Queensland University of Technology Newspaper Issue 246 August 10 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
QUT’s Ekka connection
Alumni Award winners
Open day draws crowds
Page 4 Page 5 Page 8
By Mechelle Webb
BELINDA Thomson means it when she says her work is like watching grass grow.
The QUT researcher is spending a year watching the grass at the Brisbane Airport in a bid to reduce one of the major hazards to all planes – birds.
Ms Thomson’s study is one of several QUT projects underway at the airport as part of a new research partnership between the university and the Brisbane Airport Corporation which was launched by Premier Peter Beattie last week.
The Australian-fi rst partnership will see the BAC inject more than
$700,000 in research funding and in-kind support.
The research team is being led by Dr Ashantha Goonetilleke from the Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering.
Research already underway includes water drainage investigations, an air quality study of the airport precinct, working out the amount of fi ll required for future runway and taxiway developments, and Ms Thomson’s avifauna study.
Although the airport already employs techniques to deter birds – such as scaring them away with loud noise – no research has been done on habitat manipulation and environmental infl uences such as grass types and lengths.
Ms Thomson said her study’s major aim was to prove that long grass helped keep birds away from the airport zone.
“We want to deter birds from the airport to reduce the risk that they collide with planes,” she said.
“Long grass makes it more diffi cult for birds to see approaching threats or to fi nd food.
“Bird strikes are one of the biggest hazards to aviation on a global scale. In Australia there are more than 500 strikes every year and Brisbane usually has the highest rate of all airports – 79 bird strikes last year for example.
“The airport is situated on the water and it’s an old wetland so there’s a vast amount of grassland there for birds to feed on.
“My goal is to develop a scientifi cally-based grasslands management strategy for the airport which will cut down the number of birds.”
Ms Thomson is completing a Master of Natural Resource Sciences at QUT and is halfway through her three-year research project. She has already identifi ed the most common types of grass within the airport zone – and the birds which are the worst off enders when it came to infi ltrating airspace.
“The most common birds at the Brisbane Airport are the ibis … they can gather in groups of up to 150 at a time,” she said.
“They’re a big bird and if they go into a plane engine it’s a big problem.
“But the birds that collide with planes the most in Brisbane are the kestrel. They’re a smaller bird but they hover when they’re hunting and foraging which can put them in the fl ight path.”
Ms Thomson is analysing several hectares of grass which is cut at four diff erent heights to see which type of birds like what sort of grass. She hopes to complete her Master’s thesis by late next year.
More than 350 people have died as a result of bird-plane collisions around the world, with the worst disaster in the US 40 years ago when 62 people were killed after a plane hit a fl ock of starlings and crashed into Boston harbour.
QUT experts swoop on airport bird risk
Belinda Thomson, pictured at Brisbane Airport. Image by Sonja de Sterke
New appointments
By Toni Chambers
STATISTICIANS at QUT are the fi rst in the world to devise a new way of monitoring the progression of illnesses such as motor neurone disease and polio, paving the way for a cure.
Eight people in every 100,000 people die of motor neurone disease and after diagnosis, have on average, two years to live.
Head of the School of Mathematical Sciences Professor Tony Pettitt said motor neurones were the nerves that drove muscles. While machines could record the responses from muscles, there had not been a way of counting them to determine how quickly a patient’s health was deteriorating.
“What we have been able to do is count accurately the number of neurones from someone who has an advanced form of the disease,” he said.
“What we’re now moving towards, and are probably more interested in, is people in the initial stages of the disease because they are the people who need to be treated.”
QU T re s e a rc h e r s h ave b e e n working in collaboration with Royal Brisbane Hospital neurologist Dr Rob Henderson who said the aim was to devise cures for people in the early stages of the disease.
“We don’t have a reliable marker of what goes on in motor neurone disease and we’re forced to rely on survival,”
he said.
“It’s a very variable disease, it’s very uncommon and clinical trials have not shown benefi ts of therapies that have been promising in animal studies.
“The ultimate goal is to enable new
FRED Watson comes from a long line of Freds - but he’s the fi rst one in his family to become an astronomer.
Now the renowned stargazer, pictured right, is coming to Brisbane as a guest of QUT to give two free public talks about the mystery of the cosmos.
The astronomy talks are part of QUT’s activities for National Science Week (August 14-22) and part of the university’s Real Scientists Series.
Dr Watson is the astronomer- i n - c h i e f a t t h e A n g l o - Austr alian Obser vator y
n e a r C o o n a b a r a b r a n in New South Wales, w h e r e h e m a n a g e s Australia’s biggest optical telescope.
He is also an adjunct p r o f e s s o r ( v i s i t i n g professor) at QUT, an award-winning broadcaster and writer on astronomy, and the
author of a soon-to-be-released book about telescopes.
The two free public lectures will be held on August 17 at the Queensland Museum next to Brisbane’s Southbank.
The fi rst one is for school students and the second is open to the general public.
