Archive for January, 2009

More than a dozen former UNE students and academic staff members have been named in this year’s Australia Day Honours List.

Among them are Mr Christopher Ross-Smith, Head of Drama (now Theatre Studies) at UNE from 1977 to 1996, and Dr Anthony Gregson, a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in Chemistry from 1974 to 1981.

One of the former students to be honoured is Major General Richard Wilson AM, who was made an Officer in the Military Division of the Order of Australia (AO) “for distinguished service to the Australian Army in the fields of force structure, personnel training, and operations, particularly as Commander Training Command – Army, and as the Commander of the 1^st Division”.

Among Major General Wilson’s many academic qualifications is a Master of Letters degree (1983) from UNE. For his leading role in planning for the peace monitoring operations on Bougainville and the peace enforcement operations in East Timor he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2000. He served with the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor from July 2001 to March 2002 as Commander of the Peacekeeping Forces in Sector West, and was appointed Commander of the 1^st Division in 2007.

Dr Gregson moved to UNE in 1974, and rose to the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) “for service to agricultural science, particularly in the areas of agri-biotechnology and grain growing, to national and international research and development organisations through a range of executive roles, and to education”.

Among his leading roles in national and international organisations, he is Chairman of Plant Health Australia, Chairman of the Cooperative Research Centre for Molecular Plant Breeding, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Biodiversity International, Italy.

Dr Gregson is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Mr Ross-Smith was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) “for service to the performing arts, and to the community of the Armidale region”. He was Deputy Director of the National Institute of Dramatic Art from 1974 to 1976 before moving to UNE as Head of Drama in 1977. He became an Honorary Fellow of the University in 1996.

He has played a leading role in the cultural life of the New England region, serving as a committee member and actor with the Armidale Playhouse since 1978. In 1985 he founded the Armidillos Theatre Company, of which he is currently the Artistic Director and Administrator. The company has been responsible for directing local productions and financing the appearance of visiting professional theatre companies – and Oz Opera – in Armidale.

Mr Ross-Smith was Secretary of the Australian Drama Studies Association from 1977 to 1982, and President from 1982 to 1984, becoming a Life Member of the Association in 1984.

The Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, has presented a national award to a recent UNE graduate, Dr Chanda Nimbkar.

Dr Nimbkar is the Director of Animal Husbandry at the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) in the Indian State of Maharashtra. At a ceremony in New Delhi last month she accepted the award for her leading role in an Indian research team that, through a 10-year project in collaboration with Australian scientists, has enhanced lamb production in Maharashtra.

As part of the project, Dr Nimbkar studied at UNE for her PhD degree in genetics, graduating in 2006. Her supervisors were Professor Julius Van der Werf, Professor Steve Walkden-Brown, and Professor Brian Kinghorn.

UNE was the commissioned Australian research institution for the project, which was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Professor Walkden-Brown led the Australian team, which included seven UNE scientists as well as several from CSIRO and the University of Melbourne. The project culminated in an international workshop in Maharashtra last November. For more information on the project and the international workshop, go to http://blog.une.edu.au/news/2008/11/.

The award presented at last month’s ceremony was the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Award for Science and Technology Innovations for Rural Development. NARI and the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) were the Indian collaborators in the project and, along with Dr Nimbkar, Dr Vidya Gupta of NCL received the award on behalf of her organisation.

“NARI, in collaboration with NCL, has successfully introduced the FecB gene in Deccani sheep to enhance lamb production,” the citation reads. “A new strain of Deccani sheep with higher productivity, called ‘NARI Suwarna’, has thus been developed. The FecB gene-carrier ewes produce twin lambs at every alternate lambing. This increase is high enough to bring about a substantial increase in the shepherds’ income. It is thus transforming the rural shepherds’ economy.”

Dr Nimbkar’s UNE supervisors expressed their pride and satisfaction with this official recognition of her work. “Chanda has always been very dedicated to her work and to the shepherds she works with,” Professor Van der Werf said. “It’s good to see a graduate apply her knowledge so effectively, and to the benefit of so many in the community that she comes from.”

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows the Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, presenting the award to Dr Nimbkar.

More than 240 members of the Country Women’s Association (CWA) of NSW will travel to the University of New England next week for an insight into the history, society, and arts of Egypt.

