18 March 2009
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| JMSS Principal Peter Corkill, State Government Minister of Education Bronwyn Pike, Monash Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Adam Shoemaker. |
The $20 million John Monash Science School at the Clayton campus is on track to be operating by the beginning of next year.
The confirmation was made during an official site inspection by State Minister for Education Bronwyn Pike, Monash Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Adam Shoemaker and the school's newly appointed principal Peter Corkill.
The John Monash Science School (JMSS) is a joint initiative between Monash and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
The school will be fully funded and run by the State Government with a focus on mathematics, science and technology. It will cater for more than 600 students from Years 10 to 12 who show ability in maths and science.
Newly appointed principal, Peter Corkill said he was looking forward to an environment where teachers and students could explore learning together.
"Students will be encouraged to excel," Mr Corkill said.
"They will be challenged by contemporary thinking and engaged in helping find solutions to current pressing problems.
"With Monash keen to work with us on creating new curriculum opportunities, we stand ready to shape the future."
Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins said the development was a wonderful opportunity for Monash and the school's students.
"The school is located just metres from the University's science and medicine faculties where the best minds in Australia are creating solutions for the future," Professor Larkins said.
"It will provide the school's students and staff with unique opportunities to engage with university teaching and research staff."
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Adam Shoemaker said the school aimed to develop world-class, innovative teaching and curriculum that would engage students and teachers alike.
"The establishment of the John Monash Science Centre at Monash is supported by international and interstate experience that shows students studying in specialist schools achieve improved learning outcomes within the specialty and across the broad curriculum," Professor Shoemaker said.
The John Monash Science School will have its first intake of students in January 2010.
18 March 2009
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| Professor David Healy |
New Monash research shows that having ovarian endometriosis doubles the risk of premature birth in women using assisted reproductive technologies.
Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Director of the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health Professor David Healy led a comparative study of more than 6000 births.
"This research is important for all pregnant women and is the first time that endometriosis has been so clearly associated with premature birth," Professor Healy said.
"Obstetricians will now be able to more readily identify and monitor mothers-to-be who are at increased risk of premature labour and birth."
Endometriosis affects up to one in 10 women of childbearing age. It occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus (the endometrium) is found outside the uterus. The misplaced tissue commonly grows on the ovaries (ovarian endometriosis), but can also occur on the fallopian tubes or the tissue lining the pelvis (the peritoneum).
Professor Healy said further research was needed to determine the clinical benefit of removing ovarian endometriosis prior to using any assisted reproductive technologies and to better understand the chain of events leading from ovarian endometriosis to premature birth.
"The earlier endometriosis can be detected the better. Especially as up to 44 per cent of women show no obvious symptoms of endometriosis," Professor Healy said.
The causes of endometriosis are not fully understood and there may be many reasons why it occurs and may become a chronic condition.
Diagnosis of endometriosis is by laparoscopy, where a small camera is inserted into the abdomen through a cut in the belly button. Ovarian endometriosis can be diagnosed via ultrasound.
Treatment depends on the severity, symptoms and whether pregnancy is desired, and can include medication for pain relief, natural and/or hormone therapies or surgery.
18 March 2009
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| Kim Mosse |
Monash science PhD candidate Kim Mosse has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship and will spend nine months at the University of California, Davis, looking at water recycling at wineries.
Ms Mosse is enrolled at the School of Applied Sciences and Engineering at the Gippsland campus but conducts her research at the Clayton campus through the Centre for Green Chemistry and the School of Biological Sciences.
The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by US Senator J William Fulbright and the US Government in 1946.
The Fulbright aims to promote mutual understanding through educational exchange and operates between the US and 150 countries.
Ms Mosse's research will examine the impacts of using winery wastewater on soil and plant health in Californian wine-growing regions.
"In these days of water shortages the ability to reuse winery wastewater for irrigation would be of significant benefit to wine grape growers," Ms Mosse said.
She said the Californian and Australian wine industries faced water shortage as a major problem.
"There are many issues associated with such a practice due to the variability in wastewater composition, different treatment practices, and the risk of causing long term damage to the soil and plant ecosystem.
"I will use a variety of cutting edge molecular biological techniques to assess the effects that winery wastewater application has on soil microbial populations."
Ms Mosse said she had two key reasons for wanting to study in the US.
"The research group that I want to join at Davis at Sacramento has significant experience in both soil ecology and vineyard management," Ms Mosse said.
"It will be highly valuable to work with the US industry and to perform studies and compare results to those done in Australia."
