FREE Publication Adelaidean NEWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE Volume 13 • Number 5 • June 2004 inside this issue Hormone Out of this world! 6 promotes healthy “invasion” Mars in our 10 backyard Telco industry 16 invests in future Amber’s 20 Olympic dream still on course Archives offer window to 4 university’s soul Global focus for $9m 5 water centre Adelaide has strategic 8 warfare gains in Gulf 9 Periods: the new lifestyle choice Stoler appointed to 12 Australian aid council South Australians have a chance to get Joint program in wine closer to space than ever before. 13 business a fi rst Future clothing sizes Starting this month, Adelaide converge on Adelaide from around Above: Space Shuttle Discovery makes an 14 taking shape is hosting the world’s biggest the world. orbital pass over Iceland in August 1997 gathering of space experts, with Photo by NASA As well as the intensive education public events and displays bringing Rachel joins call for program being run for students home the wonder and excitement 19 library funds enrolled with the ISU, a wide range NASA, and there will be a public of space vehicle design, travel and of public events will give South demonstration of robots in action, exploration. Australians a unique opportunity to designed by students attending the It’s all part of a major international learn more about the breadth and ISU program. event being held in Adelaide—and depth of space-related work, and how The nine-week program is being Australia—for the fi rst time. it relates to their lives. run in our winter, as it is usually Life Impact The International Space University Free public events include lectures held in the northern hemisphere’s (ISU) is running its summer session and panels involving some of summer. Available to postgraduate in Adelaide from June 27-August 27. the world’s biggest names in students, the program covers all the Hosted by the University of Adelaide, space, such as astronauts, space main space-related fi elds, from space Flinders and UniSA, the nine-week vehicle designers, engineers and business, policy and law, to design, study program will see more than astronomers. Real moon rocks engineering and sciences. www.adelaide.edu.au 120 space experts and 100 students will be on display, on loan from continued on page 11 McWha’s Words Innovation for innovation’s sake What sets the University of wide range of disciplines. We also recognise Each of these clusters will receive $100,000 Adelaide apart from many other that, increasingly, the kinds of problems from the Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Funds Q: Australian universities? researchers are being asked to tackle are the in support of their collaborative research big ones. To do that, we need to build bigger efforts. Each cluster represents a clear asset We are a research-intensive teams with multi-disciplinary expertise, and to to the University of Adelaide, to Australia and university and proud of it. A : build bridges between the various parts of the the global community. The calibre of people Being research intensive means that the university. working within these clusters is extraordinary, University of Adelaide has an enormous and I congratulate all involved. The University of Adelaide is uniquely placed benefi t over many universities. It means that to address the big research issues at a national In addition, the selection panel (which included we are not just teaching knowledge, we are and international level. We have the capacity myself) agreed that the Defence and Security creating and offering knowledge. Our research to build on our research expertise, with Cluster was worthy of support, and we will is innovation, and that innovation informs academics, technical staff and postgraduates provide $40,000 to that cluster this year. A everything we do, especially our educational who are capable of collaborating and, just further four clusters are expected to receive programs. as importantly, are willing to do so. This is funding next year—making a total of at least Creating knowledge as often and intensively why the Research Clusters are an important eight clusters by the end of 2005! as we do—and at such a high international strategic move for the university. There are no losers in this process; the quality standard—is not easy. It takes a lot of hard I’m pleased to announce that the three of submissions for Research Clusters has been work and a lot of resources, and it’s getting Research Clusters selected for funding in extremely high. Some of those that have not harder every year, with strong competition 2004 are: been funded this year have already agreed to in Australia and throughout the world. It’s work together, which gives me one more reason important, therefore, that the University of • Healthy Aging Research Cluster (led by to feel confi dent about the future of research