Why we go back again and again to NigellaBY SHARON WEBB

A s you next sit salivating over Kate’s signature retro coffee cake with coffee butter

cream on Masterchef, ask yourself: What attracts me to this kind of tel-evision?

That’s the question Dr Michelle Phillipov from the School of English, Journalism and European Languages is attempting to answer with her research on television cooking shows.

Intrigued by ‘pleasures of the extreme’ – as evidenced by her forthcoming book on death metal music – Dr Phillipov believes it’s not a coincidence that the popularity of food television comes at the height of an obesity epidemic.

“Many of the messages presented to us about food are puritanical; we’re told that we eat too much of the ‘wrong’ food and this is a danger to our health. Most people do not cook and eat the foods they see prepared on television but they can enjoy seeing them being prepared,” she said.

“It’s about rediscovering food as pleasurable.”

The fact that many Australians find Masterchef, My Kitchen Rules, Poh’s Kitchen, Rick Stein’s Eastern Odyssey, Jamie’s Kitchen and Nigella Feasts unmissable could reveal the limits of public health messages, Dr Phillipov believes.

“If we’re presented with restrictive guidelines around healthy eating maybe we need a guilt-free release valve

– taking pleasure in seeing forbidden foods prepared and enjoyed.”

This theory is boosted by the programs’ visuals: the way Masterchef judges make a point of taking a large spoonful of oyster and king prawn gumbo when they judge it, lingering camera shots on puddings oozing chocolate.

Nigella Lawson’s emphasis, as

the camera feasts on her licking the spoon, on the ‘naughty’ ingredients – butter, cream and lots of free-range eggs – only serves to increase the sense of consuming forbidden fruits. Sensually of course.

Families feeling the financial squeeze could be another reason for the success of these shows, Dr Phillipov said.

“Media comment suggests a key pleasure for many people is that they transform cooking into a form of leisure in times of financial hardship. Instead of going to restaurants they prepare special foods at home, evidenced by Coles supermarkets’ spike in foods purchased.”

And of course there’s the very human motivation of one-

upmanship: those who watch the shows learn the lingo of the top chefs, gaining cultural capital from understanding the use of a sous vide.

According to Dr Phillipov, competition between contestants also creates suspense, enticing us to come back – and we get attached to competitors who, after all, are just ordinary people like us.

All the Vice-Chancellor’s 2011 Excellence Awards 8 pp. 8–11

‘Many of the messages presented to us about food are quite puritanical; we’re told that we eat too much of the “wrong” food and this is a danger to our health.’

Fish welfare test is a TrailblazerBY SARAH NICOL

Dr Ryan Wilkinson has been officially named one of Australia’s most innovative and inventive researchers.

The AMC researcher was runner-up in the open category of the recent national Trailblazer awards. He was presented with a $5000 prize and 12-month New Scientist subscription at the award ceremony.

Trailblazer recognises research-ers with original ideas or concepts to benefit the community. Dr Wilkin-son’s research is in aquaculture and

his winning written submission and pitch discussed the development of a rapid, on-farm test for use in the

aquaculture industry which will allow for the assessment and maintenance of high fish welfare standards.

“The Trailblazer competition provided a fantastic opportunity for me to explore the commercial potential of my research idea and ‘pitch’ that idea to a panel of judges with interests in venture capital, intellectual property management and industry engagement,” he said.

Dr Wilkinson said the aquacul-ture industry was growing faster than any other food-producing sector. As a result, consumers, NGOs and activists want to know more about how these fish are produced and whether they are cared for correctly. He said there was mounting pressure

for fish farmers to demonstrate high welfare standards were maintained at all stages of production.

“This project aims to develop a rapid, on-farm test for use in the aquaculture industry which will allow the assessment and potential improve-ment of situations where fish welfare may be compromised,” he said.

“The overall goal is to integrate the test into existing welfare and quality assurance programs.”

At a state level Dr Wilkinson won the open category, a $3000 prize, as well as a $1000 prize for pitching excellence.

News from the University of Tasmaniawww.utas.edu.au

OCTOBER 2011 ISSUE NUMBER 354

3 Down on the farm Ag students get practical

Recognise this man?He shaved for social justice2

National Trailblazer win for AMC researcher: Professor Paul Greenfield AO, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland (left) and Doron Ben-Meir, CEO of Commercialisation Australia (right) present Dr Ryan Wilkinson with the runner-up Trailblazer award.

Researching the TV chefs phenomenon: Dr Michelle Phillipov from the School of English, Journalism and European Languages believes TV food shows may provide a guilt-free release valve at a time of puritanical food messages to the public. (Photo: Peter Mathew)

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 3542 UTAS community

BY SARAH NICOL

A ssociate Professor Rick Snell from the UTAS Faculty of Law lost his

infamous locks and beard on 29 August in a bid to raise money for social justice.

He originally hoped to raise $10,000 for the Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Fund but managed to net $12,500, which will become $25,000 after the UTAS Foundation matches contributions. This will be added to the appeal tally, bringing the total to $42,500 from public donations since the end of last year.

“I didn’t expect to raise so much – I thought $10,000 a high target,” he said.

Donations came from as far away as South Africa and New Zealand and some individuals gave $500.

Assoc. Prof. Snell had his beard for 16 years and is enjoying the change.

“It takes a bit of getting used to in the shower but I’m feeling great – why wouldn’t you be with comments saying

how good you look (see my Facebook page) or that I look 10–20 years younger,” he said.

Funds can still be donated online at http://www.utas.edu.au/foundation/sandy-duncanson-social-justice-fund or directly to Rick Snell.

Sandy Duncanson was a Tasmanian lawyer with a commitment to social justice. He died in 2010 after 16 years battling cancer. The fund was set up in his name to enable a student to carry out a social justice project or activity.

The total money in the fund is now almost $85,000, which well and truly establishes the fund and gives it the capacity to grow, Assoc. Prof. Snell said.

The first bursary of $2000 for a so-cial justice project is now open for applications from any undergradu-ate student (not just law).

Rick youthens for social justiceMike VertiganThe University Council has appointed Dr Michael Vertigan AC as the next chair of the Australian Maritime College Board, following completion of the term of Dr David Sterrett at the end of this year. Dr Vertigan brings to the board extensive experience

in the public and tertiary sectors and a reputation as an influential leader in Tasmania and nationally. He is former Chancellor of this university and has held senior leadership positions in the Tasmanian and Victorian public sector. (Photo: courtesy The Mercury)

Khin Zaw

Associate Professor Khin Zaw from CODES, ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits, has been elected president of the Solid Earth Section of the influential Asia Oceania Geological Society at its

annual conference in Taipei. The society has the most members of any geoscience organisation in the region and attracted over 1500 delegates from more than 40 countries to the conference.

Graham Edgar

Dr Graham Edgar from IMAS had his lifelong efforts in marine conservation, including his role in helping to establish Reef Life Survey, recognised by the Australian Marine Science

Association. He has been presented with the prestigious Jubilee Award. This is for a scientist who has made an outstanding contribution to marine research in Australia; it was presented at the AMSA annual conference.

Ruth Fielding-Barnsley

Associate Professor Fielding-Barnsley from the Faculty of Education has been appointed by the Education Minister Nick McKim to a nine-member reference group to investigate the viability of

Tasmanian government schools.The group, chaired by businessman and Learning

Services North-West School Improvement Board chair, Royce Fairbrother, also includes UTAS Professor David Adams, the Tasmanian Social Inclusion Commissioner. It will report at the end of January 2012.

Do you have a tidbit for ‘Our people’? Email news snippets on UTAS people to: Media.Office@utas.edu.au and mark your email subject: ‘Our people’.

Our people

On campusBeanies and mittens put to good useUTAS staff, students and members of the public braved the winter cold recently to celebrate community, while rugging up in beanies and mittens.

