Archive for October, 2009

A free public concert in Armidale this week will demonstrate the achievements of music composition students at the University of New England in their creative use of new technology.

The concert, presented by second-year and third-year composition students, will be at 7.30 pm on Thursday 22 October in the auditorium of the C.B. Newling Building (“the Old Teachers’ College”). It will include compositions and improvisations by the students using a variety of software and other technological tools.

“There are some really interesting new possibilities emerging for the composition, production and performance of music using such technologies,” said UNE Music lecturer Steve Thorneycroft. “The students have been integrating technologies both old and new, and investigating the potential of recent technological developments as well as of developments that might be just around the corner. It’s a great time to be creative!”

Jenny Bakon, a third-year UNE Music student and the 2007 recipient of the Fellowship of Australian Composers Composition Award, said: “We’ve all had a fantastic time collaborating on compositions as well as investigating and experimenting with the kinds of software that are out there to aid with generative, interactive and improvised music composition and performance. We’d really like to share the fruit of our investigations with everyone who’s willing to bring along their open ears.”

The range of music presented in the concert will be from minimalist ambient soundscapes to improvised interactive real-time composition (with sideways excursions into musique concrete) and beyond.

Chris Estreich at MAC1 has helped the students by making available some extra technology to investigate and use in the concert.

The UNE Student Support team are celebrating the enormous success of their website, with the number of views hitting 25,000 this week.

The Insider’s Guide to UNE has become a popular source of information for on and off campus students and includes podcasts, videos, and daily news updates.

“The main focus of the site is to make sure students get the information they need when they need it. Our current tips for exams and dealing with stress have been really popular” says Ed Campbell, a member of the Student Support Team.

Meredith Duncan and Frances Munro make up the team based in the Student Centre.

Staff members are invited to contribute information to the site which utilises web 2.0 technology through links to twitter, facebook and a YouTube station.

The Insider’s Guide to UNE can be found at http://blog.une.edu.au/studentexperience/

Information for posts can be forwarded to studentsupport@une.edu.au.

The site is currently undergoing a refurbishment , the new version to be launched in time for 2010 Orientation.

The University of New England is contributing to the Big Draw, an international celebration of drawing as a means of visual expression and communication.

In Australia, Big Draw events – taking place this month in schools, museums, galleries, libraries and community centres around the country – are part of the Drawing Australia project.

There will be two Big Draw events at UNE this week: “Artist under Glass” on Wednesday 21 October and “The Big Draw” on Thursday 22 October.

The “Artist under Glass” is Jonathon Larsen, a talented painter, print-maker and designer who lives and works in Armidale. Between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm tomorrow he will be “under glass” in the Dixson Library (i.e., inside the Library’s glassed-in entrance), where everyone in the UNE community has been invited to meet him, talk to him, and participate – under his direction – in small drawing exercises.

In “The Big Draw” on Thursday, drawing paper will be unrolled along the Central Courtyard at 11.30 am, art stations with drawing materials will be placed along the walkway, and everyone will be invited to try their hand at drawing.

“Jonathon Larsen will lead a group of volunteers (students and staff members) in the collaborative drawing experience through the afternoon,” said Dr Frances Alter, Lecturer in Visual Arts Education at UNE. “They will be devising a variety of activities to enthuse and encourage people to add their mark to the group drawing.”

The Big Draw events at UNE have been coordinated by Michelle Arens, the UNE Art Collections Manager.

The Campaign for Drawing – the organisation that coordinates the Big Draw in the UK – promotes drawing as “a universal language connecting generations and cultures and underpinning the ability to learn”, and as “a powerful tool that allows us to be inventive, to make marks with meaning, to be explorers, and to communicate our discoveries”.

A team of seven UNE undergraduates have taken part in organising a field day of topical interest as part of their learning and assessment requirements for the unit Agricultural and Natural Resource Extension, AGEX 310/510. The student team’s ‘clients’ for this extension task were Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment Management Authority and UNE.

