HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

This is an extraordinary year. Today we commemorate the people who lost their lives to hatred in the Christchurch terrorist attack last year. We will share food crafted by our hands and stand together in remembrance and determination to eschew white supremacist ideology and other forms of bigotry and hatred. This University values diversity and is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all. This will be the last communal food sharing activity in ENV until further notice.

COVID-19 presents a real threat to our ability to maintain a safe environment and care for people if they get sick. We must flatten the curve and keep it flat or our health system will not be able to cope with those needing care – and people will need care. COVID-19 is coming at us at the same time as our usual flu season – a time when our hospitals are at full stretch. We must contain and stop the spread of COVID-19. We are in for a long period of disruption and it will have serious implications at an individual and collective level. You will be aware that the Vice-Chancellor has cancelled international travel for all UOA activities and has requested all UOA staff and PG research students to return home. We can anticipate further restrictions on activities as COVID-19 unfolds.

As a School we must act collectively to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our people and our communities. Social distancing is important and will become more so in the coming days and weeks, a point flagged by John Hosking, Dean of Science, in his email to staff this morning. We do not know how the management of social distancing will role out. Decisions at UOA Senior Leadership may come fast and we must be ready to limit the impact on our UG and PG students.

May I please ask all staff and students to:

• Stay home if you are sick or suspect you are sick and contact Healthline if appropriate.
• Increase social distancing:
  • All meetings that can be held by zoom/skype should be held by zoom/skype (CBDBZ: could be done by zoom). This includes small group meetings, committee meetings, supervision meetings.
  • Maintain physical space (1-2 m), and do not handshake, hug, hongi. Practice your East Coast waves.
  • Stop holding ENV communal food/drinks events until further notice
  • Move to webinar /zoom options where possible.
• Create connection to maintain our communities (if you are an ENV PG student here’s a link to a new ENV PG community facebook page)
• All supervisors and PGR students: make your plans now for management of your research over the next 3-6 months.
• Prepare for remote teaching of ALL S1 courses (and think ahead to S2).
  • Students are the core business of the University. We must prioritise maintenance of delivery of high quality courses.
  • Work together in teaching teams to ensure you have a quality plan ready to go if we are instructed to teach remotely. This could happen fast – prepare now.
  • Cancelling courses is not an option – if you cannot figure out how to make it work get in touch with me.

We are all in this together: be sure to let me know early if I have missed something, if you recognize an issue that needs to be resolved or if you need help. And, importantly, please be kind to each other.

Ngā mihi
JR

---

Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

Dear All,

The Rangahau Committee will host a Forum on “Research in the Pacific” on Tuesday 31 March from 12:00 – 13:00pm in Fale Pasifika, followed by lunch (13:00 – 14:00). All staff are welcome to join. Research active staff are expected to attend. Please RSVP here for catering purpose by Monday 23 March. Please advise Samantha (Samantha.huang@auckland.ac.nz) if you are an apology. We have a great list of speakers:

• Ward Friesen, School of Environment, “Human Geography research centred on the Pacific”
• Murray Ford, School of Environment, “Physical Geography and Earth Science research centred on the Pacific”
• Melani Anae, Director Research, Centre for Pacific Studies, Faculty of Arts.  Melani will discuss her research interests and the role of research in the Centre for Pacific Studies
• Jeff Nikoia, Director Strategic Growth, UniServices. Jeff will outline some of the activities UniServices is involved with in the Pacific
• Brenda Star, Trustee, Pacific Development and Conservation Trust.   Brenda will outline the work of the Trust to support development and conservation in the Pacific

We look forward to seeing you at the Forum,

The Rangahau Committee

PhD enrolment extensions

Would supervisors please bear in mind that PhD students don’t need an enrolment extension until they have completed four years of FTE enrolment. We are getting a few unnecessary formal requests coming through (DOC-6 forms). In some cases it may be that there is confusion with scholarship extensions, but these are a separate matter (dealt with by the Scholarships Office).