Ms Mosse completed a Bachelor of Science at the Gippsland campus and has won various awards and scholarships including the Sir John Monash Award, a Baden-Württemberg Stipendium (German state government scholarship, 2005) and the Australian Society for Microbiology Prize.
For more information on the scholarship visit the Fulbright website.
18 March 2009
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| Chancellor Dr Alan Finkel, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish, Director Monash Sustainability Institute Professor David Griggs, Professor Stephen Schneider, Stanford University, Governor of Victoria Professor David de Kretser, Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins. |
An environmental sustainability conference will be held on Tuesday 24 March at the Clayton campus as part of Monash Sustainability Month.
Monash staff and students are invited to join high profile speakers including Monash alumni and CEO of World Vision Australia Tim Costello, Founder of Planet Ark Jon Dee and the 2007 Prime Minister's Environmentalist of the Year Aaron Wood at the free, day-long conference.
The conference, which runs from 9 am to 4.30 pm, will feature a debate on the topic: "Conservation will always win out over technology for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions" hosted by SBS 'Dateline' presenter George Negus.
Office of Environmental Sustainability Director Paul Barton said the conference aimed to show staff and students that they can make a difference when it comes to improving their global footprint.
“Monash University takes the issue of sustainability very seriously," Mr Barton said.
“We hope that listening to such experienced speakers in the field will help to inspire staff and students to take positive action and highlight the role Monash can play in embedding sustainability into teaching, research and practice," Mr Barton said.
Monash Sustainability Month - under the banner Sustainability Matters - runs from Monday 16 March to Thursday 9 April.
On Monday 16 March world-renowned climatologist Professor Stephen Schneider from Stanford University opened Sustainability Month with a public lecture: 'The heat is on - Climate change and the sustainability challenge,' at the Melbourne Arts Centre.
Professor Schneider told the 300 strong audience that sustainability needs to be addressed from a risk management perspective.
"We need to work together to develop and implement a cooperative strategy to deal with climate change," Professor Schneider said.
"We will end up on a planetary train wreck without compromise."
For more information on Sustainability Month visit the Sustainability Matters website.
18 March 2009
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| Gene Bawden |
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| Vince Dziekan |
Gene Bawden and Vince Dziekan from the Faculty of Art and Design have both won British Council Design Researcher Awards (DRA).
The awards allow early-career researchers to undertake short-term research projects in the UK in various areas of design.
They also aim to develop new links between higher education institutions and research centres in the UK and Australia.
A lecturer in the Department of Design, Gene Bawden’s winning entry investigated the many faceted, though often forgotten qualities of domestic interiors, in particular those that are constructed for show rather than practical use like the front room, parlour, or "good" room.
"These spaces harbour a multitude of political, social and personal histories," Mr Bawden said.
"This award and subsequent visit to London will be an extraordinary boost to my PhD research and help develop relationships with a number of UK institutions including the London College of Communication."
Deputy head academic of the Department of Multimedia and Digital Arts, Vince Dziekan will develop his research association with the Foundation of Art and Creative Technology in Liverpool.
"This award is an amazing opportunity to build on my PhD research and focus on how the intersection of new technologies with exhibition space offers new possibilities for aesthetic experience," Mr Dziekan said.
His focus will be on the upcoming Abandon Normal Devices festival in Liverpool and Manchester.
"Undertaking this research will enable me to gain significant insight into the intersections of art, design and media, establish international research collaborations and bring new critical and practice-based knowledge back to Australia," he said.
18 March 2009
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Victoria's secondary economics students are about to take part in the debate that is preoccupying the world.
In an attempt to heighten awareness of economic issues the Faculty of Business and Economics has introduced Viewpoint 2009, a statewide debating competition for schools.
Students will get the chance to hone public speaking skills and develop their understanding of economic issues by debating topics like the cause of the global economic crisis.
The debate begins in second term. Preliminary rounds on May 3 and the quarter-finals and semi-finals on May 10 will be held at the University's Caulfield campus.
The grand final will be held on 28 May at BMW Edge, Federation Square in Melbourne.
"Viewpoint will also provide the impetus to create longstanding partnerships between Monash University, secondary schools and the broader community," Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics Professor Stephen King said.
Viewpoint is organised in conjunction with the Debaters Association of Victoria and supported by the Monash Association of Debaters.
Under the rules, schools will be told their topics in advance, but also need to prepare for all eventualities.
For more information visit the Viewpoint 2009 website.
18 March 2009
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| Ne Tan |
Mechanical engineering student Ne Tan is spending the first semester of this year studying at the University of California, Berkeley as part of the Monash Abroad program.
Ne, an international student from Shanghai, China, began her Monash journey at Monash College in October 2006.
There she completed a diploma that enabled her to enter Monash University as a second-year student.
Now in her third year of study, the Monash Abroad program will see her complete four units of study in the US before returning to Australia in May 2009.
Ne said she applied for Monash Abroad because it was a great chance to experience life at another university, particularly at one as well-known as the University of California.
"It’s a fantastic challenge as the education system in America is quite different to Australia," Ne said.
"This study experience is helping me grow personally and will help me with future employment opportunities."
Ne, a self-confessed motor sport fan, hopes to one day design racing cars.
18 March 2009
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| The binishell is demolished. |
The iconic binishell at the Gippsland campus has been demolished, almost 30 years after it was built.
Designed by architect Dr Dante Bini, the structure was installed at the campus in December 1979 using radical building techniques.
300 tonnes of concrete, steel and membrane were inflated into an 11 metre high dome in little more than an hour.
The binishell became a distinctive landmark in Churchill, providing a venue for graduation ceremonies, exams and sporting activities.
Gippsland campus manager facilities and services Brian Start said a risk assessment found the building had developed structural weakness.
"Reactive clay in the soil caused the footings of the binishell to twist, subsequently causing the shell to crack," Mr Stark said.
"In more recent times the external thermal membrane had started to fail."
Mr Stark said the binishell was demolished in about a quarter of an hour.
A new auditorium has already been built at the campus for classes, graduation ceremonies, exams and conferences.
"We have applied for funding for a new building on the binishell site," Mr Stark said.
"We’re planning a signature building, one that creates a sense of arrival for the campus.
"The demolition of the binishell allows the campus to move forward to create better facilities for staff, students and the community."
18 March 2009
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| Professor Cameron Jones |
Professor Cameron Jones has received a Humboldt Research Award.
Professor Jones received the award in recognition of his chemistry research, which involves stabilising reactive compounds with metal elements in very low oxidation states.
Professor Jones said it was a great honour to win the award -- the most prestigious offered to foreigners by the German university system.
"It will allow me to carry out research at the Technical University, Berlin, and the University of Frieburg - two of the best institutions in Germany," Professor Jones said.
"I will also be collaborating with two very successful German chemists, Professor Ingo Krossing and Professor Matthias Driess.
"Through this I will be able to establish long-term partnerships with these and other researchers in the field," Professor Jones said.
Professor Jones said because the Humboldt prize recognised a scientist's lifetime achievements, he owed thanks to his colleagues including past and present PhD students, postdoctoral colleagues and collaborators from across the world.
"I would especially like to thank Professor John F Nixon FRS of Sussex University who was my postdoctoral supervisor and a great inspiration in my early career," Professor Jones said.
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation was established in Berlin in 1860 after the death of German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt to provide support for German scientists setting off on research journeys to other countries.
Today the foundation brings 1800 researchers from all over the world to Germany.
February was dominated by the tragic bushfires. Many from the Monash community were affected. One staff member and one student lost their lives. A number of staff members lost their homes. Many others lost friends and relatives. Our Gippsland campus was most directly affected. Having been at the centre of firefighting relief and evacuee emergency accommodation and care one week earlier, the campus came under direct threat during the savage fires of February 7 and the following days. The staff of the campus responded magnificently. Once again, the campus became the centre of the firefighting and relief efforts. Several of our staff were directly involved in fighting the fires with the CFA. Everyone who contributed in some way is both thanked and congratulated.
One aspect of the tragic fires provided an illustration of the benefits that come to Australia from the international activities of Monash University. A team of experts came from Indonesia to help with disaster victim identification. Several of these experts had taken part in two training workshops conducted in Indonesia (in Bandung and Surabaya) by the Victorian Institute for Forensic Medicine (VIFM), which is affiliated with Monash University and headed by a Monash professor, Professor Stephen Cordner. When I met with the Indonesians to thank them for their participation, they emphasised the warm and collaborative relationship they have with Monash through the Institute and the mutually supportive activities of the two groups responding to disasters, whether natural or man-made in Australia and Indonesia.
The senior management summit was held in February. There were three major themes. The first was sustainability. There were three major parts to this -- the incorporation of sustainability themes into educational programs, coordination of research in sustainability and the environmental sustainability of Monash campuses. The Vice-Chancellor's Group (Environment) will oversee the preparation of a strategic plan for each of these with the education and research component being prepared and implemented in collaboration with the Academic Board and the campus environmental sustainability component in collaboration with the Strategy and Resources Committee.
