Issue 11- Monday 24th June 2019
Contents
HeadSup
Kia ora koutou
It’s Matariki – Māori New Year – a time for remembering those who have gone before us, celebrating new life and planting new crops. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the care that has been shown since the Christchurch massacre, and the efforts that have been made to reassert the values that we would like to underpin our society. Teaching semesters are a demanding time for staff and students alike, with no end of work from start to finish. This one has been harder than most but we are almost done, with just a few exams left. As we move beyond Matariki, I hope everyone finds time to recharge ready for a productive and rewarding Semester 2.
In amongst the hard work it is always great to find joyful moments. The Pecha Kucha presentations (and MC) at the recent ENV staff retreat were a highlight – who knew dogs could be so versatile? Special thanks to our brave presenters – you were brilliant and most assuredly have alternate careers in stand-up comedy. For those interested, I have collated the ‘framing’ responses from JC’s activity here. If you have comments or corrections please send them through to me – there will be misinterpretations of intent so do set me straight where I have strayed. We will follow up on some of the priorities over the next few months.
If you are in the office on Wednesday 3 July please join me at 10.30 am for a morning tea to celebrate the end of Semester 1 and to welcome Sonia Fonua, our new PTF in Pacific pedagogy and Environmental Science, into the school.
Ngā mihi – JR
For Your Diary
| Deadlines | Date & Location |
| Nomination of Examiners for Masters students- to m.johannisson-wallman@auckland.ac.nz | 28th June 2019 |
| Application to be on the Rhodes selection panel | end June – to j.harding@auckland.ac.nz |
| Distinguished Visitor Awards- contact RPC Ivana Mlinac i.mlinac@auckland.ac.nz for more information. | 1st July 2019 |
| Professorial promotion applications – send to John Hosking, see here for info |
1st July 2019 |
| Feedback due on draft Code of Conduct – see here | 14th July 2019–to claire.hall@auckland.ac.nz |
| Approved staff unavailability form (AS-87) for 2020- to m.johannisson-wallman@auckland.ac.nz | 15th July 2019 |
| Māori & Pacific Welcome, Semester 2 | Wednesday, 17th July, 9-10am Waipapa Marae |
| FRDF grants -contact RPC Ivana Mlinac i.mlinac@auckland.ac.nz for more information. | 24th July |
| NZ Association of Scientist Medals | 31 July, 2019 |
| Other Events | |
| “Demystifying research support in the Faculty of Science”. – room 423-340 | 2nd July (Tuesday) 11– 12pm |
Whakawhanaungatanga – communities
Spaces and systems
IMPORTANT: Environment Vehicle Hire booking
The vehicle booking site has been moved to the new URL. Please start using the new URL.
https://carscience.fos.auckland.ac.nz
New multi-use room
The new multi-use room, 302.586 (formerly Document Analysis Lab) is available for use. While microscopes are set up in this space permanently, the School has an ad-hoc booking system for other users. There is a whiteboard on the door where anyone can book the room. The room has blockout curtains, chairs (10) and a mobile smart TV. If you have any questions about using this space please direct them to Blair (b.sowman@auckland.ac.nz). Please leave the room tidy and clean.
Events
The Earth Sciences Bickie briefing
The Earth Sciences Bickie briefing runs every Thursday morning at 10.30am in the Level 6 Breakout space- B302. All post grads and staff welcome.
University of Auckland Senior Common Room (aka the Staff Club)
School of Environment staff that participated in the recent School retreat at Old Government House (OGH) will be familiar with the facilities available. However, few are probably aware that the facilities are maintained by the Senior Common Room (SCR). Membership of the SCR is open to all staff (professional and academic) and PhD students for the price of $4.43/fortnight for the former and $25/year for the latter. Given the cost of the subsidized (to members) beverages on offer your membership dues will be recouped in a few visits. Note that membership also entitles you to 10% discount on food and drinks purchased from the Montana Café (sorry, not the Buttery Bar).
To ease the process of joining the SCR please find the Staff and PhD membership forms.
Staff: simply type in your details and decide whether to pay automatic fortnightly deductions of $4.43 from your salary by emailing the completed membership form to: scradmin@auckland.ac.nz. Alternatively you are welcome to pay the annual subscription in full at the SCR bar.
