Faculty news

Winning bridge design for Master of Architecture student

Master of Architecture student Marina Kozul returns from overseas travels as part of a cultural exchange and previously winning a national design competition. Her bridge design was the winning entry in the national competition open to all Australian Architecture universities and independent student designers. The Dialectical Bridge Student Design Competition was held as part of the recent Critical Visions 2008 National RAIA conference in Sydney.

The project originated as a university design assignment for Master of Architecture students at Deakin. Out of 40 bridge designs submitted, those by Marina Kozul and James Adams were chosen to go on and compete at the national Dialectical Bridge Student Bridge Design Competition.

Students were briefed to design a conceptual Pedestrian bridge addressing the ritual of crossing a river. Culturally the bridge would join two very different cities one called Nostalgia- a city of great heritage and tradition, and the other, Zeitgeist- a newer and faster city full of development and changing technologies.

Out of hundreds of entries, around twenty bridges were short listed and placed on exhibition during the conference. Of those exhibited, five bridge designs were critiqued by panel chair Architect Chris Wilkinson from London’s Wilkinson & Eyre and a panel of national and international architects, engineers and academics.

Marina’s design used the stair and the ramp as metaphors for rapid or slow progression from one point to the other, where neither mode dominates but rather the integrated structure required both so that balance and purpose is achieved. The dialectical bridge allows two minds to cross, and for two cultures to exist as one, even if for a moment in time.

Marina used her prize of a return flight to London as part of a wider European tour, visiting the UIA World Congress Transmitting Architecture in Torino and tour of the Wilkinson & Eyre UK and International design work.

Faculty Alumni Cocktail party

As part of DeakinWeek, the Faculty Alumni Cocktail party was held at the RACV Club in Melbourne. Alumni members from each school in the Faculty mixed with members of staff.

rofessor of Property and Real Estate, Richard Reed, spoke about the relationship between sustainability and value for residential property in his talk 'Combating Climate Change: Is property and the built environment the missing link?'
The drive to make our homes green has taken a battering as a result of the current global financial meltdown, he said, indicating the economic market meltdown is also threatening the push for more sustainability, particularly in property, with everybody turning their attention to the bottom line.

“It is clear that sustainability has already been removed from the front page of the newspapers and replaced with the economic downturn…this has widespread implications for society’s perception about the importance of sustainability when compared to financial returns.

Professor Reed said from the perspective of the average homeowner, this turn in economic events means it will be less likely money will be spent on making their homes greener. From an investor point of view, the news for sustainability was also bad with people looking for short-term financial gains rather than long-term benefits. However he stressed that both investors and home-owners should remember that property does have value over the long-term.

Hot Research Breakfast

Three leading Deakin researchers spoke about the global and local significance of their research at the Hot Research Breakfast Science Research Making a Difference, as part of DeakinWeek. Dr Daniel Ierodiaconou, Professor Saeid Nahavandi and Professor Andy Bennett presented their research findings to an audience of local industry members and Deakin staff.

Recent discoveries on Victoria’s sea floor have revealed previously unknown underwater gardens and submerged river systems and lagoons that would have supported aboriginal communities over 10,000 years ago. In his talk, Victoria beyond our shores: Understanding Victoria’s marine assets, Dr Ierodiaconou looked at their findings and how they will redefine resource assessment, conservation planning and improve fisheries management.

Researchers at Deakin have developed an innovative software platform – believed to be the first of its kind in the world – which allows for simulation of baggage handling systems and how they would cope with changes to airport security. Professor Saeid Nahavandi said in this era of heightened travel security, the new software was proving invaluable to airports around the globe. In his talk, Airport security: Hi-tech solutions for improved safety, he focused on modelling, simulation and analysis of airport operations providing greater understanding of airport security.

Do animals see more colours than humans? What explains the extraordinary diversity of colouration found in animals? Professor Andy Bennett leads an international team of scientists who have been studying parrots, in particular the Crimson Rosella, in a hunt for answers to these questions. Parrot colouration and colour vision, focused on ways of understanding these questions and on how colour diversity is maintained in natural populations, focusing on parrot species found in South Eastern Australia. Part of their work facilitates some predictions about how colouration and distribution should change with increasing climate change.

T2 gives Tim the ride of his life

From Marshall to Michigan, it’s been a dream come true

There have been times in the past few months when Tim de Souza has had to pinch himself, sometimes to make sure it wasn’t all a dream, at other times just to keep himself awake.

“This whole Ford Global Challenge has just been fantastic,” said Tim, now back working on his PhD after his involvement in the prize-winning project. When the opportunity came along to be part of it, I knew I couldn’t say no, even though it meant putting off my PhD for a while.

“Now that the result is known and it is such a brilliant result for everyone involved, I’d have to say it was more than worth it.”

There were times though, when Tim wondered.

