Bttl ampus News t UNIVERSITY OF Issue No.6 Print Post approved number: 255003103485 December 1998 Pi STAGESTRUCKI PROFILE 1

1 .^^> ^ STRIKES GOLD Page 4 \ Pau\A/els PAGE 5 1 UOW triumphs in Kirsten walks dog whelk from research grants he University of Transformation Studies Wollongong (UOW) has (CAPSTRANS). from 1999-2004. T confirmed its place as one It will respond to the needs of of the nation's leading research Australian business, govemment and universities, outperforming other stakeholders for a high-quality significantly larger institututions research and teaching capacity in the latest round of hotly dedicated to understanding social contested Australian Research change in the Asia Pacific region and Council (ARC) grants. its consequences for Australia. Proving size was no barrier to The Director of CAPSTRANS research excellence, UOW secured will be UOW's Migration and funding for two out of seven Multicultural Studies program available Key Centres, matching the director Professor Stephen Castles. ancient Rome to Wollongong University of 's effort. Professor Castles has earned an From fashion savvy ancient Romans, to the poetry of Browning and the The successful proposals were a intemational reputation in this field sex life of shellfish, a casual conversation with Kirsten Benkendorff can Smart Foods Centre in the Faculty of of study and has a long record of go anywhere. Health and Behavioural Sciences and policy advice and consultancy for the The young scientist, pictured above, quotes Browning with aplomb and a centre examining global migratory UN, governments and business. He good reason. issues in the Faculty of Arts. is the co-ordinator of the Asia Pacific Migration Research Network: a 12- When Browning wrote: In the ARC'S Research 'for who has not heard how Infrastructure Equipment and country research network associated Tyrian shells enclose the blue? Facilities (RIEF) grants. UOW with the UNESCO-MOST That dye of dyes ranked fifth, behind the universities (Management of Social whereof one drop works miracles of Sydney, . Queensland Transformations) program. and colored like Astarte 's eyes and the ANU. The Deputy Director will be raw silk the merchant sells..." UOW also ranked fifth in Associate Professor Charles Stahl he was referring to a mollusc Kirsten has come to know better than most. Strategic Parnership in Industry (University of Newcastle), a Diacathais orbita. or Dog Whelk, is found along the Illawarra coast. It was Research (SPIRT) grants, ahead of prominent scholar of human also valued in the Roman empire as a source of deep blue or purple dye, still significantly larger institutions. resource development issues in Asia known today as Tyrian purple. UOW ranked ninth nationally for and an adviser for APEC and other The dye was rare, difficult to extract and consequentiy. at times, worth ARC Fellowships, gaining four. intemational bodies. more than gold to the Romans. The universities of Wollongong About 30 social scientists, Its rich colour was only activated when exposed to sunlight. and Newcastle jointly secured Key including economists, sociologists, Modem synthesised copies mean the molluscs are safe these days from Centre funding to establish the geographers, historians and plundering Romans but they are still vulnerable to pollution and destruction Centre for Asia Pacific Social • Continued Page 11 of habitat. And it has taken Kirsten to bring new meaning to Browning's use of the Seasons greetings word "miracle'. I would like to take this opportunity in the last Campus News for 1998 Kirsten hopes the bio-chemical precursor to Tyrian purple she has to wish all our readers a happy and safe Christmas/New Year period. isolated in the egg capsules of the mollusc will 'work miracles', not just as a Thank you to everybody who forwarded their story ideas. The next natural medicine, but as an impeUis to protect endangered invertebrates issue will be published at the start of the academic year in 1999. everywhere. Bernie Goldie, Editor See story page 4. 'Hard call' pays off: UOW the State's best education exporter

