Issue 24- Monday 20th January 2020
Contents
HeadSup
Kia ora koutou me te tau hou
Welcome to 2020! Every so often I like to purchase an artwork to support the fine arts in New Zealand. My recent purchase is a fluoresecent light installation by Deborah Rundle that draws upon the Prison Notebooks of Italian neo-Marxist Antonio Gramsci to examine his notion of common sense. The art work and Gramsci seemed appropriate as I watched in despair as the burnt ecosystems of Australia darkened our skies in the middle of a summer afternoon. The work that we do in this School, and how we mobilise the knowledge we create for societal and global benefit, is extraodinarily important. I’m wilfully optimistic that in this decade we will positively impact decision-making for a more sustainable future.
As the last decade wrapped up we had some great news. Brendan Hall was recognised by the Faculty of Science for his sustained contribution with a 2019 Professional Staff Excellence Award – well done Brendan! Mila and Murray were promoted to SL over the bar, Martin and Karen made Associate Professor, and JC and Jan were promoted to Professor! Congratulations to you all. The last events of the year, the Staff end-of-year and Doctoral Students’ celebrations, were marvellous occasions – thanks to all who created and hosted these events (Alex, Samantha, Sila, Karen, Nick).
As usual for this time of year, staff have been coming and going. Robin, Murray, Jan, Jennifer E., Tom, Kevin, George, Hong-Key, Brad, Kathy and Melissa are back from research and study leave – we look forward to hearing tales of your adventures. Annie, Martin and Ingo are on RSL for Semester 1 and Sam is on leave for the whole year. Best wishes for a productive and regenerative time.
Our new staff have arrived and are settling in: James Muirhead has joined the Earth Sciences team; and Thomas Mules and David Adams have joined our Technical Services team. Welcome to you all. Other staffing news: Dr Ingrid Ukstins has accepted a fixed-term appointment with us to contribute to the ‘Transitioning Taranaki to a Volcanic Future’ MBIE project, and will join us from Semester 1. In addition, I have asked Ingrid to enhance our impact in geohazards teaching spaces. Ingrid’s position is cost-neutral to the School. The search for an Environmental Geography/Environmental Management Lecturer is underway, we are making progress with the Professor in Environmental Management position (I hope to provide more detail in the next couple of weeks), and the Kaiwhakaako Mātai PTF position should be advertised this week.
Good luck to all our Masters students who are in the final throws of thesis preparation – go hard, go well! And, thanks to all who have suffered the disruptions to workspaces in Building 301 – your forebearance is greatly appreciated (see below for update).
Ngā mihi
JR
Whakawhanaungatanga – communities
Building activity Level 4, 301: progress
The 301 central zone (Nick R, Mila, Sila, Barry) is on track for completion 31 January.
The 301 east zone (Nick L, Kathy, Ingo, Mel, Michael R, Lorna, Adnan, Franz, Valentine, Alec, Pooja, Tatiana) is on track for completion 15 February.
Sector 100 & 300 Building closures: St Jerome’s Laneway Festival 2020
Please note that Sectors 100 and 300 will again be fenced off and unavailable for general use for the Laneway Festival on Auckland Anniversary Day Monday 27th Jan.
There is provision to allow staff and post-graduate students to undertake essential work only with HoD approval as you will have to be escorted through the perimeter. Going by last January, there is only 1 entry point per sector along Symonds St. If you would like special access on that day, please complete the special entry approval form here by Tuesday 21 January. Then Samantha will obtain approval from HoS and send the approvals to Facilities.
Notes
• People not listed on a signed approval form will be refused entry through the perimeter.
• Requesters must bring their own access cards to gain access to the buildings (the independent Security firm on the perimeter will not be able to provide access to the buildings).
• In the event of an emergency, unplanned access will still be possible by contacting Campus Security.
• The perimeter will be erected starting on the Friday but access will only be restricted on the Monday.
Visiting Scientists
Dr Chunli Li (State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China) is visiting Luitgard Schwendenmann until November 2020. Chunli will work on dissolved organic carbon in grassland and forest soils.
Welcome!
Welcome David Adams – Senior Technician Geochemistry
David Joined the University on the 20th of December as the new Senior Technician – Geochemistry. He will be looking after our brand new JEOL 8530F Plus field-emission electron microprobe, iLab and will act as a backup for the ICP-MS if needed. If you are looking for him he will either be in the microprobe lab, or in the office he shares with Natalia; 302.731.
He comes to the University of Auckland from the Denver Microbeam Lab at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Denver, Colorado. David has a Bachelor of Arts degree in German Language with a minor in Geology from and a Master of Science degree in Geology with a focus on volcanology and igneous petrology Baylor University in Texas, USA. David worked on a PhD in Geology at Oregon State University (OSU) and the beginning of his study briefly overlapped with the end of Mike Rowe’s PhD studies at OSU. David has a broad range of work and analytical instrumentation experience beginning during his Master’s degree study when he repaired and maintained the old Baylor University Geology Department’s AMR1000 Scanning Electron Microscope and used the universities electron microprobe and XRF in his Master’s thesis study of peralkaline rhyolites from Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA.
Following his time at OSU David worked in the USGS Mineral Resources team Denver Microbeam Lab for four years gaining experience and expertise in JEOL microprobes, and SEMs as well as LA-ICP-MS, XRD, XRF, USGS standard reference material creation, Raman, FTIR, and MicroCT. Since then he has worked with the EPA, the University of Western Australia, Macquarie University and again at USGS.
We are very excited to have David join us.
Welcome!
Alutsyah Luthfian (Fian) from Indonesia has joined the School of Environment to undertake a DeVORA-funded PhD project “Multiparameter geophysical study on monogenetic volcano architecture, and the role of basement structure” focussing on the Auckland and Whangarei Volcanic Fields. Fian will be supervised by Jennifer Eccles (ENV) and Craig Miller (GNS Wairakei).
Taranaki field trip
Dr. Geoff Lerner led a field trip of 10 keen PhD students to Taranaki last weekend! Here he pointed out some interesting geology he studied during his PhD, including lahar, pyroclastic flows and tephra deposits. Check out some photos from the trip showing how much everyone lavaed it!
Link here!
New ENV Vehicle – Electric Hybrid
The School has purchased a new Mitsubishi Outlander PHeV electric hybrid to replace the ageing Hilux.
If you wish to read about the vehicle you will find the info here https://www.mmnz.co.nz/vehicles/outlander-phev/
With a 55km EV range, 1.9L/100km combined efficiency range and a 25 minute fast charge its a great addition to our fleet.
This is the first EV the Faculty has purchased and we are hoping that technology allows us to replace all our vehicles in the future with EVs.
The University is working on an EV Charging policy at the moment, and we are hoping we can get a fast charger installed somewhere close.
Thomas and Andres have kindly agreed to be photographed showing off how great the new vehicle looks!
Volunteer opportunity:
Can you spare an hour or two?
The Department of Conservation are looking for 3-4 volunteers to assist with a marine reserve awareness event on 27th January 2020 at Long Bay Marine reserve, Auckland. This event is part of a wider program aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of Marine Reserve engagement and Education in Tāmaki Makaurau.
The plan of the day is to run some informal rocky shore surveys to help visitors to Long Bay an understanding of some of the key habitats, species and features protected within the reserve. Volunteers will be asked to assist with species identification and helping to excite people about the importance of marine reserves
For more information please email Brittany at btrask@doc.govt.nz
Rangahau – Research
Meetings, seminars and events
The University of Auckland Early Career Research Excellence Awards and Research Excellence Medals
The 2020 round for University of Auckland Early Career Research Excellence Awards and Research Excellence Medals are now open
The University of Auckland Early Career Research Excellence Award recognises and promotes excellence and research leadership potential among our emerging researchers. The award aims to enable early career researchers to further their current research, establish stronger links with researchers in other parts of the world, or embark on new fields of research. Early career researchers who completed their PhD or equivalent no more than eight years ago and are in the early years of developing a research career are eligible to apply. This is a University Research Committee (UARC) award and there are six awards annually, of up to $25,000 per award.
The University of Auckland Research Excellence Medals are presented to individuals and small research teams in recognition of single projects/programmes which have made an outstanding contribution to one or more academic disciplines and/or fields of study in the last five years.
Research Excellence Medals include:
- Separate categories for individuals and for small research teams, with up to two Medals presented in each category (a total of up to four Medals annually). Awardees are presented with a medal and funds that can be received as a prize or grant: $5000 for individual winners and $10,000 for winning teams.
- Distinguished Professors are eligible to apply as Principal Investigators.
The 2020 guidelines and application forms are available from Resources – Strategic initiatives and prizes and awards.
Please let Kelly, Ivana, Amy or Kathryn know if you are thinking of applying. Completed applications are due to Wendy Rhodes (w.rhodes@auckland.ac.nz) by Monday 2 March 2020 (midnight).
Title: Hydrothermal vents or hydrothermal fields: Where can life begin?
Speaker: Dr. David Deamer
Date: Friday 7th February
Time: 12-1pm
Venue: 302-G20
You can find the flyer here.
Speaker: Kevin Blanchard
Date: Thursday 30th January
Time: 11am-1pm
Venue: 302-551 (Ontology Lab)
You can find the flyer here.
Title: 60 Hours on Burning Kangaroo Island
Speaker: Kennedy Warne
Date: Wednesday 22nd January
Time: 12noon-1pm
Venue: 302-551 (Ontology Lab)
You can find the flyer here.
Research and Funding Opportunities
SfTI: Clean Water Technology Spearhead Project 2020
SfTI is calling for Expressions of Interest from researchers for a new Spearhead project from the Clean Water Technology Mission. Spearhead projects are funded up to $1 million per annum. Further information on the fund can be found on the website
Internal Deadline: Wednesday 29 January 2020
New Zealand Ecohydraulics Trust Travel Award
The objective of the New Zealand Ecohydraulics Trust Travel Award managed by the Royal Society Te Apārangi, is to enable postgraduate students or early career New Zealand researchers to present a paper at the biennial Ecohydraulics Conference in Lyon, France in May 2020. For more information on the Award, guidelines and application forms refer to the RSNZ website
Internal Deadline: Tuesday 4 February 2020
Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust – Post-doctoral Research Award
Up to Four awards to assist women who have qualified to graduate with a doctoral degree within the last two years to carry out research on a limited term project.
Value: $16,000. Further information on the fund can be found on the website or the application form.
Internal Deadline: Round 1: 5pm, Thursday 6 February 2020 or Round 2: 5pm, Thursday 9 July 2020
Lyle Spencer Research Awards
These awards are to support intellectually ambitious research projects that aspire to transform education with budgets between $525,000 and $1 million and project durations of up to five years. Further information on the fund can be found on the website
Internal Deadline: 20 February 2020
HRC Health Delivery
HRC Health Delivery Research Project, Activation and Career Development Grants are part of the redesigned version of HRC’s Health Delivery research investment focusing on enabling and growing more health delivery research in the settings where it is needed most.
Research Project guidelines and application form are available on this page.
Research Activation guidelines and application form are available on this page.
Career Development guidelines and application form are available on this page
Internal Deadline for registration for Project grants: 1pm 27 February 2020
Internal Deadline for registration for Activation and Career Development grants: 1pm 8 April 2020
Pacific Development and Conservation Grant
The Trust makes grants to projects that encourage and promote sustainable development in the Pacific and New Zealand, while conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of its people. The Trust has about $250,000 to give as grants each year. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount. Grants range from $2,000 to $50,000 NZD. Further information on the fund can be found on the website
Internal Deadline: Monday 2 March 2020
Food and Health Programme – seed funding
The Food and Health Programme provides up to $10,000 seed funding (per project) for cross-disciplinary/cross-faculty food and health related projects. To apply, please complete Food and Health Programme Seed Fund Application, and email to Dee Nolan, d.nolan@auckland.ac.nz, by Noon, Wednesday 26th February 2020
PhD scholarship on marine biodiversity, climate change and conservation
Here is an advertisement for a well-funded PhD at Nord University, Bodo, Norway on marine biodiversity, climate change and conservation.
Application deadline is 27 January 2020.
New publications
- Kench, P.S., McLean, R.F., Owen, S.D., Ryan, E., Morgan, K.M., Ke, L., Wang, X. and Roy, K. 2019 Climate-forced sea-level lowstands in the Indian Ocean during the last two millennia, Nature Geoscience, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0503-7.
- Ribó, M., Goodwin, I.D., O’Brien, P., Mortlock, T. Shelf sand supply determined by glacial-age sea-level modes, submerged coastlines and wave climate. Sci Rep 10, 462 (2020). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-57049-8, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-57049-8
Ako – Teaching and Learning
ENV Academic Guide
This is an online source of advice for Courser Coordinators, Directors, Examiners and Assessors. You may access it here or through the How to do stuff section, above.
2020 Examiners’ Meetings
Please note the dates and times for the Semester 1 and 2 Examiners’ Meetings. Full details for may be found on the ENV Academic Guide at:
Ako Innovation Committee: Teaching & Learning Fund 2020
Ako Innovation Committee: Teaching & Learning Fund 2020
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 with preference given to initiatives completed by August 2020. The total pool of funds available in 2020 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 21/02/2020 by noon.
See Ako Innovation Committee Teaching & Learning Fund: Grant Guidelines and 2020 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.
Subject Expert Groups EOI for NCEA
The Ministry of Education has opened a second call for expressions of interest for the subject expert groups (SEGs) to develop the new achievement standards and associated resources. This is to ensure MoE gets the right diversity of members on the SEGs – including ethnic and cultural diversity (particularly representation for Māori and Pacific peoples), intellectual diversity, and a range of backgrounds across teaching, academia, and industry practice. This is a great opportunity to ensure alignment between NCEA achievement standards and our expectations of scholastic preparation at Secondary level in our subject areas. Deadline 31 January.
Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 31st January, to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz