Archive for December, 2010

2010, a year of consolidation and renewal for UNE, began with the arrival of a new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jim Barber, at the beginning of February.

Professor Barber’s first official function as Vice-Chancellor was at an event characteristic of that consolidation and renewal: the opening of a new, state-of-the-art greenhouse complex for research and teaching within the School of Environmental and Rural Science. The complex includes 25 separate rooms, in each of which temperature and watering can be controlled independently. Research using the new greenhouse facilities is already contributing to national programs – particularly in relation to climate change.

The year ended with a related event: the opening of new laboratories for research into reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. The “UNE Carbon and Climate Change Research and Learning Facility” is the new home of the UNE-based National Centre for Rural Greenhouse Gas Research – a joint venture between UNE and Industry & Investment NSW – launched in 2009. The Centre is an “offspring” of the Primary Industries Innovation Centre, which is also based at UNE.

The development of collaborative arrangements – with other universities as well as with government and industry – was a major theme for the year, which saw the signing of important agreements with educational institutions both in Australia and abroad. In October Professor Barber and the Chancellor, Dr Richard Torbay, signed Memoranda of Understanding with the University of Sydney, the University of Western Sydney, and TAFE NSW establishing collaborative arrangements aimed at giving more students access to higher education. “While each agreement is unique,” Professor Barber said, “collectively they promote a more inclusive, flexible and responsive higher education environment: one where universities serve the national interest through collaboration rather than dog-eat-dog competition.”

The signing of an agreement with China’s Henan Agricultural University (HAU) in November was one of several agreements with overseas universities ratified during the year. The comprehensive agreement with HAU will enable students who have completed a diploma program or two or three years of a degree program at HAU to complete a UNE degree – with advanced standing – in the areas of accounting, business, biotechnology and molecular genetics, environmental science, animal science, agriculture, and agricultural and resource economics. UNE is currently teaching students from seven Chinese educational institutions through advanced standing and cooperation agreements.

In March Professor Barber officially launched a project – “DEHub” – representative of another aspect of UNE’s collaborative activities.”DEHub” is a collaborative research project that is paving the way for 21^st century developments in distance education. The project, funded by the Commonwealth Government and led by UNE, also involves Charles Sturt University, CQUniversity, the University of Southern Queensland, and New Zealand’s Massey University. Together, these universities form a “hub” of research-based expertise on new developments in distance education practice. Professor Barber said that DEHub was “at the forefront of research and development behind a global educational movement towards distance education”.

Semester 1 ushered in some important new degree courses, including three Bachelor’s degree programs in the field of sport and exercise science, and a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree program. The introduction of these new health/medicine-related courses, capitalising on UNE’s expertise in physiology and biochemistry, followed the successful introduction of the Bachelor of Medicine program conducted in partnership with the University of Newcastle and now at the end of its third year.

The University continued – and consolidated – its productive relationships with the wider Armidale and New England communities through a range of public events. One of the most popular of those events, the annual UNE Schools Acquisitive Art Prize competition and “Let’s Hang It!” exhibition, was held in June – for the seventh successive year – at the New England Regional Art Museum. The competition attracted about 500 entries from 35 schools in 17 towns and cities throughout northern NSW.

For the second successive year, UNE was the major sponsor of Armidale’s annual Sustainable Living Expo (SLEX). Eleven experts from UNE spoke to SLEX audiences about their research in fields related to conservation and sustainability, and the University – which was recognised by the NSW Government in this year’s Green Globe Awards for its commitment to sustainability – was able to demonstrate aspects of that commitment.

While looking ahead and planning for the deregulated higher-education environment to emerge in 2012, the University continues to treasure and build on its proud traditions of excellence in scholarship and its unrivalled reputation for “overall student satisfaction”.

In October, one of the oldest community radio stations in Australia, UNE’s student-run TUNE! FM, celebrated its 40^th anniversary of continuous broadcasting. The celebration included the official opening of new studios, from which TUNE! FM began broadcasting in August.  The Chancellor, Richard Torbay, speaking at the event, said that the station, which provides student volunteers with radio industry training, had “touched many lives”.

