UQ Update

UQ Update - 3 March, 2008  


The latest

UQ Endowment Fund created

The University of Queensland Endowment Fund (UQef) was launched in Brisbane last week with an $18 million kickstart from UQ graduates Graeme Wood and Andrew Brice. Story…

Contribute to Diversity Week

This year’s Diversity Week (May 12–16) has the theme of The Spirit of Diversity. Staff members are invited to consider a suitable activity to engage with this theme, such as showcasing relevant research or community engagement activities, involving students in critical thinking related to ethics and diversity, or holding an event or activity. For more ideas, to apply for Diversity Week funding or a Vice-Chancellor’s Equity and Diversity Award, or to enter the Diversity Week poster competition go to http://www.uq.edu.au/diversity-week/.

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 4pm 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:

INSIGHT Project holds workshop at Gatton campus

The INSIGHTProject Team will host a staff Brand Development Workshop at UQ Gatton on Thursday, March 6. The workshop will help identify brand values and develop compelling propositions for relevant market segments. Please register your interest or contact the INSIGHT team at insight@uq.edu.au or phone ext. 67674.

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.

Ipswich consults with community

UQ Ipswich campus will host a series of Community Information Sessions for local families who consider tertiary study beyond their reach. Story…

Staff invited to research commercialisation workshops

UQ academic staff and PhD students actively involved in research can learn more about getting their ideas, discoveries and inventions out to the global market at UniQuest’s annual research commercialisation workshops. Details…

St Lucia parking change approved for part-time staff

In November 2007, University Senate approved a proposal that part-time parking (three days a week) would be available within the multi-level carparks for University staff members not employed on a full-time basis. Details: email UQ Traffic & Parking, phone ext. 51016, or visit the office in Multi-level Carpark 2 (Building 98B).

Win a holiday to Hamilton Island

Jane Keys of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience has won a dinner voucher for two from the Court House Restaurant at Cleveland Point, 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. Next week's winner will not be notified until March 17 due to a staff retreat.

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, St Lucia) for this free event. Inquiries: ext. 53046 or email artmuseum@uq.edu.au.

Enjoy new exhibitions at UQ Art Museum

The UQ Art Museum’s new exhibitions, Water Line, by award-winning photographer Craig Holmes, and moving-image work Host, by Trish Adams, open on Thursday evening at the Mayne Centre, University Drive, St Lucia.

Learn about chronic pain from panel of experts

Professor Harold Merskey, an acclaimed international expert on chronic pain and the taxonomy of pain, will visit Brisbane this month. He will join with UQ researchers Professor Jenny Strong, Professor Roland Sussex, Associate Professor Geoff Mitchell and other Australian experts during a two-day summit and then be the key contributor to a special forum on the language of pain. Details and registration for The Brisbane Pain Forum (Friday afternoon March 28) are available at the website.

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, at the UQ Centre at 5.30pm, which this year honours the largest number of donors in the service’s history. It also coincides with 40 years of Chaplaincy at UQ.

Staff invited to International Women’s Day morning tea

The UQSOPA (UQ Secretaries’ and Office Professionals’ Association) is organising a morning tea with speaker, Head of the School of Political Science and International Studies, Associate Professor Gillian Whitehouse, to celebrate International Women’s Day on Friday, March 7 at 10am at The Staff & Graduates Club restaurant. She will discuss: “21st century gender equity: advances, barriers and the asymmetry of change in Australia”. Cost: (includes morning tea) $10 members and $12 for non members. RSVP to Karen Hendrickson or phone ext. 67754 by tomorrow, Tuesday, March 4. The UQSOPA’s 2008 calendar of events and membership information can be accessed online.

UQ academic to discuss “UnAustralian Art”

Senior lecturer in the School of English, Media Studies and Art History, Dr Rex Butler, will present a free public lecture for the Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies entitled: A Short History of UnAustralian Art, on Thursday, March 13, at 5.30pm in the UQ Art Museum, St Lucia. Members of the University community and the general public are invited to attend this lecture with refreshments to follow. Details: Rebecca Ralph or phone ext. 67407.

A little music at lunchtime

The School of Music starts its semester one season of classical sounds with this week’s lunchtime concert on Thursday, March 6 at 12.30pm in the Nickson Room, Sir Zelman Cowen Building, St Lucia. The Brisbane Wind Soloists, with guest pianist Mitchell Leigh, will perform charming wind quintets by Mozart and Beethoven. The full Concert Diary is available on the School of Music website.

Wine & cheese night to be held at Staff Club

Come and try the latest release of the Penfolds Bin range along with other great wines, complemented with a selection of cheeses, at the Staff & Graduates Club, St Lucia, on Wednesday, March 12 at 7.30pm. Tickets: $15 members; $17 guests, available from the club on ext. 53768. This night always fills quickly so book now. Details at: http://www.uq.edu.au/staffclub/news-upcoming-events.

Special offer made to new Club members

The Staff & Graduates Club is recruiting new members. Anyone who joins as a full financial member during March 2008 will receive three months’ free membership and will not have to renew until July, 2009. Application forms can be downloaded from the website or contact the Club on ext. 53768.

Harvard brand under the spotlight

On Friday, March 14, the UQ Business School is hosting a unique insight into the Harvard Business School’s (HBS) flagship Executive Education program and the Advanced Management program. The session at 10.15am to 12 noon at Room 209, General Purpose North (#Bldg 39A) features Martin Moore, General Manager, Strategy NTI Limited, and a recent graduate of the program. Details: contact Jarna King, phone ext. 58561.

Learn about Reflexive Methodology with Prof Mats Alvesson

This two-part workshop aims to develop the qualitative research skills of PhD and junior faculty members by exploring how various ideas on reflexivity can increase the quality and creativity of investigations. This workshop is limited to 25 participants. It will be today, March 3, from 4pm to 7pm, and Friday, March 7, from 1pm to 4pm at Room 39-103 (Monday) and Room 39-105 (Friday), Colin Clark Building (# Bldg 39), UQ Business School, St Lucia Campus. RSVP: Fiona McLeod.

Enrol in Staff Development courses

Places are still available in the following upcoming staff development courses:

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

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

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

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.

Personal training offer for UQ community

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. Details: visit Practicum Placements.

Enrolments close Wednesday for social sport competition

Make new friends by enrolling yourself or your team with UQ SPORT social sport competition. Enrolments close on Wednesday. Competitions include outdoor and indoor netball, seven-a-side and indoor soccer, water polo and seven-a-side hockey. Visit UQ SPORT Social Sport online for information and enrolments.

Free athletics session offered

The UQ Athletic Centre will hold free track and field events on March 12 from 5pm to 8.30pm. Presented by the UQ Athletic Club and UQ Athletic Centre, this special event is open to south-east Queensland universities, colleges at UQ and the general community. The Come ‘n’ Try Clinic runs from 5pm–6pm followed by an athletics meet at 6.30pm–7.45pm, and a sausage sizzle and meet the club at 7.45pm–8.30pm.

UQ SPORT offers lifestyle programs and choices

Be spoiled for choice with lifestyle options including salsa, yoga, massage, African drumming, CPR, fencing, rowing, squash, ski diving, target shooting, camping, fishing, surfing, and scuba diving. Details: visit the UQ SPORT website.

Looking for research participants who are 50 years old or over?

The 50+ Registry can help. The Registry is managed by the Australasian Centre on Ageing (ACA). It is a database of people over 50 years of age who have volunteered to take part in research on ageing. The ACA set up the database to assist UQ researchers with the recruitment of older participants for academic research. For details and application package, visit the website or email c.lui@uq.edu.au.

Volunteers sought for vitamin and mineral study

Healthy volunteers aged four to 12 years are sought to attend three, two-hour sessions, scheduled approximately six weeks apart, at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Testing will include a blood test, body composition measurements and a variety of questionnaires, with results available at the conclusion of the study. These types of tests are not typically available and may provide detailed information relating to the child’s vitamin and mineral levels. Details: email: n.schoendorfer@uq.edu.au.

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.

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. 52791.

Volunteers sought for food preference study involving primary school children

A School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences research team wishes to hear from caregivers who have a child (aged five to 12) with a diagnosis of Autism, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or Asperger’s Syndrome, as well as caregivers of typically developing children (aged 5 to 12 years). At present the study is short of caregivers of typically developing children (aged 5 to 12 years). The team is interested in the food preferences of Australian children with and without Asperger’s Syndrome. A three-part food preference questionnaire will be delivered to interested participants and a follow-up interview may be required. This questionnaire will provide detailed information relating to the child’s food preferences and nutritional status. Details: Dr Bruce D’Arcy or phone ext. 69190.


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