The field day, detailing ‘cover cropping’ with the crop millet on red soil in relation to its important role in soil erosion prevention, was held at the UNE Warialda Douglas McMaster Research Station on Thursday 1^st October 2009.

The day included discussion and demonstrations by Dr. Chris Guppy and Mitch Hughes of UNE. McMaster property manager Simon Jasper, and Catchment Management representatives Nicole Gammie and Bruce Gardiner also contributed to the day.

 ”Selling the concept of cover cropping was not our aim, but rather to raise awareness of the technique as providing a sustainable option that aids in the prevention of dust storm events like have been experienced this past few weeks” said Nicole Gammie.

Discussed on the day were the benefits of cover cropping in terms of soil loss, shown to represent a major economic loss to farm operations; as well as soil moisture management and environmental sustainability.

UNE student Mitch Hughes highlighted that the cost of lost nutrients, primarily in the upper couple millimetres of the soil profile, can approach $135/ha/yr in lost nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur.

“Two millimetres doesn’t seem that much, it’s only once you start to do the calculations on a hectare or farm scale that the importance of this loss is fully realized” noted Mitch.

A presentation by Chris Guppy worked through the soil’s response to ‘cover crop’ densities with respect to soil moisture retention, loss and seasonal fluctuations.

The day was part of a series of field days run by the Border-Rivers Gwydir Catchment Management Authority covering a range of property management and improved natural resource technique considerations.

Those interested in further information regarding activities run by the Border-Rivers Gwydir CMA can contact Nicole Gammie on 02 6728 8045, or for updates on current research being undertaken at the UNE McMaster Research property contact Chris Guppy on 02 6773 3567.

The University of New England is preparing to participate in an international celebration of Italy’s outstanding contributions to the arts, science and technology.

This week (19 – 25  October) is the ninth annual Settimana della lingua italiana nel mondo (“Week of the Italian Language in the World”).

In widening its scope to include science and technology, the annual celebration of Italian language and culture is recognising, among many other things, the 400^th anniversary earlier this year of the first recorded astronomical observation using a telescope – by the great Italian scientist Galileo Galilei.

The full-day UNE event, which will be open to the public, will be on Friday 23 October, beginning at 9.30 am, in Lecture Theatre A2 in the Arts Building. It will include informative talks, presentations of Italian poetry and music, and – after lunch-time refreshments – a screening of the Italian film Nirvana, directed by Gabriele Salvatores.

The Director of the Italian Institute of Culture in Sydney, Dr Alessandra Bertini Malgarini, will travel to Armidale for the event, and will give a short address at the end of the morning’s program of talks. The subjects of those talks will include Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci, the thirteenth-century Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, and the contemporary poet Valerio Magrelli. There will also be a talk titled “Punctuation and printing in Italy 1501-1503: the first use of the apostrophe”.

Brennan Wales, UNE’s Convener of Italian, will present a reading of poetry of the “Sicilian School”, which flourished under the patronage of Frederick II. A student of Italian at UNE, Sam Payne, will give a recital of Italian arias of the Baroque period, and, during lunch-time refreshments, the UNE String Quartet will play Italian music.

A welcome from the Head of UNE’s School of Arts, Professor Jennie Shaw, will begin the day, and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, will give a vote of thanks.

Dr Mario Inglese, a lecturer in Italian at UNE sponsored by the Italian Government, said the Settimana della lingua italiana nel mondo was a project of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Accademia della Crusca, Italy’s foremost institution for the study and promotion of the Italian language. (The Accademia della Crusca was founded in Florence in 1582.) “This year’s theme encourages us to celebrate the Italian genius for scientific discovery as well as for artistic expression,” Dr Inglese said, “and for uniting scientific and aesthetic principles in a range of technological masterpieces – from Roman aqueducts to modern sports cars.”

For a full program of Friday’s event at UNE, go to: http://www.une.edu.au/arts/events/italian.php.

The University of New England stands to benefit from the development of strategic relationships in the international arena, following the unqualified success of its International Health Conference held in Thailand this week.