Admission is free but places must be booked by calling QUT on 07 3864 2152.
Visitors can stay and meet Fred Watson from 5.15pm after the talks.
Musical chairs for new IT dean
QUT has a ppointed P r o f e s s o r S i m o n Kaplan as Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology.
P r o f e s s o r K a p l a n will make the move from his current post
at the University of Queensland as head of UQ’s School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering to join QUT in October.
Prior to this appointment, he was the program director for UQ’s information environments prog ram and was also a principal scientist to the CRC for Distributed Systems Technology.
International role for our top librarian QU T ’s D i re c t o r o f Library Services, Ms Gaynor Austen, is to head up the prestigious I n t e r n a t i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n o f Technological University Libraries.
Ms Austen will become the 13th president of the association and only the second in its 50-year history to be appointed outside of Europe.
The association has 246 members in 44 countries worldwide, including the Australian Technology Network (ATN) of which QUT is a member.
The appointment demonstr ates the international recognition of the capabilities and leadership of ATN Australian libraries – and in particular, QUT and Ms Austen.
THE United States topped the medal tally but Australia fi nished a credible ninth when biology’s answer to the Olympics was co-hosted by QUT last month.
The 15th International Biology Olympiad attracted more than 150 of the world’s brightest school students who tackled a week of gruelling exams in Brisbane.
Practical and theoretical tasks were set at a university level and left the teenagers mentally-exhausted during their visit to QUT as part of the competition.
Teams from 42 countries competed in IBO2004, with the American foursome all taking home gold medals.
Australia was represented by an all-girl team for the fi rst time and fi nished with three silver medals and one bronze.
Gold medals were awarded to the top 10 per cent of students, silver medals to the next 20 per cent and bronze medals to the next 30 per cent.
IBO2004’s chair, Associate Professor Mary Garson, said the competition was a “battle of the minds” for young people who could go on to be the world’s elite scientists of the future.
“Australia has a reputation for being a champion sporting nation, but our outstanding performances in this event prove our intellectual might in the lab can match our power in the pool and on the track,”
she said.
This year marked the fi rst time the biology “olympics” had been held in the southern hemisphere. It was co-hosted by QUT, UQ, Griffi th University and Rio Tinto Australian Science Olympiads.
Stats help fi nd medical cure
cures by having a reliable and accurate way of tracking the disease.”
Professor Pettitt and PhD student Gareth Ridall have used the Bayesian statistical method and said the next
stage was to develop the technique in order to analyse data from people in the early stages of the disease and from clinical trials.
With the help of an Australian
Research Council Linkage grant, the QUT team will develop software so that neurologists around the world can themselves analyse data from monitoring machines.
QUT Mathematical Sciences Head of School Prof Tony Pettitt (centre) with PhD student Gareth Ridall at the Royal Brisbane Hospital.
Fred stars for QUT in Science Week
Testing times for ‘olympics’ students
QUT Chancellor Dr Cherrell Hirst (centre) hands out medals at the closing ceremony of IBO2004.
Comment
International focus is strategic, fl exible
THE QUT Blueprint, our strategic plan, declares that we are an Australian university with a global outlook.
In those terms, the Blueprint emphasises the importance for our students of an internationalised curriculum, and of a learning environment and campus experience rich with opportunities to interact with students and staff from a diverse set of backgrounds.
We know, too, that for QUT to continue to build its real-world positioning, our academic and professional staff need signifi cant international experience and to be able to draw on important and relevant connections abroad.
The international environment is as dynamic, and indeed volatile, as it is important.
Our plans, while strateg ic, also need to be fl exible and able to adapt to the circumstances and environments in which we operate.
J u s t a s i m p o r t a n t l y, o u r commitment to quality will condition and shape the ways we will engage internationally, and also the areas where we will not be involved.
For example, we are very keen to develop strategic partnerships
with a number of high quality institutions abroad, but we are not so attracted to investing in physical plant off shore.
The direction of our international engagement needs to be carefully considered.
Obviously our closer region is of crucial importance.
And for this reason we will develop a set of strategic alliances with China and India and broaden and deepen our connections with our more mature connections in south-east and north Asia.
It is clear that the bulk of our international students will continue to be drawn from these countries.
But increasingly, these countries will also form a major component of our research collaborations and business connections on many levels.
In developing and maintaining our international relations we are therefore seeking to link research, community engagement and recruitment in a strategic approach that strongly aims to position QUT internationally in the medium to long term.
Peter Coaldrake Vice-Chancellor By Heath Kelly
MORE than $2 million in federal government funding is to be poured into developing an Australia-wide prostate tissue bank, a project in which QUT has taken the lead role.
The Australian Prostate Cancer Collaboration (APCC) Bio-Resource has been awarded a $2.1 million grant over the next fi ve years by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to progress into phase two of the project.
The grant will help enable the APCC to develop a network of state prostate tissue banks and associated clinical databases, brought together in phase one, into an internationally recognised national core facility.
