AUSTRALIA UQ NEWS · 2005-11-23 · Ipswich Campus Tues 17 Dec 6.30pm-8pm (Building 12) St Lucia...

UQ NEWSUQ NEWSUQ News Onlinewww.uq.edu.au/newsUQ News Onlinewww.uq.edu.au/news

DECEMBER 2002 NO. 521

A U S T R A L I A

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St Lucia Campus Wed 18 Dec 5pm-8pm(Abel Smith Lecture Theatre)

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Phone UQ Admissions (07) 3365 2203

Tertiary Options SessionsDon’t miss the opportunity to discuss

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UQ newsVICE-CHANCELLOR’smessage

Professor John HayVice-Chancellor

THE high quality of teachingand learning at theUniversity of Queensland hasagain been highlighted withour continued success at theAustralian Awards for

University Teaching and through the University’s ownawards for teaching excellence and researchsupervision. I want to take this opportunity tocongratulate our winners and finalists and thank themfor their commitment and their contribution to the highstandards of teaching at UQ.

This final issue of UQ News for 2002 is dedicated toteaching and learning excellence. It highlights ouraward recipients and other innovative teaching andlearning projects that are helping to keep ourUniversity at the cutting edge of quality and creativityin these areas. Many of these projects were spotlightedduring the inaugural UQ Teaching and Learning Week inNovember through a series of events and publicity.

The University of Queensland provides a great exampleof how world-class research also strengthens andenhances the quality of teaching within a university.I am confident we will continue to raise the bar on allareas of university activity and set new standards inteaching and learning excellence.

I would like to wish the staff and students of UQ and allUQ News readers a safe and happy Christmas. Thank-you for your support during this year and I am sure wecan look forward to even greater success in 2003

DRAGON 100FORUM 2002

ART MUSEUMEXHIBITION:JAY YOUNGER

TEACHING ANDLEARNINGAWARDS 2002

CHRISTMASCOMES TO UQ

ORAL HEALTHSTUDY

December 10, 2002 Issue 521

COVER PHOTO: UQ’s Dr Peter O’Donoghue in Parliament

House Canberra after receiving two national teaching awards.

PHOTO: ANDREW CAMPBELL

NATIONAL TEACHING AWARDS ........................................... 4

TEACHING & LEARNING WEEK 2002 ................................... 6

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DONATES SCOOTER ..................... 10

SCHOLARSHIP TO POLAND ................................................ 11

TEACHING AND LEARNING PUBLIC LECTURE ................... 14

TEACHING & LEARNING WEEK 2002 ................................. 16

UQ ATHLETICS CENTRE ...................................................... 18

IN PRINT: RUDI STIEBRITZ .................................................. 19

TEACHING & LEARNING WEEK 2002 ................................. 22

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UQ NEWS is produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications, TheUniversity of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia Telephone: (07) 3365 3367Facsimile: (07) 3365 1488 Editor: Shane Rodgers Editorial Enquiries: Brad Turner(07) 3365 2659, [email protected], Joanne van Zeeland (07) 3365 2619,[email protected] Art: Wendy Oakley Photography: Chris Stacey, DonThompson, Information Technology Services (07) 3365 2242 Printing: PMP Print,Wacol Circulation: 15,000 Advertising: John Treacy and Associates (07) 3846 0655Registered by Australia Post Publication No. QBH 0104The University of Queensland’s web address is www.uq.edu.au

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UQ NE WS, DecEMBER 20024

University of Queensland Assoc-iate Professor in the School of

Molecular and Microbial SciencesPeter O’Donoghue is the joint winnerof the 2002 Prime Minister’sAustralian Award for IndividualUniversity Teacher of the Year.

Federal Minister for Education,Training and Youth Affairs DrBrendan Nelson presented the prest-igious award to Dr O’O’Donoghue atthe Australian Awards for UniversityTeaching announced at ParliamentHouse, Canberra, on December 3.

Dr O’Donoghue shared the hon-our with Associate Professor LynneHunt from Edith Cowan University inWestern Australia.

Accepting the award, DrO’Donoghue said he felt honoured“but somewhat embarrassed” becausehe knew how many good qualityteachers had been in the running forAustralia’s highest teaching prize.

“How the judges can select asingle individual is beyond me. Iaccept this award on behalf of all ofthose people committed to qualitytertiary education,,” he said.

He said the key to his teaching wasan acronym – FOCUSED – standingfor Fun, Organised, Contemporary,Unique, Sincere, Energetic andDirected.

by Shirley Glaister. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Teachingaccolades

The excellence of UQ academics wasrecognised when two staff membersreceived major honours at this year’sAustralian Award for UniversityTeaching in Canberra this month.

Dr Nelson and Dr O’Donoghue


UQ NE WS, decEMBER 2002 5

It was the second major award fora UQ teacher in just three years. In2000, The University of Queensland’sProfessor of Information Systems,Ron Weber, also won the PrimeMinister’s Australian Award forIndividual University Teacher of theYear.

UQ has won national awards ineach of the f ive years since thenational teaching awards wereintroduced in 1997.

Ninety-seven nominations in 10individual and institutional categorieswere received for this year‘s awards,which carry $75,000 in prize moneyfor the Prime Minister‘s Award forUniversity of Teacher of the Year, and$40,000 for the winners of each of sixcategories. Institutional awards carryprizes of $50,000 each.

UQ Vice-Chancellor ProfessorJohn Hay, the chair of the AustralianUniversities Teaching Committee,congratulated the finalists and saidthe level of student evaluations hadbeen the highest in the award’s history.

“The competition for these awardshas become increasingly rigorous andcompetitive,” he said.

“When they were introduced, theawards were the largest in any knownjurisdiction around the world. Theymay still be among the largest.

“Their recognition has nowextended well beyond Australia, toWestern Europe, to North America.”

The award to Dr O’Donoghue wasone of three awards won by theUniversity – more than any otherAustralian university.

Dr O’Donoghue also won hisBiological Sciences and RelatedStudies category while UQ BusinessSchool Professor Stephen Gray wonhis category of Economics, Businessand Related Studies.

Dr O’Donoghue is residentprotozoologist in the Department ofMicrobiology and Parasitology.

In 1994, he accepted the positionof Senior Lecturer in Protozoology inthe Department where he teachesanimal biology to first-year sciencestudents; introductory parasitology tosecond-year science and veterinaryscience students; medical parasit-ology, marine parasitology, wildlifeand veterinary parasitology to third-year science students; and foundat-ions of medicine to Graduate MedicalCourse students.

He has broad research interests inprotozoology and has conductedecological, morphological, immuno-logical and genetic characterisationstudies on a range of parasitic,

commensal, symbiotic and free-livingprotozoa including “sporozoa”,flagellates, amoebae and ciliates.

He is particularly interested inidentifying protozoan species occurr-ing in Australia’s unique wildlife(mammals, birds, reptiles and fish).He has supervised 18 postgraduatestudents for higher degrees and iskeen to train more protozoologists inAustralia.

Professor Gray’s research interestslie in the areas of empirical financeand asset-pricing with an emphasis onmodelling interest rates and pricinginterest-rate-sensitive securities.

In particular, he has developed amodel allowing the behaviour ofeconomic time-series such as interestrates and exchange rates to change asthe economy switches betweendifferent regimes.

He has also done extensive workin the areas of risk management,hedging, and derivative valuation. Hiswork has been published in leadingacademic and practitioner journals.

Professor Gray teaches masters-level courses in financial manage-ment and derivative securities andPhD and honours-level courses inasset valuation and corporate finance.

He has been instrumental in

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designing and implementingcomputer-based learning materials fora number of finance courses.

He is a past winner of the KPMGTeaching Prize at The University ofQueensland and the Jaedicke Awardand Fellowship from StanfordUnivers-ity.

The University had two otherfinalists in divisions of the nationalawards.

Dr Nan Bahr from the School ofEducation was nominated in theSocial Sciences category.

The Community Service andResearch Centre (CSRC) based atUQ Ipswich was a f inalist in theInnovative and practical approach tothe provision of educational servicesto the local and/or regional commun-ity category.