Another event that marked the 21^st-century continuation of a long-standing tradition was the arrival at UNE of Dr Randall Pogorzelski, UNE’s first Charles Tesoriero Lecturer in Latin. During a function in November to welcome him, Professor Barber pointed out that Latin was one of the “foundation disciplines” of the University, and said he hoped that the lectureship, established through a bequest by Dr Charles Tesoriero, would be the “cornerstone of world-wide initiatives in teaching Latin”.

UNE has taught geology and conducted research on the geology of the New England region ever since 1939 – the year after its foundation as New England University College. In November, an international conference and reunion of staff members and graduates in Geology at UNE celebrated 70 years of that research. The 160 participants in the “New England Orogen 2010″ conference included the institution’s first Honours graduate in geology, Dr Ken Williams, and its first Doctor of Philosophy in geology, Professor Keith Crook. The first day of the conference was a “Tectonics Symposium”, devoted to papers on the formation of the region of tectonic upheaval known as the New England Orogen. The symposium honoured the significant contribution of the UNE geologist Professor Peter Flood to an understanding of that phenomenon.

Iain Davidson, Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the University of New England, is the 2010 recipient of the Australian Archaeological Association’s highest award: the Rhys Jones Medal.

Professor Davidson is the eighth recipient of the highly-regarded award for “outstanding contribution to Australian archaeology”. The previous recipients include two former UNE academics and two UNE graduates in archaeology.

The medal was presented at this month’s Annual Conference of the Australian Archaeological Association, hosted in 2010 by the Australian National University.

“I was both flattered and surprised,” Professor Davidson said – “surprised because I haven’t concentrated on any one thing during my varied career in archaeology. I was particularly happy, however, that the citation mentioned the fact that I’ve had some very good students, many of whom are now in important positions in Australian archaeology.” He said the prominent role of UNE in Australian archaeology had been established in the 1960s through the pioneering research and inspirational teaching of Isabel McBryde, the second recipient of the Rhys Jones Medal.

Professor Davidson’s research has included work on the Spanish Upper Palaeolithic, the archaeology and ethnography of north-west Queensland, Australian rock art, archaeology and heritage, and language origins. His 34-year career on the academic staff of UNE, beginning in 1974, culminated in his award of a Personal Chair in Archaeology in 1997 and his appointment as Emeritus Professor in 2008.

A Cambridge graduate, he arrived at UNE 12 weeks after the University established an academic department devoted to prehistory and archaeology – later to become the Department of Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology. When that department was absorbed into a multidisciplinary School of Human and Environmental Studies, Professor Davidson was appointed foundation Head of School.

While President of the Australian Archaeological Association in 1990-91, he ensured the adoption of the Association’s first Code of Ethics. He was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1994, holds honorary positions at Flinders University, the University of Queensland and Harvard University, and was the foundation Director of the Heritage Futures Research Centre at UNE.

Iain Davidson developed an early interest in hunter-gatherer culture through field work on Palaeolithic sites in Greece, Jersey and Spain. “With this interest in hunters, I came to Australia – the continent of fisher-gatherer-hunters,” he said. Over the years he has been awarded major grants from funding bodies including the Australian Research Council and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies to investigate Aboriginal archaeology, rock art, resource use and museum collections, and has worked on projects with Anaiwan, Darug, Gamilaraay, Kalkadoon, Undekerebina, Wankamadla, Wonarua, and Yulluna people.

Following in the footsteps of Rhys Jones himself (the first recipient of the Rhys Jones Medal) and John Mulvaney (its third recipient), Professor Davidson held the Visiting Chair of Australian Studies at Harvard University in 2008-9, where he organised the 1^st Harvard Australian Studies Symposium. Titled “People Colonising New Worlds”, the symposium compared the human colonisation of Australia with that of the Americas. Papers from the symposium are now being published in the journal Quaternary International, and one of Professor Davidson’s current projects is the organisation of this material into a coherent narrative. “I feel very strongly that we need to write narratives about these epoch-making migrations in human pre-history,” he said.

“Professor Iain Davidson is an exceptional scholar of international standing who has made significant contributions to some of the big questions in archaeology – such as the origins of language, and the colonisation of Australia,” said Dr Lynley Wallis, President of the Australian Archaeological Association.  “With his long-term commitment to advancing archaeology in Australia, both through research and his support of Aboriginal people, it is very fitting that his achievements are recognised with this award.”

The Australian Archaeological Association (AAA), the largest archaeological organisation in Australia, was formed in the 1970s to represent a diverse membership of professionals and others interested in archaeology. AAA promotes the advancement of archaeology, provides an organisation for the discussion and dissemination of archaeological information and ideas, convenes meetings at regular intervals, and publicises the need for the study and conservation of archaeological sites and collections. At the end of 2010, AAA had more than 700 members – from historical, maritime, and Indigenous archaeology and cultural heritage management backgrounds.

The AAA Web site is at: http://www.australianarchaeologicalassociation.com.au

Experts in environmental law from six continents will meet at the University of New England in early January to discuss the role of law in addressing conflicts over water around the world.

The participants in UNE’s “Water Law” colloquium on Wednesday the 5^th and Thursday the 6^th of January will travel to Armidale from Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Iceland, South Africa and the United States, as well as from within Australia.

Hosted by the UNE School of Law’s Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law (AgLaw Centre), the colloquium aims to bring a human perspective to a debate that has hitherto been dominated by scientific and economic considerations.

“The more socially-oriented role of law in water conflict has rarely been considered,” said one of the colloquium’s organisers, Dr Amanda Kennedy, the Deputy Director of the AgLaw Centre. “The importance of the human dimension, and the need for laws that can more effectively address that dimension, are highlighted by the continuing disputes over the Murray Darling Basin Plan. This meeting will provide new insights into how such conflicts could be addressed.”

The Head of UNE’s School of Law, Professor Jürgen Bröhmer, said that the AgLaw Centre at UNE was in an ideal position to convene such an international conference. “The conference will feed into the first issue of the new International Journal of Rural Law and Policy that will be published mid-year by UNE’s School of Law,” Professor Bröhmer said. “The intention of the Law School is to position the AgLaw Centre as one of the eminent research institutes in Australia – and internationally – in issues ranging from the environment, natural resources and energy to rural law, justice and governance.”

For more information on the event, titled Water Law: Through the Lens of Conflict, go to: http://www.une.edu.au/aglaw/waterlawcolloquium. In their introduction on the Web site, the organisers say that “the aspiration of the colloquium is to propose new directions for water law to address ways to advance economic growth, fair resolution of conflict, and social justice.”

Speakers at the colloquium will discuss water law and its social implications in relation to subjects such as climate change, the environment, agricultural water use, trans-boundary water flows, property rights, international waters, and energy and mining. Among the presenters will be Professor Du Qun, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Environmental Law at Wuhan University, China, speaking on “Trans-boundary water flows, conflict and the rule of law in China”, Professor Michael Kidd, Director of the Institute of Environmental Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (“Poisoning the right to water in South Africa: What can the law do?”), and Kristín Haraldsdóttir, from the Institute on Natural Resources Law at Reykjavik University, Iceland (“Property rights to water and social conflict – an example from Iceland”).

A Christmas present from the University of New England will help the community program Paws Up continue its life-changing work with teenage boys in 2011.

The gift – a cheque for $4,554 – represents half the proceeds of the University’s annual charity fund-raising campaign, known as “Celebration of Sharing”, for 2010.

Professor Jim Barber, the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, presented the cheque to the coordinator of Paws Up, Bernie Shakeshaft, during an end-of-year celebration at the University earlier this month. A cheque for the same amount will be presented in the new year to Sarah McFarlane-Eagle to help her make a 1,400-km walk in Japan in support of SANE Australia, a national charity working for a better life for people affected by mental illness.

Paws Up is a program for disadvantaged teenage boys who are given a Border Collie puppy to look after and train under supervision. The boys have been competing all over Australia in dog high jumping and are now the national champions. “We think you do a great job,” Professor Barber said to Mr Shakeshaft as he presented him with the cheque.

“It’s relationships such as this with UNE that keep us on the road,” Mr Shakeshaft explained in accepting the gift.

The campus-wide “Celebration of Sharing” campaign this year began in August with a charity art auction held at the New England Regional Art Museum, and continued with events including two concerts by internationally renowned visiting musicians and an evening of entertainment from UNE’s own rock band The Commendations, and personal donations.

Clicking on the Paws Up logo displayed here reveals a photograph of Professor Jim Barber (right) presenting Bernie Shakeshaft with the cheque.

A new teaching and learning resource for encouraging young children to eat more fruit and vegetables is becoming available to pre-schools and child care centres.

Developed by Shelley Woodrow, an educational consultant, and Nadine McCrea, an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of New England, the resource kit uses a range of innovative graphic techniques and hands-on activities to help pre-school children explore the world of plant foods. The project was initiated – and funded – by Australian Avocados.

The kit includes an educators’ resource book titled Eating My Colourful Vegies and Fruit, a large poster presenting groups of fruits and vegetables in a colourful “rainbow”, and “picto-recipes” that children can follow in making simple vegetable dishes with prepared ingredients. It encourages children to “explore the rainbow” by eating vegetables and fruits from the different colour groups, to use all their senses in their explorations of plant foods, and to be adventurous in trying new foods.

“Its hands-on approach allows children to be actively involved as ‘plant investigators’, said Dr McCrea, a specialist in food education. “For example, the kit includes ‘colour swatches’ that help children to identify which colour group a real fruit or vegetable comes from.”

She said the project was proceeding at a time of increasing public concern about children’s eating patterns.

From an initial print run of 500 kits, about 150 have already been distributed – free of charge – to pre-schools and child care centres in the New England region. In addition, one kit has been sent to an inner-city Sydney centre, and another to an East Melbourne centre. In return, teachers are asked for feedback on the use of the kit.

The remainder of the first 500 kits will be distributed in March and April 2011, Dr McCrea said. “And we’ll go on to a second print run if it’s well received,” she added.

More information about Eating My Colourful Vegies and Fruit is available on the Australian Avocados Web site (www.avocado.org.au), to which people are invited to send “stories” about their use of the kit by e-mailing earlychildhood@avocado.org.au. Parts of the kit can be downloaded from the Web site. Dr McCrea said that an accompanying DVD was being prepared, and would be available in March 2011.

The image displayed here expands to show Associate Professor Nadine McCrea (right),  Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students and Social Inclusion) Eve Woodberry (centre), and UNE Reference Librarian Crystal Plowman with the resource kit after Dr McCrea presented a copy of it to the Dixson Library last month.

Grahame Chaffey, who joined the Invergowrie Bushfire Brigade in 1992 and is now a Group Captain coordinating five local brigades, has been awarded a National Medal for “diligent service” by the Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC.

Assistant Commissioner Keith Harrap of the NSW Rural Fire Service presented Mr Chaffey with the medal during a ceremony at the Armidale Fire Control Centre in October.

Mr Chaffey, who works as Manager of the Animal House within the University of New England’s School of Environmental and Rural Science, joined the Invergowrie Bushfire Brigade after moving with his family to a house at Invergowrie and getting to know some of the brigade members. “It’s a rural area with a high potential for a fairly severe fire at some stage,” he said.

Now as a Group Captain for the New England Zone of the Rural Fire Service (RFS), he coordinates a group of brigades in an area stretching from beyond Nowendoc in the south to Deepwater in the north, and west to Tingha. “It’s so that, when called out to a large fire, all the firefighters combat the fire with a coordinated approach,” he said.

“Grahame has provided meritorious, diligent service to his community as a firefighter, trainer and leader within the RFS,” said Inspector Tim Butcher, the Armidale-based Learning and Development Officer for the NSW Rural Fire Service. “He is currently a highly-regarded member of the Training Team as well as a valued member of the Senior Management Team.”

Although he thinks that volunteering in the RFS is “a great idea” and would recommend it to others, Mr Chaffey adds that it’s “not for everyone – especially those with young families”. “When you go away to a fire and they see it on television, they tend to think the worst,” he said.

He was at Healesville, Victoria, during the devastating fires there in February 2009. “We weren’t in the worst areas, where a lot of people died,” he said, “but many houses were burnt, and driving along a paddock you’d see little piles of ash that had been big round bales of hay.”

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Jim Barber, said he was delighted to have such high-calibre community service volunteers on the University’s staff, and congratulated Mr Chaffey on his recognition. “UNE values any staff member making a contribution to community services,” Professor Barber said. “I’m truly delighted for Grahame on his receipt of this well-earned award recognising his contribution to the RFS.”

“Generally, volunteers are able to train and practise their skills in their own time,” Inspector Butcher said. “However, as emergencies are by their nature unpredictable, they can occur at any time of the year and at any time of day or night. The role of employers in releasing volunteers to respond to emergencies is essential to the success of the RFS in providing fire protection to our community.” Mr Chaffey said that UNE was always more than willing to release staff members for volunteer fire and emergency service.

The National Medal, part of the Australian honours system, recognises long and diligent service by members of recognised organisations that help the community during times of crisis. Mr Chaffey was also presented with an RFS long service medal during the ceremony in October.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Grahame Chaffey displayed here, taken just after the presentation of the National Medal, expands to include (from left) Jannette Chapman (Zone Administration Officer for the RFS), Assistant Commissioner Keith Harrap, and Councillor Rob Richardson of Armidale Dumaresq Council.

The opening of new laboratories at the University of New England this week marks a milestone in a collaborative research program that is attracting millions of dollars of government and industry funding for research into reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.

Dr Richard Sheldrake, the Director-General of Industry & Investment NSW, officially opened the new laboratories on Monday 13 December, saying that the regionally-driven research program was “unparallelled in Australia”.

The UNE-based National Centre for Rural Greenhouse Gas Research, a joint venture between UNE and Industry & Investment NSW, was officially launched in May 2009. The Centre’s new home, named the “UNE Carbon and Climate Change Research and Learning Facility”, has been established in UNE’s Agronomy Building with funding of $2 million provided to UNE through the Commonwealth Government’s “Better Universities Renewal Funding” scheme, and matching funds for essential analytical equipment provided by Industry & Investment NSW.

The Chancellor of UNE, Richard Torbay, said that the Centre was an “offspring” of the Primary Industries Innovation Centre, also based at UNE, and further developed the collaborative mission of the University and Industry & Investment NSW to address the challenges that climate change presented to primary industries. “This Centre is a testament to our research strengths, and will set the University up for increased opportunities to work in partnership with Industry & Investment NSW in the future,” he said.

Dr Sheldrake emphasised the “world-class” expertise of the scientists and support staff undertaking research at the Centre – research including a project aimed at reducing methane emissions from beef cattle that has received $1.58 million funding from the Commonwealth Government and an additional $120,000 from Meat & Livestock Australia. “For these scientists to reach their full potential they must have access to modern equipment and facilities,” he said. “It is for this reason that I particularly welcome the opening of the Carbon and Climate Change Laboratories here at the campus today.” The facility also supports more than 20 PhD candidates, with a growing number of PhD projects at UNE related to soil carbon and greenhouse gas research.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Jim Barber, thanked Dr Sheldrake, saying: “The Department of Industry & Investment has been a friend and partner of UNE over many years. Today’s opening is a celebration of our ongoing mutual achievements that lead the way in science and research.”