The Beanies and Mittens night is an annual collaborative event between UTAS Accommodation Services and the UTAS Community Friends and Networks Programme.

It was an opportunity for people to enjoy hot soup, open fires and good company.

Beanies, mittens and scarves were kindly donated by Lifeline Hobart to keep attendees warm.

Before and after the big shave for social justice: Associate Professor Rick Snell has raised $12,500 for the Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Fund.

‘It takes a bit of getting used to in the shower but I’m feeling great’

Hip bumps in the zoology labBY CHERIE COOPER

Years ago, Laura Parsley had to make the choice between per-forming arts or science. Science won– but only just.

So these days it’s not unusual to find Laura, a PhD candidate in the UTAS School of Zoology, practising her belly dance moves or adding to her costume collection.

“I have heaps of costumes – but I always want more! And I’m quite good at picking up things people have bought online that don’t fit them. Plus

I make a lot of stuff too.”Laura originally thought

she wanted to be an organic chemist– “but then Sue (Professor Sue Jones, head of school) came along.”

“In second year she gave a wonderful lecture about endocrine disruption and I realised that was for me. I saw a way of combining my love of organic chemistry and zoology.”

Laura’s research is on how some chemical contaminants can interfere with embryonic development in live-bearing lizards.

Interestingly, science led to her starting belly dancing in 2006.

“It was getting a bit dry with all the science; I missed doing something creative. I saw a belly dancing performance and decided to give it a go.”

Unitas is the monthly newsletter of the University of Tasmania. It is printed in soy-based inks, on stock which is 80 per cent recycled and 20 per cent total chlorine-free pulp (FSC Mixed Source Certified). Aluminium printing plates are also recycled after use.

Circulation 1,500 Editor Sharon Webb 03 6324 3218 Email Media.Office@utas.edu.au Production ACYS 03 6226 2591

Contributions are welcome, but items with a broad appeal will be given priority. The Editor reserves the right to edit copy or hold it over for a later issue and is under no obligation to publish contributed material. The opinions expressed in Unitas are not necessarily those of UTAS. For a list of Unitas deadlines and guidelines, visit us at: www.utas.edu.au/events/unitas.html

In the lab and on the stage: Zoology postgraduate Laura Parsley has a healthy work–life balance.

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 3543 News

In conversation

Professor Peter Rathjen VICE-CHANCELLOR

Open to talent

This month the university will release a green paper, or a first working draft, of its next strategic plan, Open to Talent. Open to Talent will set the agenda for the university for the next five years, with a forward horizon of at least 10 years.

Understanding how UTAS might look in 2022 and beyond is no small task. The plan needs to be simultaneously bold and future-seeking, a contemporary interpretation of our enduring values and respectful of the university’s strong 120-year history.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the consultation process has been the breadth of internal and external engagement. Several hundred staff have attended forums held across the university’s campuses and there have been more than 1000 online submissions from individuals, organisations and community groups, and our students.

A strong theme to emerge has been the almost symbiotic relationship between the university and Tasmania itself; through geography, environment, social fabric, history and identity. The view that this relationship – and the associated opportunities – defines UTAS resonates clearly, as does the evident enthusiasm of staff, students and key stakeholders to explore how it can be manifest in teaching, research and engagement of special value.

These conversations will be reflected in core strategic priorities of learning, research, participation and engagement outlined in the green paper.

To thrive over the next 10 years UTAS, as the sole university on the island, will need to juggle potentially competing agendas. We must both preserve a research mission that positions us as an institution of international excellence, and embrace the Australian Government’s ambitious agenda for 40 percent of 25-34 year olds to attain a Bachelor degree or higher by 2025.

And with many more students from increasingly diverse backgrounds on our campuses there is opportunity to refine the nature of the student experience and the relationship between town and gown.

The strategic plan is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to position the university nationally and internationally. Tasmanians all have a large stake in the university as an agent of positive change, social and economic prosperity for the State.

I encourage all to scrutinise the green paper so that input and feedback can be included before the final new strategic plan is ratified by the university council early next year.

Peter RathjenVice-Chancellor

www.utas.edu.au/vc

BY LUKE SCOTT

P eople are always asking Roger Orr to look into his agricultural crystal ball.

The advent of poppy-grow-ing, the growth of greenhouses and the decline of the fruit industry are just some of the changes he has seen in Tasma-nia’s agriculture industry in the past 40 years.

Roger Orr retired from the Tasmanian Institute of Agri-cultural Research last month, after serving four years as senior agricultural officer and laughed when asked about his predictions for the future of the agriculture industry in Tasmania.

“Look, I think there are some good basics; people are always going to need food and we can grow it here.

“We have an ideal climate for greenhouse production because we are not too hot or too cold so I anticipate there will be ongoing

expansion there. After big devel-opments on the mainland I think companies will start to take more interest here.”

But Tasmanian needs to stick with the temperate vegeta-bles and perennial crops, Roger reckons.

“I used to work with fruit trees - all apples and pears. The apricot industry had disap-peared 40 years before because of disease and other things. But apricots are coming back in, and so are cherries – they’ve boomed down south and taken over where apples used to be.

“Plums and peaches could have resurgence; we can do them well because we have the climate that suits them. But

it’s a matter of them being rediscovered and new markets developed.”

Roger believes Tasmania’s vegie industry can only keep improving.

“More and more going to mainland markets, apart from the processed vegetables we send,” he said.

“We supply into Melbourne and Sydney; those cities are growing and will have even larger demands. There will always be ups and downs, boom and bust, but I think we are well placed.”

Roger’s love of agriculture was sparked as a child, going back to his grandfather.

“We had fruit trees and sold fresh produce to the local greengrocer. I enjoyed propagat-

ing camellias and fuchsias so I decided to study agriculture. You could do the plant or the animal stream; I went down the plant stream.”

After “a short stint” doing national service after his “marble came up”, Roger went to work for the state government’s agri-culture department in 1972.

“The department has gone through umpteen revolutions since then, when it comes to name changes,” he said wryly.

“In the early days poppies were just starting; I was in on the ground floor which was exciting. We spent a lot of time talking to farmers about this new crop and how to grow it.

“I would go out as far as Deloraine and up to the north-east, talking to farmers, nurseries, orchards, even bowling clubs and sports clubs. Now, apart from potatoes, poppies are the major crop in Tasmania, both in area and economic return.”

During his working life there isn’t much Roger hasn’t planted, propagated, harvested and studied: buckwheat, potatoes, radishes, soybeans, asparagus, onions, carrots. He also played a big role in liaising with the state’s fledgling green-house industry.

But the thing he’ll most miss about working in the industry is the people – the growers and his colleagues.

Tassie’s agricultural history is appointed to the future: After 40 years there isn’t much Roger Orr hasn’t planted, propagated, harvested and studied.

Getting the dirt on agricultureLucy Saxby came from Melbourne to study agricul-ture at UTAS – with no farm background, which she says was pretty hard.

But last month she was one of 30 UTAS agricultural science students who moved their classroom to the paddocks of north west Tasmania.

They visited cropping, dairy and grazing farms, and agricul-tural processing plants including Simplot, Serve Ag, Fonterra and Botanical Resources Australia.

“My Dad had a business buying and selling produce but he only got into food produc-tion recently,” Lucy said. “It was fantastic to get a taste of the many different types of farming in Tasmania.”

Senior lecturer in horticul-tural science Dr Alistair Gracie said the aim was to get students to understand what makes

Tasmanian agriculture and hor-ticulture industries competitive in a global market. They also got a feel for the scale and diversity of agriculture in the north west region.

“They were fascinated by the scope and sophistication of farming and found it valuable to look at how the science they

have learnt about in lecture rooms actually works in the field,” Dr Gracie said.

“Agriculture students at UTAS come from a diverse background; some of them have hardly ever been on farms. It’s vital they see how it all works to put their study into context.

“They were especially inter-

ested to hear personal experi-ence stories of people in the agricultural industry.”

Lucy said the NW trip defi-nitely had an influence on her 2012 subject choice.

“I’ve learnt heaps in the classroom over the past two years but this trip was a massive eye opener about the practical side of farming.

“Having seen the impor-tance of specialising in and both the science and economics of a particular crop or commodity, I am going to choose cropping and business subjects for my final year.”

Out on the farm: Agriculture students Lucy Saxby and Andrea Craigie get close-up with cropping and farming at Brandsema’s tomato-growing operation near Ulverstone.

A life in the ‘plant stream’

‘I used to work with fruit trees - all apples and pears. The apricot industry had disappeared 40 years before because of disease and other things. But apricots are coming back in, and so are cherries – they’ve boomed down south.

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 354

W hile we celebrate certain celebrities who age gracefully

like Dame Judy Dench, or exult the distinctiveness that ageing brings to particular male celeb-rities, such as George Clooney, the signs of ageing are generally despised.

We are surrounded by images of what is considered normal and desirable – namely, looking youthful. Ageless faces parade before us, constantly reminding us of what we should be, what we should aim towards. Those cursed with wrinkles need to ‘manage’ and ‘correct’ this deviant sign of ageing.

The quest for youthful looks can even land some into trouble with the law as seen in the recent case of a New Zealand woman who allegedly fled a Christchurch clinic after $NZ780 ($620) of Botox treatment.

And the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australia (CPSA) has raised concerns about beauty treatment companies advertising their services by offering coupon discounts. These discounted cosmetic procedures include anti-wrinkle injections, laser treatments and microdermabra-sion.

The President of CPSA, Dr Gabrielle Caswell, stated that “these types of offers also encourage impulse purchases” and could “encourage excessive use of such procedures”.

But are such concerns justified and what can associa-tions like the CPSA potentially gain from such public criti-cisms?

The most famous and often reported about non-invasive cosmetic procedure, aimed spe-cifically at filling and preventing wrinkles such as crow’s feet and forehead lines, is undoubtedly Botox.

While Botox is a regis-tered trademark owned by

the company Allergan, the media and social attention this product has received means that Botox has become a familiar reference for all cosmetic forms of botulinum neurotoxin.

Yet historically, botulinum neurotoxin has been a threat to humans. Ingestion can cause botulism, a paralysing condition and, during World War II, there were attempts to turn botulinum toxins into biological weapons.

The history of this neuro-toxin – a deadly food poison and destructive weapon of warfare – has been effaced by recent commercial uses and the media promotions of Botox.

While used clinically to treat hyperactive muscles, involun-

tary muscle contractions, and tremors and spasms in the face, trunk and limbs, Botox has also become a cure for a large and expanding range of aesthetic concerns, beyond combating wrinkles, including treating sagging breasts and baldness.

Some women have had filler injections such as hyaluronic acid and Botox, injected into their feet so they can survive a day of wearing stilettos at events such as the Melbourne Cup.

Celebrities and politicians increasingly liken Botox to other widely available salon treatments, hair products, and even to cleaning one’s teeth.

But injectables not only treat wrinkles but inject a

welcome boost into declining retail sales.

Witness the recent announcement by Myer, which plans to introduce Botox into their beauty services in an attempt to enhance sales.

The supposed ordinariness of Botox is apparent in how these injections are increasingly normalised. They are moving out of the offices and clinics of ‘experts’, such as dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons, and into beauty salons in shopping malls, and homes or rented hotel rooms where it may be admin-istered during Botox parties.

Organisations such as the CPSA seeking to protect the public by warning them of the potential dangers of bargain coupons ignore this already wide dissemination of Botox: it is a readily available ‘on-the-whim’ consumer product. Botox is readily accessible, quick and affordable.

Cynics might view the CPSA warning as an attempt to retain this expanding client base and increasingly lucrative market.

Figures from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery report around 2.5 million Botox procedures were performed in 2010, an increase of 50% from 2002.

It is hardly surprising that Botox is widely and readily available in our youth-obsessed society. Surely we cannot be surprised if more and more retailers seek a slice of the injectables pie, or if clients flee after their ‘anti-ageing’ Botox treatments.

This is an edited version of an article featured on theconversa-tion.edu.au

Cartoon: Mark Monnone.

4 Opinion

Maree GleesonAcademic projects manager, Institute for Regional Development, Cradle Coast campus

My job involves … Working with researchers, teaching and learning staff in the Institute of Regional Development to capture and communicate the work that they do. I help to turn great ideas into effective projects and ensure that the results of research work and projects are highlighted to UTAS staff and the community. I provide support, guidance and strategic direction on taking a project from the conceptual stage through to fruition.

One of my favourite projects this year was co-ordinating Cradle Coast campus Research Week.

Enjoying at work … Working with such a wide variety of people across the academic and professional streams. It is great to be working in a campus were people are positive, inclusive and outward-looking.

Secret talents … Re-discovering my crafty talents and the joys of crocheting and felting.

I love to … Spend time with my dogs – lots of walking around our farm and teaching them manners. I have four working dogs and two of them are Delta dogs – they’re accredited to visit people in aged care facilities.

Reading … Douglas Kennedy’s latest book The Moment.

Inspired by … My work colleagues. They seem to have a great balance in their life, love of where they live and have a strong commitment to their roles at UTAS.

Marie’s pal in the photo is her dog Kelcey.

Up close

DR PETA COOK, lecturer in the School of Sociology and Social Work, explores the phenomenon that is Botox …

George Clooney is the exception – the rest of us need Botox

Talking about eHealth BY BROOKE TURNER

Canadian and UTAS academics tackled the controversial issue of electronic health records recently and are planning future projects together.

Professor Andre Kushniruk and Dr Elizabeth Borycki from the School of Health Informa-tion Science at Canada’s Univer-

sity of Victoria visited the eHealth services research group in the School of Computing and Informa-tion Systems, funded by the UTAS Visiting Scholars Program.

Both work in the area of health informatics.

“We discussed patient safety, usability of systems, medical and nursing informatics, health profes-sional education, as well as electron-

ic health record use and adoption in Canada, Australia and internation-ally,” Dr Borycki said.

Prof. Kushniruk presented a seminar on designing usable healthcare information systems and applications.

UTAS will also host another six week visit from health care informat-ics expert Professor Christian Nøhr from Aalborg University, Denmark next month.

Into eHealth: Dr Elizabeth Cummings (left) and Associate Professor Paul Turner (far right) from the School of Computing and Information Systems welcomed Dr Elizabeth Borycki, Prof. Andre Kushniruk from the University of Victoria in Canada.

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 3545 News

Eureka for Devils’ AdvocatesBY PETER COCHRANE

A team of researchers based at the University of Tasmania has won one of

Australia’s top science prizes for its work in trying to save the Tasmanian devil from extinction.

The ‘Devils’ Advocates’ team – co-led by Dr Menna Jones of the School of Zoology and Associate Professor Greg Woods from Menzies Research Institute Tasmania – was awarded the $10,000 Sherman Eureka Prize for Environmental Research at a gala dinner in Sydney on 6 September.

The annual Eureka Prizes, presented by the Australian Museum, honour Australia’s brightest minds in science research and innovation, journalism and communications, and leadership. The devil team was one of three University of Tasmania finalists this year, Associate Professor Michael Breadmore (Outstanding Young Researcher category) and Professor Paul Haddad (Outstand-ing Mentor) also being short-listed.

The devil is an “iconic” creature, Assoc. Prof. Woods told ABC Statewide Mornings on Threatened Species Day, which coincidentally came hard on the heels of the Eureka Prizes presentation. “It is such a high-profile animal and the research

we are undertaking has implications for other species.”

The judging panel praised the research team for its “brilliance and tireless dedication”. Assoc. Prof. Woods said that the collabora-tive nature of the team would have appealed to the Eureka judges. “We have people from different back-grounds working together with the one object in mind – to save the devil. So we’ve got genetics, ecology,

immunology … a whole range of disciplines represented.”

The awards night itself was “pretty humbling,” Dr Jones said.

“You don’t go into science to win awards but it is nice to get recogni-tion. When our names were called out we were numb for a couple of seconds, and in fact had to be told, “Hurry up – you need to be on stage!”

Dr Jones said of the ramifica-tions: “Winning a Eureka Prize

will help highlight the plight of the Tasmanian devil and will also open doors, for us and the devil”.

“The really critical thing is that we try to bring devils back into the Tasmanian ecosystem to fulfil their ecological role as a top predator in suppressing cats, foxes and over-abundant macropod prey,” Dr Jones said.

“This really should drive our management strategies.”

The other members of the devil research team are Professor Hamish McCallum (Griffith University); Associate Professor Kathy Belov from the University of Sydney, winner of the Eureka Prizes People’s Choice Award in 2009; and Mrs Anne-Maree Pearse of the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.

Much of the funding for the team’s research was raised by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal.

Performing arts scholar-ship in memory of Leo

Leo Cooper-White died in a tragic accident in Launceston earlier this year but his friends and family are working hard to establish the first UTAS performing arts scholarship in his memory.

Together with the UTAS Foun-dation, they are seeking support for the Leo Cooper-White Memorial Scholarship Appeal which will establish a scholarship at the Univer-sity of Tasmania’s School of Visual and Performing Arts (SVPA).

Leo Cooper-White was a third-year student at the SVPA with a passion for theatre and big dreams for the future.

He discovered his love for the performing arts late in high school and studying at the SVPA brought

him into contact with new influences and areas of the performing arts he hadn’t previously imagined. During his university studies, Leo’s interest in physical theatre grew, expanding both his skills and confidence in this area.

On 18 March 2011, Leo’s life was cut short and his family and the close-knit community of the SVPA feel his loss deeply.

Kim White and Alison Cooper-White, Leo’s parents, said of the scholarship plan: “Through this schol-arship Leo will continue to inspire SVPA students for years to come and help future students who never knew our son.”

Donations to this appeal, matched by the UTAS Foundation, will become part of a fund to provide the scholarship each year in perpe-tuity at the SVPA. The appeal aims to raise $30,000 to endow a $2,000 annual scholarship.

For more information or to support this appeal, visit the UTAS Founda-tion website at: www.utas.edu.au/foundation/donate, or contact the UTAS Foundation on (03) 6226 1900 or email university.foundation@utas.edu.au

Artistic elements a win-win for chemists and artists

BY SARAH NICOL

A group of 38 printmakers and 79 chemists have bridged the gap between art and science by creating a periodic table of elements.

As part of International Year of the Chemist, UTAS chemist Dr Vicki Gardiner and Tasmanian printmaker Carolyn Canty, came up with the idea of creating a piece of art highlighting the importance of chemistry.

Each element was put on eBay and chemists, schools and organi-sations bid for the right to sponsor and describe the element to an

artists who would portray their description through printmaking.

“It was win-win for everyone. The artists were given great exposure,” Dr Gardiner said.

Uranium, carbon and hydrogen were the most sought-after elements, with carbon reaching $102.50.

Each artist created 15 prints of their element – four of which became part of four permanent tables. One will stay on permanent display at UTAS but the other three will travel around Australia and New Zealand. One print was given to the element sponsor.

In addition to the travel-

ling displays, a website has been developed containing general information on the elements, including discovery, origin of their names, applications and Australian connections, as well as the printmakers’ description of the image. A poster has also been produced which will be sent to all schools in Australia.

Ten remaining prints are available for sale through the project website, www.raci.org.au/periodic-table-on-show.

This project was an initiative of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and supported by Questacon.

The Devils’ Advocates: Anne-Maree Pearse, Associate Professor Greg Woods, Professor Hamish McCallum, judging panel member Brian Sherman, Dr Menna Jones and Associate Professor Kathy Belov.

Passion for theatre: The Leo Cooper-White Memorial Scholarship Appeal will establish the first UTAS visual and performing arts scholarship.Creative

chemistry: Artists’ and chemists’ interpretations of the periodic table of elements, displayed in the School of Chemistry on the Sandy Bay campus.

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 3546 Research

Lack of minerals possible cause for nailbitingBY SARAH NICOL

N early a third of children and teenag-ers are nailbiters and

a UTAS researcher wants to find out why.

Thuy Le is studying the causes of nailbiting (onych-ophagia) as part of her masters degree at the University Depart-ment of Rural Health. She believes it may be caused by a mineral deficiency in the body but she needs volunteers to help her.

Thuy first became aware of the frustrations parents encounter with children nail-biting when working as a community pharmacist.

“About 15 months ago, I had a customer desperately begging me to find a cure to treat her son’s nailbiting,” she said.

“She was struggling to watch her child biting his nails until they bled and had tried many methods in the past such as bitter nail polish and punish-ment for nailbiting but none had been successful.

“I had never thought nail-biting was such a big issue or a stubborn disorder to treat. It can affect parents and the children psychologically, socially and health-wise.”

The complications can be clinically mild or serious and include such impairments as nail fragments embedded in the gums, tooth resorption, serious infections of bacteria, virus and parasites and painful injuries.

Thuy is testing her theory that it is caused by mineral

deficiencies or imbalances in the body and has tried the

minerals on some customers successfully; the challenge is finding the right imbalance mineral.

The implications of the findings of this research will be directed towards the devel-opment of both effective and long-lasting treatments and prevention strategies

Thuy will conduct surveys and interviews with parents of nail-biters and health care professionals.

She needs 80 to 100 parents with children who are either nailbiters or have been in the past, and 40 to 50 health profes-sionals. Any interested partici-pants who meet the selection criteria, please contact Thuy at thuyle16376@hotmail.com or ttle@utas.edu.au.

Tasmanian kidney donors needed for organ transplant survey

BY SARAH NICOL

Worldwide there is a shortage of organ donors and new technology may soon be able to fill that gap. However, it is not yet known if this will encourage or discourage people from donating their organs.

Dr Peta Cook at the School of Sociology and Social Work is conducting the world’s first study on the potential impact of xenotransplantation on human organ donation rates.

Xenotransplantation refers to the process where living cells, tissues and organs are transplant-ed in humans. It is not yet at the stage where this technology is suc-cessful, though trials are occurring in Russia and Argentina.

“The technology for trans-

planting whole organs from animals, namely pigs, is devel-oping but it is not known the impact this could have on human organ donation practices,” she said.

“If xenotransplantation was to work with whole organs, there would still be a need for human organ donation.”

Dr Cook’s study is focusing on living kidney donors and family donors, who have donated the organs of a deceased family member.

She has interviewed partici-pants in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia but is in need of more Tasmanian participants.

The study involves a one-hour interview. Dr Cook will ask participants about what made the decision to donate easy or difficult, what proce-dures should be continued or improved in the process, as well as reactions and perceptions xenotransplantation.

“As a world first into examining the reaction of organ donors to xenotransplantation, I hope that Tasmanians will be involved in this important research” she said.

For more information, contact Dr Cook on: (03) 6324 3545 or peta.cook@utas.edu.au

An answer to nailbiting: Thuy Le is looking at why children bite their nails and how to stop it.

Kidney donors needed for research: Dr Peta Cook is conducting a world first study into views on xenotransplantation and organ donation.

In brief

Chemistry celebration

Current and former members of the School of Chemistry gathered at the UTAS Sandy Bay campus to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the opening of the chemistry building.

To commemorate the milestone UTAS Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Rathjen unveiled a model of the periodic table showing samples of the elements.

Head of the School of Chemistry Associate Professor Greg Dicinoski described the periodic table as a monument to human intellect.

Former organic chemistry lecturer John Bremner, who taught at UTAS for 23 years, said he’d seen many changes to the school over the years, mainly in the technology used.

The one-day chemistry symposium included speakers from each decade for the past 50 years, detailing past events and hopes for the future.

This year also marks 10 years since the Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science was established. In that period the team has published 500 papers, received $24 million in funding, secured 12 ARC fellowships and graduated 80 PhD students.

Market at Grote Reber MuseumThe Grote Reber Museum and Mt Pleasant Telescope will play host to a selection of gourmet produce and bric-a-brac stalls as part of their first community market day in October.

School of Maths and Physics Executive Officer Karen Bradford said the event was part of the museum’s community outreach program and they were hoping to attract a crowd.

Some of the stallholders include the Lark Distillery and the Meadowbank Estate winery, as well as arts and crafts, plants and bric-a-brac.

There will also be a barbecue and free entry to the museum with postgraduate students leading tours there and around the Mt Pleasant Telescopes.

Anyone interested in holding a stall should contact Karen at: Karen.bradford@utas.edu.au

The community market day will be held on Saturday 29 October from 10am until 4pm at the Grote Reber Museum near Cambridge.

Guide to responsible research UTAS researchers are being encouraged to take advantage of workshops detailing the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

Jen Bruyn Schmidt, the recently-appointed research integrity coordinator at UTAS, said the university has established a steering committee to oversee implementation of the code, released in 2007 to guide institutions and researchers in responsible research practice. Compliance is required to receive funding from NHMRC and ARC.

“The goal is to support researchers to conduct high-quality research by raising awareness of legal and ethical requirements, providing guidance on best practices in research and clarifying roles and responsibilities of those involved in research,” Ms Bruyn Schmidt said.

“We’ll be organising face-to-face meetings and have established a section within the Research Integrity and Ethics website to keep everyone up to date with progress.”

For more information see: www.utas.edu.au/research/integrity-and-ethics

‘She was struggling to watch her child biting his nails until they bled and had tried many methods in the past such as bitter nail polish and punishment for nail biting but none had been successful.’

Xenotransplantation refers to the process where living cells, tissues and organs are transplanted in humans.

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 3547 News

My PhD

Chloe CadbySchool of Zoology

A slippery topicChloe Cadby is examining how female lizards are adapting to climate change to protect their unborn babies.

“Reptiles are really sensitive to climate so they are really good indicators. And climate has such a strong effect before they are born,” she said.

Chloe said reptiles have been left out of most predictive and descriptive studies with regards to climate change.

“My work was aimed at understanding how climate affects offspring phenotype and how mothers can mitigate the effects of climate during embryogenesis either through behavioural or physiological mechanisms,” she said.

“For example, if it’s really warm, they can bask less. So we were seeing if the mother might play a role in mitigating the effect of climate change.”

“We looked at two populations that live in different climates. One in the central highlands and one in Orford. We looked at how the different populations have adapted to their respective climates.

“There was a strong difference; where it’s cold, the females tend to bask more.

“Even if you put them in the lab in the warmth, they have adapted to bask more, no matter what the conditions are,” she said.

“Getting a better understanding of the effects of climate as well as maternal responses and input will prove an essential step if we are to make predictions of the effects of climate change in this species and reptiles in general.”

Flying high and solo

BY LUKE SCOTT

S imon Ancher’s work in his first solo exhibition Life Specifics is most

noticeable for its sweeping lines, odd angles and hidden details.

“It is my first solo exhibition and is the culmination of the last five or six years’ work,” the UTAS furniture design program director said.

“The inspiration came from a journey I took on a Boeing

747. I had a window seat, and I was looking at the wing, the way the end of the wing flicked up. I was thinking about the fineness of the wing, the tapered elements and the intriguing qualities.

“My clipped wing bench seat is the first successful piece of furniture from those inves-tigations, and the subsequent pieces in the show are variations and further investigations into that form.”

Enjoying people’s reactions to the furniture is part of the

pleasure of an exhibition, Simon believes.

“It plays with people’s per-ceptions. They think it won’t take their weight, that they couldn’t possibly sit on it.

“The engineering behind it is actually quite simple; it just comes down to principles of tri-angulation.

“If you try to bend it, all the forces work together to stop it flexing.”

To Simon, the aeroplane wing inspiration is not unusual.

“I am constantly observing,” he said.

“That’s what I teach my students, too: be constantly questioning, be observant and don’t assume anything. Sometimes it’s just a door handle that takes your fancy, the way the materials interact, that make you remember it for later.

“All that stuff gets logged away and some day you’ll want to use it.”

Simon exhibition is on display at the Launceston Design Centre until mid-October.

Man (and woman) versus wildBY JANETTE BRENNAN

A bushwalker was shot with an arrow, a climber fell out of a tree, a diabetic slipped into a coma, a camper was bitten by a snake and three motorists were involved in car crashes – all during a recent wilderness retreat for UTAS students in Dover, southern Tasmania.

“And it was quite a bit of fun,” said Associate Professor Geoff Couser from the Hobart Clinical School, within the UTAS School of Medicine.

Okay, so you’ve probably guessed by now that all of these ‘medical emergencies’ were actually role-playing exercises that were developed to educate and test students within the field of emergency medicine. The 36 students were armed with only the items that they’d normally carry in their pack for an overnight bushwalk (such as food, some outdoors gear, and a basic first aid kit). The students were then divided into teams to work through the different scenarios, guided by a doctor or a paramedic.

“The main point of this was

to try to get the students to think outside of their normal circumstances,” said Assoc. Prof. Couser.

“For this exercise we used a wilderness setting and wilder-ness scenarios but the medical problems were common ones. So it was a chance to test the students’ resourcefulness and

resilience, as well as their ability to work within a team.

“Of course it was also a nice way to teach medicine. Southern Tasmania is such beautiful wilderness. It’s something a bit different and special for our UTAS students, as opposed to what medical students get in a big city.”

While the wilderness weekend has become an annual event for the Clinical School, 10 paramedic students were also included for the first time this year. As an emergency specialist at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Assoc. Prof. Couser thought the inclusion of the paramedic students was particularly valuable.

“I think the students were a little bit suspicious of each other initially,” he said. “The medical students were a bit worried that the paramedic students were going to show them up.

“But everyone got to know each other and began working as a team. That’s important because it reflects what will actually happen in a real-world environment. Knowing each other well and working as a team improves patient care, so we may as well get that happening at the undergradu-ate level as well.”

The wilderness weekend also featured input from staff at Ambulance Tasmania, the Australian Antarctic Division, Royal Hobart Hospital, and the State Emergency Service.

Team work: UTAS medical and paramedic students work with the Huonville SES to provide care to entrapped, injured victims of a simulated car crash.

‘Reptiles are really sensitive to climate so they are really good indicators. And climate has such a strong effect before they are born.’

‘Sometimes it’s just a door handle that takes your fancy, the way the materials interact, that make you remember it for later.’

Sharp lines: While the clipped wing bench may look fragile, designer Simon Ancher (pictured, right) says the angles align to keep it strong.

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 3548 Achievements

Awards celebrate passion and commitment

T he University of Tasmania gathered recently to present the annual vice-chancel-

lor’s excellence awards in teaching, research and community engage-ment at the 2011 Celebration of Excellence Award Ceremony.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Rathjen presented the awards at the Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre in Sandy Bay, commenting that they celebrated the university’s striving for excellence and acknowledgement of those who had contributed to this quest in an outstanding way.

“The success of UTAS is the result of the passion and commit-ment we all have in what we do. That daily contribution ensures the university continues to thrive and grow and to have a real impact on our institution as well as in the wider community in which we operate,” he said.

“From time to time some of our members stand out from the crowd for the significance of their contribu-tion. It is their contribution that we are celebrating specifically.

“We are, however, also acknowl-edging the contribution made by all in our commitment to excellence.”

Prof. Rathjen told the gathering of academic and professional staff that he was proud of the impact UTAS makes at a local level and its contribution to Tasmania.

“I am equally proud of our global reputation and the national standing we have as a truly interna-tional institution,” he said.

“Your work demonstrates the

objectives we are striving for in our Strategic Plan. We need to embrace those objectives and build on the strengths we have shown to enhance our reputation locally, nationally and internationally.

“You have achieved this through your unwavering diligence and excel-lence in the performance of your profession.”

Engaging art: John Vella and Lucy Bleach from the Tasmanian School of Art won a community engagement award for their MACHINES art programs which exposes high school students to a wide range of art practices.

(Far left, clockwise from top left) Individual achievement: Tracey Muir received a community engagement award for promoting numeracy through a number of mathematics activities. Rare species: John Keane, Stewart Frusher, Peter Walsh, Fiona Brodribb and Gretta Pecl from IMAS received a community engagement award for the Redmap project, which encourages sea users to report sightings of uncommon marine species.

‘I am equally proud of our global reputation and the national standing we have as a truly international institution.’– VC Professor Peter Rathjen

2011 vice-chancellor’s excellence awards in teaching, research and community engagement

Citations for an Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning

Dr Bill BakerFaculty of Education

For a sustained commitment to teaching and to learning support that influences, motivates and inspires pre-service teachers to use music in primary and early childhood education.

Associate Professor Greg DicinoskiSchool of ChemistryFor a decade of commitment to the introduction and use of flexible teaching methodologies and improved student laboratory experiences. Dr Ashley EdwardsSchool of Zoology

For approaches to teaching and learning development that motivate and inspire students to learn and enable other teachers to enhance their approaches to learning.

Dr Colin JonesAustralian Innovation Research Centre

For the ongoing development of a truly student-centred learning curriculum through which student transformation to the concept of ‘the reasonable adventurer’ is possible.

Dr Roslyn MalleySchool of Medicine

For development of a pathology curriculum centred on supporting and encouraging engagement to prepare medical students for their later clinical years and their future profession.

Lindsay SmithSchool of Nursing

For development of innovative on-line learning materials and teaching strategies in health science units that meet student-learning needs, motivate participation, and enhance capability outcomes.

John VellaTasmanian School of Art

For the development and implementation of group-centred learning strategies across diverse studio contexts.

(Right) At-sea learning: The Bluefin team: (Back row, left to right) John Virieux, Assoc. Prof Giles Thomas, Chris Lambert (Front row) Peter Schaffer, Paul Furness, Dr Troy Gaston.

(Left) Student-focused: (Top row) Bill Baker, Greg Dicinoski, Ashley Edwards, (Middle row) Colin Jones, Roslyn Malley, Lindsay Smith, (Final row) John Vella, Emma Warnecke, Brian Yates

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 354

Distinguished Service Medal for Prof Canty

I n every university a small number of staff members stand head and shoulders

above the crowd because of their fine scholarship and leadership, and willingness to contribute unre-servedly to the advancement of the university. Distinguished Professor Allan Canty is one such person.

Over his long and illustrious career Prof. Canty has consist-ently supported the university and the wider profession of chemistry by accepting leadership roles. He repeatedly undertook interim senior management roles; his lead-ership at school, faculty and univer-sity levels has been exemplary; and he has been twice elected by staff to the University Council.

Prof. Canty’s career at UTAS began in 1973 as a postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Harry Bloom. He began lecturing a year later. More recently, Prof. Canty served as head of the School of Chemistry for 12 years and was the inaugural head of the newly-formed cross-campus school in 2001.

Prof. Canty also served two terms as acting Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Tech-nology and on three occasions served as acting Pro Vice-Chancel-lor (Research). During this time he managed the Research Quality Framework process and the Excel-lence in Research Australia initiative.

Prof. Canty said the highlight of his career to date has been recogni-tion of his research in the form of election to the Australian Academy of Science, based almost entirely on research conducted in Tasmania.

Fellowship to the academy is granted to scientists deemed to have created a significant contribution to their field.

Prof. Canty has been successful in achieving continuous Australian Research Council Discovery Grant funding for more than 20 years, with the most notable research achievement from this being the discovery of the type of chemistry

of palladium bonded to organic fragments when the oxidation state of palladium is +4. This chemistry has led to a new field of organic synthesis.

Prof. Canty was conferred the title of Distinguished Professor by UTAS in 2009, and in 2010 his contribution to the chemistry profession was recognised by the Award of Distinguished Fellow

of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

During his time at UTAS, Prof. Canty has seen numerous changes to both the institution and field of chemistry.

“The main changes have centred around increasing produc-tivity resulting from technological advances, greater internationalisa-tion via easier and less expensive

travel, and significant improve-ments in research funding,” he said.

Prof. Canty’s drive and enthusi-asm for chemistry began young and the interest is yet to wear off.

“I chose chemistry due to fas-cination with a chemistry set as a child, at a time when access to toxic and dangerous chemicals was very easy and hazardous experiments in the family garage were permitted,” he said.

Prof. Canty was greatly influ-enced by the teaching skills of others.

“I had two excellent teachers, as well as one very lazy teacher for whom all knowledge and under-standing needed to be obtained personally from textbooks (very poor teaching but a great learning experience),” he said.

Prof. Canty is known and rec-ognised through this award for his outstanding work in research, administration and teaching.

“I am particularly pleased that the rubric for the award recognises ‘service’ across the broad spectrum of academic activities, and it provides significant encouragement and support to continue research when retired from late 2012,” he said.

There can be few UTAS heads of school who can claim such research distinction as well as out-standing achievements in adminis-tration.

9 Achievements

Dr Emma WarneckeSchool of MedicineFor enthusiastic creation of a teaching and learning environment that inspires and engages medical students and encourages active and deep learning.

Professor Brian YatesSchool of Chemistry

For inspiring students to learn, assisting colleagues to enhance their teaching, and providing national leadership in university science education.

The Bluefin TeamAustralian Maritime College – Associate Professor Giles Thomas, Paul Furness, Dr Troy Gaston, Chris Lambert, Peter Schaeffer, John Vitieux

For the design and implementation of an innovative multidisciplinary program to foster students’ complex problem-solving skills through practical activities at sea.

Awards for Teaching ExcellenceAssociate Professor Justin WallsFaculty of Health Science

Assoc. Prof. Walls has implemented a number of significant teaching and learning initiatives designed to address quality, curriculum development, student support and individual staff development.

Along with being a key contributor to medical and non-medical programs in

the School of Medicine, he has published a wide range of scholarly works in teaching and learning. He has presented invited conference workshops nationally and published two integrated clinical textbooks.

Associate Professor Walls has also run major teaching and learning

projects in the areas of curriculum evaluation, integrated curriculum evaluation and design, and simulation and was a key figure in the design of the School of Medicine’s newly implemented case-centred medical curriculum.

‘I chose chemistry due to fascination with a chemistry set as a child, at a time when access to toxic and dangerous chemicals was very easy and hazardous experiments in the family garage were permitted.’

Distinguished Service Medal 2011: Professor Allan Canty. (Photo: Peter Mathew)

(Above) Teaching excellence: (Clockwise from top left) Justin Walls, School of Medicine; Mathematics Education Team, Kim Beswick, Tracey Muir and Rosemary Callingham, Faculty of Education.

(Right) Research excellence: Barbara Nowak.

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 354

Mathematics Education Team – Faculty of EducationAssociate Professor Kim Beswick, Associate Professor Rosemary Callingham, Dr Tracey Muir, Professor Jane Watson, David McBain, Ros Ashenden, Mrs Dianne Ashman, Neville Barnard, Bruce Duncan, Diane Nailon; Nicole Mahar, Brett Stephenson.

The Mathematics Education Team at UTAS has worked together over many years to provide coherent and effective sequences of units for pre-service primary and secondary teachers.

Continuing members of the team are recognised nationally for their expertise and have been influential in shaping national agendas including the Austral-

ian Curriculum for Mathematics and moves towards the national accredita-tion of teacher education courses, and teacher registration. They are called upon regularly to work with teachers within and beyond Australia. This, along with the strong nexus between their research and teaching, means that pre-service teachers receive mathematics education that is nationally and internationally current.

Awards for research excellence and for outstanding contribution to research and research training

Professor Barbara Nowak, AMCAward for an Outstanding Contribution to Research and Research Training

Professor Nowak is an outstanding researcher with a national and international reputation in the field of

aquaculture, specifically aquatic animal health. Her research and teaching network spans many countries in Europe and the Americas. She is a valuable member of staff in the National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability.

Prof. Nowak has built a strong research team. She consistently attracts

domestic and international research students to undertake research, either by her reputation in external circles or by her impressive teaching and knowledge base. Many of her students have gained senior or important positions in the science or health management field.

Prof. Nowak also clearly demonstrates leadership through her mentoring of post-doctoral staff, the provision of advice to other academic staff, and through her service on the National Centre Research Committee.

Dr Michael Breadmore, School of Chemistry Award for Internationally Recognised Research

Dr Breadmore is the equal-fourth most prolific scientist in the world to have published in the field of electrophoresis and has published the 36th most cited article out of the 55,113 articles published on this field.

He has 79 publications, including two book chapters, to his credit and over the past three years has published 36 articles, double the national discipline norm for a research-only academic; his work has been presented in 89 international conference presentations.

Dr Breadmore has a good history of success in obtaining external research funding, including $5 million from nationally competitive Australian Research Council grants. In research training, he has been involved in the supervision of nine PhD students.

Professor Jeffery Summers, School of Psychology Award for Internationally Recognised Research

Professor Summers is recognised internationally as a leading expert in the study of inter-limb coordination.

He has published extensively in leading international journals in the fields of motor control, experimental psychology and neuroscience.

Over the course of his career Professor Summers has been successful in attracting research funding totalling more than $2.7 million and has been offered visiting research positions at leading research institutions in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Canada.

Dr Erik Wapstra, School of ZoologyAward for Internationally Recognised Research

Dr Wapstra was cited in a recent review for a Future Fellowship application as having a research record that ‘stakes his claim as an emerging world leader in his field’.

His record of continual Australian Research Council Discovery funding since appointment is exceptional in an environment that is increasingly competitive, and his international reputation as a research leader is evidenced by the number of invitations he receives to deliver plenary talks at international conferences.

He is invited to write review articles in high-profile journals such as Trends in Ecology and Evolution and was guest editor of a theme issue for Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London.

10 Achievements

‘This research is a sustained team effort to understand key questions in evolutionary ecology using local Tasmanian species.’– Dr Erik Wapstra, School of Zoology

Medal for research excellence Emeritus Professor Jane WatsonFaculty of Education

P rofessor Watson is perhaps the most prominent statis-tics educator at the school

level in the world.During her 39-year UTAS

career she has made a significant and distinguished contribution to the university in mathematics education. Her record of achieve-ment is impressive; almost 400 publications, including six books, 144 refereed papers and 20 book chapters.

Prof. Watson has been awarded 18 Australian Research Council research project grants equating to

more than $2 million in funding over her academic career; this is an outstanding Australian achieve-ment.

Her work on mathematics education is recognised interna-tionally, especially her book Sta-tistical Literacy at School: Growth and Goals, published in the United States in 2006.

Endorsing Prof. Watson’s research achievement in 2007, the US president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathemat-ics, Professor Shaughnessy, wrote: “… over the past decade, Watson has been one of the most active and prolific researchers in statistics education in the world”.

Prof. Watson has achieved a fellowship in the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the 2010 inaugural Mathematics Education Research Group of Aus-tralasia Career Research Medal and the 1999 Clunies-Ross National Science and Technology Award.

(Right) Emerging leader: Erik Wapstra.

(Above, clockwise from top, left) Research contributions: Michael Breadmore, Jeffery Summers, Verity Cleland Smoothing student transitions: Marcelle Lyons.

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 354

Dr Verity Cleland, Menzies Research Institute Award for Outstanding Research Performance by Early Career Researchers

Dr Cleland is an epidemiologist researching the determinants and health benefits of physical activity. She has made a significant contribution in terms of both research output and service to the community.

She has authored 28 peer-reviewed publications and is a member of the Premier’s Physical Activity Council; she is sought after as an advisor on physical activity.

Dr Cleland has attracted research funding and holds a National Health and Medical Research Council Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. She is contributing to research training as a primary and co-supervisor of research higher degree students.

Dr Delphine Lannuzel, IMASAward for Outstanding Research Performance by Early-Career Researchers

Dr Lannuzel has published 20 papers in international journals in the five years since completing her PhD working in Antarctica to determine the role of limiting trace-elements in ecosystem productivity.

Her success with seeking and obtaining fellowships is unparalleled, with awards from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, cosmetics manufacturer L’Oreal, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Australian Research Council.

Her achievements have been rec-ognised by invitations to the Australian Academy of Sciences Shine Dome in Canberra, invitations to chair interna-tional meetings, and to give invited presentations in the US, Europe and Australia.

Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning

Ingrid ApsitisFaculty of Business

For her highly successful corporate internship program which offers, through collaboration with Tasmanian business organisations, an individually-tailored, work-integrated, learning experience for students enrolled in degrees in the Faculty of Business.

Centre for Advancement of Learning and Teaching Dr Sharon Thomas, Dr Gary Williams, Dr Natalie Brown, Dr Robyn Lines

For development of the graduate certificate in learning and teaching, a course that models best practice and is underpinned by a strong research base and the contribution of scholarly practice from the course leaders.

Exceptional performance by professional staff

Team Award National Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics Professional Staff, Sally McKenzie, Lesley Lundie, Mike Leyden

The work of the National Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics is a fine example of how an academic activity of the Australian Maritime College has been advanced and consolidated by its professional team.

Since 2008 the professional staff team has taken a key role in implementing a series of initiatives that have helped almost double the number of domestic and international students enrolling in the centre.

These initiatives would not have flourished without the sustained and outstanding performance of the professional staff in the centre. Their enthusiasm and passion for the tasks they have undertaken – tasks which clearly focus on the university’s mission and objectives – far exceeds the normal requirements of their substantive positions.

Individual Award School of Nursery and Midwifery – Marcelle LyonsMarcelle Lyons is the professional experience placement administrator for the School of Nursing and Midwifery and developed innovative processes placing UTAS at the forefront in this activity.

Her initiatives and innovation ensure that the needs of staff, students and stakeholders are met in providing a smooth transition for students from the university’s campuses to their professional experience placements.

Through her effort and innova-tion, Marcelle has ensured there is a streamlined and equitable profes-sional experience placement service for students, and has assisted her academic colleagues to provide quality place-ments for them.

Outstanding Community Engagement Awards

Team Award: Sculpture Studio Team Tasmanian School of Art – John Vella and Lucy Bleach

John Vella and Lucy Bleach’s sculpture studio based program, DREAMACHINES, is the third iteration in their MACHINES program following on from the successful 2009 GREENMACHINES and 2010 SCREENMACHINES. It aims to stimulate increased dialogue between tertiary institutions and high schools and introduces a broad range of artistic media and disciplines to students in Years 9 and 10.

Program partners include the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, the Tasmanian Department of Education, Hobart City Council, the Tasmanian Catholic Education Office and the Association of Independent Schools.

Team Award: Redmap (Range Extension Database and Mapping Project)IMAS – Dr Gretta Pecl, Assoc. Professor Stewart Frusher, Fiona Brodribb, Peter Walsh and Dr John KeaneRedmap invites Tasmanian fishers, divers and scientists to report uncommon marine species. These sightings are mapped on the Redmap website. Over time, Redmap will sketch a picture of how marine species are extending their ranges as the climate changes.

Importantly, the project engages an often sceptical audience in climate change when studies show that traditional scientific messages are not getting through to large segments of the population.

Redmap’s success is reflected in the way it has been embraced by all levels of the community. More than 270 sightings of 64 marine species have been mapped as a result of this input, some out of range as far as 470 kilometres south of their known distribution.

Individual AwardFaculty of Education – Dr Tracey MuirA specialist in numeracy education, Dr Tracey Muir has taken positive and highly successful steps to promote numeracy by:• Devisinganinnovativeprogram,

Engaging Families in Numeracy, to engage children and their families in purposeful mathematical activities;

• Formingamathsclubwhereparentscould interact as a community of learners on a monthly basis;

• Workingwithpre-serviceteachersfrom the university to design a number of mathematics trails at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery that can be explored by visiting school students;

• Contributingactivitiesandinitiativesinvolving the Mathematics Association of Tasmania and the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, often taking leadership roles;

• Co-editingAPMC, a professional journal of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, from 2008 to 2010.

11 Achievements

‘This award is for my team, not just for me. Hopefully it will help with other projects in the future.’ – Dr Delphine Lannuzel, IMAS

‘While the award recognises our small team we acknowledge the encouragement and support we’ve received from academic colleagues.’– Professional staff, National Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics, AMC.

(Left) Professional performance: NCMEH professional staff, Sally McKenzie, Lesley Lundie, Mike Leyden.

(Below) Early success: Dr Delphine Lannuzel.

UNITAS OCTOBER 2011 NUMBER 35412 Arts & events

What’s on

3 OCTOBER (BURNIE)4 OCTOBER (LAUNCESTON)6 OCTOBER (HOBARTPostgraduate Information Evening An expo of UTAS postgraduate coursework and research higher degree offerings for potential students to investigate options and opportunities for further study or professional development. Time: (All dates) 4:30pm–6:30pm Venues: Burnie: Cradle Coast Campus, 16–20 Mooreville Rd. Launceston: New Gallery, Newnham campus. Hobart: University Centre, Churchill Ave, Sandy Bay RSVP / Information:

www.postgraduate.utas.edu.au / Susan.Rolf@utas.edu.au or 1300 363 864

3 OCTOBERBook launch by Professor Janelle AllisonPedder Dreaming: Olegas Truchanas and a lost Tasmanian WildernessOlegas Truchanas stands among the 20th century’s most influential wilderness photographers. Author Natasha Cica retells the story of Truchanas and the ‘Sunday Group’ a small group of Tasmanian landscape artists who paved the way for later Tasmanian conservation success.

Time: 5:30pm-6.30pm Venue: Atrium Galley, UTAS Cradle Coast campus, 16–20 Mooreville Road, Burnie RSVP / Information: CCC.Support@utas.edu.au or (03) 6430 4949

9 OCTOBER Tasmania Discovery Orchestra: Love, Life and BeyondThe fourth concert by the Tasmania Discovery Orchestra for their The Discovery Series, Season II. Tickets: $25 Adults / $15 Concession. Time: 2.30–3.30pm Venue: Stanley Burbury Theatre, University Centre, Churchill Avenue, Sandy Bay campus

RSVP / Information: www.tasmaniadiscoveryorchestra.com.au

21 OCTOBERSchool of Government Seminar SeriesAustralia and the GFC? Why did Australia get so right what others got so wrong?Presenters: Prof. Andrew Hindmoor and Prof. Stephen Bell, University of Queensland Time: 2pm–3:30pmVenue: Mick Townsley Research Room, 5th Floor Social Science Building, Sandy Bay campus RSVP / Contact Information: (03) 6226 2896 or Richard.Eccleston@utas.edu.au

14 OCTOBERSchool of Government Seminar SeriesPost-politics and environmental policy failurePresenter: Dr Stewart Williams, School of Geography and Environmental Studies Time: 2pm–3.30pm Venue: Mick Townsley Research Room, 5th Floor Social Science Building, Sandy Bay campus RSVP / Contact Information: (03) 6226 2896 or Richard.Eccleston@utas.edu.au

22 OCTOBERCentre for Tasmanian Historical

Studies 26th Annual ConferenceWriting Australian and Tasmanian HistoryHosted by the School of History and Classics and the Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies, this is a one day conference featuring leading historians discussing various aspects of writing Australian and Tasmanian history.Time: 8:30am–5pm Venue: Lecture Theatre 2, University Centre, Sandy Bay campus RSVP / Contact Information: History.Admin@utas.edu.au or (03) 6226 2544

EXPO

LAUNCH

CONCERT

CONFERENCE

SEMINARS

Autumn rainforest in ErribaBY ANNA OSBORNE

N orth-West Coast landscape artist Kerry Martin didn’t

have to look too far for inspi-ration for her latest collection of works.

She simply walked into her own backyard.

Kerry’s surrounds became her studio with her 25-acre property in Erriba providing the perfect backdrop.

“I usually paint what’s in my environment,” she said.

“For example, if I’m living in a city situation I

paint people; in rural areas I paint landscapes.”

Covenant is Kerry’s new exhibition which opens at the UTAS Cradle Coast campus’ Atrium Gallery this month.

It features nine large works of oil on linen, including one four-panelled piece. The col-lection depicts the landscape’s various seasons and settings, reflecting her forest’s rich colour and haunting shadows.

“Last year my property had a conservation covenant put on it,” she said.

“The paintings have all been created using my forest as the

subject and the word covenant means to bind or secure so it fitted nicely as a title.”

After growing up in rural New South Wales Kerry has worked as an artist across Australia and travelled in Europe, Britain and the USA. She has lived and worked extensively in central Australia over 20 years.

Her surrounds have influ-enced her works; Tasmania’s world-renowned terrain continues to catch her eye in a unique way.

“Tasmania’s hidden stories are probably one of the most

unique aspects,” she said. “There is such a strong sense of melancholy in the history here.

“I find it poignant that many of the stories of Indig-enous people have been lost and when I immerse myself in the forests I understand how important beauty is to our spiritual wellbeing.

“When I look at signifi-cant features of the land I imagine how Indigenous people’s law (and lore) would have revered such beauty.

“Covenant, in a small way, is my acknowledgement of that.”

Big win for gym

BY SARAH NICOL

Unigym Hobart has been named Tasmanian Fitness Business of the Year and is headed for the Fitness Australia national awards.

“It’s a very exciting time and great to be recog-nised in the fitness industry,” the manager of Sport and Recreation Gina Poulton said.

She said the award came after major refurbish-ments, finished in 2010.

“After the renovations our membership has grown considerably.

“Unigym now has the largest fitness class offering in the south of the state; we’re very competitive.

“In recent years the gym’s focus has changed from purely sport and fitness to a more holistic approach to fitness, health and wellbeing,” she said. “There is an emphasis on staff training and afford-able membership.”

Gym representatives will be presented with a trophy and $2000 at the gala award ceremony in Brisbane this month.

All state award winners are automatically in the running to win the National Fitness Business of the year award, announced in October.

Unigym Hobart: Named Tasmanian Fitness Business of the Year and in the running for the national award.

For a complete list of, or to con-tribute to, What ’s on visit: www.utas.edu.au. Contributions are free but may be edited.

Autumn Rainforest 122 x 137cmoil on linen

The work