p
37B.94JJ 103 ee n sIan d
. iStitute of Technology
ewspaper
Issue No. 34 Queensland Institute of Technology 2 George Street Brisbane Q. 4000 Telephone (07) 223 2111
Registered by Australia Post - Publication No. QBF 4778 31 March 1988
QIT looks to commercialise
A QIT research team has success- fully developed a new type of lower- cost supercomputer with wide com- mercial potential in fields ranging from geophysical research to space- craft navigation.
Due to demand lor much la~tcr computer~. then: ~~ inten~e mter-
natlonal competition, and n.:>earch
and development organi>ation> are
>ecretive about their finding>.
Ho~evcr, the Qrl team i~ hoping their breakthrough and wmmcrcial backtng will keep their ·cellular computer' in the race to meet an international market \\Orth billion>
ol dollar~.
I he three and a hall year project
Lecturer in control engineering, Mr Paul Wilson, with the design tor one of the ClfCUJt boards tor the ·cellular computer': the new supercomputer should keep QIT in the race to meet a billion-dollar market.
Water Board structure limits effectiveness
The State Government has been urged to disband the Brisbane and Area Water Board and set up a State Department of Water Resources.
Part-time QIT lecturer, lawyer{
planner, Mr Russell Bowie, said the Government had an obligation to ensure proper management of Queensland's limited water resources.
It had established the board in 1979 as the principal water authority for the Moreton region, but the board's structure made it impractic- able for it to carry out its responsibilities.
1 his had significant implications for the cost of water to be supplied from the proposed Wolffdene Dam.
The new dam, to join North Pine, Somerset and Wivenhoe as a major water storage for Brisbane, is mooted lor an Albert River site II kilometres south of Beenleigh.
State Cabinet decided last ovember to set aside $1 million for the first resumptions and instructed the Brisbane and Area Water Board to start preliminary planning for a
l.l million megalitre dam.
However, although the BA WB is responsible for the control of land uses in catchment areas for its water storages, Mr Bowie said it was un- likely that the Board would ever attempt to regulate land use in the Wolffdene Dam catchment area.
Such anticipated inaction over catchment area land use would lead to greatly increased costs for water treatment. Even rural residential development in the catchment area would add to the water treatment bill due to such things as effluent runoff.
"The board should also take immediate action to control develop- ment in the dam storage area itself as further subdivision and development would greatly increase acquisition costs," Mr Bowie said.
He researched the coordination of water resource management and land uses in water catchments in a two- year study recently published.
Mr Bowie said the Brisbane and Area Water Board could not carry out its responsibilities to protect water resources from pollution because it was made up of Moreton region (including the Brisbane City Council) local authority represent- atives who saw control of land use as a town planning prerogative.
~The board has never promulgated regulations for the catchments of the three main existing Brisbane water storages - North Pine, Somerset, and Wivenhoe dams," he said.
On state-level planning and management, Mr Bowie said the continued page 7.
rdesign
within the School ol Electrical and Electronic System> Engineering climaxed on 19 1-ebruary when computer programs ran lor the lirst time at a speed three time> la>ter than expected.
·1 he nc~ para lid >y>tem combine>
the llt.:xtbillly ol dtgital proce>~ing
~ith the speed olthe no~ unla~hton
able analogue computer.
·1 he proJect began early in 19M when M r Paul Wibon, lecturer in control engineering, and Dr Colin Che>mond, then >enior lecturer in the >ame section, \\en: comparing the perlormances ol analogue and digttal computers.
1 hey decided that by building a system I rom a large array ol micro- proce>sors it might be po"tble to
make a digital computer ~hich
approached the much greater speed ol an analogue one, at least lor problem> concerning mathematical models.
In tact, Dr Chesmond had >Ug- ge>tcd tht> ltr>t 111 1975 but micro- processor technology was not then
~~, · nc d ''' t lcastblc.
I o bcgm "'ith, Motorola 6~ 000 mtcroproccswrs were used lor the project but early in 19~6 the Ql"l team became the lirst in Australia tu obtain the ne\v transputer micro- processormanulactured by the British lirm, lnmos.
·1 ransputcrs, designed specilically lor speed and cooperation with other transputers, lacilitated the linking ol a homogeneou> nct~ork ol comput- ing elements, called nodes.
In Mr Wilson's words, transputers .. think parallel" enabling a number ol dillerent machines to work simul- taneously on the same task alter programming with their own lang- uage OCCAM.
At present the Qll cellular com- puter system is running programs which simulate the llight dynamics ol an aircralt.
Meanwhile the research team has identilied some 30 areas of application lor its supercomputer: lour arc ol particular interest owing to the tact that there are local companies which have other computing expertise in these applications.
Negotiations are currently under- way with a number ol private companies and other research bodies in a bid to move !rom prototype to commercial scale development.
Since 19~4. the project has sup- ported three students enrolled in masters degree courses in two
!acuities, engineering and in! ormation technology. A lourth student, from China, has just been admitted as a master of engineering student to do research into the application ol the cellular computer to a robotics problem.
Last year the topics of super- computer architecture, parallel com- puting, and the language OCCAM were taught in QIT's Graduate Diploma in computer controlled systems. It is believed this is the first time parallel computing has been taught in Australia as part of a regular course.
A final year QIT student has done pioneering research on the copyright implications of the use of communi- cations satellites.
Mr Stephen Mead, whose work last year gained the highest marks ever awarded by the Law Faculty for a research and writing project, is now employed by leading firm ot Brisbane solicitors, Henderson Trout.
His research concludes that Copy- right Act amendments made as recently as 1986 fall far short of addressing the real problems with satellite technology. In some respects the law remains uncertain, and in others it is certain but "provides an inadequate response."
.. At first my topic was criticised as futuristic," Mr Mead said ... But the use of satellites to transmit infor- mation has burgeoned with the wide- spread use of video and audio systems like the SKY channel, the State- Government owned Q-NET, and HACBSS. the ABC's Homestead
· nd
.:o
muni y Broadcasting and Satellite Service... I could find no reported attempt to consider the legal implications of
this new technology and undertook the research to rectify the deficiency.
The result is largely my own interpre- tation of a new area of the law and will stand or fall on that."
The project involved examining the nature and function of satellite technology and pioneering work on legal issues like whether the satellite transmission of copyright material is a breach of copyright, and whether the satellite transmission itself could be covered by copyright.
