Issue 15- Monday 19th August 2019
Contents
HeadSup
Kia ora
It was with sadness that many of us heard the news late last week about the passing of Warren Moran. Warren played a pivotal role in Geography at UOA and will be remembered at this week’s Cumberland lecture. David Skinner also died last week. Dave completed his MSc in the Geology Department in the early 1960s, focusing on the Coromandel, and had a long career with GNS Science. He was quite a character and well know to many of us. Farewell Warren and Dave.
Please have a careful look at the many activities listed in this week’s p-cubed and be sure to enter them into your calendar. There is a lot going on over the next few months. Highlights will be the next Research Forum, the ENV Research Awards ceremony and the PG Research Showcase (if you are a PG student I would love to see your poster in the showcase). The Ako Innovation seminar looks great – if you want to build up your teaching portfolio add this one to your diary.
Don’t forget two great activities this week – the Cumberland Lecture on Thursday (with drinks and nibbles) and the newly resurrected and refreshed ENV Seminar Series. Let’s get behind these events and help make them a success.
I’m pleased to advise that Professor Mark Costello has joined the School for the remainder of the year. Mark has worked in the Institute of Marine Sciences and is an expert in biogeography. Welcome Mark!
We had some wonderful news from the speleothem researchers this week, who have been enjoying the ‘Summer School on Speleothem Science’ in Romania. Sneha Suresh won the student poster session. Sneha’s PhD is on ‘Opening nature’s vaults: speleothem archives of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes’. Well done!
In the last couple of weeks, Karen, Meg and I visited the Ministry for the Environment and showcased what we do. As a result of that, Charlotte Wood from MfE has offered to talk through the work their science capability and culture team are about to kick off. This is a great chance to better understand opportunities for stronger engagement with MfE. Topics to be discussed include: co-development of science outputs; science engagement; 1- and 5-year priorities; possible joint/split appointments and secondments; and internships. The date/time of this presentation is yet to be finalised. If you would like to attend please let Samantha know by the end of the week.
Lastly – thanks to all who contributed content and comment on the 3-year School strategic plan. The submitted version can be found here.
Ngā mihi – JR
Whakawhanaungatanga – communities
VALE Warren Moran, Professor Emeritus, School of Environment.
Warren was a giant of Geography within the New Zealand and international geographical communities. He served as Head of Department and went on to become Dean of Arts. Warren was personally instrumental in enabling and shaping the careers of a number of colleagues still working within the School and was a friend of many. As Dean of Arts he fought hard for the discipline and was an influential force within the wider university, for which he was always a fierce champion.
An influential rural geographer locally and internationally, Warren recently authored the most authoritative book yet on the New Zealand wine industry. Beyond New Zealand, Warren served as Vice-President of the International Geographical Union.
Warren’s funeral will take place on: Tuesday 20th August 2pm, at St Patricks Cathedral, 43 Wyndham St, Auckland CBD.
GRADUATION CEREMONIES – Spring 2019
The 2019 Spring Graduation ceremonies will take place at the Aotea Centre on Tuesday 24 September. The ceremonies will be preceded by a street procession, when members of Council, staff and graduands, will walk from the Pavilion at Old Government House to the venue.
Assembly for Council and staff for the street procession is at 9am in the members’ lounge of Old Government House. The street procession departs from Bowen Avenue via the University gates at 9.30am. Regalia must be worn during the procession. Any changes regarding the procession will be communicated to all staff and students at the earliest possible time. You are invited to take refreshments in the Waitākere Rooms before the ceremony. To participate in the graduation ceremonies you will need to register your attendance online. Click here to log in and complete the registration form. Please note: if you do not register, there will be no available seating for you on stage. You must register by 6 September.
Each faculty has an assigned ‘agent’ to help you if you have trouble registering – for example you cannot register from outside the university. Please contact the agent for Faculty of Science: Brittany Bennenbroek:b.bennenbroek@auckland.ac.nz. Instructions for staff participating are available on the Graduation section of the staff intranet
- 9:30am – Procession (assemble at 9:00am)
- 10:30am – Faculty of Science Graduation Ceremony
Staff: is your web profile up to date?
