28 September 2005
An initiative to train and nurture future environmental leaders has been launched by Monash University law student Ms Larissa Brown.
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Ms Brown (pictured), a first-year student, teamed up with the Monash Environment Institute to devise the Future Environment Leaders program, which aims to help Victorian students contribute to a sustainable and healthy environment.
Ms Brown, who conducts the program, has always had a passion and love for the environment.
"The initial idea for the program came about through my desire to build a more sustainable world," she said.
"The program aims to have current leaders speak to future leaders to equip them with the tools necessary for creating a positive future for our environment."
The program runs for eight months and is open to Victorian tertiary students or recent graduates. Eighteen students are participating in this year's program.
It comprises weekly three-hour workshops presented by current environment leaders, the creation and running of environment and sustainability projects in the local community, a weekly radio program on Syn FM 90.7 and a mentoring program.
Four group sustainability projects have been launched, including 'Plantings for celebration', a service that provides alternative wedding gifts by establishing revegetation projects on public land to commemorate and celebrate weddings.
Mr Marcus Godinho, executive director of Environment Victoria and one of the program's mentors, said it was a fantastic opportunity for tomorrow's environmental champions to develop new leadership skills and expand their networks.
"I've been really impressed by the calibre of people participating in the Future Environmental Leaders program," Mr Godinho said. "I hope by spending time with them I can share some of the lessons I've learned from working on environmental issues."
The Future Environment Leaders program has received financial support from The Myer Foundation -- a philanthropic organisation -- and is sponsored by the Melbourne City Council and Monash Environment Institute.
Further information on the program and associated community projects is available at www.fel.monash.edu.au/.
28 September 2005
A research assistant from the School of Geography and Environmental Science, Dr Stuart Boucher, has received a Victorian Government award for his pioneering research on farmland degradation.
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The Governor, Mr John Landy, presented Dr Boucher (pictured) with the Dr Sidney Plowman Travel and Study Award, which includes $4000 for overseas study.
The award recognised Dr Boucher's PhD research on highly degraded pastureland near Costerfield in central Victoria, which identified a summer deluge in February 1883 as a key factor in the area's erosion.
The geomorphologist, who works with the Department of Primary Industries, developed a detailed understanding of the nature and causes of subsoil tunnel erosion, then developed and costed a restoration program.
"Tunnel erosion is an insidious form of land degradation that ultimately produces gullying -- deep holes along or in the ground," Dr Boucher said.
Tunnel erosion began underground with tiny channels less than one millimetre wide, which grew larger but remained inconspicuous until considerable damage had occurred, he said.
"The networks' extents are difficult to trace until substantial amounts of soil have been washed away," Dr Boucher said. "Major problems then result -- from farm stock dying because the ground collapses into the tunnel under their weight to farm vehicles being unable to operate because of the holes."
The highly erodible clay soil also travelled long distances along tunnels and gullies before clogging waterways, he said.
Dr Boucher's study recommended a restoration program for the pastureland with benefits including revegetation, improved soil fertility, retention of soil and water on slopes and increased sheep production.
"A rapid return to grazing is envisaged within two years, and the proposal comfortably outperforms the costs associated with adopting a 'do nothing' approach," Dr Boucher said.
He said he was delighted to have received the award, and thanked his supervisor, Associate Professor David Dunkerley, for his support.
September 2005
I have just had the pleasure of visiting our two overseas campuses. Both are progressing well, very much helped by committed staff and by an increasing degree of three-way flow of staff between Australia, Malaysia and South Africa.
Monash University Malaysia now has almost 2700 students. About 20 per cent of these students are international (with respect to Malaysia), coming from many countries, and the largest number coming from Indonesia.
The most significant recent development there has been the commencement of the Malaysian branch of the Monash University Medical School. A dinner was held to thank the many people involved in the development of the new medical school, including those from the health sector who have been extremely supportive of the development.
Many of those helping us with the medical school are Monash alumni, once again indicating the value of our alumni network. The clinical school will be partly located at Johor Bahru in the south of the Malaysian peninsula -- which urgently requires a medical school -- and the Sunway group is greatly expanding its hospital close to the university campus in Kuala Lumpur. It will become a teaching hospital.
Many community health centres will also be affiliated with Monash, ensuring a balance between hospital-based medicine and community general practice. Several outstanding staff have been recruited, including an outstanding research neuroscientist from Japan.
The Australian Medical Council has now agreed to accredit the Malaysian branch of our medical school, and the process is in train. Demand for places has been very strong. I inspected the foundations of the new campus buildings that are being purpose-built for Monash University Malaysia by Sunway. It will be a wonderful facility, providing space for our rapidly expanding campus, including greatly increased space for research.
Monash South Africa is thriving. The student numbers are growing strongly with more than 800 students already at the campus and, from the initial figures for enrolments for next year, the numbers will be well over 1000 in the first semester of 2006.
The strong contribution of students from all countries in southern Africa is continuing, but it is pleasing that the number of South African students is growing most rapidly.
The campus is performing within budget with a steadily decreasing annual operating deficit. The value of the land and buildings is rapidly appreciating, off-setting the operating deficit. Expansion of programs is planned, with commencement of science and perhaps education, nursing (degree conversion) and other health sciences from 2007. The Department of Education is now strongly supportive of the campus. It will be jointly audited by AUQA and the Higher Education Quality Council of South Africa in August/September 2006.
Ten students from the student association will spend 10 days at Monash University, essentially looking at student services so that they can contribute to the design of increased student services at Monash South Africa. The new Monash mobility intercampus program starting in 2006 will greatly enhance the opportunity for two-way exchange of students and staff between our international campuses.
Many other exciting things are happening at and for Monash. The highly prestigious Economist magazine based in the UK ranked our business school the best in Australia. Taken with the number one ranking in Australia of the Engineering/IT disciplines by The Times Higher Education Supplement and the number one ranking of biomedical sciences in the Group of Eight composite performance measures for research, the strength of Monash in diverse areas is apparent. It makes it clear that our target to be in the top three performers in research in Australia in all disciplines by 2008 is realistic and, with the concurrent steps we are taking to improve teaching and learning, our longer-term ambition to be one of the best universities in the world is achievable.
Our international campuses, the co-location of our Clayton campus with the Australian Synchrotron and the location and extent of our land make us the best-positioned Australian university to be a truly great international university.
Richard Larkins
28 September 2005
The Monash community is getting fitter and healthier following the launch of a university-wide program called WHAM - Wellbeing Happens at Monash.
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| From left, Miss Sally Trembath-Hastings, manager, Community Services; Mr Rob Paterson, campus manager, Monyx; Mr Paul Barton, manager, Occupational Health, Safety and Environment (OHSE); Mr Martin Doulton, general manager, Sport; Dr Vicki Ashton, OHSE Physician; Mr Robin Coventry, director, Community Services and Ms Anne Ohlmus, projects manager, OHSE. |
The program aims to promote physical and mental wellbeing for staff and students through simple exercise.
The initiative was launched last week by the vice-chancellor, Professor Richard Larkins, at a Clayton campus breakfast that was video-linked to other Victorian campuses.
Professor Larkins said WHAM would help people achieve their full potential in their work and professional lives, and help to create a stronger Monash community spirit.
Mr Paul Barton, manager of Occupational Health, Safety and Environment, said WHAM supported the philosophy that overall wellbeing included physical fitness, mental health and emotional strength and resilience.
The university has kicked off its fitness program with the Monash 10,000 Steps Challenge in which 80 teams of walkers, drawn from all Victorian campuses, are "virtually" walking from the north coast of Australia to the south.
By walking a minimum of 10,000 steps each day, the 10-person teams will go from Port Douglas in Queensland to Hobart in Tasmania between 25 September and 30 October.
For updates on team progress go to the 10,000 Steps Challenge website.
28 September 2005
Two Monash students have been selected for the Australian team that will compete at next year's World Short Course Swimming Championships in Shanghai.
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Ms Melissa Mitchell (pictured right), who is undertaking the first year of a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) at the Caulfield campus, and Mr Brenton Rickard (pictured below), who is completing the third year of a Bachelor of Science by off-campus learning, will attend the championships in April.
Ms Mitchell competed in the Australian Short Course Championships last month where she placed fourth in the 50m and 200m freestyle events and fifth in the 100m freestyle.
She said she had not expected to make the world championships team and was only told a few minutes before it was announced that she had been included.
"It's my first World Short Course Championships, so I'm pretty excited," she said. "I'll be competing in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 200m relay events, which is fantastic.
"It's more international competition, and being in Shanghai means it's good preparation for the 2008 Olympics, which is also being held in China."
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In July Ms Mitchell won a silver medal at the World Swimming Championships in Montreal, Canada, as part of the 4 x 200m freestyle team -- her first international medal.
Mr Rickard won four silver medals at the World Short Course Championships last year and is hoping to achieve gold this time.
"It's a tough competition and no matter how much you prepare, you can only do your best possible swim on the day and hope it's enough," he said.
The Berwick campus hosted its inaugural staff games last week, with more than 50 academic and general staff members taking part.
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Events included a balloon relay, a tunnel ball competition and a gumboot throw, with areas of the campus represented.
Ms Rhondda Curtis from Community Services said the games had achieved their aim of bringing together staff from all Berwick faculties and departments.
Although rain threatened, it held off and the games started with seven teams competing in the egg and spoon race.
"From the first moment, this event was marked by the shocking exploits of a group of academics, about which the less said the better, determined to win at all costs," Ms Curtis said.
"This set the pattern of competition for the day with both the fair-minded and foul battling for ascendancy, with much hilarity, loud screeching, accusations and retaliations."
Highlights of the games included a brilliant blue Marge Simpson hairdo on Mrs Liz Turner from Monyx, a snake outfit on Ms Judy Robertson from the Department of Marketing, and the Pink Ladies from Business and Economics, winners of Fashions on the Field.
28 September 2005
Monash this week hosted a fund-raising lunch in support of the Oaktree Foundation, an international aid and development organisation led by third-year law/science student Hugh Evans.
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| Ms Nombuso Dimba with Mr Hugh Evans. |
The foundation was established in 2003 by Mr Evans. It is Australia's first totally youth-run aid and development organisation.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Larkins said that in 2004 Mr Evans was named Young Victorian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and one of the 12 Most Outstanding Young People of the World. "Hugh is an awe-inspiring role model for young people and, indeed, for us all," Professor Larkins said.
Mr Evans told his lunchtime audience that Oaktree was helping some of the poorest young people of the world, especially in South Africa, by empowering them through education.
One of Oaktree's challenges is to eradicate the outlawed practice of sexual slavery in Ghana in which young girls and women can be forced into a lifetime of sexual slavery and abuse, as payment for transgressions by their relatives.
In partnership with International Needs, Oaktree is working to free and educate thousands of these slaves and integrate them back into their communities.
Oaktree is also supporting South Africa's World Changers Academy, which helps teenagers find direction for themselves and mentor others.
Ms Nombuso Dimba, a youth leader with the academy, told guests at the lunch that she turned to the academy when financial hardship forced her to quit her studies.
"After I left university I gave birth to a new vision, to go and empower young people who were coming from the same environment as me," Ms Dimba said. "I target teenagers in high schools who are without hope or direction and help them gain skills and become leaders in their own right."
The lunch, at the Monash Staff Club at the Clayton campus, raised more than $2000 for the Oaktree Foundation.
For more information about the Oaktree Foundation visit: www.theoaktree.org.
28 September 2005
The Monash University Media Communications office is reviewing the way in which it communicates with university staff.
Currently, internal Monash news, events and announcements are presented through the following:
The Media Communications team would like your help in identifying how you access information and whether you believe these methods can be improved upon.
A short survey is available from the website at: www.monash.edu.au/news/monashmemo/form.html. It should take no longer than five minutes and will help the Media Communications unit determine how best to keep you informed.
28 September 2005
Monash PhD researcher Dr Hendrik Zimmet has been awarded a Commercialisation Fellowship from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians to help him gain a better understanding of how research findings are developed to a commercial level.
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Dr Zimmet (pictured) is one of 10 physicians from across Australia to receive the college's Merck Sharp and Dohme Commercialisation Fellowship.
The fellowship, comprising a three-day workshop and poster submission, aims to cultivate skills in intellectual property and business management.
It is intended to add value to the institutions and departments in which the recipient works and to address the growing lack of clinical researchers skilled in developing their research to a commercial level.
Dr Zimmet, from the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, has just started his PhD into the use of adult stem cells for treating heart failure.
He said the fellowship would help in his long-term goal of a career in cardiac research, clinical practice and teaching.
"We don't learn very much about the commercial development of research in undergraduate or postgraduate medical studies," he said.
"I am inspired by well-conducted translational research -- the true journey from 'bench to bedside'.
"The Commercialisation Fellowship will be a unique and invaluable opportunity to examine and build solid foundations in the practical aspects and methods by which research is commercialised."
28 September 2005
Monash accounting and finance PhD researcher Mr Sheng-Yao Chang (pictured) has been awarded the Taiwan National Science Council Elite Award.
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Mr Chang -- an international student from Taiwan who is studying at the Clayton campus -- is the first Australian-based winner of the award.
Eleven Taiwanese postgraduate students studying abroad and 33 prospective study-abroad postgraduate students received the award this time.
The award is co-hosted by Taiwan's National Science Council, the National Council for Economic Planning and Development and the Ministry of Education.
Mr Chang's PhD supervisor, Professor Mohamed Ariff, said the award aimed to select outstanding Taiwanese students undertaking postgraduate studies in the world's best academic institutions.
"This will help them acquire advanced knowledge and experience, cultivate future leaders for Taiwan and enhance Taiwan's development of knowledgeable human resources," Professor Ariff said.
"It is a fantastic achievement by Sheng -- the department is extremely proud of his efforts."
Mr Chang said the experience had been challenging and rewarding.
"I feel honoured to have received this top national Taiwanese award, which links Taiwan with Australia," Mr Chang said.
"I hope to further contribute to research during my remaining time at Monash and eventually use my financial knowledge to improve my country's long-term prosperity."
Mr Chang is the recipient of an Australian Government International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and a Monash Graduate Scholarship and won the National Taiwan University's Presidential Award seven consecutive times -- the highest number possible -- before coming to Monash.
28 September 2005
The Monash South Africa rugby team has recently returned from a four-day tour to Botswana.
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| The Monash South Africa rugby team on its recent tour of Botswana. |
The squad of 24 players and their coach played the first match against the Gaberone Rugby Club.
After leading the match for the first 75 minutes, the Monash team narrowly lost in the last five minutes, with the final score 15--17. After the game, the team was treated to a braai (barbecue) by the Gaberone team.
Two days later, the Monash team travelled to Jwaneng, about 180 km north of Gaberone, to play against the University of Botswana. The match was the main curtain-raiser for an international between Botswana and Swaziland.
The Monash team missed a few early penalties and, despite a great performance by the players, the heat, combined with injuries from the previous match, took its toll and Monash lost by eight points.
Monash South Africa sports officer Mr Johan Smith said the tour had been great fun. The games were challenging and it was an excellent teambuilding and bonding experience for the rugby club, he said.