ive and 10-year investment plans, finks Technology Corporation (ITC), which is the with the World Bank, AusAid and the University's private company. FOECD, are not concepts most people UOW was the first university to estabUsh a usually associate with the tertiary sector. business relationship with the World Bank. But such planning and relationships have, for "While other universities work with the World almost a decade, been part of the strategic direction Bank, UOW remains the bank's largest partner in of the University of Wollongong (UOW). the Australian tertiary sector. , ^y , rime Minister and Minister for ^ The success of this approach was publicly ITC adapts education products for offshore and mn Fischer, centre, with UOW Vice- / acknowledged in October, when UOW won the distance delivery and tenders for intemational Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton, right anil Austrade-sponsored 1998 Education Export Award education and training projects. Vice-Principal (International) and ITC Managing Director Jim Langridge at the in the NSW Premier's Awards. It has established strong Unks with education national export awards. UOW consequently reached the national final organisations and industry groups here and on 1 December, where RMIT was announced the overseas through its base in Wollongong and In 1991 the University, through the TTC, took Australian export award winner in the education offices in Sydney, Bangkok, Dubai and Tokyo. the strategic decision to compete in the difficult category at a gala dinner at Sydney's Star City ITC also works with the Asian Development overseas education marketplace. Complex. Bank, UN agencies and the Asian private sector. "We decided on this path even knowing that we UOW won the NSW award for its outstanding In 1993, UOW became the world's first would have little chance of successfully bidding for export achievement in education, education university to establish itself in the United Arab any tender contracts for at least five years," Mr services, facilities, expertise and curriculum. Emirates, and its Dubai campus now delivers Langridge said. The award recognised substantial achievement degree courses to 300 Middle East clients. "Despite our limited resources, persistence has in the University's overseas earnings in 1997, University amalgamations under the Dawkins now paid off, not only for educational consultancy which grew by more than 35 per cent. administration, in the late 80s, were a watershed for contracts but also in attracting full-fee paying "Innovation and risk are well-known terms for higher education. overseas students," he said. the University of Wollongong," according to Mr •While UOW was not part of this process, as a By recraiting these students, the University's Jim Langridge, the 'Vice-Principal (Intemational) direct result, its size in relation to other universities export earnings grew from nothing in 1986 to more and the Managing Director of the Illawarra was significantly reduced. than $20 million in 1997. Teaching award successes wo University of to UOW. All are collaborative grants Tasmania in "Changing History Wollongong academics with other universities. Teaching". The grant is for were shortlisted in the The University has received one $127,705. recent 1998 Australian Organisational grant — only nine Sandra Wills and Richard T have been awarded nationally from Caladine in CEDIR are Awards for University Teaching. Gordon Waitt, Geosciences and 85 applications. The grant is valued collaborating with Charles Sturt Caz McPhail, Mathematics and at $ 189,894 which is about $40,000 University, Southern Cross Applied Statistics, were among a over the usual maximum for this University, Griffith University, ANU small group of teachers who reached type of grant. and Central Queensland University the final of the keenly contested The organisational grant has on behalf of the National Council for awards, now in their second year. gone to Greg Hampton and his team Open and Distance Education on the The pair attended the awards at Student Services (Neil Trivett, Jan project, "Staff Development for ceremony with 300 people in the Skillen, Margaret Merten and Alisa Flexible Learning and the Use of Great Hall of Parhament House in Percy) for their project, Resource Based Learning Materials: in late November. "Development of interactive A National Initiative". The grant is While neither won their category, unileaming online resources". UOW for $114,050. both shortlisted nominees were are collaborating with the University Peter Rose in the University proud to have reached the final. of Western Sydney and the Foundation is collaborating with Meanwhile, the University of University of Melbourne. Swinburne University of Wollongong's notable achievements UOW also won three Staff Technology, RMIT and Central in this year's ARC grants, UOW has Development grants with only 12 Queensland University on the awarded. project, "Unleashing the potential of •Pictured Caz McPhail and also achieved excellent results in the Gordon Waitt 1999 teaching and development John McQuilton (History and work-integrated-learning through grants. Politics) is collaborating with professionally trained academic and Development and Organisational The Committee for University Griffith University, University of industry supervisors". The grant is grants close in February. Contact Teaching and Staff Development Melbourne, ANU, University of for $96,580. Associate Professor Sandra Wills (CUTSD) has awarded four grants Queensland and the University of Submissions for the 1999 Staff for further information. Have voice, will travel • • • program of study and proposed 'The big one' included fc Goknur Ray was singing repertoire," Goknur said. $25,000, plus the $22,000 before she could speak. The "They accepted six or seven Dame Joan Sutherland daughter of Turkish applicants from the whole nation." scholarship to study at the immigrants, she lived in a After reaching the semi-finals, Royal College of Music in : meUing pot of musical extremes. London, a place in the Her mother's classical singing Goknur underwent two days of quarter finals of the Irish and cello, her brother's flute, intensive interviews and 'Veronica Dunn Award and a vied with Aussie television. performances to reach the finals in solo engagement with the As a toddler, she imitated in October. WA Symphony Orchestra. , jingles and commercials and as The five fmalists were judged on \ a young teenager, she wasn't potential, personality, effort, learning "I didn't think I'd get it," J inclined to embrace opera. and improvement, as well as Goknur said. ; But a few years ago, Goknur, performance. " The standard was so \ 20, took up classical singing in "The image of opera has changed. high and the other ] earnest They look for attitude, personality competitors were just In October she won and basically healthy looks," she said. incredible." Australia's most prestigious It is a response to the growing The Mathy award award for young singers, the expectations of audiences who will ensures national and Mathy Award. no longer accept a large 30-year-old intemational exposure and Among other prizes, Goknur soprano playing the role of a love- brings her one step closer to ; has won a trip to London and { stmck teenager. achieving her dream of the Dame Joan Sutherland ; "People want to believe what they performing in the opera : scholarship to study at the Royal see," Goknur said. houses of the world. College of Music. , The judges liked what they saw "Classical music has so and heard and when the Mathy many different mediums. Michael Briggs reports. * j winner was announced, like her What I want to be able to do soprano voice, Goknur found herself is to get into opera," Goknur said. like sports and preparing for the wo years into a Creative in the highest range. The dream will not come easily. Olympics," she said. Arts degree at the "The Mathy's are a package of Practice and sacrifice are a constant But singing is not a chore - it is TUniversity of Wollongong, awards. Everyone in the finals got an part of her life. her passion. Goknur Ray outclassed singers award," she said. She must eat properly, constantly "If you enjoy what you do, it five years her senior to win the "There is a whole heap of them, so research songs, keep her night life to doesn't seem like work: it's more Mathy Award. on the night everyone was awarded a minimum and train her voice from like an obsession," she said. "It was a long process. It started one or more prizes. two to three hours every day. Goknur's operatic inspiration in May and you had to submit "I just happened to get the big "It's underestimated how much comes from Madam Butterfly, La application forms with a proposed one." work is put into this field. It's just Boheme and La Traviata and she feels optimistic about the direction AustraHan opera is taking. Future environmental leaders in Australia "It's attracting a younger audience and starting to attract a lot of young singers," she said. uture environmental leaders from East and management of natural resources in Asia and Australia. South-East Asia visited AustraUa for eight Professor Sutton said there was no doubt With the scholarship to London days from 23 November with support of the environmental issues would dominate private and beginning in September 1999 or F 2000 and her future engagement United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) public sector agendas in the next millenruum. and the Federal Govemment "Key partners involved in this program will play a with the WA Symphony Orchestra, The II Young Environment Envoys were university strategic role in nurturing future environmental leaders Goknur will have little time to bask students from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, in the Asian region," he said. in the glory of her achievement. Singapore, Thailand and 'Vietnam. Senator Hill said it was important Australian She has already begun preparing The party also included a UNEP representative and universities were active participants in environmental for Ireland and 'Veronica Dunn Asian television, radio and print journalists. education and this initiative complemented that Award in January. The initiative was established under the auspices of objective. Goknur is humble despite her the UNEP for Asia and the Pacific and had the support of One of the highlights of the visit was an achievement. Federal Environment Minister Senator Robert Hill. Intemational Fomm on Environmental Education and "I'm not going in there with a The University of Wollongong's Environment Management, at the University of Wollongong on 27 great expectation to win or Research Institute hosted and coordinated the visit. November. anything. The Envoys met Australian students involved in Its theme was 'Integrating science and social "I just think it will be a great environmental issues; attended workshops with 'green' science research into environmental decision-making'. chance to get some exposure and to leaders; and visited significant sites such as Sydney It involved the Envoys and Australian get a fair idea of how much work I Airport and the Olympic Games site at Homebush Bay. undergraduate and postgraduate students. still have to put in." 'Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton said the Professor Sutton hosted a dinner afterwards. primary outcome of the program was to train fiiture The program's major sponsors were UOW, UNEP, *Michael Briggs is a student at leaders in environmental protection and sustainable Environment Australia and QANTAS. the Graduate School of Journalism. Bill Gates learns to spell Wollongong