“These Carbon and Climate Change Laboratories will be invaluable to the National Soil Carbon Project,” Professor Barber said. “I am very proud of the continued efforts and commitment of the team here.”

Dr Sheldrake congratulated the Director of the National Centre for Rural Greenhouse Gas Research, Professor Annette Cowie, on her recent appointment to the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee – the committee that will accredit methods employed by farmers to earn carbon credits under the Commonwealth Government’s new Carbon Farming Initiative. He said the appointment was “recognition not only of her international reputation in this field, but also of the quality of the science being undertaken collaboratively by our two organisations here at UNE through the Primary Industries Innovation Centre and the National Centre for Rural Greenhouse Gas Research”.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows UNE’s Chancellor, Richard Torbay (left), with Dr Richard Sheldrake in front of the plaque marking the opening of the new laboratories. It expands to include (from left) Professor Jennie Shaw (Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of UNE’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences), Professor Jim Barber, Professor Annette Cowie, Renata Brooks (Executive Director, Agriculture & Primary Industries, Science & Research for Industry & Investment NSW), and the Armidale Dumaresq Mayor,  Councillor Peter Ducat.

The University of New England launched four new courses in financial services at the National Conference of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) on the Gold Coast at the end of last month.

The courses, to begin in 2011, lead to the degrees of Bachelor of Financial Services and Master of Financial Services and a Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Financial Services.

UNE’s Associate Professor Martin Hovey, the course coordinator, said that the national conference had been “a great opportunity” to launch the new degree programs -”particularly as the FPA announced during the conference that they were striving towards a new level of professionalism, and that education would be a major part of this momentum”.

Dr Hovey and Dr Peter Shanahan, Academic Manager of UNE’s School of Business, Economics and Public Policy, attended the conference and spoke to many of the more than 1,000 delegates about the new courses. “Many people with extensive industry experience spoke to us at the conference – some of whom will be enrolling with UNE next year,” Dr Hovey said.

Professor Alison Sheridan, Head of UNE’s School of Business, Economics and Public Policy, said the School was “proud to offer this suite of new courses which has been designed around the industry requirements”.

“Each course has been accredited by the Australian Securities Investment Commission and listed on its training register,” Professor Sheridan said.

The suite of courses – at Bachelor, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Master’s levels – has been designed to meet the needs of everyone from school leavers to experienced professionals. The courses cover areas such as managing wealth, estate planning, risk management, the stock market, investment and portfolio management, modern portfolio theory, financial analysis, taxation, superannuation, mutual funds, applied economics, social benefits, insurance, selling and sales techniques, and relevant private and corporate law.

The Bachelor of Financial Services degree program can be completed – on campus or by distance education – in three years full-time and up to ten years part-time. Candidates within the 12-unit Master of Financial Services degree program can qualify for a Graduate Certificate in Financial Services after completing four units or a Graduate Diploma in Financial Services after completing eight units.

For more information go to: http://www.une.edu.au/financialservices.

Clicking on the image displayed here reveals a photograph of Associate Professor Martin Hovey.

A University of New England researcher has won a highly-regarded award, against international competition, for work on plant nutrition and the management of crop nutrients that he hopes will contribute to global food security.

Richard Flavel, a member of UNE’s School of Environmental and Rural Science, picked up one of this year’s hotly contested International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) Scholar Awards for the research he is conducting towards a PhD degree.

His research concentrates on the way phosphorus, an important component of fertilisers worldwide, is used in cereal crops such as wheat, triticale and rye.  ”Phosphorus is a limited resource, and there is a real concern about where it will come from in the future,” he said.  ”That’s why we’re looking at how we can make the most efficient use of the fertiliser we apply in order to help ensure food security in the future.