“We did a lot of late nights, particularly towards the end of the project when we had to meet Ford’s deadline,” he sighed.

“But against that Stuart Hanafin and I were lucky enough to be chosen to make sure our entry got to Dearborn in Michigan.”

Not bad for a boy from Marshall, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

“That was an amazing experience, to be right in the heart of the Ford Motor Company, and to be presenting to Bill Coughlan, the CEO of Ford Global Technologies, and Frank MacKenzie, the organiser of the competition,” Tim said.

“While still feeling a little jet lagged, we made our way to their offices, then headed down into their IAC (Intellectual Advancement Centre), which is a dedicated area for brainstorming/workshopping of new concepts and 'out of the square' thinking at Ford.

“We then showed them our DVD and from the opening title menu they seemed quite impressed and stated that we should be working in Hollywood. After the DVD, they seemed extremely impressed with what was displayed and showcased.

“Bill Coughlin said: ‘You guys nailed it!’

“We then displayed our posters and the two models we had developed and took them through each one in an informal discussion. They were also quite interested in our power train choice and were also impressed with how we had cleverly integrated components and engineered the vehicle to turn on the spot.

“Most importantly, and the one decision which was the hardest to make for us - the name Model T2 - went down fantastically.

“We left Dearborn pretty confident in what we had achieved, but then there were all the nerve-wracking moments waiting for the final world.

“I must admit I did have to pinch myself when I saw Deakin’s name up there alongside Aachen’s as the two universities that would be showcased by Ford to see if I was dreaming.”

If it was a dream, Tim was quickly woken from it once the word of Deakin’s success got out.

“We got the first phone call from a radio station in Hobart at 6am,” he said.

“Stuart and I were hooked-up on a conference phone. For the next few days we all did a lot of media interviews. It seemed a lot of people in Australia were really pleased that Deakin had done so well in a competition against not just Aachen, which is in Germany, but four other universities from America.

“It is certainly excellent recognition that the work we are doing here atDeakin in lightweight materials, in design, in a lot of the areas we brought together to make this a holistic project, not just an engineering one, is right up at the world class level. I think for everyone involved, it has been a real confidence booster.

“We can tell ourselves that what we are doing is important, is making a difference, is cutting edge, but it’s nice to get this sort of recognition.

“The Ford Global Challenge has been a fantastic experience and I am grateful to Deakin for providing me with the opportunity to be involved in the winning team that we put together.”

A Model Team effort

A broad range of people rose to the Challenge, says a thankful Dr Bernie Rolfe.

Deakin University’s win in the Ford Global Challenge was a model team effort, according to Project Leader Dr Bernard Rolfe.

“It can be a bit of cliché to call something a team effort but that genuinely was the case with our involvement in the Ford Global Challenge,” Dr Rolfe said.

“Right from the moment when we first received the information to take part, we had input from a wide range of people, not just from the members of our engineering school at Deakin.

“As sure as you try to list everyone, you know you will leave someone out, but I will try anyway.
“We were very lucky that one of our visiting Professors to Deakin was Professor John Duncan.

“His family has been involved in the production of horse drawn and motorised vehicles in Australia for more than a century and he has just written a history of the Model T called “Any Colour – So Long As It’s Black”.

“John was able to give us a real insight into the production values of the original Model T which was very helpful when we came to getting right the concepts we needed for the 21st Century.

“Dr John Rollo, Dr Ian Burston and Dr Tim Hilditch all worked in various ways to ensure we kept on track.

“I would like to especially thank Dr Chee Jin Yap who not only organised the Finance students involved in the project, but made the trip down from Burwood for our meetings at the Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds.

“Dr Yap and Dr Burston, along with Bronwyn Kirby and Yolanda Esteban, acted as mentors for students working on individual projects.

“I was fortunate to receive a lot of excellent advice from Professor Kate Smith-Miles on how to go about managing a major project like this

" I and the rest of the group also benefited from some pep talks from Professor Peter Hodgson.

“Amazing enthusiasm was shown by the full scale size prototype team of Ross De Rango, Russell Jorgensen, Paul Salcombe, Robert Crittenden, Sean Nettleton, Isaac Winter, Todd Matthews, Scott Wade and Rod Seiffert. They built a prototype overnight, and found an airport to do the speed test.

“Thanks to the five selected engineers who produced quality reports and/or CAD designs: Harry Chen, Scott Hunter, Matt Jennings, Nelson Thomas and Deepak-Paul Arotha. Ford liked our final engineering report.

“Thanks to the Finance team of Lauren O'Donovan, Dong Hai Trieuv Doan, (Mandy) Sin Man Yam and Murphy Jun Jie Lee. Their business case for the car also impressed the judges.

“Also thank you to the Urban Context team - Jessica Dover and Adam Berkley – who broadened our report to show the impact our vehicle may have on the city. It fitted perfectly with William Clay Ford Junior’s vision of putting a human face to the automotive industry.

“We need to specially thank Michael Sharman for making the structural model’s stand, and for his exceptional spelling that saved us some embarrassment.

“When the time came to publicise our work we also had the benefit of a pretty good PR team in Andrew Kilsby, Mandi O'Garretty, Warwick Hadfield and Sophie Torrens, so thanks to them.

“My main thanks though must go to the core design team which included students from the School of Architecture and Building, the Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation (CMFI) and Intelligent Systems Research (ISR).
“Those people included Tim de Souza, Stuart Hanafin, Greg Pitts, Ben Adamson, Steve Agius, Michael Pereira and Tim Black.

“In the end, this project happened because Tim de Souza, Stuart Hanafin and Greg Pitts put in the long hours.

“Special thanks, too, to Noel Miller, whose long involvement with Deakin and Ford proved invaluable.

“Noel organised committee meetings when I couldn’t be there and played a vital role in liaising with Angelo di Pietro from EngineAir.
“In the end, we got a great result, one that I think was highly deserved when you look at the level of dedication and team work that went into getting our submission to Dearborn on time.

“My thanks to everyone!”

Deakin green car wins Ford Global Challenge

In a spectacular win against international competitors, Deakin University’s answer to the Ford Global Challenge to design a Model-T for the 21st Century has been chosen as one of two designs showcased by Ford in Detroit last night. The vehicle, designed by a team led by Deakin engineering students, is labelled ‘T2’ (T-Squared).

T2 was described by Ford as 'pushing the boundaries and delivering an alternative transportation concept for tomorrow.' The win earned Deakin’s School of Engineering and Information Technology $30,000 (US$25,000) in scholarship funds from Ford.

Deakin University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sally Walker, congratulated the Deakin students and said that the win demonstrated how Deakin’s research is both innovative and relevant to the real world. 'This is a fantastic example of the capabilities and talents of Deakin’s students and the staff who support them; their collaborative efforts, under deadline pressure, produced a wonderful outcome that may influence the design of future vehicles. Our team more than met the Ford challenge to create an innovative vehicle concept for the future,' she said.

Dr Bernard Rolfe, the Deakin Project Leader, said that T2’s use of the latest research and technology has re-defined the idea of an inexpensive, innovative and sustainable car. 'Our design, developed by a cross-disciplinary team effort from across the University, has "plenty of bang for the buck". As well, T2 is a very green machine,' Dr Rolfe said. Ford called the design 'simple, lightweight, practical, compelling and low cost.'

Deakin University’s T2 runs on compressed air (with some compressed natural gas support for longer distance travel). It incorporates safety proven lightweight materials in which Deakin is an acknowledged world leader. With three wheels, it can turn 360° on itself, making inner city parking easy. The simplicity of the design means that it can be assembled at accredited Ford dealers, which was the original business model used by Ford Australia back in the early 1920s when the Model T was first launched in Australia. The key design points include:

• High torque compressed air wheel hub motors to reduce vehicle emissions to zero, depending on the distance option chosen
• Differential wheel speeds to steer the car via hub motors – so the car doesn't need a conventional gearbox, driveline and steering rack-pinion systems
• Utilising the wheel hub motor concept with only three wheels to increase agility and reduce costs and weight
• Use of Ultra High Strength Steels and novel manufacturing methods to increase strength, while reducing costs and weight
• A flexible, easily adaptable human-machine interface to keep the vehicle competitive for at least a decade of advances in software technology.
  

Dr Rolfe said that there were many infrastructure related advantages of using compressed air. 'Compressed air requires less change to current infrastructure than other alternate sources,' he said. 'For example, hydrogen would require a large change to petrol stations and existing infrastructure to accommodate this new power source.'

Deakin University was the only Australian university and one of only six worldwide invited to participate in the Challenge, part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the fabled Model T, the car that changed the 20th Century. The new Model T design aims to be universally affordable and could, if produced, retail for under A$9,000. Ford has registered several patents around the concept vehicles.

Note: The other design showcased in Detroit was from Aachen University of Cologne, Germany.

Research maps bird flu pathways to Australia

Environmental science expert Dr Rohan Clarke has been involved in a major study of migratory birds moving from South-East Asia and Papua New Guinea to northern Australia, with the aim of tracking how disease spreads.

Dr Clarke has made several field trips to the Torres Strait to take samples from birds and study their migration patterns. He said this is the obvious pathway of any disease like bird flu moving into the country as Australian islands are situated just 3kms from the Papua New Guinea coastline.

“Clearly this border is the major bio-security threat for Australia and if anything is likely to come into country, this is the path the disease is likely to come through,’’ he said.

Dr Clarke’s research project is looking at rates and spread of avian malaria amongst birds in the region, with the aim of using this information to predict the way other diseases might travel throughout birds in Australia.

“Avian malaria is a common bird affliction. Although it is similar to human malaria it doesn’t affect people,’’ he said.

During several trips to the Torres Strait the research team has gathered 900 samples from different bird species, which will now be subject to molecular screening. However Dr Clarke said that blood-smears done on location show a high prevalence of malaria infection – about 30 per cent – making it an ideal study in disease transmission.

Dr Clarke said the Torres Strait is a major migration pathway for bush birds in Australia. “We are talking hundreds and thousands of birds moving back and forward across the strait each year.”

“We can use this information to see how bird diseases might move around different areas and it has implications for our understanding of how bird flu might spread.” said Dr Clarke.

Crunching numbers for fun

Year 10 students from around Geelong and the Western District went head to head crunching numbers at Deakin’s Maths competition held at the Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds recently. Around 200 students attended the annual competition which saw them competing in a range of individual and group based activities throughout the day, designed to create interest in further pursuits of Mathematics.

Co-organiser Michelle Cyganowski said the event is an important way to change the perception that many students have of maths. “Sometimes students have the perception that people that do maths are a bit nerdy. The various contest activities show students different applications of maths and that it is possible to be creative and have fun with maths.”

The event also provides an opportunity to show students the variety of careers available from studying maths and encourages students to go on to study maths at tertiary level. “We hope to encourage the students to go on and study maths at University which can be taken as part of engineering and IT courses. It is important to get students excited about maths and consider future careers in this area as there are shortages of graduates with mathematical skills across a range of industries. Students often think that if they take maths the only option for them will be a career as an engineer or actuary. We show them maths is used in such a variety of jobs and that maths opens up so many opportunities for them.”

Having a wide range of schools participating in the competition provides an excellent opportunity for both students and teachers to get together and exchange ideas on the learning and teaching of mathematics. With Deakin hosting the competition, it also provides students with an opportunity to walk around the campus and see what a university looks like as many of the students have never been to a university before.

35 years for Science and Tech trio

Three members of the Faculty of Science and Technology have been awarded a 35 Year Service Award - Sue Frances, Gary Franklin and Howard Greenhill.
 
Sue, the longest reigning person on the Warrnambool Campus, cherishes the involvement she has had with literally hundreds of students and their families over the years. “I have made a lot of friends while I have been here. The students are all fantastic. I get on well with them all, I’m like a second mother to them. I have fun with them and like to have a bit of a laugh too. I still get a buzz when I get a phone call or an old student pops in out of the blue and they remember me. “

Gary Franklin’s career at Deakin started as a Laboratory Technician in the School of Chemistry at the then Gordon Institute of Technology.  He says over that time he has seen rapid changes in technology, especially in chemical analysis and instrumentation and computer based learning.   

Howard Greenhill remembers being asked at his job interview if he intended on staying for at least the next three years. 35 years later Howard is now Senior Technical Officer IT for the School of Life and Environmental Sciences. Howard says these days all computerised equipment is bought off the shelf rather than being built from scratch. He has seen many changes during his time at Deakin. “It has never been the same; I have never been bored because things never stay the same. The people have been great.  It has always been the people that have made my time here so interesting.”

Physiology lecturer wins teaching award

Physiology lecturer Jan West has been awarded a citation for her outstanding contribution to student learning by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC). This citation recognises Jan's approach to providing students every opportunity to achieve and reach their academic potential through communication and fun, relevant interactive learning methods for physiology.

Jan says she strives to achieve interest and enthusiasm in Physiology by incorporating innovative approaches in lectures. “I take pride in preparing lectures that stimulate the student mind and applications to major physiological concepts are taught through relevant examples.”

Students actively participate in lectures from forming a Mexican wave, in which the students become a piece of nerve membrane, to blowing up balloons to demonstrate the workings of the heart.

Guest lecturer, Lexie the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, is always well received. “The students are not told who the guest is. Many are very surprised but delighted to be greeted by a canine speaker.” Lexie, who came to be because of frozen semen technology, is a novel way of applying what the students have learnt with human reproduction. “Students do a ‘meet and greet’ with Lexie after the lecture. This also puts a human touch to me their lecturer, it makes me more real, in that I am not just the face in front of the lectures but I too am an ordinary person with a love of dogs.”

Jan says she loves the interaction with students and her “Keeping In Touch” newsletters allow her to see what they go on to achieve after graduation. “You have to be interested in them as people, interested in what they do and think”.

“If students feel they belong to part of a team and know that their opinions count they are more likely to strive for the best possible outcome.”

Gourmet cat food threatening fish supplies

The fine dining habits of pet cats are placing pressure on dwindling fish supplies that might be better used for human consumption, according to a Deakin University fish nutrition scientist.

Dr Giovanni Turchini (School of Life and Environmental Sciences), with colleague Professor Sena De Silva, has found that an estimated 2.48 million tonnes of forage fish—an increasingly limited biological resource—is used by the global cat food industry each year.

“That such a large amount of fish is used for the pet food industry is real eye opener,” Dr Turchini said.

“What is also interesting is that, in Australia, pet cats are eating an estimated 13.7 kilograms of fish a year which far exceeds the Australian average per capita fish and seafood consumption of around 11 kilograms.  Our pets seem to be eating better than their owners.”

Wild forage fish, such as sardines, herring, anchovy and capelin, are an important link in the marine food chain, forming the diet for larger fish like tuna and swordfish. Overfishing of marine resources is a concern to conservationists and the fishing industry. 

“While much of the criticism has been on the grounds that forage fish could be better used for human consumption directly, particularly amongst the poorer nations of the world, rather than in the production of food for farmed fish, little attention has been paid to the amount of forage fish used by the pet food industry,” Dr Turchini said.

These gourmet pet foods contain a significant amount of fish that may be suitable for direct human consumption, while different raw material unsuitable for human consumption, such as by-products of the fish filleting industry, could be used.”

Maths and Statistics lecturer wins teaching award

Mathematics and Statistics lecturer Michelle Cyganowski has been awarded a citation for her outstanding contribution to student learning by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC). This citation recognises Michelle's efforts in inspiring students in mathematics and statistics through engaging teaching approaches that enhance their learning experience and outcomes.
Michelle’s goal for students is simple, to enjoy maths as much as she does and to achieve success in this traditionally unpopular discipline. “From 17 years experience teaching maths, I am well aware of people’s fears, preconceptions, reluctance and lack of confidence when it comes to this field. I am very enthusiastic about maths and statistics and convey this to my students. Students in turn feel engaged by the material and become enthusiastic themselves”

It is an ongoing challenge to make the work seem interesting and relevant to students. Previous experience and practical knowledge help Michelle recognise and anticipate topics that provide the most trouble to students. “I always endeavour to explain the relevance of each topic to the course aims, students’ expectations and real life.” Having worked in the areas that she is teaching, Michelle includes practical examples in her teaching. “I give relevant personal accounts from my own research, maths teaching and previous work as a statistician. Students respond to these stories and can see applications of their studies.”

Michelle adapts her teaching methods to best suit the subject and group she is teaching. “Assessment tasks and class activities are designed to be stimulating, engaging and promote deep and independent learning. I always try to make maths and statistics as enjoyable as possible.”

Science student shaves head for charity

Biomedical Science student Erin Naismith shaved her head recently as part of her efforts to raise money for the Cancer Council. What started out as a small fundraising idea turned into her organising an afternoon of family focused activities at the Glen Waverly Community Centre to raise funds for the charity.

Erin, who has always had long hair, said the decision to shave her hair off for charity was the culmination of a variety of reasons rather than being triggered by a single event. “I decided to do the head shave because you hear so many stories about people losing someone they love to cancer. I didn’t want to wait until I lost someone close to me before I did something about it, so I decided to do this now.”

Since the decision to go ahead with the head shave, Erin has learnt her grandfather has been diagnosed with a form of cancer, which has made her more proud and determined in her fundraising endeavour.

Erin said they received widespread support from the council who donated the venue, through to organisations who donated prizes and activities throughout the day. A mini market was set up, complete with trash and treasure stall; a DJ and Picco the Clown provided entertainment throughout the afternoon. BBQs were running and a gourmet cake stall kept the munchies at bay.  A raffle with an assortment of prizes donated for the cause was drawn.  Not to be overshadowed by the big event – Erin’s head shave – which she was brave enough to go ahead with!

Robots that dance, rescue and play soccer

Around 150 primary and secondary students from all over Victoria got to show off their robot building skills at the Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds recently – home to the annual RoboCup Junior Victoria State Finals 2008.

Students got to choose which challenge they wanted to compete in based on different levels of skill and interest. Their robots could dance, rescue or play soccer. Competing throughout the day were 58 teams from 17 schools.

School of Engineering and Information Technology Associate Professor Abbas Kouzani said building robots provided a fun and exciting introduction to engineering for the students:

“The competition is a project-oriented entertaining way for students to learn about robotics. They have learnt not only how to build a robot but more importantly explored what engineering is. This is a way for them to see how the subjects they have learnt like maths and science come together in engineering.”

The robots that students have produced for the RoboCup Junior competitions are programmed to move autonomously and interact with other robots using sensors. All of the robots have been designed by the students themselves. Participants have programmed their robots to dance to music. The Rescue competition mirrors the real life use of robots that rescue people from life-threatening situations. Soccer-playing robots sense the ball and other robots nearby, as they attempt to score goals.

“Through these activities students see that engineering is not too difficult, and it can be very enjoyable and rewarding.”

Abbas said the program was particularly important, given Australia’s skills shortage in the engineering industry, improving awareness and attractiveness of engineering.

RoboCup is now played in 30 countries around the world.

Volunteering to tackle environmental issues

Volunteering is a great way of getting practical experience and an opportunity to ‘give something back’. Lucie Cutting has a strong history of community service and involvement with environmental volunteer work. Lucie says there are a range of volunteer opportunities for students wanting to get involved in the environmental field.

“You have to be very committed and have a passion for the type of volunteer work you are doing. It’s amazing how much time it takes up trying to do something good, you can’t view it as just a few hours a week. But if you can keep your interest in it alive it won’t feel like a burden.”

Lucie has worked with her local Alexandra Roots & Shoots, a youth program of Jane Goodall Institute aimed at positive change for communities, animals and environment and the Oaktree Foundation on their ‘End Child Slavery’ campaign. Her current project involves raising US$5,000 for the Nepalese Wildlife Centre for the construction of the first wildlife rehabilitation centre in Nepal. The project aims to raise funds to build a holding facility for a recently rescued leopard cub.  This is the first project by the Global Youth Council for Wildlife Conservation (GYCWC), of which Lucie is a founding member.  The GYCWC was formed at Jane Goodall’s Global Youth Summit earlier this year. Of the 100 participants from around the world, 29 formed this global network to continue to protect and conserve wildlife.

“The hands on practical experience opens up opportunities for employment and you build up a bit of a network of contacts in your chosen field. It also adds to your experiences in life that you need to have to understand what you want to do in the future as a career.”

There is a wealth of opportunities available to volunteer in environmental organisations. Lucie suggests joining a group or club for those unsure of volunteering alone, Deakin has an environment club.  Participating in one day activities gives a good indication of time commitments required for voluntary work. Internships are available and various organisations offer environmental volunteer work.  Earth Watch Institute’s environmental research and volunteering program gives tertiary students the chance to experience genuine field research. Fully funded places are sometimes available but students can cover costs as well. The Environmental Jobs Network website provides links to a wide range of environmental organisations looking for volunteers.  Deakin’s Jobshop lists volunteer opportunities for students. Jobsites usually have a volunteer section as well.

Lucie is studying a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science.

More information:
earthwatch.org/australia/get_involved/ed_opp/env_res_and_vol_pgm (Earth Watch Institute)
www.environmentaljobs.com.au/volunteerwork/opps.php (Environmental Jobs Network)
www.janegoodall.org.au/ (Jane Goodall Institute)
www.deakin.edu.au/studentlife/aheadstart/ (Deakin Jobshop)
www.volunteer.com.au/ (Seek)

Environmental student attends Australia/India sustainable youth forum

Tom Kelly has recently returned from this year’s Australia India Universities Youth Forum (AIUYF).  Tom was one of 54 students from Australia and India brought together for this year’s forum.  Sustainability was the theme for the two week program, designed to give attendees an increased knowledge of the key issues of sustainability, including sustainability leadership training.

A cruise around Sydney harbour marked the start of two weeks of interactive workshops, events and activities all focused around environmental sustainability. A three day leadership course equipped participants with the tools to become sustainability leaders in their own communities.  During this workshop the AIUYF Protocol was born, the group’s sustainability action plan which was presented at the Australian Association for Environmental Education conference in Darwin. 

One of the highlights of the trip for Tom was visiting the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.  “The ANU has undertaken numerous community projects to create awareness of environmental issues and promote student involvement in green programs.  They have a well maintained organic vegetable garden tended by students, giving them an opportunity to have hands on experience in sustainability,” says Tom.

Attendees also got to experience some great sites, including a tour of the Blue Mountains and a three day eco tour of outback Australia.  “As well as visiting Uluru, Kings Canyon and cattle stations, we explored fossil sites and even managed to fit in a game of outback cricket!  Sleeping in swags under the stars was a unique experience for many of the Indian and Australian students.”

One of the aims of the forum was to create national and international networks between students from a variety of academic and cultural backgrounds.  “Many long lasting friendships and networks were formed between students and universities both around Australia and internationally.  It will be interesting to see how this network we have formed will enable the AIUYF participants to instigate change and awareness in our own communities and universities,” says Tom.

Tom is a third year Environmental Science (Environment Management) student.

Maggots, crabs and crazy ants

On cold, damp winter’s days in Victoria, there would be plenty of people all over the state whose minds would wander to warm, tropical paradises.

Few though have the undeniable excuse to take that mental holiday available to Deakin University’s Dr Stuart Linton.

A lecturer and researcher in the School of Life and Environmental Science, Dr Linton has been working to help ensure a better understanding - even the survival - of Christmas Island’s fabled terrestrial red crab, a.k.a. Gecarcoidea natalis.

Famous for its annual breeding migration and unique for the way it digests its food, in recent times the crab has fallen prey to an introduced species from Africa, the Yellow crazy ant.  The newcomer is believed to have already killed 20 million of the island’s estimated population of 120 million red crabs.

“I have been working with Australia Parks, testing something that we hoped would kill the crazy ant, but not do any harm to the crab,” Dr Linton said.

“Unfortunately, my research so far reveals that the proposed substance would harm both, so the search goes on.”

Finding a way to curb the Yellow crazy ant is not the only research Dr Linton is doing involving the red crab whose breeding migration ritual annually turns parts of Christmas Island into a vast, moving red carpet.

He is keen to learn more about the unique digestive system that allows the crabs to extract nutrition from fallen leaf matter.

The Neil Archbold Memorial Travel Award and Medal

Deakin University is to honour one its finest researchers, Professor Neil Archbold, with the establishment of a new travel award and medal. “Professor Archbold was not just a wonderful researcher, he was universally loved,” said the Executive Officer Higher Degrees by Research, Grant Michie.

His death in 2005 was a tremendous loss for Deakin and for his many, many friends around the world. This travel award and medal will keep his name alive. It will also do something that Neil himself would have applauded, providing support to young researchers. Neil was actively involved in all facets of research and research training at Deakin.

He was Professor and Personal Chair in Palaeontology at the School of Ecology and Environment and the coordinator of Earth Sciences at Deakin University. He was the author of 160 scholarly publications, was awarded Australian Research Council grants of over $1m and was a long-standing member of the Royal Society of Victoria and that body’s president from 2001 to 2004. From 2003 until his death in 2005, he was the Chair of the University’s Higher Degrees by Research Committee.

25th International SAHANZ Conference

The School of Architecture and Building recently hosted the 25th international SAHANZ (Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand) conference at the Waterfront Campus. Delegates from Australia, New Zealand and the globe attended this milestone conference in the history of the Society. 

Co-convenors Ursula de Jong and David Beynon, School of Architecture and Building, said it was a privilege for Deakin to host this year’s conference, History in Practice, which explored the connections between architectural history and architectural practice. 

Ursula de Jong, also one of the founding members of SAHANZ, says the speakers considered the relationship between critique and intervention, and the links between analysis and creation that lie at the complex intersections of architecture and the writing about architecture.

“They critiqued the practices of architectural history and theory, analysing the gaps, connections and contentions between them and the ongoing history of architectural practice.  These relationships were further framed in terms of exchanges between: old and new; local and global; history and technology; conceptual and visual; centre and periphery; memory and evidence.” 

SAHANZ provides a forum for the open discussion of architectural history and historiography of the region and setting from which to reflect on the status of the architecture, landscape and cities of Australia and New Zealand in the wider world.  Throughout the last quarter century there has been an evolution of the discipline reflected within the society:

“When we started our work was ‘simple’.  We focused on gathering information, documenting our architectural history, establishing an archive of architectural knowledge.  Over time that has evolved, as we reflect on and interpret that information, as we begin to explore who we are and how we connect to place; how we understand our place, and consider it within the wider regional context of the Pacific and South East Asia,” says Dr de Jong.

Technology Showcase Project 729

The Geelong Technology Precinct (GTP) was recently host to over 150 students as part of the Technology Showcase Project 729.  Project 729 is an initiative created by the Smart Geelong Region Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) to prepare young people for work in the manufacturing industry, to readdress the skills shortage in this sector.

Although the focus is originally on manufacturing, students are shown skills that can be easily transferred to other industries, such as transport and logistics.  By getting students involved in a range of activities they get a feel for the range of skills involved and the diverse career options available to them in engineering.  Students were taken on a tour of the GTP and activity stations were set up showcasing electron microscopy, haptics, wine science, carbon fibre mechanical testing and other facilities housed there.   

Jamie McKinnon and Margaret Walker, Project Officers at SGRLLEN, said year 7 to 9 students were deliberately targeted to raise the awareness of opportunities available in industry and to get students thinking about careers in this sector earlier. 

“Perceptions about the industry need to be changed not only by students but parents and teachers as well.  Students need to make sure they are equipped with the right skills before they make their career choices and make these choices earlier.  For example, a student would need to have taken the appropriate maths stream throughout school to ensure they could get into their chosen university engineering course, it would be too late by Year 10 to make this decision” Jamie said.

Dr Bronwyn Fox says she was thrilled to be involved in this event, particularly as she was a late convert to engineering.  “If someone had explained to me 
earlier on that it wasn't all about building bridges, I would have studied engineering as an undergraduate (rather than as a  postgraduate).  There are fantastic career opportunities in engineering that involve design, working in teams and coming up with creative solutions that I just wasn't aware of.”