London to receive the and execution that it represents a award. pinnacle of cooperation between art, StageStruck was culture, education and new media. designed to take users "In addition to impressive into the world of content, the technical goal of creating performance, with an an educational experience for the 12- on-stage and behind- 18 year old age group is achieved in a the-scenes look at highly relevant and inventive way." opera, musicals and It takes the user through all facets dance. of performances and allows them to NIDA is the design their own; to create a score, publisher of design sets, make costumes, produce StageStmck and other the soundtrack and experience just partners in the project what goes into a performance. included the Sydney Players can write their own Opera House, Opera scripts, choreograph performances, Australia and the watch auditions and rehearsals, and Australian Ballet. even meet famous actors. It won the EMMA Guided tours and histories of • The StageStruck crew celebrates its win. (Picture courtesy Robert Peet Illawarra Mercury) Education and Home theatres and venues all over Australia Leaming category for small multimedia team the latest interactive offerings from are available, including a detailed 12-18 year olds, before winning the from the University of Microsoft and Douglas Adams. look at the design and constmction of Gold EMMA, for the most Wollongong has It is the creation of designers and the Sydney Opera House. programmers in Wollongong's outstanding entry in all categories in StageStmck has been developed Aoutclassed Microsoft's IMLL, with NIDA. Dublin. as part of the Australia-on-CD millions, winning a British The awards were announced at a The EMMA judges described multimedia program, one of the Academy of Film and Television £160 per head ceremony in London, StageStruck as "so excellent, its major initiatives of the Creative Arts (BAFTA) award. and simultaneously on the quality is evident from the very Nation policy. Creative Nation aims The Interactive Multimedia INTERNET. beginning. to provide greater access for Leaming Laboratory (IMLL) in the StageStruck's earlier win in the "Easy to set up, easy to operate Australians to a range of cultural life, Faculty of Education shared the Gold EMMA award in Dublin and easy to learn from, this is a artistic performance and national honour with its partner, the National boosted the team's confidence, but product of the very highest quality. heritage. Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). they were still poised anxiously over "The navigation, graphics, sound Their entry, a CD ROM their computer screens in and comprehensive detail and data Professor John Hedberg led the StageStruck, won the Interactive Wollongong on the morning of the render this package one of the very development team at Wollongong Treatment category of the BAFTA ceremony to see the results best," the judges said. and Associate Professor Barry awards. announced. "The winning choice is a project Harper is director of the Interactive StageStmck was short-listed with A representative of NIDA was in so all-encompassing in its objectives Leaming Laboratory. Near extinction? Try antibiotics More potent than irsten Benkendorff had two goals Kirsten found antimicrobial compounds penicillin and when she began her PhD: to (antibiotics), more potent than penicillin and K discover an antibiotic and help harmless to human cells, in the egg masses of conserve a species. In three years she has marine molluscs along the Illawarra coast. harmless to humans achieved both. A potential new antibiotic is significant, given background in invertebrate zoology," Dr Davis Kirsten's innovative study of marine evolving resistance to commonly-used antibiotics. said. molluscs has not gone unnoticed. "From the research I've done I can say marine "The compound Kirsten has isolated - Her PhD supervisors Dr Andy Davis and molluscs are a valuable source of antimicrobials," Tyrividin - exhibits extremely potent Professor John Bremner nominated her as a Kirsten said. antimicrobial activity. Young Australian of the Year and she was "They have potential use for humans and I "Even more exciting is that its stmcture is named mnner up of three NSW finahsts in the think this provides an incentive for conserving quite different to any antimicrobial in current Science and Technology division. marine molluscs." use. Kirsten, 25. says she is "a conservationist Dr Davis, who co-supervised Kirsten's PhD "In short, this compound, or structural above anything else", using "bio-prospecting", research with Professor John Bremner, said her analogs of it, has enormous potential." the search for pharmaceuticals in natural work was impressive. However, as with all dmgs, there wiU be five organisms, to promote preservation. She had found 154 mollusc species, more than to 10 years of clinical trials and tests on humans Kirsten believes if she can identify triple the number previously recorded in the before a product reaches the market. antibiotics in an organism she can encourage region. its preservation. "It is impressive for a student with almost no • Continued Page 12 Profile Multi linguist communicates

acquired a reading knowledge of students who are her future Ancient Greek and Latin and later articulate, literate and Swedish and Italian. intellectually inquisitive But it's an armoury she thinks and who have a capacity falls short of the mark. for rigorous and disciplined analysis. for Arts "I deplore not having an Asian These are extremely nvestigating, analysing language and I am now trying to valuable attributes for and understanding how rectify this by studying aspects of the people entering in language works is a make up of Asian languages." today's workforce," she lifelong personal and Since coming to Australia, said. professional passion for Professor Pauwels has also become Professor Pauwels IAnne Pauwels, who became Dean interested in the study of Australian did her undergraduate of Arts and Professor of Modern Aboriginal languages and in the degree in Belgium. Her Languages and Linguistics at contact between English and many postgraduate work was UOW in July 1998. other 'transported' languages. done in Vienna and "My specific interest lies in the Although Professor Pauwels Melbourne. After interaction between language and continues to undertake research in gaining her PhD in identity. Our identity shapes the languages and linguistics, her main Linguistics at Monash way we speak and communicate focus is on guiding the Faculty University, she became with each other and it affects how through a strategic planning process Associate Professor in we understand each other," she said. to strengthen the role of humanities Linguistics at Monash "I am particularly interested in and social sciences in the University. and held the Foundation • Professor Anne Pauwels how gender and ethnicity affect our "The Faculty of Arts akeady has Chair of Linguistics at language pattems." an excellent reputation for student- the University of New England before coming to UOW. Linguistic and communication centred teaching and learning A Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Social Sciences, Professor issues were probably always going practices. Pauwels was also Research Director of the Language and Society Centre, to play a part in Professor Pauwels' "But it is important that we also National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia from 1991 to 1995. life. She grew up in Belgium in a become known nationally and For one who has held a lifelong interest in communication, it's apt the multilingual family where Dutch, internationally for our innovative dean's new role is to communicate her vision for the Faculty of Arts at UOW. German and French were spoken. interdisciplinary and disciplinary "We have always been a family teaching and research. who likes to spread its wings across "We want to be a Faculty that Europe," Professor Pauwels said, equips graduates with knowledge Pro Vice-chancellor "but I did venture the furthest by and skills essential for active heading to Australia." citizenship and for productive takes up new post If language is a powerful tool careers," Professor Pauwels said. then Professor Pauwels has a well- The new dean is quick to jump to equipped armoury — she grew up the defence of an arts degree in a speaking Dutch, French and society which places increasing German and leamt English along value on vocational degrees. the way. Through study, she has "An arts degree produces Major poetry award to Creative Arts student Creative Writing the writing strand at UOW from student in the Faculty 1984 to 1986. After completing a of Creative Arts has Masters at Deakin University, she won the 1998 retumed to WoUongong in 1996 to VictoriaAn Premier's Award for enrol in the DCA program. About 200 people attended the farewell function at the poetry. Broken Land forms part of her University on 13 November for the Pro Vice-Chancellor Coral Hull won the C. J. Dennis thesis and is currently under (Research), Professor Bill Lovegrove, who has taken up the Award, for her book, Broken Land. examination. position as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Griffith University after The award was announced at a Former Creative Arts student 13 years at the University of Wollongong. Professor ceremony in Melbourne. Bernard Sullivan designed the Lovegrove Is pictured at the farewell with his wife, Desolie, Coral was an undergraduate in book's cover. sons David (left) and William and daughter Debbie. SPRl

A Vietnam war protestor in the 60s, Rowan Cahill has watched his son Damien's burgeoning political career with interest. Damien graduated on September 30 with a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) after an active role in student politics, and campaigns against cuts to higher education.

Registered nurse Jennifer Heathcote, left, said her sensitivity to Aboriginal health issues has been enhanced by completing a diploma in Indigenous Health. Jennifer is the first non-Aboriginal person to work at Narooma's Katungul Aboriginal Corporation community Medical Service. She is pictured with UOW's indigenous health coordinator Marian Martin. Moruya's Ray Eldridge, who also works at Katungul, received his Masters of Indigenous Health.

Deanna Sacco offered thanks on behalf of 200 graduates at the Commerce ceremony. Deanna, who completed a five-year traineeship at UOW has since secured a job with AMP.