The International Conference on Health Service Delivery Management is a joint effort between UNE and Thailand’s Naresuan University, and has attracted more than 450 delegates from across three continents.

The Vice-Chancellor and CEO of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, in Thailand, said the conference had pulled together knowledge from the fields of health, medicine and education to address global issues in health service delivery.

He said the conference had attracted considerable international interest from health practitioners, health providers, and educators from 16 countries including Australia, Sudan, Nepal, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Laos and Bhutan.

“All of the international experts present are committed to improving health care and to learning from each other through research and education strategies,” Professor Pettigrew said. “The international partnership between UNE and Naresuan University is evidently world-leading in its concept and practical application for improving health care in rural and regional settings.”

Professor Victor Minichiello, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of UNE’s Faculty of The Professions, said that the strategic relationships developed between UNE and institutions such as Naresuan University and the World Health Organisation would provide benefits to the global community.

“It is anticipated the conference will result in the expansion of this collaboration into a wider regional network,” Professor Minichiello said. “I commend the organisers for their vision and dedication to the wellbeing of communities, and look forward to UNE working with global partners to develop strategic relationships that not only benefit UNE, but tackle global health service problems head-on.”

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here expands to show a colourful ceremony at the conference.

Australia’s oldest regional university, the University of New England, will receive a multi-million dollar upgrade to its Information Technology infrastructure.

$5 Million will be received by UNE from the Australian Government to enhance the University’s teaching and learning facilities.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew welcomed the funding which will support UNE’s position as a leader in distance education, by providing a faster, higher speed digital capacity.

“UNE has a great tradition in quality distance education and this funding will ensure that UNE continues as a market leader now and into the future.”

Professor Pettigrew said the $5 Million will assist the University to become a global leader in the provision of digital education, and will greatly enhance our linkages with colleagues, both domestically and internationally.

“This funding will connect UNE at high speed to the world’s most sophisticated teaching and research networks, enabling us to fully engage with our student and research collaborations and networks,” Professor Pettigrew said.

Chancellor of UNE, Dr Richard Torbay, said the funding was significant and was a sign the Australian Government was prepared to invest in regional educational infrastructure.

He said the Australian Government is to be commended for its commitment to the rebuilding and restoration of regional campus facilities and priorities.

“Reliable high speed digital connectivity is increasingly a fundamental requirement to the successful delivery of teaching and learning, support services for students and staff, and the conduct of research,” Dr Torbay said.

“This is a great boost to the University and will ensure have the best facilities available for our future researchers and students,” Dr Torbay said.

The Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency Marie Bashir AC, has recognised the University of New England’s School of Rural Medicine with an award for its research into rural mental healthcare.

The award was presented to Professor Fiona Stewart on behalf of UNE’s School of Rural Medicine, and recognizes research into ways of supporting mental health practitioners, particularly those who work with children and adolescents in regional areas.

Chancellor of the UNE, Dr Richard Torbay commended the research undertaken by Professor John Fraser and Associate Professor Christian Alexander .

“Australia’s regional community is ‘crying out’ for real assistance, and I am pleased that UNE is focused on bringing results to the table that provide real assistance to the community.

“UNE’s first-class research demonstrates the University’s commitment to delivering tangible outcomes to Australia’s rural and regional community,” Dr Torbay said.

Professor Fraser said the research involved great deal of collaboration between UNE and rural GPs across rural NSW.

“As this research deepens, the University will continue to work alongside Hunter New England Health Service to explore programs that address this area of need,” Professor Fraser said.

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of UNE’s Faculty of The Professions, Professor Victor Minichiello said the award demonstrates the significant impact the newly established medical school is making in the field of rural healthcare.

“As one of Australasia’s first rural medical school, UNE is clearly providing leadership to the rural community, delivering real research outcomes in the area of rural healthcare delivery.

“This award is evidence that UNE’s research is making a real difference to peoples’ lives, importantly in this acutely under-resourced area,” Professor Minichiello said.

