Campus Connect Issue 2 | SPRING 2014 cm.uwa.edu.au Welcome Welcome to the second edition of Campus Connect, an update for The University of Western Australia’s neighbouring UWA is open to you, communities. all year round Inside you’ll find news about our activities on campus, planning and development projects and facilities available to you. Here at UWA we take pleasure in inviting our neighbours onto our campus, which we view as a campus in a beautiful park. We have a range of sporting and cultural amenities open to the community and provide In August for its annual Open Day, Arts and culture abound at UWA, and there an ongoing program of free events, The University of Western Australia is something for everyone. The UWA Cultural whatever your interest may be. opened its lecture rooms, sporting Precinct presents a program of exhibitions, venues, theatres and cultural performances and activities at venues On the following pages you can spaces. But the facilities available including Winthrop Hall, the Octagon Theatre, discover more about what you can to the community are not just the Sunken Garden, the New Fortune Theatre do at UWA, as well as the upcoming restricted to one day of the year. and the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery. The projects that will continue to enhance School of Music hosts an extensive concert our picturesque grounds. Amenities and clubs cater to a wide program open to the public and there are two range of interests and there is an museums on campus. Find out more at ongoing program of free events. cm.uwa.edu.au Our campus is open for you to For more information, visit enjoy, all year round. culturalprecinct.uwa.edu.au CONTINUED PAGE 2 > FROM PAGE 1 > Explore UWA, your way You don’t have to be a student or staff member to get active at UWA. Whether you want a scenic stroll, directions to a UWA Sports offers community fitness gallery or a glimpse into history, there are a range memberships to the UWA Recreation of tools – actual and virtual – to help. and Fitness Centre. There are more than 45 group fitness classes each To celebrate its 100-year history, UWA week, courts for hire and 30 sport and released books and mobile Apps to guide recreation clubs. Children aged five to 13 visitors to the hidden treasures on campus. can keep active over the school holidays with the UWA Kids Sports Holiday The hard-copy books include Personalities and Program. Places, the stories of the notable people whose names feature on UWA’s places and spaces, For more information, visit and Two and Sixpence, the history of the sport.uwa.edu.au Student Guild. Both books are available at the Visitors Information Centre for $20 each. For those who prefer a virtual guide, a walking tour for smart phones and tablets will show you where to go, what to eat, what to see – and who was there before you. The free UWA Campus App includes walking tours with landmark highlights based on 100 Treasures from UWA, a diary published for UWA’s 2013 centenary. A time lapse tour of campus is also available via the UWA students YouTube channel. Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre gets off the ground at UWA areas including environmental protection and climate change. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world’s five oceans, yet one of the least explored marine environments. Four partners involved in the project – The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), CSIRO, UWA and the Department of Fisheries WA – are working to change that. The construction of the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre is supported by a $34 million grant from the Australian Government and contribution from the partner organisations. In May, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Federal Member for Curtin, visited UWA to celebrate The Hon Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Federal Member for Curtin, and UWA the start of construction. Vice-Chancellor Paul Johnson visit the Crawley site. The centre is expected to be complete A group of Australian research Construction on the new $62 million in 2016 and will complement a facility organisations are one step closer to Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre at Watermans Bay, which is currently forming the largest marine research is underway on UWA’s Crawley campus. undergoing an $11 million refurbishment. capability in the Indian Ocean rim. When complete, the centre will house 240 researchers undertaking critical work in Find out more at uwa.edu.au/iomrc 2 | cm.uwa.edu.au ARTISTS IMPRESSION Perkins Institute leads the way in medical research ARTISTS IMPRESSION The completion of two new research centres has significantly boosted Western Australia’s medical research capabilities. Construction of CO2 Research The new Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Facility exceeds expectations Research building, at the QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, was officially opened Construction of the new CO2 Research The facility supports scientists undertaking earlier this year by the Prime Minister, the Facility, which will play an important role research into new techniques to capture Hon Tony Abbott MP. in Australia’s low-carbon future, is now and store carbon emissions. The new complete on UWA’s Crawley campus. teaching labs and support spaces will help The 10 storey building houses the Harry to ensure UWA graduates gain the most Perkins Institute and several other The state-of-the-art facility, which will form relevant skills and training. organisations, fostering a collaborative part of the National Geosequestration atmosphere. These include UWA and the Laboratory, was completed in July this year. The National Geosequestration Laboratory Lions Eye Institute. Research within the is a partnership between UWA, CSIRO and building focuses on cancer, diabetes and The construction works were completed Curtin University, established with $48.8 cardiovascular disease as well as molecular on time, to budget and to the highest million from the Australian Government’s medicine. safety standards. Education Investment Fund. A second building, at the Fiona Stanley To find out more, visitngl.org.au Hospital Campus at Murdoch, is also complete and will be operational later this year. New Century Campaign projects Both buildings were designed by Hames Sharley, which was recently honored at UWA is in the early stages of planning and BHP Billiton has committed $17 million to the Australian Institute of Architecture fundraising for two key visionary projects. the New Century Campaign, supporting State Awards with two top awards for the the EZONE UWA and programs designed QEII building. It received the top award in These include Western Australia’s first to attract more female engineers to the the Public Architecture category and an Aboriginal cultures museum and a world- Business School. Architecture Award for Interior Architecture. class Engineering Zone (EZONE UWA), designed to equip Western Australia Projects of this scale take many years to UWA made a $25 million contribution to and the world with engineers, computer come to fruition and will only be made each building project. scientists and mathematicians to solve far- possible through the generous support of ranging problems. industry, philanthropists and governments. To find out more, visit perkins.org.au Campus Connect ISSUE 2 SPRING 2014 | 3 Did you know that UWA UWA cleans up partially funds bus routes to Nedlands? Three tonnes of rubbish was cleaned up from the Matilda Bay The 950 service – which connects Reserve, Pelican Point sanctuary, Nedlands to the Perth CBD and Morley – Crawley street verges and the and the 98 and 99 ‘Circle Route’ services University campus by this year’s receive funding from the University and UWA Clean Up Australia Day team. local government to ensure frequent public transportation is available. Local More than 120 staff and students collected residents are also encouraged to enjoy three trailer-loads of waste and recyclables the regular service, via the dedicated bus in an effort to protect the environment where UWA Profile stops on Stirling Highway. they work and play. The University works in parallel with A record number of volunteers helped at Pelican No act too small State Government bodies, such as the Point in Matilda Bay, as part of an ongoing She hails from Guayaquil, Ecuador, but Marine Public Transport Authority, to integrate initiative by the Swan River Estuary Reserves Science student Denisse Fierro is making a its needs with planning for transport Action Group (SERAG) to protect sanctuaries local impact. As UWA’s volunteer coordinator amenities, services and infrastructure. for critically endangered native wildlife. for SERAG, Denisse believes small acts can make a big difference. Guild Volunteering Hub manager Aden Date said an increasing number of students were What does being a student at UWA mean giving up their time for the local community. to you? When I was accepted to UWA I was really “Our monthly conservation work at Pelican proud. The more I’m here, the prouder I am. Point has increased from a half-dozen or The standard of research is extremely high. so volunteers to as many as thirty students People are passionate, and that’s contagious. who come down to weed, plant or pick up rubbish,” he said. How do you like to spend your time when on and around campus? This is the fourth consecutive year the You’ll find me in the Science Library, which University’s Sustainable Initiatives section has has a great café. I also love taking walks coordinated a Clean Up Australia Day team. around our beautiful campus. UWA staff members Francis Torres and Jean-Michel Le What would surprise people about you? Floch clean up Matilda Bay Reserve I have a shark tattoo because I love sharks.