at Adelaide remains as innovative in its overall Associate Professors Gary Wittert and the University of Adelaide. approach to research as it is in the individual Graham Mayrhofer); research projects themselves. • Healthy Development Research Cluster (led Earlier this year, part of the Vice-Chancellor’s by Professors Robert Norman and Caroline Strategic Funds was earmarked for the McMillen); development of Research Clusters across the university. We recognise that there are many • Water Research Cluster (led by Professor outstanding research teams and individuals Graeme Dandy and Associate Professor David JAMES A. McWHA at Adelaide, and they are spread across a Chittleborough). Vice-Chancellor Adelaidean Adelaidean has a readership of more than 31,000 per Letter to the Editor month -- 13,000 in print and 18,000 online Editor: David Ellis I refer to the letter published on page 2 of Adelaidean volume 13 no. 4, May 2004. I Writers: Ben Osborne, Howard Salkow, David Ellis am both a graduate of the University of Adelaide, (LLB 1967 and GradCert Man 1995), Design and Layout: Chris Tonkin 50 and also in 1963 became one of the fi rst South Australians to owe his life to a seat Contributors: Natalie De Nadai, Nicole Stones, Kim McBride, Sue Coppin, Alison Beare, Helen Simpson belt, the results of automotive safety research. Consequently, I was not amused. Printed by: Lane Print Group In support of the 50km/hour suburban speed limit I refer to a reported statement appearing on Distribution: Lane Print Group Passing Out Distribution Co. page 10 of the RAA magazine SA Motor, May/June 2004. The statement is that of Professor Advertising: KRL Media Jack McLean, Director Centre for Automotive Safety Research. Under the sub-heading “Speed Tel: +61 8 8231 5433 Reductions=Safety Improvements”, (with permission I have obtained from the RAA), I set out the Fax: +61 8 8212 1238 Email: [email protected] following: Coming Events: “At a conservative estimate, about two thousand pedestrians have died in Australia since 1974 Please send all coming events to the editor at the address below. There is no charge for coming because 60km/h was chosen rather than 50km/h.” events, but they must be university related. Clive Brooks Deadline for next issue: Tuesday, June 15, 2004 Millswood, South Australia Room G07 Mitchell Building, South Australia, 5005. Tel: +61 8 8303 5174 Fax: +61 8 8303 4838 Anyone who has not read our front-page article about Jack McLean’s research into the 50km/hour Email: [email protected] speed limit should check the April 2004 issue of the Adelaidean: www.adelaide.edu.au/adelaidean www.adelaide.edu.au/adelaidean Professor McLean will be chairing a public forum on the road toll this month. See story in News In Material may be reproduced without permission but Brief on page 6. acknowledgement must be given to the Adelaidean. —Editor Registered by Australia Post No 565001/00046 Adelaidean | Volume 13 Number 5 June 2004 2 How can we keep on keeping on? Bridging the generation gap: just one of the challenges of an ageing population Photo courtesy of Radio Adelaide A new radio series aims to help listeners gain a better understanding of some major challenges facing our ageing population. “Keep On Keeping On—Working of how old you are, there are issues Dr Barbara Pocock, Senior Lecturer people from across the generations and Connecting Regardless of Age” we all have to deal with,” said series in Labour Studies, and members of to speak to each other.” is a 20-part radio series making its producer Laine Langridge. the community who have been going The radio series will be broadcast national debut on Radio Adelaide through the experiences themselves. These issues include: redundancy nationally. Following its debut on (101.5 FM) on July 1. at 50, a future lack of young people “This is something that speaks to Radio Adelaide, the series will be The series, part of Radio Adelaide’s for the workforce, retirement, early the whole of Australia. The program picked up by other community radio commitment to Lifelong Learning, retirement, lack of funds and quality takes in expertise and anecdotes stations in rural and metropolitan has been funded by the South of life. not just from South Australia but areas right across Australia. also Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Government through the Ms Langridge, herself a “reformed” Listeners in Adelaide and on the Tasmania and Western Australia,” Ms Department of Human Services. retiree—having retired as Program internet can hear the series live on Langridge said. The aim of the series is to tackle Manager at Radio Adelaide (then 101.5 FM from July 1 at 7.30am the complex issues surrounding age 5UV) some four years ago—is “Some amazing things are being done Monday to Friday (repeated at and work, and investigate ways of perfectly suited to produce “Keep to deal with the challenges of the 3.30pm).