AUGUST 2016 The University of Auckland News for Staff Vol 45/ Issue 06 /August 2016 TWO NEW DOCTORS ■PAGE PAGE 5 5 INSIDE WELLINGTON OFFICE KEEPING US SAFE EQUITY IN ACADEMIA A new office for UniServices and for the Talaloa Leau (known on campus as Tala) was The under-representation of New Zealand University had its official launch in Wellington born in Samoa and first came to New Zealand women in academic leadership is a global on 19 July. The office, which opened quietly with a dancing group from her village Manono. phenomenon. Recent New Zealand research earlier this year, is providing a great Tala is now the mother of eight children, aged shows that men graded A and B in the PBRF opportunity to raise the University’s profile between 20 and 36, and is one of 32 Unisafe are three times more likely to be professors in the capital, create hot desk space, provide Security Officers and one of only two females than women with the same PBRF grade. flexible accommodation for some of our currently on the security team. Read more Kirsten Locke from the Faculty of Education programmes and reduce costs for travel about Tala’s life, work and achievements in and Social Work, who is currently leading a around the city. It includes several meeting “My story”, which profiles a different member comparative research project on gendered rooms, including one large enough to host of staff in each issue of Uninews. career trajectories in Danish and New Zealand training or a seminar for up to 40 people. universities, gives an opinion on this. PAGE 3 PAGE 6 PAGE 12 SNAPSHOT CONTENTS NEW WRITING GUIDE WHAT’S NEW ............................ 3 A new edition of the University’s Writing Guide IN BRIEF .................................... 4 5.3 has been produced by Publications and COVER STORY ............................. 5 the Writing Guide Committee. The guide is a comprehensive reference document providing DID YOU KNOW? ......................... 7 information about writing for the University, both for printed publications and for the web. WHAT’S ON CAMPUS .................. 7 It covers general but not academic writing and RESEARCH ................................ 8 includes things like University terms and how they are used. It also includes information on WHAT AM I DISCOVERING? .......... 9 culture and gender, for example specifying University style in the use of Māori language. IN THE SPOTLIGHT ...................... 9 FROM THE COLLECTION ............ 10 WOMEN IN IT WHAT’S COMING OUT ................ 11 The 2016 Women in IT conference will be held MARAMATANGA ....................... 12 at the University on Monday 29 August. On the theme of “Making a Difference”, the conference will bring together University IT professional staff with students, academics and alumni, to further build the community for women in IT. It will also provide a forum to unlock the possibilities of a career in IT across multiple disciplines. Respected speakers from the industry will talk about their careers and the support for women in IT. Open to men and women. www.auckland. ac.nz/womeninit LABOUR PARTY CENTENARY Our former Prime Minister and current UN COVER PHOTO: Chancellor Ian Parton (left) and Secretary General contender Helen Clark Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon features in the General Library’s Special (right) with the University’s two new recipients of Collections display celebrating the New Zealand honorary doctorates: Richard Aitken (second from Labour Party (NZLP) centenary. The country’s left) and Charles Bidwill (second from right). oldest surviving political party, the LP was Photo: Richard Ng formed at a conference of the United Federation of Labour, Social Democratic Party and local Labour Representative Committees in Wellington on 7 July 1916. The display explores the formation and early history of the NZLP. GET TANKED ON CAMPUS TANK serving healthy, fresh, accessible and EDITOR: Tess Redgrave delicious food options from smoothies to wraps PHOTOGRAPHY: Godfrey Boehnke, ,Richard Ng, Tess Redgrave and salads will open on the City Campus in DESIGN: Student Information and Marketing Services mid-August. This New Zealand-owned, family- PRODUCTION: The University of Auckland run business has been revolutionising fast food since 2001. Meanwhile the University’s Retail Published by: Services listened closely to the feedback and The University of Auckland suggestions made by the University community Communications, and are delighted that they are able to offer Fisher Building, 18 Waterloo Quadrant, and encourage healthy options on campus. Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142 TANK will be located in The Quad, outside the Sport and Rec Centre from mid-August. www.auckland.ac.nz/universitynews 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND NEWS FOR STAFF WHAT’S NEW NEW HUB IN THE CAPITAL LIGGINS TURNS 15 For 15 years the Liggins Institute has been researching how early life events, starting even before conception, influence our likelihood of developing diseases such as diabetes, obesity and coronary heart disease in adulthood. The focus is on a healthy start for a health life. They’re celebrating this milestone with a public lecture and cocktail reception and all are invited. Distinguished Professor Jane Harding, a specialist in fetal and neonatal care, is among the speakers. She made international headlines with A new office for UniServices and for the All are now at Level 8, 38 Waring Taylor Street a treatment her team developed to prevent brain University of Auckland had its official launch (the Petherick Tower). damage in newborns, now standard practice in in Wellington on 19 July. The building is in the same block as MBIE, New Zealand. Among those present were Hon Steven Joyce, Internal Affairs and SUPERU (a government agency Molecular biologist Dr Justin O’Sullivan, a senior Minister for Economic Development, Professor that aims to increase the use of evidence-based research fellow at Liggins, will give a mini-lecture Stuart McCutcheon, University Vice-Chancellor, and research in the social sector so that better decisions about epigenetics and how the structure of a Dr Andy Shenk, CEO of Auckland UniServices Ltd. can be made). genome can influence long-term health outcomes. The office, which opened quietly earlier this Stuart stressed the commitment of the University Other frontier science discussed will be ongoing year, is providing a great opportunity to raise the and UniServices to working with the New Zealand studies into the effect of stress hormones on University’s profile in the capital, create hot desk Government to increase the impact and economic breastmilk, and into a novel therapy using Viagra to space, provide flexible accommodation for some returns from our Science and Innovation systems. improve fetal growth. of our programmes and reduce costs for travel He underlined the importance of evidence-based Wednesday 10 August, 6pm, Lecture Theatre around the city. It includes several meeting rooms, research for the future of New Zealand. 007, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Building including one large enough to host training or a Steven Joyce spoke of the high significance of 505, 85 Park Road, Grafton, Auckland. seminar for up to 40 people. commercialisation and of the role the University www.liggins.auckland.ac.nz The new office brings together the University’s and UniServices are playing in increasing business Note this event is now fully booked. Wellington-based teams – including members from investment in research and development; Conectus, the Centre for Professional Learning/ improving international connections; and Photo above: Left to right are Dr Andy Shenk, Associate Professor Team Solutions and the new Government Business encouraging innovation. Nikki Turner, Hon Steven Joyce and Professor Stuart McCutcheon. Development Manager. Led by retired District Court Judge, Dr David The second strand is in the field of research Harvey, the new centre forms part of the Law and the development of ICT policy based on a School at the University of Auckland. solid evidential foundation. Projects include the The centre has been established to study use of technology to assist with access to the and consider the implications of ICT within the law as well as an examination of the operation of context of the law, technological developments, the Harmful Digital Communications Act. and its impact upon society. The third strand is to design and develop an “The centre is a specialist hub,” said Dr on-line electronic moot courtroom as a teaching Harvey. “Information and communications facility for students, as an advocacy training technologies are becoming more and more a centre, and as a place where lawyers, judges and part of the everyday life of New Zealanders. The court staff can familiarise themselves with new NEW ICT LAW impact of these new technologies on the law and technologies for use in the Courtroom. CENTRE vice versa need to be examined,” he says To find out more visit: The centre has three main strands of activity. www.law.auckland.ac.nz/ICT The New Zealand Centre for Information and The first is the development of teaching Photo: Dr David Harvey Communications Technology (ICT) Law was programmes for students and law practitioners launched at Old Government House last week. to keep them up-to-date with new legal developments in the ICT field. UNINEWS 3 WHAT’S NEW IN BRIEF SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME HOOD FELLOWS The Ballot Box 2016 series, developed by Professor Eamonn O’Brien from the the Business School, will bring together Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of preeminent speakers to inform debate and Science is one of three University academics challenge thinking about issues that will shape who have won outgoing Hood Fellowships. Auckland’s future. Developed to look beyond Eamonn is well recognised the three-year election cycle and encourage internationally as a leader in computational an informed conversation, this public series algebra and is an outstanding mathematician comprises three separate events, each looking with a strong track record of research activity.