This issue 2 Ray Avery speaks 3 Visiting HR Directors 5 Distinguished Professors University of Auckland news for staff | Vol 41 | Issue 2| 1 March HALL OPENS The first fully catered hall of residence erected fashion. Designed by Warren and Mahoney it and collaborative study practices, and supports by the University since O’Rorke Hall in 1989 is required 200,000 person hours of construction personal and academic success.” up and running. and took 19 months to build. It comprises 270 Living in a diverse peer community, with the University Hall in Whitaker Place, beside Elam tonnes of steel, 1700 cubic metres of concrete, common goal of learning “while being supported School of Fine Arts, is now home to 429 first-year 7500 square metres of terracotta and cream tile in one’s studies and life, all while being fully students and 13 residential assistants. The twin facade cladding, and 1600 square metres of engaged and having fun, results in well rounded, 13-floor towers, linked on a two-level podium, glass (specially designed to muffle the traffic successful graduates ready to take their place in boost fully catered accommodation at the noise in Grafton Gully). the world, ” said the Chancellor. University by 60 percent. The upper levels command spectacular views Tahlia Tini, the Head of Hall, and the The Chancellor, Roger France (pictured above) of the Hauraki Gulf. There is a glass-enclosed residential assistants closed the ceremony with a snipped a red ribbon and declared the $51 dining room on the entry level, wireless e-library, rousing haka written specially for the residents. million complex officially open at an early study pods, games room, lounge, onsite laundry The chant celebrates their educational journey, evening ceremony on 16 February. The residents facilities, and bike and car parking. Residents calling to the Waitemata Harbour and arrived en masse three days later. can eat and relax on two wide outside decks. Rangitoto, sacred places for Ngati Whatua. The residents come from Kaitaia to The hall has two alcohol-free floors where Residents will learn the haka during their first Canterbury and from the more distant parts of alcohol can neither be drunk nor stored. Sunday weeks. It will be used to welcome guests and at Auckland, such as Pukekohe and Titirangi, are to Wednesday are non-drinking days throughout inter-residential competitions. able to stay as well. Fifteen percent are the hall. There were nine hundred applications for the international students from Britain, Europe, At the opening the Chancellor said the Hall 429 beds. Residents pay $335 a week for their North America, the Middle East and Asia. offered a combination of aesthetically pleasing room, all facilities and meals and a There is a balance of male and female and eye-catching colours and spaces, with high comprehensive residential life programme. students with half of one floor reserved as functionality that sets the standard for tertiary It is the University’s fifth fully-catered hall of female only. More or less gender-separate student accommodation. “Not only does it residence. The others are International House, space will be put aside in future years depending acknowledge the energy and vibrancy of a Grafton Hall, O’Rorke Hall and Huia Residence. on demand. young adult in its contemporary design, but it University Hall is the largest high-rise building also provides spaces that facilitate social in New Zealand to be assembled in modular networking and development, fosters individual UNIVERSITY NEWS IS PUBLISHED BY Communications and Marketing, Fisher Building,18 Waterloo Quadrant, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142. EMAIL [email protected] www.auckland.ac.nz/universitynews EDITOR Tess Redgrave PHOTOGRAPHY Godfrey Boehnke DESIGN AND PRODUCTION The University of Auckland Rebel with a cause opens conference network with others from across the organisation they are rewarded by making a difference. and to develop their professional interests,” says Ray has invented Proteinforte, a revolutionary Director of Human Resources, Kath Clarke. treatment for protein energy malnutrition and a Ray Avery has had a very successful career as low-cost infant incubator specifically designed for a founding member of the University’s use in the developing world; and he has written Department of Clinical Pharmacology and a widely-read autobiography Rebel with a cause former Technical Director of Douglas telling the story of his journey from street kid to Pharmaceuticals. Over the past 30 years he has knighthood. made a major contribution to the development His work has been recognised by his peers of New Zealand’s pharmaceutical industry. and he has received numerous awards including Working throughout Africa and Asia and the Kiwi Bank New Zealander of the year 