UQ Update

UQ Update - 25 February, 2008  


The latest

Vice-Chancellor’s address to all staff

All staff are invited to attend an open address on “Future Issues for UQ”, to be delivered by Professor Paul Greenfield AO, Vice-Chancellor, commencing at 4 pm on Wednesday, March 19. This will be followed by a question-and-answer session. The address will be delivered at the UQ Centre at St Lucia and video-linked to Herston, Gatton and Ipswich campuses. Please register your intention to attend by clicking on the venue of your choice:

Service to honour 89 donors

Make a diary note to attend the annual School of Biomedical Sciences’ annual multi–faith Thanksgiving Service on Wednesday, May 7, which this year honours the largest number of donors in the service’s history. It also coincides with 40 years of Chaplaincy at UQ.

Nominations sought for 2008 Carrick Awards category

Nominations are sought for 2008 Carrick Awards in the category Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Details: contact Jenny Bjarnesen or phone ext. 53206 and submit applications by Friday, March 14.

Places still available in New Horizons program

The Equity Office is continuing to take applications for New Horizons, a career advancement program for general staff women, including research-only staff (HEW 1–7). Applications close COB, Friday, February 29. Details are online.

Friendly welcome to SBS

Students at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (SBS) were treated to a faculty welcome with a difference during Orientation Week. Prizes, including a dinner-for-two at Customs House, were on offer at an information session on February 19. Winner of the dinner-for-two was first-year Bachelor of Social Science student, Eadie Adams, of Caboolture. Faculty Development Manager, Gordon Lynn, organised the giveaways, thanks to support from St Lucia campus retailers, the UQ Union and Customs House.

Scholarships/funding for study in Germany

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), a joint organisation of the German institutions of higher education, is seeking applications from advanced students, young higher education graduates and academics from all fields of science and humanities as well as from fields of music and art for scholarships to study in Germany. Details: visit the DAAD website.

Win $1000 in Diversity design contest

The $1000 artwork design competition for Diversity Week 2008 is open to current staff and students. Designs should link to the theme, The Spirit of Diversity. This theme is about universal aspirations that unite people across boundaries of class, gender, ethnicity, language, culture and ability. For more details and an entry form, visit the Design Competition page.

Win a holiday to Hamilton Island

Dr Jane O’Sullivan of the School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences has won an iRiver X20 MP3 player by completing the new OH&S online induction. All new and existing UQ staff*, including casuals, have an opportunity to win a holiday for two to Hamilton Island by completing the online induction. The competition runs for eight weeks closing on Friday, March 28. Weekly minor prizes include dinner-for-two vouchers or iRiver X20 MP3 players. To find out more, visit my.UQ or email d.martin1@uq.edu.au. *Entry is open only to UQ staff who are Queensland residents.

Free talk on Aboriginal Art at UQ Art Museum

Keith Munro, Curator, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Programs, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Sydney, will give a free public floor talk at noon on Wednesday, February 27, at the UQ Art Museum about the University’s newly acquired paintings by major indigenous artists . The talk will cover Western Desert artists Dorothy Napangardi and George (Hairbrush) Tjungurrayi, and the Paddy Bedford exhibition, a survey exhibition of the late respected Kimberley artist. A sausage sizzle will follow. RSVP to: ext. 53046 or email artmuseum@uq.edu.au (write “Floor Talk, Sausage Sizzle” in subject line).

Talking Art – a guided tour with Nick Mitzevich

UQ Art Museum Director, Nick Mitzevich, will present a regular casual lunchtime talk on the Collection on the first Friday of the month (March 7) at noon. Meet at the front desk of the Art Museum (Building #11) for this free event. Inquiries: ext. 53046 or email artmuseum@uq.edu.au.

Enrol in Staff Development courses

Places are still available in the following staff development courses:

For details of all Staff Development Program courses, visit www.tedi.uq.edu.au/sdh/.

HIV workshops on offer

The UQ School of Medicine’s HIV & HCV Education Projects still have places available for the upcoming Introductory Workshop on HIV & International Work on March 28 and 29, in Canberra. Details: Jean Martin or visit www.som.uq.edu.au/hivandhcvprojects.

Film history seminar

Professor Robert Allen, a James Logan Godfrey Distinguished Professor of American Studies, History, and Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will present a seminar for the Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies entitled: Going to the Show: Representing the Spatiality of Film History on Tuesday, March 11, at 2pm in the SS & H Library conference room, level 1, Duhig Building, St Lucia campus. Details: telephone ext. 67407, or email:Rebecca Ralph.

Conference on convergence, citizen journalism and social change

The School of Journalism and Communication, along with AMIC (Asian Media Information & Communication Centre) and QUT Journalism are hosting a conference, March 26-28 at the Hotel Grand Chancellor. Details and registration can be found online or contact Katie Petersen or phone ext. 53268.

Coping with work

The UQSOPA (University of Queensland Secretaries’ and Office Professionals’ Association) will hold a lunch with Professor Victor Callan, Professor in the UQ School of Business. Professor Callan will speak on “Coping with work in very busy organisations” on Thursday, February 28, 12.15pm–1.15pm at the BEL Rooftop Terrace, level 3, Colin Clark Building. RSVP and inquiries: email k.hendrickson@uq.edu.au or phone ext. 67754 by Tuesday, February 26.

Staff invited to spine seminar

Mr Henry Tsao, PhD candidate at the Division of Physiotherapy at UQ, will present a free seminar on behalf of the CCRE Spine Research Seminar Series entitled: “Plasticity of the motor system in chronic low back pain”. It will be held at 7pm on Wednesday, March 12, in room 506, Therapies Building (#84a), St Lucia. Details: contact ext. 54567 or email a.weidman@uq.edu.au.

Get ahead with UQ Business School’s executive education courses for 2008

Register your interest now for one of these Executive Leadership courses:

Details: contact the Executive Education Team on ext. 67105 or 67115, email execed@business.uq.edu.au or visit www.business.uq.edu.au/execed.

Win the jackpot at quiz night

The Staff Club's popular monthly quiz night, now entering its eighth year, resumes on Wednesday, February 27, at 6pm for a 6.30pm start. Entrance fee: $3 per person. Contact the club or quizmaster Charles McCowie or mobile 0423 775 025.

Personal training promotion

Take advantage of Masters of Exercise Science students offering personal training at great prices to the UQ community and UQ SPORT members this semester. This seven-week program starts in the week of Monday, April 14, and includes two fitness assessments, a personalised program, and one-on-one personal training sessions. Numbers are limited and places will fill quickly. Details: visit Practicum Placements.

Come ‘N’ Try activities for free

UQ SPORT will hold a free Come ‘N’ Try Week from today, Monday, February 25, to Friday, February 29. Offerings include Group Fitness classes, and Recreation courses ranging from salsa to martial arts.

Learn to row starts tomorrow, February 26

Get fit and have fun on the Brisbane River with the UQ SPORT Learn 2 Row Level 1 course, where adult beginners are introduced to sweep oar rowing in a coxed eight boat. Each course runs for six weeks with two sessions per week. Details: visit the UQ Boat Club website or call ext. 56049.

Complete ITS survey for chance to win iPod

Information Technology Services (ITS) invites staff to participate in a survey to better understand the perception of ITS services, enabling quality improvements. The survey will take only a few minutes to complete, and staff who enter their contact details in question one will go into a prize draw to win a 1 GB iPod Shuffle. Click here to access the survey.

Register now for Native Title workshop

Registrations are still open for ”Improving capacity in Native Title research: anthropological issues and concepts”, to be held over three days (March 26–28) at The Women's College, St Lucia. Details: visit < a href="http://www.socialscience.uq.edu.au/index.html?page=76324">the Social Science website or contact Ms Cameo Dally or phone 0403 713 888.

Autism and Asperger’s study: child participants needed

A School of Psychology PhD student seeks children aged 5–12 with a diagnosis of Autism or Asperger’s to participate in research. The study investigates children's language, intelligence, social understanding and social skills, to inform future interventions. Parents will receive a free report of their child’s results. Details: Jessica Paynter or phone ext. 67326.

Does size matter in dosing of medicines?

The School of Pharmacy seeks male and female non-smokers of a range of body weights (45kg to 200kg), and aged 18 years plus to volunteer for a study investigating the influence of body size on the removal of medicines from the body. Participation will assist in helping improve the dosing of medicines for patients of different body sizes. Details: Phey Yen Han or phone ext. 69718, email or visit the website.

People with brain injury needed for study

Volunteers are needed for a research project examining social skills in people with brain injuries. People with frontal lobe damage often exhibit altered self-awareness, social behaviour, and increased social vulnerability, despite having intellectual capacities spared. These difficulties cause severe disruptions at work, at home, and in personal relationships. Currently, there are no reliable ways to detect these problems. Transportation costs will be reimbursed. Please contact Catherine Hynes, or phone 0401 252 837.

Bone, muscle health study: volunteers needed

Healthy control volunteers, aged seven to 17, are required for a study using new technology, peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), to investigate the development of, and interaction between, muscle and bone in young individuals with Cystic Fibrosis compared to healthy controls. Participants will be required to attend the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), Herston, for one, three-hour session for a number of tests assessing both bone and muscle function. Parking will be paid by the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre. Details: Denise Brookes or phone ext. 64936.

Volunteers needed for brain-imaging project

UQ Psychiatry researchers seek volunteers aged 18–55 for an MRI-imaging project. It involves two sessions, each of about two hours. Participants need to have good vision (contact lenses are OK) and no history of epilepsy or head injury. The project will compare controls to people who have a brother or sister with schizophrenia and will look at the prefrontal cortex using safe MRI brain scans. Volunteers will be remunerated. Details: Tara Khoo or phone ext. 64864.

Falls prevention study: participants needed

The Division of Physiotherapy invites volunteers, aged 40 years and over, to participate in a clinical intervention trial aimed at improving balance and preventing falls in adults as they age. The study includes an initial and post-program assessment involving balance and strength tests, both of 1.5 hours duration (free), and 10 weekly one-hour small group exercise classes ($10 per session) at the St Lucia campus. Assessments are available on Mondays/ Wednesdays. Details: Marissa Hegarty or phone ext. 69870, or Dr Jenny Nitz, phone ext. ext. 52791.

Children needed for online assessment of speech, language and literacy

Children aged four to nine with delayed speech, aged five to nine with delayed language, or aged eight to 13 with reading difficulties are required for a study on children’s communication on the internet. Participation involves a free screening assessment conducted by a qualified speech pathologist either across the internet or face-to-face at UQ. The sessions take between one and one-and-a-half hours. Details: Monique Waite or phone ext. 67467.

Back pain study: participants required

Volunteers with a history of low back pain of more than three months are invited to participate in a study investigating motor control of the low back and pelvis. Participants will be required to attend one two-hour session at the CCRE Spine (UQ) St Lucia campus. The tests involve four, simple, pain-free and non-invasive measures including the use of ultrasound and EMG. Testing sessions are available from Monday to Friday this month. Details: Ryan Stafford or phone ext. 67751.

Mindfulness training available

Clinical Psychologists in training at the Behaviour Research and Therapy Centre (BRTC) are offering a brief introduction to Mindfulness training. The training is suitable for people experiencing mild to moderate levels of anxiety, depression, or stress. Groups will run over four weeks (Wednesday or Thursday nights) starting on April 2 and again on April 30. Last date for sign up is March 26. Details: phone ext. 56451 or email Miriam Heinke.

Cholesterol trial volunteers wanted

Participants are sought for a series of international clinical trials investigating the effect of niacin on cholesterol levels in participants with high levels of LDL cholesterol. Niacin is reputed to have highly favourable effects on lowering LDL or "bad" cholesterol. Additionally, the effect of niacin and hot flushing will also be investigated in participants with high LDL cholesterol. Details: email Linda Rogers or call 3876 5688 and ask for Linda or Stacey.


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