Research supervisor, principal lecturer in law, Mr David Gardiner, said technology often advanced faster than the law's ability to respond.
"Stephen's research was as advanced as any in Australia in this field," he said ... Intellectual property is a highly specialised area which remains a mystery not only to most laypeople but to many legal prac- titioners as well.
.. Similar problems of the law lagg- ing behind technology have occurred with computer software and it may take another decade before the Ia w can come to grips with satellite technology."
Recent QIT law graduate, Mr Stephen Mead and a Q-NET satellite dish:
his research found that copyright laws had yet to come to grips with advances in communication satellite technology.
Director's comment
QIT different to a uni.
OIT has no ambition to turn itself into a traditional Australian university.
A short paper 'QIT 1992' circulated widely at the end of 1987 has stimulated considerable comment about QIT's future from business and government leaders, and from staff.
The external reaction has been extremely supportive of QIT values and direction which are seen as quite different from those of a traditional university. However, some staff and some external people are adamant we should be called a university.
Prompted by the Green P.aper recommendations on fewer, larger institutions for greater efhciency, several CAEs in Victoria are seeking to regroup as universities.
Australian universities have stood for the pursuit of excellence in scholarship and pure research, and independence in the broadest sense. In contrast, QIT is concerned with the pursuit of excellence in education of professionals, and serving the needs of Queensland business, industry and professions with practical technological expertise.
QIT's mission for the future, endorsed by commerce, industry, government and the professions is to perform this role even more effectively.
Our four sister institutes of technology in Australia have the same mission as QIT. We share a quality of professional education that would be recognised in any country of the world.
Nevertheless, the other four have changed or are in the process of changing their names to 'universities of technology'. WAIT (now Curtin University of Technology) and NSWIT (now University of Technology, Sydney) have already changed. RMIT and SAlT will follow suit.
The general belief shared by these state governments is that the change in legislation and name will allow the institutions to be even more successful in their special mission, within Aust- ralia and overseas. In particular, the name assists in competing nationally and internationally for top students and staff.
The title 'university of tech- nology' may come to reflect the pragmatism and practical flavour of institutions like QIT.
Dennis Gibson (Dr)
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Joyce 'QIT' Watson is leaving
Secretary to the Deputy Director, Ms Joyce Watson was only 14 when she arrived at what is now the QIT campus in 194g.
1-orty years on, she is leaving.
Ms Watson, Qll 's longest-serving
~tart member retire~ officially on her 55th birthday on 15 November.
However, accumulated leave allowed her to leave on 25 March.
And with the departure. Qrl will lose a noteable oral historian: "Ask Joyce" is a campus catchword.
M~ Watson attended the old State Commercial High School for two years bel ore joining the high ~chool
and commercial college adminis- tration ollice start as a clert.. t) pi st.
The ollice was in the same location as the present Qrl administration in
·u·
Block, and although her upward career path led to a change or rooms,~he has been in the same building ever ~mce.
She remembers dearly the adminis- trative reorgani~ation involved at the ~tart ol Qn in 1965. With the appointment ol the Institute\ lirst principal (retitled director), Or Don haser in 1966, "Qn really got gomg ".
Ms Watson became Or h·aser's secretary, a po~ition she held lor 15 years until his retirement in I 9g l.
I rom today when an ollice has to be architecturally and ergonomically designed with carpets, curtains and the latest padded chair~." she ,aid.
She recall~ classes being conducted in the long dormitory-type libro buildings dating !rom the war year,, and walking along George Street when )'Oll could ~till make out the
cobblc~tones beneath a thin layer ol bitumen.
On the work I rotH, ~omc ol the most challenging years were during Or 1-ra~er\ term ol olficc.
.. He became very involved in the expansion gotng on in tertiary edu- cation and that meant 1 wa~ liatstng wtth \er) interesting pcopk through- out Australia ...
Q Search doubles projects in year
She then worked lor the new Director, Or Owen Wordswonhand lor dillercnt acting deputy directors until she jomed the new permanent appointee, Dr ·1om Di.\on in I!Jg4, a year alter Or Gib~on became Director.
Ms Watson ha~ lound dealing with a mi.>.turc ol pcrsonahtie' and attempting to tunc 111 to diller<:nt probkm> and needs "a great on-the- JObcducatwn",antl"l<:r) ,,atr.'>lyrng".
QIT's commercial arm, Q SEARCH, last year commissioned 196 jobs valued at $2.2 million, nearly double the 1986 figure.
01 the total, 47 jobs worth $1.2 million were lor work to be under- taken by stall ol the 1-acult) ol Engineering.
In the large~t proJeCt, a Melbourne com pan) has put up $300 000 venture capital to build and te~t what could nentuall] become a new t]pe ol internal combu~tion engine. l he
School ot Mechanical and Manu- tacturing Engineering is developing the ·van Meegan· engine, the bram- child ol a Gladstone inventor.
Expertise in the same school has resulted in project~ to create the world's first purpose-designed ginger harvester {$47 200), and to compare wear rates ol Argyle diamonds com- pared with Ru~~ian and South Alrican diamond~ {$4g 500).
A $65 000 job being undertaken within the School ol Electrical and
Computing staff write two texts
Department ot Computing Science Head, Dr John Gough, has had two computing text books published early this year. Both are specialist computer sctence text> aimed at the inter- national market.
His first book, 'Syntax Analysis and Soltware Tools', will be used to teach an innovative approach to second year computing science.
'Modula-2: a second year course in programming·. co-written by senior lecturer in the department, Dr George Mohay, will be used to teach ~econd
and third-year ~tudents the computer programming language, Modula-2.
Dr Gough said both texts were aimed mainly at the American market. They are now available from the Institute Bookshop,costingabout
$35 each.
Dr John Gough (right) and Dr George Mohay with the two new computing textbooks
Page 2 INSIDE OtT, 31 March, 1988.
Electronic Systems E:.ngineenng is part ot a $1 million etlort to dnelup a n:mute-controlled robot lor u~t.! 111 underground coal mu11ng emerg- encies. CSIRO in Queensland appointed two Qrt electronics engineers as technical managers lor the so-called 'I\ U M HAl' proJect.
A $50 000 contract to imc~tigate
·1 ownsville Port Authority wharves was won I rom international compe- tition due to Qrt expe111se in concrete technology.
