Issue 9 – Monday 27th May 2019
HeadSup
Kia ora koutou
Thanks to all who completed the pesky staff survey – we got across the 70% response rate and earned ourselves a free morning tea courtesy of the Dean. Sausage rolls again! More on that once we get given the cost code. We didn’t knock Marine Science off their perch – they hit 100% but really, how many of them are there?
We are progressing our new appointments – the Earth Sciences position is under negotiation and I should be able to announce the result soon. Meanwhile, we are about to interview for the Professor of Environmental Management. Although we short-listed 3 people for this position, 2 have withdrawn so we are down to one. Professorial appointments are a big deal and we want to get this one right. Please be sure to attend Shankar Aswani’s seminar if you are available and contact Samantha if you wish to meet him. Please direct any feedback to George, Annie, Jenny, Robin or myself.
The exams are sorted – big thanks to Alex who navigated this process for the first time, to the Ako committee, and to all the co-opted reviewers. Thanks particularly to the Semester 1 course-coordinators and directors for getting the exams in on time and in good shape – your professionalism is much appreciated.
Ngā mihi – JR
For Your Diary
| Deadlines | Date & Location |
| CLeaR Fellowship applications | 31 May |
| Learning enhancement grants 2019 | 7 June |
| 2020 University Calendar Staff List | 7 June 2019 |
| Professorial promotion applications | 15 July 2019 |
| Seminars | |
| AusIMM seminar – Michael Petterson “Continents colliding in the NW Greater Himalayas, Karakoram, and Tibet, and aspects of mineralisation” | 28 May, 17:30-19:00, Boardroom Anderson lloyd, Level 3 Autralis Nathan Bldg, 37 Galway St, Britomart. |
| Environmental Management Professor candidate Shankar Aswani: “Coastal Human Ecology for Environmental Management” (all staff and PG students welcome). | 5 June, 14:00 – 15:00, in 303-G16 |
| Other Events | |
| Workshop: The Writing Habits of Successful Academics | 18 Jun, 1pm in 302-140 |
| Resilience to Nature’s Challenges / Natural Hazards Research Platform forum | 30-31 May, Te Papa, Wellington |
| ENV Staff Retreat. Please RSVP here by Tuesday 4 June. | 12 June, 8.30-5pm, Old Government House |
Whakawhanaungatanga – communities
ENV Staff Retreat
The focus of the retreat will be two-fold: 1) to initiate conversation relevant to development of the next ENV 3-year strategic plan, and 2) to get cracking with developing the capstone framework and content.
The capstones pose significant challenges and it will be important to seek and take opportunities to minimise the work load impact. Some solutions may involve sharing components across programmes. The UG programme pecha kucha will kick off this part of the retreat.
All academic staff are expected to participate in the retreat, unless on leave. Professional staff are warmly invited to attend – all of the day may be of interest with the exception of the capstone session from 1.15-3.15pm.
- 8:30-9:00: Tea/Coffee Middle room, ground floor OGH
- 9:00-9:05: Welcome and kaupapa of the day, Upstairs OGH
- 9:05-9:30: State of the school: report, Q&A Upstairs OGH
- 9:30-10:30: Framing the 3-year strategic plan, OGH Dining rooms
- 10:30-11:00: Morning Tea Middle room, ground floor OGH
- 11:00-12:00: Pecha Kucha: whose major is it anyway? Upstairs OGH
- 12:00-12:30: Capstone Q&A, Upstairs OGH
- 12.30-1:15: Lunch Middle room, ground floor OGH
- 1:15-3:15: Capstone programme break-outs Members’ lounge, Vice-Chancellor’s Suite, Upstairs
- 3:15-4:00: Understanding Whanaungatanga, Upstairs OGH
- 4:00-5:30: Social – drinks & nibbles, Members’ Lounge OGH
Please RSVP here or send apologies to Samantha by Tuesday 4 June so that we can finalise the catering.
Professional Development – correction to project code
Please note that there has been a change in the project code for the professional development fund from 15890 to 15408. For all future expenditure against the professional development fund, please use project code 15408.
Great to see some expenditure against this fund. Please chip away at it – we need to hit $70k this year or we will put pressure on next year’s budget.
Dodge ball
The second event in the School of Environment sports championship is coming up – the sports hall has been booked for 12-2 pm on Wednesday 29th May for “Dodgeball”. Everyone is welcome, including academics (the students would love to see you), and it is free to play. You don’t need to come for the full two hours as there will be multiple games going on over the two hours. It is free to participate and all you need are sports shoes and appropriate clothing. Or just come along and cheer.
The current standings after the soccer tournament are:
- GIScience 3 points
- Geography 2 points
- Earth Science 1 point
- Environmental Science 0 points
Joe emailed out a PowerPoint slide last week (23 May) – if you have a class today or tomorrow please show it and encourage students to participate.
Deliveries to reception
Please be aware that all parcels containing hazardous materials, chemicals, biological samples, frozen products of any kind must be addressed to the Chemistry Stores, and not 302-L6 Reception.
Level 6 admin staff are not trained to deal with these sorts of things, nor do they have the ability to immediately identify the product from the details on the package.
This applies to both incoming and outgoing packages.
Please ensure that any packages sent to you that contain hazardous materials are addressed as follows:
Chemistry Stores
Bldg 302 Room B10
Science Centre, University of Auckland
40 Wellesley St East
Auckland 1010
Rangahau – Research
Meetings, seminars and events
Seminar: Innovation Needs for 2 Degrees
Auckland UniServices in conjunction with IP Group presents a thought-provoking webinar focused on identifying innovation gaps and emerging opportunities in the Cleantech sector.
As the Head of Cleantech at IP Group plc and a Commissioner of the Energy Transitions Commission, Robert Trezona asks us to consider the Paris Agreement’s central aim of limiting global temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius and discusses how directed research can create scalable solutions.
What are his insights on new technologies that could be scaled via entrepreneurial companies?
Details: Innovation Needs for 2 Degrees
Date: 20 of June
Time: 5-6.30 pm. Please aim to arrive 10 min before the start.
Location: Rimu Room. Level 10, 49 Symonds St.
Agenda: 40 min presentation, followed by Q&A.
If you are interested, please confirm your attendance to Maria Jose Alvarez maria.alvarez@auckland.ac.nz
Volcanology, Geochemistry, & Petrology Research Group
The volcanology, geochemistry, & petrology research group (VGP) meets every other week during the semester. Our next meeting will be on 6 June from 11 to 12 in 302-140. Emily will be giving a talk. For more information, please see our website: vgp.blogs.auckland.ac.nz Also, if you would like to give a talk next semester, please contact Sophia (s.tsang@auckland.ac.nz) to schedule it! Thanks. See you soon!
Funding and Research Opportunities
All funding calls can be found here
Post-parental-leave research grants
If you are going on parental leave or have returned from 6 months+ parental leave you may be eligible for research funding. The grant information can be found on the gender equity platform page.
Distinguished Visitor Awards – Nominations Now open
The Distinguished Visitor Awards allow scholars who have made significant contributions to their discipline to visit and participate in the intellectual life of the University. Any member of our academic staff may make an application nominating a Distinguished Visitor with the support of your academic head and dean of the host faculty. Up to $10,000 is available for each award.
Full guidelines and the application form can be found at the DVA webpage on the staff intranet. Applications close 5pm Friday 5 July 2019. Please email your application to Ivana Mlinac < i.mlinac@auckland.ac.nz> , including the Statement of Support from the Head of Department, by Friday 28 June 2019. She arrange for the Dean’s Statement of Support to be written and attached to your application and uploaded into the Research Funding Module (RFM) by the deadline.
FRDF
The updated documents for the 2019 Round are now available on the Faculty of Science intranet
https://www.sciencestaff.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/research/faculty-research-development-fund.html
Note the application form is not the same as last year so please use the 2019 version
Applications are due by 5.00 pm on Wednesday 24th July and should be submitted via the RFM – contact your RPC or Wendy Rhodes if you have any queries.
Research in action
PRESS RELEASE – Foulden Maar, Otago
NATIONAL TREASURE NOT STOCK FOOD!
The Geoscience Society of New Zealand calls on the Government and Dunedin City Council to stop the proposal to mine away New Zealand’s most important terrestrial fossil site at Foulden Hills, near Middlemarch, Otago.
“New Zealand’s national identity is strongly bound to its unique plants and animals. We cannot stand by and see this fountain of paleontological knowledge about where we have come from destroyed; particularly not for so little transient local and national gain”, said Geoscience Society of New Zealand President Dr Jennifer Eccles.
The diatomite sediment that infilled this crater lake, 23 million years ago, contains the most extraordinary array of exquisitely preserved plant, fish, spider and insect fossils in New Zealand. These fossils are unique and record the previously unknown history and origins of a large portion of New Zealand’s present-day biota. They are all extinct species. Many are the ancestors of NZ’s current biota but others record groups of plants and animals that are no longer living here. To date, over 100 different species of plant fossils have been identified (mostly leaves, but also fruits, seeds and wood). The plants include extremely rare fossil orchids, mistletoes, fuchsias and a host of other taxa that link NZ’s biota to Australia, New Caledonia and South America. Forty fossil flowers have been found, many still containing pollen, representing 15 plant families. Fossil flowers with associated pollen are extraordinarily rare globally.
Amazingly preserved freshwater fish fossils include the oldest freshwater eel fossil in the Southern Hemisphere and the oldest galaxiid whitebait in the world. Insects are NZ’s largest group of terrestrial animals. More than 50% of NZ’s discovered fossil insects have been found in this one deposit and include over 200 different kinds from 21 families. Four fossil spiders have also been found. All these fossils come from just a small area near the top of the deposit. This unique site will hold hundreds more different kinds of fossils that will help paleontologists in future decades and centuries document and decipher the rich history of NZ’s biota. The rich fossil collections already found could form the basis of an important museum and information centre in Middlemarch.
“The diatomite at Foulden is an irreplaceable treasure box from which only a small proportion of its jewels have been found so far”, said Geoscience Society Geoheritage Convenor Dr Bruce Hayward.
“Foulden crater lake fossils are as important to our understanding of the origins of New Zealand’s biota as the UNESCO Messel World Heritage Site in Germany is to understanding the history of Europe’s biota”, said paleontologist Prof Daphne Lee. Government-funded scientific drilling has revealed the full 120 m thickness of the diatomite sediment fill of the crater. It is composed of thousands of 1 mm-thick layers, each deposited by annual algal (diatom) blooms. This core provides a unique and truly world-class record of annual climatic fluctuations spanning a 120,000-year period around 23 million years ago. Detailed international studies now and in the future will provide unprecedented detail of annual climatic factors such as rainfall and greenhouse gas variability that will lead to better understanding of the ancient El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and other climate cycles. To do this requires preservation of a complete sequence through the deposit in perpetuity so that future generations of scientists can use the inevitable new technologies to interrogate the sequence and obtain increasingly more detailed information about the fossils and the history of climate at that time. A deposit with this level of annual resolution is unknown in the Southern Hemisphere.
Recently released company documents say that the whole deposit will need to be mined to be economic and afterwards the hole will fill with water and prevent access to any scraps that may have been left behind . Dr Eccles says “we recognise that mining of this deposit would clearly provide access to much deeper levels and undoubtedly uncover many more fossil treasures, but it would be unconscionable for us to support the proposed quarrying away of virtually the entire deposit. This site is of international importance and it is beholden on us to protect it for future generations of scientists and the public.”
Jennifer Eccles, GSNZ President
For further information or comment please contact;
Dr Jennifer Eccles, President GSNZ
j.eccles@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Bruce Hayward, Convenor, GSNZ Geoheritage Subcommittee.
b.hayward@geomarine.org.nz
Fossil adult whitebait from Foulden – world’s oldest fossil galaxiid whitebait.
Amazingly preserved 23 million-year-old fossil leaf from Foulden.
One of 40 fossil flowers from Foulden.
One of over 200 species of fossil insect from Foulden
Ako – Teaching and Learning
Geography book location in the library
As part of the Libraries and Learning Services – Te Tumu Herenga strategy to ensure the General Library collections are current and relevant, and to create more space for the books and individual study, during Semester Two there will be some changes to where things are located. Over the next few months books and journals in the 900-999 Dewey range (which includes some of the Geography collection) on Level 5 and 6 of the General Library will be moved. Some low use items will eventually be moved out to our On-Demand Collection (ODC). Before that happens they will be moved to the Mezzanine Floor and will show on the Library catalogue as “GL – Level M 900s”. The Geography books located in the 300s on level 1 are not being moved.
By the beginning of Semester One next year all the high-use 900s will be housed on Level 6 but until then you may need to go to the Mezzanine or Level 5. If you can’t find the item you are looking for please ask one of our friendly staff on Level G (Ground Floor). Items in the ODC can be requested online and delivered to the General Library (monographs) or emailed to you (journal articles, book chapter). More information about this service can be found here
Semester 2 Courses
This is a good time for Course Coordinators to check their timetables and to start planning their courses.
Please check the timetable using the Room and Event Viewer – select the Modules menu. Note also the weeks that your classes are scheduled: the numbers refer to the S+ numbering from the beginning of the year, and the easiest way to check these is by referring to the 2019 Teaching Days.
If you identify any problems please contact our Academic Services Coordinator, Mikael Johannisson-Wallman.
Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 7 June, to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz
