18 March 2010
Newsletter Archives
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Message from the Rector
I’m always impressed by the calibre of research talent that we have in the College. There have been five public lectures in the last two weeks presenting some of the most advanced and fascinating research findings in fields such as humanitarian logistics, manufacturing technology and drug-testing in sport.Among the presenters was UNSW Scientia Professor Liangchi Zhang whose research in nano-technology has already led to more energy-efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes. The Asia Pacific Seminar Series run by HASS commenced its 10th year with a presentation by Dr Eriko Aoki on the integration of Christianity and worship on Indonesia’s ‘Catholic Island’.
These seminars are free and open to all staff and the public. Check the events listing for details.
Two UNSW@ADFA postgraduate students have become Youth Ambassadors as part of the ACT Government’s International Student Ambassador Program. Sinisa Marcic from Bosnia and Jin Cui from China will attend a number of events throughout the year in an aim to promote international study in Canberra.
The annual Commencement Dinner was held in the Officers’ Mess last Friday evening. As usual, many entertaining and diverse guests turned out to celebrate the beginning of the academic year.
Thank you to all who attended the morning tea last week to show their support for International Women’s Day. Members of the Women In Leadership On Campus (WILOC) also represented UNSW@ADFA at a UNIFEM Lunch.
Best Wishes
Rector
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RESEARCH MATTERS
A good crowd turned up to hear Professor Michael O’Donnell from the School of Business talk about what sounds like some seriously problematic organisational change occurring in research organisations.
The next Faculty Seminar will be presented by Associate Professor Mark Pickering of the School of EIT, and will open your eyes to the intricacies of image processing.All staff and research students are encouraged to attend as Faculty Seminars provide an interesting insight into what research can deliver to societal challenges. The Seminars are also a great opportunity for networking at UNSW@ADFA.
Faculty Seminar
Applications of Image RegistrationPresented by Associate Professor Mark Pickering, School of Engineering and IT
Tuesday 23 April, from 15:15
Seminar begins at 15:40 in Building 21, room SL5.
Image registration is the process of finding the best spatial alignment between two images. In this talk Mark will discuss some recent projects which have used improved image registration techniques to achieve better performance. The first application is in improving motion compensation in video compression where the aim is to find the best alignment between successive video frames in order to form a good prediction from one frame to the other.
Mark will present an overview of using image registration in a medical imaging application where he would like to register a 2D X-ray video frame with a 3D CT scan. Lastly he will discuss registering remotely sensed images which have been captured using different sensors to provide a richer set of features with which to classify objects and regions in the images.After the presentation, time will be available for questions and feedback.
Please RSVP to Vera Berra: e.berra@adfa.edu.au by cob Friday 9 April.
Ethics Panel meeting
Meetings of the UNSW@ADFA Human Research Ethics Advisory Panel (HREAP) are held on the first Wednesday of each month. Applications must be submitted by the previous Wednesday.The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 7 April. Researchers and students wishing to apply for ethics clearance should submit their applications to the Convenor of the Panel, Dr Jason Mazanov j.mazanov@adfa.edu.au by Wednesday 31 March.
The science of manufacturing, Zhang Lianchi
Scientia Professor Lianchi Zhang from the UNSW Faculty of Engineering wowed his audience on Tuesday 16 March with a seminar on current manufacturing challenges. Many such challenges result from the need for manufacturing to use more eco-friendly, durable materials which require moving from micro-level to nano-level production. Since this means approaching the level of individual atoms, the theory and practice of manufacturing must take into account the quantum physical effects.
Among the technologies on which Professor Zhang and his collaborators have been working are carbon nanotubes which could be made into bullet-proof fabrics, and MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) or even NEMS (nanoelectromechanical systems) capable of navigating the veins of the human body in order to carry out repair operations without the need for surgery.
Professor Zhang believes that the development of such new technologies requires the close integration of manufacturing and mechanical engineering, and materials science. He is currently the director of the Research Laboratory for Precision and Nano Processing Technology, but he is also looking to establish an Australian Centre for Manufacturing Excellence. Anyone interested in being involved with this centre should contact Professor Zhang liangchi.zhang@unsw.edu.au.
Research Scholarship available
Mechanics of Security Screens
A post-graduate scholarship is available in the School of Engineering and Information Technology at The University College of the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy (UNSW@ADFA) in Canberra for a Ph.D. Candidate.For more information about this scholarship, please contact Dr Krishna Shankar on 02 88584 or email k.shankar@adfa.edu.au.
NEWS
ACS Computer Conference sponsorship
Canberra will host the 2010 Australian Computer Society Conference on Thursday 25 March, and is expected to attract thousands from around the country. UNSW Canberra Campus (that's us) is a Platinum Sponsor of the event, the theme of which is 'Sharing ideas - Delivering Visions'.
The School of Information Technology will showcase its talent when it hosts the UNSW@Canberra Robotics Tournament as part of the Enterprise Architecture stream of the Conference. The tournament invites people from the community to compete in a race involving robots that they help to build.
For more information, click here.
Asia Pacific Seminar Series
The Asia Pacific Seminar Series ran its first seminar last Monday 15 March, with a presentation by Dr Eriko Aoki, Professor of Anthropology at Ryukoku University in Japan.
The talk Living with Ancestor Worship and Catholic Practices in Flores, East Indonesia was a fascinating account of the changing cultural and religious practices in this part of the country.
Now in its 10th year, the Asia-Pacific Seminar Series is a forum for the exchange of ideas related to Asia-Pacific issues. This forum is open to scholars who would like to present their work (findings or in-progress) to share, exchange and develop ideas. Staff, students and members of the public are most welcome.
This program is jointly hosted by School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences and School of Business UNSW@ADFA.
International Student Ambassador Program
UNSW@ADFA postgraduate students Sinisa Marcic from Bosnia and Jin Cui from China have been selected to participate in the ACT Government's International Student Ambassador Program.
Sinisa studies politics and Jin Cui studies geography but both have one thing in common - they are both international students. The young ambassadors represent the growing contingent of unique and valuable people from abroad who bring richness and diversity to the Canberra community.
At a welcome address by the Chief Minister Mr Jon Stanhope on 3 March, he expressed the ACT Government's aim to showcase Canberra as an international study destination.
The ACT Government recognises that the business and intellectual skills and access to international networks of students like Sinisa and Jin Cui present an opportunity to advocate education and tourism in the nation's capital.
The young ambassadors will attend a range of sporting, cultural and social events throughout the year where they will share their experiences and stories about their life in Canberra and UNSW@ADFA.
To view photographs from their first official function, a welcome address by the ACT Chief Minister, please visit the program website.
Leading Change: Living for One Planet
UNSW@ADFA staff are very conscious of both the education and the environment that graduates are working in so there are some great opportunities to be found at the Conference. The Conference brings together education, environment and business sectors to support a green (white and blue!) skilled workforce.
The Conference has a particularly strong youth component to create a dialogue for leadership at the interface of the disciplines of Health, Education and Environment on the impacts of environmental change as we consider the second half of the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development.
Confirmed speakers include Carmen Lawrence, Tim Flannery, Clive Hamilton and Greg Bourne (CEO World Wildlife Fund).
Further details can be found at www.conferenceco.com.au/aaee/. Call for abstracts is now open until March 31, click here for more information.
Students gear up for Fieldschool
First year Geography students are travelling to Kosciuszko National Park in March for their intensive fieldschool. Fieldschools are a key part of equipping people with skills in observation and interpretation. Students often fondly remember this as a time that brings together the biophysical and human aspects of their environment. Reading the landscape accurately is an important skill. So too is the integration of classroom knowledge and field application. Fieldschools are at the core of Geography education at UNSW@ADFA.
STAFF BULLETINS
HASS Seminar
The EU as a Global Actor: Grand Strategy for a Global Grand Bargain
Professor Jolyon Howorth, Visiting Fellow, School of HASSTuesday, 23 March 2010, 12.00-1.15pm, Building 36-107 (Ground Level)
Professor Howorth is Jean Monnet Professor of European Politics and personam at the University of Bath (UK). He has been a Visiting Professor of Political Science at Yale since 2002. He has also held appointments at the University of Paris III-Sorbonne-Nouvelle, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Aston University.
Abstract
Like it or not, the European Union in the wake of the Lisbon Treaty, has become an international actor. It now faces two major external challenges. The first is to develop strategic vision for a potentially tumultuous emerging multi-polar world. The European Council’s December 2008 “Report on the Implementation of the European Security Strategy” recognised that, over the last five years, the threats facing the EU had become “increasingly complex”, that “we must be ready to shape events [by] becoming more strategic in our thinking”. The second challenge is to help nudge the other major actors towards a multilateral global grand bargain. Such a bargain will be the necessary outcome of the transition from a US-dominated post-1945 liberal world order, towards a new twenty-first century order accommodating the rising powers and sensitive to the needs of the global South. Without such a comprehensive and cooperative bargain, the emerging multi-polar world will be rife with tensions and highly conflict-prone.
PEMS Seminar
Neutron Radiography on the SLOWPOKE-2 at the Royal Military College of Canada – Application to Flight Control Surfaces Professor Les Bennett, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, RMC Canada and Visiting Fellow, Department of Aviation, UNSW
Thursday, 8 April 2010, 3.30pm, LT6
Abstract
At the Royal Military College of Canada, a SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear research reactor is available for teaching and research. It is the smallest critical reactor in operation, but has a very useable neutron flux of 1 x 1012 n cm-2 s-1 at a maximum power level of 20 kW (thermal). A neutron beam tube has been installed alongside the reactor container in the vertical reactor pool for neutron radioscopy.
The main advantage of this nondestructive testing technique is the ability to image hydrogen-containing materials. The main application of neutron radioscopy has been the inspection of the flight control surfaces of the CF-18 Hornet aircraft of the Canadian Air Force, which is also flown by the RAAF. These components have suffered from water ingress into their honeycomb structures. Various nondestructive testing techniques were employed to obtain information and were compared. Then, neutron radioscopy was used to determine the amount of water ingress and then to develop a non-invasive means of removal. The next step is to evaluate the structural integrity of each flight control surface before refitting them on the aircraft.
Research Seminar
Modern warfare techniques come to business education: Net centric learning as a targeted graduate attribute
Dr Frances Miley, Senior Lecturer, School of Business
Thursday, 18 March 2010, 12.15 - 13.15pm, Council Chambers, Level 2, Administration Building, Building 1
Abstract
Net centric warfare is a modern approach to military engagements whereby information flows are more efficiently and effectively managed to neutralise military targets.
Dr Miley's research shows how the principles of net centric warfare were adapted to develop a concept of net centric learning, which was used as an approach to group work with postgraduate business and management students.
The approach was developed in response to a student survey that identified a need for targeted graduate attributes that developed team bonding skills, workplace communication and the ability to work in teams. Through the application of net centric principles to group work, the need to develop the graduate attribute of being able to work under pressure was also identified.
The development and application of net centric principles to group work and student response to this innovative approach will also be discussed.
ANU Public Lecture
Professor Hagen Koo, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Thursday, 18 March 2010, 17.30-18.30, Law Link Lecture Theatre, Building 7, Fellows Road, ANU
Enquiries to eunhee.cho@anu.edu.au or 02 6125 0857. For more information, visit www.anu.edu.au/publiclectures.
Recycle@HASS
You may recall Kitchener saying “Your Country Needs You!” Well, the School of Humanities & Social Sciences needs you too. Help us help others.
HASS is offering to recycle your “bits and pieces”, which will become the RECYCLE@HASS Treasure Trove for a number of charities:
+ corks (FOTZ – Friends of the Zoos, Melbourne) to support the Elephant Enclosure
Friends of the Zoos is an independent, non-profit organisation established in 1980. If you do not have any corks – start drinking!
+ buttons (all sizes and shapes) – Samaritans Purse International Relief
Don't throw out old shirts before cutting off the buttons. A seamstress in Charnwood, together with a group of dedicated volunteers, spend hours making dresses, shorts and tops for boys and girls of all ages, and buttons are a crucial part of the clothing.
The clothing becomes part of Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a unique project of Samaritan’s Purse that brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes. The clothing and gift-filled shoe boxes are given to children in desperate need of help.
+ 2009 left-over Christmas paper can cover the gift-filled shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child
+ 2009 calendars (colourful scenes, Australian animals, to cover the inside cover lid of the gift-filled shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child)
+ scented or non-scented soaps (all sizes) for inclusion in the gift-filled shoe boxes for Operational Christmas Child
+ spectacles (Fred Hollows Foundation)
The Fred Hollows Foundation is an international development organisation, focussing on blindness prevention and Australian Indigenous Health. They are an independent non-profit organisation.
+postage stamps (Animal Welfare Leagues ACT and NSW).
Help us to help the animals “great and small”. Please be careful when tearing off your postage stamps – cut around the postage frank to ensure a good clear postage mark.
Simply send your “bits and pieces” in the internal mail marked HASS and we will convert into A Treasure Trove for the charities above. RECYCLE@HASS is Shirley Ramsay and Jo Muggleton.
Internet usage at UNSW@ADFA
Internet access for staff and postgraduate research students is provided by ICTS. To the end user, this access appears to be “free”, however all costs associated with using the Internet are borne by ICTS and ultimately the School.
Recently Internet usage rates have increased substantially in some areas. Investigations have revealed a high usage of peer-to-peer, torrent or other file-sharing software.
Users are advised that infringing copyright by uploading/downloading material such as music, video, movie, or TV programme files without licence agreement or the express permission of the copyright owner is not permitted.
Users should be aware that most of the files available from torrent sites are not legal copies and that copyright agencies constantly monitor traffic on these sites and report illegal downloads to the University.
Users should also be aware that many peer-to-peer, torrent or other file-sharing applications remain memory resident and operate whenever the machine is turned on. Even if an application is not being used it may be generating internet traffic.
Users should remove all peer-to-peer, torrent or other file-sharing software not sanctioned by UNSW@ADFA from UNSW@ADFA-owned machines.
If assistance is required to remove this type of software please contact the Service Desk on 88140 or helpdesk@adfa.edu.au.
Positions Vacant
Two Academic positions vacant.
10 Things to Do: UNSW@ADFA
Art exhibitions in the Library. The first of these, Reverence, by Gosia Pilat is still on and will run through March.
Faculty Seminars are held monthly throughout the year.
Be entertained by some healthy Lancaster Debating on any or all of its three Wednesday nights. The Preliminary Round will be held on 14 April, Semi Final on 21 April and the Grand Final on 28 April.
Staff are invited to attend ADFA’s annual Leadership Challenge III from 1-10 May. Spaces for this are limited so it’s first in best dressed.
Midshipmen and officer cadets will exchange their uniforms for costumes during the annual ADFA Production from 19-21 August at Adam’s Hall.
Also at Adam’s Hall, you will not want to miss hearing the headline speaker at this year’s University Lecture on Wednesday 15 September. Stay tuned for more details.
Make your way down to Lake Burley Griffin on Saturday 16 October to see ANU defend the Disher Cup against ADFA and RMC rowing teams.
Enthusiastic staff may wish to take part in the ADFA v UNSW Overwater Obstacle Course on Friday 29 October or the Lawn Lap on Friday 12 November. Keep an eye on the website for more details.
Bid farewell to our final year students on Graduation Parade Day, Thursday 9 December, before they leave us for the next stage of their journey.
We will keep you updated on these and other events on the events page as we hear about them throughout the year.
Entertainment Books available
The ADFA Bears Hockey Club is selling Entertainment Books as a fundraiser for 2010 and they are available to UNSW@ADFA staff. The 2010 Entertainment Book is full of discounts and coupons to restaurants, hotels and attractions in and around Canberra. Sarah Hall will be visiting staff during lunch time later this week and next week to take advance orders. For more information, call Sarah on 0488 038 851 or visit the website.
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LIBRARY NEWS
Library Hours
The Library will close at 5pm Thursday 1 April and reopen Tuesday 6 April for the Easter holidays.
| Session Hours | Open | Close |
| Monday | 8:00am | 9:00pm |
| Tuesday | 8:00am | 9:00pm |
| Wednesday | 8:00am | 9:00pm |
| Thursday | 8:00am | 9:00pm |
| Friday | 8:00am | 5:00pm |
| Saturday | 1:00pm | 5:00pm |
| Sunday | 1:00pm | 5:00pm |
| Public Holidays | 1:00pm | 5:00pm |
Academy History
Interested in the history of the Academy? Check out these two collections:
Guide to the Papers of the Australian Defence Force Academy Corps of Officer Cadets
Guide to the Papers of Hugh Smith Relating to the Establishment of the Australian Defence Force Academy
eResource - Nation Master
National Master uses CIA Factbook time series data dating back to 2003. It is collaborating with the The Full Wiki which aims to be the most complete reference to the world. It was launched in January 2010. The Full Wiki brings encyclopedias to life. It is packed with interactive maps, diagrams and articles on 4 million topics. There has never been a more accessible and comprehensive resource on the web.
| Nation Master Factoid #5 If you’re looking to invade someone by sea, try Canada! Canada has only 9000 Navy personnel guarding the longest national coastline in the world. |
Other Factoid categories include: Crime – Democracy – Identification – Internet – Media – Military – Transportation
Welcome to Subject Guides@ the Academy Library
Research assistance, subject guides, and useful resources compiled by your friendly librarians. Know what we know. Need to get going on your research, but not sure where to start? Start here: http://guides.lib.unsw.adfa.edu.au/.
www.lib.adfa.edu.au/exhib/gosiapilat_macushlarobinson.
Restricted Access to Special Collections
HR and STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Staff Development Morning Tea
Managers and Supervisors will attend a brief presentation on the year ahead for Staff Development. Friday 19 March, 10.00-11.00, Library Open Learning Space
OH&S
Health and Safety Representatives
Following the nominations earlier this month the following Health and Safety Representatives have been elected. Our health and Safety representatives are integral in assisting the University maintain a safe and healthy workplace, our congratulations and thanks go to our new and re-elected representatives.| WCU No. | School/Unit | Representatives |
| 1 | Rector’s Office; DFR; ERBD (Bldg 1 & 41) |
Tracey Hampton Deb Furphy |
| 2 | SASG (Bldg 1, 13, 14, 30 & 32) |
Debbie Moore |
| 3 | School of Business (Bldg 27) |
Firzia Pepper (TBC) |
| 4 | School of Humanities and Social Sciences (bldg 28, 29 & 36) | Marilyn Anderson-smith |
| 5 | School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences (bldg 21, 22 & 26) |
Phil Donohue Peter Palmer Todd Bell |
| 6 | School of Engineering and Information Technology (SEIT) (Bldg,15, 16, 17, 18, 19 & 20) |
Ty Everett Alan Fein |
| 7 | SEIT, Research and Research Training Office, MCP, DSARC & Equity (bldg 21) |
Fiona Richmond Vera Berra |
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CLASSIFIEDS
Wanted
Baby Knitting Wool If you have any spare “baby” knitting wool – about the 4 ply size – Shirley Ramsay, School of HASS, would be delighted to take it off your hands.
Shirley is a member of the Shirley Club of the ACT and one of the “Shirleys” is an enthusiastic knitter for the premature babies in Calvary Hospital. If you have any white, pink, blue or yellow baby wool, please will you donate your gift to Shirley R and I will ensure it is passed to Shirley B of the Shirley Club. Please call Shirley R for more info on ext 88845.
Accommodation Wanted
Postgraduate student looking for long-term accommodation in Campbell, Reid, City, Braddon, Turner, Ainslie, O’connor, Lyneham, Dickson, Downer or Hackett.
Tidy, quiet and respect other’s privacy. Fully-furnished, non-smoking apartment preferred. Willing to pay up to $160 per week. Please contact Arthur on 0420285933 or email Yih.Chang@student.adfa.edu.au.
For Sale
1987 Holden VL Commodore, White, very straight body, 4 y.o. reconditioned engine, tinted window and good stereo. Very reliable and runs well. 2.5 months rego. $1800 o.n.o. Contact Barry on ext 88759 or 0409 901 761.Brand new Wii system with Wii Sports game - never been used. $300. Contact Steve Fisher on 62688140 and ask to be transferred. Please leave a voice mail with your contact details if out of office.