IQ inside
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Queensland University of Technology Newspaper Issue 281 March 4 - March 31, 2008
IT might look like a classic case of sibling rivalry but nothing could be further from the truth for teenager Jessica Chatwin.
The 17-year-old has followed in her sister Amy’s footsteps in being awarded a prestigious Vice-Chancellor Scholarship, but the duo say they have a friendly rather than competitive relationship.
“We’ve always supported each other, it’s never been a case of you are better than me,” 20-year- old Amy said.
“Our parents have always said it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you are happy.”
Amy, who was one of the inaugural V-C Scholars in 2005, said she encouraged her sister to not only apply to QUT but also put her hand up for a scholarship which is worth $5000 a year for up to four years.
“I was always going to study at QUT. I love the campus, I love the atmosphere and I guess this rubbed off onto Jessica,”
Amy said.
Jessica, who last year fi nished year 12 at St Francis College with an OP1 just like her sister, said although she was hopeful of getting a place in the scholarship program, she hadn’t been sure if she would be accepted.
“I got similar marks to Amy, but it was still a surprise to get the call saying ‘yes’ you have won a scholarship,” Jessica said.
The scholarship is awarded by QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake to about 50 h i g h - a c h i e v i n g s t u d e n t s annually.
This year’s recipients were acknowledged at an off icial ceremony hosted by Professor Coaldrake last week.
“It pretty much means we pay for our degree as we go,”
Amy said.
“It takes the fi nancial pressure off a bit, because in the long run you know that you aren’t going to have a big debt at the end of your degree.”
While both sisters may seem to have so much in common, their career ambitions are very diff erent.
Jessica is embark ing on a Bachelor of Urban Development degree with dreams of being a regional planner, and Amy is in her fourth year of a double degree in nutrition and dietetics, and human movement studies.
This year about 10,000 new students commenced their studies at QUT.
- Sandra Hutchinson
Top scholars
Sister act
Biomedical engineering
A COMPUTER modelling program that allows surgeons to simulate scoliosis surgery so they can design the best procedure before lifting the scalpel is being developed by QUT biomedical engineering researchers.
QUT spine research fellow Associate Professor Clayton Adam said the patient-specif ic computer models, developed by the QUT-based Paediatric Spine Research Group, let surgeons try out diff erent scenarios before they performed an operation to implant a rod in the spine to correct scoliosis.
“Spine surgery is one of the most complicated and painstaking operations because surgeons cannot afford to damage the delicate spinal cord,”
Professor Adam, a member of QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, said.
“Our new computer modelling techniques let surgeons plan the most
eff ective treatment for an individual patient by testing a number of crucial parameters before the surgery.
“By working out the best possible combination beforehand, surgeons can position the implant with confi dence and therefore the patient is likely to have fewer complications and a reduced healing time.”
Professor Adam said patient-specifi c computer modelling supported the new keyhole and single-rod surgical procedures that had been developed for straightening the spine.
“This surgery is much less invasive because doctors can now insert a single implant through keyhole incisions in the side of the patient,” he said.
“For certain cases, it replaces the traditional ‘open’ surgery in which two rods were implanted through an incision along the length of the patient’s back and left big scars.”
He said scoliosis was the most common spinal deformity, aff ecting 2
to 4 per cent of the population, nine out of 10 of whom are girls in their early teens.
“Scoliosis can cause reduced lung capacity as the spine twists into the right side of the chest cavity, leaving less space for the internal organs.
“However, one of the biggest eff ects of spinal deformities is on the self image of the patient and their quality of life.”
Professor Adam said 130 keyhole, sing le-rod oper ations had been performed in Australia.
“To ensure that our computer models are valid, we are carefully comparing the simulation results with clinical data from these scoliosis patients,” he said.
The Paediatric Spine Research Group was also studying the spine as a whole and exploring bone at the microscopic level to understand how bone responded to surgical implants.
- Niki Widdowson
Spine surgery ‘sewn up’ before fi rst cut
www.news.qut.edu.au George Street Brisbane 4000 Telephone (07) 3138 2361 Registered by Australia Post – Publication No. QBF 4778. CRICOS No 00213J QUT Associate Professor Clayton Adam is straighening out the future for spine surgery.
Jessica Chatwin, one of thousands of new QUT
students, is following in the footsteps of big sister Amy by scoring a Vice-Chancellor Scholarship.
Sisters Jessica and Amy Chatwin take their fi rst steps together at QUT.
Stephen Pincus
QUT has appointed Stephen Pincus as its new director of facilities management, in charge of the university’s capital works and campus services. Prior to this role, Mr Pincus was the project director of the Kelvin Grove Urban Village and Creative Industries.
Professor Phil Graham
QUT Professor Phil Graham has been appointed as the new director of the Institute of Creative Industries and Innovation (iCi). Professor Graham has a wealth of experience in the creative industries, in communication technologies and cultural innovation.
Professor David Hood
PROFESSOR David Hood has been elected chair of the Australian College of Environmental Engineers. An adjunct professor in the Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, Professor Hood is a member of QUT’s Institute for Sustainable Resources and is chair of his own consulting engineering practice.
New appointments
Opinion survey seeks staff input
COMMENT
IN terms of their reputations as places of learning, universities rise or fall on the achievements of their graduates.
When alumni are recognised for leadership in their profession, scholarly achievements in their discipline, or contributions to the global community, their university is warmed by refl ected glory.
It is no accident that the highly reg arded Shanghai Jiao Tong Ranking scheme of “World Class Universities” uses “number of Nobel Laureates produced” as one of its major indicators of university quality.
QUT is a young university by world standards, and we are yet to produce our fi rst Nobel Laureate, but every year, at our Outstanding Alumni Awards Breakfast, we are humbled by the amazing achievements of our own QUT alumni.
T h e s h e e r s p e e d o f t h e i r achievements reminds us why we need to be concerned with the quality of our students’ learning at the point of graduation.
One indicator of graduate quality is captured in the national Graduate Destinations Survey and every year, QUT ranks in the top few universities of the nation in terms of the number of our graduates who are placed in full-time employment.
We continue to hold high entry requirements to our programs, despite fluctuations in demand,
because we want the best students, who will become the best graduates they can be.
But for this to happen, we need to be providing the best learning environment possible, during those few years when we are the custodians of their learning - when we can infl uence in some way what these graduates will be capable of in their future.
The quality of our teaching is a critical factor that impacts our students’ learning.
In 2008, we are placing renewed emphasis on our teaching - trying to ensure the smoothest possible transition into and out of our underg r aduate prog r ams, and throughout the years in between, redefi ning what it means to be an engaged teacher or learner.
A group of interlinked projects focused on “Supporting Real World Learning” is already underway across the university.
We’ll also be looking closely at our degree programs - their curricular structure and the ways in which individual units contribute to whole- of-degree learning outcomes.
We’ ll be experimenting too with the design of our learning environments - looking for new blends of the physical and virtual that provide students with more learning options.
- Professor Vi McLean DVC (Teaching Quality)
QUT is conducting its fourth staff opinion survey in order to gauge staff ’s satisfaction with the university as a workplace and its future direction.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake said the survey would help identify how much staff understood and embraced the university’s strategic direction.
“The truth is that without the support and commitment of staff, strategic plans count for very little,”
Professor Coaldrake said.
“The results of this survey are used
to drive changes that make QUT a better place for everyone to work.”
Professor Coaldr ake said the university had implemented many changes since the 2005 survey in response to staff feedback.
These changes included: introduction of the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence and Performance Fund Awards; additional leave entitlements;
review of the academic promotion scheme; guidelines and review processes for workload; support for wellness initiatives; changes to parental
and maternity leave entitlements; and increased loading for casual staff .
Professor Coaldr ake said he understood how busy staff were in their day-to-day work but encouraged them to make the survey a priority.
“We have much to be proud of at QUT and with the continued support of staff across the university we can look forward to more success in the future,” he said.
Staff can access the survey until March 21 through QUT Virtual, in the
“staff messages” section.
AFTER 34 years with the university, QUT associate director of campus services David Spann is retiring on a high note.
Mr Spann, pictured above, said the size and complexity of QUT had increased enormously since his fi rst day at Kelvin Grove College of Advanced Education in 1974.
He said he remembered parking being a big issue when he started and it was good to be leaving at a
time when he felt parking at KG had been improved by the establishment of F Block’s multi-storey, user-pays carpark.
“We’ve also got the busway there now, which I was pretty closely involved in, so that’s something I’m very happy about,” he said.
Over the years, Mr Spann has worked in accounts, payroll and personnel, as a human resources manager, a campus registrar and executive secretary to the
Australian Flying Arts School, which used light aircraft to fl y tutors to rural areas for community art classes.
He said his retirement plans included
“the usual stuff ”.
“There are some plans involving caravans but we’re not going to become grey nomads.
“I’ll also be working with people who are restoring old aircraft and will continue my role as director of an aero club.”
Career spans many changes
Staff success
ACCORDING to QUT education expert Dr Margaret Lloyd, classrooms should not be confi ned by four walls.
In fact, Dr Lloyd, pictured right, said through the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT), classroom education could teach and reach people across the globe.
The senior lecturer with the Faculty of Education has won the highly-regarded Queensland Society for Infor ma tion Technology in Education (QSITE) 2008 Outstanding Leader of the Year Award, in recognition of her innovative teaching practices.
The award acknowledges the contributions of those in leadership roles, managing the
growth and direction of ICT within an educational setting. It recognises signifi cant advocacy, support and promotion of the use of ICT in education.
Over the past 20 years, Dr Lloyd has been involved in computer education and today uses technology to open the door to new teaching methods.
“My work allows me to see ICT right from the little people who are creating animation, through to adults who are using it to socially network,” she said.
“I have recently managed a “land yachts”
project through the oz-Teachernet where students were asked to design and construct a wind-powered yacht.
“The idea was for the students to keep a blog of their own progress and upload photos to share with the ‘land yacht’ community.
“Each team was required to gather and record data during the construction and testing of their yachts and share this data with other teams via a website.”
Dr Lloyd said this project allowed teachers and students from diff erent parts of the country to come together and learn from each other.
She said ICT could also be employed to support professionals.
“For example, I have a number of education students who are par t of professional networking communities.
“They interact with other professionals about topics of similar interest and this strengthens their learning experience as well as giving them the ability to express their opinions and views.”
- Sandra Hutchinson
Taking education out of the classroom
Road safety
OVER-the-counter and prescription medications that cause drowsiness are required to display warnings, but how eff ective are these labels in preventing drivers from getting behind the wheel?
A study being undertaken by QUT PhD researcher Tanya Smyth will evaluate the eff ectiveness of current medication warning systems used in Australia and France.
Ms Smyth, who is with QUT’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS- Q), said it was widely known medications that aff ect the mind, emotions and behaviour, could be harmful to driver safety.
“For example, over-the-counter and prescription medications such as some cough, cold-flu day and night formulas, non-steroidal anti- inflammatories, antihistamines, antibiotics, antidepressants, and sleep medications such as benzodiazepines can potentially impair driving.
“There’s been research done in Australia that suggests that people don’t read warning labels before getting behind the wheel.
“In fact last year it was reported by AAMI that almost one in four Australian drivers ignore medication warning labels and continue to drive after taking prescription drugs.
“Austr alia’s labelling system provides a thorough explanation about the medication and its eff ects,
but it may be that people don’t read them or find them easy to understand.
“Meanwhile, France has recently implemented a new labelling system that includes pictorial war ning labels.”
As part of the study, Ms Smyth is in France to survey 250 hospital out- patients about their knowledge and understanding of the warning labels and whether patients complied with the instructions.
“I will also be interviewing doctors and pharmacists, as these are the people who prescribe and dispense the medications, to fi nd out their views on the warning systems and whether they feel they work or need improvement,” she said.
“When I come back from France, I will be conducting a similar survey in Australia.”
Ms Smyth said her study would specifi cally look at whether Australia needed to improve its medication warning labels.
“It has been previously suggested that by increasing the noticeability of war nings and the perceived hazard level of medications, this may improve the attitudes and adherence to warnings relating to driving.
“If the French system is eff ective then their new approach may hold benefi ts for Australia.”
The study is being conducted in collaboration with QUT’s School of Pharmacy.
- Sandra Hutchinson
Ignoring medication labels: study
China
adventure begins
Keeping your money safe
Information technology
USING an SMS password as an added security measure for internet banking is no guarantee your money is safe, according to a QUT study which reveals online customers are not protecting their accounts.
Mohammed AlZomai, from QUT’s Information Security Institute, said one in fi ve online transactions was vulnerable to obvious attacks despite added security methods such as SMS passwords being adopted.
Mr AlZomai, pictured right, said the study had found that the security threat had more to do with the usability of the SMS system and human error, rather than any technical security problem.
“In response to the g rowing threat to online banking security, most bank s have implemented special methods for authenticating a transaction,” he said.
“A typical method is sending a one-time-password via SMS to the customer’s mobile phone for each
transaction.
“ T h i s m e a n s t h e customer must manually copy the password from their phone in order to confi rm the online transaction.”
B u t M r A l Z o m a i s a i d customers were failing to notice when the bank account number in the SMS message was not the same as the intended account number.
He said if this occurred it was a clear sign hackers had infi ltrated the system.
As part of the study, QUT developed a simulated online bank and asked participants to play the role of customers and undertake a number of fi nancial transactions using an SMS authorisation code.
Mr AlZomai said he then simulated two types of attacks - an obvious attack which was where f ive or more digits in the account number were altered, and a stealthy attack which was where only one digit was changed.
“It is worrisome that obvious
attacks were successful in 21 per cent of cases,” he said.
“And when transactions faced a stealthy attack, 61 per cent of attacks were successful.”
He said this study showed that a significant number of users were unable to identify the attack.
“This is a strong indication that the SMS transaction authorisation method is vulnerable,” he said.
“According to our study only 79 per cent of users would be able to avoid
realistic attacks, which represents an inadequate level of security for online banking.”
Mr AlZomai said while this study highlighted the importance for customers to be vigilant when they were banking online, banks also had a responsibility to their customers.
“We hope this research will allow online banks and other online service providers to be better prepared for these emerging risks.”
- Sandra Hutchinson
NINE QUT students are about to spend this year brushing up their Mandarin in the Chinese city Qingdao, which is not only hosting the Olympic sailing events but is also the country’s beer brewing capital.
M i k a e l A l m o n d , p i c t u r e d above, a f inal-year Bachelor of Business student who is majoring in international business with a specialisation in Mandarin, cannot wait to get there.
“It’s going to be great because nine of us are going to Qingdao so it won’t be hard to settle in and we will live in an international college,”
Mikael said.
“It’ll be a fantastic challenge because we have to speak Mandarin from the start as they don’t speak any English in the course.”
The students are participating in QUT’s In-country Mandarin Program where they pay their usual course fees in Australia and receive tuition and credit towards their QUT degree.
The Mandarin language classes are delivered by QUT’s partner university, Qingdao University in mainland China.
For Mik ael, who wants to eventually work for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in China, it’s a fantastic opportunity to immerse himself in the language and culture of a country that is fast becoming a global business hub.
“China is the world’s manufacturer so everyone is going to deal with them for business,” Mikael said.
“There will be an exciting buzz in the city thanks to the Olympics and a national beer festival during the Olympics, so it is a great time to live there to learn not only Mandarin but the customs and lifestyles of the people.”
Q U T M a n d a r i n P r o g r a m coordinator Dr Ingrid Wang said Qingdao University and the city of Qingdao would provide a highly conducive learning environment in which the students could progress rapidly towards a much higher level of profi ciency in Mandarin Chinese.
“All QUT students who studied at Qingdao University last year did very well and were highly spoken of by our partner university,” Dr Wang said.
- Niki Widdowson Tanya Smyth is investigating
what drives people to ignore medication warning labels.
BIG welcome
Clockwise from top, Grace Davies and Ally MacMillan at Carseldine campus. Also at Carseldine are librarian Kate Harbison and Kate Webb. Having fun at QUT Gardens Point are Nick Vecchio, Paddy Jensen, Liz Mulherin, Alice Vierow and Claire Webster. Making the most of Kelvin Grove orientation activities are Rachel Newnham, Louise Wright and Jessica Siettenranta. Mates Dominic Morris, Nicholas Elsworth and Oliver Black enjoy themselves at the Kelvin Grove campus.
QUT welcomed about 10,000 fi rst- time students during February’s Orientation. The carnival atmosphere was felt across the uni’s campuses and included market days and plenty of fun and entertainment.
Bungee jumpers Rebekah Aquilina, left, races Jessica Dart at QUT’s Caboolture campus orientation activities.
“I think the best thing about starting uni at QUT is making new friends. I also want to try and get involved in most of the stuff that QUT offers.”
- Tony Ibrahim, Bachelor
of Business
Question: What are
you looking forward to most at QUT?
“The best thing will be meeting new people. Coming out of high school you don’t stay in contact with everyone. Everyone is off at different unis and stuff, so it is hard. Meeting and making new friends, that’s what I am looking forward to.”
- Gemma Onley, Bachelor of Urban Development
“I guess I am looking forward to fi nishing my degree. Being able to go out into the real world and study what
I want to do, my passion – which is secondary education.”
- Nina Ford, Bachelor
of Education
“Learning heaps, having a good time and meeting plenty of people.”
- Ryan Wall, Bachelor of Urban Development
“I’m looking forward to making new friends, meeting new people, using the facilities here, the gym, the swimming pool.
I also want to get involved in some of the activities they have at QUT, like the Student Guild. I am also looking forward to the quality of the course that I have been hearing about.”
- Michael Skarparis, Bachelor of Urban Development
“I am looking forward to the overall atmosphere, just getting into it, just getting excited about learning new things.”
- Jess Brand, Bachelor of Applied Science Above left, Sisters Doris and Kathy
Lay at Carseldine campus. Above, at Caboolture campus are Tonia Davidson, Tonia Gosney, Kyra Tarr and Danni O’Brien.
Above, enjoying the activities at Gardens Point campus are Ahlam Abdullah al-Adawi, Alaa Abdul Salam and Catma Ali Al-Ismaily. Right, standing tall is Super Tony and Aussie the Ostrich entertaining students. Below, the crowds gather along Main Drive at Gardens Point.
Clowning around at Gardens Point is Victor-David Murray with Meisha Stevens looking on.
Engineering
IT is not science fi ction to think that our eyes could very soon be the key to unlocking our homes, accessing our bank accounts and logging on to our computers, according to QUT researcher Sammy Phang.
Ms Phang, from QUT’s Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, is helping to remove one of the fi nal obstacles to the everyday application of iris scanning technology.
Ms Phang, pictured above, said the pattern of an iris was like a fi ngerprint.
“Every individual iris is unique and even the iris pattern of the left eye is diff erent from the right,” she said.
“By using iris recognition it is possible to confi rm the identity of a person based on who the person is rather than what the person possesses, such as an ID card or password.
“It is already being used around the world and it is possible that within the next 10 to 20 years it will be part of our everyday lives.”
Ms Phang said although iris recognition systems were being used in a number of civilian applications, the system was not perfect.
“Changes in lighting conditions change a person’s pupil size and distort the iris pattern,” she said.
“If the pupil size is very diff erent, the distortion of the iris pattern can be significant, and makes it hard
for the iris recognition system to work properly.”
To overcome this fl aw, Ms Phang has developed the technolog y to estimate the eff ect of the change in the iris pattern as a result of changes in surrounding lighting conditions.
Ms Phang said by using a high-speed camera it was possible to track the iris surface’s movements to study how it changed depending on the variation of pupil sizes caused by the light.
She said results of tests conducted using iris images showed it was possible to estimate the change on the iris surface and account for the way the iris features changed due to diff erent lighting conditions.
- Sandra Hutchinson
Researcher eyes off a biometric future
in BRIEF...
Wound healing service HELP for people with chronic wounds is now available thanks to a new community-based service which has opened at QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus. Run from QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, the Wound Healing Community Outreach Service operates every Tuesday and aims to improve healing rates and quality of life for sufferers of chronic wounds. An initial one-hour consultation costs
$20 for adults and $15 for pensioners. No referral is needed. To book phone 07 3138 6109 or email [email protected]
Bio2008 fellowships
QUT early career researchers in the fi elds of life sciences and biotechnology have the chance to secure one of three fellowships to attend the world’s largest biotechnology conference, Bio2008. The all-expenses- paid fellowships are being offered by QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and bluebox.
They include registration, travel and accommodation costs to attend the conference in San Diego in June. Applications close March 20, with the winners announced on April 7. For details visit
www.qutbluebox.com.
au/news/upcomingeven/
fellowships.jsp
Video addiction A DEVICE for parents concerned about their children becoming addicted to video games has been designed by QUT industrial design student Toni Do.
The device, known as the Echelon, allows parents to control when and how long their children play computer
games. Ms Do said younger people were getting more addicted to computer games because technology was improving, getting faster and more sophisticated, thus making it more attractive to game-players.
Honorary Doctorates THREE people who have made signifi cant contributions to scholarship, QUT or the community received honorary
doctorates at last month’s graduations. The trio included entrepreneurial pharmacist and past- president of Zonta International, Mary Magee, pictured. Keith
Hilless was recognised for his contribution to the development and expansion of Queensland’s electricity supply industry. Dale Gilbert was also recognised for his built environment research and advocacy of energy effi ciency and the use of alternative energy generation buildings.
Psychology
A QUT researcher is urging drivers to turn their mobile phones off before getting into their car, with a study revealing 40 per cent of Aussies use their phone at least once a day while driving.
The study by Shari Walsh, from QUT’s School of Psychology and Counselling, found that despite drivers knowing the dangers of using their mobiles at the wheel, they continued to talk on their phone.
“The most frequently reported behaviour was answering the phone, with 46 per cent confessing to doing this,” she said.
Ms Walsh, whose research looked at the personal and social factors motivating people to use their mobile while driving, said despite legislation
banning the use of hand-held mobile phones in cars many Australians fl outed the road rules.
She said the one saving grace was that drivers were more likely to pick up their phone while stopped at lights or stuck in traffi c, compared to driving in complex situations like changing lanes or driving through a school zone.
“Drivers are more likely to use their mobile phone when they are stationary rather than when they are driving at 100km/h.”
Ms Walsh said drivers had enough to contend with on the roads, highlighting the need for people to put their phones out of sight and out of mind.
Ms Walsh said the study also found the risk of being fi ned for using a hand-held mobile while driving was not a deterrent.
Don’t dial and drive
Creative industries
HOW many times have you clicked “I Accept” to the terms and conditions on a website without reading the contractual small print?
QUT internet communities expert Dr Sal Humphreys warns you could be allowing online companies to install spyware on your computer or use your personal photographs for commercial purposes.
Dr Humphreys said many people may unknowingly sign away their privacy and intellectual property (IP) rights.
“By blindly accepting the terms and conditions, which are legal contracts, people may be agreeing to things they would normally consider unacceptable,” she said.
“People tend to ignore the contracts they have ‘accepted’ until something goes awry, and then they discover there are very few avenues for appeal.”
Dr Humphreys organised the Computer Games, Law, Regulation and Policy Symposium which was hosted by the Australian Research Council
Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation at QUT last month.
The symposium dissected a wide range of issues relating to the virtual realm, including users’ and developers’
rights.
“We are changing from a society functioning in the public sphere, regulated by governments, to a society interacting in private spheres, which are controlled by corporations that run for a profi t,” she said.
Dr Humphreys said an example was the Massively Multi-player Online Game (MMOG) World of Warcraft (WoW), which was played by millions of people around the world.
“The WoW contract states that the developer can access the user’s computer and is allowed to install spyware onto the hard drive to track what they do,” she said.
“The developer claims the spyware, which must be installed for the game to work, helps to detect cheating and black-market selling of in-game cur rency, but there are privacy breaches that the players may have unknowingly agreed to that are a cause
for concern.”
Dr Humphreys said many online publishers encouraged players to create their own content, but their contracts stated that anything created in the game or posted on a company’s website became the property of the publishers.
“The current terms and conditions for Facebook state that all user content posted on the site could be used by the company for purposes including advertising, and may be retained in archives, even after the user has deleted it from their profi le,” she said.
D r H u m p h r ey s s a i d o n l i n e c o r p o r a t i o n s we r e o f t e n n o t accountable for their treatment of users.
“The Second Life contract states users own the IP rights to their in-world creations, but they could still be kicked out of the game for no reason, and if they own a lot of virtual property that is worth a lot of real-life money, they could lose it all with very few mechanisms for appeal,”
she said.
- Rachael Wilson
Signing your
(online) life away
Citizen journalism
QUEENSLAND’S upcoming local gover nment elections p r o m i s e t o b e t h e m o s t controversial in a long time as candidates and voters grapple with the post-amalgamation landscape and climate change.
QUT new media expert Dr Jason Wilson, from the Creative Industries Faculty, has launched a website, www.qlddecides.com, where voters can blog their views on issues and candidates.
“The power of the ordinary citizen to report from the coalface during the lead-up to important elections was demonstrated with the success of our fi rst citizen journalism website youdecide2007.
org in the federal election.”
He said www.qlddecides.com was a joint initiative of QUT’s Creative Industries Faculty, the Local Government Association of Queensland and onlineopinion.
“Queensland Decides lets the rate-paying public get online, s u b m i t s t o r i e s a n d e n j oy independent coverage of their local election,” Dr Wilson said.
“And, if Queensland Decides follows youdecide2007.org, they will break some stories as well.
“We are launching in plenty of time for the election so people will have time to air their news and views.”
The site will feature local content from each local government area, expert opinion from site staff , and contributions from the candidates and community groups.
- Niki Widdowson
Science
A QUT researcher has found that our eyes may be to blame for the higher than average rates of skin cancers found on the nose.
Dr Benjamin Birt, who completed his PhD with QUT’s Faculty of Science, found that high rates of basal cell carcinoma skin cancers on the sides of the nose could be due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation rays refl ected off the eye.
“All surfaces refl ect a certain amount of radiation, our eyes are no diff erent,”
he said.
Dr Birt, pictured above, said the incidence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most commonly occurring
skin cancer in sub-tropical climates, was signifi cantly higher on the side of the nose than other parts of the face and neck which were more directly exposed to sunlight.
“This could be explained by refl ected radiation,” he said.
In order to study the refl ection of UV rays off the eye, Dr Birt made a cast of the front surface of his own eyeball.
He said this shape was then scanned into a model for a ray-tracing computer program which simulated rays refl ecting off the eye from a range of sun angles.
“I discovered that the curved shape of the eye created a focusing eff ect, producing UV hot spots on the side
of the nose,” he said.
“It is a possible explanation as to the high rates of skin cancers found on the nose.”
Dr Birt said the refl ected rays hit predominately between the tear duct and the bridge of the nose.
“The next step is to study a much greater range of facial shapes and radiation angles than possible with the existing model,” he said.
“I also hope the fi ndings will be picked up by medical researchers so a population study can be undertaken.”
In 2000-2001, Australians spent $264 million on treating non-melanoma skin cancers such as BCCs and more than 364,000 new cases were recorded
in 2001.
Dr Birt said one way of protecting the nose was to cover the eyes with sunglasses.
“But sunglasses may be a friend or foe to your nose, depending on how well they are designed,” he said.
“Good wraparound sunglasses reduce the amount of UV radiation reaching the eye from all angles.
“Non-wraparound sunglasses will block the UV entering the eye but due to more comfortable light levels the eyelids are open wide, thus allowing radiation entering around the sides of the sunglasses to be refl ected off the eyes onto the side of the nose.”
- Sandra Hutchinson
iPhone challenge to competition laws
Study fi nds eyes on the nose
Locals have say before council
elections
Law
THE release of Apple’s iPhone in Australia this year could be illegal under this country’s competition laws, say QUT law researchers.
Researcher Dale Cla pper ton, pictured right, said Apple had released the iPhone (a mobile phone, iPod and Internet-connected computer in one) in the US in June 2007, with an exclusive agreement with giant telco AT&T to provide mobile coverage.
“US iPhone buyers are required to sign a two-year mobile contract with AT&T before the iPhone will operate,”
Mr Clapperton said.
“Despite there being at least two class actions in the US against Apple alleging violations of antitrust and consumer protection laws, Apple has released the iPhone in Germany, France and the UK with exclusive agreements with mobile carriers.”
However, Mr Clapperton said that if Apple used this strategy in Australia it could come up against our third-line forcing laws which would make the
strategy of forcing consumers to do business with another organisation illegal.
“Australia’s competition laws may be uniquely suited to preventing this type of anti-competitive technological tying because they prohibit third-line forcing per se.”
This position is explored in an article, published in the QUT Law and Justice Journal, by Mr Clapperton and QUT’s Professor Stephen Corones, analysing the implications of the technological locking of the iPhone under Australia’s competition laws.
“ U S f i n a n c i a l a n a ly s t s h ave calculated that AT&T is paying Apple a US$18-a-month ‘commission’ per iPhone customer which, of course, is ultimately paid by the customer,” Mr Clapperton said.
“The digital locking of the iPhone forces consumers to use the mobile carrier nominated by Apple so that over the two-year contract term, the consumer would probably pay more in secret commissions to Apple than they paid for the iPhone in the fi rst
place.”
Mr Cla pper ton said Apple’s plans f o r r e l e a s i n g t h e iPhone in Australia had not yet been publicly announced but if its US marketing strategy was adopted in Australia, it would likely be prohibited by the Trade Practices Act 1974 provision dealing with third- line forcing.
“This law will greatly simplify the task of seeking redress for such behaviour through the courts and could prove a deterrent for exclusive release of the iPhone with one carrier,” he said.
- Niki Widdowson
Industrial design
A QUT industrial design graduate has exercising, socialising and safety all in hand with the development of a personal GPS system worn as a glove.
Alice Yeung, pictured above, who has recently completed a Graduate Diploma in Industrial Design at QUT’s School of Design, came up with the Zoom device to tack le two modern day problems: social alienation and obesity.
“My initial research found that one
of the reasons people were becoming overweight was because they did not know anyone to go for a walk or run with,” Ms Yeung said.
“They said they put off taking to the walkways and bikeways for security reasons or because they didn’t like exercising by themselves.
“So the problem was to come up with an inexpensive and fl exible way for people to exercise with companions whenever time allows.”
Ms Yeung’s solution was Zoom, a stylish, minimalist silicon glove fi tted with a GPS system that can easily be
worn while walking or running and is connected to computer software.
“The Zoom system lets users decide the sort of exercise activity they want to do, key in their desired distance, pace and terrain, and then download it to the device.
“The user then logs their chosen route in either a private or public mode depending on the level of security required. With a password, Zoom allows friends and family to track the user’s running route in real time,” Ms Yeung said.
“This way they can meet up with
them en route or know approximately what time they will be returning.
“The user can alert other members of their group of their route so that they can meet up with them.”
Ms Yeung said Zoom was another way to bring people in cities together to form informal social networks of likeminded people that was fl exible and able to keep pace with most people’s busy lives.
Ms Yeung hopes one day to bring her Zoom concept to market.
- Niki Widdowson
Business
IF Elle McPherson was involved in a major scandal, would her underwear company falter? New QUT research suggests it might.
Celebrity entrepreneurs may help sell more products but the risk involved may be too great for the companies behind the scenes, according to business researchers Professor Per Davidsson and Erik Hunter.
The researchers have found that scandals involving celebrities with entrepreneurial links may negatively affect consumers’ impressions of a company, more so than when a celebrity is hired merely to endorse a product.
Professor Davidsson and PhD researcher Erik Hunter from the Brisbane Graduate School of Business are conducting the fi rst study into the role of celebrity entrepreneurs and their impact on consumers’
attitudes towards the new ventures they promote.
Professor Davidsson said celebrity entrepreneurs included people such as Oprah and Paul Newman, and lingerie giants Elle McPherson and Kylie Minogue – people with a vested interest.
The researchers said companies had used celebrities to endorse products for years but more recently celebrities appeared to be involved in entrepreneurial roles such as starting up and investing in new businesses.
“The major difference between the two is that consumers believe celebrity entrepreneurs are more involved with the product they endorse – that creates a real boost to their credibility,” he said.
He said the team’s experiments had shown that consumers viewed a product more favourably when the company was being promoted by its own celebrity entrepreneur rather than by a celebrity endorser.
However, Mr Hunter said the advantages of celebrity involvement came at a price and a scandal could cause a harsh consumer backlash.
“When negative infor mation concerning a celebrity surfaces, the company must decide how to respond – do they fi re the celebrity or support them?” Mr Hunter said.
“Our fi ndings show that neither fi ring nor supporting the celebrity entrepreneur prevented the brand image from damage.
“However, companies that only employ celebrity endorsers can avoid damage to their brand and even improve their image if they take immediate action and fi re the celebrity in some cases of extremely negative publicity.”
Now that their initial findings have shown entrepreneurship to be more effective than endorsement, further investigation is needed into the benefi ts of increased involvement for celebrities.
- Carmen Myler
Celebrity sells
but comes at a price
Visitors
A DELEGATION of high-level Indian offi cials visited QUT last month.
Pictured from left are QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake, Indian High Commissioner Mrs Sujatha Singh, Indian Minister for Science and Technology Shrikapil Sharma, and Deputy
Kick-start
ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait Islander students embarking on an education degree were given an early taste of university life when they attended a pre-orientation event at QUT. Pictured are Kate Strange, Yasmin Lampton and Nina Ford.
WHAT’S on...
Exhibition
TILL MARCH 15 Body + The Shape of Things to Come includes the best new works from QUT’s 2007 Creative
Industries and Built Environment and Engineering Faculty graduates. Body+
at the Creative Industries Precinct, KG, features design, architecture, fashion, and much more. Pictured is James Fearn-Wannan’s animating art titled Lovesong. Details www.ciprecinct.qut.
com/whatshappening/.
Events
MARCH 9
The fi rst outdoor movie for 2008 at Kelvin Grove Urban Village will be screened on Sunday, March 9 at Kulgun Park. The movie is Ratatouille and will be screened as soon as dusk begins – between 6pm and 6.30pm. See www.
kgurbanvillage.com.au.
MARCH 10
Careers & Futures Fair. QUT students have the chance to meet and talk to potential employers from more than 150 top organisations at Gardens Point campus from 10am to 2pm. See www.
careers.qut.edu.au/job/fairs/futures/
index.jsp.
MARCH 17-20
The QUT community will come together to celebrate Harmony Day. Events will be held on March 17 at Gardens Point V Block podium from noon; March 18 at Carseldine Plaza from noon; March 19 at Kelvin Grove lawn from 11am; and March 20 at Caboolture lawn from noon.
For details, go to www.equity.qut.edu.
au/newsevents/events.jsp.
Seminar
MARCH 19
QUT Faculty of Education 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award winner Lynne Hinton will describe the transformation that occurred after introducing philosophy as a core subject for all students at Buranda State School. This is part of the Executive Dean’s Seminar Series for 2008 and will be held in A Block, Kelvin Grove campus. Details www.
education.qut.edu.au/resources/
deansseminarseries.jsp.
Conference
MARCH 12-14
Clients Driving Innovation:
Benefi ting from Innovation is the third annual conference of the QUT-based CRC for Construction Innovation. The conference discusses how applied research makes a diff erence in delivering social, environmental and economic benefi ts.
www.2008conference.crcci.info/.
Visit www.whatson.qut.edu.au for more event listings and to submit your upcoming event.
Janne Rayner (Editor) 07 3138 2361 Sandra Hutchinson 07 3138 2130 Sue Gardiner (Thurs/Fri) 07 3138 4494 Carmen Myler (Tues/Wed) 07 3138 4494 Rachael Wilson 07 3138 1150 Niki Widdowson 07 3138 1841 Erika Fish (Photography) 07 3138 5003 Marissa Hills (Advertising) 07 3138 2999 Richard de Waal (Design)
about IQ
Inside QUT is published by QUT’s Marketing and Communication Department. Our readership includes staff, students and members of the QUT community. The paper is also circulated to business, industry, government and media. Opinions expressed in Inside QUT do not necessarily represent those of the university or the editorial team.
Glove has a hand in runners’
personal safety
Vice-Chancellor (Research and Commercialisation) Arun Sharma.
Billboard art
THEY may not know it, but several Brisbane property owners who have brandished a brush to remove illegal graffi ti art have themselves participated in art. Their eff orts have been immortalised in the artwork, Overcoat, by Brisbane artist Ben Tennyson, and displayed on the 45-metre billboard at QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus. Overcoat features photographs taken of owners’ attempts to cover-up graffi ti.