Professor Gray Professor Hay, left, Dr Nelson and Dr O’Donoghue


A growing interest in the health

and nutritional benefits of dairy

products in Vietnam could open

up marketing opportunities for

Australian exporters.

The Vietnamese government isencouraging development of adomestic dairy industry but thecountry depends overwhelmingly onimported products, according to UQsenior lecturer in agribusiness Dr KimBryceson.

Dr Bryceson has just returnedfrom Vietnam with final-year UQGatton agribusiness studentsconducting a market assessment forTotal Foodtec Marketing.

“Doing business in a country likeVietnam presents special challengeswith virtually no food cool supplychain and very different marketingsystems,” Dr Bryceson said.

The team visited traditional wetmarkets in Ho Chi Minh as well asmodern supermarkets where shelves

were stacked high with long-life andtinned milk products. They also metgovernment officials in Hanoi.

Business models were put togetherin a presentation to the Total FoodtecMarketing Board.

Export Manager Dustin Boughtonsaid the company was interested in themarket potential for a range ofspeciality products including milkpowders and cream cheese.

The company specialises insourcing products from Australianprocessors to match the needs of foodmanufacturers and about 40 percentof its business is based on exports.

“We don’t export to Vietnam andwe saw assessment by theagribusiness students as a cost-effective way of judging the marketpotential,” Mr Boughton said.

UQ Gatton AgribusinessAssociate Professor Ray Collins saidthe client company awarded 40percent of the subject marks, makingthe program unique.

MARKETING

Dairy drive developed

UQ researchers are aiming for a

world breakthrough in coconut

cloning.

An $800,000 grant from theAustralian Centre for InternationalAgricultural Research (ACIAR) willsupport the first stage of a three-yearproject seeking cloning techniques forcommercial production of elite plants.

Team leader Associate ProfessorSteve Adkins said the project wouldinvolve scientific collaboration in thePhilippines, Vietnam, Indonesia andPapua New Guinea.

Dr Adkins, of the School of Landand Food Sciences, said coconutswere economically important in manyAsian countries.

He said research would also focuson embryo transplant technology,which had important implications forthe safe transfer of germplasm.

“Plant quarantine is a major issue.

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

Cracking cloned coconut

What do woolly mammoths,

flexible assessment and

increased student satisfaction

have in common?

The answer is… they are all out-comes of Project Woolly Mammoth,which is an innovative problem-based

ANIMAL STUDIES

Mammothlesson inanatomy

There is a need to be able to sharesuperior coconut germplasminternationally without the risk oftransmitting serious pests anddiseases,” he said.

“The embryo can be removedfrom a coconut and implanted in asurrogate host. From this singlenut, cloning techniques can be usedto rapidly propagate plants with thedesired traits.”

Dr Adkins said the thirdelement to the project would bemolecular biology research oncoconuts. The plant’s geneticmake-up would be studied toidentify any unwanted changesduring the cloning process.

Dr Adkins says it might bepossible to breed attractive, fastgrowing plants that did not bearfruit, important where coconuts aregrown for amenity and fallingcoconuts pose an injury hazard.

TEACHING AND LEARNING WEEK 2002

learning exercise that teachesanatomy and physiology by askingstudents to design animals to f itspecific habitats.

The project developed by ValeriePowell, UQ Gatton’s co-ordinator ofanimal anatomy and physiology in theSchool of Animal Studies, is a hands-on way of learning about thesecontent-heavy subjects.

Ms Powell’s aim is to encouragestudents to think about the inform-ation they are learning and tounderstand why and how animals aredifferent. “Students design their ownfictitious mammal that has musculo-skeletal, digestive, respiratory andreproductive systems that would

allow them to exist and reproduce ina given environment,” she said.

“For example, if you are designingan animal with wings, does it havetwo legs or four legs?”

She says students f ind thispractical assignment a great way tomake connections between thestructure and function of the wholeanimal as they create their own“Woolly Mammoth”.

The project has been running forthree years and students completingthe assignment demonstrated “a betterknowledge of anatomical topographyand anatomical detail in their end-of-semester assessment,” Ms Powellsays.

MARKETING



MARKETING



Dr Adkins (left) andcolleague YohannesSamosir.

Valerie Powell

Student Cherie Warburtonconducting an interview in Vietnam


Christmas came early to the UQSt Lucia campus when ChannelSeven filmed a helicoptersequence at the Alumni TeachingGarden on November 22.

Reindeer-free rainforest

This was for a special Santa sequence

being pre-produced for this year’s

Golden Casket Lord Mayor’s Christmas

Carols.

“The gardens at UQ were the

perfect location for our sequence,

which is set in the South American

jungle,” said Unit Production Manager

Tina Ralphs. “With exams in progress

we only had an hour to film with the

helicopter, but UQ staff helped us

make it happen.”

The Golden Casket Lord Mayor’s

Christmas Carols will be held live at

the Riverstage in the City Botanic

Gardens on December 14. The show

starts at 7.30 pm, with pre-show enter-

tainment from 6.30 pm. Channel Seven

will telecast the program on December

21 at 6.30 pm.

Bruce Stewart from UQ Security (right) keeps an eyeon Santa and his Channel 7 helpers Greg Rogers (left),Annette Caltabiano and Tina Ralphs.


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Customs House Art Gallery is thismonth paying tribute to Brisbane

painter Virginia Ferrier, who died in1998, with an exhibition of herluminous still-life paintingscelebrating simplicity and earthlybeauty.

Virginia Ferrier: Meditations onStill Life, comprising 50 paintingsmainly from private collections, willbe exhibited at Customs House untilSunday, December 15.

Deborah Hart, Senior Curator,Australian Painting and Sculpture atthe National Gallery of Australia, whoopened the exhibition last month, saidstill life provided Virginia Ferrier withways to find aspects of the poetry,strangeness and intimate mysteries oflife within familiar forms of theeveryday.

“She was drawn to simple, humblethings such as potatoes and pumpkins,old objects and pieces of furnitureimbued with character and a sense oflife experience, or the surprise that a

few flowers in a jug could bring,” MsHart said. “There is a meditativequality to many of the works and alsoa sense of the surreal in the deliberatedislocation of her still life forms fromtheir domestic surroundings.”

“I like to feel that by stressing thebeauty of small, everyday, ordinarythings, I am bringing a sense of calm-ness … into a greedy, materialistic,turbulent world,” Virginia Ferrier saidin 1988.

In the early 1950s Virginia Ferrierattended her first art classes withbohemian Rodier Rivron and laterstudied with Jon Molvig, beforegiving up ‘being an artist’ to devotemore time to her children.

Her early promise had beenrecognised by Dr Gertrude Langerwho selected her work for inclusionin the 1953 exhibition, Artists ofFame and Promise.

She recommenced classes in the1970s with Mervyn Moriarty andIrene Amos and began her successful

in turmoilPeace

Orange painting,1991 (oil on board)

Season of mists, 1996 (oil on board)

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and critically-acclaimed exhibitingcareer in the 1980s.

Between 1985 and 1998 she hadseven solo exhibitions at Victor MaceFine Art Gallery in Milton and threesolo exhibitions at Chapman Galleryin Canberra.

Throughout her artistic career, shefound favourite motifs andinvestigated their potential in a rangeof ways.

For instance, over the years shepainted potatoes in works such as

White bowl and potatoes, Soupkitchen, Vichyssoise, A traveller froman antique land and Dust to dust;pumpkins in Five pumpkins on a pew,No hiding place and Mother andchild; and pineapples in Summerpainting – basket of pineapples andlater Pineapple pow wow.

In one of the artist’s favouriteworks, A weighing of the white andbrown, there are symbolic referencesto issues of social justice and the needfor equality and equilibrium.

The importance of inter-relationships is evident in her latermature paintings – not only betweenthe objects and the spaces they inhabit,but between couples, parents andchildren, home and the vast openspaces of desert landscapes, andbetween the solitary meditative selfand the nurture of friendship andcommunication.

Virginia Ferrier died of cancer in1998, and is survived by her husbandDr Tom Ferrier and three sons.

The works of a Brisbane artist whose still-life subjects include furniture, potatoesand pumpkins are a celebration of earthlybeauty are on exhibition at the CustomsHouse Art Gallery this month.