This is the central staff intranet link to editing your profile: https://www.staff.auckland.ac.nz/en/university-directory-help/editing-my-profile.html
You can edit your University Directory Profile to ensure it provides those who access it with a rich source of information about your professional or research activities. Profile changes will only appear after they have been through a review and approval moderation workflow.
If people have any issues with editing their profile they should talk to Cate Hennessy (c.hennessy@auckland.ac.nz) or Kate Pitcher.
Palaeomolecular Lab Open Day
On Tuesday (20th Aug), we’re inviting members of the Faculty of Science to come over to the Faculty of Arts and visit our Palaeomolecular Lab. In this lab, we work with ancient bone samples to analyse isotopes and ancient DNA for anthropology research.
All staff, postgraduates and final year undergraduates are welcome to stop by any time between 11am and 3pm on Tuesday for a short tour. If you’re interested in hearing more about the research going on over here in Anthropology, it would be great to see you there (Lab 311, Level 3, Social Sciences Building 201E).
Dr Natalie Remedios
Anthropology, Faculty of Arts
Click here to see the poster.
School of Environment Cumberland Lecture 2019
Place as person, landscape as identity: ancestral connection and modern legislation – Kennedy Warne
In 1972, in a landmark essay, US legal scholar Christopher Stone asked, “Should trees have standing?” What would it mean, he asked, to conceive of the natural world from a nonhuman perspective? Could we imagine a world in which trees—and rivers, mountains, glaciers, and more—possessed innate existence rights enshrined in law? Almost 50 years later, New Zealand has led the world in granting legal personhood to a river, Whanganui, a former national park, Te Urewera, and, soon, a mountain, Taranaki. At the heart of these legislative decisions is not just the issue of rights for nature, but a recognition of longstanding connectivity between land and indigenous people and of a worldview that espouses unity and reciprocity between the human and nonhuman realms. Writer, editor and broadcaster Kennedy Warne discusses the geographical implications of the Whanganui River and Te Urewera decisions and reflects on his own evolving conversation with landscape. The talk will include a response from Daniel Hikuroa, a senior lecturer in Māori studies at the University of Auckland.
5pm Thursday 22 August
Lecture theatre PLT2
Ground Floor, Building 303
38 Princes Street
Refreshments will follow the lecture in the Building 302 Level 6 Breakout Space
Space is limited so please register at kennedywarne.eventbrite.co.nz
Enquiries to Gretel Boswijk g.boswijk@auckland.ac.nz . Click here to see the poster.
Te Ao Mārama Brown Bag – with Sarah Kessans
Reaching for the Stars via Biochemistry – Tuesday 27 August, 12:00 – 13:00
Enquiries: Kathy Campbell (ka.campbell@auckland.ac.nz )
Research Collaboration Tools – Workshop & eResearch Community Meeting
Lunch and learn: Collaborate using Dropbox. 12-1pm, Wednesday 28th August
501.010, Grafton Campus.
CeR and Dropbox will talk about UoA’s institutional Dropbox and demonstrate Dropbox features/tools integration with many familiar communication and collaboration tools.
Bring your lunch, have a cupcake and ask questions.
Booking link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lunch-and-learn-collaborate-using-with-dropbox-tickets-68742020233
Collaboration tools. 3-5pm, Wednesday 28th August
Federation of Graduate Women’s Suite, Old Government House, City Campus.
– How do you build successful collaborations and what tools do you use? – group discussion
– Spotlight on Dropbox Papers – demonstration from Dropbox
– Social and networking with drinks and nibbles
Booking link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eresearch-community-meeting-collaboration-tools-tickets-68744698243
Centre for eResearch
Introductory R Workshop Information: September 2nd & 3rd
The third Introductory R Workshop for 2019 is being run on September 2nd and 3rd. This will be led by Daniel Barnett, Chris Triggs, and Avinesh Pillai, from the Statistical Consultancy Centre.