Thanks, Anthony

(PhD Advisor)

Calling for volunteers for a fun day doing volcano and earthquake experiments with children!

Event: MOTAT Science STEM Fair

Where: MOTAT, Museum of Transport and Technology, Great North Road

Date: Sunday 5 April 2020 (as of 13 March it’s still on…)

Time: We need help between 9 am and 5 pm, for the whole time or an hour or two or anything in between

Who: Join the DEVORA (Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland) and QuakeCORE outreach groups. No experience needed, just enthusiasm and joy: You’re helping children be excited about science!

https://www.motat.org.nz/experience/events/science-stem-fair/

Please contact Kate katelk@auckland.ac.nz or Michaela mdob102@aucklanduni.ac.nz

The Geography Auckland (NZGS Auckland) newsletter

The Auckland branch of NZGS promotes the activities of geographers and the development of the discipline in the Auckland region. It has proven an effective platform for hosting and sponsoring public seminars and workshops, and talks by prominent local and international geographers; running competitions for schools; providing opportunities for young geographers to attend conferences; and for bringing geographers together to discuss issues of public and disciplinary concern.

What’s on?
2020 GEONIGHT (International Night of Geography)
Wednesday 1st April 2020
Geography Auckland is joining the World International Night of Geography
Science Centre
University of Auckland
Building 302 Room 140
4.00pm – Start
___________________________
Celebrate Geography,
Get excited
Karen Fisher (k.fisher@auckland.ac.nz)
June.logie@me.com (secretary)

Click here to read more.

Meetings, seminars and events

School of Environment Careers Expo 2020

7th April 12.00-2.00 pm, Room 302-140

School of Environment Shared Fundraising Morning Tea for the Victims of the Christchurch Terrorist Attack

If you missed the morning tea yesterday, it is still not too late to donate. Please contact Mel Wall (m.wall@auckland.ac.nz). Thanks

All proceeds to Our People, Our City Fund which supports the families and Muslim communities impacted by the white supremacist terrorist attack on March 15, 2019 (https://christchurchfoundation.org.nz/giving/our-people-our-city-fund/donate)

Earth Sciences Bickie briefing

Earth Sciences Bickie briefing is every Thursday morning at 10.30am in the Level 6 break out space. It’s a chance to share announcements, get updates on academic and research events and deadlines, and share highlights from the past week. All postgrads and staff welcome.

Volcanology, Geochemistry, & Petrology Research Group

The volcanology, geochemistry, & petrology research group (VGP) meets during the semester. Our next meeting will be on 17 March 2020 at 9 am in 303-G16. Nathan Collins will be giving a talk about his work entitled “Geochemical insights into shallow magmatic processes and transitioning eruption styles, Ambae, Vanuatu”! As always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings. After this meeting, for the foreseeable future, we will be moving to holding VGP meetings as Zoom meetings. This includes next week’s meeting in which David Farsky will be practicing his proposal talk titled “Source, loss, and content of the deep magmatic volatiles (CO2, He) of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand.” After setting up the Zoom meetings, I will send out details on how to join to everyone invited to the calendar invite. If you would like to be added to this list, please email me (s.tsang@auckland.ac.nz). Thank you for being flexible on this front. Additionally, if you have any updates (including new students or projects) you would like to see on the website or would like to contribute a blog post, please email David (dfar197@aucklanduni.ac.nz). For more information, please see our website: vgp.blogs.auckland.ac.nz See you soon!

---

Ako – Teaching and Learning

Three members of the Waterways team at Auckland Council will make a special presentation on stream management issues in the Auckland region in the GEOG 331 class on Friday 20th March, from 10am-12noon. Any staff/student is welcome to attend this special session. It is in the Clock Tower, G10.

The following week, Ed Baynes, a Post Doc in Engineering, will make a one hour presentation from 10-11 in the same room, outlining his field and experimental work on sediment pulses in river systems. Same room – again, anyone welcome to attend (Friday 27th March, 10-11 am, Clock Tower, G10).

And finally, there will be a rivers symposium at UoA on Tuesday April 28th, from 1-5pm. B303, room G16. See the flyer below.

Get it Write – Academic Article Writing Workshop

Hosted by FMHS (open to all Faculties) and geared towards postgraduate students and early career academics:

---

Rangahau – Research

Meetings, seminars and events

Master Research Seminars

25 and/or 26 May 2020.
Mini-seminars by masters thesis students who are completing mid-year. All are invited. Supervisors should be there to support their students. Detailed programme still to be arranged.
Phil Shane
(Masters advisor)

Title: Flux, Origin and Pathway of Greenhouse Gas Emission from the Taupo Volcanic Zone
Presented by Tsung-Han Jimmy Yang

Date: Monday, 16 March
Time: 12 noon
Venue: 302-551

Title: Automating seismic data analysis and interpretation- CANCELLED due to COVID-19 concerns

(Please remove this seminar from your calendar)

Presented by Sergey Fomel, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA

Date: Monday, 30 March
Time: 12 PM
Venue: 303 – G16

Title: Dispersion and Morphodynamics in Estuarine and Nearshore Waters
Presented by Gaoyang Li (PhD Proposal)

Date: Wednesday, 18 March
Time: 2pm
Venue: 302-551

Research and Funding Opportunities

Sustainable Seas Ko ngā moana whakauka National Science Challenge

Innovation Fund

The purpose of the $2M Innovation Fund is to fund two-year research projects that will contribute directly to building a ‘blue economy’ in Aotearoa. The expected value of projects is from $50K to $250K max. There is a two stage application process with Expression of Interests to be completed via the EoI online submission form – by 12 noon, Monday 18 May 2020.  The Request for proposals (RFP) document contains further details including the application and assessment process, timeline, project values, scope, and criteria. Please let Kelly or Kathryn know if you are going to apply so we can assist with the indicative budget and faculty approvals prior to EOI submission.

Research funding

The Faculty is calling for applications for two internal funds by Monday 30 March:

• The Nearmiss Fund provides funding ($10K max.) for up to 6 PIs who successfully progressed to the second stage of a major funding round, but missed out at the final stage.
• The PhD publications Fund is a strategic initiative being trialled through FRDF funding. This funding ($4K max.) is to support 5-8 students as  research assistants to write up thesis results for publications (One application per PI).

Details and application form will be online here soon (or email Kelly or Kathryn and we will send you the guidelines and application form).

Please email your completed applications to Wendy Rhodes (w.rhodes@auckland.ac.nz) by 30 March. 

Rutherford Discovery Fellowships

The Rutherford Discovery Fellowships (RDF) supports the development of future research leaders, and assist with the retention of New Zealand’s talented early to mid-career researchers.

Eligibility: Applicants must be a NZ citizen or hold a NZ resident visa and continuously resided in NZ for at least three (3) months prior to application; and have had their PhD conferred between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2017.

Value:  Ten (10) Fellowships, up to $160,000 p.a. each for five (5) years in length will be awarded in 2020.

The Fellowships consist of:

− $70,000 per year contribution towards researcher’s salary

− $60,000 per year contribution towards research related expenses

− $30,000 per year host contribution to support Fellow’s research programme.

 Deadline: 9 am, Monday 6 April 2020

 Further details: See the Rutherford Discovery Fellowships website

If you are interested in applying, please have a chat to JR.  More information can be obtained from your RPC (Kathryn Howard or Kelly Kilpin).

Fulbright New Zealand – Fulbright Specialist Awards

Fulbright Specialist Awards are for New Zealand institutions to host US academics, artists or professionals for lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences or symposiums. Up to five awards are granted each year, towards two to six-week programmes of activities.