Indonesian surrealism was the subject of Martinus Dwi Marianto's PhD research. The prominent Indonesian artist and critic is Adrian and Shirley Smith accepted a degree pictured with his awarded posthumously to their daughter supervisor Associate Natasha, who died suddenly of leukaemia in Professor Adrian Vickers. January this year The sound of traditional clapping sticks greeted the first Koorie to receive a Doctorate in Creative Arts, Pamela Johnston Dahl Helm. Dr Dahl Helm was accompanied by her adopted mother, author Dr Ruby Langford Ginibi, who was the first of her people to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from La Trobe University.

Commerce graduate Boseung Choi will remain with UOW as an international promotion and recruitment officer She will work from South Korea, but intends to promote the University in Japan and Taiwan as well.

Brad Doonan's experience of living with a hearing disability and his Phillip Flentje's research into landslides technological expertise have equipped Archibald Prize-winning artist Guy Warren was came into sharp focus during the severe him to work on telecommunications for awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Creative Arts. The August storms. He was part of a the deaf. Graduating with a Bachelor of Computer Science, Brad hopes to find Jamberoo artist won the Archibald in 1985 after geotechnical team surveying slip zones work with Telstra working in the field. honing his skills recording images of war as a soldier in the Illawarra in the wake of the Brad's hearing was damaged after he in Papua New Guinea. He is now UOW's art collection downpour He received his PhD, contracted meningitis as a toddler director watched by daughter Jesse. Against the wind: students invent a sustainable future tudent inventors from the University of Wollongong and local high schools have built ingenious models which harness wind power in the interests of a cleaner planet and preserving k3:dwindlin g resources. A competition to see which students could invent the best device, powered via wind from an electric fan, produced excellent results at the final in October. A group of UOW engineering students was overall winner of the 'Design and Build' event. But they received tough competition from year nine students at St Mary's Wollongong. St Mary's girls Emma Wypych and Jessica Tait outclassed the other high schools to win their division and come sixth overall, beating some engineers-in-training in the process. Organiser Peter Wypych said the students had to "design and build a device that would convert wind energy (via a fan) to mechanical energy that would drive a device into the 'wind'. "Winners were decided on performance criteria such as the distance each device started from the fan and speed of travel," he said. The theme of the competition was Wind Energy Conversion and Sustainable Energy. Integral Energy donated $500 and the Faculty of Engineering $800 for prizes and trophies.

•Pictured above left. Wind-power winners, mechanical engineering students Matthew Southam, Benjamin Tillott, Christopher Vernon, Bradley Oborn and Alexander Nicholson.

• Pictured left Emma Wypych and Jessica Tait receive their trophy from Integral Energy's manager of renewable energies Anthony Patterson, watched by their teacher at St Mary's Chris Read. Great debate first of many on campus he university system would lose its credibility and become extinct if T'charlatanism' in academia was not identified and eliminated, argued Professor Philip Broadbridge at the University of Wollongong's inaugural invitational debate in October. Professor Broadbridge from the School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics was arguing in the affirmative that ''academic charletanism should be identified and eliminated'. Professor Broadbridge helped organise the event but did not expect to fmd himself on stage. On the morning of the debate he volunteered to fill the shoes of Professor Ian Plimer who was "stranded" overseas. Professor Mark Diesendorf of the University of Technology Sydney, argued the negative case. A transcript of the text of both academic's arguments w ill be available on the Um\'ersity of Wollongong home page. Further debates are planned. • IVIark Diesendorf • Phil Broadbridge

8 Exploring the University of Wollongong Austraiia virtual classroom P^ The EDTLati: A Brief Tour Take • Embedded RealPlayer Plug-in • Pop-Up RealPlayer Applica'tion the First multimedia courseware r The EDTLab: A 20-rTilnute Guided Tour Tour! delivery over the Internet h'acK your suitcase lo explore ine vinuai aassroom