The second theme was the identification of a simple and meaningful set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and targets for the education, research, international, environmental, equity, administrative and financial performance of the university. While as Einstein said “everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted” the University does need a set of indicators by which it can track its performance against its aspirations. For the last five years we have somewhat crudely set our target as being in the top three of the Group of 8 for a variety of indicators of varying validity. In many cases, the Group of 8 is not our most appropriate benchmark -- sometimes we should set our targets in absolute terms and sometimes we should benchmark against best practice internationally or in other Australian universities outside the Group of 8 or indeed sometimes we should benchmark against non-university institutions if they are performing better than the university sector. After much useful discussion, the KPIs and targets will now be worked through by a small committee.
The third theme that was discussed jointly with the University Council, was the future of the higher education sector following the Bradley and Cutler reviews. An excellent presentation by David Phillips of Phillips KPA introduced the topic and there was then a valuable panel discussion. This theme will be taken up further by the inaugural Universities Australia higher education conference to be conducted from March 4 to 6 when I will have the opportunity to present a National Press Club address.
Monash graduation ceremonies were held in Johannesburg and in Beijing in February. In Johannesburg, 230 students from Monash South Africa graduated in a moving and exciting ceremony. 2700 students are expected at the campus this year -- a far cry from 360 in 2003. In recognition of the increasing number of students at Monash from mainland China, we held our first graduation ceremony in Beijing. This was a wonderful occasion with the relatives of the graduands clearly appreciative of the opportunity to attend. The graduation address was delivered by the Australian Ambassador, Mr Geoffrey Raby, who also hosted a dinner for Monash and relevant local education and research authorities. Valuable meetings were held with the Chinese Scholarship Council, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Science and the Ministry of Education and I was able to attend the opening of the conference of the Australia China Centre of Excellence in Stem Cell Sciences, a collaboration funded between Monash and Peking University Health Science Centre.
It is very clear that international activities such as these are very important in building research and education collaborations and in attracting high quality international students to Monash.
18 March 2009
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Name: Jue Xie
Course: PhD candidate
Year Level: Second year
Mode: Full-time
What is it about your course and the University that helped you choose Monash?
It was only natural that I chose Caulfield School of IT to advance my professional development -- I've been with Monash University for more than eight years. I received my Masters at Monash in 2002 and before commencing my PhD, I worked as a research assistant and research programmer at the Centre for Distributed Systems and Software Engineering.
What is your favourite subject and why?
My heart lies with information retrieval systems and user interface design. These explain why Google, with its simple interface design, has become legend.
What challenges are ahead for you this year?
My goals are to complete the system development component of my PhD study and write up the first half of my thesis. Hopefully my working performance can impress those geniuses at Microsoft!
How do you feel about your internship opportunity and the prospect of travelling overseas?
As a Chinese-Australian I'm very excited that I have a chance to work in China after so many years! It's is a great opportunity and honour to be accepted; It's a very competitive process.
What do you expect to gain from the experience?
I will gain intimate knowledge of cutting-edge technologies by working with a collaborative team in a leading research lab. Working under the mentorship of MSRA senior researchers will also enhance my problem-solving and project management skills.
What will be your ideal career when you graduate?
Research and development would be a good option given my strengths. However if a post-doctoral position comes up where I can further explore my PhD research topic I will definitely go for it.
What is your favourite place in the world and why?
Hangzhou, my beautiful hometown in China. I'm dying to drift in a boat on the west lake drinking my favourite Dragon-Well green tea.
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
Keep updating your knowledge and be prepared for change. In the IT industry, change is the only thing that is unchangeable!
What is something about yourself that most of your fellow students wouldn't know?
I won a university singing competition with Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' as a second-year undergrad.
18 March 2009
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| The observatory is located on the roof of Building 19 at the Clayton campus. |
The Hutton-Westfold Observatory will officially open at the Clayton campus on Monday 23 March 2009.
The new teaching facility, jointly operated by the Schools of Physics and Mathematical Sciences, includes a 27 cm Celestron telescope, capable of detecting stars ten thousand times fainter than can be seen with the naked eye.
The observatory will be used extensively by undergraduate students of astrophysics, allowing them to process and analyse data in the same manner as professional astronomers.
The observatory is named in honour of the late Don Hutton and the late Kevin Westfold, who made great contributions to astronomy and student learning at Monash over the course of several decades.