New address systemfor UQ internal mailA new UQ internal addressing

system will operate from

January 2003. The four-digit

Delivery Point Codes (DPC),

which can be found in the

internal telephone directory,

will relace the old system of

school or faculty abbreviations.

Peter O’Donnell from UQ

Property and Facilities said the

new system would be more

efficient.

“Each delivery point will get

a unique identifier; a delivery

point code. Each school or

faculty has been assigned a

DPC,” he said.

As from 2003 any internal

mail should be addressed with

briefin

New students starting study in

2003 will know exactly the

skills and knowledge they will

develop during a UQ degree.

The University has formalisedits policy on embedding graduateattributes into all Universityprograms of study.

As well as in-depth knowledgeof their field of study, UQ graduateswill have developed explicit skillsin effective communication,independence and creativity, criticaljudgement, and ethical and socialunderstanding.

The University has had astatement of graduate attributessince 1996 but in 2001 these wererevised and a plan to map andembed them into programs of studywas devised so that they are now anexplicit part of the curriculum.

The mapping and embedding ofgraduate attributes began in 2002and will continue to be developedover the next two years to cover allUQ programs.

Some programs, such asveterinary science, materialsengineering and medicine, havealready mapped their graduateattributes.

the name of the person to

which it is being sent and the

DPC of the school in which that

person is located.

St Lucia Campus Services

Coordinator Dawn Byrne said

mailroom staff had to have a

good local knowledge of the

University to be able to sort the

mail with the current system.

“A four-digit code will link

to the appropriate faculty,

school or centre. The code is

not related to location so if a

department moves it will have

the same number,” she said.

Mr O’Donnell said he

would also be looking to

update the external delivery

system once the internal

system was fully operational.

UQ’s Teaching and EducationalDevelopment Institute (TEDI) hasprovided professional support forschools and faculties to map gradu-ate attributes to programs and courses.

Director of TEDI, DeniseChalmers, said the Universityformalised its graduate attributespolicy to be explicit about theoutcomes of University study.

“This will help studentsunderstand exactly what attributesthey will develop during theirstudies at the University,” she said.

“While most schools andfaculties had already incorporatedgraduate attributes into theirprograms in an informal way, it hadnot always been explicit or reflectedin the learning or assessmentactivities.”

The implementation of thepolicy to map and embed graduateattributes will be reviewed by theTeaching and Learning Committee,and as schools and faculties carryout curriculum reviews.

Ms Chalmers said an electronicstudent portfolio would be madeavailable through the myUQ portalfor students to record and monitortheir development of graduateattributes.

Old pitcher, 1994 (oil on board)

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bringing a sense

of calmness …

into a greedy,

materialistic,

turbulent world’

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LIFELONG LEARNING

Clear map to attributes


Students with disabilities now have access to two additional

mobility scooters thanks to a recentdonation.

The Alumni Association of TheUniversity of Queensland Inc.presented Vice-Chancellor ProfessorJohn Hay with the two scootersvalued at almost $7000 at a present-ation ceremony on November 14.

“This is a generous and mostwelcome gift by the AlumniAssociation to the Universitycommunity and will allow morestudents with disabilities to fully-access campus grounds andfacilities,” said Professor Hay.

UQ’s Student Support Services’Disability Program received thescooters, which will be used at UQ’sSt Lucia campus and Herston-based

School of Medicine.“The Alumni Association has

made various donations to theDisability Program over the pastfew years and we now have atotal of four mobility scooters

donated by them,” said StudentSupport Services Director Dr

Maureen Burke..“The previous two, which were

donated four years ago, have been inregular use at our St Lucia, Gatton

New-look ceremonyThe University’s Commencement

Ceremony at the UQ Centre on

March 19 next year will be

themed “We are one. We are

many”. It will be a multiculturaland multi-faith eventshowcasing and celebrating thediversity of cultural andreligious expression on UQcampuses.

Reverend Pierre vanBlommestein, Uniting ChurchChaplain at UQ, said the eventwould include culturalexpression, in music and dance,as well as religious inspiration

from Buddhist, Christian, Jewish

and Muslim faith traditions. UQ

Vice-Chancellor Professor John

Hay will be the keynote speaker.

“We are hoping to attract

more students, as we want them

to enjoy the exposure to the

variety of cultural and religious

expressions,” said Reverend van

Blommestein.

Smokers soughtThe School of Medicine at the

UQ is recruiting men between 18

and 40 for a research project on

cigarette-craving. Principal

investigator Dr David Kavanagh

said the project involved brain

imaging, and took about two

hours. Participants need to be

smokers, or non-smokers who

live with smokers. They are

given $30 towards travel costs.

Information: Claudia, 3240 6413.

Disability partnershipA leading US scholar on literacy

and children with severe

disabilities is initiating an

international partnership to

continue collaborative work

following the completion of his

six-month Fulbright Senior

Scholarship at UQ.

Associate Professor David

Koppenhaver from Gustavus

Adolphus College in Minnesota

briefin

and Ipswich campuses as well as atHerston.”

Fiona Walker from the AlumniAssociation said $6000 of the moneyused to purchase the scooters wasraised at the biennial Alumni BookFair with an additional $750 kindlyprovided by Robin Chapman ofSouthside Scootermobiles.

First-year arts student ShilohMoore said the new scooters wouldbe of great benefit to her.

“I have difficulty walking longdistances and I really appreciate beingable to use one of the scooters becauseit makes university a pleasure ratherthan a struggle,” she said.

The University’s DisabilityProgram aims to facilitate equitableacademic access for students withdisabilities and medical conditions byproviding an inclusive environmentthrough consultation, liaison and theprovision of services and facilities.

Current services and facilitiesinclude note taking, interpreting,alternative format print, participationassistance and specialised computerequipment.

The next Alumni Book Fair willbe held from April 25-29, 2003 at thenew UQ Centre. For details, telephone07 3365 1561.

Students on aroll with scootersNavigating UQ campuses has become lessformidable thanks to the Alumni Association.

has been working with UQ’s

Schonell Special Education

Research Centre since July

studying instructional supports

for junior secondary school

teachers and the effects of those

supports on written-language

outcomes for children with

severe disabilities.

“I have been able to

collaborate directly with the

largest and most productive

collection of literacy and

disability scholars in the world.

I plan to establish a partnership

so the two institutions can

continue working together

beyond my award,” he said.

Ms Moore tries out the new scooterwith Dr Burke, left, and Ms Walker.


Write stuff for journey

U Q student MaksymilianLeskiewicz has been awarded

a scholarship allowing him to studyin his native Poland.

The University of Lublin award-ed the scholarship after MrLeskiewicz won an essay competitionorganised by the Polish university’sgroup of representatives in Australiaknown as TP-KUL.

He said the scholarship wouldgive him the opportunity to travel tothe country where he spent most of

his childhood. “It includes free boardand lodging and all tuition fees foran intensive month-long course inPolish language and culture. Thereare also practical classes and a 10-day trip to Zakopane in the Polishmountains,” Mr Leskiewicz said.

Mr Leskiewicz who is studyingfor a combined honours arts degreein english literature and philosophyhas also been running a new studentpublishing initiative at the Universityentitled UQ Vanguard, as well asteaching chess both privately and atlocal schools. He is also trying tofund his own way to Poland.

“The award covers most of thetrip over, but since tickets are quiteexpensive at this time of year, I amstill about $1500 short,” he said.

This was the first year of theessay competition, which requiredentrants to answer to four questionsin Polish. It was judged by a jury ofPolish academics.

Mr Leskiewicz, who was born in

WrocBaw in South-West Poland,said he still reads and writes in Polishand recently translated excerpts ofPolish prose and poetry for thetranslation issue of UQ Vanguard.

“I think there’s an enormousamount of incredible literary andphilosophical work in Polishinaccessible to the English speakingworld,” he said.

Mr Leskiewicz said the aim ofUQ Vanguard was to publish andpromote an intimate and dynamicrelationship between literature, artand ideas.

He said the publication hadovertaken his passion for chess.

“I won the Australian Junior titlein 1997 and have representedAustralia in eight world champion-ships and many other internationalevents,” he said.

