by lindy brophy - uwa staff...dermatologist dr chris quirk tests the lightpath probe on fimiston...

16
news UWA 7 May 2001 Volume 20 Number 5 INSIDE: Page 3 ECEL’s new assets Page 5 Albany comes of age Page 8 UWA Open Day The University of Western Australia Celebrating 90 years of achievement 1911-2001 A n early detection system for melanoma is being developed in UWA’s Optical + Biomedical Engineering Laboratory. It could help to reduce around 800 deaths from this skin cancer every year in Australia. Associate Professor David Sampson from OBEL is leading a group of six researchers who have funding from publicly listed Fimiston Resources and Technology, which is undergoing a transition from mining and resources to biomedical/biotechnology investment. “We are not yet at a stage where our work can be commercialised. It is still a research project,” said Dr Sampson. But Fimiston Resources and Technology Ltd, soon to be renamed Xcell Diagnostics Ltd, has enough faith in the project to have invested $2 million over the next two and a half years in the so-called LightPath probe. The probe works something like a colour-sensitive light meter. Dr Sampson explained that to take a reading from a skin cancer or mole, a pencil-like non-invasive probe is placed on the skin and the spectrum is recorded and processed in what he calls a ‘lunchbox’ portable computer. “The probe sees more than the human eye, the spectrum from yellow to near- infrared. Our eye sees a much more limited spectrum, from blue to red,” he said. The spectrum reading is eventually what will help GPs to make a decision about what action to take over a suspect freckle or mole. “Ultimately we hope the probe will be a small pen attached to a small box on a GP’s desk: an affordable and portable analysis and detection tool,” he said. The probe is an extension of work begun in 1998 by Dr Sampson and one of his master’s students, Kirrilly Wong, with a grant from the Cancer Foundation. “We’re not the only group in the world working on early detection of melanoma, but there are only a few other centres in the US, the UK and Canada with access to a sufficient numbers of cases. These countries simply don’t have the incidence rates that we have in Australia — ours are the highest in the world, and in Perth we have ready access to patients,” Dr Sampson said. “Our value-adding is all the ‘secret stuff inside the lunchbox’, the processing of the information which we hope to be Early warning system for melanoma Associate Professor David Sampson . . . developing the probe from earlier work. High speed detection could stop skin cancer in its tracks Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on page 4 by Lindy Brophy

Upload: others

Post on 09-Jul-2020

2 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

newsUWA7 May 2001

Volume 20 Number 5

INSIDE: Page 3 ECEL’s new assets Page 5 Albany comes of age Page 8 UWA Open Day

The University of Western AustraliaCelebrating 90 years of achievement 1911-2001

An early detection system for melanoma is being

developed in UWA’s Optical +Biomedical Engineering Laboratory.

It could help to reduce around 800deaths from this skin cancer every yearin Australia. Associate Professor DavidSampson from OBEL is leading a groupof six researchers who have fundingfrom publicly listed Fimiston Resourcesand Technology, which is undergoing atransition from mining and resources tobiomedical/biotechnology investment.

“We are not yet at a stage whereour work can be commercialised. It isstill a research project,” said DrSampson. But Fimiston Resources andTechnology Ltd, soon to be renamedXcell Diagnostics Ltd, has enough faithin the project to have invested $2million over the next two and a halfyears in the so-called LightPath probe.

The probe works something like acolour-sensitive light meter. Dr

Sampson explained that to take areading from a skin cancer or mole, apencil-like non-invasive probe is placedon the skin and the spectrum isrecorded and processed in what hecalls a ‘lunchbox’ portable computer.

“The probe sees more than thehuman eye, the spectrum from yellowto near- infrared. Our eye sees a muchmore limited spectrum, from blue tored,” he said.

The spectrum reading is eventuallywhat will help GPs to make a decisionabout what action to take over asuspect freckle or mole.

“Ultimately we hope the probe willbe a small pen attached to a small boxon a GP’s desk: an affordable andportable analysis and detection tool,”he said.

The probe is an extension of workbegun in 1998 by Dr Sampson and oneof his master’s students, Kirrilly Wong,with a grant from the Cancer Foundation.

“We’re not the only group in theworld working on early detection ofmelanoma, but there are only a fewother centres in the US, the UK andCanada with access to a sufficientnumbers of cases. These countriessimply don’t have the incidence ratesthat we have in Australia — ours arethe highest in the world, and in Perthwe have ready access to patients,” DrSampson said.

“Our value-adding is all the ‘secretstuff inside the lunchbox’, the processingof the information which we hope to be

Early warning systemfor melanoma

Associate Professor David Sampson. . . developing the probe fromearlier work.

High speeddetection couldstop skin cancer

in its tracks

Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director,Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading.

Continued on page 4

by Lindy Brophy

Page 2: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

2 UWA news

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

Professor Deryck SchreuderVice-Chancellor and [email protected]

In the last column, a typographical error led to reference to a submissionfrom the Faculties of ECEL for the delivery of an undergraduate degree in“common law” taught entirely offshore. The reference should have beento an undergraduate degree in “commerce”.

The Financial Times of London has recentlyturned its attention to Australia, by devoting a

major editorial to our place in a globalising economy.With friendly but hard-hitting analysis (cheekilyentitled “Howard’s End . . . ”!), and by focusing on ourdeclining dollar in international currency markets, plusthe related issue of levels of incoming investments,they highlighted our fundamental structural challenge– of moving from an historically commodity-ledeconomy, to one which has a greater diversity inproduction and services.

Knowledge generation will need to underpin thistransformation, for it is knowledge which not only drivesthe so-called new economy, but which also leads to keyvalue-adding in the resource and commodity industries.Intellectual property becomes the new capital, the newwealth.

Globalisation can offer us huge opportunities. But it can alsomean disruption and decline over time, unless we are able tocompete successfully in the markets of the world. We are asmall society by population, and our capital base is less than2 per cent of the global financial markets. Marginalisation willbe easy to achieve, if that is our wish!

I read the Financial Times while flying home from aninternational congress of several hundred CommonwealthVice-Chancellors, where the theme had indeed been‘globalisation’ and its meanings for the diverse nations andpeople of the Commonwealth (64 states of some 2 billionpeople involving, over 1000 universities).

It was impossible not to feel a sense of urgency and concern aswe explored economic and social change among what is apretty fair representation of developed and developingcountries around the world. The fate of education anduniversities turned out to be a pretty good register of thehealth of these nations, and indeed the wealth of these nations.

Certainly, I came to a profound sense of worry for thetrajectory of many African, Asian and Pacific Island nations,

The New Wealthof Nations

VCariousthoughts …

in which education, training and knowledge has struggled tomeet community needs and, in a few cases, has almostcollapsed. The information revolution is there a hollowphrase, or a taunt about a revolution happening elsewhere.A ‘digital ditch’ now divides such societies from the wideworld of knowledge. The whole of Africa has less webaccess than New York city. Over 130 million childrenglobally never go to school, at a time when the World Bankhas shown that a 40 per cent literacy rate is a key base forsustained economic growth.

But we were also acutely aware of the huge scale ofinvestment being made in the EU and North America (andselect parts of Asia) in skill and knowledge generation. Ourown, Australian comparative position is not very good, as theChief Scientist’s 2000 Report indicated and as recent papersfrom the AVCC and Go8 have amplified and reinforced.

At that Commonwealth Conference I was particularlyimpressed with the substantial investment Canada is nowreported to be making in education, especially the tertiarysector. Beyond basic infrastructure and research funding, theuniversities are to receive 2000 special professorships –competitively allocated – at junior ($100,000 pa) and senior($200,000 pa) levels covering all fields of knowledge.