 Eligibility:  The period of award is 2-6 weeks (the exchange must start at least 6 weeks after the Fulbright closing date and within 12 months of application

 Value: The awards are valued at up to US $11,700 and cover the Specialist’s flights between the US and NZ, and a daily honorarium. Up to six awards will be made.  The host needs to provide accommodation, meals and transport within NZ. No money is awarded to the host institution

 Internal Deadline:  Monday 23 March 2020

 Further details:  See the funders website

Teaching & Learning Research Initiative – Expression of Interest

 In 2020 there are two pathways to funding:

1.       Open pathway: open to proposals from all contexts and settings that meet the criteria

2.       Whatua tū aka: for projects that meet the criteria for a kaupapa Māori project

 Eligibility:  To be eligible for the fund, proposals need to come from partnerships involving teachers and researchers.   In the context of the TLRI, teachers are defined as education and training practitioners. The category of education and training practitioners may include, but is not limited to: teachers in kindergartens, early childhood centres, kōhanga reo and Pasifika language nests; teachers in kura, primary, intermediate, and secondary schools; and lecturers, tutors, and trainers working in post-school settings such as universities, wānanga, polytechnics, private training establishments (PTEs), industry training organisations (ITOs) and workplace settings

 Value:  Funding provided for Projects for 1, 2, or 3 years duration with a maximum of $150,000 per year appropriate for scale and scope of proposed project.

There is a maximum of $450,000 across the life of the project

 Internal Deadline:  Thursday 23 April 2020

 Further details:  See the funders website

New publications

1. Schuurman, N., Martin, M. E., Crooks, V. A., & Randall, E. (2020). Where to enhance rural palliative care? Developing a spatial model to identify suitable communities most in need of service enhancement. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 168. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-5024-y
2. Martin, M. E., & Schuurman, N. (2020). Social Media Big Data Acquisition and Analysis for Qualitative GIScience: Challenges and Opportunities. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2019.1696664 

---

Classifieds

Job opening – Stallard Scientific Editing

Stallard Scientific Editing is seeking part-time (freelance) and full-time scientific editors, working from home, in the following specialist fields: seismology, tectonics, structural geology, regional geology, economic geology, igneous and metamorphic geology, atmospheric science, meteorology, and climatology.

The work involves editing scientific manuscripts (written by non-native speakers) for consistency, correct grammar, correct use of English, and readability, without altering the scientific content or changing the author’s meaning.

It has been clarified that recent graduates or even PhD candidates submitted but awaiting defence are welcome to apply. To apply, please contact Aaron Stallard at office@stallardediting.com.

Read more here.

Graduate Programme 21: awesome opportunity

Parks services unit, Auckland Council. See this link.

---

Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 27th March, 1pm to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz

HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to Semester 1! Once again the corridors and access ways are buzzing with new and returning students. Please keep an eye out for the lost ones and take time to help them out.

It’s a challenging start to the year with COVID-19 hitting home (see staff guide here). The Faculty has been working hard to ensure students caught up in the travel ban can participate in courses remotely. This requires a high commitment from all teaching teams – thank you to all who are making remote learning possible. Planning forward, I think it would be useful for all Semester 1 teaching teams to consider how courses could be transferred to remote learning if necessary. Likewise, it would be sensible for all PG research students and staff to start thinking about a ‘working from home’ plan on the off-chance we shut the doors. I’ll be looking into this over the next few days and will provide more guidance once I’ve got my head around the UOA pandemic plan.

If you have international travel planned or are about to embark on RSL, you may be rethinking itineraries. Please pay careful attention to the insurance info and the MFAT Safe Travel site. The School picks up the tab for any travel cancellations – in practice this means you need to be able to cover the costs via slush funds/research accounts or if this is not possible you will need to have a conversation with me noting that 2020 is a tight year. For those on RSL, the Faculty appreciates that you may need to make major changes to your itineraries. This will require some paperwork but there shouldn’t be any issues. As best I understand the situation, you still need to be overseas for 6 weeks to get the GIA.

Thanks to all who participated in the ENV Kaupapa 2020 event. The RSL reports were fantastic! I’m working my way through the questions and comments and will bring them back to the School in the next edition of p-cubed. The Kaupapa for 2020 is impact and excellence and we are kicking off three projects: Pacific Engagement (Sonia), Work and Wellbeing (David), and Knowledge Mobilisation (Marie).

And, to finish on a high note, I am delighted to advise that Mel Wall received the 2019 Dean’s Award for Teaching (Sustained Excellence). Well done Mel, thoroughly well deserved!

Ngā mihi

JR

---

Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

School of Environment upcoming events for your diary (courtesy of the Student Experience Committee)

• Thursday 5th March 12-2 pm Welcome to ENV bbq for stage 1 and 2 students (outside building 301)
• Thursday 12th March 12-2 pm Welcome to ENV bbq for stage 3 and PG students (outside building 301)
• Thursday 2nd April 12-2 pm Sports event 1 Volleyball (+bbq)
• Tuesday April 7th Careers expo (time and room to be confirmed)
• Wednesday 13th May 6 pm Quiz night
• Thursday 21st May 4-5 pm Sports event 2 NavEvent (orienteering)
• Monday 13th July Matariki celebration
• Wednesday 19th August 12-2 pm Sports event 3 Nostalgia games (+bbq)
• Friday 25th September Entries due for ENV Film Competition
• Wednesday 30th September 4-6 pm Sports event 4 Soccer (+bbq)
• Saturday 3rd October 3 ENV Ball
• October 5th-9th October Mental Health Awareness week

Code of Conduct

The code of conduct for the university and associated guidelines are now on the web. The purpose of this Code is to develop and maintain a standard of behaviour that supports and enables the University’s commitment to being a safe, inclusive, equitable and respectful community. The Code of Conduct applies to all members of the University community – staff and students. Please feel free to post the code in offices and on CANVAS.

Spending ENV $$ and Cost Codes

If you are claiming expenses or arranging POs you need to use the correct cost codes. There are codes for ‘cost centres’: ENV is 4140; RDA is 8774; HOD is 8674; RE is 4200. Full list here. If you are claiming anything against the ENV cost centre, you must use the correct Project and Product codes.

Academics please note, the only $$ you can spend without prior approval are your Professional Development funds, if you are eligible. Use Project # 15408 and your personal product code.

For other expenditure and codes, contact:

• Rangahau: research support (opportunities); PBRF; Hay, Bartrum, Cumberland lecture support (Giovanni)
• Ako Innovation: teaching grants, new initiatives (Mel)
• Ako: Academic programmes, courses, field trips, GTA/TA support, driving assessments (David)
• Ako: Curriculum development (Robin)
• Whakawhanaungatanga: Student experience (Joe); Outreach (JR); Equity (Sonia); General (Karen)
• IT: software, hardware (Ingo)
• Technical support, repairs, maintenance (Blair)

Technical Support for Semester 1

Please send your technical support requirements for semester one to Blair.
Email dates that you require technician support, how many technicians you need and what they are needed for.
This includes both teaching and research support.

Notice:

Microscopy Lab – Te Taiwhanga Ngsaruiti is now open in 302-489. The lab has two new True Chrome Tucsen cameras to increase the capacity of the micro-imaging suit, general purpose microscopes (for micro-palaeontology, picking/viewing samples, microphotography) and additional petrographic microscopes.

 

First aid training

The School is looking to run a few first aid training sessions for staff and students.

For staff the cost of this will be covered by the School; students will be charged against their account. Dates are TBA once we have numbers confirmed.

Full (comprehensive) courses take 2 full days. Revalidation takes 1 day.

Please send Blair an email if you are interested in attending.  

Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards

Nominations for the Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards opened on February 1st and below is information regarding the categories, how to apply and links to further information.

The key difference for nominations this year is that all nominations are to be initiated using the online nomination form. Once completed, a copy must be sent to Faculty Office for initial assessment. Please send your completed nomination form to Margot Spraggon by no later than 6^th March.

Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards

There are three main categories:

1. Professional Staff (containing 5 awards),
2. Health, Safety & Wellbeing
3. Environmental Sustainability.

Professional staff may be nominated for all categories while academic staff and students may be nominated for the Health, Safety & Wellbeing and Environmental Sustainability categories.

These awards recognise and reward excellence in a wide variety of activities that contribute to the University’s teaching, research and community service endeavours.  These awards complement the existing Research Excellence Awards and Teaching Excellence Awards.

Nominations are assessed firstly by the faculty/service division leadership team with final nominations signed off by the Dean/Director.  Each faculty/service division will set their own deadline for the submission of nominations for the initial review, before the final nominations are sent through to POD by the faculty/service division leadership teams for consideration.

Important Information

• Nominations without endorsement from Dean/Director will not be deemed as valid and will not be presented to the selection committee.
• The maximum individual/team amount to be awarded per category will be $2000.
• The awards will be presented by the Vice-Chancellor at a function held for the occasion on Tuesday 12 May.

Further information about these awards can be found on the staff intranet

Meetings, seminars and events

The IT Committee has met on Tue., 25 Feb

A few notes:

• Computers in teaching laboratories: Please be prepared for potential teething problems in the first week of the semester.  The recent switch to Windows 10 may cause some older computers to slow down.  Please also inform your TAs.  Please let me know if you are having any serious problems – I’ll pass this on. 
• FlexIT: IT encourages us to use FlexIT for teaching labs. and more generally. Essentially, FlexIT provides a virtual desktop with the software from the lab. images (and more) installed.  Please check the following information: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/my-tools/flex-it.html
• Databases:  Several people are considering mirroring national or international databases (e.g., in my case, NZP&M’s petroleum exploration data).  Please let me know if you are having similar thoughts.  This effort could be hugely beneficial for research and teaching and would best be coordinated. Ingo (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz)

School of Environment Shared morning tea

Monday 16th March, 10.30- 11.30am, 302-6th floor

If possible, please bring a plate of food to share which reminds you of home.

Also, if you are able and willing, can you please bring cash for a donation. All proceeds to Our People, Our City Fund (administered by the Registered Charity The Christchurch Foundation). The fund supports the families and Muslim communities impacted by the white supremacist terrorist attack on March 15, 2019 (https://christchurchfoundation.org.nz/giving/our-people-our-city-fund/donate)

Any questions, please contact Mel Wall (m.wall@auckland.ac.nz)

Can You Feel It? On the Complex Role of Emotions and Affects in Policy Making

Seminar: Professor Michael Orsini
Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies | School of Political Studies (University of Ottawa)
Friday 6 March — 12.30-2.30pm
Pat Hanan Room (207-501)
This presentation focuses on some of the contentious policy narratives that circulate around fatness and ‘obesity’, and explores how these are structured by intersections of race, class, disability, and gender. Drawing on interviews with researchers, policy makers and people living with ‘obesity’ or who self-identify as fat, I am interested in how different orderings of emotions – or “feeling rules” — help us to think about the ways in which emotions and affects are discursively managed in complex (and emotionally charged) policy environments. Moving beyond conventional approaches to policy analysis that privilege rationalist forms of inquiry, I ask how processes of meaning-making are influenced by the ways in which certain emotions are deployed in contexts where the policy interventions themselves involve stigmatized populations about whom particular emotions might be attached.
Read more

Staff training to work with Māori and Pacific peoples

Enabling cultural capability: building confidence, awareness and understanding for those working with Māori and Pacific peoples

This project will build the cultural capacity of the School of Environment staff to understand and work with Māori and Pacific knowledges and peoples.  Policies within the University and external organisations require staff to acknowledge the unique cultural attributes of Māori and Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand; however, staff often feel they lack the ability to do so. This project will provide staff with opportunities to redress this. In a series of meetings and workshops (facilitated by external cultural experts) throughout 2020, staff will be supported to transform their teaching and/or research practices.

This project will be relevant to those staff who are working with Māori and Pacific students, applying for external grants within Aotearoa New Zealand, engaged in fieldwork that is of relevance to Māori and Pacific communities, and those considering promotion/continuation, among others.

This project is funded by a University of Auckland Learning Enhancement Grant. Anyone who is keen to participate in this staff training is warmly welcome to. Please email Sonia (s.fonua@auckland.ac.nz) to indicate your interest. 

Kāinga Wāhine shared lunch

The School of Environment Equity Committee invites all ENV postgraduate students and staff who identify as women to join us for the first Kāinga Wāhine shared lunch of the year, on 12^th March 1-2pm in the Ontology Lab, Rm 302.551. No RSVP required – please bring a plate to share! 

 We will circulate future dates in advance – look out for posters around the School, and a calendar invite. Contact Emma Sharp with any queries. 

This first meeting also marks the week of International Women’s Day (8th March). The Faculty of Science Women in Science network is putting on an International Women’s Day morning tea on Monday March 9th, 10:30-11:30, in the 6th floor common area of building 302, to celebrate the occasion. 

Earth Sciences Bickie briefing

Earth Sciences Bickie briefing is every Thursday morning at 10.30am in the Level 6 break out space. It’s a chance to share announcements, get updates on academic and research events and deadlines, and share highlights from the past week. All postgrads and staff welcome.

Volcanology, Geochemistry, & Petrology Research Group

The volcanology, geochemistry, & petrology research group (VGP) meets during the semester. Our meetings for the first semester of 2020 will be on 10 March 2020 at 9 am in 303-G16. We will be conducting practice talks for the upcoming Chapman Conference on distributed volcanism! As always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings. If you have any updates (including new students or projects) you would like to see on the website or would like to contribute a blog post, please email him (dfar197@aucklanduni.ac.nz). For more information, please see our website: vgp.blogs.auckland.ac.nz See you soon!

---

Ako – Teaching and Learning

ENV AKO

The School’s online Academic Guide has been around since 2016. This is primarily a resource for academic staff and especially course coordinators. It can be accessed from P-Cubed through the How to do stuff menu (at the top) and has been referred to frequently in recent posts.

ENV AKO will be its Canvas-based successor. Semester 1 Course Coordinators have already been receiving announcements via this Canvas ‘course’, and all remaining teaching staff will soon be receiving invitations to join. Please note:

• The ENV Academic Guide is still available – either directly or as a plug-in through ENV AKO.
• ENV AKO is under development and functions will be rolled-out over the next few months.

 If you do not receive an invitation (from Canvas) please contact our Group Services Administrator, Alex.

Assessment for Covid-19 travel-ban students

AKO Innovation Committee will run an informal round-table conversation (with lunch) on Tuesday 3 March from 12pm in 302.551 (Ontology Lab). This is primarily for staff teaching Semester 1 courses with students ‘attending’ at a distance (from China). Please advise Mel Wall if you would like to attend.

Software for Covid-19 travel-ban students

The University has updated its list of software that can be used by China-based students. This may be found on the Coronavirus outbreak page – which is worth keeping a check on.

---

Rangahau – Research

Funding model  for postgraduate students

Starting this year we have modified the funding model from the School for postgraduate students so please make sure your students are aware (they will also hear about this during orientations over the next two weeks) and that you have discussed this when filling out the PD3B forms.
• PGDipSci: School of Environment will cover printing expenses (up to $150).
• Honours will stay the same ($350).
• MSc: The allocation needs to be reduced from $2000 to $1000 (with $150 for thesis binding)
• MEG/MENV (90pt research component): $750 (with $150 for thesis binding)
• MENV (30pt): same as Honours ($350).

Printing costs for postgraduate students are allocated in $50 allotments, covered by the School of Environment (not part of the allotment). For allocations and top-ups see Group services administrator Alexandra Soudlenkova

Once the allocations are spent, students may apply for a top-up of their funds- please send top up requests to Chris Struthers at env-pgadmin@auckland.ac.nz. However, these requests must be justified and consistent with anticipated expenses in their PD3B forms.

News

A temporary adieu to Amy Weir, one of the Faculty’s Research Programme Coordinators supporting researchers in the School of Environment, who has been appointed to a 10 month secondment as a Research Programme Manager to support researchers in the School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Marine Science. Researchers Amy was supporting in the School, will now be supported by Ivana Mlinac or Kathryn Howard.  The researchers supported by Kelly Kilpin remains the same. 

 If you’d like to clarify who your primary research support contact is, please email Kathryn at Kathryn.Howard@auckland.ac.nz. But of course you are welcome to contact any of us with any research queries at any time – we (Kelly, Ivana and Kathryn) are ready to assist you. 

Meetings, seminars and events

Title: Regional to reservoir stress-induced seismic azimuthal anisotropy

Presented by Lisa Gavin, Woodside Energy, Perth, Australia

Date: Friday, 6 March
Time: 2 – 3 PM
Venue: 303 – G14

You can find the flyer here.

 

Title: Automating seismic data analysis and interpretation

Presented by Sergey Fomel, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA

Date: Monday, 30 March
Time: 12 PM
Venue: 303 – G16

You can find the flyer here 

Title: Just deserts? Charitable organisations, geography and inequality in contemporary Britain

Presented by Professor John Mohan
Date: Thursday 12th March 12noon – 1pm
Venue: Ontology Lab
You can find the flyer

Unlocking the potential of terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides on tectonically active rock coasts

Aidan McLean

Wednesday, March 4th · 10am · Ontology Lab 302-551

Title: Is the concept of coastal resilience useful for coastal communities? A pilot study for England

Presented by Prof. Ian Townend, visiting from Southampton University 
Date: Wed 11 March 2020, 3pm
Venue: Coastal Lab, building 302, 4^th floor

Vision Mātauranga Wānanga sessions:

These sessions are provided by Kaiarahi Geremy Hema from UniServices.

March Session

Date and Time: Wed, 25 March 2020 10:00AM – 12:00PM, Location: Sir Owen G Glen Building: Case Room 4 / 260-009, Auckland

To register: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/uniservices-vision-matauranga-monthly-wananga-march-2020-tickets-94718803491

April Session

Date and Time: Wed, 22 April 2020 10:00AM – 12:00PM, Location: Science Centre Building 303Room 101, Symonds Street, Auckland

To register: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/uniservices-vision-matauranga-monthly-wananga-april-2020-tickets-92999450861

These sessions will cover:

• What VM seeks to achieve (beyond the words of the policy, advancement and protection of Mātauranga Māori)
• Engagement best practice, and
• Iwi expectations.

These two hour sessions will include:

• A one hour presentation
• 30 minutes Q&A
• Time to meet and greet other colleagues, Uni staff, and the UniServices team

Research and Funding Opportunities

Call for Scholarship applications

Doctoral Research Scholarship: Fostering Inclusion and Equity in Disaster Risk Reduction

3-year Doctoral Scholarship
The University of Auckland

The University of Auckland is awarding a 3-year PhD Scholarship from mid-2020 – 2023 as part of Resilience to Nature’s Challenges (RNC) research programme, Kia manawaroa – Ngā Ākina o Te Ao Tūroa. The scholarship is available to students of all nationalities. The starting date is any time from mid-2020. The successful applicant will be working with JC Gaillard (The University of Auckland) and relevant co-supervisors, with a preference for being located in Auckland.

Closing Date for Applications: 31 March 2020

Read more

---

Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 13th March, 1pm to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz