Wednesday, July 9 2003
Making headlines
The Australian
A study carried out at UNE shows that teenage cannabis users may suffer memory loss and anxiety problems at higher rates that adults who smoke the same amount of the drug. Dr Paul Mallet, from the School of Psychology, says the study, comparing the residual effects of cannabis on adolescent and adult laboratory rats, points to the dangers of cannabis use, particularly when taken early in life. Dr Mallet presented the findings of the study at the International Cannabinoid Research conference in Canada on June 28. (Northern Daily Leader, The Advertiser, Daily Telegraph, Radio MIX FM Sydney, Radio ABC North Coast NSW, Radio ABC New England North West, Radio WAVE FM Wollongong, Radio 2AD/2TM Armidale/Tamworth, The Armidale Express, Armidale Independent, Radio 2CC Canberra, Radio 2NC Newcastle, Adelaide Advertiser)
UNE has established Australia's first Centre for Agriculture and Law. Dr Sandra Welsman has been appointed Director of the Centre. She says the Centre is planning to offer postgraduate courses in 2004. The AgLaw Centre will produce a number of research papers by the end of this year. (Radio 2AD/2TM Armidale/Tamworth, Radio ABC New England North West, Radio ABC Hobart, Radio ABC South East SA, Radio ABC Riverland SA, Radio ABC Eyre Peninsula, Radio ABC North West WA, Radio ABC Wollongong, Radio ABC Central Western Slopes, Radio ABC Central West, Radio ABC Mid North Coast, radio ABC Far West NSW, Radio ABC North Coast, ABC Upper Hunter, Radio ABC Riverina, Radio ABC South East NSW, The Armidale Express Extra, The Armidale Independent)
The Land
The benefits of electromagnetic surveys will be demonstrated to farmers and graziers from the north west slopes at a special forum next month. UNE has helped to organise the event at its McMaster Research Station at Warialda on July 3. The event will bring together producers, academics and government officials to see and take part in research happening at the station. Manager of Rural Properties, Milton Curkpatrick, said the forum is an opportunity for farmers and graziers to have more say in the early stages of research carried out at the station.
Colac Herald
A planned Safeway supermarket for Camperdown, Victoria has the potential to dramatically change residents' shopping habits and starve established businesses according to Angus Witherby. Mr Witherby outlined the potentially harmful effects of a Safeway opening at Camperdown at a public meeting. He said the planned supermarket would draw business away from Camperdown's central business district.
Radio ABC Statewide
Dr Peter Ninnes from the School of Education first went to the Solomon Islands as a school teacher in 1987 and ended up living there for four years. The country was very scenic with a tropical climate, and very much the typical Pacific Island paradise with palm trees and coral reefs. He did not face any security problems while there and lived far away from where problems are currently occurring. Ninnes believes that the success of the peacekeeping action is dependent on the locals, who he believes really do want a return to law and order. However, he is not sure if the locals will see a foreign force as a threat to their sovereignty, and warns that the militia is still active there. Ninnes warns peacekeeping forces to be prepared for a hot, wet climate with tropical infections such as malaria, and urges them to act in a non-confrontational manner, being culturally sensitive and perhaps also learning some of the local language. As a former resident he is sad to see the descent into lawlessness, and hopes that there will be no loss of life during the action.
Radio ABC South Queensland
A new, relatively simple test method can detect academic potential in children whose poor performance in the classroom could otherwise have condemned then to a life of under-achievement. The new method, developed at UNE by Dr Graham Chaffey, has proved its cross-cultural applicability in a pilot study in Canada last month. Dr Chaffey said the Coolabah Dynamic Testing Method had proved itself capable of revealing high academic potential in 'invisible under-achievers.' (Radio ABC Central West NSW, Radio ABC Central Western Slopes NSW, Illawarra Mercury)
Radio ABC South East NSW
Senior Lecturer from the Centre For Local Government, Angus Witherby, says the State Government is more serious about local council amalgamation this time around. He's not sure whether the support is being provided to local governments to assist them to look more broadly at reform. (Radio ABC Illawarra)
The Daily Examiner, Grafton
Death is the ultimate example of man's uniformity according to Philosophy lecturer, Dr Frances Gray. Dr Gray believes embracing the pursuit of an ethical life, and not letting it be dictated by the certainty of death, is vital to the achievement of happiness. She delivered this message at the Grafton Philosophy, Science and Theology Festival.
Northern Daily Leader
Narelle Dowse and Dianne Cundy have been working in the Earle Page College dining hall for about 30 years. They will be attending reunion dinners at Selwyn College, Cambridge and in San Francisco to help in Earle Page’s 40th anniversary celebrations. Their trip to both dinners is being paid for by their employers, Spotless Services Catering, with Earle Page College Alumni Association funding their accommodation. (The Armidale Express)
Researchers at UNE are looking for volunteers for a study to find out if a good parent-child relationship can help 'stress-proof' a child. Project leader Dr Kym Kilpatrick, from the School of Psychology, says the aim of the study is to identify how individual characteristics and qualities of parents and their children impact on each other and how it influences children’s psychological wellbeing. (Radio 2AD/2TM Armidale/Tamworth, Coffs Harbour Advocate)
UNE Chancellor Dr Pat O’Shane delivered the 18th annual Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture on Thursday, July 3. Dr O’Shane addressed the question “Does our Constitution serve an Australian democracy?” She said that Australia needs a completely new constitution, not modifications to the current constitution. (The Armidale Express, Armidale Independent, Coffs Harbourt Advocate, Armidale Express Extra)
Radio ABC New England North West
Dr Jim Maher discusses the viability of aged care services. This was the subject of a workshop held in Tamworth recently. Dr Maher said the workshop would bring together all stakeholders to discuss aged care, staffing costs, indemnity and workers compensation. These factors are all adding to the costs of each facility.
Armidale Express
Professor Ingrid Moses was among a group of Australia’s vice-chancellors who converged on Parliament House in Canberra to meet in small groups with members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Professor Moses says the inaugural event, which culminated in a formal dinner hosted by the vice-chancellors and with Prime Minister John Howard as guest speaker, was a most enjoyable and worthwhile public relations exercise. She hopes that next year local politicians Tony Windsor and Sandy Macdonald will be present. (Northern Daily Leader)
Dr Bernice Kotey, from the New England Business School, is running UNE’s inaugural business plan competition. The competition involves students presenting their business plans by video conference and aims to provide students with the opportunity to test their business plans and obtain feedback from a panel of experienced entrepreneurs and business advisers. The competition is funded by an $11,000 grant from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources and sponsorships from various local organisations.
As president of the International Association of University Presidents and a member of the committee which monitored the follow up of the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education in 1998, Professor Ingrid Moses was invited to attend and contribute to a conference of UNESCO’s partners to examine progress at to a further follow up meeting. Professor Moses says it was interesting to hear where and how progress has been made on access and equity issues, the state’s role and responsibility in financing higher education, the use of information and communication technologies, the contribution of higher education to development, and the evolution of higher education structures and systems. (Northern Daily Leader)
Dr Robert Baker is dispelling the theory that the internet will beat the barrier of distance between buyer and seller. Dr Baker is developing models of internet shopping at both the global level and the level of a single household. He has received Commonwealth Government funding to compare his shopping data with those for trading over the internet.
The inaugural Northern NSW meeting of the Waste Management Association of Australia will be held at UNE on July 10. Dean of the Faculty of The Sciences, Professor Peter Flood, will welcome people attending the meeting and Rex Glencross-Grant, senior lecturer in Environmental Engineering, will introduce the proceedings. (Armidale Express Extra)
Armidale Independent
Law lecturers Rohan Price and Andrew Clarke have won Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing. They won the recognition at the national awards which recognise the year's most outstanding books for primary, secondary, and tertiary students. Negligence: A Practical Learning Approach by Andrew Clarke won the 'single title' category in the section for tertiary level books. Employment Law in Principle by Rohan Price was joint winner of the 'book series' category in the same section. (Radio ABC New England North West)
Armidale Express Extra
The NSW Catholic Education Commission Special Education Advisory Committee met in Armidale for a two-day conference focusing on life skills for students with disabilities in secondary schools. Dr Jeanette Burman spoke of her involvement in the development of Transition Programs for the Department of Education and Training as well as her experiences in the implementation of such programs. The Catholic Schools Office works closely with Dr Graham Chaffey in identifying and implementing a program that meets the needs of highly able Aboriginal children who are underachieving at school. Associate Professor Stan Bailey was dinner speaker at the conference and spoke of his advice to DET on future directions for gifted and talented students in NSW.