“I then took a year away fromuniversity studies during 1999 and2000 to play professionally inEurope.”

An internationalchess career is onhold while a studentpursues his love ofpublishing and thechance to visit thecountry of his birth.

UQ has been presented with a

$1 million cheque by Comquest

Pty Ltd, the proceeds from the

commercialisation of technology

developed at UQ’s Centre for

Magnetic Resonance (CMR).

Comquest was formed in 1991 tooversee marketing and commercialactivities resulting from a $5.2 millionresearch program to further developmagnetic resonance at CMR.

Comquest’s Chairman Dr NickGirdis presented the cheque to UQVice-Chancellor Professor John Hayat a presentation on December 5.

“This is Comquest’s second suchcontribution to the University. InFebruary 2001 we presented UQ witha cheque for $1.5 million,” Dr Girdissaid.

A patented technique for purifyingthe imaging f ield of a magneticresonance system was licensed byUQ’s technology commercialisationcompany UniQuest Pty Ltd to GEMedical Systems and Siemens in1996. It now generates a total royaltystream of approximately $2 millionper annum for the investors andUniversity parties.

In addition the CMR developednew nuclear magnetic resonanceproducts for use in analytical applic-ations that it continues to manufactureand supply to export markets.

The CMR is responsible fortechnologies incorporated in around70 percent of recently installed mag-netic resonance systems produced inthe international market; a market thatis worth around $3 billion annually.

UniQuest’s Managing DirectorDavid Henderson said Comquest hadbeen a great success.

“The commercialisation oftechnology developed at the CMR isa fine example of technology transferfrom the University of Queensland.Comquest’s success has been builtupon a base that included three keyelements: world-class technology, astrong intellectual property positionand an excellent relationship with aleading industry partner,” MrHenderson said.

Also attending the presentationwere members of the UniversitySenate and key scientists ProfessorDavid Doddrell and Professor StuartCrozier.

$1 milliondividendfrom CMRtechnology

Mr Leskiewicz at the Polish Embassy in Brisbane



UQ honours c

The University announced thewinners of its teaching

excellence, research supervision andenhancement of student learningawards at a gala ceremony at CustomsHouse in Brisbane on November 21.

Eight individual winners received$10,000 each and two groups wereawarded $20,000 each at thepresentation ceremony, which thisyear formed part of the inaugural UQTeaching and Learning Week fromNovember 18-22.

“The awards are designed torecognise, encourage and rewardsustained excellence in teaching,supervision of research higher degreecandidates, and excellence in thelearning environment and provisionof student services,” said DeputyVice-Chancellor (Academic)Professor Margaret Gardner.

AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE INTEACHINGFunded by the University and TheAlumni Association of TheUniversity of Queensland Inc., theAwards for Excellence in Teachingwere established in 1988. This year’swinners were:

Associate Professor Ian Cameron(School of Engineering) whoseinspirational and dedicated teachingspans all levels of undergraduate andpostgraduate education. He has madea sizeable contribution to the designand development of UQ’s chemicalengineering curriculum and learningenvironment through a strong focuson a teams’ approach with significantindustry involvement. His versatilityand ability to address various studentneeds are impressive, as are hisclasses, which capture students’interest and enthusiasm with conceptsand ideas supported by professionaland industrial anecdotes.

Dr Simon Cool (School ofBiomedical Sciences) has been anenthusiastic and dynamic collaboratorin curriculum design and teaching,and a strong advocate for change andimprovement in teaching andlearning. He has taken traditionalteaching methods and remodelledthem to be contemporary, informativeand exciting. His professional andhumorous presentation style has seen

him recognised for his pursuit ofexcellence in all aspects ofundergraduate and postgraduateteaching in basic and advancedhuman anatomy.

Associate Professor Jay Hall(School of Social Science) is anoutstanding and innovative teacher atall tertiary levels. His coursedevelopment has helped bridge thegap between archaeology and ancienthistory and he has challenged thisarea of teaching by forming anarchaeological teaching site – the onlyone of its kind at an Australianuniversity campus. A popular,charismatic and effectivecommunicator, he motivates and

inspires his students and challengesthem by using a broad range ofassessment techniques. He alsoundertakes a strong mentoring roleand has developed eff icient andeffective approaches to researchsupervision.

Dr Debra Henly (School ofMolecular and Microbial Sciences)personif ies a contemporaryprofessional teacher. An exceptionalplanner and presenter, she hascontributed signif icantly to, andimpacted on, curriculum and teachingdevelopment in biochemistry andmolecular biology, including theintroduction of problem-basedlearning and the development and

The importance placed by theUniversity on its teachers andpostgraduate supervisors was againemphasised last month throughannual awards which have becomesought-after accolades since theirinception and the introduction of anentire new category.

by Joanne van Zeeland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


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ream of the teaching cropdelivery of foundational, specialistand vocational courses. She has builtcollaborative relationships acrossschools and programs; establishedinnovative modes of teachingdelivery, including self-directedlearning; and has also created asignificant research program to attracthonours and higher degree researchstudents.

Mr Dan O’Neill (School ofEnglish, Media Studies and ArtHistory) is a highly committed andinspirational teacher who has athorough understanding of traditionalliterary scholarship, its philosophicalimplications and its relevance tocontemporary living. He teaches his

students to think about text, ideas andvalues in relation to their intellectual,political and social lives. He alsoencourages students to extendthemselves beyond their presentcapabilities and is consistently praisedfor his dedication, intellectualgenerosity and commitment tostudents’ needs.

Commendations in teachingexcellence will be awarded to DrMehmet Kizil (School ofEngineering), Dr Peter Newcombe(School of Behavioural Sciences),Professor Kamal Puri (School ofLaw), and Dr Elizabeth Ward(School of Health and RehabilitationSciences).

Back row (from left) Dr Elizabeth Ward,Professor David Radcliffe, Professor VictorCallan, Dr Peter Newcombe, BruceMuirhead, Dr Simon Cool and Dr MehmetKazil. Front row (from left) Dr DebraHenly, Dr Margaret Shapiro, AssociateProfessor Carole Ferrier, AssociateProfessor Maree Smith, AssociateProfessor Jay Hall, Associate Professor IanCameron.

AWARDS FOR ENHANCEMENTOF STUDENT LEARNINGThis year, the Universityimplemented two $20,000 teachingawards for teams, programs andorganisational units. Instituted by theUniversity Academic Board, theAwards for Enhancement ofStudent Learning are designed torecognise and promote excellence inthe learning environment and theprovision of student services. Thisyear’s winners were:

Enhancing Community Well-BeingThrough Teaching and Learning,UQ Community Service andResearch Centre (CSRC),represented by CSRC Director Bruce

Muirhead (category two: innovativeand practical approach to theprovision of education services to thelocal and/or regional and/orprofessional community).

The UQ CSRC is an integral partof the University’s communityengagement strategy. Situated at UQIpswich, it strives to developdemocratic, mutually benef icialpartnerships between UQ and thecommunity with the aim of buildinga sustainable, inclusive and sociallyjust community. It is a national finalistin the institutional section of thisyear’s Australian Awards forUniversity Teaching, announced onDecember 3 (see story on pages 4-5).( continued p.14 )


Educatingthe futureUQ’s inaugural Teaching andLearning Week opened with athought-provoking and informativelecture and presentations.


CSRC undertakings that havedemonstrated a significant commun-ity partnership include the GoodnaService Integration Project.

As part of the project a GraduateCertificate in Social Science (Inter-professional Leadership) was dev-eloped and participants from govern-ment and non-government agencies inthe Goodna region engaged inunderstanding, developing and sustain-ing collaborative work.

Undergraduate Site LearningProgram, Catalyst Centre, School ofEngineering, represented by CatalystCentre Director Professor DavidRadcliffe (category three: curriculumteam-based innovative and practicalapproach to the enhancement of thequality of teaching and learning).

The Undergraduate Site LearningProgram is an innovative work-basedlearning program that aims to providea broader set of attributes inengineering graduates by giving final-year students the option of receivingacademic credit for being placed inan participating organisation. Theprogram aims to simultaneouslyconsolidate students’ technicalknowledge; enhance their problemformulation and solving; commun-ication; teamwork; and lifelonglearning abilities while developing

practical appreciation of theirprofessional responsibilities. Plansare underway to implement theprogram across all of UQ’s engin-eering programs.