2010, exposed to the raw and real shortcomings in the Blake Leadership Medal 2010 and the Ernst healthcare, Ray has also used his knowledge of & Young Social Entrepreneur Award 2011. In pharmaceuticals, science, project management January 2011 he was appointed a Knight Grand and product design to tackle big health issues Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. endemic throughout the developing world at a As well as Sir Ray Avery, the two-day ASPIRE very practical sustainable level. Professional Staff Conference features a range In 2003, he founded Medicine Mondiale of speakers who will cover topics such as (www.medicinemondiale.org) which manages a resilience, leadership, career conversations, global network of scientific, clinical and business coaching, goal-setting, reputation branding experts who donate their knowledge and time to and personal style. Pharmaceutical scientist, social entrepreneur develop medical solutions and provide quality The conference website will be available for and Patron of the Non Resident Nepali healthcare for people across both the developed registrations from 12 March. Watch for Association of New Zealand, Sir Ray Avery, is and undeveloped world. more announcements on the Staff Intranet the keynote speaker at the 2012 ASPIRE Today, an International network of scientists and in Uninews. Professional Staff Conference. and technologists together with New Zealand The theme of the two-day conference on 18 companies and Nobel Laureates support him and 19 April is “Career development”. and somehow everyone finds themselves “It aims to give staff an opportunity to donating their time and knowledge for free and WUN research success its awards announcement. human cell behaviour from mathematical The successful Auckland-led projects models and investigate how local changes to include: an initiative called “Media, feedback loops (which are affected by tobacco, and trade: Innovative environmental stimuli, such as nutrition and approaches to reducing non- medical drugs) affect signalling processes in communicable disease in the Pacific cells. A particular focus is to find boundaries region” led by Dr Judith McCool, between normal and abnormal behaviour. (School of Population Health); and the Alzheimer's disease and diabetes will serve as “Mathematics of non-communicable specific case studies. diseases: Understanding failure of cell The six partner-led projects cross three of the signalling”, a project led by Professors network’s four “global challenges” or broad Hinke Osinga and Bernd Krauskopf of areas of focus: Dr Margaret Stanley (Biological the Department of Mathematics. Sciences) and Dr Mark Dickson ( Environment) Judith’s team, comprising will collaborate on projects that fall under the researchers from the Universities of WUN “Adapting to climate change” global The University has achieved an 80 percent Auckland, Alberta, Sydney and non-WUN challenge; Drs Susan Morton and Mary Hedges success rate in the Worldwide Universities partner the National University of Fiji, will (Population Health), Associate Professor Robyn Network’s annual research development fund investigate the use of digital media to provide Dixon (Nursing) and Jacquie Bay (Liggins) will round. As a result eight new multilateral, accessible and current tobacco control partner with international researchers on three transcontinental research projects involving information to mobilise Pacific policy-makers, key projects that come under the umbrella of the Auckland researchers begin in 2012. influencers, and the public (especially women “Public Health: Non-communicable Diseases” The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) is and young people). At the same time the team global challenge; and Professor Simon Holdaway an alliance that primarily exists to make will build Pacific capacity and capabilities in (Anthropology) will collaborate on a Western significant advances in knowledge and tobacco control research, practice and advocacy. Australia-led project sitting within the understanding in areas of current global The Auckland-led team of mathematicians is “Understanding cultures” global challenge. concern. In late 2011 it recognised two drawn from the Universities of Auckland, Sydney Auckland-led proposals and six partner-led and Bristol. The collaborators will take an proposals that include Auckland researchers in integrated approach to predicting and verifying Pictured: Judith McCool 2 1 March 2012 From the Vice-Chancellor Visiting HR Directors enjoy Waiheke Last month the University’s Director of model that has been in place since 2008 as On 21 February, Chancellor Roger France and Human Resources, Kath Clarke hosted the several of the Go8 are considering options in I had the pleasure of hosting a very special quarterly Group of