Barry Humphries was presented with this year’s James Joyce Award at University College Dublin (UCD) on the very day that his biographer, Anne Pender, delivered a lecture at the College on his work.

Dr Pender, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Arts at the University of New England, visited UCD to give the annual Keith Cameron Lecture in the College’s School of History and Archives on the afternoon of the 29^th of September. That morning, she sat in an enthusiastic audience of students as Humphries entertained them with an hour-long talk before receiving his award “for services to the arts and entertainment”.

Dr Pender was impressed by “the way he was able to charm and educate a whole new generation of listeners”. “The young people were very interested in Humphries and his world,” she said. “It’s a mark of his extraordinary talent that he can entertain anyone with his use of language.”

Over lunch, he entertained Dr Pender – among other invited guests – in a more informal way, providing her with a few new details for her biography, which is in the final stages of preparation.

Among those guests was Australia’s Ambassador to Ireland, Anne Plunkett – a graduate of UNE. Ms Plunkett, who is a dedicated supporter of Australian Studies at UCD, was guest-of-honour at both the award presentation and Dr Pender’s lecture.

The James Joyce Award is presented by the Literary and Historical Society of UCD. “The students filled the lecture theatre and cheered as Humphries entered,” Dr Pender said. “He spoke for about an hour, and read from his newly-published book Handling Edna, before being presented with the award. He spoke about – among other things – his own time as an undergraduate.

“He said he thought James Joyce would have appreciated Dame Edna as ‘a kind of respectable Molly Bloom’.”

The Keith Cameron Lecture at UCD is an annual event associated with the College’s Keith Cameron Chair of Australian Studies. Dr Pender said her lecture on Humphries, titled “The Last of the Queen’s Men: Barry Humphries’s Australian Theatre of Empire”, explored “his changing attitude towards Australia, and his changing approach to representing Australian culture and society, between the 1950s and the 1980s”.

“It was well received,” she said, “by a great audience of staff and students.”

THE  PHOTOGRAPH of Barry Humphries displayed here expands to include Dr Anne Pender and Professor Stuart Ward (current holder of the Keith Cameron Chair of Australian Studies at University College Dublin).

The University of New England’s most outstanding accounting and finance students  have been recognised by Australia’s national accounting peak body, CPA Australia.

More than 178 awards were presented last Friday to the top-ranking students in UNE’s School of Business, Economics and Public Policy.

UNE Chancellor, Dr Richard Torbay extended his congratulations to students and staff of the School, and said the awards were evidence of the high teaching quality and calibre of UNE students.

Dr Torbay stressed the importance of industry links, and the benefits of strategic relationships between educational providers like UNE, and industry associations, like CPA Australia for young people at the beginnings of their careers.

“UNE’s School of Business, Economics and Public Policy and CPA Australia have a strong, and long-term relationship that has provides enormous benefits for both students and staff at UNE.

“A key feature of the relationship is the regular visits by high-profile CPA Australia members to the University,” Dr Torbay said.

Vice Chancellor and CEO, Professor Alan Pettigrew suggested the awards provided an opportunity for CPA Australia to meet some of UNE’s top ranking students.

“Regular visits by industry organisations significantly negate the potential professional isolation of being in a regional area, and help establish strong and productive national networks not only for our staff but also for our students.

“When they visit, the people from CPA Australia spend an extraordinary amount of time talking one-on-one with students, as well as giving more formal talks,” Professor Pettigrew said.

NSW Director of CPA Australia Ron Switzer said he was pleased that the strong relationship between the accounting and finance peak body and UNE provided tangible benefits to students.

“The awards are designed to provide an opportunity for both CPA Australia and the University to recognize and celebrate the hard work and commitment of business students upon graduation.

“Today’s business students will be tomorrow’s business leaders, and it’s important that the outstanding achievements of UNE business students are recognized and provided with a much encouragement as possible during the early stages of career development,” Mr Switzer said.