A commendation in enhancementof student learning were awarded toStudio IV Scenario, informationenvironments program, School ofInformation Technology andElectrical Engineering.

AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE INRESEARCH HIGHER DEGREESUPERVISIONThe Awards are an initiative of theGraduate School and the UQ Unionand were established in 2000.

“UQ created an Australian-firstthree years ago when it introducedofficial university awards for ex-cellence in research higher degreesupervision. They signal the Univers-ity’s commitment to quality supervis-ion for its higher degree students,” saidDean of Postgraduate StudentsProfessor Alan Lawson.

This year’s winners were:

Professor Victor Callan (UQBusiness School) has successfullysupervised 25 research masters andPhD students, 17 of them as principalsupervisor. His research focus is onorganisational behaviour, in particular

aspects of organisational change,workplace communication, perform-ance review and job satisfaction. Hehas developed policies andprocedures to build a strong andsupportive research environment andaims to have a collaborativepartnership with his students, basedon the core values of mentoring andthe principles of adult learning. Hedevelops research independence in hisstudents and a productive focus onquality academic publications.

Associate Professor Ed Conrad(School of History, Philosophy,Religion and Classics) is a leadingresearcher in biblical studies whoseresearch interests extend intonumerous applied areas. He instils instudents the ambition and belief thatthey can publish early and often inhighly-regarded journals. He isdedicated to providing a communityof learning and encourages studentsto form autonomous research sub-groups sharing solutions to commonproblems and making contact withinternational research groups. Underhis leadership the Faculty of Artsdeveloped the University’s f irstfaculty-wide induction and researchskills course. He has supervised 13research higher degree students to

completion and is currently super-vising 13 more.

Dr Margaret Shapiro (School ofSocial Work and Social Policy) hasbeen the School’s Director of Researchand Postgraduate Studies for the pastsix years, during which time researchhigher degree enrolments and com-pletions have increased significantly.She has been instrumental indeveloping and implementing policiesand procedures for issues such asstudent recruitment, training forsupervisors and strategies to encouragesuccessful and timely completions,including weekly thesis-writingseminars. A health policy andpsychosocial health teacher, she hasbeen involved in the supervision of 21research higher degree theses, 10 ofwhich are completed. She hasdeveloped a collaborative outcome-directed model of supervisory practiceto encourage students to grow throughmentoring to create explicit outcomesin critical reasoning and intellectualrigour.

Certif icates for meritoriousresearch supervision performancewere awarded to: Associate ProfessorMaree Smith (School of Pharmacy);and Associate Professor CaroleFerrier (School of English, MediaStudies and Art History).

Cream of the teaching crop (from page 13)Cream of the teaching crop (from page 13)

Professor Lingard


O ne of Australia’s leadingeducation experts provided a

thought-provoking insight into thefuture of schooling at a 2020 Visionfree public lecture during UQ’s firstTeaching and Learning Week fromNovember 18-22.

Professor Bob Lingard, theActing Head of the UQ School ofEducation and the Chair of theQueensland Studies Authority, spokeon “Educating the Future” at MayneHall at the University’s St Luciacampus on November 18.

Professor Lingard speculated onthe way schools should develop tobetter meet the needs of all studentsand future society.

He discussed issues of teachersand their work, curriculum,pedagogy and assessment, schools asorganisations, schools’ relationshipswith communities in the context ofthe desired and changing purposesof schooling.

Also featured during thepresentation was a TeachingInnovation Showcase.

Some of the leading lecturers andacademics at the Universitydelivered short presentations on avariety of innovative teaching andlearning projects underway. Theyincluded:

Talking about watching. Presenters– Dr Margot Brereton, Dr StephenViller and Jared Donovan. Thispresentation showed how Video CardGame and wiki-web technology isused to engage InformationTechnology students to developobservational skills. These skills areneeded for designers to develop ITproducts consistent with thesubtleties of human interactions.

Bright Minds. Presenter –Associate Professor Susan Hamilton.Bright Minds is a UQ initiativedesigned to attract more high-achieving students into sciencecareers, particularly in the newbiologies and biotechnology. Theproject includes a range of innovativeeducation products that will open theminds of young people to the

possibilities offered by science.

Project Woolly Mammoth .Presenter – Valerie Powell. Whatdo woolly mammoths, flexibleassessment and increased studentsatisfaction have in common? Thispresentation outlined a popularproblem-based learning exercisedesigning animals to fit specifichabitats. Students are given theoppor tunity to choose theirpreferred assessment and havesome control over their coursedesign.

Integrating Technology intoCourses. Presenter – ProfessorStephen Gray. This presentationincluded a short demonstration ofthe Interactive Finance CDs beingused in a number of UQ BusinessSchool courses. The presentationalso discussed how this newproduct is used to supplement in-class activities, and addressedsome lessons learned about howbest to integrate technology intothese courses.

briefin

Indigenous innovation

Innovative teaching and learningmethods, designed specifically to

meet the needs of Indigenousstudents, have made UQ’sIndigenous Health Program one ofthe country’s most successful healthdegree programs.

Using problem-based learningexercises as the primary teachingmethod, the Bachelor of AppliedHealth Science (Indigenous PrimaryHealth Care) encourages students tosynthesise their existing knowledgeof their own communities, cultureand history with relevant primaryhealth-care knowledge and skills.

A high academic staff to studentratio is maintained, and students aremade aware of the “body-spirit-land” concept that pervadesAboriginal identity.

Coordinator of the Faculty ofHealth Sciences’ Indigenous HealthProgram Dr Susan Vlack said thecourse was developed in closecooperation with communityrepresentatives and focusedprimarily on social aspects of health,complemented by an understandingof biological health sciences.

“There is a conscious effort toexplore the social dimensions ofevery problem. The social dimens-ions of Indigenous health have beenneglected in the past and we aim toredress this in our teaching,” shesaid.

The successful teaching methodshave been reflected in numerouseducational achievements and lastyear the Indigenous Health Programwas nominated for the prestigiousAustralian Awards for UniversityTeaching.

The Program has also achievedhigh enrolment and retention ratesfor Indigenous students. Over thepast eight years, Indigenousenrolments in Brisbane have rangedfrom 60 to 90 percent while theNorth Queensland program hasmore than 90 percent. Retentionrates are currently 70 percent, whichis equivalent to the retention ratesfor all students in university studyin Australia. DETYA statistics for1997 showed a national retentionrate for Indigenous universitystudents of 32 percent.

“We reached a milestone thisyear when one of our Indigenousgraduates, Chelsea Bond, wasawarded a University of QueenslandMedal for her high undergraduateGrade Point Average and for gainingfirst-class-honours,” Dr Vlack said.

Graduates from the program arein demand and all but six of the 52graduates surveyed last were eitherworking in the health system orpursuing further study. Seven of theeight honours’ graduates of theprogram are Indigenous and afurther four Indigenous graduatesare training to be doctors.

Future plans include more use offlexible delivery to provide easieraccess for students who areremotely situated, or need to fitstudy around other commitments.

Engineering catalystUQ is broadening the “culture”

of engineering through the

Catalyst Centre, which

incorporates social issues and

community engagement into

what has been a traditional,

problem-solving profession.

The Catalyst Centre is the

engine room for developing a

more diverse working, learning

and research culture within

engineering education and

professional practice.

Co-directors Professor David

Radcliffe and Caroline

Crosthwaite from the School of

Engineering are working with Dr

Lesley Jolly and Helen Johnson

from the School of Social

Sciences.

Professor Radcliffe said the

Catalyst Centre is a socio-

technical research and learning

network aiming to make

technology-based organisations

more creative and effective.

He said there was greater

community awareness of

ecological and social impacts of

development which engineers

must now take into account.

“As a previously male-

dominated culture, engineering

has been largely immune from

social and community influences

so we’ve set up the Catalyst

Centre to cultivate a more

holistic approach,” Professor

Radcliffe said.

“This change is about

getting multiple perspectives on

projects and incorporating triple

bottom-line concepts which

balance the financial,

environmental and social

aspects of any business activity.”

The approach is to use cross-

disciplinary teams drawing on

engineering, the social sciences

and the humanities.

Funding is on a project-by-

project basis, such as ARC

linkage grants supporting two

PhD students through the

Thiess-UQ Strategic Learning

Partnership looking at cultural

change in project management

and design management.

High retention ratesand academicmilestones are thehallmarks of UQ’sIndigenous HealthProgram.

by Lynda Flower. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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The social

dimensions of

Indigenous health

have been neglected

in the past ’

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UQ NE WS, decEMBER 2002


EDUCATION

Middle years top agenda

Developing effective methods

to teach Indigenous Australian

traditions is a crucial aspect of

the academic work undertaken

by UQ’s Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander Studies Unit.

Central to the development of theATSIS Unit’s teaching program isrespect and awareness of the culturalnuances of Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander intellectual traditionsand cognitive frameworks.

days of community service, 100 daysof teaching placements in schools andlectures by specialist teachers as wellas with the lecturing team.

Innovative group activities impartteam management and participationskills as well as knowledge ofparticular disciplines. Tai Chi, forexample, does double duty forstudents working on health andphysical education.

Dr Carrington said otherinstitutions offered electives for thisage group, but the UQ degree was anational first with spin-offs includinga masters degree and a graduatecertificate.

INDIGENOUS STUDIES

Culturesconnected

Recent collaboration with otherIndigenous scholars internationally,particularly from North America, hasalso led to a focus on IndigenousKnowledge teaching and researchmethodologies.

Director of the ATSIS UnitMichael Williams said while therewere differences in the teachingapproaches of Unit staff, there wasevidence of an emerging Indigenouspedagogy.

“The way we approach our workis to create an environment wherestudents are respected for theirknowledge and where we can allwork with each other as co-learners,”he said.

Mr Williams said the maindifference between IndigenousKnowledge and traditional teaching

methods was the recognition thatstudents were more able tounderstand Indigenous Knowledgeparadigms if they were presentedwith active and practical approachesto learning.

“We emphasise the oral traditionof Indigenous cultures and courseassessment includes a process thatchallenges students to present andassess orally. We also take studentsoutdoors to work and sit on the land,which they learn to respect as partof the cultural, spiritual and religiouslandscape of Indigenous people.”

Participation in cultural activitiessuch as dance, story-telling andpainting, as well as attending culturalgatherings and other socialoccasions, also form an importantpart of the Unit’s teaching methods.

Musically minded Brisbane high-

school students have been

tuning up for tertiary study.

UQ’s School of Music has beenconducting half-day workshops withGrade 9 and 10 students as anintroduction to its move extensiveSchools Link Program.

“The workshops are designed toprovide extension work to high-schoolstudents, create links with potentialUQ students and enable professionaldevelopment of our graduates, manyof whom as now the students’ musicteachers,” said program coordinatorand lecturer James Cuskelly from theSchool of Music.

Participants have included studentsfrom Kenmore State High School,Brisbane Boys’ College, All Hallows’School, Brisbane Adventist College,Forest Lake High School, St Joseph’sGregory Terrace, Mt Alvernia Collegeand St Lawrance’s College.

“There has been a lot ofenthusiasm for the workshops and allof the students have expressed astrong desire to attend similar classesin the future,” Mr Cuskelly said.

MUSIC

High notes

The future’s looking good for 18

students spearheading a new

UQ teaching degree focused on

the middle years of schooling —

the only one in Australia.

At the end of f irst year, jobprospects are booming and demandis expected to exceed the 60 newplaces available in 2003, according toActing Program Director Dr VictoriaCarrington. The program is availablevia a dual degree or graduate entry.

Dr Carrington, formerly of theUniversity of Tasmania, is one of ateam drawn from as far afield as theUSA, New Zealand and Canada todesign and teach the program. Theteam includes Drs Donna Pendergast,Nan Bahr, Lisa Stephens, Lisa Hunter,Cushla Kapitzke, Jane Mitchell andTony Wright.

The degree emphasises real-life,participatory teacher education, witha focus on integration. It includes five

Dr Carrington

Indigenous studies students learntraditional Aboriginal dance

Mr Cuskelly with high school studentsat a music workshop


Two UQ students were selected toattend the first DRAGON 100

Young Chinese leaders Forum 2002in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

PhD students Shinta Singgih andLeong Wai Yie were chosen fromamong hundreds of Chinese peopleaged 18 to 35 to participate in theforum, which took place in September.

Ms Singgih from the school ofNatural and Rural SystemsManagement at UQ Gatton said theforum, initiated by the DragonFoundation, was designed to promoteChinese culture and heritage andencourage participants to be theleaders of tomorrow.

Dragon lights firein young leaders

“It was such an overwhelmingexperience and it brought UQ along-side universities such as Harvard andMIT,” she said.

Ms Singgih and Ms Wai Yie werepart of the 40 internationally basedChinese youth leaders nominated byuniversities, educational institutions,organisations and corporations fromaround the world. The other 60 youngleaders were chosen from Hong Kong,Macau, Taiwan and mainland China.

Ms Singgih said during the event,which included a three-day forum inHong Kong and a four-day study tripto Shanghai, she participated in paneldiscussions, made visits to both

government and non-governmentbodies and attended plenary sessionsaddressed by world-renownedspeakers as well as participating incultural and social activities.

Ms Singgih said the Australianparticipants made a big impression onthe forum. “The Australian delegatesrepresenting UQ, RMIT, theUniversity of Melbourne, theUniversity of Canberra, CurtinUniversity and Australian NationalUniversity were well known amongthe delegates with our ‘Aussie AussieAussie Oy Oy Oy’ chant,” she said.

Ms Wai Yie from the School ofInformation technology and Electrical

Engineering said the DRAGON 100Forum had provided a platform formeeting, sharing and discussingamong all 100 Chinese delegates.

“It has generated a strong synergyamong the participants to worktogether for the betterment of oursocieties, forged with a spirit ofinnovation, enthusiasm andcommitment,” Ms Wai Yie said.

The forum was designed to bringtogether the two facets of the Dragonin Chinese culture: its descendantsand its leadership qualities. TheDragon Foundation was establishedafter the Year of the Dragoncelebrations in 2000.

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The Australian delegates… were well

known among the delegates with our

Aussie Aussie Aussie Oy Oy Oy chants’’

A three-day foruminvolving Chinese youthleaders from around theworld was a celebrationof spirit and enthusiasm.

Wai Yie Leong



INSTITUTE OF CONTINUING AND TESOL EDUCATION

ICTE Community EducationSummer Courses 4 – 31 January 2003Sample a range of fascinating study options, includingclassroom study and practical workshops.

Study Skills Workshops– Study for Success at University

– Learning Skills for Years 9 and 10– Learning Skills for Years 11 and 12

Certificate IV in Assessment andWorkplace Training BSZ40198This course develops the competenciesrequired to plan, conduct and reviewtraining and assessment in the workplace or with aregistered training organisation. Successful participantswill be awarded a nationally recognised certificate.

FURTHER INFORMATION:Community Education, (ICTE)Telephone: (07) 3365-7575Email: [email protected]: www.icte.uq.edu.au/continuingeducation/domestic.htm

by Rowan Foster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Athletics Centrea national ‘Hub’

The University of QueenslandAthletics Centre has been named

the nation’s first Hub for athletics ina move that will offer unprecedentedparticipation, coaching anddevelopment opportunities in South-East Queensland.

Athletics Australia ChiefExecutive Officer Simon Allatsonsaid the planned rollout of regionalHubs across the country would be aboon for the sport.

“It is a reflection of size andresources that many athletics clubscannot actively go out and engage thecommunity to participate in thesport,” Mr Allatson said.

“The idea behind the Hub conceptis to have an all-inclusive, embracingnetwork of athletics clubs around thecountry that support participation ata community level from junior tomature-age athletes.

Mr Allatson said the presence ofregional Hubs was aimed atcountering a decline of formalmembership in Australian athleticsclubs.

“Athletics is a sport that peopleundertake to keep fit and do rightthroughout their lives,” Mr Allatsonsaid.

