From the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lawrence Cram
Research
Planning Day
More than 100 academic and administrative staff took part in a
Research Planning Day at Old Parliament House recently. >>
News briefs
ANU
Mountaineering Club 40th Anniversary
The ANU Mountaineering Club (ANUMC) celebrated 40 years of hiking,
climbing, skiing, kayaking and biking last month. The club, which
has over 400 members, hosted an anniversary dinner with guest
speaker Lincoln Hall, who famously survived a night on Mt Everest
without proper provisions in 2006. >>
ANU
Climate change researchers share in Nobel Peace Prize
A raft of ANU academic staff can count a share in the Nobel
Peace Prize among their achievements after the 2007 Nobel Peace
Prize was awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) and former US Vice-President turned climate change
activist Al Gore. >>
Spanish
cultural studies get funding boost
Researchers and organisations whose work relates to Spanish
culture will be benefit from a new funding pool created by the
Spanish Government to be administered at ANU. >>
Ride
to Work Breakfast
More than 140 staff and students took advantage of the warm
Spring weather and the promise of free pancakes to participate
in National Ride to Work Day on 17 October. >>
Ally
Network event: ‘Same-Sex: Same Entitlements’
An ANU Ally Network members’ event was held recently at
Bruce Hall to maintain and promote awareness of the network
among members and throughout the campus. >>
New
Inventors
With their eyes to the future, several ANU academics were featured
on a recent episode of the ABC’s New Inventors program. >>
ANU
Ambassadors join the fight to prevent violence against women
More than 30 ANU staff and students have been inducted as Campus
Ambassadors at the National Launch of 2007 White Ribbon Day. >>
The
Devil’s Advocate Series: 2007 Federal Election
Throughout the 2007 Federal election campaign The Australian
National University and The Canberra Times will host a series
of 4 public debates. >>
^^
Awards
Dr Libby Robin from the Centre for Resource and Environmental
Studies has been awarded the Australian History Prize worth
$15,000 for her publication How
a Continent Created a Nation as part of the 2007 NSW Premier’s
History Awards. A highly original history of the complex relationships
between nature and culture in Australia, her book is also an
impassioned call to weld them together for a sustainable future.
Staff from the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science
have shared in a number of awards for developments in solar
technology.
- Andrew Blakers and Klaus Weber were awarded the Christopher
Weeks Award (Achievement Through Action) by the International
Solar Energy Society for "important contributions to
solar energy and many years of dedicated service to photovoltaic
development."
- Vernie Everett, Andrew Blakers, Klaus Weber and Evan Franklin
were awarded an Institute of Engineers Australia (ACT Division)
Engineering Excellence Award, for the development of improved
SLIVER solar cell technology.
- Vernie Everett, Andrew Blakers, Klaus Weber and Evan Franklin
were awarded a Highly Commended by the Australian Institute
of Energy in September for Innovation and Excellence in Energy
Science and Engineering, for the development of improved SLIVER
solar cell technology.
Dr Carola Vinuesa of the John Curtin School of Medical Research
has been awarded a 2007 Young Tall Poppy Science Award. Dr Vinuesa
recently discovered a gene that appears to be a crucial link
in the development of autoimmune diseases such as diabetes,
rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis. The awards
are for scientists aged under 40, selected on the basis of research
achievement and passion for communicating their work. As part
of her prize, Dr Vinuesa will undertake a program of school
visits to inspire a new generation about science.
It was announced at the Annual Meeting of the Australian Optical
Society, that Dr Ken Baldwin has been awarded the W.H. “Beattie
Steel” Medal for 2007, the highest award of the AOS, for
“scientific contributions to atom optics and laser spectroscopy,
and for enhancing Australian optics nationally and internationally
through professional scientific leadership”. The medal
will be presented at the International Commission for Optics
(ICO) Congress in Sydney in July 2008.
^^
Staff info
Media Skills Workshops
The ANU Media Office will be running a final Media Skills Workshop
for 2007 on Wednesday 14 November. The workshops are offered
at no charge and introduce the media in Australia and overseas,
what to do if a journalist calls directly, how to tell if you
have an interesting story and techniques for giving a great
interview. 2008 workshops will commence in February. To register
contact Alice Nixon on x56125 or email to media@anu.edu.au
Photographic Competition & Last Lecture
All staff and students are invited to attend The Last Lecture
of 2007 and the announcement of the winners of the 2008 Photographic
Calendar Competition on Thursday 25 October. The Last Lecture
is a chance for students to choose a lecturer from the University
whom they want to see give a captivating and enthusiastic lecture
to the whole University as a symbolic end to the 2007 academic
year. Doors to the Great Hall at University House open at 5pm
and the lecture will commence at 5:30pm. Seating is unreserved.
Women & Leadership Forum: Academic Women &
Achievement
This forum is the first in a new series of workshops on Academic
Women and Achievement. The series will provide an opportunity
for ANU and University of Canberra academic women to benefit
from the advice of senior academic women who are impressive
role models. The first workshop will consist of a panel discussion
on building your career, increasing your visibility, realizing
your leadership potential and building a better culture.
When: Wednesday 24 October, 12:30 – 2pm
Where: Scarth Room, University House
RSVP to PVC.Research@anu.edu.au
or x53386
Protect or Perish? Research Office Lunchtime Seminar
Series
The fundamental decision point in commercialisation is whether
to protect or publish your research. This seminar will draw
from discipline specific examples in providing tips on how to
identify if your research is patentable, and what you should
consider in following the protection vs the publishing path.
- Life Sciences: Thursday, 1st November, 12:30pm-1:30pm
Presented by Dr Andrew Blattman, Principal - Chemical/Life
Sciences Team Spruson & Ferguson Patent Attorneys
- Physical Sciences: Wednesday, 5th December, 12.30pm-1.30pm
Presented by Scott Berggren, Principal - Electrical Team Spruson
& Ferguson Patent Attorneys
Innovations Lecture Theatre, Innovations Building, Cnr Garran
and Eggleston Roads
RSVP: commercialisation@anu.edu.au
for catering purposes
^^
Research
Election
debates should be openly available
As Australia’s political leaders quibble over the extent
and format of broadcast debates in the federal election campaign,
a copyright expert from The ANU College of Law says all parties
should follow Barack Obama’s call to make debates freely
accessible across all media and technology platforms. >>
^^
Education
While cultivating his own research interests into why animals
behave the way they do, Rob Magrath from the School of Botany
& Zoology finds time to teach behavioural ecology to undergraduate
students, earning him a Semester 2 Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching
Award. Rob told his story to On Campus. >>
^^
Books
Boats
to Burn, by Natasha Stacey, ANU E Press.
^^
A calming walk around campus and the prospect of three men
in a boat keeps Susan O’Neil afloat. >>
^^
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. Is it true that some of the 'ducks'
on campus are actually a species of Australian goose that happens
to look like a duck? – Anonymous
One of the most common species of duck on campus is chenonetta
jubata, commonly known as Australian Wood Duck, Maned Duck
and Maned Goose. Although known as a "maned goose"
due to its appearance, it is classifed as a duck, of the Anatinae
(Dabbling Duck) subfamily, but it may belong to the Tadorninae
(Shelduck) subfamily. Wood Ducks nest in trees and females make
a mournful, rising "gnow?" call. They are commonly
found around Sullivan's creek. – Matthew Phillips,
Division of Information
Are there any health risks associated with going to
bed with wet hair? – Elaine Ee, International Marketing
Office CBE
^^ |
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