“At the moment we’re using new technologies including micro-CT scanning, which is basically like a medical CAT scanner but with a higher resolution, and we’re using that to see what the roots are doing and how they respond to the fertiliser. We’re also using portable X-ray fluorescence technology to map where the phosphorus is in a soil profile and how the roots are taking it up.”

Mr Flavel hopes his research will have real-world applications in the way fertilisers are applied and in the breeding of plants to have more efficient root systems.

He is quick to thank his supervisors at UNE – Dr Chris Guppy and Professor Iain Young – but his project is very much a collaborative one, with supervisors and scholarships also coming from the CSIRO, the University of Adelaide, and the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

He did his undergraduate study at UNE and has returned, after working in agronomy, to conduct his PhD project titled Root Vigour of Cereal Genotypes in Response to Phosphorus Nutrition and Water Availability. He said he was enjoying research work and was very much looking forward to the future at the University. “There are great facilities here, and it’s going to be a great place to be in the next few years, with a lot more academics on the ground and some really ground-breaking research ahead that should improve our understanding of these systems dramatically,” he said.

The Scholar Award is open to graduate students in any country with an IPNI program and is assessed on the nature of the dissertation, letters of support from supervisors, and an evaluation of their research in terms of its relevance to IPNI’s mission, which is “… to develop and promote scientific information about the management of plant nutrition for the benefit of the human family”.

This year there were more applicants than usual, and 16 award winners were selected from more regions than ever. These included Australia and New Zealand, Africa, China, South East Asia, South Asia, Latin America, North America, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.

A PHOTOGRAPH of Richard Flavel and UNE’s micro-CT scanner can be seen by clicking on the CT image of plant roots displayed here.

Twenty-four girls from ten high schools around northern NSW have had an experience that, in the words of one of the girls, “opened up the engineering world” to them.

“The University of New England’s inaugural Women in Engineering Weekend went exceptionally well,” said Dr Janelle Wilkes, a lecturer in environmental engineering at UNE who was one of the organisers of the event. “It was wonderful to see the girls engaged in surveying, building bridges, designing highway bypasses, making cars with safety equipment, and designing better pathways for people with mobility difficulties – and to see so many parents come along to the bridge testing and judging, and the information session on careers in engineering.”

The girls – all of them in Years 9-11 – travelled to UNE from Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Gloucester, Grafton, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Tamworth and Taree for the weekend (Friday 19 – Sunday 21 November) and stayed at UNE’s Mary White College.

UNE – in collaboration with the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA), the Women in Engineering group within Engineers Australia, and local professional organisations and employers – is working to attract more women students into engineering. UNE is aiming to boost the percentage of women in its Bachelor of Engineering Technology degree program from the current 8 per cent to 20-25 per cent by 2013. The Women in Engineering Weekend was designed to demonstrate to the participants the value and attractiveness of engineering as a career choice for girls.

“I think the weekend was a great idea – and it opened up the engineering world to me,” said Emma Miller from Coffs Harbour High School. Emma was one of three students whose work over the weekend won them prizes of a week’s work experience with the RTA: the others were Holly Tunningley from Melville High School in Kempsey and Erica Thornton from Taree High School. Lara Gillan from St Paul’s High School, Port Macquarie, won a week’s work experience with Armidale Dumaresq Council. Book prizes went to Alice Jarratt (O’Connor Catholic College, Armidale), Alex Wilson (Gloucester High School), Isabelle Avent (Taree High School), and Alexandra Jones (Taree High School).

“We had support from the RTA – including financial support and personnel who ran many of the activities over the weekend – and support from the IPWEA, Engineers Australia, Armidale Dumaresq Council (ADC), and the local councils in the areas the girls came from,” Dr Wilkes said.

“For a number of the girls the highlight was a tour (led by David Steller, Director of Engineering and Works for ADC) of the Armidale Wastewater Treatment Facility, showing how sewage is treated and used sustainably on land by growing crops,” she said.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here, taken during the Women in Engineering Weekend, shows bridge builders Holly Tunningley (left) and Jodie Bazley from Melville High School in Kempsey.