PhD students: pay the annual subscription at the SCR bar. The completed form can be handed over to the bar staff with the receipt signifying payment, or, email copies of both to: scradmin@auckland.ac.nz
The SCR looks forward to welcoming more ENV staff and PhD students as members.
Congratulations
PhD success
On Friday 14th Linda Madden successfully passed her PhD oral examination. Her thesis is Pet Names: A critical Geography of Non-human Identity Construction in Auckland City – Linda Madden (supervised by Robin Kearns and Ward Friesen)
Outreach
Linking with secondary schools
The PORO lab hosted Danielle Meek, a year-12 student from Carmel College. Danielle contacted Mila to have a 2 day work experience opportunity in an area she is passionate about pursuing. We measured physical properties a few of rocks from Bothers Volcano and she met with PhD students: Jonathan, Shreya and Steve. She hopes to become an undergraduate student in geophysics/earthscience in a year and a half!
Volunteer position
The DEVORA (Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland) and AUGA (Auckland University Geoscience Association) are participating in the Incredible Science Day held at The University of Auckland on July 2nd and we are looking for volunteers. We will be showing groups of intermediate-aged school kids the wonders of volcanoes, earthquakes, rocks and fossils, and even some geography! No experience is required, and we will teach you what you need to know.
The event runs from 10-2, so please get in touch (contact smil265@aucklanduni.ac.nz) if you have a spare couple of hours!
Our website content
Over the last few weeks, the Comms and Marketing team have been working with JR to migrate the School of Environment website content to the new University format. The first section of this work is now complete and Emily Gordon has added the Environment homepage to the Faculty of Science main menu.
You can find the new homepage by navigating to Science on the University website (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science.html ) and clicking the Environment link from the About the Faculty drop-down menu.
Our next step is to set up redirects to link the classic pages to the new content. This change will affect several pages on the old site including, our department, our people, future undergraduates, future postgraduates, and current students. It will not affect the research section or course pages at this stage.
Once the redirects are in place, you may find that some of your bookmarks automatically redirect to the new content.
Please be aware that, due to the nature of the new site many pages will look different and some content may be located in a different place from where it was historically. We have done our best to ensure that all pages are redirected to the most appropriate alternative.
If you have any problems finding something try using the website’s search function in the first instance. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, or you notice any inaccuracies, please contact Emily Gordon (emily.gordon@auckland.ac.nz) or Cate Hennessy (c.henessy@auckland.ac.nz), who looks after the School of Environment web pages.
Rangahau – Research
Funding Opportunities
Faculty Research Development Fund (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
Applications are due by 5.00 pm on Wednesday 24th July and should be submitted via the RFM – contact your RPC Ivana Mlinac i.mlinac@auckland.ac.nz if you have any queries.
Note the application form is not the same as last year so please use the 2019 version.
Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Development Fund (VCSDF)
Applications must support the University’s Strategic Plan and have sufficient impact to justify immediate funding. Applications can be made by any individual staff member or group of staff, academic unit or service division.
VCSDF applications close at 5pm on Friday 16th August.
More information and an application form are available on the staff intranet at Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Development Fund 2019
RSNZ Rutherford Foundation 2019
The objectives of the Rutherford Foundation Fellowships and Scholarships are to support the education and development of promising excellent early career researchers with the potential to excel in a research environment.
Due to Funds & Submissions by 5pm Tuesday 23 July 2019.
Information and guidelines : Rutherford Foundation
Kate Edger Post Doctoral Awards 2019
To assist women who have qualified to graduate with a doctoral degree within the last two years to carry out research on a specified, independent project at an approved Institute in the Auckland area.
Due to Funds & Submissions by 5pm Tuesday 11 July 2019.
Information and guidelines: Kate Edger
Undergrad students Scholarships
The closing date is on 30th June 2019
Dulcie Bowman Memorial Scholarship
A Scholarship of $4,500 to support women students with a hearing disability who are enrolled in undergraduate or postgraduate study.
For more details please click HERE.
Professor Michael Walker Scholarship for Māori and Pacific Students
A $3,000 Scholarship for Māori and Pacific students currently enrolled in their final year of undergraduate study and who are enrolling full-time or part-time in postgraduate study in the following year.
Fore more details please click HERE
Meetings, seminars and events
“Demystifying research support in the Faculty of Science”. Jan Lindsay, Associate Dean Research
Learn more about funding and support available for researchers. Get to know the ‘RPC’s – SoE research support team (Vanessa Castro, Ivana Mlinac and Amy Weir) and how they can assist you.
2nd July (Tuesday), 11– 12pm, Room 423-340 (across the road from 23 Symonds street)
#SummerOfSolutions United Nations initiative
This global call-to-action invites young technologists, designers, entrepreneurs, and other creative minds to imagine and build open-source technology solutions for tackling global challenges. The 2019 focus is on climate change, and solutions are expected to enable circular economies, develop ethical fashion, and improve climate information.
This initiative is organized by the United Nations Secretary-General ‘s Envoy on Youth, the United Nations Technology Innovation Labs, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Unite Ideas platform of the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology.
The best #SummerOfSolutions will be featured at the United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019 (New York, USA), 23 September 2019, and may have the potential to receive support to become real enterprises.
Participation can range from simply submitting an idea to developing full fledge solutions, but in every case, getting involved should prove rewarding for both students and faculty.
Details, registration information and challenge deadlines are available through the Unite Ideas platform: https://uniteideas.spigit.com/.
The three challenges have already kicked off and the competition is ongoing! The first deadline is this July 3rd.
PhD submission seminar
The PhD Student Committee invites everyone to the Research Seminar by Paul Oluwunmi presenting the work of his PhD after thesis submission. Come along and learn about “Numerical modelling of the response of marine gas hydrate bearing sediment to dissociation after depressurization; case studies for tectonic uplift, sealevel lowering, and gas hydrate production.” and celebrate Paul for this great achievement.
Please see details HERE.
Tuesday, July 9th at 4-5pm in 302-G20
Also, one of his publications has now been published online. It is open-access available at: https://www.sci-dril.net/25/47/2019/
Publications:
Towards characterising rhyolitic tephra layers from New Zealand with rapid, non-destructive μ-XRF core scanning
LeoniePeti, Paul C.Augustinus, Patricia S.Gadd, Sarah J.Davies
You can read the full paper HERE
Ako – Teaching and Learning
Ako Innovation Committee: Teaching & Learning Fund
The purpose of this fund is to promote the development of innovative teaching and learning practices within the School of Environment which promote a culture of teaching excellence. These funds will be distributed in one contestable round, with grants of up to $6000. The total pool of funds available in 2019 is $12000. Grants to individuals or groups of teaching active staff will be used to fund small-scale teaching initiatives that have an impact on teaching practice for the benefit of learners.
All applications should be received by 15/07/2019.
See Ako Innovation Committee Teaching & Learning Fund: Grant Guidelines and 2019 Application Form for AKO Teaching and Learning Innovation Grant.
https://www.coursebuilder.cad.auckland.ac.nz/flexicourses/4101/publish/1/14.html
Any questions please contact Mel Wall.
IODP Expedition 386: Japan Trench Paleoseismology
Applications are invited from scientists in countries participating in IODP to join the Science Party for IODP Expedition 386: Japan Trench Paleoseismology.
Scientists with expertise relevant to the objectives of the proposal may apply. DEADLINE 5 July 2019
For more information and to apply HERE
Computer lab. images for semester two:
If there are any requests for software titles to be added to the Science Computer lab image for semester 2 2019 could we please have these forwarded to Sean Davidson directly , s.davidson@auckland.ac.nz , by 4pm, Friday the 28th June
with me (Ingo Pecher) on cc (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz)
We will then make a test image available for acceptance testing between the 8th and the 12th July.
Information Required:
* Software name and version
* Environment in which the software should be installed (i.e. Windows/Linux/)
* Exact location that the installer and any support files can be accessed from
* Any customization’s required in installing the software (We will run the installer and select all default values unless advised otherwise)
* Licensing details of the application (is it a site license or are there a certain number of licenses? If the latter, who/where can it be used?)
* Contact details of the staff member who will test the application once it is installed and be notified of changes and updates. Additionally please provide the name of any person who can assist with the install/configuration
* Instructions on where to download/obtain any additional custom made/home-made files needed – for example URLs
* (optional) Courses these applications will be used in
* (optional) Rooms that these applications will be used in
CALL FOR GEOSCIENCE SOCIETY OF NZ AWARD NOMINATIONS
For specific details on each award and nomination templates, visit:
http://www.gsnz.org.nz/information/awards-i-101.html
Send nominations and applications to: james.scott@otago.ac.nz by 19th September 2019.
Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 5th July, to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz