 SBS e-News
Executive Dean's Welcome
Season's Greetings and welcome to the final edition of SBS e-News for 2011.
As the year comes to a close and we edge towards the summer break, it is a good time to reflect on all that has been achieved by both staff and students this past year - with some amazing milestones reached for SBS.
Thank you to everyone for the hard work and commitment you have shown throughout the year. Our achievements would not have been possible without each and every one of you.
Next year will be a time of change for us, with exciting new ventures planned and some staff movement within the faculty.
Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to farewell Shaughn Forbes, who has been our Faculty Executive Officer since its inception in 1997. Shaughn has been an asset to SBS and her vast experience, loyalty and hard work will be missed by all. Thank you Shaughn for everything you have achieved for our faculty over the past 15 years - an amazing feat.
Shaughn will commence her retirement at the end of January 2012 and I’m pleased to announce that we have appointed Tricia Williams, currently School Manager in Psychology, as the next FEO.
I would also like to thank Professor Matthew Hornsey for his excellent work in the role of Associate Dean (Research) over the last three years. Matthew’s open, engaging and inclusive style has helped many throughout the faculty enjoy continued or new research success; he will be sadly missed.
We are looking forward to welcoming Associate Professor Andrew Hindmoor from the School of Political Science and International Studies to the role of Associate Dean (Research) next year.
I wish all faculty and school staff a happy and safe festive season and look forward to working with you in 2012.
Professor David de Vaus
Executive Dean
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
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 Fishing still a favourite pastime - even 42,000 years later
An archaeologist from The University of Queensland is part of a team led by Professor Sue O'Connor (ANU) that reported one of the world's oldest pieces of evidence of deep-sea fishing in the journal Science, showing that 42,000 years ago, our regional ancestors had mastered one of our nation's favourite pastimes.
Professor Sue O'Connor made the discovery at Jerimalai cave in East Timor, where she also found the earliest known example of a fishhook.
Dr Chris Clarkson examined the stone tools from the site and pointed to their strong similarity with those made by modern humans elsewhere along the early dispersal route out of Africa.
Dr Clarkson said the findings made by Professor O'Connor and team from the Jerimalai site demonstrated that 42,000 years ago, our regional ancestors had high-level maritime skills, and by implication the technology needed to make the ocean crossings to reach Australia.
The study found more than 38,000 fish bones from 2843 individual fish dating back 42,000 years from the site, implying that the inhabitants were indeed fishing in the deep sea.
The shell fish hook found by Professor O'Connor dates to between 23,000 and 16,000 years ago, showing that early human colonists were skilled crafts' people as well as fishers.
Read full story...
The 11,000 year old complete hook found and photographed by Professor Sue O'Connor from Australian National University.
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1992: Providing refuge
Shirley Worland, Bachelor of Social Work, PhD
An eight-month contract as a volunteer teacher in a refugee camp on the Thai–Burma border has ignited a passion in Dr Shirley Worland to make education more accessible for marginalised people.
The UQ alumnus lived in Mae La Refugee Camp, Thailand as part of her PhD study into the national identity of the displaced ethnic minority, the Christian Karen.
During this period, she formed a close connection with the Karen people after spending time in their communities, and with those who have resettled under the UNHCR scheme to Australia.
In 2009, Dr Worland partnered with local Karen leaders to establish Thoo Mweh Khee Senior College (TMKSC) in Phopra, Thailand, which is providing a senior level of education for young adult refugees on the Thai-Burma border.
Read more
Dr Shirley Worland (front centre) with students and staff from Thoo Mweh Khee Senior College.
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Denying mental qualities to animals in order to eat them
New research by Dr Brock Bastian from UQ's School of Psychology highlights the psychological processes that people engage in to reduce their discomfort over eating meat.
This paper will be published in an upcoming edition of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, where Dr Bastian and his co-authors show that people deny mental qualities to animals they eat.
"Many people like eating meat, but most are reluctant to harm things that have minds. Our studies show that this motivates people to deny minds to animals," Dr Bastian said.
The research demonstrates when people are confronted with the harm that their meat-eating brings to food animals they view those animals as possessing fewer mental capacities compared to when they are not reminded.
The findings also reveal that this denial of mind to food animals is especially evident when people expect to eat meat in the near future.
Dr Bastian said it shows that denying mind to animals that are used for food makes it less troublesome for people to eat them.
Read more
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News from research
Happy holidays and farewell to Matthew
The SBS Faculty Research Office would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and we look forward to working with you in 2012,
As you may have heard, Matthew Hornsey will be stepping down as Associate Dean (Research) at the end of 2011 and A/Professor Andy Hindmoor (from the School of Political Science and International Studies) will move into the role from January 2012.
From Joe, Sharon and Rachel we would like to thank Matthew for his leadership, support and guidance over the past three years during his time as AD(R) and wish him well as he returns to his role of busy researcher back in the School of Psychology.
Funding Updates – be on the lookout for information in January 2012
The ARC and NHMRC have started updating their deadlines for funding schemes in 2012.
R&ID are also setting internal deadlines for these schemes as the funding rules are released and the rounds are opened.
In January we will be sending out information about the 2012 Readership Scheme, so be on the lookout for information about this.
To ensure you are getting the latest information, there are two email groups below that you should sign up to:
• R&ID Mailers – this will allow you to receive updates from R&ID about the major grant rounds – due dates, information sessions, funding rule changes etc.. Click here to subscribe
• SBS-All-Academic email group – information sent to this group will be similar to the R&ID information but with an SBS spin on the information – what it means for SBS researchers, Readership Information, Workshops etc… Click here to subscribe
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Meet our staff
We are Chloe Burton and Erin Zielke - SBS Administrative Officers.
Chloe Burton:
I am one of the Administrative Officers (Academic) in the faculty and have worked at UQ since March 2010. Before SBS I worked in the Graduations Section.
At UQ, I most enjoy the atmosphere on campus and seeing the sandstone buildings every day I come into work.
If I could invite any three people to dinner, they would be... Jamie Oliver, Steve Jobs and my Pa who I never got to meet.
On a Sunday you can find me walking to get a coffee in the late morning and catching up with friends in the afternoon.
Erin Zielke:
I am on the rotational program currently in the SBS Faculty until the end of March. I have worked at UQ since October 2010 in examinations and the student centre.
At UQ, I most enjoy the surrounding environment and atmosphere of the campus.
If I could invite any three people to dinner they would be... Barack Obama, Samantha Stosur and Carl Barron.
On a Sunday you can find me catching up with friends, walking along the Brisbane river or occasionally at the pub for a lazy drink on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
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UQ student chosen as a Brisbane Ambassador of Friendship
Last month, UQ Master of Educational Leadership student, Quoc Duy Tran was awarded a Certificate of Friendship by Brisbane Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk for his work as an International Student Ambassador.
Originally from Binh Phuoc Province in Vietnam, Quoc was one of eight ambassadors presented with this award for promoting Brisbane to the world and maintaining strong relationships between the city and international student communities.
Cr Quirk used this opportunity to announce the establishment of a voluntary worldwide Brisbane alumni and city ambassador network to sell Brisbane abroad.
“The first round of inductees for the alumni program will be our International Student Ambassadors who are about to return home to their families and friends and tell them about Brisbane.
“They will be enabled agents for our city who will help promote Brisbane as a place to work, study and invest,” Cr Quirk said.
Read more
Quoc Duy Tran and Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk.
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Positive Practices Symposium hosted by the Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Support
Each year, the Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Support presents a conference for those people interested in the support of people with intellectual disabilities who engage in challenging behaviour.
This year’s conference, themed Application, Implementation, Direction, was held at the St Lucia Campus at Emmanuel College between 14 and 16 November. The three days hosted in excess of 300 registrants from a variety of professional backgrounds and interests.
The support of operational staff, governance, research, and clinical matters were all featured areas of presentation, and a number of collaborations and partnerships were formed during the informal parts of the program.
Our international guest, Dr Andrew McDonnell of Studio3 Clinical Services in the United Kingdom received overwhelming positive reviews, as did our own staff and sector partners who shared their expertise.
A particular highlight was the presentation by Mark Reed, a young man with an intellectual disability who shared his story and hopes for the future.
The conference was an outstanding success and preliminary plans are already underway for next year’s event.
Special thanks go to the staff at Emmanuel College for their wonderful support in the planning and delivery of this important event.
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