipment had been very high. Both he and Mr McClennan emphasised the close link of the day’s events with the NSW Science and Technology Syllabus and the importance of these outcomes for Australia’s future.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Dr Mike Littledyke, a Senior Lecturer in Education at UNE, working with students on their rescue mission.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 01:30 PM

New evidence of desert dwellers in prehistoric Australia

November 01, 2007

New archaeological evidence, published last month in the journal Australian Aboriginal Studies, reveals that Aboriginal people visited the Watarrka Plateau, south-west of Alice Springs, 13,000 years ago.

Archaeologists Dr June Ross from the University of New England and Dr Mike Smith from the National Museum of Australia were dropped by helicopter on the Watarrka Plateau as part of a survey of rock art in the Watarrka (Kings Canyon) National Park.

"The new finds were unexpected," said Dr Ross (who is pictured here at the Watarrka site). "We were carrying out a small excavation to establish the age of a rock art site, when we uncovered stone artefacts – small, multi-purpose tools – in an ancient buried sand plain."

Radiocarbon dating of charcoal in these sediments showed that Aboriginal people were using the area at the end of the last ice age.

"While the results from the excavation at Watarrka provide a small window into the past," Dr Ross explained, "we will have to uncover additional evidence before we can establish a clear picture of desert life over the past 13,000 years."

The excavation was part of an ongoing collaborative investigation – involving researchers at the University of New England, the National Museum of Australia, and the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service – of patterns of past human occupation within Central Australia. Chris Day, Chief District Ranger for Watarrka National Park, said Northern Territory Parks had "an ongoing commitment to supporting scientific research". "Knowledge about past human use of the deserts assists both ourselves and the traditional owners to make informed management decisions," he said.

This collaborative research builds on the ground-breaking discoveries of Dr Smith (who was the first student to graduate with a PhD in prehistoric archaeology from UNE's Department of Archaeology) showing that people were living in the Central Australian arid zone 35,000 years ago.

"The finds at Watarrka are sparse but important," Dr Smith said. "They confirm early use of the relatively well-watered country in the George Gill Range, midway between the better known ice-age sites of Kulpi Mara and Puritjarra."

Both Dr Ross and Dr Smith thanked Aboriginal custodians at Lila for their permission and support for this work.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:10 PM