any educators want to explore the the potential of the virtual classroom. consultants at the Centre for Educational potential of on-line teaching and Dr Doulai says a user-friendly interface for Development and Interactive Resources Mleaming, but are intimidated by the staff with limited technological background was (CEDIR). technology, or just don't know where to start. essential, using tools like video and audio files in It showed how to synchronise video clips and Their computer-savvy friends are often the Web-based instmctions. audio tracks with blackboard work and other worst people to ask. He has applied for an ESDF grant to develop classroom activities (display of local or remote Even casual geeks can get so close to their the project. HTML files or images; Power Point slides). technology, they lose sight of the real fears and Meanwhile, UOW's furst streamed multimedia hassles those with less experience face. course delivery over the Internet was launched on This lecture is available on the EDTLab audio Dr Parviz Doulai, lecturer in the School of July 1998. and video server (http://edt.uow.edu.au/ Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications It was a one-hour lecture, designed to cedir_lect/) and on CD-ROM, available at Engineering, has become a kind of tour guide of introduce the technology to educational CEDIR reception. Informatics students sample on-line delivery ather than replacing traditional course Bulletin Board (about half related to The Educational Delivery Technologies higher education delivery, the Web course contents, where students helped each Laboratory (EDTLab) is an Internet and has significant potential to enhance other with problems) R Web development centre, established in 1994 on-campus teaching and leaming. * each student sat, on average, five timed on­ within the Faculty of Informatics. It can also supplement interaction among line quizzes, mostly marked electronically students and with instmctors, even in the relaxed * almost 800 on-line electronic submissions It incorporates the latest Web technologies and friendly atmosphere of UOW. were made (short assignments/fortnightly with dynamic and interactive processes, for two In Spring Session 1998, a new Web-based Critical Thinking Tasks) distinct applications: educational and industrial. Instraction package (WebCT) was used to prepare * Overall, students, as a group, spent 1,800 In the field of educational application, the and deliver material to more than 200 first-year hours accessing on-line course notes. Course EDTLab is making strong progress. students in the Faculty of Informatics (lACTlOl, notes account for 25% of the total lACTlOl It uses emerging technologies to supplement 206 students). resources. traditional on-campus education, streamlining Project co-ordinator Dr Parviz Doulai said The WebCT is most likely to be introduced as freely available or inexpensive tools and statistics collected in the firsteigh t weeks showed the University's preferred Web-based instmction resources, and showing staff and students how student interaction and involvement was suite. to take advantage of them. "phenomenal". Dr Doulai said a co-ordinated approach to At almost no capital cost, a range of "A great deal of this can be attributed to the estabhsh WebCT as a University-wide on-line technology-driven educational resources were underlying pedagogically strong structure and platform was essential. developed and implemented over the past four flexibility of the WebCT," Dr Doulai said. "If we are serious about this issue we must years, for classroom use and public In the first eight weeks the lACTlOl site had: consider infrastmcture; staff development and demonstrations. * about 8,000 visits; approximately one visit per support; system administration; student training EDTLab founder Dr Parviz Doulai said, by student per working day and support simultaneously. using existing infrastructure, such as the * more than 2,000 articles were posted to the "If we don't implement just one of these campus computer networks and laboratories, components properly, ia relation to the cost of providing on-line support services the others, than the whole system was negligible. will fail," he said. "For instance, the lACT 101 on-line support Dr Doulai said technology- program (see story below) cost the Faculty just 45 Minutes Talking Head!! driven support for on-campus $500," Dr Doulai said. education was very popular with Aim: This year, the EDTLab completed two To demonstrate students. new server and Feedback from 180 lACTlOl major projects: client capabilities * implementing real-time streaming in delivering and students can be found on the receiving synch, EDTLab home page. technology: delivering synchronised video/audio files A dynamic Web-based leaming multimedia files (audio and video) over the over the Internet environment gave students Intemet altemative study paths and more * using an interactive and dynamic Web 1. What Stream Media File Is? opportunities to engage in environment, supporting a large class of more 2. What we need to have? and 3. How we can use it? interactive exercises and than 200 first-year students in the Faculty of collaborative work. Informatics. • Talking heads on-line. Melanie's in front but are teenaae girls watching? elanie Sykes, 21, was in the enviable position of having employers chasing her, even before she sat her final exams as an Menvironmenta l engineer. While other professions face downturns, young engineers are landing jobs before they graduate and attract higher starting salaries than first-year lawyers, according to the Graduate Careers Council of Australia. Melanie had a welcome distraction from her final exams at the University of Wollongong: considering the merits of two attractive job offers. One with stmctural engineering firm Ove Amp, the other with management firm Andersen Consulting. While not an engineering firm, Andersen was atti^acted to the problem-solving skills gained in Melanie's course. Apart from offering her a job, Ove Amp also gave Melanie $1,000 as the winner of the NSW State Engineering Award. Melanie Sykes: job offers took pressure off final exams in November 1998 But success stories like Melanie's are not reaching enough young women at high school. Despite a growing number of successful role Melanie said this appealed to engineering and non-engineering employers models, many teenage girls fail to consider engineering as a career. alike. The University of Wollongong is mnning its annual Girls in Engineering The summer school is a four-day residential program held from Sunday Summer School in January in an effort to change narrow perceptions of the 17 January to 20 January 1999. profession. It costs $85 and scholarships and travel allowances are available to Melanie attended the summer school when she was a teenager, and it was students in financial diificulties. instmmental in her career choice. It is open to girls entering years 11 or 12 next year, studying Three-unit "I hadn't given engineering much thought at all before then," she said. Maths and at least one Two-unit Science subject. Melanie studied Environmental Engineering, but her course allowed a For more information contact Julie Romanowski, in the Faculty of wide choice of electives, including economics and law. Engineering on (02) 42213491.

consequences of the dramatic changes within the Australian Accountability public sector over the past two decades. They have come about as at core of govemments pursued greater efficiency and effectiveness in delivery of programs. "In particular, it highlights new book the impact of these changes on the mechanisms used to SW Treasurer Michael Egan retumed ensure that govemments are to Parliament on 29 October to held accountable," Professor Nundertake a task he had never done Funnell said. before — launch a book. He said the key word in Mr Egan was suspended from Parliament after the tide is "accountability". • At the Parliament House book launch are (from left): Dr Kathie refusing to hand over privileged documents on "Accountability is not Cooper; Auditor-General Tony Harris; Michael Egan; Professor Sydney's water contamination crisis. restricted just to providing Warwick Funnell; and Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton. At the core of the dispute was public accounts. As we have tried to accountability. portray in the book, it is also about an approach had already purchased three copies for use in his And the book Mr Egan launched at Parliament marking the broader social needs of society. office. House was ironically — Public Sector Accounting "Readers will see why the adoption by Member for Keira and Parliamentary and Accountability in Australia. govemments of a private sector management Secretary Colin Markham hosted the launch and The authors are Associate Professor Warwick ethos has expanded the duties and requirements of Upper House President Virginia Chadwick and Funnell, who has for many years taught public public sector managers, introduced new means to other politicians attended. sector accounting and financial management to enforce financial accountability and brought new accounting and law students, and Dr Kathie demands into conflict with traditional public Public Sector Accounting and Accountability Cooper, a Senior Lecturer in Accounting with sector values," Professor Funnell said. in Australia, by Warwick Funnell and Kathie more than 12 years teaching experience. Mr Egan said the book was "another feather in Cooper, published by UNSW Press, $49.95 The book explains the purposes and the cap for the University of Wollongong" and he softcover, 328pp

10 Sexual behaviour and the workplace he issue of sexual • sex-oriented comments on Employers may be held harassment and can be the subject of behaviour in the physical appearance, joking or responsible for their own behaviour a complaint under institutional sexual workplace has received abuse; and the behaviour of the people they harassment procedures or to an extensive media cover­ • deliberate and unnecessary employ. outside body." Tage recently, eliciting a range of physical contact such as patting, Supervisors too, may be held Similarly supervisors are in a views. pinching or deliberate bmshing responsible for sexual harassment in position of authority and tmst with The University of Wollongong's agaiast another's body; their work units, particularly if they subordinate staff and should be aware stance is found in the Sexual • inappropriate displays of erotic or fail to take appropriate action to of the same issues as oudined for Harassment Policy and also the pomographic material; prevent its occurrence or staff-student relationships. Guidelines on Conflict of Interest and • requests for sexual activity in continuation. The University's Guidelines on Close Personal Relationships. Both exchange for favours in the "AN ABUSE OF TRUST OCCURS WHEN Conflicts of Interest in Close documents are available to all staff. workplace, good grades, etc; THE STAFF-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP IS Personal Relationships guides staff DESTROYED THROUGH ACTIONS, OR The policy states: "the University • displays of nudity; dealing with actual or perceived REQUEST FOR ACTIONS, OF A NON­ conflicts of interest with students and considers sexual harassment an • sexual violence. PROFESSIONAL NATURE. " unacceptable form of behaviour It is difficult to define sexual The other issue which should be other staff members. which will not be tolerated". harassment without over-simplifying considered in the context of sexual Briefly, those guidelines require Sexual harassment may be defined social relationships. relationships in the university setting you to remove yourself from any as any verbal or physical conduct of a Mutual attraction between is the abuse of tmst and/or a conflict decision-making, reporting, marking sexual nature, which would normally individuals is excluded from the of interest. or approval role if you have such a be considered offensive and that is above definition. The NTEU Code of Ethics relationship with a staff member or unsolicited, unwelcome and Sexual harassment is unlawful in describes how "a sexual or other close student. unreciprocated. It can range from employment and education under personal relationship with a student is Codes of ethics and guidelines are intimidating, sexist comments to both the NSW Anti-Discrimination likely to involve serious difficulties not designed to prohibit sexual criminal sexual assault and may Act, and the Commonwealth Sexual arising from the power disparity relationships. include such behaviour as: Discrimination Act. inherent in the staff-student They are about stopping the relationship. serious problems which arise when UOW triumphs in research grants "In general, such relationships those relationship involve conflicts of should be avoided. Students have the interest and abuse of tiaist. • From Page 1 Readers are asked to familiarise management experts, wiU be involved in CAPSTRANS, making it a major right to expect that close interaction with university staff can occur themselves with University policy centre of excellence in an important new area of study. and guidelines. Meanwhile, Professor Peter Howe will lead the Smart Foods Centre, without fear of demands for sexual dedicated to assisting the Australian food industry in nutrition research and favours. University documents referred to in education. "An abuse of tmst occurs when this article have been issued to staff this relationship is destroyed through through the induction and training The centre will support the industiry in an area of national social and actions or request for actions of a non­ processes. The EEO, FOI & Privacy economic importance, by developing healthier value-added foods. professional nature. Unit also conducts Faculty and "This is a unique opportunity for the Wollongong team, together with Departmental information sessions. "In some circumstances, an initial its industry partners, to demonstrate the value of industry investment in Further copies and clarification of sexual approach to a student, or nutrition-based R&D," Professor Howe said. the issues raised are available from engaging in a sexual relationship with the EEO, FOI and Privacy Unit on He said that while the industry had focused on improvements in a student constitutes sexual extension 3917. production and processing, rapidly increasing consumer demand for foods which were compatible with dietary guidelines necessitated greater A d m e n t emphasis on nutrition in product development. The Smart Foods Centre will introduce industry-oriented nutiition Talk to me for education and research programs to support the development and evaluation of novel foods with benefits to consumers in Australia and in export markets. financial planning "There is a pressing need for the food industry to increase its knowledge of, and capabilities in, nutritional research to fuUy exploit the potential health benefits of its products," Professor Howe said. advice without "This is especially in the current climate where a more proactive regulatory approach to informing consumers about the health benefits of obligation foods is under consideration and where a high demand for smart foods Kay Murton already exists in Asian export markets." As your National Financial flexible and profitable financial Working with Professor Howe will be assistant directors Professor Len Planning Consultant my job is structure - one that is tailored Storiien, Associate Professor Peter McLennan and Associate Professor to help you make sense of your for you and no-one else, I'll Linda Tapsell along with senior investigators Associate Professor Wayne financial future. To put together happily work with you until Bryden (collaborating from the University of Sydney's Camden campus). for you the most workable, you're satisfied with your plan. Associate Professor Arthur Jenkins, Dr Ren Zhang, Dr Barbara Meyer, Dr For an appointment call me today Lee Astheimer, Dr Brin Grenyer and Professor Dennis Calvert. The Key Centire grant, together with an ARC Strategic Partnership in Kay Murton Ph: 4227 3617 ••Authorised representative of National Australia Bank 1 Industry Research grant and contributions from the University and Limited ACN 004 044 937, a licensed dealer in j industiy partners, should amount to a budget of about $1 million a year to securities. These and other representatives may ^National receive commission for business referred to National the centre over the next six years. Australia Bank Australia Bank Group.

11 Great idea but no money? Funds are at hand for innovative projects

hat do a multimedia creation for teachers and students, 'power quality' problems and polymer processing facilities have in common? They are all separate projects funded by wth e University of Wollongong's Technological Development Fund (TDF). And fund manager, the Illawarra Technology from IMLL are Investigating Lake Iluka and Corporation (ITC). is keen for more researchers on Exploring the Nardoo. campus to contact it with any projects they believe 'Pollution' of the main electricity supply is a have commercial viability. growing problem. Funding is allocated by the Technical Modem electronic equipment, such as personal Assessment Committee (TAC) under the computers, produce undesirable interference chairmanship of Mr George Maltby who is also which can quickly spread to other electricity users Chairman of ITC. The newly-formed UOW through the large interconnected electricity grid. Intellectual Property Committee which Deputy The Head of the School of Electrical, Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Robinson chairs, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering, can also refer projects to the TAC. Professor Chris Cook, said the power quality A key project receiving ITC funding of problem required considerable research and $275,000 this year is a multimedia creation for expertise to understand its causes, effects and teachers and students called MediaPlant, a cures. The TDF is being used to develop a • Dr Rita Stella tests the 'electronic nose' at IPRl. powerful new software tool for the classroom. commercial testing service in power quality. ITC deputy chairman Dr Brian Hickman said The Power Engineering group in the School of Australian Research Council and the Electricity MediaPlant. created by the University's Interactive Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Supply Association of Australia. Multimedia Learning Laboratory (IMLL) had Engineering has a strong track record in this area. The TDF has also helped establish the polymer enormous marketing potential throughout the As well as support from the TDF. Integral processing facility within the Intelligent Polymer English-speaking world. Energy has funded a substantial Power Quality Research Institute (IPRI), allowing large-scale IMLL director Associate Professor Barry Centre in the school for the past three years. The production of processable conducting polymers. Harper and Dr Hickman recently went to the Centre has made considerable progress assisting Such advances are necessary if the true United States tor negotiations with a major US industry. commercial potential of these materials is to be publisher. The Centre's technical director Associate demonstrated in areas as diverse as sensors IMLL recently made world-wide news, Professor Vic Gosbell identified many years ago (electronic nose), membranes, corrosion outclassing Microsoft's millions to win a British the future importance of power quality, affecting protection and polymeric photovoltaics, according Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) the whole industry, at a time when most people did to IPRI director Professor Gordon Wallace. award for its CD ROM. StageStmck. not even see it as an issue. Recent processing advances enable sensor Other award-winning multimedia products The Centre has also received funding from the devices to be produced using inexpensive fabrication techniques, such as ink jet and screen printing. Near extinction? Try antibiotics These processable polymers are ideal for • From Page 4 spraying large surfaces, necessary for developing coatings for corrosion protection. Kirsten will watch developments from a distance as her search for new antibiotics continues. Anyone wishing to submit proposals to the "Now I'd like to look at another group of organisms and see if I can do the same for them, and say TDF should contact Dr Hickman (via the these species are chemically valuable and we should be protecting them as well." Kirsten said. University's email system) or John Weidemier on And it has taken Kirsten to bring new meaning to Browning's use of the word 'miracle'. 4226 8827 or via University email. Kirsten hopes the bio-chemical precursor to Tyrian purple she has isolated in the egg capsules of the mollusc will 'work miracles', not just as a naUiral medicine, but as an impetus to protect endangered Cannpus News is published every 8 invertebrates everywhere. weeks by the University of Wollongong Her attimde is still uncommon in the natural-products industry. Editor: Bernie Goldie. She recentiy presented a paper on bio-prospecting to the NSW Natural Products Group, and many Journalist: Kerrie O'Connor. people admitted over-collecting species and saw the need for sensible prevention. Photography: Sean McGuire, Mark "I think the attitude is changing, definitely with a lot of the younger natural-products chemists and I hope that 1 can have an influence on the industry," Kirsten said. Newsham and Ian Svegovic As a PhD student. Kirsten has communicated to the community and the media on numerous Print & Production: Printery Sen/ices, occasions and prepared submissions on govemment policy. UOW. This project was Kirsten's first on marine molluscs and she now has more knowledge of the marine University of Wollongong molluscs on the lllav\ arra coast than anyone else". NSW, Australia, 2522 '"I think r\e been so successful with this project because I'm passionate about it. Tel: 02 4221 5942 or 4221 3926 "I'm reall\ fascinated by what I'm researching .. .nature is such a wonderful source of inspiration, Fax: 02 4221 3128 there's a million things out there just waiting to be discovered." she said. Robyn Ball Email: [email protected] L Robyn Ball is a student in the Postgraduate School of Journalism. www.uow.edu.au/admin/marketing/bytes

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