Queensland University of Technology Newspaper Issue 240 February 17 2004
www.news.qut.edu.au George Street Brisbane 4000 Telephone (07) 3864 2361 Registered by Australia Post – Publication No. QBF 4778. CRICOS No 00213J By Janne Rayner
BRISBANE Graduate School of Business (BGSB) is fl ying high after being ranked one of the world’s leading 100 full-time MBA programs – and one of Australia’s top three.
In a fi rst for a Queensland business graduate school, QUT’s BGSB made the cut and was placed 82 out of 100 by London’s Financial Times in its annual MBA global rankings last month.
Only two other Australian business schools made it onto the top 100 list: the Sydney-based Australian Graduate School of Management and the Melbourne Business School.
“This is great news for our school and for Queensland, as it confi rms that Brisbane is no longer a poor relation of the south when it comes to world-class business schools,” BGSB head Professor Evan Douglas said.
“The ‘FT 100’ is the defi nitive global ranking of MBA programs with the most relevant criteria for employers, students and schools – and this result will have immense value in the future recruitment of international students to QUT.”
Twenty criteria were used to determine the fi nal MBA rankings and in total 21,704 alumni students who graduated from business school three years ago (class of 2000) were contacted.
These criteria evaluated the career progress of graduates, the diversity of the MBA experience and the schools which are generating new ideas through academic and business research.
Statistics showed that when it came to finding a job within three months of graduation, QUT’s class of 2000 outstripped the global average with 87 per cent fi nding full-time employment compared to 79 per cent across the board.
BGSB graduates also scored well in career progress, coming in at a ranking of eight, and when it came to value for money, the school attracted a strong 35 ranking.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake said the result came atop recent news that BGSB was one of only two Australian business schools to receive accreditation with the prestigious Association of MBAs (an independent international body based in the UK which assesses the quality of MBA programs worldwide).
“We are starting to see real progress in recognition for the great efforts of our staff and students and further confirmation of QUT’s reputation as a university for the real world,” Professor Coaldrake said.
Business School
joins MBA elite list
First year acting students Tom Oakley and Renai Caruso pictured
at QUT’s new Creative Industries Precinct Kelvin Grove
Student Guide liftout: p 6, 7 Creative curtain lifts: p 11
2004: Let’s go!
For more details on student services, visit
www.studentservices.qut.com/advice/studentcentre/services &
Your lift-out 2004 guide to Student Services Orientation Activities
Pages 6 and 7
LAW lecturer Sally Kift has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to higher education at the 2003 Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT).
Associate Professor Kift, Assistant Dean (Teaching and Learning), was one of eight national award winners, who each received a $40,000 federal government grant in December.
Professor Kift took the top honour in the economics, business, law and related studies category.
Professor Kift said she was only one of a number of committed teachers at QUT and the award recognised the university’s investment in teaching and learning.
“My aim is to continually enhance students’ experience and to help them embrace university life,” a delighted Professor Kift said.
She said the prize money would be spent on staff development and to set up a support scheme for equity group students.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake said the award was a wonderful acknowledgement of Professor Kift’s abilities and leadership in teaching and learning within the Faculty of Law and within QUT.
“Professor Kift is a highly effective and talented teacher who is a great role model and a fi ne example of the high quality teaching provided to students at QUT,”
Professor Coaldrake said.
Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson presented Professor Sally Kift with her award at a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra.
Law teacher tops Oz
Aussie
donations jump 16%:
QUT research
by Mechelle Webb
A QUT study has found annual tax- deductible donations have jumped 16%
in the wake of donation-friendly tax reforms by the Federal Government.
The study, compiled by QUT’s Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofi t Studies, found Australians claimed
$838.15 million in donations, with 33% of taxpayers listing at least one gift on their tax returns.
The f igures are based on the Australian Taxation Off ice’s 2001 report which was released at the end of last year and contains the most recent statistics available publicly.
Centre director Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes said an analysis of
the report and other ATO information found annual tax-deductible donations had jumped 16.2% - the biggest single increase since records had been kept (i.e. 20 years).
He said researchers attributed this to changes in taxation law that allowed property gifts of more than $5000 to be claimed and that allowed wealthy families to set up “prescribed private funds”.
These funds operate in a similar manner to US family foundations and allow the one family to make donations into a named charitable fund and claim them as tax deductions.
The QUT study found individual taxpayers across the country made an average claim of $243.18 (up from
$211.33 the previous year).
New South Wales taxpayers gave the most on average ($315.82), with Northern Territorians recording the least ($153.96).
The tax records showed the average ACT resident donated $257.24, the average Victorian donated $231.86, and Western Australians averaged
$217.53.
South Australians claimed an average of $184.37 in donations, Tasmanians claimed $174.23 and Queenslanders claimed $169.39.
Not surprisingly, the study found the richer the taxpayer, the more they claimed in tax-deductible donations.
Workers who ear ned between
$20,000 and $24,999 for the year
recorded an average of $127.93 in donations, those earning $25,000 to
$34,999 claimed $133.25, those earning
$35,000 to $49,999 claimed $159.14 and those with an income of $50,000 to
$99,999 averaged $260.35 in claims.
The fi gures soared for the rich, with people in the $100,000 to $499,999 taxable income bracket claiming
$1009.32 in donations, and those in the $500,000 to $999,999 claiming
$6514.51 in donations.
If you earned more than $1 million of taxable income in 2000-2001 chances are you averaged a massive $64,638.12 in deductible donations.
Professor McGregor-Lowndes said claimed deductions by those in the highest income bracket had increased
240 per cent, mainly due to the establishment of new foundations.
The centre director stressed that the study was not a total record of Australian “generosity” because the ATO fi gures did not include money donated by people but not claimed on their tax return, or deductible donations claimed by companies (as opposed to individuals).
But he said it provided the country’s best available guide to giving.
“The government set out to expand philanthropy in Australia and they’ve done that,” he said.
“My next suggestion is that the range of organisations to which you can give a tax-deductible gift should be expanded.”
QUT researchers and the state’s top orthopaedic surgeons have joined forces to develop an innovative biological solution to treat painful arthritic conditions.
The breakthrough has the potential to enhance the lives of the 50,000 Australians who undergo joint replacement or spinal operations each year.
The biggest winners are expected to be the young sufferers of chronic conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis, joint disease and back pain who currently can’t be assured that their replacement joint will be there for life.
The university’s Orthopaedic Research Group is focused on tissue engineering and bone substitution
techniques which could ultimately do away with painful joint replacement surgery.
QUT researcher Professor Ross Crawford – who is also a leading orthopaedic surgeon – said the state’s top surgeons recently met with QUT researchers in Brisbane to discuss the latest advancements.
Hospital surgeons and QUT engineers, biologists, chemists and mathematicians are investigating alter native methods of treating musculoskeletal disorders.
Professor Crawford, who chairs the research team, said the collaboration of ideas and sk ills had been an innovative one.
“This integration of an orthopaedic surgeon within an engineering faculty
is an Australian- fi rst,” he said.
“It is now paying off with re s e a rc h e r s closing in on their goals which will u l t i m a t e l y lead to clinical applications.
“About $4 million of QUT, industry and government funding has already been invested in this project with another $500,000 ear marked by industry over the next two years to continue this research.
“While traditional joint replacement is extremely effective, there are still limitations in terms of the potential
Research group takes the pain out of joint replacement
Researcher and surgeon Professor Ross Crawford
Banking and steel under the hammer next month
BANKING and steel will be the two big industries to face the spotlight when QUT’s Business Leaders’ Forums kick off for 2004.
The popular forums are hosted by the Faculty of Business and regularly attract about 500 members of the local business community to the Brisbane Hilton for lunch.
Graham Kraehe, the CEO of BlueScope Steel (formerly BHP), will be the fi rst business boss to address this year’s forums on March 5.
Mr Kraehe is also a director of the National Australia Bank and chairs its new risk committee.
He is a former CEO of wine giant Southcorp and sits on the boards of News Corporation and Brambles.
Tickets for this year’s events can be booked through the Brisbane Hilton. More information on the forums is available at www.business.qut.edu.au/
partnerships for the mechanical device to fail.
“For this reason, researchers have been investigating alternative treatment methods which include tissue eng ineering and bone substitution.”
Professor Crawford said the research team hoped to f urther engage local surgeons.
“The combination of facilities and people in Queensland plus our proximity to the expertise in Asia gives us the opportunity to become a huge player in orthopaedic research,”
he said.
The team’s efforts will receive a further boost in the next year when construction begins on QUT’s $50 million Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation at the Kelvin Grove Urban Village.
The Queensland Government has provided $22 million toward the institute.
HIGH school students from across Queensland got their hands dirty at QUT over their school holidays – in the name of science.
The teenagers cut up sheep hearts, made slime and glow-in-the-dark chemicals and tried their engineering skills at building bridges out of ice- cream sticks.
It was all part of the 2004 Siemens Science Experience – a national science event hosted by QUT and other universities across the country.
The school holiday event, which was opened by Education Minister Anna Bligh, involved three days of hands-on experiments and fun at Gardens Point campus and aimed to foster a love of
science and encourage interest in science-related careers and study.
More than 120 students aged from 12 to 17 travelled to QUT from around Queensland, northern New South Wales, the Northern Territory and even Papua New Guinea, for the activities and talks.
“Kids come along and meet other
kids who are interested in science and just have a good time … it’s good fun, that’s really the bottom line,” QUT organiser and science lecturer Darren Pearce said.
“Along the way they get lots of infor mation about careers in science and ideas about cutting edge research.”
Experimenting teens make holiday science fun
Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes
Comment
by the Vice-Chancellor
Welcome to QUT’s exciting future
By Mechelle Webb
A team of QUT business brains plans to help reduce back pain around the world by launching a revolutionary posture device next year.
The “Spinal Sensor” has already attracted $1 million in Australian backing and will be put through six months of pilot clinical trials from March.
The four men behind the venture – who are all studying for MBAs through QUT’s Brisbane Graduate School of Business – expect to start production and launch the product in 80 countries early next year.
They believe Spinal Sensor Technologies’ worldwide revenue will pass $43 million within five years if physiotherapists and back pain sufferers see the same rehabilitation and prevention potential as they do.
The team will head to the United States in May to take part in an international entrepreneur competition and also seek distributors
for the massive American market.
The Spinal Sensor is a fl exible device that attaches to the small of the back and monitors the wearer’s posture and curvature of the spine.
It vibrates or makes a noise when posture problems arise.
With back pain costing more than $300 million a year in workers’
compensation in Australia and more than $24 billion in the US, the Spinal Sensor team believe their product could become an essential weapon in the battle against bad backs.
Inventor and marketing director Michael Carter, now 33, said he could well remember the emotional and physical pain of wearing a back brace down the length of his own spine as a 16-year-old-schoolboy.
He can also remember waking up as a 19-year-old and not being able to get out of bed after a night of studying with poor posture.
“As I was lying there I thought:
Wouldn’t it be great if I had something that could remind me when I wasn’t
sitting correctly when I was studying,”
he said.
Later that morning the industrial design student arrived at QUT and drew up his fi rst plans for the Spinal Sensor.
More than a decade later, the concept has won Australia’s “Moot Corp” venture capital competition and will now be pitted against ideas from MBA schools around the world in the international fi nal of the competition in Texas in May.
The event, which has been dubbed the “Super Bowl” of world business- plan competition, will see one team of fl edgling entrepreneurs take home US$100,000 in investment cash.
Mr Carter will travel to Texas with Spinal Sensor CEO Gary Rayner, business development manager and physiotherapist Brad Ross and chief fi nancial offi cer Tom Hession.
Adviser and QUT lecturer Kerry Holmes from the Brisbane Graduate School of Business will also join the team on their mission.
MBA spinal
team go global
MBA students (from left) Michael Carter, Gary Rayner, Brad Ross and Tom Hession will head to the USA in May to compete in an world business-plan competition.
AN additional inter-campus – between Carseldine and Kelvin Grove – and the new Inner Northern Busway (INB) will improve access to QUT from February 23.
The new inter-campus shuttle, using standard Brisbane City council buses, will connect Carseldine and Kelvin Groive campuses with the regular service which is free for QUT students and staff.
This service will operate like the
established and popular Kelvin Grove – Gardens Point inter-campus shuttle which will this year have an additoinal stop at Creative Industries.
The $135 million INB connects Gilchrist Avenue at Herston with Roma Street in the city via a new QUT Kelvin Grove Busway Station on the eastern boundary of the campus, next to the Victoria Park Golf Course.
Via the arterial INB with its many
services, many northside students can catch a bus direct to the campus without having to pay for an extra zone into the CBD and then change buses.
The 2.7km busway, a joint State Gover nment and Brisbane City Council project, will also include future stations at the Royal Children’s Hospital and Normanby.
The new QUT station includes two platforms, lifts, shelters, security
cameras and lighting, “realtime”
passenger information displays, and a pedestrian overpass between platforms.
The station is linked to the Kelvin Grove campus by a spine walkway.
Eight routes will travel through the station, including three new routes from Chermside (333), Stafford (376) and between QUT Carseldine and Kelvin Grove campuses (392).
Existing routes 330/331 (Bracken
Ridge), 340/341 (Carseldine) and Hornibrook Bus Lines route 11 (Redcliffe/Petrie/Strathpine) will also be diverted onto the Inner Northern Busway.
A special TransLink 333 route will also see natural gas buses run from Westfield Chermside to the CBD every 10 minutes in peak periods and 15 minutes off-peak.
Call Transinfo on 13 12 30 for more information.
Improved bus services make getting to and between QUT campuses easier
A QUT conference this month will address the impact of a free trade agreement with the USA and the future for Australia’s sugar industry.
The Evaluating Free Trade and Beyond one-day conference will be held at the Gardens Point campus on February 23 and include key players from the free trade debate.
QUT international business expert and conference convenor Dr Mark McGovern said the event would assess trade prospects, impacts and practicalities for a range of industries under international free trade reform.
The future of the sugar industry will also be discussed.
“Free trade is increasingly a mixed blessing,” Dr McGovern said.
“Some regions and industries are advantaged, but others are left exposed.”
He said sugar had been a sticking point in the free trade agreement nutted out between Australia and the USA.
He said the industry and State and Federal governments now needed to work better together if they were to rejuvenate the ailing industry.
Speakers and panellists at this month’s conference will include the US Embassy’s special FTA advisor, Michael Delaney, Australian Canefarmers Association chairman Ross Walker, and Federal MP De-Anne Kelly (a former cane farmer and Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade).
Dr McGovern said the conference would be open to the general public, as well as industry and government representatives.
For reg istration infor mation, call 07 3864 5294 or email [email protected]
Discounted tickets are available to QUT staff.
Uni holds more free trade talks
I WOULD like to wish everyone in the QUT community a rewarding 2004. In particular, I extend a special welcome to those 14,000 students who are commencing studies at QUT this semester.
Universities are large and diverse places, and new students can at times fi nd the task of orienting themselves a challenging one.
This can apply as much to older students as it does to those making the transition from school to university.
At QUT we seek to make every effort to smooth this transition for all students, and we encourage our students to engage with the academic and community life of the university as fully and as easily as possible.
QUT has already built a strong reputation for high academic quality and standards, and for the support we provide to students.
We have ambitious plans to strengthen these achievements, to provide fi rst-class teaching and
learning environments, to enrich education and research with technology and by building stronger links with industry, the professions and the wider community.
We have already commenced work on these plans, as can be seen by the transformations happening on the Kelvin Grove campus, with the new Creative Industries Precinct, the Urban Village, and the new Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation, and at the Carseldine Campus with the new teaching and learning building there.
QUT is very well positioned for the future.
All with an interest in QUT – including past, present and future students, as well as staff and the wider community – stand to benefi t from its growing national and international reputation.
Once again I welcome you to QUT to be part of this exciting new period.
Professor Peter Coaldrake Vice-Chancellor
AUSTRALIA might still be smarting after losing the Rugby World Cup but take heart … when it comes to robot soccer we’re the international number one.
A robot “trained” by Queensland University of Technolog y programmers is enjoying a well-earned
“off-season” break after claiming QUT’s fi rst world cup title in robot soccer late last year.
At just 8cm tall, “Kheperoo” can’t even see over the tennis ball he kicks around the 1m by 68cm playing fi eld.
But the $2000 pocket dynamo beat off challengers from the USA, Britain,
Argentina, Singapore and Germany to win the KheperaSot title at the 2003 FIRA Robot Soccer World Cup.
The little Khepera robots are the smallest, fully autonomous robots that compete in the Cup and are programmed to play independently rather than be operated by remote
controls.
QUT’s entrant, Kheperoo, earned the nickname “Ned Kelly” during the tournament because of the black-and- white striped paper “helmet” he wore so that he could be recognised by his opponents during the one-on-one games.
The robot’s coach was Narongdech Keeratipranon – an IT masters student from Thailand who will return to QUT this year to complete his PhD and “train” Kheperoo for a shot at defending his title.
Dr Frederic Maire, a senior lecturer with QUT’s Faculty of Information Technology, travelled to the host city of Vienna in Austria with Mr Keeratipranon for the FIRA World Cup.
He said his Thai student had worked wonders with the little robot for the competitive event.
“I was confi dent we had a good player
… but in this type of competition you never know what your opposition will come up with next,” he said.
“It’s kind of like an arms race between the teams.
“Winning the Cup has been a huge boost for everyone at the faculty.”
And while robot soccer is fun way for students to learn and develop skills, advances in robot technology have important implications for society.
“Engineers are designing robots whose duties include serious tasks like cleaning, mining, garbage sorting, people rescuing, surveillance, planetary exploration, and personal assistance to the disabled or the aged,”
Dr Maire said.
By Heath Kelly
INDIGENOUS children in the western Queensland communities of Cunnamulla and Charleville will combine sport with their cultural heritage this year in a QUT project that has been lauded by one of Australia’s greatest ever athletes, Herb Elliott.
The Indigenous Games Project is aimed at encouraging young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to participate in culturally-based physical activities in a bid to strengthen community health, pride and identity.
Mr Elliott said sports-based activities such as the Indigenous Games Project helped improve the self-esteem of young individuals during a visit to Brisbane late last year in his role as chairman of the Telstra Foundation.
The QUT initiative is one of two innovative Indigenous projects funded by the Telstra Foundation.
It has also provided a grant for the “Strong and Smart” Digital Project at Cherbourg, a partnership between QUT and Cherbourg State School designed to raise technological literacy among rural Indigenous children.
During his visit, QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake presented Mr Elliott with a Fellows Certifi cate, and thanked the Telstra Foundation for its substantial support to the University.
Also at the presentation was QUT graduate David Moffatt, the Telstra chief of Consumer and Marketing, and its president of international operations.
Mr Elliott, the chairman of the Telstra Foundation and gold medallist in the 1500m at the 1960 Rome Olympics, is a strong believer in both QUT initiatives and has taken a particular interest in the Indigenous Games Project.
QUT and Mr Elliott are confi dent the success of the project in the far North Queensland community of Weipa last year can be replicated in Charleville and Cunnamulla in 2004.
“We were delighted to hear that the fi rst year of our funding to the Indigenous Games Project in Weipa went so well and so we are pleased to make a further grant to extend the model to the Indigenous communities of Charleville and Cunnamulla,” Mr Elliott said.
Mr Elliott said sport was an important part of a child’s education and provided
Award- winning journalist exposes his skills at QUT
THE award-winning journalist who exposed the corruption that lead to the Fitzgerald Inquiry will lecture a new generation of investigative reporters at QUT this year.
Phil Dickie, a Gold Walkley award-winner, will conduct master classes as part of the university’s Master of Arts (Research) program.
The postgraduate, 12-month course is aimed at journalists who want to hone their investigative skills and will be based at QUT’s new multimedia precinct.
Masters students will have access to pur pose-built newsroom facilities at the $60 million Creative Industries Precinct which will open at the Kelvin Grove Urban Village in March.
The course will focus on investigative jour nalism, analytical public affairs reporting and in-depth coverage of contemporary social issues and trends.
The new Creative Industries Precinct will also offer postg raduate deg rees in communication design, arts and cultural management, dance teaching, drama teaching, creative advertising, film and television, music, and publishing and editing.
Crime degree nabs off-
shore interest
SINGAPOREAN police will be the fi rst people to study for a new Master of International Crime Management offered by QUT.
The police off icers from Singapore have already completed QUT’s Bachelor of Justice (International Policing), which is only offered overseas.
The university will offer its new off-shore Master of International Crime Management in Singapore this year and is expected to widen it to other countries in following years.
It will target members of overseas police services, defence departments and security organisations, rather than the general public.
Jointly run by QUT’s law and business faculties, the Masters of International Crime Management will cover issues including government-business relations, terrorism, international management trends, and strategic crime management.
QUT lecturer Dr Mark Craig – an international crime and terrorism expert – recently attended the Inter national Police Executive Symposium in the Kingdom of Bahrain where he discovered strong interest in the new course.
The Netherlands police commissioner has been among those to express interest in having the program delivered in his country.
QUT has also held talks with the United Arab Emirates regarding postgraduate justice courses that could be offered in that nation.
QUT soccer robot wins ‘world cup’
Oz Olympic great backs Indigenous
sport project
Senior lecturer Dr Frederic Maire with “Kheperoo” the robot which won the Robot Soccer World Cup in Austria.
many valuable life lessons.
“The best lessons you learn in life are subconscious or subtle lessons,” Mr Elliott said.
“When you are in a team you realise people are depending on you and with sport you learn discipline, the need to prepare and play by a set of rules so there is no chaos.
“This is not only a part of sport but a part of life,” he said.
Beryl Meik lejohn, from QUT’s Faculty of Health, will oversee the implementation of the Indigenous Games Project.
Legend athlete Herb Elliot on a visit to QUT late last year to champion a new QUT project to enrich the lives of Indigenous children through culture and sport
OPPORTUNITIES for low-income and rural students have been boosted by recent news that QUT has attracted the nation’s second-largest swag of Commonwealth Learning Scholarships for 2004.
Under the federal government’s higher education reforms, QUT has been allocated $886,000 for the new scholarships in 2004 which will benefi t almost 290 students.
The Commonwealth Lear ning Scholarships fall into two categories with one for low-income earners and another for those from rural backgrounds.
Students under fi nancial pressure can apply for a scholarship valued at
$2,000 a year for educational expenses, while rural students who have moved away from home can apply for a
scholarship worth $4,000 a year to help meet living costs.
Scholarships will be allocated by the end of semester one and will be paid each year for a maximum of four years.
All students will be notifi ed by e- mail when application forms become available.
The application deadline for QUT’s own $2,000 Equity Scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds has passed but new but new and continuing students can apply for a $500 QUT bursary in second semester to ease fi nancial stress.
In addition, QUT operates a computer scheme, providing free computers, modem and dial-in access to the university.
If needed, students may have access
to emergency loans, and financial counselling.
The university’s faculties also offer a wide range fi nancial support.
These include equity and industry- based scholarships, cash bursaries, book loan schemes, book vouchers, summer scholarships, and HECS-free places.
This year QUT will also receive 33 Australian postgraduate awards worth almost $2 million and seven International Postgraduate Research Scholarships.
The QUT Student Guild offers sports scholarships and textbook bursaries plus a number of other bursaries and grants.
For full details on all scholarships offered at QUT visit www.qut.edu.au/
services/admission/schlship.jsp
By Mechelle Webb
THE increasing importance of science in combating crime has prompted QUT to expand its forensic science course.
Gordon Park resident and QUT forensic science student Nicole McDougall is one of a g rowing band of young people following their fascination with forensics to university.
Nicole enrolled in forensic science as a co-major but from this year budding investigators will have the opportunity to tackle even more subjects in the fi eld as part of a new full major.
In a move that counters “CSI”
TV fiction with QUT’s real world training, the university will introduce the expanded forensic science course in 2004’s fi rst semester.
Places in the new Bachelor of Applied Science (Forensic Science) have already been in high demand with school-leavers intent on a career analysing evidence and working with DNA and genetic engineering.
Nicole hopes to be a scenes-of-crime offi cer with the Queensland Police Service when she leaves QUT.
“Forensic work will be rewarding because I hope to be able to help the community by solving more crimes and therefore aid the justice process,”
she said.
“But the glorifi cation of forensics is far removed from the reality of the study and the work.”
“It is hard work but a worthwhile challenge – so if it’s what you really want, go for it.”
QUT’s Dean of Science, Professor Graeme George, agreed and said
forensic science was a tough occupation that required hard work.
“I think people have to realise that life as a forensic scientist isn’t all about CSI – it’s a career choice that involves high quality scientifi c training and the ability to give evidence in court,” he said.
“QUT has been training forensic scientists for many years, but we previously offered forensic science as a co-major or minor study.
“It has now been elevated to major studies status and we are seeking to maximise career opportunities by offering a double major with areas such as chemistry or biotechnology.”
Professor George said QUT offered hands-on forensic experience.
“Students can expect to immerse themselves in activities such as crime scene investigation, fingerprinting, forensic photography, toxicology and pharmacology, and other important analytical techniques,” he said.
He said QUT staff already worked with government and industry to analyse crime scene samples.
These included QUT forensic scientist Dr Angela van Daal, who was the fi rst person to secure a conviction on DNA evidence in Queensland.
“We’ve got real world forensic scientists working with the university who are often called upon as expert witnesses in criminal and civil legal cases,” Professor George said.
QUT graduates are already working in police and government forensic science roles, with some graduates also forging ahead and establishing their own companies in this growing industry.
By Simon Atkinson
WINNING a university medal is a fantastic achievement for any student, but Belinda Morey of Ferny Hills has gone one better - and been awarded two.
The 22-year old this week graduated from her five-year double degree course at QUT.
And she was presented with the prestig ious medals - awarded for academic excellence - in both of her degree programs.
It is the fi rst time in the university’s history that two QUT medals have been awarded to one student.
Belinda studied Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition and Dietetics) and Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement Studies) at QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus.
After completing her double degree in November, she began work as a dietitian at the Royal Brisbane Hospital.
Belinda, who was a student representative for the Dietitians Association of Australia said: “When I heard about being awarded the two medals I was delighted and very surprised.
“It was fi ve years of hard work but the course was excellent and with all
the practical experience which it gave me I felt confi dent starting work and I am really enjoying working with patients.”
Dean of the QUT Faculty of Health, Professor Ken Bowman said: “This achievement recognises Belinda’s distinguished academic performance throughout the course.
“The QUT Medal is a prestigious award made each year to a very limited number of graduates who reach an exceptionally high level of achievement.”
Belinda was among 4,500 QUT students to receive degrees in nine graduation ceremonies this month.
THE University Commencement Service is a special event on the QUT calendar that brings together academic staff, students and their families to celebrate spirituality, tolerance and the start of the academic year.
This year’s service will be held in the Gardens Theatre at the QUT Gardens Point campus on Monday, March 1, starting at 5:00pm.
The Governor of Queensland, Quentin Bryce, AC, will be the
special guest of honour at the service which will be attended by senior representatives of various religions.
QUT Chancellor Dr Cherrell Hirst AO said the service would be an ecumenical, multi-faith gathering bringing the world’s various religions together.
“The service is an opportunity for staff and students to come together in an atmosphere of worship and understanding,” Dr Hirst said.
“It is also an opportunity to celebrate our cultural diversity and spirituality, so important in light of world events, and to so commence the academic year.”
One of the highlights of the service, which is being held at a QUT campus for the fi rst time, will be the procession of staff in full academic regalia.
Refreshments will be provided for those attending following the service.
Scholarships ease students’ burden
CSI meets QUT in new forensic science course Double helping of medals
on the menu for Belinda
All welcome at Commencement Service
Forensic science students James Blonco and Nicole McDougall
Double celebration for Melissa Morey on graduation day.
Banking
GP Commonwealth Bank ATM – ground level, Y Block
(next to refectory)
Uni Credit Union – top level, Y Block, 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri.
3229 1388.
Multicard ATM – outside Y Block.
KG Uni Credit Union – level 1, A Block, 11am-2pm Mon-Fri. 3864 3187.
Multicard ATM – main entrance to C Block, near bookshop.
Cars Uni Credit Union (agency only) – bookshop, level 3, C Block.
Books
Bookshops are located at Gardens Point, Kelvin Grove and Carseldine and also sell computer software. Visit www.bookshop.qut.edu.au, shop online through QUT Virtual or email [email protected].
These are the core hours but the shops open extended hours during the fi rst two weeks of each semester.
GP – ground level, Y Block, 8.30am- 6pm Mon-Thu, 8.30am-4pm Fri.
(During breaks/exams, 8.30am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8.30am-4pm Fri.) 3864 2433.
KG – level 2, C Block, 8.30am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8.30am-4pm Fri. 3864 3125.
Cars – level 3, C Block, 8.30am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8.30am-1pm Fri. 3864 4569.
Second-hand textbooks are available through the Student Guild Info Centres (see separate entry).
Campus clubs (QUT Student Guild) GP– top level, Y Block KG– top level, C Block Cars – top level, R Block
Campus shops (QUT Student Guild)
GP – ground level, Y Block, 8.30am- 6pm Mon-Thu, 8.30am-4pm Fri.
(9am-4pm during recess.) 3864 1681.
KG – Kelvin Grove News and Post Offi ce, opposite bookshop in C Block, 7am-5pm Mon-Fri. 3864 3330.
Careers & Employment Service GP – level 2, U Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri. 3864 2649.
KG – level 4, C Block, 8am-4pm Mon-Fri. 3864 3488.
Cars – C Block (Counselling), 8am- 4pm Wed, 9am-5pm Thu. 3864 4539.
Course direction and career support – 3864 2649, email [email protected] or visit www.qut.edu.au/careers. (Call Student Guild on 3864 5509 for information on casual employment and off-campus accommodation.)
Chaplaincy Services GP Fr Bavin Clarke is the QUT Chaplain and can be called on 3864 2700 or 0414 642 700. The Chaplain
is based at Old Government House, GP.
KG Campus Minister is Rev Nigel Zimmermann – 3864 3352, room A131 KG. The Chaplaincy Service visits Carseldine – contact the student centre for details.
Childcare Centres (QUT Student Guild)
** NB – long waiting lists apply GP – child care centre (six weeks to fi ve years), 7.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri.
3864 1690.
GP – crèche (six weeks to fi ve years), 7.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri. 3864 4047.
KG – 9 School Street, 7.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri. 3864 3943. (NB – Centre will temporarily close mid-year during site redevelopment.)
Cars – 7.30am-6pm Mon-Fri. (Eastern Beams Rd entrance.)
Clubs & Societies (QUT Student Guild)
To fi nd out about a wide variety of clubs and societies, call 3864 1213 or visit www.guildonline.net.
Computing Services
Student Computing Help Desk – 8am-10pm Mon-Fri during semester, 9am-6pm weekends. 3864 2898.
Counselling Services
The Counselling Service promotes academic and personal development by providing a professional, free and confi dential service to students.
Advice on loans and disability services is also available.
GP – level 1, Y Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, 9am-4pm Fri. 3864 2383.
KG – level 4, C Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri. 3864 3488.
Cars – level 2, C Block, 8am-4pm Mon-Wed. 3864 4539.
Equity Programs & Services QUT provides a range of programs and services to create an inclusive environment and to support the social and cultural diversity of students and staff. The Equity Section offers confi dential information and advice.
GP – level 1, X Block. 3864 2699.
KG – level 2, K Block. 3864 3652.
www.equity.qut.edu.au
Fitness Centre
(QUT Student Guild)
GP – Y Block (below refectory), 6am- 8.30pm Mon-Thur, 6am-7.30pm Fri, 9am -1pm & 3pm-7pm Sat, 3pm-7pm Sun. 3864 2945.
KG – C Block (below refectory), 6.30am-8pm Mon-Thur, 6.30am- 6.30pm Fri, 9am-1pm Sat. 3864 3710.
Food venues & catering GP Refectory – lower level, Y Block Degrees Café – top level, Y Block Artisans on the Yard
– opposite D Block
Merlos Café – ground level, X Block The Bean Fix – level 4, Z Block The Big Fix – O Block Podium Bean Junior – outside library entrance
KG Refectory – C Block Beadles on the Quad – behind A Block
Cars Refectory – level 3, C Block Pixels – level 3, C Block
Guild Aquatic & Squash (QUT Student Guild)
A 25-metre, eight-lane indoor heated swimming pool. Two glass-backed squash courts for squash, rebound volleyball, badminton and table tennis.
I Block, GP (beside refectory).
5.30am-8pm Mon-Thur, 5.30am-7pm Fri, 9am-5pm Sat & Sun. 3864 1688 or 3864 2818.
Health Services & Clinics GP – lower level, Y Block, 8.30am- 5pm Mon-Fri. 3864 2321.
KG – level 4, C Block, 8am-4pm Mon-Fri. 3864 3161.
Cars – Carseldine Medical Centre, Clock Corner Shopping Centre, Beams Rd. 3263 1240.
For comprehensive information about the QUT Health Service, visit www.qut.edu.au/healthservice
Family Therapy & Counselling Clinic Cars – level 4, L Block. 9am-5pm Mon-Fri for information or to make appointments. (This is a fee-paying service).
Clinic hours are Mon 3pm-9pm, Wed 9am-2pm, Thurs 9am-2pm. 3864 4578.
Human Movement Clinic KG – level 4, O Block, B Wing (free parking for appointments), 8am-4pm Mon-Fri. 3864 8519
Optometry Clinic
KG – level 5, O Block, B Wing.
Enquiries – 8am-5pm Mon-Fri (except Wed 8am-7pm). 3864 5743 or 3864 5695. Open during semester breaks.
Podiatry Clinic
KG – level 6, O Block, B Wing, 9am-3pm Mon-Fri. 5pm-7pm Tues &
Wed. 3864 5652.
Campus Physiotherapy GP – QUT Sports Centre (Pool Complex, I Block) on the gallery level, 8am-4pm Mon-Fri. 3864 1687 or 3870 1899 (Most consultations at Taringa practice after midday).
KG – lower level, C Block, 8am- 4pm Mon-Fri. 3864 3711 or 3870 1899 (Most consultations at Taringa practice after midday)
For more details on student services, visit www.studentservices.qut.com/advice/studentcen
Your lift-out 2004 Guide to Student S
SHE may only be halfway through her secondary school teaching degree but QUT ambassador Michelle Barnard-Lake is already getting plenty of practice talking to classrooms full of teenagers.
Michelle has travelled the length and breadth of Queensland and even traversed through Northern New South Wales to spread the word on the value of studying at QUT and what’s more – she gets paid for it.
QUT ambassadors are employed to represent the university at school talks, careers and corporate events and to conduct student surveys and campus tours.
“I love it – it is very rewarding work. I am trying to convince my friends into doing it as well,” Michelle said.
“I have been all over Queensland telling people about my degree, study and university life in general,” she said.
Being an ambassador has provided Mic has with – so onc
“ not me 12 s diffe that
O Week swing
SLIP into your favourite pair of acid wash jeans and turn up the Duran Duran because, for better or worse, the 80s are back in fashion and the QUT Student Guild will be celebrating its revival by hosting a massive dress-up party as one of its major orientation events.
The party to be held on March 2 at Gardens Point is just one of a number of exciting events the guild has planned to welcome in the new academic year during the fi rst few weeks of the semester across all QUT campuses.
Student Guild events offi cer Adam McNiven said QUT would be a hive of activity in the coming weeks with market days, comedy nights and concerts just a fraction of what would be on offer.
QUT’s vast array of clubs and societies will also be on a campaign drive to attract new members during the start of the semester.
“This is the perfect chance to open your eyes to see what the student guild and the university in general has to offer,” Mr McNiven said.
While the 80s party is an over 18s event only, a number of all ages shows are also planned with the highlight the deliciOus gig featuring bands The Casanovas and Intercooler on February 27 at the Guild Bar at Gardens Point.
The following week Australian favourites Bodyjar and Screamfeeder will also take to the stage in an over 18s show which is expected to be a sell out.
International and out-of-town students will have welcoming parties and campus tours will also be held regularly. A Queer Students’ Film Night will also be held on the Friday of O-Week.
Mr McNiven said partaking in any of the social activities or joining one of the plethora of clubs and societies helped new students adapt to university life.
“Meeting friends and socialising isn’t always easy to do at university but we are able to help new students, show them what’s available and make them aware of the support services on offer,” Mr McNiven said.
For full details visit www.orientation.qut.edu.au
QUT ambassadors earn f
Student Guild m Fentiman, Ryan
ntcentre/services Services & Orientation Activities
ID Cards
To obtain a QUT ID card, providing you with access to computer labs, the library and exams, you must attend an image capture session.
GP – Z Block (room 413), 9.30am- 5.30pm Mon-Fri. Feb 16-Mar 19.
9.30am-1.30pm Sat Mar 6 and 13.
KG – Student Centre, K Block, 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri.
Feb 16-Mar 19.
9.30am-1.30pm Sat Mar 6.
Cars – Student Centre, C Block. 9am- 5pm Mon-Fri.
Caboolture Community Campus – Campus administration, ground fl oor, 11am-4pm Mon-Fri.
International Student Services International Student Services (ISS) provides a range of services specifi cally designed for international students and Australian students from non-English speaking
backgrounds. These include language and learning skills assistance, orientations, accommodation, fi nancial assistance, confi dential counselling as well as social and cultural activities.
GP – lower level, Y Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri. 3864 2019.
KG – level 4, C Block, 9am-4pm Mon-Fri. 3864 3488.
Homestay enquiries – KG, level 2 C Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri. 3864 3846.
International Relations Unit www.resa.qut.edu.au/iru.html The focal point for the university’s international activity, the QUT student exchange program, study abroad programs and international visitors.
GP – level 3, O Block Podium, 9am- 5pm Mon-Fri. 3864 4300.
Student Exchanges 3864 2200 and Study Abroad 3864 1217.
Learning Support
Learning and support is available for all students and covers a range of topics to help you learn more effectively. Singular or group appointments can be made to meet with a Staff Learning Advisor.
3864 9100. www.talss.qut.edu.au/
service/sal/.
Library
GP Information Desk, 3864 2083.
Law Library Information Desk, 3864 2842.
KG Information Desk, 3864 3079.
Cars Information Desk, 3864 4555.
ELibrary – www.lib.qut.edu.au
Lost Property
GP – Campus Parking offi ce, level 1, M Block 3864 4259.
KG – Campus Services, level 2, A Block. 3864 3940.
Cars – Campus Services, level 3, C Block, 3864 4627.
Maths Help
The Maths Access Centre aims to improve access to ideas and achievement in mathematics and statistics for fi rst-year students.
www.maths.qut.edu.au/mac/
index.html
Oodgeroo Unit
The Oodgeroo Unit for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students has facilities on all campuses.
Academic and general staff are available to all Indigenous students to give advice, help and support on issues affecting their studies.
GP – ground level, X Block, room 104. 3864 1548
KG – level 2, B Block, room 205.
3864 3610
Cars – level 4, C Block, room 409.
3864 4599
Parking
Parking at QUT is very limited (especially at GP and KG) and penalties apply for breaching parking regulations. Pay and display car parks exist at GP and KG. All campuses are easily accessed via public transport (see transport information below). Applications for people with demonstrated need are available at www.fmd.qut.edu.au/campus_
services/parking/
Printing & Copying – QUT Printing Services Photocopying, microfi lm copying, transparency copying, colour copying, laser printing, colour printing, large format colour printing, plan printing, laminating, Internet Access Service (IAS) payments, library payments, EFTPOS facility, lecture tape duplication, binding facilities, media supplies, and laptop leasing and purchase.
GP – level 4, V Block. 3864 1474 Law Library – level 6, C Block. 3864 5019
KG – level 3, R Block. 3864 3938 Cars – level 2, R Block. 3864 4772 www.scps.qut.edu.au
Q-Step Program
The Q-Step Program provides increased opportunities and support to people from disadvantaged backgrounds. 3864 3731.
Security
General enquiries 3864 5585 Emergencies 3864 5555 Freecall 1800 065 585 (from anywhere in Australia)
Security operates 24 hours a day on all campuses, with emergency points on each campus. Electronic swipecard access for those with a demonstrated need can be organised through your faculty or school. Escorts can be arranged to accompany you to your car in the evening. Night shuttle buses also service each campus – 3864 3940.
www. fmd.qut.edu.au/security
Student Centres Visit the student centre for information and assistance with the following: admission enquiries, academic credit; enrolment; fees (HECS, PELS, tuition and Guild fees); transport concessions, campus maps, directions and other administration or general enquiries.
GP – level 1, A Block.
KG – level 4, K Block Cars – level 3, C Block.
Cab – Ground Floor, Town Square Precinct
Opening hours –
studentservices.qut.com/advice/
studentcentre/index.jsp
Student Guild Info Centres
(QUT Student Guild)
The information centres are for students who require information about any issue or concern regarding university life. People can also sell and purchase second-hand textbooks (see Books).
GP – level 3, Y Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Thur, 9am-4pm Fri. 3864 1213.
Second-hand books 3864 1680.
KG – level 3, C Block, 9am-4pm Mon-Fri. 3864 3704.
Cars – level 3, C Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Thur, 9am-3pm Fri. 3864 4714.
Student Ombudsman QUT has an ombudsman to help students resolve complaints or grievances. Details of the service are available from www.qut.edu.au/
ombudsman or 3864 2457.
Transport Information
From 23 February 2004, bus services for QUT campuses will be greatly improved. While QUT sponsors the inter-campus routes, all services are run by Brisbane City Council.
FREE (upon presentation of ID card) inter-campus services include:
• Kelvin Grove to Gardens Point 391 direct return service every 15 minutes during semester (every 30 minutes outside semester).
• Kelvin Grove to Carseldine new 392 direct return service every 60 minutes.
The new Inner Northern Busway (INB):
• connects Roma Street Station with Royal Brisbane Hospital via QUT Kelvin Grove bus station.
• Carseldine/Kelvin Grove/Roma Street 340/341 service via INB.
For links to timetables and more information on other public transport to QUT, visit www.qut.edu.au/services/studstaff/
transport.jsp KEY:
GP = Gardens Point campus KG = Kelvin Grove campus Cars = Carseldine campus Cab = Caboolture campus NOTE: Many times listed here only apply during semester, not during exam periods or semester breaks.
to lks, duct am ng it ing and ded
Michelle with a regular income and has enabled the 19-year-old to network with high schools throughout the state – something that could prove a great help once she fi nishes her teaching degree.
“Considering I want to be a teacher not only does being an ambassador give me great experience speaking to Year 12 students, I am also able to check out different high schools, so it benefi ts me in that way as well,” she said.
Michelle has done hundreds of presentations over the last two years but said her recent foray to North Queensland to promote QUT at rural and regional careers markets had been a major highlight.
“We started off in Cairns and went to other places including Mackay, Townsville and Bowen, they are long days but they are also great fun.”
Like his fellow ambassador, humanities student Lance Devlin, can’t wait to get back on the road and into schools to promote QUT and particularly the Carseldine Campus.
“I am really surprised not many people know what happens at Carseldine so it is a good opportunity to let people know all the good things it has to offer,” he said.
While work and study is sometimes an unavoidable clash for many students, both Lance and Michelle said there was never any pressure to work if there were overriding commitments.
“Depending on your workload and schedule it is up to you when you work.
Some ambassadors make a heap of presentations and some do one a month, it is very fl exible,” Michelle said.
The QUT Student Ambassador Program is seeking new ambassadors for all faculties except Creative Industries this year.
Application details www.studentserv ices.qut.edu.au/resources/marketing/
ambassadors.jsp.
ngs into action
rn friends – and income
nt Guild members gear up for 80s karaoke (from left) James Slater, Shannon man, Ryan Ginard, Leo Chamo and Kirsten Harte
QUT Student Ambassadors from left, Michelle Barnard, Lauren Saville, and Liam Carden.
Posterworld returns once again for the 7th year to QUT.
Visit the refectories at QUT Kelvin Grove from 1 March - 5 March and Gardens Point from 22 March - 26 March.
2,500 posters and prints are available plus discounted laminating while you wait.
Present this ad for 1 free poster from our specials racks with each purchase.
Giant Poster and Print Sale
bus way
fastway
qtp 266
QUT - Kelvin Grove Busway Station and the Inner Northern Busway are now open.
High frequency, dedicated services between the CBD, QUT Kelvin Grove campus and the northern suburbs mean you’ll save time and money getting to and from uni. Make the most of your time and enjoy the ride.
For customised trip solutions contact TransInfo on 13 12 30 or visit www.transinfo.qld.gov.au
DOCTOR appointments for Australian students who visit QUT’s medical centres are expected to remain free despite plans to stop bulk-billing for university staff this year.
Growing demand for medical consultations and increasing practice costs has prompted a review of the university’s health service charges.
Staff consultations will continue to be bulk-billed until April, after which staff are likely to be required to pay a private fee at the time of their appointment.
Other Brisbane universities have adopted similar measures.
Healthcare card holders will still be able to bulk- bill.
QUT has medical clinics at its Gardens Point (Y Block) and Kelvin Grove (C Block) campuses.
Students and staff can call 3864 2321 to make an appointment at Gardens Point and 3864 3161 for Kelvin Grove appointments.
Free GP visits for students
What’s on at the QUT Art Museum in 2004
By Simon Atkinson
TIME is running out if you want to enjoy a collection of paintings by rarely exhibited Australian female artists.
The exhibition The Brisbane Line:
Queensland Women Ar tists of the Early Twentieth Century is a dynamic collection of the work of nine women – much of it inspired by turn of the century urban Brisbane, and ends on March 7.
The QUT Art Museum’s season continues with Glacier (Feb 20 to May 2) – demonstrating the exciting way in which Australian artists are exploring new possibilities for painting using technolog y and contemporary culture.
The 17 artists apply tools including digital technology and photography to the traditional craft of painting.
And if it is something a little out of the ordinary you are looking for, look no further than Wang Zhiyuans’s hand-
carved, hand-painted cross cultural underpants.
The art museum’s curator, Gordon Craig said visitors would find the collection “dazzling and at times curiously humorous”.
For many of QUT’s 2003 Visual Arts g raduates, Nascent is their debut professional exhibition. Enjoy the installation, video, painting and sculpture from Feb 20 to May 2.
Out of The Shadows: The Mezzotints of Graeme Peebles is a collection inspired by Lake Eucumbene and the ever changing storm fronts that roll across Kosciusko National Park. See work which has made Peebles a key fi gure in Australian printmaking from March 12 to May 20.
The distinctive styles and techniques of textile from Indonesia’s eastern islands will capture your imagination in Beyond The Timor Sea: Textiles of Nusa Tengarra.
Traditional work from West Timor,
Roti, Sumba Sumbawa, Flores Solar archipelago and Bali is on show from May 28 to 22 Aug.
The Inter national Digital Ar t Awards from June 4 to Aug 15 brings together dig ital f ine artists with digital photographers, videographers, animators, IT developers and corporate advertisers to showcase the multi- faceted nature of digital art.
New and emerg ing Australian artists whose work is jam-packed full of energy and vitality goes on display from Aug 20 to Oct 24 in SAVVY: New Australian Art.
Australian Surrealism: The Agapitos/
Wilson Collection runs from Aug 27 to Nov 7.
Students from the creative industries faculty respond to work on show at the gallery, and respond to selected pieces in their own media and style from Oct 29 to Jan 30 2005.
And from Nov 12 to February next year experience Torres Strait Islander
Linocut Prints - an exhibition with strong links to traditional carving.
The QUT Cultural Precinct has another action packed program of events from plays and concerts to theatre workshops.
One guaranteed to sell out is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow where some of the fi nest comedians from home and overseas
converge on Brisbane for two shows (May 21 & 22). Tickets to see this talent fresh from the fringe and on our own doorstep cost $29/ $39. Don’t miss the best of the Fest!
QUT Art Museum, 2 George Street, Brisbane, next to the City Botanic Gardens. Free entry, open Tue-Fri 10am to 4pm, Sat-Sun 12noon to 4pm.For more information 07 38645370.
More online
computer help
QUT students and staff who want to boost their computer skills have been urged to take advantage of a new online IT training service.
The service can be accessed through the QUT website. It is hosted by Monash University and includes information on understanding PCs, how to search the Internet, and how to operate Microsoft products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.
Students can register for this service at:
3www.studentcomputinghelpdesk.qut.edu.au Staff can register for this service at:
www.itstraining.qut.edu.au/
From The Brisbane Line exhibition, Vida Lahey’s Central Station 7a.m (The morning rush), 1931, oil on canvas on panel, Collection City of Brisbane.
Overseas IT and Nursing
Students
New government regulations apply as of April 1, 2004. You may apply
for and be granted permanent residence without leaving Australia.
Time limitations apply.
0 7 3 3 6 1 0 2 1 3 m f k @ g n l . c o m . a u
Registered Migration Agents 0004353 & 0100229 By Mechelle Webb
THE staff and students around QUT’s Gardens Theatre aren’t entirely sure where they recognise Paul Bishop from when he seats himself at Merlo’s for a break.
He looks a bit like one of those blokes from Mount Thomas … except for the more- than-three-day growth, the deeper summer tan, and the bright holiday shirt instead of police-issue blue.
“You’re not from Blue Heelers are you?” one interested on-looker asks after politely excusing himself into our lunchtime conversation.
“I am, I’m fresh out of the television,”
comes the reply.
John Woods and Martin Sacks hold the record for the longest-serving offi cers in the 10 year-old TV series, but Paul Bishop has notched up fi ve years in crime-ridden Mount Thomas as Ben Stewart.
The drama graduate returned to QUT during his summer break to sit in on some holiday acting workshops and give a master class to potential young students.
Paul, 38, now lives in Melbourne but grew up at Wynnum.
He loaded his family on to a plane and his 4WD on to a truck and reunited them in Queensland for a month of rest and relaxation – including some surfi ng and beach yoga on the Sunshine Coast.
Paul told Inside QUT that he and wife Elise had also been busy showing off new three-
month-old son, Jakemo, to their Brisbane rellies, along with their other young children – Izalea and Oskar.
Swapping police-issue blue for a tropical summer shirt came as a welcome break for the actor.
Despite high industry unemployment, he has been lucky enough to work constantly in theatre or television since fi nishing his drama course.
Paul said the “romance” of theatre had attracted him to acting when he was at school, along with a fascination in “why people do what they do”.
“When I was at school my focus was on exploring things that mattered to me about life and human interaction and they weren’t things that I got any points for,” he said.
“But the course that I applied for was what is now the QUT drama course – I didn’t have to have a score for it. I got in on an audition basis purely on the merits of the skills I’d acquired by being a human being.
“They must have seen something that I had no control of at that point.”
After fi nishing his studies Paul was lucky enough to fi nd regular theatre work with companies including the Queensland Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company.
And despite people regularly asking when he was going to “get into television”, he said he wanted to build up his confi dence before facing the daunting spotlight of TV.
“The opportunity for Blue Heelers came up when I most needed it – I was starting a
young family and, as an actor, a job where you work 42 weeks of the year and you know you’ve got a wage coming in – you don’t kick a gift horse in the mouth,” he said.
“The best part of it is that you’re working constantly – the worst part of it is you’re working constantly.”
Paul said his advice for eager young actors was to make the most of drama courses on offer, such as QUT’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting), and to work hard at making connections and maintaining a positive outlook on the world.
But he warned it was very tough to get a job, and that a “plan B” was a wise idea.
“I think the focus for young people should be to passionately enjoy whatever it is that they’re doing and if it ends up being the arts and something they can earn an income from – fantastic,” he said.
“But it is a very hard ask to expect that there’s a job out there – it’s 95 per cent unemployment in the industry at any time, nothing is guaranteed.
“You should never temper your passion, you should always infl ame passion. But please explore an alternate reality.”
Although Paul has no plans to hang up his police uniform just yet, he said he would one day like to return to the theatre full-time.
This year he will combine his busy shooting schedule on Blue Heelers with appearing in two plays.
“There’s a kind of magic about the theatre that is quite intoxicating,” he said.
Blue Heeler takes QUT break from TV shooting
ONE of the writers behind Blue Heelers has received an international accolade for her work.
QUT fi lm and television graduate Jo Kasch has won the prestigious Sir Peter Ustinov Scriptwriting Award for her script, Upstream.
Jo is currently working as a script editor on Channel 7/Southern Star cop drama
Blue Heelers.
She won a US$2,500 and a trip to New York to receive her prize at the Annual International Emmy Awards Gala.
She completed a QUT Graduate Diploma in Film and Television in 1996, having already done a Bachelor of Arts in Drama at the University.
The Sir Peter Ustinov Award is presented
by the Inter national TV Academy Foundation.
It is for writers living outside the US, aged under 30 who have produced an outstanding script for a full length English language fi lm.
Course coordinator Helen Yeates said Jo had shown promise as a student.
“She was always a star,” she said.
By Carmen Myler
USING a mobile phone or computer can help people fi gure out how to use other, unrelated products such as digital cameras or touch-screen universal remote controls, a new study has found.
QUT PhD student Thea Blackler from the School of Design and Built Environment has been investigating the notion of “intuitive use” of technology, or using knowledge gained through other experiences.
She says it has been known for some time that people rarely read product manuals thoroughly, preferring to rely on their intuition, but little is known about what intuitive use is and how it can be designed into products to make them easier to use.
Ms Blackler surveyed study participants to assess their
“technical familiarity (TF)” with a range of products, and then tested their ability to perform tasks using a digital camera or a universal remote control (for TV, video, DVD and stereo).
“In the digital camera study, I found that people who were ‘experts’ with digital cameras but who had low TF scores performed the tasks more slowly and effortfully than novices who had high TF sores,” she said.
“The more relevant past experience a person has of a feature the more quickly and intuitively they’re able to use it because they transfer their knowledge of known features to new products.”
Ms Blackler said people responded to features that they might have seen on their computer, TV remote or phone keypad such as drop down menus, cursors, on/off power buttons, volume controls, and back and forward buttons.
In performing tasks with the universal remote control, she said, the participants struggled with inconsistent symbols and words, badly positioned buttons and confusing icons.
“If we’re to make products more useable, designers need to be consistent between symbols and features,” she said.
Ms Black ler said designers should be guided by international standards to ensure useability was not over- ridden by a desire to put their individual mark on things.
“Designers need to use familiar symbols and/or words for well-known functions such as on or off, or forward or rewind, and to make it obvious what less well-known functions will do by demonstrating their function with familiar symbols.”
Use intuition on technology
Overseas award for Blue Heeler graduate
Paul Bishop QUT graduate
Being handy with a mobile phone or remote control is a help when it comes to other technology.