In this national election year, part of our task as Universitypeople must be to make the case to our community, atevery possible occasion, to press for greater stateinvestment in education, research and training.

‘Education is the key’, headlined the International HeraldTribune last week (28 April 2001, page 8); and then arguedsimply that, “If there is one lesson in the past half-century ofeconomic development, it is that the natural resources donot power economies, human resources do . . .”.

That is also the best way in which we, as Australians, canensure that our place in modern history as a new nation,living on the rim of a great region, and a global economicrevolution – continues to be a positive one. Globalisationwill then never mean marginalisation.

The ‘fragility of isolation’, the ‘tyranny of distance’, ‘life onthe edge’ . . . these are all phrases which have come fromour history. Our current era has the potential to be themost decisive yet in dealing with that haunting idea of beingperipheral to the modern world.

Page 3: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

UWA news 3

I f you could employ people who could writeinteractive programs for your students, fix your

computers when they broke down and take overyour accounts, would it make any difference if theyhad a disability?

Not according to the Executive Dean of the Faculties ofEconomics and Commerce, Education, and Law, Dr PaulMcLeod, when he made the bold decision to take on threeyoung people with disabilities under a new training scheme.

ECEL Administrative Officer Janette Barrett said the ideacame from a web site posted by Edith Cowan University, tohelp people with disabilities to find work.

“Then Malcolm Fialho came into my life!” Ms Barrett said.Mr Fialho is the diversity project officer for the Equity

Office, and the employment of trainees has been a jointEquity/ECEL project.

The scheme is supported by the Chamber of Commerceand Industry and requires that the trainees complete atraining certificate through TAFE while they are working atthe University.

They have 18 months to complete their training and allthree are employed part-time by the faculty.

“Their work is magnificent. They are willing and verycapable,” Ms Barrett said. “Substantial sponsorship comeswith each trainee from associated agencies, and I highlyrecommend other departments and faculties to considerjoining the scheme.

Jamie Graham is 19 and taught himself everything aboutcomputers by reading books. He is creating a web-basedinteractive program for economics students calledMacromedia Flash.

He works in the Department of Economics on Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Friday mornings, studying informationsystems and telecommunications at Murdoch University onthe other days. Jamie is supervised by Paul Crompton.

Paul Frayne is working in Accounting and Finance and issupervised by Amanda Godecke.

He wields a mean screwdriver when computers needattention and says that the University is a “great workingenvironment” even if he does spend most of his timecrawling round on the floor under other people’s desks!Paul is also honing his administrative skills in thedepartment’s general office.

In the Graduate School of Management, Kim Welch isextending her knowledge of administration and accounting,working under the guidance of Office Manager TracyTaylor.

“I’ve done administration work before but every day I’mpicking up new skills here,” Kim said.

If you would like to know more about the Equity Office’snew Diversity Workforce Project and the possibility ofemploying a trainee in your department or faculty, pleasecall Malcolm Fialho on 9380 2252 or [email protected].

Trainees are anasset to ECEL

Paul Frayne shows Amanda Godecke a few tricks.

Jamie Graham creates an interactive sitefrom Paul Crompton’s design.

Kim Welch feels at home at the GSM.

Page 4: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

4 UWA news

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

able to present as a confidence levelin the accuracy of the diagnosis of amelanoma.”

Fimiston (Xcell Diagnostics) willacquire 75 per cent of thetechnology, the University will holdthe remaining interest in the project.

Working with David Sampson onthe management of the project areProfessor Michael Barber, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Inno-vation), Fimiston Chairman, IanMacpherson, and Dr Chris Quirk, aUWA-trained dermatologist and aFimiston board member.

Dr Quirk and dermatologistcolleague Dr Chris Clay are testingthe LightPath probe in their privatepractices and in the dermatologyclinic at Royal Perth Hospital. Theassociated histopathology will beundertaken by Dr Peter Heenan, an

Adjunct Associate Professor in theDepartment of Pathology.

“We are recruiting more derma-tologists and plastic surgeons to participatein the trials,” Dr Sampson said.

Success with the probe couldlead to further applications,including tools for analysis ingynaecology, gastroenterology, ear,nose and throat and endoscopicsurgery.

“But initially, we’re trying todevelop a ‘fingerprint’ for mela-noma,even before we look at other typesof skin cancers,” he said.

Fimiston (Xcell) is also supportingresearch in Optical CoherenceTomography (OCT) in OBEL. OCTis a method of imaging cells beneaththe surface of the skin, alsoexpected to be a useful tool in thedetection of skin cancers.

Early warningsystemfor melanomaContinued from page 1

PROSH directors are cock-a-hoop with the results of this

year’s fund-raising effort – $80,000in the kitty and funds still coming in.

It’s already several thousand morethan they raised last year.

PROSH Co-Director, Commerceand Law student Dave Dundas, saidPROSH 2001 got off to a pre-dawn

start on April 11 with 2000 studentsassembling on the Oak Lawn in anastonishing assortment of costumes.

They were off and running at 6.45 am,clowns, Easter bunnies, fairies, beercans and miscellaneous otherunscholarly disguises, 90,000 copies ofthe PROSH newspaper, Perth Bleakly,tucked under their arms and collectiontins rattling; and from 11.30 am tonoon, the city belonged to PROSH – apassing parade of floats on everyimaginable theme from the Muppets toa Popemobile, with PROSH patron andChannel 9 identity Peter Hollandbringing up the rear in a black BMWconvertible.

Confronted by the spectacle ofPROSH on parade again, Perth city-goers seemed a little less startled thanusual, and more sympathetic to thespirit of the event.

“The day went very smoothly, a lotmore smoothly than previous years,”says Dave Dundas. “I’d like to put itdown to all the hard work we put intoit, and perhaps the fact that Perthpeople seem to have a lot moreunderstanding of what PROSH is allabout, that we’re about raising fundsfor charity, and not just a bunch ofstudents having a good time, althoughwe do have a good time while we’redoing it.”

Funds raised will go to a CanTeenGood Grief weekend for children andfamilies coming to terms with thepossibility of cancer, the WA JuvenileDiabetes Foundation, the DyslexiaSpeld Foundation, the WA DeafSociety, and Cystic Fibrosis WA.

Economics and Commerce studentstook out the prize for best float withtheir theme from the movie, Top Gun.

PROSH breaks another record

“Paper, signora?”

“An affordable andportable analysis anddetection tool . . . willhelp GPs to make adecision about whataction to take over a

suspect freckle or mole”

The LightPath team

Page 5: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

UWA news 5

A permanent home, 66 students and $25,000worth of scholarships . . . if the UWA Albany

Centre was in its infancy, it is now a young adult.The rapid growth of the Centre, at the forefront of

flexible delivery of education in WA, is the result of twoyears of enthusiastic nurturing by UWA, the City of Albanyand the people of the Great Southern region.

As Dr Billie Giles-Corti, the Centre’s founding director,goes on long service leave, she hands over a thrivinginstitution, ready for its new base in the historic Penny Postbuilding.

Barbara Black, a lecturer in higher education developmentin UWA’s Centre for Staff Development, will be actingdirector until the end of the year.

During that time, the old post office, partly built in 1868,then added to in the 1880s by distinguished architectGeorge Temple-Poole, will be refurbished and refitted.

The building 25-metre clock tower is thecity’s most distinctive feature and it seemsappropriate that the original communi-cations centre, bringing news to theharbour city, should now become thehome of the University, bringing tertiaryeducation to the region.

Albany architect and UWA graduate DavidHeaver is co-ordinating the refurbishment ofthe interior. The building will retain itsheritage exterior but has been empty forseveral years and needs revamping to becomefunctional for the University.

The Centre should move to its newhome early next year.

Along with Barbara Black, anothernewcomer to the Albany Centre is RandallJasper, the newly-appointed developmentofficer, who will be working closely withthe UWA Albany Foundation, to co-ordinate sponsorship and scholarships, andpromote research opportunities.

Research appropriate to the region hasbegun with the Centre of Excellence inNatural Resource Management, acollaboration between UWA, the City ofAlbany, Waters and Rivers Commission,Agriculture WA and the Department ofConservation and Land Management. It hascombined funding of $1.2 million.

Agriculture WA provides theheadquarters for the centre with theteaching being done at the campus.Research and development will focus oncatchment area geology and watermanagement, use of degraded lands and oilextraction technologies for native plants.

Albany Centre coming of age

As the days get cooler, the weather is conducive to doing things likesorting out your bookcase.

The University branch of the Save the Children Fund welcomes yourunwanted books (and sheet music, records and tapes) for its annual book salein Winthrop Hall.

Last year, they made a record $100,000 in sales and the group is hoping for asimilar result this year, to help children in need both in and out of Australia.

You can leave your donations at the old Anatomy Building, on the cornerof Park Avenue and Crawley Avenue, at any time. Staff there sort booksbetween 9.30am and 12.30pm each weekday. If you can help with sorting,please call co-ordinator Rosalind Lindsay on 9381 3423.

The sale in the undercroft of Winthrop Hall, starts at 6pm on Friday July27. Mark it in your diary now. There are always some terrific bargains.

Bring out your books

ABOVE: The old Penny Post building —UWA’s new home.

BELOW: Randall Jasper . . . co-ordinating sponsorship.

LEFT: Barbara Black, the Albany Centre’sacting director.

Page 6: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

6 UWA news

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

ABOVE: James McDonald (right) helps Dick Beilby to prepare theapron, while Kaye Hansen keeps an eye out for continuity.

TOP: The apron bursts into flames, though not spectacularlyenough to delight James McDonald.

CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY

BANG!

Up Close

A chemist remembered both for his researchinto anti-oxidants and his love of limericks, diedrecently.

Dr Frank Hewgill, who worked in the Departmentof Chemistry for 35 years, retiring in 1994, died after along time in hospital.

He came to UWA from Adelaide in 1959 and hiswork on anti-oxidants led him into the developing fieldof free radical chemistry.

Dr Hewgill taught organic chemistry to students inall years but his particular interest was with the medicalstudents, a generation of whom will remember him forhis weekly limericks as well as his polished lectures.

A lecturer with limericksOBITUARY

Carbohydrates have a biggerrole than that of providingenergy to human beings.

Associate Professor Bob Stick’s new book,Carbohydrates: the Sweet Molecules of Life, looks at the broadrange of roles carbohydrates play in biology and chemistry.

“It’s not a diet book: you won’t get any thinner byreading this book!” Professor Stick (pictured) said of hisbook, which he describes as new wave science.

He said that, for example, infection by influenzahappened through a carbohydrate interaction. “And thatintroduces us to the whole subject of glycobiology.”

Carbohydrate chemistry began about 1970, as adevelopment of organic chemistry, which dates back tothe 1800s in Germany.

“Emil Fischer, one of the first organic chemists, wasthe greatest carbohydrate chemist ever,” said Pro-fessor Stick, who, in Fischer’s memory, has createdone of his chapter headings: Heidi und Heinz.

“In biological fields, things are getting down to themolecular level, inside the cell, and we’re discovering thingswe don’t understand. So we needed a book to explainabout basic carbohydrate chemistry, and this is it,” he said.

Professor Stick has been invited to chair the 21stInternational Carbohydrate Symposium in Cairns inJuly next year. It will include aspects of the chemistry,biochemistry, biology and biotechnology ofcarbohydrates.

For early information on the symposium, callAssociate Professor Stick on 9380 3200.

More than justan energy boost

Page 7: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

UWA news 7

A Swiss chemist, fiddling around in his kitchen in1846, accidentally discovered cellulose nitrate

and started a revolution in explosives.The story of Christian Schonbein’s role in modern day

weaponry is part of an ABC-TV series, Atoms of Fire, which ispresented by two postgraduate chemistry students.

Amanda Tilbury and James McDonald are narrating andfronting the seven-part series on organic chemistry aimed atstudents in Years 11 and 12.

Producer Dick Beilby is making his third science series asa freelance producer. He decided to film the story ofChristian Schonbein (in an episode on polymers) in thekitchen of historic Woodbridge House. But he detoured toa UWA car park to film the explosion, to protect the timberheritage house.

James McDonald explains what happened more than 150years ago to put an end to smoky gunpowder as the mostcommonly used explosive.

“Schonbein had spilled a mixture of nitric and sulphuricacid on the floor and grabbed his wife’s cotton apron tomop it up. Cotton is basically cellulose. And when younitrate it, that is, add concentrated sulphuric and nitric acid,it makes cellulose nitrate.

“He hung the apron over the stove to dry and BANG! Itexploded. Cellulose nitrate started a revolution inexplosives. It led to nitroglycerine, TNT and cyclonite.

“These chemicals still power the weapons of the worldand are still a major force in engineering.”

James hid out of sight, applying heat to the nitratedcotton (or gun cotton) while the camera crew filmed theclose-up shots of the apron bursting into flames.

They will be edited into the rest of the episode fromWoodbridge House.

Chemistry in thekitchen – and inthe carpark

Dick Beilby (left)briefs the televisioncrew on filmingthe close-up.

One person’s rubbish isanother’s research.

Simcoa, a mineral refiningcompany in Bunbury, hasdonated a piece of equipmentthat they no longer need to theDepartment of Chemistry.

Although the ICP machine isactually obsolete, it is very valuable to Chemistry.

The ICP is an analytical tool used for chemicalanalysis of a variety of materials, from environmental tomedical samples.

“Their old machine will enable us to keep ours goingfor many more years,” said senior laboratorytechnician, David Faithfull (above).

“Fifteen years ago, when the ICP was new, it costabout $150,000. Ours is now coming to the end of itslife and we can’t afford to buy a new one. With thedonated machine from Simcoa, we can use the partsand carry on with valuable research, at no cost to thedepartment,” he said.

“We’ve been helping the cancer research group atRPH to do some of their testing,” Mr Faithfull said.

He said that third-year students also used the ICPextensively, to prepare them for the sort of work manyof them would be undertaking in the mining industrywhen they graduated.

Everything oldis new again

CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY

Page 8: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

8 UWA news

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

Money, security, excitement,employment, personal satis-

faction — any or all of these arewhat most graduates want toachieve at the end of a universitycourse.

As well as curiosity about what actuallygoes on at a university, prospectivestudents want to know how to achievethe desired end result.

So Jacqui Tan, a commerce graduate,who has recently written back to heralma mater about her success, is theface of the University’s Open Day.

Her story will be used to encourageprospective students and their familiesto the campus on Saturday May 12, adate already indelibly inscribed on theminds of many of the staff, who havebeen working hard for months to makethis Open Day even better than it wasin 1999.

A committee chaired by EmeritusProfessor David Lindsay and co-ordinated by Ian Lilburne, from PublicAffairs, has been planning every detail,from printing of programs to placementof pavilions, to ensure maximuminformation and enjoyment for theexpected thousands of visitors.

Some departments will be open, otherswill be represented in marquees in thegrounds. Some will run sausage sizzlesor sell coffee and cake. There aredemonstrations planned, hands-onactivities being prepared, displays beingmounted. If you don’t know what yourdepartment is doing, find out and offeryour help.

Open Day will run from 10am to 4pm,with an unusual traditional welcome atnoon, combining didgeridoo players,Aboriginal dancers and contemporarynon-Aboriginal singers and performers.

Be part of it!

Jacqui Tan outside the New York Stock Exchange — her local stamping ground.

Open Day opens the futureOpen Day opens the future

“Three years ago I graduated from UWA with a Bachelor ofCommerce degree with first class honours in Finance. Since then Ihave been working as an investment banker at JP Morgan in thetelecom, media and technology group on Wall Street, just a blockdown from the New York Stock Exchange.

“I often pinch myself to make sure this is for real. How did an Australiangraduate with no previous work experience in the US manage to obtain one ofthe best finance jobs straight out of University?

“The answer is with some luck, some brains and without a doubt, myrigorous training at UWA. The solid grounding in accounting and financetheory, as well as the analytical research skills I acquired held me in good stead.

“I was able to satisfy the interviewers about my conceptual knowledge andunderstanding. In addition they were impressed with the honours curriculum atUWA, its detail, analysis and extensive coverage of finance theory.

“In short, my education at UWA enabled me to compete with and comparefavourably with my peers in the US.”

Jacqui Tan reports from New York:

A RANGE OF

ACTIVITIES FOR

EVERYONE

Page 9: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

UWA news 9

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

Australian Research CouncilFellow Dr Alan Walmsley

remembers that when Australia’sfirst Ambassador was appointedto Jordan in the early 1980s thediplomat was anxious about theJordanians confusing Australianswith Austrians.

It was not an uncommon error inparts of the world where Australianswere less well known, but the Ambas-sador’s anxieties were soon put to rest.

“Every time he introduced himself asthe new Ambassador for Australia, theJordanians started talking aboutarchaeology,” Dr Walmsley recalls.

Australian archaeologists were sowell-known for their involvement inBritish archaeological expeditions in theregion there was little risk of culturalanonymity.

In fact they were arguably betterknown for their activities in and aroundJordan than anywhere else in the world,including until recent years, Australiaitself.

The tradition was established byrenowned Australian archaeologistProfessor Basil Hennessy, who joined aBritish expedition in the excavation ofBiblical Jericho in 1952 when Jerusalemwas still under Jordanian control, thenlater returned as Director of theBritish School of Archaeology inJerusalem.

Now in his 70s and retired, ProfessorHennessy set the pace for successive

UWA archaeologists dig over

the traces

in Jordan

Australian archaeologists interested inancient Jordan, and in the period sincethe 1967 six-day war with Israel, anincreasingly significant Australianinvolvement.

With 20 years experience himself inJordanian and Middle Easternarchaeological research, Dr Walmsley isone of an estimable group of Australian

archaeologists among the 150 inter-national researchers currently at theforefront of Jordanian archaeology.

UWA-based Dr Walmsley wants tosee Australia’s contribution recognisedand consolidated.

“Internationally, the Australianpresence in Jordan is very highlyregarded, and I think it’s a strength anda presence we need to continuebuilding on,” he says.

The New Zealand-born Australian hassignificantly improved that prospectthrough his efforts to secure the triennialInternational Conference on the Historyand Archaeology of Jordan for Australia,an undertaking he embarked on in 1997at The University of Sydney.

The eighth conference in the series isbeing co-ordinated by Dr Walmsleyfrom his ARC base at UWA and will behosted by The University of Sydneyfrom July 9 to 13. It will be the first timethe conference has been held outside itstraditional arena of Jordan and Europe.

It is being funded by The Universityof Sydney, the Arab Bank of Australia,and other private benefactors.

More than 120 abstracts have beensubmitted on topics covering the stoneage to modern Jordan.

Dr Walmsley is also in the finalstages of editing an anthology ofarchaeological work which effectivelyconstitutes an historical perspective onthe 50 years of the Australian involve-ment in Jordanian archaeology.

Titled Australians Uncovering AncientJordan: Fifty years of Middle EasternArchaeology, the book includes con-tributions from 31 Australian andJordanian archaeologists from univer-sitiesin Australia, New Zealand and Jordan.

It will be published by the ResearchInstitute for Humanities and SocialSciences of The University of Sydneyand the Department of Antiquities ofJordan, to coincide with the con-ference.

Describing himself as “a permanentBedouin”, Dr Walmsley says he wasdrawn to UWA from The University ofSydney by the presence of anotherdistinguished West Australian archaeo-logist, UWA’s Professor DavidKennedy, who specialises in aerialreconnaisance photography.

An aerial photographof (Jerash) – a site both UWAarchaeologists Dr AlanWalmsley (inset) andProfessor David Kennedyhave worked on.

“Internationally, theAustralian presence inJordan is very highly

regarded, and I think it’sa strength and a

presence we need tocontinue building on”

BY ADRIENNE JONES

Page 10: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

10 UWA news

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

Community-mindedgraduates sharePatrick O’BrienawardThe first Patrick O’Brien Political Science

Internship Award has been jointly awarded bythe Patrick O’Brien Foundation to two high-achieving UWA political science graduates com-mitted to extending their academic achievements tothe wider community.

The interns are PhD student Wayne Errington, who isspecialising in the democratisation process in South EastAsia, and honours graduate Verity Wright, who is seekingto establish a new career path in advocacy for the benefitof not-for-profit community organisations.

The new internees received their awards at a UWAFaculty of Arts Prize-giving ceremony in Winthrop Hall lastmonth.

In the third year of his PhD at the Department of PoliticalScience, Wayne Errington intends to complete his PhD in SouthKorea early next year before enrol-ing in Korean studies at

Yonsei University,South Korea. Hewill use theinternship tofurther his studiesin the democrati-sation process inSouth Korea,aiming ultimatelyfor an academicor a public sectorcareer specialisingin Korean politics.

Verity Wrightgained First Class Honours in Political Science in 1998 andhopes to spend her internship with the Australian Centrefor Co-operative Research and Development (ACCORD) inSydney, observing the links and relationships between thecentre and not-for-profit and community organisations.Verity currently works at UWA’s Institute for Child HealthResearch (ICHR). She plans eventually to establish aconsultancy in strategic advocacy for organisations withoutrelevant skills or resources to represent themselves.

Both students were taught by the late AssociateProfessor Patrick (Paddy) O’Brien, Verity in Russian Politics,and Wayne in Ideologies.

“Wayne and Verity are both people with outstandingacademic achievements who will use the award to develop

professionally and further their practical knowledge, which iswhat the award in intended to do,” said Dr Bruce Stone,Head of the UWA Department of Political Science.

“The people involved in the selection process were alsoimpressed by the contribution both people are likely tomake in the wider community, Wayne through increasingknowledge about a country which is now Australia’s secondlargest trading partner but is still relatively little known inAustralia, and Verity for thinking outside the square.”

Wayne said he shared the late Paddy O’Brien’s passionateinterest in democracy.

“It’s one of the things that really interests me, whatdemocracy really means and how we can reform ourinstitutions to reflect democratic ideals. It’s somethingPaddy O’Brien was very interested in and it was his abilityto really practise it rather than just teach it that was veryinspiring.

“I also think it is important for countries that are justbecoming democracies not to get into the sort of rut we arein with little public involvement, that they have anopportunity to create institutions that are much moreparticipatory.”

Verity said she had always been community-oriented andwanted a career where she could make a difference.

“Things are changing so fast in the not-for-profit sector,with governments increasingly wanting to pull out of directlyfunding a lot of things. They would much rather there wassome kind of corporate governance in the not-for-profitsector, so that these organisations become largely self-funded, or better equipped to make strategic alliances forthemselves.

“I think this is just going to continue, and it becomes verycomplicated for not-for-profit organisations to adjust to thepace of change. I’d like to position myself to provide theservices they are likely to need.”

Patrick O’Brien intern Verity Wright at theTVW Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.

Community-mindedgraduates sharePatrick O’Brienaward

PhD student and awardeeWayne Errington.

Page 11: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

UWA news 11

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

EDITOR/FEATURE STORY WRITER

Lindy BrophyTel.: 9380 2436 Fax: 9380 1192Email: [email protected]

Designed and set bySteve Barwick

Email: [email protected]

Printed byUniprint

The University of Western AustraliaUWAnews online

http://www.publishing.uwa.edu.au/uwanews/

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Colin Campbell-FraserTel.: 9380 2889 Fax: 9380 1020

Email: [email protected]

UWAnews

1918 – Women’s Club Committee

Celebrating 90 years of achievement

S trolling through UWA’scampus, you often come

across students putting theoryinto practice. One such exerciseinvolved the building of a masonryarch bridge on the manicuredlawn of the Sunken Garden

“We wanted to illustrate to thestudents how the theory they arelearning can be applied to designing andconstructing a fundamental structuresuch as a bridge,” explained seniorlecturer Dr Andrew Deeks, whomasterminded the bridge-buildingexercise along with Andrew Grime, alecturer in Civil Engineering.

During lectures, the studentsdesigned both the bridge and the liftingframe (on wheels) used to move 150kilogram concrete blocks into position.

Bridging theoryand practice

“Previously, first-year Engineeringstudents didn’t do any design. Howeverwe have changed the course, so thatstudents in other disciplines receive anoverview of material previouslypresented over several years in CivilEngineering. Because of this, first-yearEngineering students now have enoughinformation to do some basic structuraldesign.

“The bridge building exercise is afirst, and it has been a good way ofillustrating that what is learned at first-

year level can be used for practical pur-poses. Engineering involves lots ofmaths, so it’s nice for the students tohave something real, something theycan design and build . . . after all, that iswhat engineering is all about!”

While the temporary bridge wasmuch admired in the Sunken Garden, itdisappeared almost as rapidly as it hadrisen, while the picture-perfect gardenprepared for more traditional engage-ments: a string quartet recital by stu-dents and a flurry of Easter weddings!

by Trea Wiltshire

Success!Dr Andrew Deeksatop the bridge.

ABOVE: Andrew Grime and Andrew Deeks start building.

Page 12: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

12 UWA news

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 7 MAY 2001

Robert Graves wrote the superb resume of hisearly life and rites of passage as he passed from

youth to maturity. By virtue of their age,Chancellors of great universities rarely have thisfreshness of viewpoint. They must, if called upon toevaluate and recall, come from a rather more soberand nostalgic podium. Spike Milligan and HarrySecombe were of course exceptions, having beenrecruited when young by entrepreneurialinstitutions, yet even they, if asked to recollect, mayhave drawn out similar skeins of relevance to thosewhich follow.

First the honour and pride. UWA is a truly great university,standing out from all the bravura and drum beating withwhich Australian universities increasingly surroundthemselves. To be its titular head is to be constantly awareof the past tradition and current excellence imbuing theChancellor with a swagger which he or she should modestlycontain being aware of the lines of Adam Lindsay Gordon –

‘So the coward will dare on another’s horseWhat he never would dare on his ownBecause he exults in a borrowed forceAnd a hardihood not his own.’

Then the bridging of relationships. TheChancellor must come from ‘outside’ —either after some period of activeacquaintance with the mode and mores ofthe University or — as it now is currentlypossible following the changing of theUniversity Act, with no such awarenessand sensitivity whatsoever. ‘Outside’ maymean many things. What it does not meanis full membership of the Universitycoterie and a true understanding of thejoys, fears, anticipations and frustrationsof those employed in universities and thenature of the constraints and tabooswhich surround their profession. Theseunderstandings must be acquired byempathy and inquiry. If not, the postbecomes empty, isolated and remote.

Relationships extend outside of theUniversity of course. This is why thedesiderata for choice of Chancellorinclude a high public profile and ease of

manner. The choice of the new Chancellor readily fulfils thisrequirement. In the changing atmosphere of businessopportunity and commercialism these qualities andcharacteristics will become more important as theUniversity expands and the role of Chancellor subtlychanges as does the role of the Senate itself.

Leading the Senate requires tact and diplomacy with amodicum of management skills. Much of the management isdone in the preparation for Senate meetings in conjunctionwith the Vice-Chancellor and the Executive. The Senate is acomplex organisation combining widely ranging knowledge,skills and attitudes infused with a large quantity ofcommitment, ambition and pride all wrapped up in apotential for prickliness. Senate meetings, their aftermathand the relationships in between are part of the great joyand reward of being Chancellor.

And then there are the perks. Graduation ceremonies atUWA assume a memorability and timelessness which neverfails to excite the participants, gratify the observers andrequite the academics who lend significance to the occasion.The Chancellor has the enviable role of personally greeting ahost of young graduands and many postgraduates for whomthe evening is one of permanent commemoration creatingits own rite of passage.

All in all, a wonderful privilege and honour. Who wouldleave the position without some tinge of sadness and regret?

Goodbye to all that …by Clinical Professor Alex Cohen

UWA Chancellor – July 1998 to April 2001

LA

BE

L

Page 13: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

LIFT-OUT7 May 2001 Volume 20 Number 5

CAMPUS DIARY • RESEARCH GRANTS AND CONTRACTS • CLASSIFIED ADS • NOTICES • REDUNDANT EQUIPMENT

ResearchGrantsContracts

&

Compiled by Joanna Thompson

Telephone: 9380 3029Facsimile: 9380 1162

Email: [email protected]

ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAITISLANDER COMMISSION (ATSIC)

Dr J. Stanton, Berndt Museum ofAnthropology: ‘Restoration of photographs’— $38,987 (2000).

ANTARCTIC SCIENCE ADVISORYCOMMITTEE

Dr A. Kennedy, Geography: ‘Impact of globalenvironmental change on the terrestrialbiogeography of Antarctica’ — $8330 (2000-01).

ANZ FOUNDATION

Mr M. Clare, Social Work and Social Policy:‘Supporting care graduates to independentliving’ — $9810 (2000).

AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OFABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAITISLANDER STUDIESMs K. Przywolnilk, Anthropology: ‘Patterns ofAboriginal occupation in Cape RangePeninsula (WA) over the last 30,000 years’ —$9090 (2000).

GRAIN RESEARCH COMMITTEEOF WADr T. Ridsdill-Smith and Dr S. Wang, Legumesin Mediterranean Agriculture, A/Prof E.Ghisalberti, Chemistry and Dr N. Rothnie(external): ‘Chemical mechanisms ofresistance in lupins and aphids’ — $31,274(2000-02).

GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCHCOUNCIL

Prof J. Considine, Plant Science: ‘On the roleof phloem development and function indevelopment and ripening of the grape’ —$10,000 (2000-02).

GRAINS RESEARCH &DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Dr H. Clarke, Legumes in MediterraneanAgriculture: ‘Screening in resistance to chillingand helicoverpa sp. in chickpea’ — $277,000(2000-02).

Prof. P. Cocks, Legumes in MediterraneanAgriculture: ‘Low recharge farming systemsbased on lucerne for the southern wheat beltof WA’ — $292,708 (2000-03).

Dr M. Sweetingham and Dr B. Burchell,Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, Dr I.Frencel and Dr W. Sweikicki (external): ‘Aninternational program for selection of lupinswith improved resistance to anthracnose andfusarium wilt’ — $315,000 (2000-02).

HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF WA

Ms L. Cercarelli, Public Health: ‘Contract forFunding of Road Accident Prevention

Research Unit by Health Department of WA’— $125,000 (2000).

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHEREXCHANGE PROGRAMME

Dr Z X Li, Geology and Geophysics: ‘TestingAustralia’s China connection insupercontinent Rodinia’ — $9071 (2001-03).

JOHN NOTT CANCER FELLOWSHIP& RESEARCH FUND

Dr E. Williams, Applied Cancer Studies, Dr R.Vile and Mr M. Watkins (external): ‘Fellowship— Assessment of a gene therapy formelanoma using viral vector’.

LAND AND WATER RESOURCESR & D CORPORATIONA/Prof C. Pattiaratchi, EnvironmentalEngineering: ‘The influence of northwest cloudbands on eastern Australian rainfall’ —$29,224 (2001).

NZ FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH,SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYFELLOWSHIPDr R Cookson, (external): ‘Fellowship — Theactivity and composition of the microbialcommunity in relation to nitrogen cycling incontrasting organically managed soils’.

UWA SMALL RESEARCH GRANTS

Dr M. Wingate, Geology and Geophysics: ‘Ageand palaeomagnetism of mafic dykes of thenorthwest Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia’— $6839 (2001).

Dr P. Fournier, Human Movement andExercise Science, and A/Prof G. Martin,Animal Science: ‘Limits to sustained bipedallocomotion in ostriches’ — $8000 (2001).

A/Prof S. Lewandowsky,Psychology and Dr M. Kalish(pictured), Psychology:‘Facilitation of knowledgerestructuring: Trainingbetter experts, faster’ —$12,489 (2001).

Dr D. Lloyd, Human Movement and ExerciseScience: ‘Stabilisation of the ankle joint inthree dimensions’ — $10,000 (2001).

A/Prof B. Griffin, Microscopy andMicroanalysis: ‘The characterisation of charge-related effects on electron-induced x-raymicroanalysis in the variable pressure/environmental scanning electron microscope’— $18,928 (2001).

Dr A. Mikosza, Physics: ‘Dissociation andauto-ionization of super-excited states ofnuclear hydrogen’ — $10,239 (2001).

Dr S. Samarin, Physics: ‘Spin-resolved, lowenergy reflection (e,2e) spectroscopy ofsurface magnetism’ — $12,354 (2001).

Dr T. St Pierre, Physics: ‘Single biomoleculeforce spectroscopy’ — $12,279 (2001).

Prof R. Street, Physics: ‘Investigations ofelementary magnetisation processes in hardand soft magnetic materials’ — $19,260(2001).

Dr J. Wang, Physics: ‘Quantum scattering’ —$11,235 (2001).

Prof W. Bailey, Zoology(pictured): ‘Satellitebehaviour and the evo-lution of calling andmating in Australianbushcrickets’ — $8000(2001).

Dr D. Waterhouse, Physics: ‘Towards anexact solution of Schrodinger’s equation’ —$18,900 (2001).

Dr D. Yu, Physics: ‘Studies of atomic negativeion resonance by polarized electrons’ —$11,758 (2001).

A/Prof G. Hammond, Psychology and Dr M.Byrnes, Medicine: ‘Intracortical motorinhibition as a mechanism of humanhandedness’ — $10,500 (2001).

Dr K. Lee, Psychology: ‘The structure of theEnglish personality lexicon’ — $12,324 (2001).

Dr A. Page and Dr V. Locke, Psychology andProf S. Tipper (external): ‘Defining someboundary conditions of thought suppression’— $11,390 (2001).

Prof L. Beazley, Zoology: ‘Colour vision in thehoney possum’ — $18,000 (2001).

Dr J. Rodger, Zoology: ‘The pharmacology ofthe retinotectal projection during optic nerveregeneration in lizards’ — $9000 (2001)/

Dr L. Simmons (pictured),Zoology: ‘Molecularmarkers for evolutionarystudies of parentage’ —$18,000 (2001).

A/Prof P. Withers andDr J. O’Shea, Zoology,

and Mr K. Aplin (external): ‘The evolutionarytransformation from insectivory tohypercarnivory in mammals: a new modelsystem from the dasyurine marsupials’ —$8000 (2001).

Dr M. Ziman, Zoology: ‘A comparative studyinvestigating the role of Pax genes inregeneration of the vertebrate visual system’— $7000 (2001).

WA HEALTH PROMOTIONFOUNDATIONDr J. Hung, Medicine, Ms S. Hickling andA/Prof K. Jamrozik, Public Health: ‘Evaluationand promotion of folate fortification inAustralia’ — $105,058 (2001-02).

Dr J. Fritschi and Ms G. Ambrosini, Public Health:‘Risk factors for prostate cancer and benignprostatic hypertrophy’ — $294,316 (2001-03).

A/Prof K. Jamrozik, Public Health, Prof L.Flicker and Dr G. Hankey, Medicine, and Dr P.Norman, Surgery: ‘Perth elderly cohort study’— $196,543 (2001-02).

RESEARCH GRANTS & CONTRACTSfeatures in each issue of

UWAnews

Page 14: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

CAMPUS DiaryMonday 7 MayUWA EXTENSION PRESENTSGEORGE NEGUS‘The world from Italy: Football, foodand politics.’ The Australian televisionjournalist will uncover a side to Italy andItalians that cannot be found inguidebooks or travel memoirs. Georgewill speak not only of his experiences ofliving in San Giovanni Valdarno, aTuscan town south of Florence, but alsohow this experience acted as a triggerfor him to ponder much broaderinternational issues such a globalisation,IT and the emerging new political andsocial ideology of ‘The Third Way’. 7.30to 9pm, Hadley Hall, Methodist LadiesCollege, Claremont. Fee: $22; conc.$17. Bookings essential on ext. 2433 orat http://www.extension.uwa.edu.au/.

BOTANY SEMINAR‘Factors affecting the recruitment ofriparian vegetation on the Ord andBlackwood Rivers in WesternAustralia’, Dr Neil Pettit, ECU. 4pm,Room 2.14, Botany.

Tuesday 8 MaySOIL SCIENCE AND PLANTNUTRITION/CENTRE FORLAND REHABILITATIONSEMINAR‘Flood and drought: a year in the life ofa jarrah forest’, Dr Ian Fordyce. 4pm,Agriculture Lecture Theatre.

PUBLIC LECTURE‘Is human evolution over?’ Dr SteveJones, The Galton Laboratory,University College, London. 6pm,Geography Lecture Theatre 1.

Wednesday 9 MayINSTITUTE OF ADVANCEDSTUDIES/INAUGURALLECTURE‘Seeing in a moving world’, ProfessorDavid Badcock, Psychology. 1pm,General Purpose Lecture Theatre 2.

GEOGRAPHY SEMINAR‘The mid to late Victorian modelindustrial towns—Saltaire,Bromborough, Bourne-ville and PortSunlight’, Don Newman. 1pm,Geography Lecture Theatre 1.

CENTRE FOR WATERRESEARCH/ENVIRONMENTALDYNAMICS SEMINAR‘Evaporation from saline and non-salinetailings’, Dr Martin Fahey, Civil andResource Engineering. 4pm, BlakersLecture Theatre, Mathematics andStatistics Building.

Thursday 10 MayFREE LUNCHTIME CONCERT‘A charm of English song’, Megan Sutton(contralto) and Graeme Gilling (piano).A recital of songs by English composers

featuring Benjamin Britten’s exquisite A Charm ofLullabies, and including works by Quilter, Headand Hughes. 1.10pm, Octagon Theatre.

HUMAN MOVEMENT AND EXERCISESCIENCE GUEST LECTURE‘Mood alteration and related meanings in physicalactivity: exploring integral connections’,Professor Bonnie Berger, School of HumanMovement, Bowling Green University, Ohio. 1to 1.45pm, Human Movement and ExerciseScience Lecture Theatre.

ZOOLOGY SEMINAR‘Evolutionary patterns from phylo-geographicand population genetic studies in the southwestflora: implications for conservation’, Dr DavidCoates, CALM. 4pm, Jennifer Arnold LectureTheatre.

PERTH MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCEGROUP TALK‘Gossip and defamation in late fifteenth-centuryLondon’, Dr Stephanie Tarbin, History. 7.30pm,Postgraduate Lounge, Hackett Hall.

Friday 11 MayMICROBIOLOGY SEMINAR‘Jumping rats and blinking people: dopamineeffects on the modulation of the startle reflex’,A/Prof Mathew Martin-Iverson, Department ofPsychiatry and Behavioural Science. 9am, SeminarRoom 1.1, First Floor, L Block, QEIIMC.

Monday 14 MayBOTANY SEMINAR‘The effect of multiple catastrophic events onpopulation demography: case study of acommon, fecund restiad in the northernKwongan’, Dr Kathy Meney. 4pm, Room 2.14,Botany.

INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES/UWA PRESS SEMINAR‘Gender and migration’, Dr Nonya Peters, CurtinUniversity. 1pm, IAS Building

TEACHING AND LEARNING SEMINAR‘Effective small group teaching’, Dr RichardBaker, ANU. 4 to 6pm, Centre for StaffDevelopment. RSVP on ext. 1504.

PHYSIOLOGY SEMINARA look in to the “Black Box” of thebaroreceptor reflex’, Doug McKitrick, Medicine.5pm, Physiology Seminar Room.

Tuesday 15 MaySOIL SCIENCE AND PLANTNUTRITION SEMINAR‘Prime hard quality wheat management package’,Md. Shahajahan Miyan, AGWEST. 4pm,Agriculture Lecture Theatre.

Wednesday 16 MayCHEMISTRY SEMINAR‘Structural chemistry of adducts of simple group Isalts with (2,9-dimethyl-)1,10-phenanthroline’,Allan White. 12 noon, White Lecture Theatre.

GEOGRAPHY SEMINAR‘Astroloma: fruits of the Kwongan—bushfood,fruit traits and seed dispersers’, Jerome Bull.1pm, Geography Lecture Theatre 1.

CENTRE FOR WATER RESEARCH/ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMICSSEMINAR‘Flow regimes and phytoplankton dynamics inthe Swan River Estuary: evaluation using anecological model’, Dr Barbara Robson, Centrefor Water Research. 4pm, Blakers LectureTheatre, Mathematics and Statistics Building.

KEYED UP—SOLO PIANO RECITALSERIES‘Christiano Burato, winner of the Chopin prizein the 1996 Sydney International PianoCompetition, in a recital featuring works byFrederic Chopin. 7.30pm, Octagon Theatre.

7-21 May

GRACE VAUGHAN AWARD—2002

In 1984, friends and colleagues ofthe late Grace Vaughan provided a

sum of money to establish an award to beoffered annually to individuals wishing topursue studies in the area of social justiceand human rights at UWA, or individualswith a demonstrated scholarly orprofessional concern for social justice andhuman rights wishing to travel in Australiaor overseas for further studies likely tobenefit the community.

Previously the award has been given tocandidates to assist with—

• the collection and assessment of data inrelation to research into the treatment andincarceration of Aboriginal juveniles underthe juvenile justice system of WesternAustralia.

• attendance and participation at theUnited Nations Fourth World conferenceon Women, and the Forum 1995, Beijing.

• study in the area of human rights issuesconcerned with equity for dispossessedindigenous people.

• study into an examination of povertyamongst British women in the 19thcentury.

• assistance with a variety of communityand rural development work in Bangladesh.

• attendance and participation at theInternational Service for Human Rights’Geneva Training Course and the UnitedNations Commission on Human Rights.

The award for 2002 will be $2000. Theclosing date for applications is 1 September2001.

Interested applicants or those requiringfurther information should contact theFaculty Administrative Officer (Arts) on(08) 9380 2096, or [email protected] or: http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/gracevaughan/

Page 15: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

Thursday 17 MayFREE LUNCHTIME CONCERTA highlight of the French sacred repertoire,Poulenc’s Mass in G Major. Featuring The WAIMChamber Choir and directed by AnthonyMaydwell. 1.10pm, Winthrop Hall.

ZOOLOGY SEMINAR‘The role of neural activity in functionalregeneration of the central nervous system: anevolutionary perspective’, Dr Vicky Stirling. 4pm,Jennifer Arnold Lecture Theatre.

HERDSA WA BRANCH TEACHING ANDLEARNING SEMINAR‘Developing students’ critical ability to learn howto learn’, Professor Ron Weber, University ofQueensland. 4 to 6pm, Geography LectureTheatre 2. RSVP to the Centre for StaffDevelopment on ext. 1504.

INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIESSEMINAR‘The geography of contact history: the caseexample of the Yanyuwa from the NorthernTerritory’, Dr Richard Baker, Geography, ANU.6pm, IAS Building.

Friday 18 MayMICROBIOLOGY SEMINAR‘Functional genomics and drug target validation’,Dr Frank Koentgen, WAIMR. 9am, SeminarRoom 1.1, First Floor, L Block, QEIIMC.

ASIAN STUDIES SEMINAR‘Diaspora and cultural identity: Gao Xingjian andthe 2000 Nobel Prize for Literature’, Wang Yi. 1to 2.30pm, G.25 Seminar Room, Social SciencesBuilding.

DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT REQUIRE PERSONNEL FOR AN UPCOMING

ASSIGNMENT? AN INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR? ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT?IT SOLUTIONS?

Workskills Professionals is a Western Australian owned Recuitment Company. Weprovide personnel for large corporations and feature on Government preferred suppliercontracts throughout Australia. Nationally, we have access to over 20,000 registeredcandidates — all experienced in the fields of Accounting, Administration, Computing,Engineering, Secretarial just to name a few! Successfully Workskills Professionalsprovided well over 800 staff for the recent Western Australian State Election.

WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PLACED OVER 300 TEMPS THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY

OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA IN THE PAST 7 YEARS AND CONTINUE TO DELIVER. THERE

IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE, SO PLEASE CONTACT US FOR ALL OF YOUR

TEMPORARY, CONTRACT AND PERMANENT PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS.

Associatemember

of RCSA

Contact: Paula Cousins Tel: 9201 7777 Fax: 9201 7778Email: [email protected]

www.WorkskillsProfessionals.com.au

B U I L D I N G S T R O N G E R R E L A T I O N S H I P S

TABLE OLIVEWORKSHOP

2001Sunday 27 May

9am to 4pmCost: $145

Olives are now on the trees. If youwant to learn more about table oliveprocessing then the place to be is atUWA’s Faculty of Agriculture, whereProfessor Stan Kailis will present aday workshop. Professor Kailis willshow the best varieties of olive toplant, how and when to pick olivesand the processing methods to getthe best results. The workshop willappeal to a wide range of personsfrom those that love olives to themore serious growers. During theworkshop, hands-on activities willinclude olive tasting, olive evaluation,olive processing and marinating, andmaking tapenade. Lunch will includedishes based on Mediterranean andMiddle East cuisine. All notes, olivesand materials are provided, howeveryou may wish to bring your ownolives for processing or tasting.

Contact Professor Stan Kailis,Plant Sciences Group, Faculty ofAgriculture, tel: 9380 1108;email: [email protected].

CIVIL AND RESOURCE ENGINEERINGSEMINAR‘Modelling the behaviour of cemented sand’,Shambhu Sagar. 3.45pm, Room E151, First Floor,Civil Engineering Building.

THE PHILOSOPHY SOCIETY MEETING‘Buddhist “no-self” and the knowledgeargument’, Miri Albahari, University of Calgary.4.15pm, Arts Seminar Room 1.33.

PATHOLOGY SEMINAR‘Epigenetic modification of DNA and neoplasiawith special reference to cytosine methylation’,Dr Peter Kay, Pathology. 4.30pm, PathologyConference Room, G14, Ground Floor, M Block,QEIIMC.

Monday 21 MayBOTANY SEMINAR‘Changes in eucalypt abundance in Kings Park,Perth’, Katinka Ruthrof. 4pm, Room 2.14,Botany.

ADVANCE NOTICE

Tuesday 12 JuneARTS ‘CAREERS IN ASIA’ NIGHTKeynote speaker: Lieutenant General JohnSanderson AC, Governor of Western Australia;Graduate speaker: Colin Yoong. 7.15pm, SocialSciences Lecture Theatre. Admission is free butbookings are essential. Telephone Dr PhilippaChristmass on ext. 3316 or [email protected] by Monday 11 June.

Page 16: by Lindy Brophy - UWA Staff...Dermatologist Dr Chris Quirk tests the LightPath probe on Fimiston Managing Director, Barry Fehlberg. Rebecca Webster records the reading. Continued on

ITEM PRICE AGE COND. NAME E X T .

Apple Macintosh Plus, SE,SE HD, SE 30 Offers 13 to 9 2, 3, 4 Mark S 1855Apple Macintosh LC 630 (no CD)& LC 575 Offers 7 to 6 2, 3 Mark S 1855Apple Macintosh IIfx, IIci, IIsi.Some with multiple graphics cards Offers 11 to 8 3, 4 Mark S 1855LC I, II & III’s Offers 11 to 7 2, 3 , 4 Mark S 1855Apple mono & colour monitors various& A4 portrait to suit LC and Mac II’s etc. Offers 14 to 6 2, 3, 4 Mark S 1855Apple NT laserwriters Offers 7(?) to 9(?) 3, 4 Mark S 1855

Departments are reminded that all University equipment available for sale must be advertised in the UWAnews. Receipts should be PeopleSoftaccount coded 490 (computing with barcode), 491 (non-computing with barcode) or 493 (items with no barcode). If equipment has an existing

barcode please contact extension 3618/2547 for details.

CONDITION refers to the general condition of item ( 1 = as new; 2 = good; 3 = serviceable; 4 = unserviceable). AGE refers to the nearest year.

FOR RENT

AN UNFURNISHED DUPLEX with twobedrooms, a study and very private shadedbackyard is offered for rent at $180 per week.The house is in a scenic location at the borderof City Beach (Brompton Rd), 15 minutes drivefrom UWA and at walking distance fromshops, school and the beach. Available in earlyMay 2001. Call Eugene Ivanov on 9380 3818 or9380 3443 or mobile 0438 415705.

SHORT-TERM RENT of furnished flat nearUWA (Broadway). Available 3 months. July toOct. $120 p/w. Call Steve on 9380 3835.

FIVE-BEDROOM character fully furnishedhome in Cottesloe, federation with verandahsall round. Suit professional with family. Fiveminutes walk from Cottesloe Beach and 10minutes drive to UWA. For July, Aug and Sept2001 or there abouts, non-smokers. $500 perweek. Call Ellen on 9384 6098 a/h.

WANTED TO RENTHOUSESIT/EXCHANGE/RENTAL accommo-dation sought for visiting ANU academic withfamily (spouse plus 2 school-age children) fromJuly 2001 for 12 months. 3 bedroom houseconvenient to UWA. References available, willingto care for pets, garden. Contact Helen on 2328or [email protected].

FOR SALE

COMPUTER, Digital Venturis 486 Processor.$150 ono. Phone ext. 3414.

Redundant Equipment for Sale

Microscopy Courses for June 2001Microscopy Courses for June 2001Microscopy Courses for June 2001Microscopy Courses for June 2001Microscopy Courses for June 2001Scanning Electron Microscopy 11 to 14 June Max. 20 Min. 10 8.30am to 6pmThe course covers basic scanning electron microscopy, digital imaging and minimum samplerequirements. Users will be trained on instruments appropriate to their needs to a basicoperational standard. Afternoon practical sessions support the theory. Any queries contact A/ProfBrendan Griffin, ext. 2739, email: [email protected]. Please note that this course is a prerequisitefor the Electron Microbeam Analysis Course and the Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy Course.

Introductory Transmission Electron Microscopy 13 to 15 June Max. 12 Min. 6 9am to 6pmThis course gives an appreciation of the capabilities of TEM, practical training in the operationof the microscope and instruction in the interpretation of results. It is suitable for biological,physical scientists and engineers. Any queries contact A/Professor Andrew Johnson, ext. 2764.Please note that this course is a prerequisite for the Crystallography for Electron Microscopists and theGatan Image Filter Courses which will be held later.

Electron Microbeam Analysis 18 to 20 June Max. 20 Min. 6 8.30am to 6pmThis is an introductory course in electron microbeam analysis of bulk samples. The program coversgeneral theory and principles of operation of energy dispersive X-ray detectors, X-ray datacorrection procedures and sample preparation. Basic wavelength dispersive X-ray analysis is alsocovered. Afternoon practical sessions support the theory. The final session will include discussionof applications, interpretation and problems that may be encountered. Any queries contact A/ProfBrendan Griffin, as above. Completion of the S.E.M. course is a prerequisite for this course.

Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy 21 to 22 June Max. 10 Min. 6 8.30am to 6pmThe special characteristics of the ESEM will be covered with emphasis on control oftemperature and pressure of the sample chamber environment. The benefits of the ESEM willbe explored on a range of moist and uncoated specimens of a physical and biological nature.The new charge contrast imaging will be covered. Any queries contact A/Prof Brendan Griffinas above. Completion of the S.E.M. course is a prerequisite for this course

Optical Microscopy 25 to 27 June Max. 6 Min. 4 9am to 6pmThis course covers general principles and application of all areas of light microscopy includingbrightfield, phase contrast, normaski interference, polarising and fluorescence microscopy.Basic histochemistry for high resolution light microscopy will also be included. Any queriescontact Professor John Kuo, 2765, email [email protected]

Digital Image Manipulation and Storage 28 to 29 June Max. 20 Min. 4 8.30am to 6pmThe course is in two parts: Part A will review the nature of a digital image; explaining the relevantterminology, the currently available facilities for printing and transferring of images and the variousmedia for image storage (including a cost and archival comparison). Part B will introduce imagemanipulation software including Adobe Photoshop 5.0 NIH Image 1.62, Macromedia Freehand 7.0and PowerPoint 5.0. The course is conducted on Macintosh computers but is generally platformindependent. Each part will consist of a two-hour presentation followed by hands-on practicals. Forfurther information contact A/Prof. Brendan Griffin as above.

Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy 2 to 3 July Max. 8 Min. 4 9am to 6pmThe course covers the theory and practice of confocal microscopy. Students are encouraged to bringtheir own samples for practical sessions. Any queries please contact: Professor John Kuo as above.

Biological Transmission Electron Microscopy 4 to 6 July Max. 6 Min. 4 9am to 6pmThis course covers both the theory and hands on practical training for specimen preparation,ultramicrotomy and TEM operation for biological applications. Any queries please contactProfessor John Kuo as above.

Places are limited but all courses are open on a first-come basis, except that UWAcourse requirements take precedence. There is no cost to UWA students or staff.No cost to Curtin participants. $150 per day for others. Application forms can beobtained from the Centre’s website or by telephoning 9380 2770 or fax 9380 1087.

Bids should be accepted by Monday 21 May with departments to have first option

Classifieds

PROSH Bitter takes tothe streets with the Perth Bleakly.