Q SEARCH spoke,man. Mr Cec Maddox, said nine ol the JObs com- missioned in engineering \vcrc valued at above $10 000. '1 wo ot the~e
involved extensive subcontractmg work lor engineenng companie~ in Queensland.
Two other~ were commissioned because ot Qrt 's 'approved research institute' statu~ under the ·1 ax Act which meant companies could claim 150 percent ot expenditure on R&D against gros~ prollt>. Another was won.as part ot a team that applied sueet:sslully lor a NERDDC grant.
M~ Wat>on\ lour decad<:~ o/
campu' expent:m.:t: t:IH.:ompa"
memon<:s ra ngmg I rom pia~ ing lt:nni~
on the site ol the pre~ent Commumty Building courtyard to wort..ing in an ollice \\tth bare board~. large hea\y tables and stratght-bad.ed wooden chairs. "It wa~ certainly a lot dillerent
I t
~
/)rtl ;,h<:n<:r CO/l.'>IUL'I'iL'ili/1/J,: {j/ I
ear her'!
On m.:ca~1on~ ~he bc~an to l>t:an the m:w-,papt:r~ lor other JObl> but ,he had a ruk-ol-thumb: tl sht: lelt like lea\ing~he dcctded to mat..e ~ure
the urgt: lasted lor an entire month.
It ne\t:r dtd.
Director, Dr Dennis Gibson (left) and Deputy Director, Dr Tom Dixon (right) farewell Ms Joyce Watson.
QIT seeks' r f ssor' titles
Qrl Council has put a submission to the State Government seeking permission to introduce the titles 'prolessor' and 'associate prolessor' at the Institute.
Chairman ol Council, Mr Vic Pullar, said that in an increasingly competitive environment the titles were necessary to enable QlT to attract top start from Australia and overseas, and to retain top stalL The Institute expected to make 20 senior appointments in the next live years.
.. A higher education institution is only as good as its start and Qn has established a line reputation as Queensland's specialist in techno- logical teaching and applied research,"
he said. "However, we now are moving into a competitive national and international environment, out- lined in the Green Paper on Higher
Education. in which academic salaries will be more llcxible."
M r Pullar said the titles were prit.ed by academics in a way that no financial reward could match. Insti- tutions otlering prolcs,orial appoint- ments even with a similar ~alary
could appear more attractive.
While it was not proposed that a certain salary level would automatic- ally attract a title, there was no question that some senior stall at Qll were entitled to the award by any university standard.
"In fact we have a number of former prolessors at QIT who are unable to use that title at the Institute,"
he said.
Mr Pullar said Qll had a big job to do in educating professionals and conducting applied research of world standard for the development of
technology based industries in Queen,land.
It also was beginning to export education, taking its lirst 50 overseas students this year paying an average ol $9000 per year in lees.
l-or no cost, the State could assi~t the Institute to build its international reputation by giving it the power to appoint professors and associate professors.
The titles were internationally understood and accepted, and applied in universities, colleges, polytechnics and institutes of technology in the United States and Western Europe.
In Australia, they were used by universities, and the major institutes of technology in other states were either currently using the titles or developing proposals.
Chemists analyse that great chocolate taste
A two-year research program backed by Cadbury-Schweppes has begun to investigate why South East Asian cocoa does not produce choc- olate as tasty as that from traditional African sources.
The study is being undertaken by QIT full-time external student, Ms Camala Holm, the winner of the company's first Professor Julius Sumner Miller Memorial Fellowship.
Ms Holm, a 1987 food technology graduate of the Queensland Agri- cultural College, has been admitted to QIT's Master of Applied Science program.
The research is being done at the Queensland Food Research Labora-
tories of the Department of Primary lnd ustries.
Joint supervisors are QIT chemistry lecturer, Dr Keith Douglas, and Mr John Aston, a senior chemist with the DPI.
The research program mainly con- cerns flavour defects associated with highly acid cocoa originating from relatively new producers like Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. Desirable llavour compounds will be identified and studied.
The cocoa making process involves fermenting and drying the green bean in the field as soon as possible after harvesting.
Roasting the fermented beans and
separation of the shell is usually performed by the chocolate manu- facturer and the resulting cocoa liquor is then used in making chocolate.
This liquor contains organic acids, the nature and quality of which are crucial to desirable chocolate flavour.
Ms Holm will analyse the organic acids and the volatile flavour com- ponents in both cocoa beans and cocoa liquors.
Those samples which show obvious chemical differences will be processed into chocolate and the chemical differences will be correlated with chocolate flavour assessed by an expert panel of tasters.
Chemistry lecturer, Dr Ke1th Douglas and cocoa researcher, Ms Camala Holm at the DPI Food Research Laboratones at Ham11ton.
Month by month
QIT School of Management head, Dr Peter Goa/drake put on his other hat on 19 March for Queensland's local government elections. He was engaged by ABC Radio to provide political commentary.
Faculty of Business Dean, Dr Bernie Wolff, has been elected to the executive of the National Council of the Australian Society of Accountants.
The society has 55 000 members and is the second largest professional association of accountants in the world.
If competitors in the Australian Veterans Athletics Championships at QE II over the next few days (1-4 April) are a b1t slow off the mark, they'll have only themselves to blame.
Q/Tsenior lecturer m mathematics and 'veteran' athlete, Mr Col Jones has prepared a computer program to streamline organisation of events and posting of results.
It will be the first time a computer has been used for the national titles although this was done in Melbourne for the last World Games.
QIT mathematics lecturer, Dr Andrew Wolanowski has been invited to list his accomplishments in the 'International Who's Who of Intellectuals.' Dr Wolanowski's field of research is the application of mathematical models in economics.
His name would go into the eighth edition of the reference book published by the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge, England.
Director's secretary for the past two years, Ms Joan Robinson left QIT on 4 March to become secretary to the editor of 'The Courier-Mail' newspaper, Mr Greg Chamberlain. Ms Ruth Warner, formerly with the QIT Foundation, is the new secretary to the Director.
A plate glass window was broken in Parliament House late February, allegedly by a rock from next door. Coincidentally, geology students were having a 'get to know each other' function near the fence. A student from another faculty is believed to have been responsible.
Phys1cs lecturer, Mr Trevor Lew1s, IS the new chalfman of the Queensland branch of the Australian Institute of Phys1cs. The AlP IS the professiOnal body representmg 2500 physiCists throughout Australia, 200 of which are m Queensland.
QIT Director, Dr Dennis Gibson was elected deputy chairman of the Australian Committee of Directors and Principals in Colleges of Advanced Education (ACDP) in March. His election comes at a time when ACDP is putting members' views to government on the Green Paper on Higher Education.
ACDP represents 44 CAEs throughout Australia and Dr Gibson is the first Queensland member to hold one of the two top positions.
The QIT FoundatiOn fundra1smg campa1gn conducted from February to Apnl 1987 w1th Everald Compton InternatiOnal as consultants won second place m the annual Australasian lnstllute of Fundra1smg awards m Melbourne on 26 February. The award category recogmsed cost effective ma1or cap1tal campaigns. The QIT campa1gn ra1sed $1.7 million pledged over three years.
Test rig could make true
A Qll group has developed a unique test rig which will go a long way towards preventing
'highly avoidable' heavy transport
accidents caused by suspension lailures.
'l he machine is being used lor
resean:h into working stresses in load e4ualiser beams which play a
vital role in the rear suspension ol tandem drive trucks. It also can test the pertormance ol service com- ponents: as well as making them saler, this should mean service parts are cheaper.
Research team spokesman, metal- lurgical engineer and lecturer, Mr Rod Kirkcaldie, said that many heavy transport accidents occurred in Aust-
QIT first to drop Maths II, Chemistry as engineering
subject prerequisites
QITs Engineering Faculty has changed the subject pre-requisites tor entry to all its degree courses from next year.
Faculty Dean, Dr John Corderoy, said Year 12 Chemistry and Maths II would no longer be re4uired, although these subjects were still highly recommended.
Dropping the Maths II require- ment simply means that applicants need to have done only four, rather than eight units of maths.
Dr Corderoy said QIT student performance studies undertaken in 1985 and this year showed little correlation between good high school Maths II results and success in engineering degree subjects.
There was a much higher corre- lation between high overall TE scores i.e. 940 upwards in conjunction with good Maths I performances in Year 12. Ninety-live percent of these people completed degree courses.
As well, the number of students electing to do Maths II had not kept pace with the growth in high school enrolments and this eliminated many
students who might become highly successful engineers.
"Between 1985 and 1987 Year 12 enrolments grew by some 15 percent, but the Maths II enrolment growth rate was only one third of that," Dr Corderoy said.
The faculty plans to build relevant chemistry into its engineering degree courses, but not the extra maths, although this could be done later if it is found to be necessary.
Dr Corderoy doubts this will happen.
"Because you cannot be sure which of the eight maths units new tertiary students have done at high school, our courses already assume little knowledge. For example, we have not been able to assume in teaching dynamics, that a new student has already done some mechanics at high school," he said.
QIT is the first tertiary institution in Queensland to reduce its maths pre-requisite for engineering to four units, but by no means the first in Australia. New South Wales, for example, has not had mandatory maths requirements for several years.
ralia each week and a "signilicant
number~ ol these involved suspension lailure.
Yet there were few controls on design and manulacturing standards and little proper load testing ol truck suspension components in this country.
"The current situation is drastic and potentially tragic," M r Kirkcaldie .said.
"For example, most states have legislated recently 10 increase the legal loadings on tandem drive prime movers without any research into the possible etfects on the suspension.
.. -,his is despite the tact that there are already many documented cases of load e4ualiser beam suspension failures causing at best, loss of vehicle control, and at worst, overturning.
.. And about 50 percent of all tandem drive trucks in Australia use
this walking beam suspension."
Mr Kirkcaldie said the test ng could be programmed 10 reproduce, in the laboratory, all the static and dynamic stresses and movements that the suspension would be sub- jected to in service.
Hydraulic cylmders could impose a steady force on the beams to simulate the truck deadload while other cylinders could provide move- ments to simulate a variety ol working conditions and at the same time superimpose instantaneous loads to simulate dynamic loading and road shocks.
The suspension could be subjected also to loading which simulated cornering forces and the strains imposed by driving a truck across uneven terrain, i.e. when crossing a culvert diagonally.
Among the machine's advantages
are the ability to strain-gauge com- ponents while they are subjected to both normal and extreme duty cycles, and being able to perform accelerated testing for long periods on service components like rubber bushes. This facilitates understanding ohhe peifor- mances of the diflerent parts and permits evaluations of designs and changes in materials.
The test rig design was a group project by 1986 final year mechanical engineering students Joe Brigguglio, Michael Collschewski and Brian McRobbie, and was commissioned by John Lassig in 1987 as his linal year individual project.
l he development was financed by a $30 000 grant from M r Peter Laidely ol Portapress Suspension Specialists, Brisbane, and a $10 000 grant from the Jacob Group of companies in Victoria.
Two members of the QIT truck suspension test rig development project team, Dr Gary Chadwick (left) and Mr Rod Kirkcaldie, both lecturers in the School of Mechamcal and Manufacturing Engineering. Dr Chadwick was stress analyst for the project.
INSIDE QIT, 31 March, 1988. Page 3
QIT/MIM develop Electronic gam e will help
treatment for lsa speech training for deaf
Underground Water
Deaf and partially deaf people them visually associate mouth and~Thetraining aidwillbedeveloped
A joint QIT/MIM study will look at methods of treating water from the company's underground mine aquifer (water reserve) to a quality suitable for use in mining processes.
The research, funded by Mount lsa Mines Limited through th~ QIT Foundation, is being undertaken by QITlecturer, Dr Habib Yezdaniand Mr Cliff Jones. the company's en- vironmental scientist.
Dr Ye1dani. an authority on the biogeochemistry and biological assessment of water quality. is chic!
imestigator for the overall project.
Mr Jones. a science graduate, is
responsible for the study of wetland treatment of mine water in which aquatic plants purify naturally by absorbing certain minerals.
His research as a QIT part-time student will provide the basis for an applied science masters thesis.
Besides a $20 000 grant over two years, M I M is providing considerable extra support including access to equipment and facilities to conduct the study.
Several water conservation and reuse programs have been initiated in recent years to save on fresh water consumption.
Dr Habib Yezdani and Mr Paavo Laukkanen of MIM at the Man and Supply Shaft before inspecting the underground mine water system.
will benefit from a QIT electronic vocal tract positions with these on a microcomputer facility incorpor- engineering project to produce a sounds. ating a real time data acquisition and better type of microprocessor-based The final product is likely to be a analysis module- it would be able speech training aid. type of electronic game, according to to process and feed back the data
The aim is to help hearing-impaired chief investigator, senior lecturer, Dr virtually immediately," he said.
students to identify words with very Sridha Sridharan of the School of similar sounds like 'shop 'and 'chop', Electrical and Electronic Systems and to work out a way of having Engineering.
Trace elements expert speaks at Indonesian nutrition centre seminar
Head of QIT's Department of Public Health and Nutrition, Dr Conor Reilly has accepted an invi- tation to address a September seminar at a leading international nutrition research and development centre.
Backed by the World Bank to the tune of some $300 million, the Centre is located within the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Dr Reilly is an authority on metal contamination of food, and his lecture will deal with the problem of toxic trace element pickup during food processing and catering operations.
The Food and Nutrition Research and Development Centre was estab- lished three years ago as an Indonesian centre of excellence to provide facilities in research and training and to facilitate the pro- motion of science and technology.
One of its particular interests is in problems of food toxicity and safety.
Dr Reilly will visit Gadjah Mada University 4-22 September to lecture
and to advise on nutrition programs.
He also has been asked to return in January 19li9 to teach in a month- long course on experimental nutrition.
The director of the Food and Nutrition Research and Develop- ment Centre, Professor Slamet Sud a rmadj i, visited Q IT last November as part of an Australian tour of research and educational establishments organised by IDP (the International Development Pro- gram of Australian Universities and Colleges).
Dr Conor Reilly
'The first thing we are doing, with the cooperation of the Queensland Deaf Society, is to build up a data base.
"The data base will consist of a range of different pronunciations of specific words spoken by the hearing impaired students.
"What we want to be able to do eventually is to compare speech parameters of a trainee with pre- recorded speech parameters of the correct pronunciation."
The feedback to the trainee would be in the forrn of a visual graphical display designed to illustrate the difference.
Dr Sridharan said one type of feedback envisaged was the 'drop the ball into the net', an animated display similar to a computer game.
The closer the pronunciation was to the correct one, the closer the ball would come to the net.
The Deaf Society will provide people with varying degrees of hearing impairment for the project which is being funded by a $4000 QIT research and development grant this year.
Dr Sridhamn will be assisted in computer hardware development by Mr Murray Dawson, a tutor and postgraduate student in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineer- ing. A final year undergraduate student, Robert Lunnon will help with software development.
Hearing impairment is one of the most prevalent disabilities in Australia today. allectingabout 738 000 people.
or 7.4 percent ol the population.
• •
v1rus res1s an cucumber Female eng. students triple in three years
Research by a QIT masters student could save cucumber growers millions of dollars each year.
The aim of the project is to produce a cucumber resistant to the virus- papaya ringspot - which causes fruit distortion and crop losses.
Rhonda Gambley is doing the research as part of her Master of Applied Science (Research and
Thesis), under an Owen J. Words- worth Fellowship. Her supervisor is senior lecturer in biology, Dr Bill Dodd.
Cucumber leaf will be implanted with a bacterium which carries the genes for the virus resistance. 1 he plant will be regenerated and tested to ensure it carries the genes and is thus resistant to papaya ringspot
Rhonda Gambley checks a specimen of cucumber leaf plant.
Page4 INSIDE QIT, 31 March, 1988.
virus.
The project is being conducted in cooperation with Dr James Dale from Q!Ts Centre for Molecular Biotechnology in the Department of Medical Labomtory Science. Dr Dale will provide the genetically engineered bacterium.
The research should be completed by late 19li9.
Alter three years ol the ·women in Engineering· Participation Pro- gram, lemale enrolments in Qll's engineering degree course have
Career planning in Queensland's major health care agencies is the topic covered by a paper to be presented at an international nursing conference in Melbourne in May.
The paper results from research done last year by QIT Nursing Studies head, Ms Ailsa Curran and senior lecturer, Ms Karen Stolz. They in- vestigated 'career planning for quality care· in 64 major hospitals and com- munity health care organisations.
The study found that while most organisations said they had some sort of career planning structure, they also believed too little attention was paid to it.
Ms Stolz will present the QIT paper at Inter-health 88 (incorporat- ing the South East Asian Nursing Conference) being held over three days from 10 May.
tripled. However, they still make up only 7 percent ol total engineering enrolments in 19li8.
Filty-eight women are studying in the Bachelor ol Engineering course this year compared with 15 in 1985.
There are now a total ol 100 female students taking various courses in the Engineering !-acuity.
Coordinator lor the Women in Engineering Program. Ms Wendy Mathieson, said the !acuity was pleased with the results to date but there was still a long way to go.
"An encouraging sign is the increased number ol school-leaver applicants which shows that the message is now reaching younger women," she said.
The !acuity has recently changed its prerequisites lor enrolment in engineering courses: new applicants will no longer be required to have Maths II and Chemistry (sec page 3 ), although these subjects are still highly recommended.
Ms Mathieson believes these changes will further encoumge women into engineering.
The Women in Engineering Program is now part of an umbrella bridging program- New Opportun- ities in Tertiary Education (NOl E) - which aims to encourage women into science and technology courses.
The Engineering Faculty will hold its annual seminar on Careers lor Women in Engineering on 14 April in the Kindler Theatre at 7 pm.
For further information about the NOTE program or the seminar, contact Wendy Mathieson on 223 2174.
A noticeable change is underway in the QlT campus environment, with improvements to the City Botanical Gardens and the con- struction of the swimming pool and
Law Health Science building well underway.
As well, the steady growth of a 'dirt mountain' on the new Botanical Gardens concert shell and amphi- theatre site has been hard to miss.
And with the approach of Expo
!!8, the Brisbane City Council has called tenders for construction of a ne\v terry pontoon to be built under- neath the South East Freeway just south of Alice Street.
Botanical Gardens
The first stage of the $4 million redevelopment of Brisbane's historic Cit) Botanical Gardens was finished before Christma .
One reward for the investment has been a large paved concourse at the Albert Street entrance extending to a pa\ ilion in the oriental style of garden architecture popular in the Victorian era.
A new simplitied system ot path-
\\ays includes Walter Hill Walk named in honour ol the Gardens·
first director. I he path runs parallel to Alice Street connecting the con- course \\ ith the QIT campus. 1 he rusty fence between the Gardens and campus is slowly disappearing.
A comparatively small but signifi- cant proJeCt was restoration ot the 100 year old wrought iron and stone tence along Alice and George Streets.
The tence was built in 1885 with stone !rom the demolished Brisbane Jail and iron palisades I rom an earlier tence. It was restored by Mr John Petrie, the great-great-grandson ot the man who built it. His namesake
\\a Brisbane's tirst mayor and the master builder responsible tor Parlia- ment House, the GPO and the Customs House.
~tone staircase entrances I rom the gardens to Q\ l and the installation ol ne\\ street light fittings have also enhanced the campus precinct.
As well. the 1909 1-cderatwn-style Curl!tors Cottage has been restored and comerted to a kiosk and tea-room:..
The 'dirt mountain'
According to BCC the 'dirt mountain· on Council-leased State land near 'L' Block will soon be
grassed and landscaped as an amphitheatre.
QIT Registrar, Mr Brian Waters, and Institute Architect, Mr Ross Meakin, say it has caused significant dust problems during the past six months. In addition, thousands of deliveries by heavily laden earth- moving and demolition trucks have subjected Gardens Point Road to abnormally heavy wear.
However, 'dirt mountain' is history- in-the-making.
A spokesman for Bo 's Demolitions Pty Ltd said the pile contained most of the concrete, mortar and bricks from the 15-floor Canberra Hotel, a total of some 6000 cubic metres.
About half that amount of shale and dirt is from excavation of the Roma and Makerston Streets site for a new police headquarters.
Ferry service
1 he BCC has called tenders for construction of a new terry pontoon beneath the South East Freeway just south ot Alice Street.
1 he proposal is for a new half hourly service covering the present route trom Edward Street to
·1 hornton Street, Kangaroo Point, then extending to the Expo !!8 site and the new pontoon.
While the Expo pontoon at South Brisbane will be available to Expo visitors only, QIT stalf and students will be able to use the Jerry on the other connections.
Swimming pool
Despite a delayed start and unfore- seen additional costs, construction is proceeding on schedule for a June finish.
The swimming pool and squash court complex will be managed by the Qll Student Union. This follows acceptance of a union tender by the joint stall-students Community Build- ing Management Board and by Qll Council.
Management is expected to pass to the Qn Union on I May. Qll and the Student Union will share equally 111 losses or profits. Law/health science building
The main building contractor, Concrete Constructions Pty Ltd expects to finish by Easter. QIT will then take possession of the building tor final fitting out ready tor occupation in July.
A view of the 'dirt mountain' from the top of a QIT building.
QIT could write a book
about Expo management
With the opening of Expo 88 in Brisbane still a month away, a QIT School of Management team has already begun a major study of its organisation and management performance.
Expo chairman, Sir Llew Edwards granted the group what amounts to 'sole rights' for access to archive documents, files and staff to gather data for the comprehensive study.
The QJT Research and Develop- ment Committee has provided $7500 to seed-fund the two-to-three year project initiated last Christmas.
The study will cover all aspects of Expo 88 from its approval in principle in 1977 by the Fraser Government to the Queensland Government's formal creation in 1984 of the statutory Brisbane Exposition and South Bank Redevelopment Authority.
SE Asian student demand immense:
Deputy ire tor
QlT Deputy Director, Dr 1om Dixon, has described South East Asian interest in Australian education as "immense".
A recent two-week visit to Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur reinforced his commitment to marketing Insti- tute courses abroad and ironing out possible difficulties for potential full- fee-paying students.
Two representatives of QIT's com- mercial arm, Q SEARCH ac- companied the Deputy Director on the visit last month. Q SEARCH, which reports to Dr Dixon, is respon- sible for selling QIT courses abroad.
In Hong Kong, Dr Dixon attended an education exhibition organised by AUSTRADE torabout40 Aust- ralian institutions, about hall ot them tertiary institutions.
There were some 6000 visitors on each ot two consecutive days.
"Anyone who was there would have been convinced of the incredible demand for Australian courses and the rightness ot the present Australian government policy," Dr Dixon said.
"South East Asian living standards and personal aspirations are catching up last with the Western world GNP is rising at a rate of eight percent per annum compared with two to four percent in developed countries. And Australia's previous
disadvantage - being so far !rom Europe - is now one of our main advantages.
"1 here is a change ol consciousness with South East Asians turning to Australia as a natural member ot 'their group' because, geographically, it is," he said.
In Kuala Lumpur, Dr Dixon was able to gain an insight into the Chinese Malaysian secondary school system which has more than 50 000 students.
Because the system involves only 12 years of schooling rather than 13 as occurs in other Malaysian schools and in Hong Kong, there are some difficulties about Chinese Malaysian education being accepted elsewhere. SpeciJic hurdles to overseas student entry to QlT which the Deputy Director now wants investigated include formal criteria for the evalu- ation of Chinese Malaysian students.
He has also asked for a report on how Asian students could avoid delaying their Australian education by a year when many students do not receive their final secondary school exam results until March the following year. Possible options include taking 'predicted results'and a Q SEARCH-sponsored English language program to precede tertiary entry.
It will assess in detail the perfor- mance of different parts of the organ- isation during the conduct of the world fair this coming May to October.
QIT team convenor, lecturer, Mr Peter Carroll, said the study would incorporate data on the macro- economic impact of Expo, the industrial relations situation and aspects of decision-making.
It will involve a selection of inter- views with Expo Board members, with the heads of the seven major divisions of the organisation (ranging from finance and administration to international marketing) and with other more junior staff.
lnteniews will be held also with senior public servants and Queens- land and Commonwealth Ministers who have had some responsibility for the fair. If funds permit, it is also hoped to talk to members of the Paris-based International Bureau for Expositions.
One of the things which interests the research team most is the 'one off' nature of Expo.
"This is an uncommon event from the organisational point of view,"
Mr Carroll said. "Because of its short life-span 19S4-S9 - it must undergo rapid changes and we want to see how that a fleets the staff."
The QIT research team is highly and diversely qualified with talents drawn from a variety of academic disciplines. It covers economics, industrial relations, psychology, personnel management, public ad min- istration and politics.
Mr Carroll said it was hoped to produce a number of articles or papers towards the end of this year, and possibly to eventually incorporate all findings in book-form.
Note, for QIT involvement m Expo, see page 7.
High world conference
profile for Q IT optometrists
Two QIT lecturers, Dr David Atchison and Ms Chris Wildsoet, presented papers recently at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry in Denver, Colorado.
Optometrists rate the Academy's AG Mas the most important scientific gathering of its type world-wide.
Dr Atchison spoke on the optical design of intraocular lenses (artificial lenses which can replace cataract- attected natural lenses) and on the optical performance of high powered lenses.
Ms Wildsoet's paper dealt with the use of chickens as models tor understanding myopia, or short- sightedness, in humans. Her research results suggest that the eye can regulate its own growth so that, given ideal conditions, it might be possible to prevent myopia.
"My paper was one of a number presented during the same session of the conference," she said ... Myopia is an area now attracting a lot of attention throughout the world."
Ms Wildsoet went on to meet the research team of one of the leaders in this field, Dr Josh Wallman, at New York's City University. The team is also using chickens, and notes were compared and ideas for future research discussed.
While in New York she also visited the State College of Optometry to examine facilities and talk about strengthening links with QIT's Optometry Department.
For Dr Atchison, whose main teaching area is ophthalmic optics, the Denver visit was part ot a tour of schools ol optometry in the US, Britain and Hong Kong to exchange ideas on teaching methods and research, and developments in spectacle lens standards.
As there is only one Australian manufacturer of spectacle lenses, his itinerary included Pilkington Ophthalmic Products in Birming- ham, UK where he learnt more about spectacle glass manufacturing processes.
Part ot the tour related to a current research project on colour vision. In association with Brisbane ophthalmologist, Dr Hugh F-raser, Dr Atchison has been investigating the occurrence in one Queensland family ot a rare inherited retinal eye disease. Many members ot the family also have a mild colour VIsion defect.
In an attempt to establish a link between the disease and the colour vision defect, Dr Atchison made contact with and tested a number of their English relatives.
Chinese researcher here to study expert systems, robotics
Mr Hao Zhiqiang of the China Aero Research Institute in Beijing will spend a year as a research associate with QIT's School of Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineering.
He will work on projects related to the use of expert systems in control automation and robotic~,
and in a range of other projects concerned with image and signal processing.
Mr Hao, 33, holds a masters degree in automatic control from the Beijing Institute of Technology.
The China Aero Research Institute where he has been employed for five years prepares feasibility reports for the government.
His stay at QIT was arranged by Q SEARCH.
Mr Hao Zhiqiang
INSIDE QIT, 31 March, 1988. Page 5
Jobstighterfor1986 Students propose plan
graduates: survey for Moreton Bay region
Electronic engineers, math- all was just over half the Queensland ematicians, computing professionals general unemployment rate of l 0.2 and lawyers are some of the most percent, the State figure being almost readily employable new QIT grad- two percent higher than the national uates, according to the latest QIT average.
graduate destination survey. Figures from annual graduate The information is contained in destination surveys taken since 1983 the survey of 1986 graduates con- back up the view that the 1987 rise in ducted at the end of April last year. QIT graduate unemployment repre- Seventy-two percent of the' 1741 sents a 'normal' statistical fluctuation graduates responded to the survey ""Nevertheless we will continue to conducted by QIT in conjunction carefully monitor all data and -with the Graduate Careers Council indicators", Mr Abernethy said.
A group of QlT students has
be~un a project aimed at producing a strategic plan for future develop- ment in Queensland's most heavily populated area, the Moreton region.
The group of second-year students in the Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning has been asked to come up with a preferred strategy by the end of May.
The student supervisors, lecturer, MsJanelle Brown, and Local Govern-
ment Department planner, MrTerry Scanlon, said the study was the second of its type covering Queens- land's South East corner.
The first, which Ms Brown describ- ed as one of the best regional studies carried out in Australia, was done by the State Coordinator General's Department just over a decade ago.
However, to her knowledge, its recom- mendations were never adopted.
The reasons are unclear but she of Australia.
The responses revealed full employ- ment among graduates of the courses, BEng - electrical, BAppSc - mathematics. BBus - computing and. DipAppSc - community nur;mg.
Lecturer spends PEP leave di ssectin g human bodies
On I) 1.8 percent of LLB graduates were still seeking work at 30 April.
Other ne\v graduates with relatively low rate> of unemployment {below four percent) included those with BAppSc computing degrees, and accountants and surveyors.
The highest rates of unemployment · were recorded for graduates of the course; BEng civil {22.5 percent), AD business {17 .81'( and now dtscontinued), BAppSc - nursing ( 16.6'1) and AD - mechanical engineering ( 14.8'[).
QIT Assistant Registrar, Mr Paul Abemeth) .aid the average unemploy- ment rate of 1986 QIT graduates was 5.4 percent, the highest recorded since the 1984 level of 6.0 percent.
It \\as also higher than the national a\ erage unemployment rate for C AEs -which was 3.9 percent in Aprill987.
However, national figures for CAEs sho\v that a significant number of CAE graduates had only part-time jobs.
Q IT anatomy lecturer, M r Barry Macdonald is enhancing and increasing his own knowledge of the human body by teaching second year medical students at the University of Queensland this semester.
His five month's PEP leave from the Institute's Department of Public Health and Nutrition is being spent as visiting lecturer at the Uni- versity's School of Anatomy.
His major role is tutoring in laboratory work involving dis- section of human cadavers.
QlT has neither the facilities nor the funds to allow work with cadavers.
Mr Macdonald holds a Queens- land University Bachelor of Science degree with honours in anatomy.
He said that when he was a student, anatomy classes used prosected (dissected beforehand) material.
QlT graduate unemployment over- Anatomy lecturer, Mr Barry Macdonald with teachtng atde.
The costs involved in the prep- aration of prosected specimens had forced a return to having students do a total dissection of a cadaver.
Revised ap a
should ease TE criticism
The lecturer is also familiarising himself with the latest anatomy teaching methods including the use of videotape, videodisc, and computer assisted learning.
He sees the visiting lectureship as an opportunity to strengthen liaison between QlT and Queens- land University's School of Anatomy.
·1 he change to timing ol I E ;cure
nutilicatlun to ;tudenl!> relative to cour;c uller; \\ill make pcupll: Icc!
ea;ier aboutthc ·1 E: >) ;tcm, according to Qrt Rcgi;trar. Mr Brian Watcr;.
l he change, announccd latc 1-cbruar) by Education Mini;tcr.
Mr Littlepruud. allO\vs ;tudt:nl!> to lmd out their ·1 E ;cure; betort: the first round of course offers is made b) ten tar) in>titution> in Queen;land.
···1 he change ;hould onl) allect tho;e ;tudt:nl!> who achic\c a ·1 E:
;cot-e \d11ch I!> ;ignillcantl) dillcn:nt to e.\pcctatlons. causlllg tht:m to rc\ tsc thctr prelercnces:· M r Waters said ... Aitcr that, the mark.ct will still dctcrmtnc '' l11ch students get tntu popular courses ...
Mr \'vaters satd pcople otten blamed the IE s)stem lor the shonage
ol student placcs lundcd b) the Commom\calth.
.. Pcoplc tend to brand thc ·1 1:.
system as unlair when a child is not accepted in the desired coursc, .. Mr Waters said. ···1 he-, E score i; simpl) a benchmark. lor allocating limitt:d 4uota places and the tTal probll:mtn Queen;land is lack. ol places."
~tudems \\ill still list si., htgher education course prelercnces tn earl) October.-, he) \\ill be advised thetr
"II:. scurt: b) 16 December. II thc) vvish to change tht:tr prt:lt:rt:nct:s tn the light ol the -, E: score, this ''Ill no\\ be pussibk bdore J January.
I he lirst round ol place oilers \\ill bt:
made on 13 January.
M r Waters said the chang~: would re4uire mudilied data pruc~:ssing systems and would necessitate a
Top speakers to address graduation ceremonies
I he Queensland Premier, the State\ Chief Justice and the Bond Lntversity Vice-Chancellor arc an10ng distinguished speakers to address Qrt graduation ceremonies next month.
Detatls ot the tive graduation ceremo111es tor the se\en !acuities arc
Tuesday, 12 April
Engineering: Speaker is Prulessor Sir Bruce Williams, chairman ol the Cl EC-appointed committee review- ing Australian engineering education.
Wednesday 13 April
Business: Speaker is the Premier, Mr Mike Ahern.
Sherlock, Liberal spokesman on health, youth and ethnic altairs.
Monday 18 April
Science and Built Environment:
Speaker is Prulessur Dun Watts, Vice-Chancellor, Bond University.
Wednesday 20 April
Law and lnlormation l echnulugy:
Speaker is the Queen;)and Chiel Justice, Sir Dormer Andrews.
All ceremonies will be held at the Concert Hall of the Queensland Perlorming Art> Complex, from 5.30pm. I-acuity graduation dinners will be held after the relevant ceremonies at the Gret:k Community Centre, South Brisbane .. , ickets ($30 a head) are available I rum Mr David Thursday 14 April Hall in Admissions and Adminis- Health Science: Speaker i> M r Alan trative Services, phone 223 2368.
---~---
Page 6 INSIDE QJT, 31 March, 1988.
'
review of the Institute's calendar, possibly involving commencement of the academic year two weeks later than had previously been the case.
Roads program earns jou rna I ism award
'Forgiving Roads' is the title ol the television documentary which recently won two final-year com- munication students a $500 pri~:e
I rom the ln;titution ol Engineers Australia.
Leon Cull and Michelle Cannon were presented with their awards by Institute Queensland Division
Chairman, Mr Brian McGrath on 18 March.
l he awards are made annually to journalism students lor the best program on some tacet ol engineering in the State.
The documentary deals wnh the design of safer roads.
Leon Cull (left) and Michelle Cannon( right) receive their awards from Institution of Engineers Qld Division Chairman, Mr Brian McGrath.
says that interest in regional planning which was boosted by Fedeml govern- ment financial backing 10 to 12 years ago appeared eventually to
""fiale out". In addition, recom- mendations made at the regional level may not have appealed to individual local authorities.
""In the present economic climate it makes even more sense than it did a decade ago for local authorities to consider the regional implications of development and social changes,"
Ms Brown said.
""The nature of the growth in the Moreton region suggests that a larger planning perspective needs to be considered: growth both to the north and south of Brisbane city ha~ placed enormous pressure on the metro- politan area."
The present study will concentrate mainly on a strategy for future land use but will have economic undenones.
Students have been engaged lirst in data collection to build a regional information system using data drawn from a wide range ol sources, I rum ollicial maps showing current land usc, to ligures on population gro\\th or decline, and employment.
This data \\ill then be u;ed to redefine goals, allowing student!> to generate strategy plans lor evaluation.
The new head ol QIT's Surveying Department, United Nations and World Bank consultant, Dr Kurt Kubik says surveying graduates have excellent job prospects internationally as well as in Queensland.
The building boom which star!cd in Queensland about six. months ago plus the international demand meant that the market was ""really stretched".
On the world front, UN jobs worth around $100 000 a year were go.ng begging because there were not enough well 4ualilied, experi- enced surveyors to fill them.
""l here are only two applicants per job lor international uppununities while the ligure lor other prutessiuns is about 30 applicants," Dr Kubik said.
An anicle in 'The Australian· news- paper ( 10 March 198!;) said that a British I irm was recruiting more than 100 Australian engineering surveyors. A company spokesman was reported as saying that "they knock the spots ulf our guys".
Dr Kubik agreed with the remarks by Mr Bruce Park, of British Site Engineering Services(SES) that Aust- ralian surveyors were equal to the best in the world because they stayed in their 'hands-on' role.
Qll-expects to have a 4uota of 60 for its surveying degree course (Bachelor of Applied Science - Surveying) course next year.
This year's enrolment for the three- year course was 40. On top of that there was an intake of 20 lor the associate diploma course and a similar number for the one year postgraduate course in surveying practice.
*
Dr Kubik is the UN and World Bank accredited surveying expert for Asia and the Middle East.WIQIT AGM
Women in QIT will hold its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, 21 April 1988 at 5.00 pm in the Kim Beasley Room, Community Building.
Snacks will follow.
For further information contact Gill Palmer, ext. 2539
Bookshop sale
The Institute Bookshop is holding a one-day clearance sale on 19 April.
Most sale stock will cost $5, includ- ing texts normally wonh $100.