“Hubs will package programs,initiatives and participation-basedevents for the community to getinvolved and, to an extent, becomequasi-members.”

Mr Allatson said the Universitywas a strong model as Australia’s firstathletics Hub.

“The UQ Athletics Centre has avery successful athletics program,excellent facilities, enthusiasticpersonnel and the support of theUniversity behind it,” Mr Allatson said.

Boasting an international standardsynthetic running track, the UQAthletics Centre includes undercoverseating for 600 spectators, a state-of-the-art photo f inish facility andcomplies with International AthleticsFederation standards.

Director for UQ SPORT KimGuerin said the partnership was asignificant acknowledgment for theUQ Athletics Centre model and itsfocus on active participation in theUniversity and local community.

“This partnership recognises themodel for the development ofathletics at UQ and will furtherstrengthen programs for the entireathletics community – from athletesto administrators,” Ms Guerin said.

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an all-inclusive,

embracing network

of athletics clubs

around the country’

’UQ’s top-classathletics programand excellentfacilities have beenrecognised as idealfor a new sportinginitiative.

UQ Athletics Club member MelanieKleeberg stretches out on theinternational standard running track.PHOTO: CHRIS STACEY


PRINTCURRENT BESTSELLER LIST

in

1 Mayne Inheritance,Rosamond Siemon(UQP, $19.95)BIOGRAPHY/TRUECRIME

2 Dirt Music, Tim Winton(Picador, $30)FICTION

3 Volcano, VeneroArmanno (Vintage,$19.95)FICTION

4 Gould's Book of Fish,Richard Flanagan(Picador, $22)FICTION

5 Little Friend, DonnaTartt (Bloomsbury,$32.95)FICTION

6 Follow the Rabbit-ProofFence, Doris Pilkington(UQP, $19.95)BIOGRAPHY

7 White Teeth, ZadieSmith (Penguin, $22.95)FICTION

8 Beggars Banquet, IanRankin (Orion, $29.95)CRIME FICTION

9 Under the WintamarraTree, Doris Pilkington(UQP, $24.00)BIOGRAPHY

10 Y: The Descent of Man,Steve Jones (Little,Brown, $39.95)SCIENCE

BOOKSHOP

It is not often the Australian

public hears an account of World

War II from the former enemy

viewpoint.

Former German soldier andcurrent UQ student Rudi Stiebritz hasgiven a detailed account of hisexperiences in his autobiographicalbook Pawn of War.

Mr Stiebritz described how at 19he was drafted into the German Armyand sent to battle on the Eastern Front.When Germany surrendered in 1945Mr Stiebritz was captured by theRussian Army and sent to Siberia asa prisoner of war.

“Just 19-years-old and already Ihad smelt the smoke, seen death andwatched blood flow,” he recalls.

He told how, for the first time,these experiences had made himaware of his own mortality. He hasnow found religion and despite beinginvolved in a car accident, which lefthim virtually blind, he is busyworking for the community.

With the help of his writing tutorat Access Arts Jay McKee, MrStiebritz was able to compile acomprehensive account of his timefighting in WWII.

“As I wrote, more incidents anddetails came flooding back until thecatalogue became an unwieldycompendium in rough typescript.Despite my 40 years as an Aussie and

an ability to always make myselfunderstood I became aware that myreportage was in a cumbersome sortof Engleutsch,” he said.

As a Buddhist convert he beganto write Pawn of War during a retreatat Sera Monastery in Mysore, India.

Mr Stiebritz recalled how inSeptember 1942, while fighting as aGerman soldier, he underwent anincredibly spiritual experience. Heremembered seeing a white shiningfigure detach itself hesitantly from thebody of a dead comrade.

“When the apparition hadcompletely emerged I recognised it as

Other side to war storiesthe machine-gunner whose earthlybody still lay draped over themachine-gun,” he said.

Mr Stiebritz, who has a degree instructural engineering, said he wrotethe book because people were tellinghim that his memories were veryinteresting.

He is also learning Sanskrit as partof his Bachelor of Arts degree at theUniversity and is currently workingon a dictionary of Buddhist terms.

Pawn of War was featured at theBrisbane Writers Festival in Octoberand the Book Expo Authors Market inBrisbane in November.

by Chris Saxby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Demand for retirement village

living will boom over the next

20 years, according to a book

resulting from a UQ study.

The Retirement Village Industryin Australia: Evolution, Prospects,Challenges paints a bright butchallenging future for the industryin Australia. Launched recently, itwas compiled by a group ofresearchers led by Professor BobStimson and Dr George Earl fromUQ’s School of Geography, Plann-ing and Architecture.

The study provides a compre-hensive analysis of directions,

prospects and challenges facingfinanciers, developers and oper-ators of retirement villages inAustralia.

The book includes contribut-ions by a number of key leaders inthe industry and is the culminationof a three year study funded by theAustralian Research Council’sindustry collaboration scheme.

“The ageing of Australia’spopulation alone will generatedemand for the construction ofmore than 30,000 newindependent living units inretirement villages in the next 20years,” Professor Stimson said.

Retirement village boom

Author and Arts studentRudi Stiebritz PHOTO;CHRIS STACEY


by Rada Rouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brand placement in computer

games could have a bright futureas a marketing tool, according to UQBusiness School honours studentLars-Peter Schneider.

In the movie world, it’s worth bigdollars, with companies like Nokia,The Gap and Lexus subsidising thebudget of the Tom Cruise f ilmMinority Report to the tune of $US25million to have their products featured.

Mr Schneider told the recent UQBusiness School Annual ResearchColloquium that computer gamemakers had been slower to take up theidea, which also had been studiedlittle.

US law requiring disclosure ofbrand placement in the credits isanother disincentive, but contra-dealsand cross-promotion is working forsome.

“In the recent Transworld surfinggame on the Xbox, (surf clothingmanufacturer) Quiksilver featuredheavily, and what happened was thatQuiksilver then allowed the maker ofthe game to demo it at the Quiksilvertouring event,” he said.

So how do game players react tosubtle advertising in this way? Sincehis presentation to the Colloquium,Mr Schneider has been studyingbrand placement recall among noviceand experienced players – only male,as it turns out.

“I’ve found that people do recalland recognise banners within drivinggames, particularly those placed ondifficult areas of the track or thosewhich are bigger and brighter,” hesaid.

“Experts recall and recognisebrands placed within the game moreoften than people who play less,probably because they need toattribute less of their resources toactually driving the car.

“While it may appear that this is amore academic point, in fact expertcomputer games players are a certaindemographic, and a market for certainproducts.”

The difficulty in successful brandplacement is keeping it “real”, notannoy players and instead contributeto the whole gaming experience.

“Obviously if you have a medievalfantasy game and there’s a Cokevending machine in it then it won’twork,” he says.

Mr Schneider concludes that,given the captive audience, manufact-urers will find a way.

Meanwhile he concedes that he’shad an entertaining year, with “lotsof support” from fellow students andacademic staff who regularly drop byto inquire about his research – and,of course, to play the Xbox.

Names behindthe games

Advertisers seekingbrand exposure haveadded a newdimension to therapidly-growingaudience with theirhands on thecontrols of the latestcomputer games.

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expert computer

games players are…

a market for

certain products’’

PhD students MarieDasborough and Mr Schneiderat work on the Xbox.


PROGRAM EVOLUTION

Blend for changing needs


SITE LEARNING

EngineeringflexibilityThe challenge was to find a way

for UQ engineering undergrad-

uates to gain more meaningful

industry experience without

extending the length of study or

altering the academic standards

in the degree program.

Modern, innovative University

of Queensland programs are

unlocking research possibilities

and opening employers’ doors.

Courses that did not exist 10 yearsago have become de rigeur forstudents keen to hit the groundrunning in the working world. Amongthese multi-dimensional courses onoffer at UQ are: computationalbiology (combining IT, biology andmaths); biotechnology (biological andchemical sciences and law); andinformation environments (design,architecture and IT).

Director of the Tertiary EducationInstitute Denise Chalmers said whileinterdisciplinary teaching was notnew, programs were now moving welloutside traditional subject blends.

“There is a new conceptualisation,a new approach. The undergraduateprograms have been deconstructed sothat if you were looking at, say,evolution from a science viewpoint,you would now look at evolution interms of its biology, its chemistry andits sociology,’’ she said.

Lecturer in Higher Education, DrCatherine Manathunga, is the chiefinvestigator of a UQ-funded scoping

study into interdisciplinary researcheducation and staff development atthe University. Co-investigatorsinclude Associate Professor Paul Lantfrom the Advanced WastewaterManagement Centre and Dr GeorgeMellick from the Southern ClinicalDivision of the Medical School.

Part of their research involvesstudy at a UQ research centre, theAdvanced Wastewater ManagementCentre, that is keen for students tohave interdisciplinary researchexperience.

Microbiologists and chemicalengineers are sharing their knowledgeto f ind solutions to wastewaterproblems.

An increasing number of UQ

postgraduate students are

joining the long list of

undergraduates taking the

opportunity to study overseas as

part of their degree.

Run by the InternationalEducation Directorate (IED), the UQAbroad program has studentexchange agreements with almost 100institutions in more than 20 countries.

“Although the exchange programis mainly for undergraduate studentswe are seeing a growing number ofpostgraduates interested in studyingat one of our partner institutions forone or two semesters,” said ExchangeStudent Advisor Jan McCreary. “Forexample, Master of Business Admin-

istration (MBA) students can attendTulane University in the US, theNorwegian School of Management,the National University of Singapore,or if they speak Spanish, the Tec deMonterrey in Mexico.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity forstudents. Not only can it broaden thescope of their degree by completingcourses only offered at the hostinstitution, but the experience givesstudents a different perspective ontheir field of study and can help themdiscover new career and academicopportunities. It can also improvetheir foreign language skills, maturitylevel and independence.”

In the past four years the numberof UQ students opting for overseasstudy as part of an exchange programhas risen by almost 155 percent.

OVERSEAS STUDY

Broad viewfrom abroad

Denise Chalmers

What emerged was the Under-graduate Site Learning Program,enabling f inal-year students tomanage their learning and assign-ment objectives while working in aprofessional setting.

Team leader Professor DavidRadcliffe said USLP is a work-based learning program thatenables f inal-year students tosimultaneously consolidate theirtechnical knowledge, enhance theirproblem formulation and solving,communication and teamwork.

As part of their engineeringdegree, undergraduates must gain60 days’ industry experience butthis work is getting harder toarrange, is subject to economicfluctuations and the quality of theexperience varies.

Other means of gaining industryexperience, by having co-operativework placements in which studentsspend 6-12 months in industry dur-ing their studies, extend the degreeprogram and are not connecteddirectly to the University program.

The new USLP option alignsthe final-year thesis and assignmentwork to “real” work, and givesstudents full academic credit fortheir placement without extendingthe duration of degrees.

ProfessorRadcliffe

A collaborative initiative between the Institute of Continuing & TESOLEducation (ICTE-UQ) and Australian Internships (AI) offers UQ internationalstudents a unique opportunity to undertake fulltime professional internshipsduring semester breaks or on completion of studies:

Gain valuable work experience in your chosen area of study

Enhance your career opportunities

Internationalise your resume/CV

Experience an Australian professional working environment

Receive professional training, a work report and reference

Further information on the Professional Internship Program (PIP) can beobtained through: Institute of Continuing & TESOL Education (ICTE-UQ),The University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia

Phone: (07) 3365 6565 Fax: (07) 3365 6599Email: [email protected] Web: www.icte.uq.edu.au

Professional Internship Program(PIP) for UQ International Students

INSTITUTE OF CONTINUING AND TESOL EDUCATION


briefin

UQ researchers are studyingwhether better oral health care

could lead to an improvement inoverall general health.

Researchers at the University’sOral Care Research Program in theSchool of Dentistry have begunexamining whether the health ofthose from low socio-economicbackgrounds could be improvedthrough a specific personalised oralhealth education programme.

Senior Research Officer at theSchool of Dentistry Dr MaryCullinan said better oral health carecould result in better overall healthin disadvantaged communities.

“It is anticipated that this studywill show that an individualised oralhealth program will result in asignificant improvement in oralhealth which in turn will reduce theneed for further dental treatment,break the cycle of emergency careand at the same time lessen the riskof systemic disease by reducingclinical and molecular risk factors,”Dr Cullinan said.

She said the research had twomain aims: to determine the effect-iveness of a specific personalised

Starting at the top

oral health education program andto determine the impact of thisprogramme on clinical and molec-ular risk factors for oral and generalhealth in subjects from a low socio-economic community.

“There have been a large numberof studies linking cardiovascular andperiodontal diseases. “Our study willattempt to show if treating perio-dontal disease results in a reductionof serum markers of cardiovasculardisease,” Dr Cullinan said.

Clinical risk factors includeblood pressure, body mass index andwaist to hip ratio. The molecular riskfactors are the molecules found inthe blood that indicate the risk ofcardiovascular disease.

She said that in low socio-economic communities a large partof dental care within the publicsector was of an emergency nature,which could have a detrimentaleffect not only on oral health, butalso on general health such asdiabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The research will involve 1000patients from the Dental Clinic at theLogan Hospital in the Logan-Beaudesert Health Service Districtsouth of Brisbane.

The Logan-Beaudesert districtwas chosen for the study as it wasestimated that 18-20 percent ofresidents had diabetes and thatmortality rates from coronary heartdisease were 30 percent higher whencompared with the rest of Queensland.

Dr Cullinan said the study, whichstarted in October, was one of thefirst intervention studies and wasdue to last for three years.

She said the study would alsoexamine alternative ways to treatoral disease in communities withsocial disadvantages, be relativelyinexpensive and potentially could bedisseminated widely acrossAustralia.

The theory that better overall health could begin with asignificant improvement in oral health is being tested.

Electronic archiveA new UQ electronic archival

system will concentrate

scattered research into a single,

searchable space. The UQ ePrint

Archive is a deposit collection of

papers showcasing the

University’s research across a

range of subjects both before

and after peer-reviewed

publication. The ePrint server

will provide free, searchable

access to this research and

manage its long-term archiving.

UQ ePrint Archive

Coordinator Belinda Weaver said

research would be available on a

scale impossible with paper.

“Instead of academic staff

posting and linking to research

papers of their own, housed on

a school or faculty server, they

can deposit papers in a centrally

managed system that promises

permanent URLs and centralised

backup services,” she said.

The initial trial of the system

was set up and coordinated by

the UQ Library.

The archive, which now

holds more than 100 papers and

is constantly updated, is at:

http://eprint.uq.edu.au/.

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a large number

of studies link

cardiovascular

and periodontal

disease ’

’

by Chris Saxby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CLASSIFIEDS

HOUSE-SIT/RENTALWANTED

■ Visiting academic needs 1+bedroom unit or house-sit, Feb–June, 2003 (inclusive).Non-smoker, references avail. Cityproximity pref. Coral: 07 33620275, [email protected].

■ Prof. couple need unit/hse fromJan, 2003. Non-smoking, pets,pool, ok, references. Michelle,David: [email protected]

■ Retired couple need unit/house,Dec-mid 2003. Non-smoking,pets and garden ok, references.07 3374 0705.

■ Visiting academic needs 2 bdunit/house, Jan/Feb-June/July,2003. Helen: 07 4150 7107,[email protected]

■ Visiting academic needs 2-3 bdfurn hse, Jan-May, 2003. Gary:[email protected]


CanI dofurtherstudy?

‘‘

’’

Postgraduate qualifications provideyou with a competitive edge in today’sglobal marketplace.

The University of Queensland offers a broad range of coursework and research

postgraduate options for anyone considering further study and the new

Postgraduate Education Loans Scheme means you can defer up-front payments.

To find out more call (07) 3365 8846, email [email protected] or visit

www.studyatuq.net

AUSTRALIA UQ NEWS · 2005-11-23 · Ipswich Campus Tues 17 Dec 6.30pm-8pm (Building 12) St Lucia...

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Transcript of AUSTRALIA UQ NEWS · 2005-11-23 · Ipswich Campus Tues 17 Dec 6.30pm-8pm (Building 12) St Lucia...