Comment from the Head of School

Kia ora koutou

The academic year is gearing up and the building is starting to feel alive again. Summer is a busy time for the school with field-based research in full swing, summer school underway, MSc students racing to meet thesis deadlines, and people coming and going. It’s lovely to have Gretel, Marie and Larry back from research and study leave. Brad, Hong-key and Jennifer E are about to head off on long-leave, and of course Jon T is still enjoying his time away. Melanie, Sila and Michael have arrived to the great delight of the Environmental Science and GI Science teaching teams.  And we have visitors. Matthew England is working with Sam on water allocation in majority world communities, Richard Williams is working with Gary on new technologies to inform river management. Paola Gomes de Silva is working with Giovanni on coastal flooding and Eric Palkovacs is working with Kevin on evolutionary ecology. Tama has finished up as Group Services Co-ordinator and Samantha Huang, who some of you may remember, has started in the role.

On behalf of the school, a warm welcome to all who have returned or arrived, happy travels to those who are heading off on leave or new adventures, and may the force be with everyone finishing up their theses!

Of course other changes are afoot as well. Last week, David concluded his term as Head of School and is beginning a new role as Associate Dean – Strategic Projects, and I moved my rock display into the Level 6 HoS office. Luckily for us the Dean has left David enough time to continue as Deputy Head of School with oversight of academic programmes.  

In the short term things will continue much as usual though with some modification to the ways in which we share information and come together. The P-cubed initiative is one way we can improve our information sharing efficiency and I look forward to seeing it become part of our way of doing things. In lieu of monthly staff meetings, we will come together less often but hopefully with more purpose, starting with our kaupapa meeting Wed 13^th February, which will include a catered lunch. It will be great to see all staff there.

Ngā mihi
JR

From the Research Committee

The research committee is: Tom Baker, Giovanni Coco, Shane Cronin, Murray Ford, Melanie Kah (starting in March), Lorna Strachan

Are you a PI?

This is a busy time and we are sure that many are preparing proposals (e.g., Marsden or MBIE) or waiting for results (e.g., Smart Ideas). While we know about proposals submitted by ENV staff as PI, we have little idea of our participation to projects with a PI external to the school. We wish to acknowledge these efforts but to be able to do it, you need to tell us. Vanessa is going to collect all info, please send her a message. This is what Giovanni sent:

“Kia ora Vanessa,
Here are proposals I have recently submitted or I am about to submit:

• co-PI, Australian Research Council (PI from UNSW). can’t remember the title. something coastal…
• co-PI smart idea entitled “A new machine learning algorithm to avoid overcooking spaghetti” (PI from UC)
• I will submit a marsden as co-PI (PI from Faculty of Engineering UoA)

ciao
Giovanni”

Round about Marsden

Do you need help? Would you want to hear how your one-page proposal reads? Contact the RC committee and we will help. Someone totally ignorant about the subject can still provide useful comments.

The Award board

Have you nominated a colleague for the UoA Early Career Research Excellence Awards?
The 2019 guidelines and application form are here. But if you have no time, please make a suggestion to any of the RC members.

School staff meetings and events 2019

Now that we have P-cubed up and running we don’t need to spend so much time listening to notices and updates in monthly staff meetings. Instead, this year we will trial limiting our whole school meetings and events to the following (*staff attendance expected unless on leave):

• *Pre-S1 Setting the kaupapa (strategic plan) for the year and lunch (currently scheduled for  12-2pm Feb 13)
• *Two Strategic Engagement Forums in lieu of the current HoS Seminar Series (under the auspices of the Research committee), timing to be advised.
• *One one-day offsite retreat (to be held in the week following the end of teaching in Semester 1, week starting 10 June)
• *End-S2 Wrap-up and lunch (to be held from 10-2pm in the week following the end of teaching Semester 2)
• ENV Awards ceremony (early November)
• School End of Year Party

In addition, we will kick-off brownbag lunches with various groupings of people (lecturers, senior lecturers, APs, Profs, technical and professional staff, PTFs/STs, students) to provide opportunity for discussion and reflection on topics of relevance to the school.

Wednesday morning teas will continue in the Level 6 common space – a box of chocolate biscuits can be collected from Simrin at 10.30 am.

PBRF and Conference Funds

Adverts and guideline are about to be sent out. Stay tuned.

Postgraduates Matter

Postgraduate committee will be meeting next week. If you have any that needs to be discussed, please send it to the appropriate advisor:

Anthony Fowler (Physical Geog.)
Ward Friesen (Geography – Honours)
Kevin Simon (Env Sci)
Karen Fisher (Env Mgt)
Jay Gao (GIS)
Mila Adam (Earth Sci/Geophys- Honours)
Ingo Pecher (MSc Coordinator)
Michael Rowe (Committee Chair – PhD)

Masters

Now is the time many are planning MSc/MA projects for the start of 2019. Please remember when planning projects that they need to be feasible in 9-10 months, with the remainder to finish off the writing. We’ve been having an increasing number of extensions (for multiple reasons) and as a result the timeframe for completion has been increasing – with those additional costs being carried by both the School and the student. It is important to have a feasible plan, and back-up plan in place. With only 12 months to completion, our Masters students don’t have time to weather significant delays.

PhD

Remember that the new PhD provisional year rules are in effect and will impact anyone starting after July 2018. The procedure is copied here for your “long-term” records.

Seminar – Geoffrey Lerner

The PhD Student Committee invites you to Geoffrey Lerner’s PhD Seminar on

When/Where: February 21st 4-5pm in 320-G20.

Title:“Applying multiple methods to understand lava dome growth and destruction, Mt Taranaki, New Zealand”

Please bring along your favorite nibbles to share. Following the talk, there will be an opportunity to ask plenty of questions and celebrate Geoffrey’s achievement at Old Government House.

Please see details in the attached flyer and get ready for a great talk.

Seminar – Software

The PhD Student Committee invites you to the first Software Seminar in 2019 focusing on presentation skills, graphics, and video making. Come along if you’d like to learn more about recording and editing videos, making easy but great vector graphics and the presentation software Prezi.

When/Where: February 19th, 12pm in 302-G20

Everybody is welcome to attend and pizzas will be served.

Please see details in the attached flyer and don’t hesitate to contact us (enquiries to Leonie Peti lpet986@aucklanduni.ac.nz).

10th Workshop on Volcanic Lakes

In name of the IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Lakes and GNS Science, New Zealand, we are delighted to present you the SECOND CIRCULAR of our upcoming 10th WORKSHOP ON VOLCANIC LAKES, to be held from 17 to 25 MARCH 2019 in Taupo and Rotorua, New Zealand.

The Workshop will be built around 8 Scientific Symposia during the first three days, followed by field work at Ruapehu, Waimangu and Lake Rotomahana.  A post-CVL10 field trip to White Island is optional.

The second circular is attached, together with the official documentation of NZ Customs to enter your scientific gear. You can find a detailed program, the scientific symposia, online registration procedure and costs in the attached circular.

For any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us through b.christenson@gns.cri.nz
We hope to meet you all at the shores of Lake Taupo in March 2019.