The workshop will be limited to approximately 20 participants. Therefore if you would like to attend please let me know sooner rather than later.
As per our previous Introductory R workshops, the cost is $300 for UoA students and staff; you can pay using your PRESS account, research grant, or other UoA account. You can also opt to use a debit/credit card (however we would have to also add GST, sorry). The payment authorisation form for UoA participants paying from a UoA account is attached.
The cost for non-UoA attendees is $500 + GST, and if you contact me I will let you know re payment options (card payment is preferred).
We will be sending out a pre-workshop information email, however here are some of the details:
Location: We will be in room 302.190. Building 302 is on the corner of Symonds St and Wellesley St. The room we will be using is on level 1, room 190.
Time and schedule: The approximate schedule for both days is attached (since this is the schedule from our previous course, it may yet be altered very slightly). We will start at 9am and finish at 5pm. Morning and afternoon tea will be provided. There are cafes handy nearby for lunch.
Computers: We will be using a Faculty of Science computer lab. You are also welcome to use your own laptop, however please make sure that you have downloaded R and RStudio onto your machine before the workshop (they are free to download). We will also include some instructions re how to do this in our pre-workshop information email.
Access to computers and internet:
– We will arrange access to the lab computers for all non-UoA participants.
– We will also have a guest wireless password for non-UoA participants who are bringing their own laptops.
– UoA staff and students will be able to access the FoS computers using their normal UoA upi and password.
I hope you can make it on the 2nd and 3rd September, and look forward to seeing you there.
Rosemary K. Barraclough, PhD
Statistics Consulting Centre, Department of Statistics
Click here to see the timetable and here for payment details.
AUGA Field Trip
AUGA’s second field trip of the year is an overnight stay in Coromandel to explore the Waihi Gold Mine.
When: 13th–14thSeptember
Where: Waihi Township
To find out more and for Sign Up, please visit here.
Kupe Leadership Scholarship
Up to 20 Scholarships will be awarded annually, for a period of up to one year.
Applications open 1 July 2019 and close 23 August 2019.
Value:
Up to $24,100 each. The Scholarship will comprise either a fortnightly stipend of up to $22,000 or a fortnightly stipend of up to $10,000 plus accommodation in a single studio room at 55 Symonds Street (accommodation costs will be paid directly to the relevant Halls of Residence).
The scholarship also includes a personal mentor connected to the scholarship recipient’s area of interest and a comprehensive Leadership Development programme undertaken with all of the Kupe Leadership Scholars.
Eligibility criteria:
- Need to be enrolled full-time for a full 2020 academic year in a postgraduate diploma, honours degree or masters degree at the University of Auckland.
- Students enrolled in either year of a two-year masters degree may also be considered for the Scholarship. Students enrolled in an 180 point masters degree may be considered for the Scholarship for the full calendar year of their degree.
- See sample 2018 regs: https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/Scholarships/regulations/kupe-leadership-scholarship.pdf 2019 regs will be online soon
- GPA/GPE of at least 7.00 (6.50 for Māori or Pacific applicants)
- Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents and must have resided in New Zealand for at least five years in the ten years preceding the year of application.
Selection is based on the above PLUS demonstrated leadership potential as evidenced by a CV, a personal statement, references, and an interview.
For more information visit: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-types/postgraduate-scholarships/kupe-leadership-scholarships.html
BLAKE Ambassador Applications are now open
Since 2007 BLAKE (formally The Sir Peter Blake Trust), in partnership with Antarctica New Zealand, NIWA, Tara Expeditions Foundation and the Department of Conservation – has provided opportunities for young New Zealanders (18 – 25 years) to work on projects in Antarctica, the Southern, Southwest Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and New Zealand through the BLAKE Ambassador Programme. These BLAKE Ambassadors have worked alongside teams of scientists, conservationists, engineers and conservators on environmental and heritage restoration projects to advance our understanding and address some of the big environmental questions and challenges facing society.
This year there will be 10 BLAKE Ambassador Awards in partnership with Antarctica New Zealand, GNS Science, NIWA, and the Department of Conservation.