The APCC’s Bio-Resource Management Committee, chaired by QUT’s Professor Judith Clements, is responsible for steering the initiative. Kay Cambourn, also from QUT, is the national coordinator of the project.
Professor Clements, the head of QUT’s Hormone Dependent Cancer Program, said the creation of a national Bio-Resource was seen as an important step in the fi ght against prostate cancer.
She said the creation of a comprehensive tissue bank and associated clinical database would be helpful in identifying new markers for diagnosing prostate cancer and diff erentiating between the diff erent kinds of cancers. This could lead to alternative types of therapeutic approaches and treatments.
“The PSA Test is the only one we have at present but it is not ideal because it misses many men who have cancer and doesn’t always discriminate well between those men who have an enlarged prostate which is a benign disease and those who have cancer,” Professor Clements said.
“In order to do all the basic research that underpins the discoveries that lead to better bio markers, you need the tissue and you need the comprehensive clinical pathology that relates to that tumour.
“Around the country diff erent institutions have small
tissue and data collections but with a national core tissue bank facility we will have a better critical mass, a larger number of tumours and a broader spread of the diff erent kinds of tumours that we can use for future research.”
The Prostate Cancer Bio-Resource was the only Queensland-driven project to receive funding during the latest round of NHMRC Enabling grants. The project also received the largest amount of funding nationally.
“It is recognition that we have the right approach and that an infrastructure like this is necessary to support the prostate cancer research community and achieve better outcomes,” Professor Clements said.
Professor Clements said that, based on 2000 fi gures, one in 10 men in Australia had a lifetime risk of having prostate cancer although that could have risen to one in eight in recent years, just as in the USA where one in six men has a lifetime risk of having prostate cancer.
By Carmen Myler
SOME pregnant women with HIV may unknowingly be passing the virus on to their unborn children because of a failure in Australian testing guidelines, according to a national research team led by QUT.
The researchers are calling for a national policy to recommend HIV testing for all pregnant women and claim economic arguments against such testing are ill-founded.
The recommendation follows a study modelling the cost- eff ectiveness of universal antenatal HIV screening from QUT, Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick, and the National Centre for HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research at UNSW.
I m m u n o l o g i s t A s s o c i a t e Professor John Ziegler from Sydney Children’s Hospital said half of all pregnant women remained untested for the virus while national guidelines only recommended testing “at risk” women.
“We found many women with HIV, when interviewed by nurses and doctors, did not realise they were ‘at risk’ and therefore probably
went untested,” he said.
“A baby born to a mother infected with HIV has a one in three chance of acquiring this dreadful infection.
“This risk to babies can be reduced to less than one in 100 if simple advice about medication and infant feeding is followed but these strategies can only be adopted if the mother’s HIV status is known.”
Research team leader Dr Nick Graves from QUT’s School of Public Health said the economic benefi ts of universal testing would most likely outweigh the cost to society of babies born with HIV.
“HIV remains rare in Australian women and the assumption has been that testing is not economically justifi ed,” Dr Graves said.
“However, our study shows that if screening only picked up one in 23,000 women who were previously undiagnosed, the economic benefi ts of preventing HIV in those babies wo u l d o u t we i g h a d d i t i o n a l screening costs.”
Between 1998 and 2002, HIV was diagnosed in eight of 15 infants born to mothers who were not aware of their HIV status during pregnancy.
By Carmen Myler
MORE than 80 per cent of women may be using complementary medicines during menopause, despite little being known about their effects on menopausal symptoms, a QUT researcher says.
PhD student Sara Gollschewski surveyed 886 Queensland women aged 47 to 67 to determine the types and prevalence of complementary and alternative medicines used during menopause.
The survey was part of a larger study, the Queensland Midlife Women’s Health Study.
Ms Gollschewsk i’s preliminary findings have shown that 82.5 per cent of women used at least one alter native medicine, including dietary supplements such as soy and
linseed, herbal preparations such as black cohosh and dong quai, or non- prescription medications.
Ms Gollschewski, who is based at the university’s Centre for Health Research, said the majority of women turned to these medicines for help with symptoms such as anxiety, sweating and hot fl ushes, and aching muscles and joints.
Just under 35 per cent of the sample were users of hormone replacement therapy.
“These results highlight the importance for health professionals to incorporate information about complementary medicines into their practice to better inform menopausal women of their treatment choices,”
she said.
“The trouble is not a lot of research has been done into the effects of
complementar y and alter native medicines specifi cally on menopausal symptoms.
“This is something I will be exploring in the fi nal phase of my PhD research.”
Ms Gollschewski is now seeking women to participate in focus groups in an eff ort to determine the perceived benef its of dietary supplements and non-prescription medicines on menopausal symptoms.
“I want to fi nd out more about what kinds of women use these medicines and why they use them,” she said.
Women aged between 47 and 67 who are taking any medication, supplements, herbs or alternative therapies are invited to participate in the focus groups.
Contact Sara Gollschewski on 3864 5621 or [email protected]
Grant vital in the fi ght against prostate cancer
Women back alternative medicines
Call for HIV tests for all mums-to-be
Kay Cambourn and Professor Judith Clements are working to fi ght prostate cancer.
PhD student and cancer researcher Mitchell Lawrence removes tissue samples.
QUT’s close relationship with Shanghai Institute of Technology (SIT) was strengthened last month during a visit to the university by SIT’s president Professor Xu Fuyuan.
Formal links were conf irmed, paving the way for further joint
programs in bachelor degrees, staff exchanges and TESOL training at QUT for teachers from China.
In February, QUT and SIT jointly hosted the Shanghai Colloquium on Globalisation Education and Technology in Shanghai.
QUT-Shanghai links strengthened
SMOKING has been linked to education levels in a major new study.
The international comparison looked at smoking trends from 1980 to 2000 and found greater declines among high socioeconomic groups.
Public health researcher Katrina Giskes – a QUT alumnus – has spent the past two years analysing data from nine countries in Europe while based at the Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands.
Her study covered 451,386 people aged 25 to 79 who took part in national health surveys over the 20-year period.
“The most interesting part of this study has been looking at whether smoking trends over this period have diff ered among education groups,” she said.
“The results show that there are greater declines in smoking among highly educated men and women in Europe compared to their less-educated counterparts.
“Smoking is declining among men from all education backgrounds (more so among the most educated), but is only declining among highly educated European women.
“Smoking is still increasing among women with lower levels of education.
“My fi ndings also suggest that the UK and Italy may be leaders in decreasing inequalities in smoking because declines have been the greatest among low-educated men in these countries.”
Dr Giskes, 27, graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Health Science in 1999 and then returned to the university to complete her PhD.
She moved to Europe in 2002 and is now based at Erasmus Medical Centre in
Rotterdam.
In addition to being part of the research team for the European Network of Smoking Prevention, Dr Giskes is about to embark on a major obesity study involving Australians and the Dutch and the characteristics of
“obesogenic environments”.
“It aims to make some kind of comparison between the two countries since obesity is less prevalent in the Netherlands,” she said.
“My project will look at whether overweight and obesity clusters in particular areas, and what environmental factors may contribute to obesity…these may include factors such as not having sporting facilities in the neighbourhood or a high prevalence of takeaway shops in an area.”
The young researcher won a prestigious
$250,000 four-year grant to enable her to carry out the health project – the Sidney Sax International Public Health Post Doctoral Fellowship.
Only two of these fellowships were awarded in Australia last year.
The fi rst two years of research will be done in the Netherlands, with another two back home in Australia at QUT’s Centre for Health Research.
Dr Giskes said she was making the most of her learning opportunities while still in Europe.
“It has been interesting for me to contrast the research environment of Australia to that of the Netherlands,” she said.
“I’m in regular contact with my QUT colleagues and am looking forward to coming back in two years time and establishing some more permanent roots.”
- Mechelle Webb IT’s one thing to be knowledgeable in your fi eld.
It’s another thing to get up in front of people and talk about it.
That’s the common dilemma that prompted Katrina Giskes to join Toastmasters while she was studying at QUT.
Toastmasters clubs regularly meet on campus and tackle public speaking head-on in a bid to ease fears about talking in front of an audience.
Dr Giskes said Toastmasters had given her the chance to practise in a supportive environment.
“I joined Toastmasters because I realised that speaking in front of groups of people was an inevitable part of the career I was training for,”
she said.
“I always felt uncomfortable talking in front of a group, but I still wanted to give the best presentations that I was capable of.”
Dr Giskes’ research work in Europe means she now has to address international congresses, lecture students and do presentations for colleagues.
“I still do (and probably will always) fi nd that public speaking is out of my everyday ‘comfort zone’, but with more confi dence I can actually enjoy the experience of having the opportunity to speak in front of others,” she said.
For details on Toastmasters, call Dr Liz Isenring on 3864 5804 or email [email protected].
Less educated more likely to smoke
Toastmasters talks helped convey research
By Heath Kelly
THE Royal Queensland Show, aff ectionately know n as the Ekka, has been delighting and enticing crowds for well over a century but now, more than ever before, it has to confront increasing competition for the entertainment dollar.
To help combat this challenge, a group of innovative QUT graduates is helping to refresh and regenerate the Ekka while maintaining its commitment to promoting the best of what Queensland’s rural landowners have to off er.
From the top down, the Royal National Association, the organisation responsible for the running of the Ekka and the 22-hectare showgrounds where it is held in Brisbane, has within its ranks a number of QUT alumni including its chief executive, Jonathan Tunny.
Mr Tunny said it was no longer a given that crowds will fl ock to the Ekka, now in its 128th year, and there was no room for complacency.
“We are aware of the competition and happy to have the competition, it drives us to work even harder,” Mr Tunny said.
Mr Tunny served in an acting capacity as CEO for the 2003 Ekka before being appointed to the role in a permanent capacity following the success of last year’s event.
The 2002 Ekka had experienced a drop in crowd numbers and the RNA had also incurred a multi- million dollar loss when Mr Tunny stepped into the breach.
But he and his team had an immediate impact, breathing fresh life into the annual 10-day August event when the bush comes to the city.
QUT alumni make up more than half the 21- strong offi ce staff and Mr Tunny said all played a crucial role in helping to increase crowd numbers and cut losses by more than $2 million.
“The team we have from QUT are an integral part of putting this show on,” said Mr Tunny, who graduated with a Bachelor of Business in 1979.
“We cut out operating losses to $124,000 from
$2.2 million last year which is tremendous, but our
aim is to make a profi t.”
He said reasons for the turnaround included a greater emphasis on live music and roving entertainment, updating a couple of old favourites such as the fashion show, and combining them with the traditional agricultural and industrial aspects of the Ekka.
Mr Tunny said a slick advertising and marketing campaign put together by a team entirely consisting of QUT alumni helped attract a seven per cent increase in numbers through the gate in 2003. He is hoping for an even bigger increase this year.
“The marketing team has played a vitally important role, we wanted a message that was quick and easy to read that portrayed the fun and excitement of the Ekka,” he said.
“Our marketing campaign targeted the family market and helped reduce our loss.”
Added to the full-time employees, Mr Tunny said a number of QUT students also made a valued contribution by undertaking work experience with the RNA, further strengthening the solid bonds between two of Queensland’s oldest institutions.
Apart from marketing, other QUT alumni work for the organisation in areas including fi nance, management, and corporate and public aff airs.
Bill Proud, a current lecturer at QUT’s School of Business, is also employed as a marketing consultant.
Mr Tunny said while the Ekka will always be a strong part of what Queensland is about and cannot aff ord to let its commitment to excellence slip.
The Ekka and its heritage listed grounds are an important part of Queensland, and Mr Tunny said the “the 22 hectares in the middle of the city” were there for the public to enjoy during the Ekka or other events such as the Livid Festival.
QUT alumni drive Ekka’s success
From QUT to the Ekka: (back row, l-r) Susan Walsh, Sarah Davies, Bill Proud, Cynthia Nilsen, Rebecca Fuller; (middle row, l-r) Warren Sturgess, Megan Cary, Ann Rainbow, Jonathan Tunny, Lauren Sturgess; (front row, l-r) Brendon Christou, Amanda Rose.
Dr Katrina Giskes in the Netherlands
ALUMNI AWARDS
COMMUNITY-changing Cherbourg principal Chris Sarra has won QUT’s top graduate award for 2004.
Mr Sarra was named the winner of the university’s 2004 Chancellor’s Outstanding Alumnus Award in front of more than 350 people at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The QUT Outstanding Alumni Awards recognise high achievers who studied at QUT or its predecessor institutions.
During the recent ceremony, fashion business brain Sarah-Jane Clarke – the co-founder of sass & bide – was also announced as QUT’s Young Achiever Award winner for 2004.
Mr Sarra and Ms Clarke attended the breakfast, with other guests including Queensland Governor Dr Quentin Bryce, QUT Chancellor Dr Cherrell Hirst, and Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake.
Mr Sarra said he was humbled by the award and paid tribute to his parents and QUT education for giving him a chance in life.
“People can never take you down if you believe what you are doing is the right thing,” he told guests at the awards ceremony on July 21.
He said it was important for schools and universities to arm Indigenous children with intellectual, psychological and spiritual integrity.
Mr Sarra has been almost single-handedly responsible for the stunning revival of the Cherbourg State School and the return of pride to the Indigenous community’s children.
The 2004 Queenslander of the Year has devoted his career to improving conditions for Indigenous students and helping educators understand the diffi culties and barriers facing Indigenous people in education and employment.
Since Mr Sarra became principal of Cherbourg State School in 1998, attendance has jumped from 50 per cent to 95 per cent, literacy has been boosted by 63 per cent and school morale has soared.
Mr Sarra has a Diploma of Teaching in Physical Education, a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Education in School Guidance and Counselling from QUT.
He has worked for primary and high schools, the Department of Employment, Education and Training, Education Queensland, the University of Southern Queensland and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
His Cherbourg work was the subject of a documentary entitled Strong and Smart, which was produced by QUT fi lm-makers and aired on ABC TV’s Message Stick program this year.
- Mechelle Webb
Education award + Outstanding Alumnus award Chris Sarra, Cherbourg State School principal (see above) Business award + Young Achiever of the Year award Sarah-Jane Clarke, co-founder of fashion label sass & bide Sarah-Jane Clarke started sass & bide from a Sydney kitchen table with Heidi Middleton in 1999. The QUT accountancy graduate is credited as the business brains behind the label.
Built Environment & Engineering award Shane Thompson, Bligh Voller Nield principal
Since obtaining a Diploma of Architecture in 1979, Shane Thompson has left his mark on CBD units, Sydney’s Olympic Village, and Malaysia’s Johor Bahru Waterfront City.
Creative Industries award
Dr Derek Wilding, Communications Law Centre director, University of NSW
Derek Wilding regularly enters national debate on telecommunications and media issues through his role on
“watchdog” bodies. He has a QUT PhD in Media Studies.
Health award
Ian Kent, Optometrists Board of Queensland chairman Ian Kent, named Optometrist of the Year last year, has been chair of the Optometrists Board of Queensland since 1994.
He has a Diploma of Applied Science (Optometry).
Humanities & Human Services award
Sandra Angus, Queensland Cervical Screening program acting senior project offi cer
Sandra Angus is a Social Sciences (Human Services) graduate who has promoted Indigenous health, worked in youth mental health, and helped a slum community in Bangkok.
Information Technology award
Paul Kenny, IBM Corporation Australia/NZ director Paul Kenny’s IBM career has taken him to Silicon Valley, New York, Boston and around Asia-Pacifi c. He has a 1979 QIT Bachelor of Applied Science (Computing).
Law award
Susan Francis, Thynne and Macartney senior partner Susan Francis is a leading family lawyers and ardent supporter of women’s issues. She is the 2003 Queensland Woman Lawyer of the Year and has a 1986 Bachelor of Laws.
Science award
Simon Critchley, Radiation Health director, Qld Health Simon Critchley advises the Department of the Prime Minister on national security issues relating to radioactive substances.
He has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Applied Chemistry) and Master of Applied Science (Medical Physics).
Excellence in Service to the International Community awards
Rodney Cocks, UN security advisor, Afghanistan & Iraq (see story this page)
Aline Matta, lawyer & international arbitration expert Aline Matta graduated from QUT in 1994 with a Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) and a Bachelor of Laws. Last year she led an international team of lawyers working to rehabilitate southern Iraq’s judicial system for the UK government.
FORMER army captain Rodney Cocks was on recreation leave when he survived the Bali bombing in 2002 and helped carry the wounded to safety.
Less than a year later, the QUT graduate survived a second blast while working for the United Nations in Baghdad.
Now a UN security advisor in Afghanistan, Mr Cocks’ international community service has been recognised in the Outstanding Alumni Awards.
During his time with the army, Mr Cocks headed the Australian Defence Force’s support of the Sydney Olympics and deployment of resources to the 2003 Victoria bushfi res.
He was awarded the Australian
Conspicuous Service Medal for his aid to the Bali victims and has been nominated for an Australian Bravery Decoration for his actions at the scene of the UN Headquarters bombing in Baghdad.
He worked in Iraq as deputy of the UN mine action coordination team, covering Baghdad, Basrah, Kurdistan and the volatile “Sunni Triangle”.
Currently, he is a UN security advisor in the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, where he provides security advice to the UN’s humanitarian agencies.
Mr Cocks holds a Bachelor of Laws from QUT, a Bachelor of Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.
Bali bombing survivor recognised for UN work
Cherbourg principal
wins top Alumni award
Wrap
AWARD WINNERS
Fashion guru Sarah-Jane Clarke, nicknamed
“Sass”, has been named the Young Achiever of the Year and business award winner.
IN BRIEF...
David Hawke’s Eyeview
IT was standing room only when the 2003 Nobel Laureate in economics visited QUT from the United States last month to discuss the value of economic forecasting in today’s economy.
More than 330 students, staff and interested people from industry and the community, packed the Faculty of Business’s annual free public lecture given by Professor Clive Granger, pictured above.
Welsh-born Professor Granger is noted throughout the economic world for
developing statistical tools that fundamentally changed the way economists dealt with fi nancial and macroeconomic data.
He shared the 2003 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (with long-time friend Robert Engle) for his discoveries in the analysis and forecasting of time series data.
His QUT address, which was followed by a lively question and answer session, discussed issues impacting on the proper modelling and forecasting of economic, fi nancial and other variables of interest to decision makers and
policy makers.
Head of the School of Economics and Finance at QUT, Professor Allan Layton said it was no overstatement to say that anyone in the world today doing any kind of economic modelling and forecasting owes a huge debt to Clive Granger for his monumental discoveries and insights into forecasting.
“It was a great privilege to have him in Brisbane and hear fi rst hand on what his thoughts were for the future of forecasting,”
Professor Layton said.
giving makes a real difference
If you are writing or reviewing your will, you have the opportunity to make a real difference to others. Including a gift to QUT in your will means that you can support student scholarships, research or education programs that directly benefit the community.
Hilda Gladys Goldfinch wanted to help visually impaired elderly people. A recent legacy from her estate reflects the care and concern she felt for those with visual impairment. Her gift supports continuing research in this area.
Your gift could support other areas of medical research including cancer, orthopaedic, wound healing, paediatric and aged-care nursing research. Or, through a QUT scholarship, you could help disadvantaged students have access to education opportunities that lead to rewarding careers.
Find out more from the Bequest Officer, phone 3864 2950 or visit www.giving.qut.edu.au
GEN-04-410 CRICOS no. 00213J
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WHILE many students used the recent winter break for activities ranging from catching up on sleep to strapping on a snowboard, some took the chance to expand their skills and develop networks throughout Australia.
QUT representatives from a variety of faculties attended conferences throughout the country over the break and many have returned keen to share their experience with fellow students.
In Melbourne, four business students, Brent Shepherd, Steven Lovell, Sarah Kay and Rachael Truscott, achieved success in the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) national competition.
It marked the fi rst time QUT had participated in the competition and the group was awarded Best Team Business Plan and Best Rookie Team in their division after impressing the judges with their plan for establishing a SIFE chapter at QUT.
SIFE teams aim to use their university education to teach other groups something that will benefi t them through strategic partnerships with schools, small business and government departments.
Also in Melbourne, 22 QUT students took part in the week-long
Students of Sustainability Conference.
The conference covered a number of topics including corporate engagement and the environmental movement, genetic engineering, sustainable activism, social justice and Indigenous issues.
Business students Kieran McAndrew, Bess Ferguson and Nathan Polley will share the knowledge they gained from the conference by developing a module on corporate and social responsibility to be run through QUT’s Business Advantage Program.
At the opposite end of the country, seven students from the law and business faculties attended the Asia-Pacifi c Model United Nations Conference in Townsville.
The conference is a simulated exercise where students represent the viewpoints and position of their allocated country in a series of committees and commissions for the mock UN.
QUT delegates formulated strategies to counter terrorism and argued the legal and ethical implications of human cloning amongst a range of topical issues covered in the week long event.
The students are proposing a similar model UN exercise for QUT next year.
Students use their semester break to make a difference
Lunch with Germaine
Feminist icon Germaine Greer will visit Brisbane next month as a guest of QUT to have a bite of lunch with locals. Ms Greer will be guest speaker at a Sheraton Hotel luncheon on September 17. The event has been organised by the university’s Continuing Professional Education Unit in partnership with the Australian Institute of Management.
Tickets ($88 each) can be booked on 131 648.
Invention hits TV
A back pain treatment device invented by a QUT graduate has been featured on the ABC TV show The New Inventors. Michael Carter came up with the idea for the Spinal Sensa while studying industrial design at QUT 14 years ago. He’s now marketing the product with the help of business planning skills acquired through MBA studies at the Brisbane Graduate School of Business.
Legendary composer visits QUT
Infl uential American composer and violinist Tony Conrad visited QUT as a guest of the new Creative Industries Performance Innovation Studio in July. He gave a guest lecture and performance at The Block - his only engagement of this type in the country. Conrad is the fi rst of a number of key international practitioners who will be visiting QUT as part of a guest artist program. UK author, cultural critic and composer David Toop is next.
Student ship calls for passengers
QUT students have been urged to try out for a spot aboard Japan’s “Ship for World Youth”.
The two-month cultural exchange program is organised by the Japanese Government and includes a cruise from Yokahama to Sydney, Wellington, Suva and Guam. Applicants must be aged 18 to 30. The Australian Government will select 11 participants and Japan will pay for their trip. Applications close August 20.
Visit www.thesource.gov.au/swy for details.
Pru Goward visits for high tea
Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Pru Goward, visited Brisbane last week for a high tea organised by QUT business lecturer Erica French. The event attracted 250 people to the Hilton and marked the 20th anniversary of the country’s Sex Discrimination Act.
AFTER winning last year’s Faculty of Health Teaching Award, optometry academic Dr Joanne Wood, pictured above, was convinced she could not go one better.
But she did – she was one of two winners of the individual category at QUT’s 2004 Distinguished Teaching Awards.
“I’m thrilled. I really enjoy teaching and spend a lot of time preparing materials for students that are relevant to the real world they will be entering as optometrists,” she said.
“I’m also very enthusiastic about the topics I teach which must come through.
“While I get positive feedback from the students it’s also really important for teachers to be recognised by the university in this very public way.”
Dr Wood has received $10,000 to support developments in her teaching including software to better manage the images she uses in her classes and make her classes more interactive.
Other winners include:
Individual Category – Sylvia Edwards, Information Technology Team Category – Dianne Eden, Leonard Meenach and Martin Challis, Creative Industries Beginning Category – Helen Partridge, Faculty of Information Technology; Natalie Cuff e, Law;
Dr Gillian Kidman, Education Po s t g r a d u a t e S u p e r v i s i o n Category – Dr Caroline Hatcher, Business
Casual Academic Category – Gillian Edmiston, Education; Peter Evans, Business
Commendations – Dr K aren Sullivan, Health; Tony Jewels, IT; and Monica Pi-Hsuan Chien, Business.
Dr Wood, Dr Noel Myers and winners from the team category will go on to represent QUT at the 2004 Australian Awards for University Teaching.
By Toni Chambers
QUT researchers are leading the development of forensic software to help government departments and large companies fi ght company fraud.
It’s been estimated that fraud costs the nation more than any other type of crime with a survey showing the average loss per organisation aff ected is $1.5million.
Faculty of Business Associate Professor Peter Best said while the statistics were alarming, organisations’
responses were more concerning.
“Organisations are not taking it seriously - a recent survey has shown that 60 per cent of organisations have no control strategies and more than
70 per cent don’t believe fraud is a problem,” he said.
Professor Best said organisations were implementing security on their computer systems but nothing was organised to determine whether any users were capable of committing fraud.
For example, a typical accounts payable fraud can involve creating a fake vendor record, and then recording a fraudulent invoice which can then be paid. He said nobody should be capable of performing all of these functions.
Professor Best said there was also no organised search for fraud.
“Organisations tell computer users not to attempt unauthorised functions because they’re being monitored,”
he said.
“But many organisations trash their audit trails because they consume a great deal of storage, and there’s no time to review it. Organisations need intelligent software applications to help them review user activity.”
In a bid to prevent and detect fraud, Professor Best has developed forensic software to review security profi les of users capable of committing fraud.
Other applications review user activity for sequences of actions consistent with fraud.
“Most people wouldn’t commit fraud even if they could. The idea is that you’re at least identifying the opportunities that people might exploit for fraudulent purposes,” Professor Best said.
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AFTER 13 years of distinguished service, ceremonies offi cer Jim Clayden has led his fi nal academic procession.
As university “beadle”, Jim carried the university mace during processions and was responsible for all the pomp and circumstance at more than 200 QUT graduation ceremonies.
That role took him outside Australia to QUT’s overseas graduation ceremonies as well as many at the Queensland
Performing Arts Centre.
Jim was also responsible for organising signifi cant special events at the university including the farewell procession of QUT’s fi rst Vice-Chancellor Dennis Gibson across the Goodwill Bridge in April 2003 (pictured above).
He had a great knowledge of university protocol and was a popular fi gure around the university and highly regarded by staff and students.
QUT is undertaking a 12-month review to assess the quality of its learning, teaching, research and management activities.
Badged the QUT Reality Check, the review will support organisational goals and also help the university prepare for an institutional audit by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) in April 2005.
“It’s not just about preparing for the AUQA visit, it’s about embedding quality improvement in all our activities in an enduring way,” Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and project leader Professor David Gardiner said.
“We need staff involvement to identify the specifi c things that have to change if quality is to improve.
“But even more important is that staff embrace the improvements once they are identifi ed and build them into their everyday practice.”
Detailed information on the review is contained in a publication that will be sent to staff in early August.
“We have included a voucher staff can use to get a free cup of coff ee at the campus cafes. We hope people will use the voucher and take some time to think about quality,” Professor Gardiner said.
University looks to improve quality
Researchers fi ght company fraud
Our top teachers
Gentleman Jim hangs up mace
About iNSiDE QUT
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By Heath Kelly
AS Australians are told to exercise more and eat less, many people are turning to walking as a means of losing weight, however, there is no guarantee it will help you win the battle of the bulge.
School of Human Movement Studies researcher, Dr Nuala Byrne, said while walking is defi nitely better than doing no exercise at all, some people may not be getting their desired results due to a lack of intensity when they walk.
In an eff ort to fi nd out just what eff ect walking has on the body and potential for weight loss, Dr Byrne is calling on volunteers to partake in a three-week study.
Dr Byrne needs 240 volunteers aged between 18 and 65 who have done little regular exercise over the past year to commit to fi ve or six testing sessions over three weeks.
She said the study would assess the relationship between the amount of energy burned when walking at diff erent speeds and the body composition of adults.
Dr Byrne said many people could be walking at what is considered a “normal”
rate when exercising but because of an individual’s size, age, gender or shape it might not be doing enough to burn off the desired calories.
“Walking is one of the most common forms of physical activity undertaken by adults, however, there is a relatively poor understanding of the physiological demands of the task,” Dr Byrne said.
“Gener alising physical activity guidelines may be useful to get the masses moving and active but it may not provide the correct prescription for the individual.”
She said a better understanding of walking would provide for improvement in the categorisation of intensity levels of physical activity and the exercise prescription for people who fall into the obese category.
Current physical activity guidelines encouraged participation in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most and preferably all days of the week.
“Because it is subjective, the guidelines could mean diff erent things to diff erent people – a 30-minute stroll around the block is diff erent to a 30-minute power walk,” Dr Byrne said.
“People have an expectation that walking is going to be a health benefi t and we want to give a better guideline on how it will impact on their health.”
Those interested in partaking in the study should contact QUT’s School of Human Movement Studies through [email protected].
QUT’s annual Course and Careers Day offered up a smorgasbord of information and entertainment when it was staged at Gardens Point campus last month.
Student bands provided plenty of atmosphere while staff and students provided plenty of information and advice for visitors.
The day is the biggest event on QUT’s marketing calendar.
