From the VC
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Chubb, has raised
concerned that Australia's total investment in research and
development lags behind other world-leading universities. He
warned that “without a pre-election commitment to research
infrastructure renewal, we don’t know where we will be,
or even where political thinking is heading”. He made
the case for a new policy setting for Australian higher education
in a speech at the University of Melbourne this month. Read
on.
News briefs
ANU
standing strong in rankings
Fresh rankings from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s
Institute of Higher Education and the Good Universities
Guide show that ANU is maintaining its high standing in
the nation and the region. >>
Work
starts on new home for 500 students
The Vice-Chancellor and the ACT Chief Minister downed their
pens and took up shovels earlier this month to turn the sod
on the grounds of a new student accommodation complex in the
ANU Exchange. >>
New
centre plans early attack for dementia crisis
Dementia prevention strategies that start with children as young
as seven will be a major focus for a new network of researchers
and health practitioners based at the ANU Medical School. >>
Environmental
economics hub launched
A group of ANU academics will direct their research efforts
into finding economic solutions to the major environmental problems
confronting Australia through the new Environmental Economics
Research Hub. >>
Big
bang of understanding features in Science Week
Charting the ‘big bang’ of human understanding about
the universe will be one of the highlights of National Science
Week at ANU, which is now in full swing. >>
Call
for marine researchers to use BlueNet
ANU researchers whose work is related to the marine environment
are being encouraged to share their data via a national digital
network. >>
New
tool to measure radiocarbon
The Research School of Earth Sciences (RSES) and the Research
School of Physical Sciences and Engineering have recently established
a state-of-the-art particle accelerator – a Single Stage
Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (SSAMS) for measuring radiocarbon
in materials. >>
Student
contribution kicks off Bruce Hall’s alumni hunt
Students brought Bruce Hall’s records into the electronic
age on 8 August in a bid to build up a community of former residents
and staff. >>
^^
Awards
Ten
out of ten: ANU teachers among best in nation
Ten teachers at The Australian National University have been
rated as some of the best in Australia by the national body
for teaching quality in higher education. >>
ANU sweeps sustainability awards
The University won accolades in four of the nine categories
of the 2007 ACT Sustainable Cities Awards, which were announced
on 14 August. ANUgreen was a co-winner in the Sustainable Transport
Category for its role in the ANU Bicycle Cooperative. A collaboration
with LEAD Development and the Canberra Environment and Sustainability
Resource Centre, the Cooperative refurbishes discarded bicycles
for re-use. The ANU Sustainability Learning Community took out
the Young Legends Category for its work involving students in
campus projects. In the Urban Habitat Category, ANUgreen was
highly commended for its role in the Life in the Suburbs project,
which pulled together a number of surveys to create urban habitat
guidelines for the ACT. The green office was also highly commended
in the Resource Efficiency Category for the HotRot Organic Recycling
Project. The Sustainable Cities Awards are run by Keep Australia
Beautiful..
White honoured by Oxford
Professor John White of the Research School of Chemistry has
been recognised as a Distinguished Friend of Oxford University.
Professor White, who has served as Chairman of the Oxford Australia
Scholarship Fund since 1996, was awarded the title in recognition
of his long-lasting and exceptional volunteer support to Oxford
University and its colleges.
Keys to success
Two ANU students have been awarded scholarships by the Golden
Key International Honour Society. Jeffrey Lai, currently studying
a PhD at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population
Health, is the winner of the Golden Key Asia/Pacific Contribution
to Campus Life Award. PhB (Honours) – Arts student Shuyin
Tang has received a Study Abroad Award towards international
study at UCLA.
^^
Staff info
General Staff Endowment Fund for Professional Development
Applications close on 3 September for the awards from the General
Staff Endowment Fund for Professional Development. This fund
enables general and technical staff to advance their careers
or develop their leadership skills. Individuals and groups may
apply. Maria Davern from the Centre for Aboriginal Economic
and Policy Research was a successful applicant earlier this
year. “I am re-energised, more confident and competent
in my role at CAEPR and CASS since completing the course. It
highlighted for me the importance of excellent leadership and
why it matters,” she said. Further information is available
from the Training
and Development website.
Commercialisation training under way
Seven postgraduate students are taking advantage of
a Federal scholarship to complete a Graduate Certificate in
Commercialisation at ANU. The six-month scheme was instituted
early this year to boost the nation’s success in converting
research into commercial success. Students will develop skills
in entrepreneurship and business planning, marketing, accounting
and finance principles, legal and intellectual property aspects
and organisational behaviour. More: http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/admission/cts/index.php.
it figures newsletter available
The August issue of Statistical Services’ email
newsletter, it figures, is now available. it figures
is being published on an occasional basis and will highlight
figures related to research, student, and staff activities.
This third issue looks at some of the proposed changes coming
out of May's Federal Budget and university ranking comparisons
both locally and globally. The next few issues will cover topics
like the Workforce Planning report, the RQF, student evaluation
and HESA compliance. All three issues of the newsletter can
be read online.
To subscribe to it figures: http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/it_figures
Open Day
Prospective students will converge on ANU on Saturday
25 August for Open Day. The program for this outreach event
includes course advice and career options sessions. For more
information, visit the Open
Day website
Calendar Photo
Comp
Do you have a favourite ANU tradition you’d like
to capture on film? The ANU Photographic Calendar Competition
is seeking submissions 2008 ANU Community Calendar. The theme
is ANU Traditions so take your camera and capture the unique
spirit of ANU life in images of our time-honoured events, habits
and rituals. The winning photos will be featured in the 2008
calendar which will be unveiled at University House on 25 October
2007. Full competition details are one the Dean
of Students website.
^^
Movements
Professor Glenn Withers from the Crawford
School of Economics and Government has been appointed CEO of
Universities Australia, the peak group formerly known as the
Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee. Professor Withers will
leave ANU in October to take up the post.
^^
Research
Aussie northern savanna 'largest, most intact’ on Earth
A new book on Northern Australia by four of the country’s
leading scientists reveals the region has the largest and least
damaged tropical savanna in the world, and calls for a new approach
to development and conservation to ensure it remains one of
the last great natural places. Read on. >>
^^
Education
VC’s
Teaching Award winner profile: Vive la différence
Christine Helliwell doesn’t just teach the value of difference
– she’s lived it. >>
^^
Books
The
axe had never sounded: Place, people and heritage of Recherche
Bay, Tasmania by John Mulvaney, ANU E Press.
Managing
water for Australia: the social and institutional challenges,
edited by Karen Hussey and Stephen Dovers, CSIRO Publishing.
Henryk
Grossman and the recovery of Marxism, by Rick Kuhn,
University of Illinois Press.
^^
Toni Eager wants to hear about your brand community, but don't
mess with her filing. >>
^^
Q&A
ANU is home to experts on all manner of subjects. Why not put
your question out there? Or if you know the answer, tell the
campus. Email on.campus@anu.edu.au
with your queries and responses.
Q. Why is it that Canberra sometimes experiences thick
winter fogs that don’t clear until lunchtime? What factors
have to be in place for such a fog to occur? And why can the
next day be perfectly fine? – Jane McIntyre, ANU College
of Business & Economics
Dr Janette Lindesay from the Fenner School of Environment
and Society writes: “Fog is essentially cloud
(small drops of water suspended in the air) at ground level.
Clouds form when water vapour condenses to form liquid water.
Almost all air in the lower layers of the atmosphere contains
some water vapour; warm air can hold more than cold air. As
air rises in the atmosphere, or cools overnight at the surface,
its capacity to hold water vapour decreases until it reaches
dew point temperature (the temperature at which liquid water
– dew – will form in that air because it becomes
saturated). If the air is dry this temperature will be low,
so may not be reached. If the air is moist the temperature fall
required is not as large.
“Fog forms in areas where the air has enough moisture
to become saturated at the temperature reached close to the
ground early in the morning, when temperatures are lowest around
sunrise. This is why there may not be any fog in the early hours
of the morning, say around 4am, but the fog then develops around
an hour to two hours later. Clear skies at night provide the
best conditions for low temperatures that may result in fog
formation.
“Cold air drains down slopes at night and collects in
valleys, so we generally see fog in the lower-lying parts of
the landscape because that is where the air reaches dew point
temperature. We also see it near our lakes and streams because
they are low lying and provide a source of moisture for fog
formation. The air must also be still, so that there is no mixing
by turbulence.
“Once the fog is present the air close to the ground
must be warmed sufficiently for the fog droplets to evaporate,
or to be mixed with unsaturated air, before the fog dissipates.
Since fog occurs in winter this can take some time – typically
until around midday.
“We don't see fog every morning in winter because all
these conditions are not met every day, as different air masses
move across the region with changing weather systems.”
In relation to that question on fog from Jane McIntyre,
I have an additional question: Why was the airport built in
an area of Canberra that is particularly susceptible to fog?
– Professor Peter Hill, School of Language Studies
^^
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