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Associate Professor Greg Skilbeck ( February 2003)
Science
Australiasian Science Online
Greg Skilbeck is attempting to trace the history of El Nino over thousands of years in order to better understand what is in store for us. "The argument about whether El Nino – which currently causes rain and storms in South America and triggers droughts in Australia – has acted in this way for millennia has yet to be proven," he said.
Associate Professor Sam Reisenfeld (1 February 2003)
Engineering
Broadcast Engineering News
Australia's FedSat satellite is in orbit and soon to be fully operational. Sam Reisenfeld and his team are responsible for the design and construction of two Ka band earth stations, which will be used to send and receive FedSat's experimental signals. "FedSat will be the test bed for some very new technology, including the tracking system that has been developed at UTS," he says.
Professor Michael Knight, Director (1 February 2003)
Centre for Groundwater Management
ABC Radio National
Discussion about salinity which is a major problem in Australia and South East Asia. Interview with Professor Michael Knight.
Murray Laurence, Managing Director (1 February 2003)
Insearch UTS
My Business
The high standard of Australian education has caused a sharp increase in the numbers of international students visiting our shores. UTS's Insearch academic pathway courses can be an entry point for some of the international students seeking English courses that allow them to qualify for university education. Insearch was recently awarded the 2002 NSW Exporter of the Year Award for its English language and academic courses. Insearch managing director Murray Laurence says "Although highly competitive, our industry affirms and propagates the vision of a clever and creative Australia. It also enriches Australia's engagement with the Asian region and beyond."
Associate Professor Mark Freeman (1 February 2003)
Business
Charter
Associate professor Mark Freeman is director of work-based learning at UTS and one of the designers of Masters at Work, an accelerated master's program designed specifically for chartered accountant program graduates. Freeman says the biggest challenge in developing such programs is deterring what students need to learn. "That's often difficult because this is not so much about the knowledge or the content, but about capabilities," he says.
Dr Ananda Mohan Sanagavarapu (1 February 2003)
Engineering
Australian R & D Review
A research team at UTS has developed miniaturised microwave antennas for use in key-hole heart surgery to apply microwave energy to selectively destroy diseased heart tissue. Dr Ananda Sanagavarapu said the technique promises a minimally invasive and cost effective treatment that cures the disorder and allows faster patient recovery.
Hugh Morris (3 February 2003)
Business
BestWire
Asia, particularly the Pacific Rim, is considered among the most promising markets for global insurers. Hugh Morris from UTS says 54 companies, representing 33 per cent of admitted general insurers in Australia that are active in the domestic and corporate markets, are directly foreign owned. "A substantial number of these insurers use Australia as a regional centre from which to direct Pacific Rim activities, for market development, underwriting or claims management," he said.
Professor Robin Braun (4 February 2003)
Engineering
Bulletin with Newsweek
The single telecommunications protocol, IP, demands more research and development if we are to keep up with the telco revolution. Programs such as UTS's Institute for Information and Communication Technologies are built on industry partnerships with private sector giants such as Alactel. Deputy Director Robin Braun says: "The grand problem is that the networks get so big and there are so many services that it's hard to manage. We'll never get to future networks if we don't figure out how to manage them today."
Dr Carolyn Currie (4 February 2003)
Business
ABC North Coast NSW (Lismore), ABC New England North West (Tamworth)
Dr Carolyn Currie dicusses a survey which shows Australians are the worst savers int he world. Currie explains that our current tax system encourages people to invest in their home which does not show up in statistics; the other reasons being high personal tax rates and state taxes which are a disincentive for people to save. Dr Currie then discusses methods to encourage saving.
Dr Ilaria Vanni (5 February 2003)
Institute for International Studies
ABC Radio 2BL
Catterns asks for listeners help to find replica of Michaelangelo's David which was seen in David Jones in the 1960's. Interview with Ilaria Vanni of UTS.
Associate Professor Tracy Taylor (6 February 2003)
Business
ABC Radio 2BL
A research paper will be presented to the Australian Institute of Family Studies from Griffith University which shows middle class parents tend to be more active in ferrying their kids around to sporting activities on the weekends. Working class families tend to spend more time engaging in family activities. Dr Tracy Taylor comments on the findings and acknowledges that some sports are very expensive for some families.
Associate Professor Philip Griffith (7 February 2003)
Law
ABC Radio 2BL
Disscussion of the attempt by the cereal company Kelloggs to register the chocolate crackle, which uses Kelloggs Rice Bubbles as an ingredient, as a trademark. Philip Griffith from the law faculty at UTS says that it is not clear whether Kelloggs is trying to register the name chocolate crackle, or the recipe.
Professor Andrew Jakubowicz (8 February 2003)
Humanities and Social Sciences
Sydney Morning Herald
Andrew Jakubowicz asks should a country's intelligentsia be ostracised because of their government's actions? He examines the international call by academics to boycott their Israeli colleagues. He says that it is "a bizarre twist that a significant part of the intellectual community that claims to defend these values of openness and free discussion now finds itself advocating closure and isolation."
Dr Antoine Hermens (8 February 2003)
Business
Sydney Morning Herald
Regular column by UTS senior lecturer Antoine Hermens. This week he discusses the advantages of running a small business.
Associate Professor Keith Crews (9 February 2003)
Engineering
Sun Herald
UTS engineering and timber studies professor Keith Crews has questioned the safety of several stretches of rail track following the Waterfall rail crash. "Some of the photos I have seen show signs of advanced degradation... I would have concerns about the structural adequacy and safety of the rail line in these regions," he said.
Professor Geoff Smith (9 February 2003)
Science
Sun Herald
Vandals have destroyed the fence at a Coogee headland where believers have flocked to view an alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary. Geoff Smith from the Department of Applied Physics at UTS said the brain's imaging process could lead people to think they were looking at an outline of the Virgin Mary when it was an optical illusion. "The way the brain remembers things is to match them up to things we know," he said.
Associate Professor Tracy Taylor (9 February 2003)
Business
Sunday Telegraph
The rising costs of organised sport for children is putting a strain on household budgets and causing some youngsters to be excluded, experts claim. "Even though many kids play sport at a fairly casual level, there is also more sophisticated and extensive training happening," said UTS sport management program director Tracy Taylor.
Associate Professor Keith Crews (10 February 2003)
Engineering, UTS Centre for Built Infrastructure,
ABC Radio 2BL
Angela Catterns talks about the Watefall train derailment with Keith Crews. He says that he has concerns abut the level of funding for maintenance of infrastructure generally, but that the rail system in particular was given a D minus rating in a recent survey. He says that rail maintenance if often based on patching up a problem rather than continuous maintenance. He says that research indicates that unless there is a significant increase in funding for maintenance, we will face serious problems down the track.
Stephan Wellink (11 February 2003)
Executive and Admin
Australian Financial Review
Small to medium enterprises (SME's) need to work harder at forging links with universities if they want to exploit research sharing opportunities and employ graduates with the right skills. At UTS the Director, Research and Development, Stephan Wellink said SME's were overlooking an opportunity but said universities needed to get their message out. "We are trying to get more proactive and go out to the market and see what they want," he said.
Professor Dexter Dunphy (11 February 2003)
Business
Daily Telegraph
Professor Dexter Dunphy has just released a new book titled "Organisational Change for Corporate Sustainability: a guide for leaders and change agents of the future". He told Ethical Investor magazine that on a scale that plots the extent to which companies are operating sustainably, most Australian companies are on the second-lowest rung.
Kirsten Edwards (12 February 2003)
Law
ABC Radio National
Discussion on the concept of double jeopardy – that is, allowing people to be tried again for the same crime – and how any reforms of the legal principle should be dealt with. Kirsten Edwards outlines her involvement with the Innocence Project which is examining cases of people who maintain they were wrongfully conviced. The project has been running for 18 months, but so far has not resulted in a conviction being overturned.
Prudence Black (12 February 2003)
Design, Architecture and Building
ABC Radio 2BL
Loane talks to Pru Black about the design of beach holiday houses. She comments that a beach house should be very different to the family home as it fulfils a different function.
Carl Masens (14 February 2003)
Institute for Nanoscale Technology
www.biotechnews.com.au
Australia is trying to carve out a niche in the high-profile science of nanotechnology. Carl Masens from UTS says that potential opportunities for Australia lie in nanomaterials and biosensor technologies. The Institute for Nanoscale Technology at UTS is developing two projects, the Nanohouse and Nanobody. Masens says that these projects will showcase nanotechnology and the ways that it can be used.
Dr Ananda Mohan Sanagavarapu (14 February 2003)
Engineering
medica.de (German), Australian R & D Review
Working with the Department of Cardiology at Westmead Hospital, a team from UTS, has developed miniaturised microwave antennas for use in key-hole heart surgery. The technique applies microwave energy to selectively destroy diseased heart tissue and might provide an alternative to radio frequency ablation. "RF energy has several limitations which can be eliminated by the the use of microwave technology," says UTS team leader Dr Ananda Mohan Sanagavarapu.
Keith Tarlo (15 February 2003)
Institute for Sustainable Futures
ABC Radio National
Geosequestration, the injection of carbon dioxide emissions deep underground as a way to avoid atmospheric pollution, is being pushed by major fossil fuel producers, and has gained significant government funding at the expense of renewable energy research. Interview with UTS's Keith Tarlo.
Sally Tracy (15 February 2003)
Nursing, Midwifery & Health
Weekend Australian
New Zealand has a "one mum, one medical practitioner" ruling, unlike Australia where numerous medical professionals can attend to a woman during pregnancy and childbirth. Consequently the rate of caesareans and medical interventions such as induced births and epidurals are soaring. "All those services are incredibly expensive – it's costing up to $4500 for each hospital birth," says Sally Tracy from UTS.
Professor Derek Eamus (18 February 2003)
Science
ABC Radio National
This week a federal department of sustainability mission is touring Southern Queensland and investigating the notion of recycled water. Derek Eamus from UTS says that because the price of water is so cheap Australia has never had to be careful and seriously consider recycling water before.
Katherine Gordon, Undergraduate Program Director (19 February 2003)
Humanities and Social Sciences
Sydney Morning Herald
It is difficult to get a foot in the media industry's door. More than 850 students applied for 57 places in UTS's BA in communication (journalism) course this year, and other institutions record similar demand. Even with the right qualifications it can still be difficult. "It's made explicit from the beginning that having a successful media career is hard work, it's competitive and nothing is handed to them on a plate," says Katherine Gordon.
Dr David McKnight (20 February 2003)
Humanities and Social Sciences
3AK (Melbourne)
Compere discusses Dr David McKnight writing a history of how US officials gathered information on the Australian union movement during the Cold War. McKnight discusses how the US Government had distorted views of Australia and its hostility towards the Whitlam government.
Professor Shirley Alexander, Director (20 February 2003)
Institute for Interactive Media and Learning
news.com.au
Online study is now an essential tool for universities competing for a new generation of students. Shirley Alexander says experiments with new technology over the past decade have helped institutions refine the use of online study to meet the needs of students. A survey of about 2500 students by UTS last year found a high level of demand for online learning.
Dr David McKnight (20 February 2003)
Humanities and Social Sciences
Sydney Morning Herald, 3AK Melbourne
David McKnight writes that for more than 50 years US diplomats have been covertly documenting the life and times of Australia's leading Labor and trade union figures. These reports have just been made public. "The material is freely available to anyone. It offers a fascinating insight into internal Labor politics as well as machinations of US diplomats," he says.
Associate Professor Virginia Schmied (21 February 2003)
Nursing, Midwifery & Health
ABC Radio 2BL
Virginia Schmied says that a lot of research has gone into the birthing process. The current research being conducted would tend to reveal that the large amount of medical intervention into births has a poor overall outcome for women and children. She says that independent midwives are finding it very hard to perform home births because of insurance problems.
Patrick Keyzer (21 February 2003)
Law
Australian Financial Review
Admirers of Gerard Brennan, the former Chief Justice of the High Court, will be pleased to know he's the centrepiece of a new book written by Patrick Keyzer (the director of research at UTS) and Robin Creyke. Keyzer said that it was typical of Brennan that he eschewed a big send-off when he left the high court in 1998.
Associate Professor Peter Aubusson (24 February 2003)
Education
Radio JJJ, ABC Radio 2BL
UTS is conducting a study into why primary school students rapidly lose interest in science when they start high school. Peter Aubusson wants to look at making science a more popular subject for high school students.
Associate Professor Sam Reisenfeld (24 February 2003)
Engineering
Australasian Science Online
Australia's first satellite in thirty years, FedSat, has been launched. It will be conducting research that may make super-fast and affordable broadband Internet access a reality in the near future. Sam Reisenfeld of UTS said that it was hoped the research could help some of the problems associated with using the new Ka spectrum, and make it a commercially viable communications solution.
Professor Shirley Alexander, Director (26 February 2003)
Institute for Interactive Media and Learning
Sydney Morning Herald
As education becomes a lifelong learning process the convenience of flexible study is paramount. Professor Shirley Alexander says online education allows students to continue studying if they are too sick to travel, live a long distance from the campus or have a young family.
Professor Mark Lyons (26 February 2003)
Business
Sydney Morning Herald, moneymanager.com.au
The tax office has released a practice statement that will make it easier for people to claim donations of charities on their tax return. Mark Lyons says he hopes the changes will encourage a more rational approach to giving something that's planned in advance rather than an ad hoc response to various appeals. It is also hoped that it will increase the overall level of donations and minimise the administrative costs, leaving money more available for charitable works.
Professor Andrew Gonczi, Dean (26 February 2003)
Education
Campus Review Weekly
A review of the direction professional development (PD) for teachers is taking around the country. Professor Andrew Gonczi said that problems in teacher PD remain with access, both financially and geographically. He believes that although there may be an argument for mandatory professional development for teachers, most programs should be developed in response to teachers' needs.
Dr Antony Kidman, Director (26 February 2003)
Health Psychology Unit, Science
Sydney Weekly (Chatswood)
Dr Antony Kidman is offering a free lecture on anger and frustration management. The seminar is aimed at adult family members, both young and old. "Topics we will cover include anger, that complex emotion, and low frustration tolerance," he said.
Dr David McKnight (27 February 2003)
Humanities and Social Sciences
Radio SBS
David Mcknight discusses the Australian-American alliance.
Professor Ross Milbourne, Vice-Chancellor (27 February 2003)
Executive and Admin
ABC Online
FedSat, the first Australian satellite in 30 years, began signalling two tracking stations using the Ka band, which has previously not been used. UTS engineers intend to use FedSat to investigate its viability for delivering broadband services. One of the tracking stations will sit on the roof top of the Kuring-gai campus and Professor Ross Milbourne told reporters at the official launch that "from these beginnings, we envisage a major expansion in related research activities including communication systems, satellite communication systems and digital signal processing."
Professor Judy Lumby (28 February 2003)
Nursing, Midwifery & Health
ABC NSW Statewide (Orange)
Professor Judy Lumby discusses the eleven Nurse Practitioners in NSW. These are nurses who are authorised by the Nurses Registration Board to prescribe, refer and interpret tests for patients. She believes that this is a way of valuing expert nurses and says that a nurse practitioner is not a replacement for a doctor, despite what the Australian Medical Association says.
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