Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar
Professor Tim Flannery (with mother Valda)
Mr Alistair Lloyd
Mr John Sturdy
Dr David Mitchell
4 June 2008
4 June 2008
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Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar |
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Professor Tim Flannery (with mother Valda) |
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Mr Alistair Lloyd |
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Mr John Sturdy |
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Dr David Mitchell |
More than 500 distinguished guests and supporters, alumni, staff and students gathered in the National Gallery of Victoria's Great Hall last week to mark the 50th anniversary of the formal creation of Monash University.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins told the audience: "Perhaps because of its relative youth and certainly because of the vision of its founders, Monash has always been a forward-looking, imaginative place where things are made to happen because people believe that they can.
"This attitude was epitomised by our first Vice-Chancellor Sir Louis Matheson who played such a decisive role in charting a course for the new university.
"Around the time of Monash's creation Sir Louis wrote that, ‘Universities should be full of people who do not take things at face value and are prepared to say so.' This attitude of enquiry and willingness to try new things has produced Monash's outstanding record in research and scholarship."
Chancellor Dr Alan Finkel announced that Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, who attended on the night, would be conferred with an honorary doctorate.
"Dame Elisabeth, you are joining a community of alumni, students, and staff who could not be more diverse in their backgrounds, their abilities or their passions," Dr Finkel said.
"It is perhaps for this reason that Sir John Monash remarked, no doubt gruffly, that managing a university, "is about as difficult to manage -- if not more so -- than an army."
The dinner also celebrated the achievements of five outstanding alumni with the presentation of the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards.
This year's alumni award recipients were selected from more than 200,000 Monash alumni, and represent a group who have made a global impact on health, business, environment and the community.
Governor of Victoria Professor David de Kretser presented the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards to scientist, writer and explorer Professor Tim Flannery (MSc 1981) and academic and political analyst Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar (PhD 1990).
Professor Tim Flannery has a distinguished record in the fields of zoology and palaeontology. He is particularly well known for his commentary on environmental issues, including his international bestseller on global warming, The Weather Makers.
Professor Anwar is Director for Program and Research at The Habibie Center, an independent think tank in Jakarta, and Research Professor and Deputy Chairman for Social Sciences and Humanities at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences.
"In 50 years Monash University has developed from an Australian university into a world-class international institution of higher learning," Professor Amwar said.
"It is indeed a tremendous honour for me to be given the Distinguished Alumni Award at this auspicious time, the golden jubilee of Monash University, just a week after my own 50th birthday."
Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins AO presented the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Service Awards to Mr Alistair Lloyd AO RFD ED (PhC 1956) and Mr John Sturdy (BE(Hons) 1978, MEngSc 1988, MBA 1990).
Mr Lloyd has contributed to the Victorian College of Pharmacy for more than 50 years. In his current role of Chair of the College's Foundation he has formed and strengthened ties with alumni and established a number of student-alumni engagement initiatives.
Mr Sturdy has developed, nurtured and participated in alumni, student and University-wide activities for almost 20 years. He has volunteered his time to alumni groups and to the Faculties of Engineering and Business and Economics.
In thanking Monash for the award, Mr Sturdy paid tribute to "the many others that have taken a similar journey and contributed and supported Monash across many activities on a voluntary basis or through their professional endeavours, pursuits and achievements."
Chancellor Dr Alan Finkel AM presented the Distinguished Young Alumni Award to general practitioner Dr David Mitchell (MBBS 2000). Dr Mitchell served with the Royal Australian Air Force from 2003 to 2007 and was deployed to East Timor, Bali, Cyprus and Lebanon.
To read more about the award recipients visit the Distinguished Alumni Awards web page.
4 June 2008
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| The ARC Linkage Program encourages partnerships between researchers, industry, government and community organisations as well as the international community. |
Monash has received $4.4 million from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and a further $9.4 million in cash from industry for 13 projects funded in the most recent round of ARC Linkage Projects.
The scheme encourages partnerships between researchers, industry, government and community organisations as well as the international community.
"This is a pleasing result and illustrates the level of confidence the ARC and our industry partners have in the research excellence and innovation produced here at Monash," Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish said.
The Faculty of Information Technology has received $1.5 million in this round with Professor Mark Wallace and his team awarded $840,000 for his research with Constraint Technologies International Pty Ltd to provide solutions for the rostering of staff in the transport industry.
Other research teams attracting significant funding include those led by:
"Congratulations to all researchers successful in this round of ARC Linkage Projects grants," Professor Cornish said. "The outcomes from this research are sure to benefit people within Australia and around the world."
Full details of all the successful Monash projects can be found at the ARC funding results web page.
4 June 2008
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Science Centre staff and students hop into the history books with their giant kangaroo snapped by a NASA satellite as part of a global warming experiment. |
Monash University 's Science Centre has constructed a giant cardboard kangaroo that was captured in a photo by two NASA satellites as part of an experiment on global warming.
The satellites took images of the kangaroo at 10am and 10.27am on Tuesday 20 May as they passed above the Clayton campus.
The centre was one of only two locations in Australia to be selected for the worldwide study.
The kangaroo, larger in size than a netball court, was laid out in parkland adjacent to the Science Centre and Sustainability Institute.
The experiment aimed to highlight the effect of the 'albedo' on Earth's climate. The albedo effect is light reflected off the earth's surface. The more white or light areas there are on earth, the more light is reflected.
Darker areas reflect less light creating a heating of the surface -- or global warming. A reduction in white surfaces on earth, such as polar ice caps or cloud cover represents the extent to which global warming is having an effect.
NASA satellites captured the white image of the kangaroo to measure the reflectivity of these mock ice caps.
Science Centre Director Professor Pat Rich said the experiment was a fantastic opportunity to promote an awareness of the factors driving climate change.
"Students participated in an exciting and fascinating global experiment to highlight an issue that is very important -- global warming," Professor Rich said.
The event was made possible by a partnership between NASA and IGLO -- International Action on Global Warming.
More information can be found at the International Action on Global Warming website.
4 June 2008
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Dr Larry Stillman is working with the Meraka Institute to measure the effectiveness of the Digital Doorway project. |
Finding out what happens in a community when technology is introduced was the goal of Dr Larry Stillman's recent trip to South Africa.
Dr Stillman, from the Faculty of Information Technology's Centre for Community Networking Research, visited the Digital Doorway project, an initiative funded by South Africa’s national Department of Science and Technology and implemented by the Meraka Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The Digital Doorway project aims to promote computer and information literacy in South African communities that lack ready access to computers.
The project makes robust computer terminals accessible to people in areas they visit frequently rather than the formal setting of a classroom, encouraging experimentation.
Content, focussing mainly on mathematics, science and technology, and health, is uploaded remotely onto the computers that are monitored by local ‘champions.’
In some areas, groups or clusters of Digital Doorways are connected via wireless networks. A self-contained version of the system has been developed and is ready for pilot testing.
"These robust public terminals, available 24 hours a day, where possible, could have an enormous impact on communication in a range of different settings, whether in the bush or as a walk-up multifunction 21st century multimedia terminal in the city," Dr Stillman said.
Dr Stillman has long-standing experience in the evaluation of the impact of technology in communities and is working with the Meraka Institute to measure the effectiveness of the project.
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Digital Doorways make computer terminals accessible to people in areas they visit frequently. Photo courtesy Meraka Institute (CSIR) |
Dr Stillman said he was inspired by his first visit to South Africa and hopes that Monash can collaborate on this and other information technology projects that directly address social inequity.
"Something happens in communities when technology is introduced," Dr Stillman said.
"We want to know whether this current approach is effective in encouraging people to use new technology and whether there are other applications for this type of technology."
Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology Professor Ron Weber said the lessons learnt from the project in South Africa could have great relevance to Australia.
Dr Stillman said the visit yielded results that will be of great interest to the South African government as well as researchers and practitioners internationally. He will return to South Africa later this month to further his research.
"The outcomes so far have encouraged us to take the next step and seek funding for an Australian trial."
Monash South Africa's School of Information Technology head Dr Jacques Steyn has been instrumental in developing the relationship between Monash and the Meraka Institute.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for skills and knowledge to be exchanged between the two continents," Dr Steyn said.
4 June 2008
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From back: Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Dina Burger; Head of School of IT Dr Jacques Steyn; Pro Vice-Chancellor Monash South Africa Professor Tyrone Pretorius; and Keytools CEO Ray Delgarno. |
Monash South Africa (MSA) has signed a collaborative research agreement with Keytools, one of South Africa's leading developers of mobile software technology.
The agreement was negotiated by MSA Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Dina Burger and CEO of Keytools Ray Delgarno.
Head of the School of Information Technology at MSA Dr Jacques Steyn welcomed the agreement which will give structure to an informal arrangement and provide postgraduate students the opportunity to undertake practical research.
"This agreement will allow students to work in a cutting-edge technological environment in line with the research focus of the School of IT," Dr Steyn said.
"Lecturers and students in the school will initially contribute towards new initiatives in the field of mobile-government and mobile-commerce."
Professor Burger said Monash was privileged to have a relationship with Keytools at this time in the company's development.
"We expect that agreements with other players with similar synergies will flow out of this one," Professor Burger said.
Over the past five years Keytools has invested heavily in a product development project.
Mr Delgarno said the company would soon launch the world's first "end-to-end" integrated cellular/web Rapid Application Development toolset into the global marketplace .
He said the signing of the agreement was the start of a formal cooperative research collaboration between Keytools and Monash.
4 June 2008
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Canadian author Chris Turner will discuss how small scale, innovative projects can successfully meet environmental challenges. |
Monash University 's Gippsland campus will host Canadian author Chris Turner on Friday 6 June as part of the 2008 Alfred Deakin Lecture Series.
Turner will look at how small scale, innovative projects can successfully meet environmental challenges.
Turner is the author of the national bestseller The Geography of Hope: A Tour of the World We Need, named by Canada's Globe & Mail as one of the best books of 2007.
He also wrote the non-fiction book Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation which examines the impact of the television show The Simpsons on popular culture.
His magazine writing -- mostly for Shift Magazine -- has earnt him four Canadian National Magazine Awards and six honourable mentions, including the 2001 President's Medal for General Excellence (the highest honour in Canadian magazine writing).
Monash University is a major sponsor of the Alfred Deakin Lecture Series which brings together the finest thinkers from around Australia and the world.
First held in 2001, the biennial series has grown into one of Australia's leading forums for discussing the ideas and issues that are shaping our future.
This year's series will feature a number of Monash speakers including Pro Vice-Chancellor Industry Engagement and Commercialisation Professor Rod Hill and Associate Professor David Wright-Neville from the School of Political and Social Inquiry.
The Gippsland campus lecture will be held from 1 pm to 2 pm on Friday 6 June at the International Power Loy Yang B -- Mitsui and Co Ltd Conference Room. Seating is limited so bookings are essential. Please RSVP by COB Thursday 5 June to Angela Mazou at Angela.Mazou@adm.monash.edu.au or phone +61 3 9902 6211.
For more information visit the Alfred Deakin Lecture Series website.
4 June 2008
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Professor Gerald Burke has been appointed to Skills Australia and will advise the Federal Government on future workforce development. |
Professor Gerald Burke from the Faculty of Education has been appointed to Skills Australia -- an independent statutory body to advise the Federal Government on future workforce development and skills needs.
Skills Australia will be chaired by the former Chief Executive and Managing Director of IBM Australia and New Zealand Philip Bullock.
Other members include ACTU President Sharan Burrow, Chief Executive Australia Industry Group Heather Ridout, and the Chair of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal NSW Dr Michael Keating AC.
Research undertaken at CEET has been used in the framing of the Skilling Australia for the Future policy including Dr Chandra Shah's study Qualifications and the Future Labour Market in Australia, which uncovered a need to expand the quantity of vocational training, raise the level of qualifications achieved, and expand the provision of training to the existing workforce.
Professor Burke said that the first Skills Australia meeting on May 28, opened by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, saw the committee provide advice on the major expansion of vocational training places to 630,000 places over five years.
For further information on CEET's research visit the CEET website.
4 June 2008
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Plein air explorers by Siri Hayes (pictured). |
Exploring the romantic sublime in landscapes under pressure is the focus of leading Australian photographer Siri Hayes' latest work on display at the Switchback Gallery, Gippsland campus.
Siri Hayes: Landscapes documents landscapes of the Merri Creek in Melbourne, Wilsons Promontory, Phillip Island and the Latrobe Valley.
Landscapes features a new body of work developed during a residency at Monash University's Gippsland Centre for Art and Design in April 2008.
Switchback director Rodney Forbes said the photographs were stunning in their size, complexity and strange beauty.
"They will make you look at the Gippsland landscape in a new way. They are a new chapter in a great history of Australian images of the figure in landscape -- a history that includes Barak, McCubbin, Nolan and Boyd," Mr Forbes said.
The exhibition is on display until 19 June at the Switchback Gallery, Building 6S, Monash Gippsland - open 9 am to 5 pm weekdays.
Meanwhile, Bachelor of Fine Art graduate Will MacDonald will feature his latest work at the O Projects Gallery until 10 June.
O Projects co-founder Kent Wilson said Movements was a unique and contemporary multi-media show with a focus on impact of sound on an environment and the elements within it.
"Utilising sound waves, gravity and lighting, Will transforms the space into a truly immersive experience," Mr Wilson said.
The O Projects Gallery was opened earlier this year by four Monash Fine Arts students. Located in Johnson Street, Fitzroy, the O Projects Gallery is a space where art lovers can view, read about and discuss visual art.
For more information on Movements or the gallery visit the O Projects website.4 June 2008
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Vice-President Administration Peter Marshall and Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Research Training Professor Max King help MPA President Tsedon Dorji cut the ribbon to declare the new lounge officially open. |
The Monash Postgraduate Association (MPA) celebrated the official opening of its new postgraduate lounge at the Clayton campus with a glittering party.
The new lounge is a 24-hour first-class facility equipped with wireless internet connection, three small meeting rooms, workbench, a large lounge area, and a kitchenette with kettle and microwave.
MPA President Ms Tsedon Dorji said the lounge was long overdue.
"At Caulfield we have two lounges plus a number of seminar rooms and computer labs," she said.
"It's great that Clayton students now have a dedicated lounge of their own. The architect Mr Adel Mousa has done such a fantastic job," she said.
Some Caulfield students, unaware of the planned party, had ensconced themselves in the seminar rooms after travelling to the Clayton lounge to find somewhere quiet.
They happily joined in the opening party.
Vice-President Administration Peter Marshall spoke of the lobbying skills and tenacity of the MPA, noting they were a difficult group to say no to.
"They are a team totally dedicated to serving the interests of postgraduate students," Mr Marshall said.
The new postgraduate lounge is located on the first floor of the campus centre, directly above the Westpac bank.
The room is accessible 24 hours a day only to registered postgraduates. To arrange access and register your ID card please go to the ITS labs and lounges registration page.
4 June 2008
May 30 marked the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the Monash University Act in the Victorian Parliament, formally marking the creation of Monash University. It was almost three years before the first students were admitted -- a mere 347 pioneers prepared to make the trek to Clayton and the untested new institution. It is quite amazing to reflect on the achievements of the University in the five decades since then.
On May 29 a Gala Dinner to celebrate its 50th birthday was held in the Great Hall of the National Gallery of Victoria attended by 530 distinguished guests and supporters, alumni, staff and students. It was a wonderful occasion that featured a variety of distinguished alumni awards and musical performances by Monash students. The Governor of Victoria, a Monash University staff member of 41 years standing, Professor David De Kretser AC presented the Distinguished Alumni Awards for 2007 to Professor Tim Flannery and Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar. The full list of Distinguished Alumni for 2007 is available in Monash Memo and on the Alumni web-site.
In several of the speeches, reference was made to the unbelievable progress of the University since its foundation. It was great to have Lady Audrey Matheson, the widow of Monash's first Vice-Chancellor, Sir Louis Matheson, in attendance together with some of the foundation staff members. Reference was made to the role that Sir Louis played in setting the University's bold course, and his view that, "Universities should be full of people who do not take things at face value and are prepared to say so". Monash has never been short of such people and the boldness expressed in this sentence has been apparent throughout our history.
It was also a particular honour to have Dame Elisabeth Murdoch DBE, AC at the dinner. Council, at its most recent meeting, approved the award of the degree Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa to be conferred on Dame Elisabeth at Government House in the near future. Dame Elisabeth has been a great supporter of Monash University since its foundation.
Trevor O'Hoy, a distinguished alumnus and the Chair of the Fundraising Committee for Monash University announced the launch of the public component of the fund-raising appeal. Already $57m of the target of $200m has been raised and a high profile fundraising campaign committee is helping the staff of the University in fund-raising. The Chancellor, Dr Alan Finkel, set the tone for the evening by indicating that he and his wife Elizabeth were endowing a Chair of Global Health. This generosity sets an extraordinary example.
Other notable events celebrating the 50th anniversary of Monash University in May included the launch of the coffee table book celebrating the people, places and activity of Monash University, appropriately entitled Go Boldly. It is a beautifully photographed and produced book which should make every Monash staff member, alumnus/a and student feel proud. The Public Lecture series at BMW Edge Theatre at Federation Square continued with an informative and entertaining lecture by Professor Graeme Davison on the early days of Monash University.
Three of our Campuses are celebrating particular milestones this year as well as that for the University as a whole -- our Campus in Malaysia is 10 years old this year, our Peninsula Campus celebrates 50 years since its predecessor institution was founded and our Gippsland Campus 80 years since its predecessor was founded.
So this month has been one in which there has been much reflection on what Monash University has achieved in 50 years. Its current trajectory suggests that this is just the beginning of an amazing story.
4 June 2008
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Name: Brett Lavale
Org. Unit: Monash Sport
Title: Clayton campus site leader
How long have you been with Monash University?
Coming up to three and a half years.
Prior to working at Monash, where were you located and what was your role?
I was a Senior Consultant for Stratcorp Consulting, undertaking feasibility studies, master plans, demand assessment, strategic planning and business planning for the sports industry and government all over Australia. I worked on some very exciting projects for stakeholders ranging from State Governments to AFL football clubs.
What challenges are ahead in your current role?
Aligning our service provision with our strategic direction is a key one and we have a lot of work to do to create a culture for success.
What is it about your job that holds your interest or is particularly satisfying?
Working with great people everyday and seeing them developing and learning to cope with complex challenges is very rewarding. The customer interaction is also great -- after all sport is a very positive environment. Seeing Monash Sport become better than it was is also a key motivator.
What is your favourite destination and why?
I'd love to take my family to the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa. My wife Kelly has always wanted to see Africa and I'm a soccer nut.
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
There are plenty of people who will tell you that something can't be done. Find a way.
What is something about yourself that most of your colleagues wouldn't know?
One of my life ambitions is to become an elite level soccer coach.
4 June 2008
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Monash is one of the first Australian universities to commit to an energy reduction target, committing to a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption across all Australian campuses by 2010.
To achieve this, Monash is purchasing a minimum of 10 percent green power from renewable energy resources at all campuses.
Ecologically Sustainable Development guidelines for new buildings and refurbishments have been developed so that they use less energy than some existing infrastructure.
Monash has completed energy audits for buildings at each campus to see where the most energy is being used and where it can be reduced, and is implementing programs accordingly.
For more information visit the Greening Up Our Act website.