Egypt is the focus of this year’s CWA Weekend Country of Study School, beginning on Friday 6 February and continuing through the weekend. Organised by the UNE Conference Company and hosted by UNE’s Earle Page College, the annual Study School investigates a different country each year.

During a formal dinner at Earle Page College on Friday 6 February, the Consul General of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Sydney, Mr Tarek Abousenna, will present delegates with a “Welcome to Egypt”. Mr Abousenna’s wife, Mrs Heba Abousenna, will also take part in the weekend’s program, presenting a lecture on “Egyptian Women in History”.

The presentations, in UNE’s Wright Centre, will include “Egypt’s contribution to world civilization” (by Rifaat Ebied, Professor of Semitic Studies at the University of Sydney), “History of Egypt” (by Mrs Rose Soriel, President of the Egyptian Women’s Association of Australia), “Visual arts from Pharaohs to modern times” (by Mrs Mona Goubran, Secretary of the Australian Egyptian Council Forum), and “History of Egyptian migration to Australia” (by Mr Amir Salem, Chairman of the Australian Egyptian Council Forum).

Two UNE academics will speak about Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs – Professor Lynda Garland focusing on daily life, and Associate Professor Matthew Dillon on the pyramids. Dr Muhammad Gamal, a lecturer and Arabic linguist from the University of NSW, will present an entertaining review of Egyptian icons from the pyramids to Omar Sharif.

Dr Eman Sharobeem, Manager of the Immigrant Women’s Health Service, and Mrs Aziza Abdel Halim AM, President of the Muslim Women’s National Network of Australia, will speak about the role of women in Egyptian society.

The CWA Study School is an expression of the long-standing relationship between the University of New England and the Country Women’s Association of NSW. The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, will welcome delegates to the University during the formal dinner, while the Armidale Dumaresq Mayor, Councillor Peter Ducat, will welcome them to Armidale.

The weekend will include entertainment provided by the Sydney-based troupe “Orientale Essence”. The troupe, trained by the renowned choreographer, teacher and performer Terezka Drnzik, will present a program of Middle Eastern music and dance.

New state-of-the-art-gym equipment costing $150,000 installed at the University of New England’s Sport UNE complex promises better results for less effort than conventional equipment, according to UNE Gym coordinator, Tim Hayes.

“You’d better believe it”, said Tim, “you can now get a full body work out in under half an hour. I’ve done it, and it’s great; there are so many new toys to play with and so many new and exciting ways to use them. But the best thing is the way the machines actually feel – not only are they more comfortable but it feels like you’re getting a better workout as you use them.”

He said the circuit basically consisted of 30 new items of biomechanically engineered fitness gear at 15 stations that targeted different body parts to give a full body workout, and added that it was really easy to use and could be done without supervision.

“Anyone can get a great workout on their own at a time that suits them”, he said. “It’s specifically designed for people who haven’t necessarily used a gym before or are new to weight training so is great for beginners as well as advanced gym goers. The circuit has been in use for a few weeks now and some of the most popular machines are the chest press and the glute machine – which we haven’t had before.

But, “What is a glute machine?” one might ask. Tim said, “How do I say this delicately? It targets the…backside! What it does is shape and tone that part of the body in a way that many people have been looking for and the response so far has been really positive.

The equipment represents the second stage of a three-part grant awarded to UNE under the voluntary student unionism (VSU) transition fund. The total value of the grant is $5 million. Other facilities ear-marked for grant funds include a new multi-purpose gym and swimming pool development.

In April of last year a team of fitness professionals from Sport UNE travelled to Sydney and were so impressed by Life Fitness and Hammerstrength equipment it became their first choice.

According to Group Fitness Coodinator, Mally McKenzie, the University could confidently claim to have the biggest and most comprehensively, well equipped fitness centre of the region and that the upcoming redevelopments of Sport UNE’s facilities, including a new gym area, would confirm Sport UNE’s position as New England’s premier sports and recreation facility.

“We’re still the cheapest in town despite having new equipment”, said Mally. “We’ve also got the largest facility in the region, and what other place offers as much as we do: Gym, Group Fitness classes and programs, the Pool, the Pool Inflatable, Tennis courts, Squash and Badminton Courts, Volleyball, Basketball, Netball; a Rock Climbing Wall, Grass fields with goals and markings for Rugby Union, Rugby League, AFL, Soccer, Cricket fields and nets and a Vacation Care program for kids,” she said.

“We are planning a Sport UNE Open Day in March so the public can try our new equipment and facilities for free. There’ll be staff on hand to answer any questions and we’ll be showcasing our group fitness classes as well, which are free to attend,” she concluded.

The world’s first international symposium on improving and developing equity in rural education will be hosted by Armidale’s University of New England next month.

Keynote speakers from around the world will attend the four day event, which offers an international forum for sharing research findings, innovative ideas and evaluated approaches to boost education in the bush.

‘International data confirm that for many countries the learning achievements of students in rural areas are often significantly lower than those achieved by peers in metropolitan areas. The aim of the International Symposium for Innovation in Rural Education (ISFIRE) is to bring together people from around the world who want to help teachers and students in rural, regional and remote locations’ explained ISFIRE convenor, Dr Chris Reading.

ISFIRE is organised around six themes, including: promoting rural policy initiatives; nurturing the rural teacher experience; and addressing special issues in rural education. ISFIRE is a joint initiative between the National Centre for Science, ICT and Mathematics Education in Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR Australia) at the University of New England and NURI-Teacher Education Innovation Center at the Kongju National University (South Korea).

‘It is not too late to register to attend. ISFIRE is not just important for teachers, educators and researchers but also for those who work in educational roles in government and private sectors. The symposium provides an exciting opportunity for professional conversation’ said Dr Reading.‘Keynote speakers from South Korea, Norway, Canada, the United States of America and Australia are taking part. We are hoping to build on successful innovations which have already been trialled and discuss ways to tailor these ideas so they can be implemented around the world’ said Dr Reading.

Over the four days (February 11- 14) fifteen different sessions will take place. Each session will consist of three presentations. After each session participants will discuss how the initiatives could be implemented in their own countries.

As part of the conference, participants will also have the chance to experience a taste of Armidale. Tours of Saumarez Homestead and McCrossin’s Mill Museum have been organised, along with visits to New England Regional Art Museum and Petersons Wines.

In 2011 the second ISFIRE symposium will be held in South Korea. It’s hoped the symposium will become a biennial event hosted in different countries.To register or obtain more information, visit http://www.une.edu.au/simerr/ISFIRE

How does Australian theatre engage with the classics? This is the theme which will be explored next month at a Sydney colloquium sponsored by the University of New England.

The one-day conference, titled Classical Tradition and the Epic Impulse in Australian Theatre: The Lost Echo and The Women of Troy is sponsored by UNE’s School of Arts.

The recent collaborations in classical performance between Barrie Kosky, Tom Wright and the Sydney Theatre Company, The Lost Echo and The Women of Troy, will be explored.

‘This is the first colloquium to be held on the work of Barrie Kosky and his work at Sydney Theatre Company. The focus of the conference is to look at how Australian theatre engages with the classics- in this case the literature of Ancient Greece and Rome’ explained Dr Elizabeth Hale from UNE’s School of Arts.

The Lost Echo was staged in 2006 at the Sydney Theatre Company. It provided an eight-hour adaptation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The Women of Troy was staged in 2008 at the Wharf Theatre in Sydney and in Melbourne at the Malthouse Theatre. It provided an intimate staging of Euripides’ text.

The colloquium will examine the significance, influence and dynamism of these two very different adaptations of classical texts, and speakers from disciplines such as performance, literature, music, and classical studies will take part.

Speakers from UNE include Adrian Kiernander (Theatre Studies) who will deliver ‘‘The ‘old’ in ‘Golden’: Images of aging and decay in Australian stagings of classical drama. Ruth Thompson (School of Arts) will present ‘Atrocities in the name of Democracy in Wright/Kosky’s The Women of Troy“. Noted speakers from other universities include John McCallum (School of English, Media and the Performing Arts, University of New South Wales): Ejaculating Blood and Michael Ewans (School of Drama, Fine Art and Music, University of Newcastle)’Trojan Women, new and old’.

Tom Wright, the writer and translator of both productions, will give the keynote address. ‘Tom Wright will also be giving wrap-up comments. This is a chance to have a conversation with him on issues involved in adaptation and classical reception and the notion of performance’ said Dr Hale.

Classical Tradition and the Epic Impulse in Australian Theatre will be held from 9am until 5 pm on February the 2^nd at Sancta Sophia College at the University of Sydney.

Budding young scientists have taken over labs at the University of New England. UNE scientists are sharing their knowledge with local school students, for three days of hands-on fun.

The annual Siemens Science Experience is a national program that gives students entering Year 10 in 2009 a taste of the exciting potential of a career in science and the vital role of scientists in today’s society.

Dr Jim McFarlane, the director of the Siemens Science Experience program at UNE, said the event had been a success. ‘Around twenty students from twelve local towns and cities have taken part in the program. It is a massive boost for the students. It allows them to meet professional scientists and to work with them in laboratories equipped with cutting-edge technology’ Dr McFarlane said.

PLC Armidale student, Alinta Merrotsy, says the camp has given her a chance to explore all science has to offer. ‘I loved doing the hands-on stuff such as dissecting hearts and kidneys and learning about DNA profiling and how to make Aspirin. When I finish school I think I want to study medicine or veterinary science, so this has been a great experience’ she said. 

For Emily Graham, from Macintyre High School in Inverell, science has always stood out as her favoured subject. ‘I like both the practical and theoretical sides of science. I want to get into DNA and crime scene investigation when I finish school, so I really enjoyed learning more about these areas and taking part in the practical sessions’ she explained.

This summer’s Experience at UNE ran from the 13th to the 15^th of January. The students’ laboratory work included investigations in a range of scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, robotics, and physiology. They also attend lectures by some of UNE’s most distinguished scientists – lectures with titles such as “The life of birds”, “The code of life” and “A chemist’s view of energy”.

Along with their scientific adventure, the students have gained valuable experience of life on a university campus, by staying in a student residence and, in the evenings, enjoying games and sporting activities.”We hope 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’ added Dr McFarlane.

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.

THIS PHOTOGRAPH expands to show student participants alongside UNE Chemistry Senior Lecturer, Dr Chris Fellows.

The pursuit of science can lead to a rewarding career in primary industries- that’s the message fifteen senior science students from secondary schools in Armidale, Tamworth, Gunnedah and Warialda are hearing thanks to a local program run by the University of New England.

The students are receiving a taste of what a career in primary industries has to offer. The local program, managed by Susanna Greig and Associate Professor Robin Jessop at the University of New England, is part of a national plan conducted by the Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE). 
The students – each of them a recipient of a PICSE Industry Placement Scholarship – attended the PICSE Science to Industry Camp from the 5^th to the 9^th of January. Sam Adams, who is this year entering Year 12 at The Armidale School, said the camp helped to confirm a career in primary industries was what he wanted. ‘This has been a great experience and I have met a lot of good people. It has backed up the fact that I want to study Agronomy at UNE once I finish school’ he said.

As part of the fun the students visited primary industries and agricultural research laboratories in Armidale, Tamworth, Walcha and Glen Innes. ‘The camp has been a great success’ Ms Greig said. ‘Students visited a number of agricultural research organisations and some award-winning primary industries, learning about the science that supports those industries.’

‘The highlight for me was looking at animal digestion, genetics and breeding. We took gastric juice extracts from sheep and examined microbes under the microscope’ said 17 year old Warialda High School student, Tiffany Hunt. ‘When I finish school I want to study Agriculture or Rural Science and the courses at UNE are definitely looking good’ she added.

In addition to attending the camp, each student will complete a five-day industry placement, working in primary industries or with agricultural research scientists between the 12^th and the 23^rd of January. ’To wrap up the scholarship program,’ Ms Greig said, ‘they will return to UNE on the 9^th of February to offer presentations outlining their Industry Placement Scholarship experiences.’

As part of the local PICSE program for 2008-2009, science teachers from the New England North West region took part in a ‘Teacher Professional Development’ event in September, visiting many of the laboratories and industries involved. 

The PICSE program was established By Dr David Russell from the University of Tasmania in 1999. The NSW hub was established at UNE in 2007-08 and, following its initial success, the program has now been expanded to include more schools and industries throughout the region. 

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here expands to show the students who are taking part in the PICSE event, along with Susanna Greig (second from the right) who is managing the program.

Students wanting to study nursing at the University of New England now have more options. From this year, students studying a Bachelor of Nursing degree at UNE will be able to obtain an Advanced Diploma and become an Enrolled Nurse after the first two years of the course. In addition, those who are already Endorsed Enrolled Nurses can enter straight into the beginning of second year and study for 2 years to become a Registered Nurse.

The course will also have more blended learning in second and third years. Students will have the chance to study entirely on campus or to instead learn mainly on-line, and attend a number of short intensive schools and clinical practice blocks each semester.

‘The new changes mean the degree is more flexible and better suited to students who don’t want to relocate to Armidale or who can’t afford not to work’ said Dr Penny Paliadelis, Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator for Nursing at UNE’s School of Health.‘We now have multiple entry and exit points for our students. After two years of the course, students will be allowed to leave with an Advanced Diploma and become Enrolled Nurses or they can choose to stay for the full three years and become Registered Nurses’ Dr Paliadelis added.

Armidale’s Todd Naylor has wanted to become a nurse since leaving school more than a decade ago. ‘With a young family to think of, my wife and I needed financial stability and were never really in a position to live off only one wage in order for me to study’ he said. ‘However we were drawn to the course’s increased flexibility and the fact I can study part time and on-line’ he said.

UNE is also leading the way with its new entry criteria. ‘Those who don’t meet the usual entry standards, but feel they have the capacity to become nurses, can enter UNE’s nursing course via interview’ explained Dr Paliadelis. ‘Students new to UNE need to make an initial application to UAC and fill in the request form to book in for the final round of panel interviews to be held on the 22^nd of January in the School of Health’.

‘I was accepted into the course via interview’ said Mr Naylor. ‘I think it is a great way of finding students who are passionate about nursing. I don’t think people who are perhaps lacking in dedication to their study, would really put themselves through the rigorous task of sitting in front of a panel’ he said. 

‘I am really excited about beginning my nursing degree. I have wanted to do this for a long time and I now just want to achieve a really good result and have a happy balance between work, study and family’ Mr Naylor added. 

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here expands to show Todd Naylor and Dr Penny Paliadelis in UNE’s simulation lab in the School of Health.

Employees at Ascent Business Services in Armidale are working with the University of New England on a project that is helping school students to improve their basic skills in mathematics.

Ascent Business Services is a division of integrated living Australia, an organisation that supports people with a disability. A team of eight people, working in the Print Pack Post division at Armidale’s Acacia Park, is collating numeracy resources used in the QuickSmart program developed at UNE.

Those resources include games and ‘flash cards’ – each card containing a question in simple arithmetic (e.g. ’5 x 3 = ?’) designed to help students develop automatic responses to such questions. Two million cards are being sorted into 200 sets of QuickSmart resources.

For the Ascent employees, the work has had an educational dimension. ‘It’s been a very interesting exercise for us to see the advancement of some in their basic maths capabilities,’ said Mr Jack Kelly, Team Leader in Ascent’s ‘Print Pack Post’ operation.

One of the employees, Paul Wadleigh, said the project offered exciting possibilities for learning. ‘If we have spare time, we practise,’ he said.

‘They are also developing an eye for detail,’ Mr Kelly said, ‘and noticing any cards that might be defective.’ There has, indeed, been a remarkable improvement in the speed and accuracy of their work.

Mr Stuart Wark, General Manager of Employment Services for integratedliving, said the project had ‘opened new horizons’ for the employees by ‘expanding their literacy and numeracy skills’.

QuickSmart has been used with great success in more than 90 schools in NSW and the Northern Territory over the past four years. By giving students confidence in the automatic application of basic mathematical procedures, it has also enhanced their motivation. ‘The parents of Indigenous kids in the Northern Territory report that they’re really keen to go to school on QuickSmart days,’ said Professor John Pegg, Director of the UNE-based National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia. Professor Pegg and his UNE colleague Associate Professor Lorraine Graham have led the team that has developed the QuickSmart program and overseen its successful implementation.

The collation work at Ascent Business Services has ensured that the production of the QuickSmart kits has been all done in Armidale, including design work at UNE Partnerships and printing at UNE’s Printery.

The QuickSmart project is just one example of Ascent Business Services working for UNE. Other tasks are undertaken by the organisation’s Secure Shredding and Recycling operation as well as its Print Pack Post.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of the flashcards expands to show Joe Boston and Matt Devenish-Mears.