Uniview Vol. 28 No. 1, Summer 2009 Festival Films BUSINESS SCHOOL Join our Corporate Circle Program and keep in the loop. James Mactier Tracey Horton Jimmy Wilson Sunny Takashi Susan Oldmeadow-Hall Chris Ryder B Agr Ec (Hons), B Ec (Hons) UWA BSc Natal Uni, South Africa B Int Law, Waseda Uni, Japan B Com (UWA) LLB (Hons), Victoria Uni, NZ University of Sydney MBA Stanford University President: BHP Billiton General Manager: Partner: Ernst & Young MBA, Trinity College, Dublin Executive Director: Dean: UWA Business School Stainless Steel Materials Mitsui & Co. 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CRICOS Provider No. 00126G BC+YUNBS00124 WWW.BUSINESS.UWA.EDU.AU UNBS00124 A4 Corporate Circle.indd 1 14/8/08 2:49:07 PM UniviewTHE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Vol. 28 No. 1, Summer 2009 CONTENTS In Focus: campus news and views 2 From the Vice-Chancellery 7 Champion of the arts retires 9 Graduate’s musical success story 12 Je Suis Australienne 14 Graduate honoured by colloquium 17 Securing the future of a ‘living fossil’ 18 From politician to professor 21 Yarning with purpose 25 UWA breakthrough in cancer research 27 Grad News 29 Grad Briefs 33 Form and function transformed The unique Playmakers series brings together music makers, master craftsmen and instruments as part of the UWA Perth International Arts Cover image: Images from some of the 21 films to Festival’s Great Southern program. 2 be screened during the Lotterywest Festival Films (see In Focus). Uniview is produced by UWA Public Affairs Director: Doug Durack ([email protected]) Editor: Trea Wiltshire ([email protected]) Grad Briefs: Terry Larder ([email protected]) Design: Graham Harvey, UniDesign (www.uniprint.uwa.edu.au) Advertising: Trea Wiltshire +61 8 6488 1914 Editorial: Public Affairs, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 Telephone: +61 8 6488 1914, Fax: +61 8 6488 1192 Address Changes: Terry Larder +61 8 6488 2447, Fax: +61 8 6488 7996, Email: [email protected] Uniview is published three times a year, in February, June and October and is sent free to all UWA graduates. Winter edition: June. Spring edition: October. Uniview is printed on environ- mentally friendly oxygen-bleached paper. Material from Uniview may be reproduced accompanied by an appropriate credit. Uniview can be viewed at www.publishing.uwa.edu.au UWA website: www.uwa.edu.au Securing the future of a ‘living fossil’ UWA researcher Dr Nicola Mitchell explores how climate and other elements interact with physiology to determine sex ratios in New 18 MEMBER Zealand’s endangered tuatara. Uniview The University of Western Australia | 1 IN FOCUS Midsummer magic of UWA Perth International Arts Festival Imants Tillers’ Lacrimae Rerum (for Dzidra) The midsummer arts Peter Neumann with whom festival that brings the best UWA scoops science awards she worked on the ground- of international music, breaking Neumann-Praeger dance, theatre and art recognition algorithm to Western Australia’s used by mathematicians doorstep opened with a internationally. dazzling pageant reflecting At a birthday dinner, the State’s links with Indian Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ocean communities – from Alan Robson, reflected that Sufi singers to chanting while Michelangelo ‘saw Buddhist monks. The the angel in the marble and Lotterywest Festival carved to set him free’, Celebration was preceded Cheryl Praeger saw 21st by a traditional Noongar century applications in the welcome to the UWA Perth theories of a 19th century International Arts Festival. French mathematician – Included in the PIAF ‘releasing’ researchers program are numerous on- to advance the digital campus events that reflect information technologies the Festival’s UWA origins. WA Scientist of the Year, Professor Jorg Imberger with so widely used today. WA Premier Colin Barnett At the Lawrence Wilson A Scientist of the Art Gallery, the compelling, The University’s science expertise in a range of areas – from Year finalist in the recent multi-layered paintings hydrodynamic processes to astronomy – was recognised Premier’s Science Awards, of postmodernist Imants when the WA Premier hosted a gala dinner in December the much-honoured UWA Tillers are attracting many to mark the presentation of the Premier’s Science Awards. mathematician is also a to the campus gallery. Premier (and UWA graduate) Colin Barnett paid tribute talented musician who sails, hikes, cycles – and Evoking notions of loss and to the exceptional talent and achievements of Western conducted a Body Pump survival, the compositions Australia’s science community at the award ceremony that class during the conference! of fragmented images, highlighted the University’s role as the State’s pre-eminent Professor Praeger was Imants Tillers: The long research and teaching institution. awarded a DPhil from poem, are on display Environmental engineer Professor Jorg Imberger won Oxford in 1973 and a until 21 April. the $100,000 prize as WA Scientist of the Year. The Director DSc from UWA in 1989. Also on campus is the of UWA’s Centre for Water Research, Professor Imberger Recognised internationally, Perth Writers Festival, with is internationally recognised for iconic projects involving the the highly-cited researcher its focus on fine writing, Venice Lagoon, Lake Como and Lake Victoria. is the first Australian-based lively debate and big ideas Dr Ben Corry of the School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, whose research could provide mathematician to serve on (28 February to 2 March) the Executive Committee and the Lotterywest cheaper ways of generating clean drinking water through desalination, walked away with the Young Scientist of the of the International Festival Films that run Mathematical Union. until 19 April. Year award while Honours student Jacinta Delhaize (see As part of the Great UWA ‘stars’ at awards) was the Science Student of the Southern program, Albany Year. SymbioticA, the Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts, residents will have an won the Prize for Excellence in Science Communication. exclusive insight into the making of musical 60th birthday of UWA’s Mathematicians instruments. Playmakers: Professor Cheryl Praeger. Mandolin Mania will feature celebrate The conference saw master craftspeople When mathematicians the reunion of many of (including Paul Duff and gathered at UWA last month Professor Praeger’s former UWA graduate Scott for the first ever Group students now working in Wise). For details of the Theory, Combinatorics and universities and industries full PIAF program, visit Computation Conference, around the world. Also the website: perthfestival. the occasion was an present was Oxford com.au opportunity to mark the University’s Professor Professor Cheryl Praeger 2 | Uniview Summer 2009 IN FOCUS Extend yourself – “The image we recorded UWA student ‘stars’ at awards and save the planet! is a window in time, allowing us to peer into the If your New Year resolutions distant past,” said Dr David included reducing your Coward, Senior Research carbon footprint, a first Fellow and Project Leader step could be enrolling of UWA’s Zadko Telescope, in a string of informative the only Australian facility to programs at UWA Extension detect this burst that signals over the next few months. the death of a star and the Solar dwelling design, birth of a black hole. waterwise gardens, and Dr Coward says exploring practical advice on how our Universe – that teems to cut energy and water with flashes of light and use will be on offer, along fast-moving bodies – is one with UWA Professor of the aims of the state-of- Carmen Lawrence’s talk on the-art telescope donated to Changing Your Behaviour to the University by Jim Zadko, Save the Planet. CEO of the WA-based The full program (www. Claire Energy. extension.uwa.edu.au) Jacinta Delhaize UWA’s Vice-Chancellor, includes talks by Li Cunxin, Professor Alan Robson Also timely in the International Year of Astronomy (marking author of Mao’s Last believes the Zadko is Galileo’s first astronomical observations 400 years ago) Dancer, and the remarkable creating a new profile was the selection of UWA student Jacinta Delhaize as Geraldine Cox, who runs a in robotic astronomy Science Student of the Year recently. Cambodian orphanage. for Western Australia. Completing Honours in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Jacinta also tutors physics and assists with programs Perth Sun Fair It is linked to a global network of telescopes that promoting astrophysics to high school students. Also brimful of ideas communicates with NASA’s Last year, a scholarship took her to the Gemini about sustainable living Swift satellite ground station. Observatory in the Andes Mountains. “The work was and renewable energy is “Another key aim of the fascinating and I enjoyed the atmosphere of being the Perth Sun Fair held Zadko Telescope Project is in an international community,” she recalls.