The showcase was held over three days between three different venues, depending on the particular interest of the students.  The GTP was host to students who had expressed an interest in going on to complete tertiary study, those with an interest in trade engineering attended Gordon Institute of TAFE and the Ford Discovery Centre displayed a range of new technologies.  Over 430 students attended.  It was the first time the event has been held and there are plans to make it an annual event, with the potential to increase the frequency in the future.

ExcITing Careers

As part of ICT careers week, students are invited to ExcITing Careers which will be held on Wednesday 30 July between 12-2pm at the Melbourne Campus at Burwood.  This event will showcase some of the ExcITing careers available to IT professionals.  Students will have the opportunity to get first hand advice about careers in IT from industry experts and find out about graduate recruitment opportunities available.

Industry presentations will provide snap shots of some ExcITing careers.  Delloite Consulting will be presenting ‘The life of an IT Consultant’.  ‘Working in an in-house IT service provider’ will be the topic of discussion by Telstra and ‘The business of IT project management’ will be explained by Terra-firma.

Students will be able to ask IT professionals about the range of ExcITIng careers available to IT graduates and graduate recruitment in IT.

Lunch will be provided, following the presentations.

Date:   Wednesday 30 July
Time:   12:00 – 2:00pm
Venue: Richard Searby Room

For further information and to RSVP please contact:
Ana Ferreira: ana.amaralferreira@deakin.edu.au  

IBL event prepares high achieving students for workforce

The Faculty of Science and Technology held the Industry Based Learning (IBL) Professional Development Program in Geelong recently. This program aims to prepare high achieving students for industry placements and graduate roles.  Over forty students representing a diverse range of degrees across the Faculty participated in the workshops. 

The two days of workshops were run by external consultants.  The first day focused on skills integral for fitting into the workplace, where students learnt about how different people approach work, time management, team work and business communication. The focus of the second day was preparing students for graduate recruitment and career planning.

Bachelor of IT student Aaron Spence will take the skills he has learnt from the workshops into the IBL placement he starts next week.  “I have learnt skills that will last for my lifetime, like time management and workplace practices.  I have learnt a lot about how to conduct myself in the workplace and in business.”

Showcasing the talented students and giving them an opportunity to put their newly acquired skills into practice, an industry partnerships lunch was held on the second day.  This provided a great informal platform for students to interact and network with nearly fifty industry representatives from the Faculty’s industry partners.  

Joe Adamski, Executive Manager Strategy and Technology Barwon Water, said the students came across as being very confident and well aware of the benefits of fitting an industry placement into their course.  “Students get to see opportunities that do exist for them.  Companies get to meet students as well.  Students have shown that they all have great prospects and are very talented.”

Science student chosen Jane Goodall Summit

Lucie Cutting recently returned from a life-changing five-day trip to Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA. Lucie was one of 100 youth from six continents and 28 countries brought together to attend world-renowned primatologist, Jane Goodall’s Global Youth Summit. The first annual event, which took place at Walt Disney World Resort®, mobilised the young leaders to address the critical issues facing the planet. At the Summit’s end, the attendees headed home with a commitment to make positive change happen and the hope that – together – they can make the world a better place.

Lucie was hand-picked by Dr Goodall, the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and partner organisations to take part in the all-expenses-paid, first-of-its-kind event. All attendees shared a strong history of community service and demonstrated leadership qualities. Lucie had worked with her local Alexandra Roots & Shoots (youth program of JGI aimed at positive change for communities, animals and environment) group in helping to organise part of Dr Goodall’s visit to Australia in 2006 and is currently working with the Oaktree Foundation on their ‘End Child Slavery’ campaign.

Attendees shared cross-cultural ideas, strengthened their leadership skills and created messages through digital media. They identified key issues and developed self-led workshops and discussions to tackle the topics that concerned them. They decided what they wanted to focus on whether it be species conservation, conflict resolution or some other pressing issue.

Each of these young leaders left the Summit equipped with a “toolbox for changing the world” and individual action plans for protecting the future. Over the next year, they will work to implement their plans within their communities.

Lucie’s action plan entails raising urgently needed funds for projects which support wildlife and the conservation of their habitats through the foundation of a Global Youth Council for Wildlife Conservation with 29 of her fellow participants from over a dozen countries. Projects chosen for fundraising have to demonstrate a high level of commitment and involvement to the local community in which they are located.

Dr Goodall found the Summit stimulating and moving. “I know I speak for everyone involved when I say we left the Summit energized, inspired and filled with a new hope for the future and new ideas for encouraging others to bring about a more peaceful world,” said Dr Goodall.

Lucie is studying a double degree, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science.

For more information:
www.globalyouthsummit.org  
www.janegoodall.org
www.rootsandshoots.org