A year of achievement and change at UNE

December 24, 2007

2007 has been a year of achievement and change for the University of New England: achievement that confirms the UNE's widely-recognised strengths in research and teaching, and change that will enable the University to build on those strengths in a rapidly changing higher education environment.

UNE achieved top rating (five stars) for "overall graduate satisfaction" in The Good Universities Guide 2008. It has maintained this rating for eight of the nine years from 2000 to 2008 – an achievement in this regard unmatched by any other university. UNE also maintained its five-star rating in the Guide for "teaching quality".

The outstanding quality of teaching at UNE was recognised by awards – including Carrick Institute Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning to all eight of the UNE individuals and groups nominated for this national award. Over the past two years, UNE has received more than $1.77 million from the Carrick Institute in achievement awards and grants for innovative projects. One of the Carrick Citation recipients, Dr Jennifer McDonell, also received a highly-prized Quality Teaching Award from the NSW Minister for Education and Training and the Australian College of Educators.

This year saw the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) supporting the Australian sheep industry establish its base at UNE as the new "CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation". (The CRCs for the beef and poultry industries are also based at UNE.) It also saw the launch of Phase II of the Primary Industries Innovation Centre (PIIC) – a collaborative venture of UNE and the NSW Department of Primary Industries – and the appointment of Professor Bob Martin as the Centre's Director.

UNE's many other research centres have continued their ground-breaking work throughout the year. Among them, the Centre for Applied Research in Social Sciences has attracted funding of more than $500,000 in 2007. This Centre's large-scale report on The Social Costs and Benefits of Migration into Australia (showing that the benefits of migration far outweigh any costs) was published in July. The project was overseen by the Joint Commonwealth, State and Territory Research Advisory Committee of the Ministerial Council of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.

Another of UNE's research centres, the Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law (AgLaw Centre), completed a year-long study (commissioned by the Australian Farm Institute and Land and Water Australia) of Australia's environmental regulations. The report on the study, launched in Canberra in September, recommends a major overhaul of environmental regulations to make them fairer and more effective.

A team of 30 science and policy researchers from UNE and the NSW Department of Primary Industries won a $480,000 grant from the NSW Government to develop technologies for the production of biofuels. This "Climate Action Grant" is the first part of a larger "Biofuels Initiative" program developed through the PIIC and led by the Director of the AgLaw Centre, Professor Paul Martin.

The many achievements of the UNE-based National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia this year were crowned by the success of its tender for UNE to manage two of the five new national Summer Schools for teachers to be held in January 2008. UNE will manage both the Mathematics Summer School (to be held at UNE) and the Science Summer School (to be held at Flinders University in Adelaide).

UNE's strong reputation in many research fields resulted in its hosting a diverse range of national and international conferences in the course of the year. These included the Second International Art in Early Childhood Conference, "Narrowing the Gap" (an international education conference), the annual conference of the Australasian Association of Philosophy, the annual conference of the Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science, Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition in Australia 2007, the annual conference of the Australian Mammal Society, the Regional Conference of the Australian Historical Association, "Adaptation and Fitness in Animals" (an international symposium in honour of UNE's Emeritus Professor Stuart Barker), and the 17th conference of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics.

In July the University launched a new academic structure, in which two new Faculties – the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty of The Professions – replace the previous four, and a realignment of disciplines has resulted in a reduction in the number of Schools from 16 to 10. The aim here has been to increase opportunities for academic cooperation in teaching and research by locating related disciplines within the same school. The launch of the new structure marked the culmination of a period of consultative planning that began in 2006 at the instigation of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, and continued in 2007 through the work of a Reorganisation Planning Group. The planning involved submissions from – and discussions with – a broad range of staff members.

"By aligning and focusing its academic strengths," Professor Pettigrew said, "and by simplifying its academic and administrative structures, the reorganisation will help UNE to realise the vision of its Strategic Plan for 2007-2010."

In maintaining its role as a leader in quality education, and ensuring that it delivers courses that are relevant to students and their prospective employers, UNE is introducing 20 new courses in Semester 1, 2008. These include Bachelor of Criminology and Bachelor of Medicine degree courses. (The Bachelor of Medicine course, in UNE's new School of Rural Medicine, is part of the Joint Medical Program being conducted by the University of Newcastle, UNE, and Hunter New England Health.) "We are delighted with the response to these new courses," Professor Pettigrew said.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:38 PM

Rod Gerber: a generous and inspiring leader

December 21, 2007

Rod Gerber, the distinguished geographer, teacher, and academic administrator who died earlier this year, will continue to be warmly remembered at the University of New England.

Professor Gerber was Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies at UNE from 1995 to 2002. His colleagues and students remember him as a leader who was at once inspiring and compassionate – a "people person" whose generosity of spirit informed his work as both mentor and administrator.

He was recognised internationally as a leader in the field of geography education, and had more than 200 publications (including books, journal articles and reports) to his credit. However, in the words of Associate Professor John Lidstone from Queensland University of Technology, perhaps his greatest achievements were in "his support and help for others to achieve great things". "The academic world is often a hard one in which to maintain a cool head – much less a sense of compassion," Dr Lidstone said, "but Rod built a solid reputation around the world for being considerate and supportive of others."

During his time at UNE, Professor Gerber was heavily involved in financial management, staff development, research leadership through the development of research centres, academic leadership of a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, community development projects, international partnerships, and international professional organisation leadership. He also managed the Oorala Aboriginal Centre and the UNE Heritage Centre, and was a leader in international partnerships that successfully delivered UNE courses in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Canada, the United States, China, New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji and Indonesia.

The adjectives "generous" and "inspiring" are common to many of the tributes to Rod Gerber that former colleagues and students have penned since his death on 22 August. One of these characterises him as "a person who turned loose networks of people into small families". Another speaks of his "unfailingly encouraging words". And another reads: "Rod will always be remembered as a dear friend and co-researcher, knowledgeable but humble, and able to work closely to produce results."

Rod Gerber is survived by his wife Michelle and their children Andrew, Elizabeth and Catherine. Michelle Gerber, with her daughter Catherine, visited UNE recently to donate a portrait of Professor Gerber by local artist Don Gentle to the University, and to make an endowment that will allow the University to honour her husband's name by the annual provision of a scholarship – the "Rod Gerber Memorial Scholarship for a Higher Degree Research Student in the Faculty of The Professions".

The portrait of Professor Gerber is to hang in a meeting room on the top floor of UNE's Education Building to be officially named "The Rod Gerber Meeting Room" at an opening ceremony on Monday 18 February. Rod Gerber's son Andrew, and Professor Alan Pettigrew, Vice-Chancellor of UNE, will be the speakers at this event.

THE IMAGE displayed here is taken from the portrait of Rod Gerber by Don Gentle. It expands to show the portrait in full, with (from left) Catherine and Michelle Gerber, and UNE's Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Services), Eve Woodberry.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 05:11 PM

School students to enjoy 'Science Experience' at UNE

December 21, 2007

Scientists at the University of New England are preparing for an annual event that brings school students into their laboratories for three days of hands-on scientific experience.

The Siemens Science Experience is a national program that gives students entering Year 10 an insight into the exciting potential of a career in science and the vital role of scientists in today's society.

This summer's Experience at UNE, for students entering Year 10 in 2008, will be from Tuesday 15 to Thursday 17 January. As in previous years, organisers are expecting students from throughout northern NSW to participate in the three days of experiment and discovery. In addition to their scientific adventure, the students will gain valuable experience of life on a university campus. They will have the opportunity to stay in a student residence on campus and, in the evenings, to take part in games and sporting activities under the direction of trained instructors.

Their laboratory work will include investigations in a range of scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, robotics, and physiology. They will also attend stimulating lectures by some of UNE's most distinguished scientists – lectures with titles such as "The life of birds", "The chicken or the egg", "Thunder and lightning", "The code of life", and "A chemist's view of energy".

An online application form for the Siemens Science Experience can be found at http://www.scienceexperience.com.au. For more information on the UNE event, ring Associate Professor Jim McFarlane, the director of the program at UNE, on 0408 365 071.

The program is conducted at 36 universities in association with local Rotary clubs, and with the support of Young Scientists of Australia and the Australian Science Teachers' Association. Dr McFarlane said it allowed students to meet professional scientists, and to work with them in laboratories equipped with cutting-edge technology. "We hope that the experience will inspire at least some of the students to pursue scientific studies through to tertiary level, and even to aim at careers in science," Dr McFarlane said.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 08:57 AM

Regional study targets mental health of young men

December 19, 2007

A research project at the University of New England is aimed at providing more timely help for young men with mental health problems.

The project, conducted by researcher Rhonda Wilson, is focusing on men between the ages of 18 and 24 who live in rural and regional areas of NSW.

"For a variety of reasons – including lack of appropriate educational opportunities – young men living in rural areas seem to be particularly vulnerable to disturbances of their mental health," Ms Wilson said. "And when they begin to suffer symptoms, social factors in country towns can tend to discourage them from seeking early advice."

"It's difficult to detect such problems in their very early stages," Ms Wilson explained. "Some people describe the beginning of psychosis as a time in their lives when 'something was just not quite right'. Such feelings, however, have the potential to develop into psychotic episodes and depression, and can lead to relationship breakdown and even suicide."

"We know that the sooner health workers can detect psychosis the better the recovery is likely to be," she continued. "It would, therefore, be very useful to know more about the experiences that people have in this early phase, and I'm looking for young men who would be willing to talk to me about their own experiences of it. They might be men with vague 'not-quite-right' feelings that they have never sought advice about, or men with more well-defined mental health problems that developed from such feelings. Talking to them would also help me understand the factors – such as social stigma – that can discourage people from seeking help, and generate some ideas about what could be done to overcome those hindrances.

"While there will be no financial or other rewards for them, they will be contributing to research aimed at improving mental health services for rural people. All information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality, and no one will be personally identified in any research report associated with the project."

The project – with funding from the NSW Institute of Rural Clinical Services and Teaching – is a collaborative venture between NSW Health and UNE.

Young men interested in contributing to the research – or their parents – should contact Ms Wilson through the School of Health, University of New England, on (02) 6773 3644.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:31 PM

National recognition for an 'unsung hero'

December 18, 2007

Jason Richey, Site Supervisor of security services at the University of New England for the national company SNP Security, has been named the company's "Unsung Hero of Protective Services".

SNP Security, which holds the security contract at UNE, is Australia's largest privately-owned security company. Mr Richey (pictured here with his award) leads a team of 13 SNP staff who maintain safety and security on the UNE campus – including the residential colleges. He received the accolade – in front of 400 of his SNP colleagues – at the company's annual awards ceremony in Sydney last month. "It was a real honour," he said. "It means a lot to me to be recognised by my peers on a national level."

He was nominated by a colleague, and a selection committee then looked at what he had dealt with on the job.

"The award recognised the diversity and weight of the responsibilities we bear without the support that similar operations would have in the city," he explained. "Our role goes far beyond security: for example, we provide the first response for emergencies such as medical and fire." Mr Richey recently received commendations from the local ambulance service applauding his efforts and assistance under extreme pressure.

"We are also responsible for parking, mail room operations and student ID logistics, as well as providing audio-visual support for halls and theatres on the campus – and much more," he said.

The security company relies on Mr Richey, as supervisor of a relatively remote site, to perform local-level administrative and managerial duties. These including recruitment, rostering, staff management and training, vehicle maintenance, and account management.

"Here at UNE we do have a different work environment from that of our city counterparts in SNP Security," he said. "We are isolated from support here, but we are also a familiar, friendly face to many people at the University. In providing the services that we do, that relationship is very important."

Col McCallum, Campus Services Manager at UNE, said the "Unsung Hero" award was "a fitting reward" for Mr Richey, who had demonstrated "an ability to perform his job to a very high level".

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:27 PM

Workshop plans development of UNE Web site

December 17, 2007

Representatives of two organisations that have established large, diverse, and innovative Web sites with an educational focus visited the University of New England earlier this month to talk to UNE staff members planning the future of the University's Web site.

Jenny Millea from education.au (a not-for-profit agency, funded by all Australian governments, providing innovative technology solutions for education and training) and Gabrielle Shaw, a Senior Research Analyst from "ABC Innovation" (a group within the ABC that develops multimedia technologies, including the ABC Web site) spoke to participants in the one-day workshop.

Those participants were 20 UNE staff members who came together to discuss the future function of the UNE Web site and the resources needed to maintain and update it. They included UNE's Web Working Group, which has managed changes to the academic areas of the Web site over the past five months and is completing a business plan for the site.

The guest speakers contributed both technical information and personal perspectives, Ms Shaw emphasising the importance of the Internet for any organisation today in "delivering information and encouraging stimulating engagement".

An important stage in updating the Web site has recently been completed. Consistent formats have been developed for staff members to provide information on subject areas, courses and units to help prospective and current students plan their study programs. These pages are two-way linked to the Academic Database, which is UNE's official source of information about units and courses.

Professor David Cottle, who chaired the Web Working Group over its five months of operation, said consistent information on new courses and many subject areas had already been posted on the Web site at http://www.une.edu.au/study. These pages are designed to include a general background to each subject, linked information on related courses and units, testimonials from previous students, audio clips of lecturers talking about their subjects, career possibilities, and contact details of staff members able to give more information.

Professor Cottle said a major aim in updating the Web site was to encourage engagement by both current and prospective students by making UNE pages more likely to be found by Web search engines, and – once found – easier to negotiate through the use of simpler, more consistent information architecture and menu systems.

A PHOTOGRAPH of UNE's Professor David Cottle with the guest speakers at the workshop - Jenny Millea (left) and Gabrielle Shaw - can be seen by clicking on the image at the top of this page.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 06:04 PM

Distinguished medical educator to head School of Rural Medicine

December 14, 2007

The Director of the Hunter New England Health Rural Training Unit, Dr John Fraser, has been appointed Transitional Head of the University of New England's School of Rural Medicine.

Dr Fraser (pictured here), who was named Medical Educator of the Year by General Practice Education Training in 2005, has more than 15 years' experience in medical education. He is a rural general practitioner and public health physician with extensive clinical, research and teaching experience in remote and rural Australia. As a clinician, he provides clinical services to the Manilla community.

The Hunter New England Health Rural Training Unit is funded by NSW Health to recruit and retain rural health professionals. Its programs include health career promotion in high schools, assisting in postgraduate vocational training for GPs, and workforce research in rural areas of Australia and Asia. Dr Fraser's research into innovative training models for the public health workforce in rural areas has been recognised internationally by its recent publication in a journal affiliated with the World Health Organisation.

In announcing Dr Fraser's appointment, Professor Victor Minichiello, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of The Professions at UNE, said he was delighted with the calibre of the medical staff being recruited into the School of Rural Medicine. "Professor John Fraser and the team of recently recruited Senior Lecturers (including Dr Maree Puxty, Dr Michelle Guppy, Dr Ron Grant, Dr Rod Martin and Dr Vicki Howell) provide a wealth of experience in rural medical practice," Professor Minichiello said. "They will be excellent role models for our first cohort of medical students. Other medical appointments will occur in the new year, including a number of joint appointments with Hunter New England Health."

"UNE's School of Rural Medicine is a community-based school, with the community being a central part of the program," Professor Fraser said. "The aim is to train doctors to work anywhere in Australia as part of a multidisciplinary team."

"The innovative model of the Joint Medical Program that links the University of Newcastle, UNE and Hunter New England Health (including the high-school program of the Rural Training Unit) provides a unique opportunity to select, train, mentor and support doctors to undertake most of their undergraduate and postgraduate training within our local region," he continued. "This will assist the region's long-term retention of health professionals."

Professor Minichiello said that an important objective of the School of Rural Medicine would be to serve as a centre of excellence for rural medical practice. "The School also aims to contribute to research by developing a strong rural health research agenda and collaborating with international partners," he said. "We have had extensive discussions with overseas partners who have a similar rural health mission, and we have attracted a number of doctors who are pursuing postgraduate studies. There is likely to be a significant increase in such international connections through the School of Rural Medicine."

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:32 PM

'Inspiring teacher' from UNE receives State award

December 13, 2007

A Lecturer in English from the University of New England has received one of Australia's most highly-regarded teaching awards.

The NSW Minister for Education and Training, John Della Bosca, presented Dr Jennifer McDonell with a Quality Teaching Award at a ceremony in Government House, Sydney, last Friday (7 December).

Dr McDonell was one of only eight teachers from the university sector to receive the award this year. During the ceremony, Mr Della Bosca presented 60 of the awards – the NSW Minister for Education and Training and the Australian College of Educators Quality Teaching Awards – to teachers of all levels (pre-school to tertiary) from throughout the State.

"The Quality Teaching Award is presented to teachers who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and student achievement," Mr Della Bosca explained.

"Dr McDonell is a formidable Literary Studies scholar and an inspiring teacher," he said. "She combines intellectual curiosity, enthusiasm and a caring, generous nature with a meticulous, rigorous and creative approach."

The award is recognised as the most rigorously assessed teaching award in Australia. The selection process, taking place over a full year, involves the assessment of professional portfolios and detailed referee reports as well as visits to the teaching institution for observation of the nominee in the classroom and interviews with students, teaching colleagues, and supervisory staff. The winners receive a testamur from the NSW Branch of the Australian College of Educators together with a year's free membership of the Branch, and $500 from The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Dr McDonell said she felt honoured by the award because, in a society often driven by short-sighted instrumentalism, it recognised and respected the process of learning as a good in itself. "Education can change people's lives for the better," she said. "I aim to empathise with my students and, in teaching them literature, I invite them to reflect critically on their worlds from multiple perspectives. In this way educators play a vital role in a democratic society."

This year Dr McDonell also received a UNE Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, and a national Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Dr McDonell receiving the Quality Teaching Award from Mr Della Bosca at last Friday's ceremony in Government House, Sydney. A PHOTOGRAPH of Dr McDonell taken in the garden of Government House can be seen by clicking on the small image.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:50 PM

School students' tribute to Aboriginal artist finds UNE home

December 12, 2007

A painting by four students in Year 7 at Duval High School, Armidale, is to join works by Indigenous artists on the walls of the University of New England's Oorala Aboriginal Centre.

The painting, titled "After Emily", while paying homage to the great Aboriginal artist Emily Kngwarreye (1910-1996), is an outstanding work of art in its own right.

The four girls who created the painting (Nikkea Hartup, Georgia Gerdes, Sheba Boyd and Heloise Fortin) visited UNE last week, accompanied by their teacher Waine Grafton, Head of Creative Arts at Duval High, and two of the four boys from their class (Jake Barton, Zac Barton, Luke Armatage and Caleb Gasbarri) who painted a subtly different but equally satisfying version of "After Emily".

Professor Alan Pettigrew, the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, and his wife Ann, welcomed the artists, Mr Grafton, and the mothers of two of the students to the University and the Oorala Centre last Friday (7 December). Professor Pettigrew then presented the painting – on behalf of the students – to the Centre's Director, Diane Mumbler.

He explained that his connection with the painting had begun last month when he attended the launch of the Armidale Community of Schools at the New England Regional Art Museum. As an honoured guest, he had been invited to choose one of the art works by school students that were on display at the launch – a significant event for the future of public education in New England. "I was attracted to two paintings: this one and its companion piece," he said.

Professor and Mrs Pettigrew are collectors of Aboriginal art and admirers of the work of Emily Kngwarreye. "You've picked up on all the movement, the depth, and the colour changes that Emily is famous for," Professor Pettigrew told the students. He said he and his wife had been so impressed by the quality of the painting and its relevance to the mission of the Oorala Centre that they had decided it should find a permanent home in the Centre.

Ms Mumbler thanked the students for their remarkable tribute to Emily Kngwarreye, and said the painting would represent a permanent link between Duval High School and the Oorala Centre. Such educational and cultural links were important to the Centre and its role in the New England community, she said. "We are interested in all students, and pathways for them to the University."

One of the creators of the painting, Georgia Gerdes, said she and her fellow artists had been "pretty excited" when they heard where their painting was to be hung. "I feel good about it," she said. "I didn't think it would make it this far."

The detail of "After Emily" displayed here expands to show the complete painting.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 10:28 AM

David Evans: teacher, scholar and artist who enriched our lives

December 11, 2007

David Evans – teacher, scholar, mentor, poet and artist – died earlier this year after a life devoted to enriching the lives of others.

Dr Evans is remembered with great affection by his former students and colleagues at the University of New England, where he taught in the English Department from the early '60s until his retirement in 1994.

Typical of his engagement with the University and Armidale communities was his voluntarily-assumed role as mentor and friend of Indonesian students and their families. Starting from a desire to alleviate the difficulties of living within an unfamiliar culture, this role led him to become fluent in Indonesian and to spend his evenings at the residential colleges helping Indonesian and other overseas students with their written work. He is remembered as having transformed the lives of these students and their families over two generations.

Always a believer in the value of strong social networks within the University community, he was, as a student, a founding (non-residential) member of Wright College, UNE's original residential college, and was appointed a Non-resident Fellow of Earle Page College in 1968.

Born in Goulburn in 1937, David Evans came to UNE as an undergraduate in 1954 – the year the University obtained its autonomy from the University of Sydney. He went on to gain a UNE Arts degree with First Class Honours in English, and then a Diploma of Education from Armidale Teachers' College, finishing Dux of the Teachers' College in 1959.

After several years of teaching at Maitland Boys' High School he joined the staff of UNE's English Department and quickly rose to the level of Senior Lecturer, gaining his PhD from UNE in 1967.

His passion for Early English literature took him to the UK for several periods of sabbatical study, while, back in the UNE lecture room, he was able to share that passion – particularly his love of Chaucer – with his students, becoming life-long friends with many of them.

Even as a schoolboy David had drawn and painted. He developed this talent in adulthood, producing an impressive body of work that includes paintings and drawings in a variety of styles and with a wide range of subject-matter, as well as illuminated manuscripts inspired by medieval art. Over four years in the 1980s he worked on what is perhaps his artistic masterpiece – a hand-written and illustrated text of the Old English epic Beowulf. That unique book is on display – along with many other works of his – in the Uralla gallery ("Chaucer on Bridge Street") that he opened in 2000 and managed until his death on the 21st of September 2007.

His belief in the vital role of art in the community led him to become a driving force behind the establishment of the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale. As well as his vision and enthusiasm, he lent his creative talents to the project: for example, by donating the proceeds from the sale of one of his published books of poems to the NERAM fund.

A devoted family man, David Evans is survived by his wife Helen, their three children Michael, Peter and Jenny, and three grandchildren.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows the initial letter of the Lord's Prayer in Old English - lettering and illumination by David Evans. A PHOTOGRAPH of Dr Evans, taken at UNE in 1979, can be seen by clicking on the Lord's Prayer image.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:30 PM

Award-winning scholarship scheme boosts cotton research

December 10, 2007

Fifteen students from the University of New England have benefited from an award-winning "summer scholarship" program that has enabled them to contribute to scientific research supporting the Australian cotton industry.

Altogether, 45 university students around Australia have received Summer Scholarships from the Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre (Cotton CRC) since the scholarship program was introduced seven years ago. The program has just won a national award from the Business/Higher Education Round Table (BHERT).

Anna Balzer, who comes from Pittsworth in Queensland, is the latest UNE recipient of a Cotton CRC Summer Scholarship. The scholarship will support her while she develops her research skills in a UNE laboratory this summer. Anna, who has just completed the second year of her Bachelor of Science degree program, will be investigating biological methods of suppressing the fungal infection that causes "black root rot" in cotton.

Last summer Rebecca Forbes, another Bachelor of Science student at UNE, was supported by a Summer Scholarship to conduct research on genetic mechanisms for the control of black root rot. Rebecca, who comes from Newcastle, has been able to take that work further in her Honours project this year, making a valuable contribution to research in the field. (Some earlier UNE recipients of the scholarships, too, have taken their summer projects on to successful outcomes in the wider world of research. For example, a summer project conducted by UNE student Jessica Richards in 2003 led to a publication in a scientific journal and a job with the NSW Department of Primary Industries.)

The Summer Scholarships give undergraduate students eight weeks of paid research work during their summer holidays, combining experience in a regional location and collaboration with a professional scientist. Both Anna and Rebecca are working with UNE microbiologist Dr Lily Pereg-Gerk. [Anna Balzer (at left) and Rebecca Forbes are pictured here in their UNE laboratory.]

UNE – along with several other universities, cotton industry organisations, the CSIRO, and State government primary industry departments – is a partner in the Cotton CRC. At last month's BHERT awards ceremony in Sydney, Lisa Paul, Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training, presented the award for "best collaboration with a regional focus" to Cotton CRC Chief Scientist Professor Peter Gregg.

"This award recognises the truly collaborative nature of the Cotton CRC and the contributions made by all participants to its Summer Scholarship Program," Professor Gregg said. He noted that Summer Scholarship projects had initiated a considerable amount of new scientific research within the Cotton CRC.

UNE is also a participant in the CRC for Australian Weed Management (Weeds CRC). This year's BHERT award for "best collaboration involving a CRC" went to a program involving the Weeds CRC. The program is based on a new weed management manual developed by the Weeds CRC in response to the increasing resistance of weeds to commonly used herbicides. The manual draws on 20 years of weed management research – some of it conducted by UNE scientists.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:59 PM

Putting the pieces of the 'mixed farming puzzle' together

December 07, 2007

Around 250 people attended the Grain & Graze Field Day at the University of New England’s Douglas McMaster Research Station at Warialda recently to get a close-up look at research into the viability of integrating livestock and cropping enterprises.

The field day, the theme of which was "The Mixed Farming Puzzle – putting the pieces together", showed the work of UNE and NSW Department of Primary Industries researchers that is part of a wider collaboration between the Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment Management Authority and the Murray-Darling Basin Commission under the umbrella of the national Grain & Graze research program (with a range of funding bodies).

Encouraging visitors to tour the various trials, UNE’s Professor Jim Scott said the objective of the various research projects was to form a holistic view of the benefits of mixed farming, including the all-important economic inputs and outputs.

"We are trying to measure farming systems at a credible scale; that is, big enough to be relevant to farmers, but small enough to be measured," Professor Scott said.

Border Rivers Grain & Graze chairman and Goondiwindi farmer Robert Webb echoed these sentiments, saying that all the researchers and funding bodies behind the project were aiming at one thing: "helping the farmer to make a quid".

The 1100-hectare Warialda research station is well suited to the project. Comprising a range of soil types, it is divided into three farmlets (46 hectares each), each with a distinct management style: a "typical system" that divides cropping and grazing, an "integrated system" where cattle can graze on all areas of the farmlet, and an "integrated pasture system" that, while similar to the integrated system, has fertilised perennial pastures sown on all soil types throughout the farmlet. All of these systems were developed in conjunction with the local McMaster farmer group.

The field day also presented some of the latest technical innovations to an interested audience. These included a range of tools to measure crop vigour (including ground-level, unmanned aerial, and satellite equipment) as well as low-cost Global Positioning System tracking collars measuring cattle grazing patterns. (THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows UNE's Associate Professor David Lamb presenting an introduction to some of this technology at the field day.)

A range of agribusiness companies keen to support the mixed farming research and adoption effort mounted displays at the field day.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, said he was impressed by the support the program had received from government, industry and the community, and that the science behind it was "rigorous and realistic".

"We have to talk to real people, find out the real problems, and solve them," Professor Pettigrew said.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:21 PM

Science teachers link classrooms to the world of agriculture

December 06, 2007

Twenty science teachers from nine secondary schools in Armidale, Tamworth and Guyra spent two days this week exploring the frontiers of agricultural research and links between that research and the school curriculum.

The "Teacher Professional Development" event was the first stage of a program aimed at encouraging promising students at those schools to consider careers in agricultural science.

Based at the University of New England, this local program is part of the national Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE) project established in 2000 to address a nation-wide shortage of skilled young people entering agricultural science careers.

On Monday 3 December, the 20 teachers visited UNE to hear presentations by scientists who are at the forefront of research on the effects of grey water on soils, the treatment and re-use of sewage and feedlot waste water, the use of isotopes as traces to study animal digestion, the role of micro-organisms in animal digestion, genetic technologies in the beef cattle industry, and the scientific instrumentation that is making "precision agriculture" a reality. They also visited the Bioniche Animal Health factory in Armidale, where they observed the preparation of hormones for animal breeding programs.

They spent the following day in Tamworth, where they met scientists at the Tamworth Agricultural Institute, visited Joe White Maltings (Australia's largest malting company), and examined water-testing technology at East West EnviroAg.

One of the teachers – Joanne Morris from Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School in Tamworth – said the event had provided "a different perspective on what we teach the students". That new perspective, she said, would help teachers to form "real-world links" with the classroom – links that could show students the relevance and importance of what they are learning, and the potential of agricultural science as an exciting career.

Susanna Greig, the PICSE Educational Officer based at UNE, said it had been the first PICSE project event in NSW. "The response has been outstanding," Ms Greig said. She explained that PICSE had been founded by Dr David Russell at the University of Tasmania in 2000, and had spread to the University of Western Australia in 2002 and South Australia's Flinders University in 2005 before coming to UNE this year.

Early in 2008 the focus will shift to those students who have been selected to participate in the program with the help of PICSE Industry Placement Scholarships. During a "Science to Industry Student Camp" (January 7-11) they will find out about new developments – and career and research opportunities – in agricultural science, and then they will undertake Industry Placements (January 14-18) that will enable them to gain experience working in an agricultural science industry/business setting for five days.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 12:56 PM

ITD leads the way

December 06, 2007

An upgrade of the University of New England's student database has been so successful that other universities are sending IT staff to Armidale to see how it's done.

After months of hard work, UNE recently became the first Australian university to move to an Oracle RAC (Real Application Clusters) environment. This week a team from Deakin University will visit UNE to find out how, with a team from Monash University to follow later this month.

Oracle RAC spreads the computing load around by allowing users to access a database through multiple, interconnected computing nodes rather than via a single supercomputer. Multiple computing nodes communicate with each other, forming a computer "cluster". For users, this means faster access to the entire database, and at busy times or in case of breakdown, greater reliability.

In order to accomodate the new database environment, ITD has chosen to switch operating systems from Tru64, a proprietary system owned by HP, to Linux, its open-source competitor. The decision will result in considerable savings to the university.

Database administrator Daniel Watkins said, "We realised that for UNE, RAC provided flexibility, protection against faults, and, importantly, room to increase our capacity to keep pace with our needs. With this system we can just keep adding nodes."

In October, UNE upgraded its student database to the latest version of the Callista student information system, involving migrating Callista onto the new RAC database. The success of this upgrade sparked interest from other universities' IT departments, leading to phone calls from Deakin and Monash.

Posted by Kate Nash at 11:07 AM

Award encourages students to "get swingin'"

December 05, 2007

The Armidale Jazz Club has joined forces with the University of New England to encourage a new generation to "get swingin'".

Each year from 2008 on, an exceptional second-year music student at UNE will receive a year-long membership to the Armidale Jazz Club entitling them to attend all of the club's events and concerts free of charge.

The inaugural recipient of the award is Cassie Hausler, a 20-year old drummer and Earle Page College resident. Ms Hausler, who performs regularly with the UNE Stage Band, said she enjoyed playing jazz, although she was a fan of all kinds of music.

"I'm thrilled to get this award," she said. "I love live music, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the jazz club has to offer."

The Armidale Jazz Club was formed in the late 1980s, around the time the Australian National Jazz Convention took place in Armidale. Since then, volunteers have promoted one live jazz gig per month, "for the sheer love of music", according to club president Kellie Leech.

Rather than musicians, the club is composed of jazz enthusiasts and afficianados. Over the years, it has brought many famous acts to Armidale, including Grammy and ARIA award winners. Most recently, audiences enjoyed the jazz saxaphone of former Armidale student Willow Neilson and his quartet at Booloominbah. Also popular was the Mark Isaacs Resurgence Band, including James Muller on guitar.

Local sensations Jazz Pump will also play at Booloominbah in early February.

Ms Leech thanked members of the UNE Community who have supported the Jazz Club throughout the years, and extended a warm welcome to all newcomers who would like to attend in 2008.

Posted by Leon Braun at 02:43 PM

UNE joins community groups in anti-violence initiative

December 04, 2007

The University of New England's School of Health is collaborating with local community groups in treating the disease of domestic violence with a dose of laughter.

In association with the Armidale Domestic Violence Steering Committee, Armidale and District Women's Centre and the Armidale Women's Comedy Festival, the School is presenting "The Healthy Relationships Comedy Show" in Armidale on Saturday 8 December. This presentation – a not-for-profit community initiative – will form part of the international campaign "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence".

The Head of the School of Health, Associate Professor Jeanne Madison, said that, in addition to such practical involvement with community groups, the School was involved in research directed towards the prevention of violence in interpersonal relationships. "This is a substantial area of research interest for several of the School's staff and postgraduate students," she said.

While involving some UNE staff members behind the scenes, "The Healthy Relationships Comedy Show" will bring others out onto the stage. Jennifer Greaney (pictured here), an Associate Lecturer in UNE's School of Law, will perform stand-up comedy as part of the program, and Diana Helmrich from UNE's Information Technology Service Desk will act as Stage Manager.

"The Healthy Relationships Comedy Show" will be in the Auditorium at Armidale's C.B. Newling Centre ("the Old Teachers' College") at 2 pm on Saturday. Heading the bill will be the well-known performer and writer Denise Scott, winner of the The Age Critics' Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2003 and familiar to many from the ABC television program Spicks and Specks. The program will also include a stand-up performance by UNE Arts graduate Julie Brown.

Jennifer Greaney is a relative newcomer to stand-up comedy. Her first performance was in the 2006 Armidale Women's Comedy Festival, and she has since performed in the Armidale season of short plays called "Favourite Shorts", and at the Roxbury Hotel's "Comedy on the Rox" in Sydney. Later this year she will be working as a Mistress of Ceremonies at Queensland's Woodford Folk Festival.

Julie Brown's hilarious takes on husbands, children, poverty, religion, tertiary education and mental health have made her highly sought-after as a performer. She believes that humour is essential to everyone's mental health because, as she says, "laughter releases joy juices that are an incomparable antidote to negativity, anxiety and pessimism".

For more information on "The Healthy Relationships Comedy Show", contact Angie Smith in UNE's School of Health on (02) 6773 3676 or 0447 334 009. Tickets are available from Angie Smith (e-mail: asmith1@une.edu.au) and Jennifer Greaney (Phone: 02 6773 2282, e-mail: jgreane2@une.edu.au) as well as from Good Vibes Music and the Armidale and District Women's Centre.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:14 PM

More catering choices on the table for College students

December 03, 2007

Students at UNE's Duval College and Drummond and Smith College will have more food options next year under a new "Flexi Choice" catering arrangement.

The traditional 21 meals per week previously included in each student's fee will be "unbundled", allowing students to choose when and where they wish to eat each day.

"Many students don't take 21 meals a week," said the Principal of Duval and Drummond and Smith Colleges, Edwina Ridgway. "Often they go home, go on prac, or have jobs or private functions to attend, but they've already paid for those meals because they've been included in their fees."

Under the new "user pays" system, students will be allocated "Smart Cards" which they can credit and then swipe for the meals they choose to take. Students will be able to track their meal usage on computer.

"We are the first Australian university college to give our students so much choice," said Mrs Ridgway. "There will be a wider range of food choices on the menu, and the newly renovated servery will be open for longer hours on a continuous basis. Meal service will remain at traditional times but students will also have a variety of offerings around the clock."

Mrs Ridgway said the new arrangement would give students the chance to spend their money in the way they think is best. "Our students will be able to eat in either of the two dining halls or at the Deli Café within the academic area of the University," she said. "The new system will also make it easy for students to have guests dine in College with them or just drop in for a coffee and cake or toasted focaccia at any time during the day."

She said that traditional favourites such as the Sunday brunch "cook-your-own" would continue, while celebratory events including Commencement, Guest Speaker, Awards and Valedictory Dinners would be covered in the students' fees. "The residents will also have a small retail/café site available, running from 7 am to 9 pm each day, which will help with those late evening hunger pangs," she added.

"As always, the dining hall facilities will remain within a 'collegiate' environment and with a strong emphasis on pastoral care and academic assistance provided to all residents," Mrs Ridgway said.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 12:18 PM