The DOC Kākāpō Supplementary Feeding Programme on Whenua Hou / Codfish Island and Takahē Feedout Project – Burwood may be of particular interest to some of your students or staff.
OR
The NIWA marine and aquaculture programmes may be of particular interest to some of your students or staff.
OR
The BLAKE Antarctica New Zealand / GNS Ambassador – Environment and Climate and NIWA atmosphere and climate programmes may be of particular interest to the earth science scientists.
Details and how to apply can be found here: https://blakenz.org/blake-ambassador-programme
Applications close 30 August, 2019.
APRU New York Times Competition
Dear PG students,
I am writing to invite you to participate in the annual Asia-Pacific Case Competition hosted by APRU and The New York Times, with the opportunity to be published in The New York Times International Edition and read by an audience of global thought leaders.
For this competition, teams will be asked to write an 800-word policy brief to a leader in your economy (government, philanthropy, business, NGO etc.) discussing the threats to health from air pollution. What are the solutions you promote? What are the resources necessary? What are the ways that this solution will make an impact? Using resources from The New York Times and beyond, describe the ways that air pollution threatens a healthy economy and promote a solution that would advance the third United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), focused exclusively on health: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”
All entries will be judged by The New York Times awarding-winning newsroom and professional judges from the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, with the winning entry published in The New York Times International, Asia Pacific Edition.
The winning team will also receive a NYT- APRU trophy and NYT gifts with their work being showcased across various APRU platforms including at events, publications and the website. All participants will receive a 4-week digital subscription to the New York Times. The winners will be announced at the APRU Global Health Conference, The University of Hong Kong, November 17-20, 2019.
Find out more information about this competition: https://www.apru-nytimeschallenge.com/ .
Competition Details:
Topic: Global Health: Air Pollution in the Asia- Pacific
Submission deadline: 23 September 2019
All entries must be submitted via email to: submission@apru.org
Website: www.apru-nytimeschallenge.com/
Below, is the link of the winners from last year:
Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me (taylor.sutherland@auckland.ac.nz).
Yours sincerely,
Taylor Sutherland
International Networks Administrator
Prime Ministers in Conversation
On Tuesday 8th October, from 4.30pm, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will be in conversation with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the Fale – they will be discussing “Climate change in transition”.
We have been asked to select a number of students to be in the audience, so if you have a passion for this topic and have an interest in the Netherlands as well as NZ, please send us an email and include a question you might like to ask. Reply emails should be sent to PPI@auckland.ac.nz with “PMs in Conversation” in the subject line by 9am on Wednesday morning (21st August). Please only respond if you are committed to attending as places are limited.
Public Policy Institute
Network Change Outage to B301 All Levels on Thursday 22nd August at 19:00
Connect IT will be making network configuration changes on staff PC’s and Laptops next week.
Affected areas: Building B301 All Levels – Thursday 22nd August starting at 19:00
Impact to you: Network (wired) services will be changing in Building 301 all levels on Thursday 22nd August at 19:00.
There will be a brief network outage of approximately 60 seconds. After this, computers will need to be restarted.
Wireless network access will still be available, however
- You should turn your PC or Laptop off before you leave work on the day of the change.
- If you have any problems connecting to the network the following day, please first restart your PC/laptop
- If the problem continues please log a call with Staff Service Centre
- The Connect IT support team will be on standby the following day from 8:00am until 10:00am to resolve any issues
- If you have problems using RDP to access your PC remotely from outside the office, you will need to log a ticket with Staff Service Centre to confirm you are using your computer host name, not its IP address
Level 1 Assistance Space will be closed in the afternoon of Friday 30 August for the Open Day
Level 1 Assistance Space will be closed in the afternoon of Friday 30 August. The Faculty Marketing will access the space to set up for the Open Day.
Reminder of Earth Science Bickie Briefing
Earth Science Bickie briefing every Thursday morning at 10.30am in the Level 6 break out space. All post grads and staff welcome.
Blair Sowman is on Leave
Our Technical Manager -Blair Sowman is on leave, returning 30 August. Please contact Natalia Abrego (n.abrego@auckland.ac.nz) for laboratory access. Please contact the relevant School technician for other matters, otherwise he will respond when he returns. For urgent matters contact David Jenkinson d.jenkinson@auckland.ac.nz
Rangahau – Research
Staff: find research students via ‘FindaThesis’
FindaThesis is the University’s research project database. It is used by prospective research students who want to search for research projects they can join of for potential supervisors without needing to know which faculty their research interest comes under. So far in 2019 (June), the tool has attracted an averate of 5650 users and 13,800 unique page views per month.
Find out more about how you can get set up in FindaThesis here.
Meetings, seminars and events
ENV Seminar Series – Your attendance will be greatly appreciated!
Join us on Wednesday the 21st of August from 2pm to 3pm in the Old Government House to learn about the fantastic research your colleagues do. All staff members and students from the School of Environment are warmly invited to attend this first (after a long break) School of Environment Seminar Series. We will run the seminars every three months and every time we will have three presenters from different disciplines from the School of Environment. In the upcoming event we will have three presenters:
What happens to contaminants after they are released into the environment? – Melanie Kah
Melanie will give an overview of her research interests into the fate of contaminants in the environment. We will look at a range of contaminants (e.g. hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals, pesticides) and how they interact with surfaces, including soil, biochar and nanomaterials. While understanding these interactions is essential in the context of risk assessment, the knowledge can also be used to develop innovative mitigation and remediation strategies. To illustrate this with a case study, we will talk about nanopesticides (e.g. novel pesticides associated with nanoparticles) and discuss the new risks and benefits associated with the introduction of these novel products in agriculture.
From movement data to understanding human mobility – Katarzyna Sila-Nowicka
Human mobility is vital for understanding expansion processes in urban areas, the establishment of transportation services and the spatial distribution of facilities. Until recently, exploring human mobility in detail was challenging because personal trip data collection methods consisted of expensive and time consuming methods. The development of sensors such as GPS trackers or other wearable devices equipped with various sensors that capture movement data in real-time and at detailed spatial and temporal scales has transformed our ability to collect mobility data. However, even though GPS trackers record an individual’s location and movement very accurately, they do not record essential characteristics of travel behaviour such as travel mode or trip purpose. What can be done to enhance raw movement trajectories in order to uncover these mobility characteristics?
Understanding Mt. Taranaki’s most recent eruption – Geoff Lerner
While Mt. Taranaki has been frequently active over the last 1000 years, it has not erupted in New Zealand’s written history. Knowing when a volcano last erupted has implications for the understanding of both its past and future activity. By determining the age of Taranaki’s most recent eruption and putting this event in the context of the style and frequency of eruptions Taranaki has exhibited in the last millennium, it is possible to gain insight into what possible future activity at the volcano might look like.
Research Experience Awards 2019
Proposals are sought from School of Environment staff and PhD students for the 2019 “Research Experience Awards”. These awards are targeted at providing top-performing undergraduate Stage 2 and 3 students with one week’s (40 hours) research experience working closely with a member of staff or PhD student.
The aim is to encourage successful students to consider postgraduate study at UoA. Award recipients can assist with field work, lab work, or other research activities that are related to PhD or staff research. By taking on a student the host agrees to comply with all relevant OSH and university regulations. Students will be required to write a short one-page reflection after their research experience.
You are invited to email proposed research experience topics and a short paragraph outlining the type of work involved by Friday 30th August to Lorna Strachan l.strachan@auckland.ac.nz. Projects will be advertised to students on Monday 16th September with a closing date of Friday 27th September for applications. You may request a particular student, and this will be taken into consideration, however we cannot guarantee that they will be successful.
Value of Award: A one-week research experience will be valued at $800. PhD students hosting students will receive a $200 top up to their PRESS account, to defray any costs associated with hosting the student.
Procedure: PhD students and staff are invited to put forward 1 potential project. These will be advertised on the internet, and to all students in stage 2 and 3. Applicants will include their top two project preferences, selected from the list of available projects on the internet. A small subcommittee comprising a representative from the Research and PG committees will match students with staff and PhD students, taking into consideration any staff requests. The GPA of students may be taken into consideration if there are a large number of applications. Successful students will receive the payment associated with the award up front in the form of a tax-free stipend, to avoid complicated accounting procedures (e.g. split payments).
Timeframe: Work will be completed in Quarter 4, 2019 Each award recipient is expected to work for one week (~40 hours). This can be spread over the quarter, or be a one week block of work, depending on the task.
Number of Awards: Between 6-8 awards (depending on number of applications received and proposed PhD supervisors).
We look forward to receiving your topic by Friday 30th August
The Research Committee
Poster Competition for the FoS Postgraduate Research Showcase
The 2019 Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Showcase is coming up on 2-18 September 2019.
If you want to share your research with other scientists consider entering into this poster competition! As in previous years, there are significant prizes up for grabs, and the 20 best posters from Science will be entered into the 2019 PGSA Exposure poster competition (7-11 October) where you will be eligible to win further prizes. The Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Showcase will use the same judging criteria for posters as Exposure.
I will give a short presentation on tips for preparing your posters and will try to answer your Q&A regarding this competition on Monday Aug 19th, 11-11:30 in Room 302-G20.
There will be more information on poster preparation circulated soon, but the main dates are below.
| Wednesday 28 August, 12pm | | CAI printing deadline |
| Thursday 29 August, 4pm | | Online registration and poster submission closes (posters should be submitted to the Science Student Centre) |
| 09 – 16 September | Judging | Judging |
| Wednesday 18 September 4-6pm | | Prize giving function |
Eligibility and rules: same as exposure (Exposure Eligibility and rules)
If you are a research masters or doctoral candidate and you have NOT submitted your thesis (including soft-bound), you are eligible to enter. Please click here to see more details.
Best,
Ludmila Adam
ENV Staff Research Forum – Philanthropic Funding: how does it work?
Thursday 26 September 2019 12.00-2.00 pm
OGH, Federation of Graduate Women’s Suite (lunch provided at 1pm in the VC’s Suite)
Please come and join the second Research Forum of the School of Environment.
The Rangahau committee will host a 2-hour Strategic Research Forum on Thursday 26 September. We have invited two speakers to discuss philanthropic funding opportunities and how to shape research funding proposals.
- Kim Collins, Project Manager for Gulf Innovation Fund Together (GIFT), Foundation North. Originally from Palmerston North, Kim attended secondary school in Auckland and has been a resident of Waiheke Island since 2004. Her academic background is in psychology and sociology where she developed an interest in supporting and inspiring positive community change. Through roles in Local Government and the not for profit sector Kim has over 15 years’ experience in grant making and working with community organisations. Through her work at Foundation North Kim has developed a strong passion for the environment and wants to help create a better planet for future generations.
- Anastasia Papadakis, Development Manager, Alumni Relations and Development. Anastasia is based in the Faculty of Science and plays a bridging role in profiling the University of Auckland to philanthropic funders and ensuring that Faculty of Science researchers are aware of philanthropic priorities and research opportunities. Anastasia plans to focus the presentation on the importance of pitching research ideas to donors interests.
Please RSVP here for catering purposes by Friday 13 September. Please send your apologies to Samantha (Samantha.huang@auckland.ac.nz).
School of Environment Research Awards Function
12 November, 11-1 pm, 302-140
Please book your calendar to attend the School of Environment Research Awards Function. A great opportunity to learn about the work and achievements of our colleagues and students. More information will follow soon.
Contact: melanie.kah@auckland.ac.nz
U21 Early Career Researcher Workshop – Water in Society
19-22 November 2019, Lund University, Sweden
The 2019 workshop theme ‘Water in Society’, aims to deepen participants’ understanding of how research impacts on water and sustainability through cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange, skills-sharing and networking. In order to achieve this, the three-day programme will include small group workshops, poster sessions by ECRs, talks by established researchers, and sessions with international and interdisciplinary perspectives on ‘Water in Society’
For further information please contact: internationalnetworks@auckland.ac.nz
Funding Opportunities
WUN RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT FUND (RDF)
The RDF provides grants of up to £10,000, for one year, to augment institutional funds in fostering research collaborations among academic staff (faculty members) at partner universities. The RDF supports work across four WUN Global Challenges that lie at the heart of their mission: Responding to Climate Change, Public Health (non-communicable diseases), Global Higher Education and Research, and Understanding Cultures.
Grants from the RDF are intended to help stimulate larger collaborative projects that will strengthen WUN and make the collaborating partners competitive for major awards. Funds may be used to support such things as exploratory research initiatives, planning workshops, faculty exchanges and the formation of collaborative networks.
Further information (guidelines/proposal form/application process) can be located on the Networks-related funding page
Closing date: Monday 2 September – noon
New publications
- Mark Costello has published papers in Science and Trends in Ecology and Evolution that argue (1) that it is unhelpful and counterproductive to exaggerate the biodiversity crisis as the recent IPBES assessment has done (click here to read the paper) and (2) that, despite hundreds of papers on the topic, that spatial connectivity is not something that conservation scientists need to worry in planning Marine Reserve networks (click here to read the paper).
- Diego M Guido, Kathleen A Campbell, Frédéric Foucher and Frances Westall. (2019) Life is everywhere in sinters: examples from Jurassic hot-spring environments of Argentine Patagonia. Click here to read the paper.
Ako – Teaching and Learning
Ako Innovation Teaching & Learning Seminar: Using LEGO to encourage collaboration in an educational environment
Friday 23rd August · 11-12pm · Building 302, Room 551 (Ontology Lab)
In this interactive talk, Dr Ksenia Chmutina will reflect on her experience of using LEGO for teaching disaster risk reduction to a group of UG architecture and civil engineering students. The ‘Disaster Risk Reduction is Child’s Play’ project aimed at enhancing collaboration among students who would not traditionally work together in an educational environment – but are highly likely to collaborate in industry. Using LEGO and other modular toys has helped to encourage the dialogue among the students and between the students and staff in a problem-based context, and provided solutions to the challenges that multi-disciplinary group work usually faces.
From the learning perspective, the use of LEGO helped the students to define design as the process of investigating a problem and proposing creative responses through the application of modular models and to apply engineering and architectural knowledge as well as creativity and intuition. We have however discovered that architecture students, who are used to hands-on work, are much more willing to engage with using LEGO; civil engineering students did not feel as comfortable and required more encouragement. This reflected the challenge of the multi-stakeholder collaboration and highlighted that LEGO can help building the bridges between disciplines.
Dr Ksenia Chmutina
Senior Lecturer in Sustainable and Resilient Urbanism
School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering
Loughborough University, UK
Enquiries: Mel Wall m.wall@auckland.ac.nz
Talking Teaching Submission deadline extended to 25 August
Talking Teaching is run by the Ako Aotearoa Tertairy Teaching Excellence Academy. The conference showcases excellent teaching practice from teachers across the tertiary sector. It will be held in Auckland this year at Unitec, on Non 28 & 29, with the conference dinner at our Fale. It is very reasonably priced at $250.00.
The theme this year is: Diverse Learners, Inclusive Teaching.
Registrations are open now and abstract submissions is extended to Aug 25. All presentation formats are accepted – see their huge range of suggestions when you enter the website.
Very worthwhile for getting great teaching tips and ideas and networking with innovative tertiary teachers.
Click here for more information.
Classifieds
Job vacancy:
Geography Technician
The School is seeking a Geography Technician to provide technical support to the maintenance and ongoing development of the School of Environment’s Geographical Information Systems (GIS) platforms and associated spatial data management.
This position will also support Human Geography research and teaching activities (including field trips) and provide more general technical support to the School’s Geography facilities including the ongoing functionality of the GeoComputation lab.
Click here to see the advert.
Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 30th August, to Samantha: samantha.huang@auckland.ac.nz