HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

There’s new artwork getting hung across our levels thanks to UOA curators Sam and Lara and their willingness to engage with ENV. Take a walk around the Level 4, 5, and 7 foyers and corridors and check out the works. There’s an exceptional Jae Hoon Lee photo and a wonderful Ruth Watson world, in addition to other new pieces. We expect to have more on the way – hope you enjoy the changes.

It’s that challenging time of year: people are tired, sickness is prevalent and moods are a bit fractious. This is exactly the time we need to take care of ourselves and each other. If you are unwell please wrap up warm, drink lots of fluids, and rest, preferably at home (get in touch with David H if you need cover). If there’s any chance you have been in contact with measles – please see the info below, send me/David H an email and do not come to University. We need a high degree of integrity around this because we have immune-compromised people in our community who are unable to be vaccinated. Please remember the hygiene basics: wash hands thoroughly before eating food and give people the 1+ meter space if they appear to be unwell. If you have to cough, sneeze or splutter, please do it into your elbow not your hand or open space – and it would be great if you could BYO hand-gel to disinfect yourself before touching public stuff like door handles.

The big job of the week that must be done is timetabling. Course co-ordinators, please check your 2020 timetable urgently to ensure we do not put students off enrolling in courses because of timetabling stuff-ups (see notice in AKO), and please recommend TAs/GTAs (see classifieds below).

It was fantastic to hear from some of you supporting the school position on the Climate Strike. The Dean also made a strong statement in support and put out a challenge to us to develop more sustainable practice. I’d be please to hear initiatives in this space. There’s another opportunity for engagement with national priorities where ENV could make a contribution – the Action for Healthy Waterways proposal is up for submissions. If you are interested in adding your name to the submission, please see Brendon’s notice below.

I’m in the field in Chile for the next couple of weeks and David H is at the helm. Stay well, enjoy the artworks, and have fun in a cool School.

Ngā mihi – JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

Welcome!

The Marine Geoscience Group would like to extend a very warm welcome to Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr Marta Ribó-Gene and new PhD student Francisco Enrique Saldaña-Monroy who recently joined the school. Marta is working with Dr Lorna Strachan and NIWA on a faculty funded project investigating the effect of suspended sediment on benthic ecosystems in Tōtaranui-Queen Charlotte Sound. Francisco is working with Prof Kathy Campbell and Dr Lorna Strachan. He will focus his research on understanding ancient and recent deep-sea ichnostructures (bioturbation structures) from Mexico and NZ.

Health, safety and wellbeing- Important Notice:

Measles outbreak- Please continue to be vigilant

There was another confirmed case of measles reported in the faculty of Science last week.  As you will be aware, measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can be very serious. Please continue to be vigilant.

Below are some useful links to information on what symptoms to look out for, how to best protect yourself and others, as well as what actions to take if you’ve been in contact with someone with measles. 

http://arphs.health.nz/public-health-topics/disease-and-illness/measles

Guide – Managing measles in the workplaces

Quick Guide

https://www.arphs.health.nz/assets/Uploads/Resources/Disease-and-illness/Measles-Mumps-Rubella/Quick-guide-to-measles-20190911.pdf

For details on Vaccination recommendations, please see here

The Personals

Looking for two Postgrad students to go on a date…

The date opportunity: The Health and Well-Being (aka Health and Safety) committee is currently looking for student reps, to act as channels and bring the concerns and suggestions of the student body forward to the committee, and to share with the student body the happenings around Well-Being and thereby help implement different initiatives.

Looking for several committed relationships

The Health and Well-Being committee is looking for people with first aid certificates willing to be the designated person to offer first care in case of mishaps in your neck of the woods.

Looking for long term relationship

Whether you have one already and want to renew it, or your last one lapsed and want to get back on the wagon, or it is your very first time ever… we want you! First aid certificates make life sooooo much easier.

From the Committee

Following the University and the faculty, the School wants to start incorporating Well-Being to the daily life of the School. You will find the framework in this link from the faculty webpage:

https://www.staff.auckland.ac.nz/en/human-resources/health-safety-and-wellbeing.html

However, we want to use well-being as an extra channel to enhance our sense of belonging.

In the compliance part we can inform you that the office audits are underway, the labs and workshops were completed previously. Test and tag for workshops and labs will be done shortly, some need to be done every 6 months.

Committee Members:

Andres, JR, Michael G, Jon, Blair and Sila.

Free Blood Pressure checks available

Please note the free service available for blood pressure checks on the city campus next week 2 October, 10am- 3pm Wynyard St, outside Fale Pasifika

Sustainability

The Academic Service Team has decided to implement a new policy around forms and documents. In order to help reduce printing and the amount of paper being scattered around we have decided that physical copies of forms will no longer be accepted. From Monday the 30^th of September please ensure that any forms that need to go to Mick Johannisson-Wallman are emailed to m.johannisson-wallman@auckland.ac.nz.

Facilities

Keys

Please hand back all keys to the Facilities team when you have finished your studies or no longer use the lab or office.
It is important that we remove your name from the key or keys that are assigned to you. This is a security and safety measure that we take to ensure that only people with permission can enter into a lab room. Returning the keys for reuse also keeps us in line with the University’s sustainability commitments.
The Facilities team is located in building 302 level 6 reception.
We thank you for your cooperation.

Spark cell signal boosting, Basement 301-302-303 – Build update

The project to improve cell reception in the basement areas has now been completed.
There is now markedly improved coverage (favouring Spark customers) in the basement areas of 301, 302 and 303.

2020 Women in Leadership Programme

Applications are currently being called for the 2020 Women in Leadership Programme. Further information about the programme and enrolling for the Information session on 3 October can be found by clicking on the link.

Please note that this leadership programme is an application by interested women and not a nomination process. It is open to professional staff women at Level 4-6 and mid-career academic women below the senior lecturer bar or equivalent. This includes those in the lecturer/senior lecturer, research fellow/senior research fellow, senior tutor and professional teaching fellows grades.

The closing date for applications is 31 October 2019.

Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill

In May 2019 the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill proposes the establishment of the Climate Change Commission which will begin recruiting candidates for the Commission’s Chief Executive. To find out more information about the role, please follow this link https://www.seek.co.nz/job/39951523. The recruitment of this role is being managed by a third party provider. If you know anyone who would be suitable for this role please encourage them to apply via the above link as we will not be accepting nominations for this role. Applications close at midnight on 7 October 2019.

Freshwater submission: help ENV have a say

On behalf of the School, Brendon has begun working on a submission on the Government’s recently announced Action for Healthy Waterways proposal. The submission will broadly support the proposal while outlining some additional areas that we would like to see included or strengthened.

Our draft submission is here.

Brendon would be very happy to hear from anyone with comments or who would like to contribute to this (b.blue@auckland.ac.nz) by the end of this week.

GPE Information Session
Applications and Admissions August 2019

Please find the presentation (from the last Faculty PG committee meeting) about GPE calculations for international students here.

Theses calculations are used to assess eligibility for admission to the PG programmes and eligibility for some scholarships.

Events

Postgraduate Research Showcase 2019

Thursday 3 October | Fale Pasifika

On Thursday 3 October 2019, the School of Environment will hold its annual Postgraduate Research Showcase to celebrate research currently ongoing within the School. This event gives a selection of our current students an opportunity to display their research to the wider school community, its staff & students. The one-day event will feature selected PhD presentations, and poster displays by MSc and Honours students.  The event concludes with a reception back on the 6^th floor of building 302.

You can find the flyer here.

Imagine giving someone else’s lecture with ZERO preparation!

Thursday 10 October, 4-5pm, MLT1

The School of Environment Ball: GARDEN PARTY

Date: Saturday 12thOctober
Time: Doors open at 8 pm
Theme: Garden Party
Location: The Bluestone Room, 9-11 Durham lane
School of Environment presents

Tickets are for School of Environment students/staff and their partners (limited numbers).
Ticket sales ONE DAY ONLY: Wednesday 2ndOctober
Price: $40

For further information please see here

Cumberland Lecture 2019

Following on from the successful lecture given by Kennedy Warne, he kindly made the transcript available for download. It can be accessed as a pdf file from the Science website by searching ‘Kennedy Warne’ from the Science home page. (The page is not visible otherwise.) The link is below, so you can download and read it at your leisure.
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/our-research/science-research-stories/stories-in-environment/cumberland-lecture-2019.html

Earth Sciences Bickie Briefing

Earth Sciences Bickie briefing is  every Thursday morning at 10.30am in the Level 6 break out space. All post grads and staff welcome.

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Rangahau – Research

News

PhD candidate Michaela recently went to Yellowstone with School of Biology PhD student Kitty Sriaporn and Argentinian National University of La Plata colleagues Amanda (PhD candidate) and Professor Diego Guido. Here they visited the various Hot Springs including Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic and Mammoth Travertines, and also saw a grizzly bear! Michaela and Kitty then went on to present their research at The First Billion Years: Habitability Conference, hosted by Lunar Planetary Institute and NASA Ames.

Meetings, seminars and events

Climate change: what it means for New Zealand and the Pacific

2019 Hay Lecture
Hosted by the School of Environment

Professor James Renwick, Victoria University Wellington

Global climate change is changing the weather and redrawing the coastlines of the world. Sea level rise, extreme storms, droughts and floods are affecting every corner of the globe already and the effects will get a lot worse if we don’t take urgent action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Pacific Islands are in the firing line on many of these issues and New Zealand does not get off scot-free. This presentation will cover the state of climate change today and will review how future climates could affect New Zealand and the Pacific. It will also talk about what’s needed to rein in the changes and secure a more manageable, less risky future.

5pm Thursday 24 October,
Lecture theatre PLT2
Ground Floor, Building 303
38 Princes Street

Register at hay2019.eventbrite.co.nz

Human Ethics:  For Research Involving Māori and Indigenous Cultures

 Wednesday 20^th November 2019 (8:45 am – 12:00 noon), City Campus

 This event is planned for research staff and advisors engaged in research involving Māori and indigenous cultures to enable understanding of the principles and requirements when preparing their human ethics application.  Also to provide an opportunity for discussion as to what resources are available or need to be developed to enable this to be done in a meaningful way.

 Main focus includes:

A)      Responsiveness to Māori

B)      Te Tiriti o Waitangi understanding

C)      Māori methodologies and human ethics

D)      Indigenous Data Sovereignty

 For more information, and to register please contact Fiona Cheal (Ethics Advisor, Office of Research Strategy & Integrity)

 2019 HOCHSTETTER LECTURE: Earthquakes, geometry, the mantle wedge and tsunami

Bill Fry, GNS Science

7.00 pm Monday 7 October

Auckland Museum, Auditorium – Entry via the Grand Foyer 

Click here for more information.

2019 COMPLEMENTARY HOCHSTETTER LECTURE: Rapid characterisation of the earthquake source

Bill Fry, GNS Science

11 am Tuesday 8 October

University of Auckland Science Centre, 23 Symonds St

Medium Chemistry Lecture Theatre/301-G053

Click here for more information.

He Vaka Moana Symposium

Tuesday 22 October 2019, 9:30am-3:30pm
Waipapa Marae, 16 Wynyard St, Auckland
Please RSVP to Ash Gillon: a.gillon@auckland.ac.nz

Pacific scholar and international guest speaker
Dr Dave Fa’avae is a fellow in research and leadership at the Institute of Education (IOE), University of the South Pacific. His research interests are in Indigenous research methodologies, intergenerational cultural capital, intergenerational cultural knowledge transmission, critical autoethnography, indigenous masculinities, comparative education, and sport and health education.

For further information please read here.

Virtual Poster Showcase (VPS)

Virtual Poster Showcase (VPS) is a guided peer review process and online presentation competition for Earth and space science students.
VPS Allows Students To:

• Practice presenting the relevancy and value of their research data
• Dedicate time to focus on enhancing (if not creating) their abstract and poster
• Experience the peer-review process in a low-pressure environment
• Connect with other like-minded students and experts from around the globe

How to Submit:

1. Register/create your VPS profile ($35 fee)
2. Upload your abstract. (due 1 October 11:59 p.m. ET)
3. Create video presentation about your research using your phone or camera; upload video and poster to the dashboard. (due 22 October 11:59 p.m. ET)
4. Review posters of other participants through the VPS dashboard, and vote for the top posters. (23 October to 5 November)
5. Respond to reviews and questions by science experts assigned to your poster. (6 November to 19 November)
6. Once the experts’ scores have been received, the best-ranked posters for Undergraduate and Graduate level competitions will be announced on 4 December 2019.

Please Register here

Volcanology, Geochemistry, & Petrology Research Group

The volcanology, geochemistry, & petrology research group (VGP) meets during the semester.

We will not be meeting this week because of the School of Environment Research Showcase. Although we will not be meeting, we encourage you to come support our VGP students who will be presenting! PhD candidate Sophia Tsang will be speaking at 9:45. PhD candidate Emily Limage will be speaking at 11:15 followed by PhD candidate Seethal Sivarajan at 11:30. During lunch (12-2), there will be posters including by MSc student Nathan Collins.

The following Thursday 10 October will be another meeting in  421W-301 (not our normal location! This room is across the road in Architecture. A map will be sent to the VGP listserv; please contact Sophia Tsang if you would like the map). Dr. Anke Zernack (Massey) will be presenting a talk about Laacher See. We’d love to have you join us.

As always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings. For more information, please see our website: vgp.blogs.auckland.ac.nz See you soon!

Marine Geosciences:

1. Marine Geosciences group meeting: Tuesday, 8/10/2019, 1-2 pm, 114-G18 (Commerce A).
Michael Macnaughtan: “Seismic analysis of BSR controls in the Pegasus Basin, New Zealand”

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2. ANZIC Masterclass: Academics, please advertise among Year 2 and 3 students. Deadline 7 October.

ANZIC MASTERCLASS 2019, SYDNEY 2- 10 December, 2019.

ANZIC is pleased to announce its 2019 Masterclass in Sydney, hosted by University of Sydney (USYD) and Macquarie University (MQ), 2-10 December 2019.

DESIGN: This course will introduce students to the exciting world of marine geosciences through a combination of
practical workshops, geological fieldwork and marine activities. Based around the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) the course will cover the background of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and marine geoscience – delivered by marine geoscientists from Macquarie University, the University of Sydney, and CSIRO.

OPEN TO: The Masterclass is open to one excellent student from each Australian and New Zealand IODP member university who is completing 2nd or 3rd year. Students must provide a short written statement to their University leadership (up to 250 words) stating why they would like to participate in the Masterclass. Selection will be based on academic achievement and perceived benefit to a student’s course of study.

More information can be found at our Marine Geosciences web-page:
https://marinegeosciences.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/news/

Please contact Ingo Pecher (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz) or Lorna Strachan (l.strachan@auckland.ac.nz) if interested.

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3. Call to Sail! Special call for scientists with expertise in radiolarian micropaleontology, preferably with experience in the northwest Pacific region, to apply for Expedition 386. The deadline to apply for this special call is October 11, 2019 at 11:59 PM EDT.

More information can be found at our Marine Geosciences web-page:
https://marinegeosciences.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/news/

The Potential for Green Infrastructure to Reduce Exposure to Air Pollution in Cities

Dr Jennifer Salmond delivered a talk entitled ‘The Potential for Green Infrastructure to Reduce Exposure to Air Pollution in Cities’ as a webinar which was presented as part of the ‘Passive Air Pollution Mitigation‘ global webinar series a collaborative EU-US webinar series, a partnership between Trinity College Dublin, Cornell University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency broadcast to 1750 registrants representing over 60 countries. Hosted by the Centre for Air pollution, energy and health Research (CAR) and the Clean Air Society for Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ) on Monday 16th September 2019

She also delivered an invited talk on Friday entitled ‘AIR: the invisible and the visible’ as part of the 3^rd Auckland LASER TALK at AUT. LASER (Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous) Talks are part of Leonardo’s international program of evening gatherings that bring artists and scientists together for informal presentations and conversations. LASER Talks were founded in 2008 by Bay Area LASER Chair Piero Scaruffi and are in more than 30 cities around the world, including Tāmaki Makarau.

Research and Funding Opportunities

Invitation to collaborate in research with Project Forever Waiheke

Project Forever Waiheke (PFW) was established in 2017 to develop sustainable tourism strategy on Waiheke Island and then undertake tourism impacts monitoring over 2-3 years. The Project is lead by a community organisation, in collaboration with the Waiheke Local Board, Auckland Tourism (ATEED) and Ngāti Paoa. More information about the Project is available at www.foreverwaiheke.com  PFW’s research and monitoring programme will be conducted under the auspices of the World Tourism Organisation’s (WTO) INSTO programme http://insto.unwto.org/how-to-join/  Further details are provided in the Appendix.

 PFW is inviting University of Auckland academics and students to propose discrete research projects across a broad range of disciplines that will contribute to the evidence base on tourism impacts on Waiheke Island. A short proposal form is provided in Appendix 1, or you are welcome to contact Peter Wills, Physics, ext 88889, p.wills@auckland.ac.nz  or PFW Research Manager Pam Oliver pam.oliver.waiheke@gmail.com 09 3727749

Approaches are welcomed from diverse perspectives, specific or interdisciplinary. Projects may investigate tourism impacts parameters in any of the following areas:

• Social and cultural environments (e.g. social/psychological/cultural impacts on residents, community well-being, recreation, mana whenua and tangata whenua, wahi tapu, homelessness, etc);
• Business and commerce (tourist and other businesses and development; economic impacts);
• Natural and built environments (e.g. native flora and fauna; beaches and coastlines; planning and architecture; noise, light and air pollution);
• Infrastructure management and development (roads, land and marine transport, water supply, waste management)

Research projects may be any size, and involve individual students or groups.

PFW support available to participating students and their supervisors includes the following:

• Support to access relevant data sources, in particular people and organisations on Waiheke
• Some free accommodation and transportation on Waiheke, where needed for data collection
• Free ferry trandport
• Research expertise to support with framing the project, to ensure relevance and utility to the needs of Project Forever Waiheke.

As an example, the report of a recent research project undertaken by a small team of Manukau Institute of Technology graduate diploma students in collaboration with PFW can be viewed at https://www.foreverwaiheke.com/pfwreports

 For further information please read here

2020 Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund

 The Fund invests in the development of skilled people and organisations that plan to undertake, or are undertaking, research that supports the themes and outcomes of MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy.

The aim is to:

• strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science and innovation system; and
• increase understanding of how research can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for New Zealand

 TYPE OF GRANT 

* Medium – to large-scale project funding ($100,000 – Connect Scheme or $180,000 – Placement Scheme, both up to 24 months)
* Must partner with a Māori organisation
* Must include co-funding
* Must address one or more Vision Mātauranga themes.

For more information, please see the following page or contact the local support (FIRST) team: Kelly Kilpin or Ivana Mlinac

 Deadline:  5pm, Tuesday 5 November 2019

MBIE Endeavour Fund 2020

 The funding call for the 2020 MBIE Endeavour Fund (Smart Ideas and Research Programmes) is expected to be released next week.  If you are thinking of applying this year, please register your interest with Kathryn Howard so we can keep you updated on the support offered by the FiRST teams.

The 2020 Endeavour Roadshows are being held in Auckland on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 October – there are still places available.  If you would like to attend, please register at the following link

Earth Institute, Columbia University: Earth Institute Postdoctoral Research Program in Sustainable Development

$67,530

The Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York, NY, seeks applications from innovative, doctoral candidates or recent Ph.D., M.D., J.D., or Sc.D. recipients (within 5 years of degree receipt) interested in a broad range of issues in sustainable development. The Institute is especially interested in qualified candidates from historically underrepresented groups for its Diversity Fellowship.

The Earth Institute Postdoctoral Research program provides scholars with the opportunity to acquire and apply the cross-disciplinary expertise needed to address critical issues of sustainable development such as food security, energy systems, climate change impacts, poverty reduction, disease, and environmental degradation. Candidates who have developed cross-disciplinary approaches during their graduate studies will find numerous, unique opportunities to engage in programs at the leading edge of sustainable development research.

Candidates must complete the online application and submit a proposal for research that would contribute to global, sustainable development. Candidates may suggest contributing to or expanding on existing Earth Institute programs or developing new projects that integrate the breadth of expertise of the Earth Institute. Candidates are strongly encouraged to identify and contact a mentor prior to submitting an application.

The deadline to submit an application is October 30, 2019 for 24-month appointments starting in the fall of 2020. The salary is $67,530.

For more information about the program, the diversity fellowship, and to apply, visit www.earth.columbia.edu/postdocs or email eipostdocs@ei.columbia.edu. Videos of past research symposia are available here.

The program is open to U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. All doctoral requirements must be fulfilled and the degree awarded within 5 years before the start of the appointment. Gaps in employment or studies will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Columbia University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.

Student Research Grants

Applications for the NZMSS Student Research Grant are now open!

The grant is intended to help graduate researchers take their work further than academic funding allows and to provide exposure for their research. Applications from a broad range of marine disciplines are encouraged.

Objectives

• To advance the study of marine science, and to encourage research of high scientific merit in New Zealand
• To stimulate novel research involving graduate students in New Zealand
• Assist graduate students to take their work further than academic funding allows
• To provide exposure for graduate research within New Zealand and abroad

Eligibility

Applicants must be enrolled for a postgraduate degree at a New Zealand institution.

• During the tenure of the research grant the applicant must be an enrolled student and a member of NZMSS.
• Funds may be used for any purpose that supports the applicant’s research.

Applications close 31 October 2019
For this financial year we are offering one Student Research Grant of $3000.

NIWA and Fisheries New Zealand Scholarships 

In collaboration with NIWA, Fisheries New Zealand is offering scholarships to both Masters and undergraduate students.

https://niwa.co.nz/education-and-training/scholarships?fbclid=IwAR2dhNQuPszLqxgtKJ2y18nlOIDFCEInaIMJ01F-a58wmjmGyfiDahvQcXE

Student grants available

https://pf2050.co.nz/news/student-grants-available/
Predator Free 2050 Limited is seeking applications from students wishing to conduct possum, rat or mustelid fieldwork projects, particularly in urban and rural landscapes.
Up to five honours and post-graduate students will be funded up to $30,000 each, for operational and associated laboratory expenses.
Applicants should download and complete ‘this form’ and return to ShelleyC@pf2050.co.nz by 11 October 2019.

New publications

1. Bates, L., Kearns, R., Witten, K., Carroll, P. (2019) ‘‘A level playing field’: Young people’s experiences of wheelchair basketball as an enabling place’, Health and Place, 60, art. no. 102192.

MEDIA RELEASES

Experts reveal ways pregnant women can minimise their inhalation of black carbon particles

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/lifestyle/2019/09/experts-reveal-ways-pregnant-women-can-minimise-their-inhalation-of-black-carbon-particles.amp.html 

Air pollution reaches the placenta – Expert Reaction

https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2019/09/18/air-pollution-reaches-the-placenta-expert-reaction/

Air pollution may enter the placenta

https://healthcentral.nz/air-pollution-may-enter-the-placenta/

Sleuths use footprints to help at-risk birds

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/09/06/786774/sleuthing-shorebird-footprints

Identify New Zealand animal sign- available at http://nztracker.org/

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Ako Innovation Teaching & Learning Workshop

Wednesday 2nd October· 10-12pm · Building 302, Room 140

2020 DRAFT Timetable

The draft timetable is now available for checking. We would be grateful if you could check the details for your courses using the Room and Event Viewer 2020

Please note:

·         The number and size of Lectures, Laboratories and/or Tutorials.

·         The locations and sizes (note the city campus map online, if needed)

·         The scheduled weeks – note that these are numbered according to the S+ sequence, as used in the 2020 Teaching Days chart

Advise Mick of any errors and/or adjustments – preferably by email.

We have a very tight window of opportunity to make corrections and so please check your courses by Wednesday 2 October.

To all potential supervisors for masters students

The supervisor selection form has been revised and converted to a digital form. This form make the process easier for applicants as the applicant can upload a confirmation email from their chosen supervisor. rather than getting a signature. The form can be found by following this link https://www.forms.auckland.ac.nz/en/public/science/soe-masters-research-supervision-approval.html

Geography and Earth Sciences Honours presentation

Our BSc/BA Geography and Earth Sciences Honours students will present their research on October 4th from 9:30 to 3pm in the Ontology lab (302-551). It is important for the collegiality of our School that Geography and Earth Sciences staff attend the talks and support our Honours students!

Below is the presentation schedule.

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Classifieds

GTA/TA positions 2020

Expressions of Interest for GTA/TA positions 2020 in the School of Environment are now open. If you know any student (PhDs, Masters, PGT, Hons, PGDip and 3rd year students) who would be a perfect candidate, please forward the below link for them to apply. Expressing interest by the end of November will be appreciated as we will start allocating in November. But they are welcome to keep applying.

https://www.forms.auckland.ac.nz/en/student/science/environment-GTA-expression-of-interest.html

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 11 October, to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz

HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

It’s a great week for the School. First, on Wednesday at 10.30am we will celebrate Richard Le Heron’s success in being awarded Emeritus Professor status – all welcome, Level 6 break-out space. Second, the results of the MBIE funding round will be formally released today and I’m sure we’ll have an excuse for another celebration. I’ll send an email around when the embargo is lifted.

As most of the staff know, I’m undertaking all the Academic Development and Performance Reviews rather than delegating out. I’m doing it this way because I think everyone deserves to have a conversation about their career with the Head of School. But, this is a big job and I need your help to complete it on time and to make it worthwhile.  If you are PTF 1-3, L or SL, your ADPR needs to be completed by 25 October. Samantha is scheduling appointments at the moment. Your self-review must be completed before your appointment with me. In creating objectives and reflecting on your performance, please consider the academic standards for your level and the next level in your career progression, and target accordingly. If you want to hit some service/leadership targets, please go back to the ENV 3-year plan and think about what you are doing in relation to the objectives set out in that document.

This edition of P-cubed is packed with activities and opportunities. Of note, the second of our prestigious School lectures, the Bartrum lecture, is coming up Monday 23 September. Colin Woodruffe will be speaking on coastal environments, sea level rise and the Anthropocene. This should be a great event of relevance to everyone concerned about the impacts of climate change. Please put this one into your diary and encourage students to attend. Also, Spring Graduation is upon us, September 24th. This is always a great event – please join our new graduates for a celebration lunch from 1-2pm. It makes a big difference when we have a good turn-out.

Lastly, for those who lodged ‘Underspend proposals’, I expect to have the results out later this week.

Ngā mihi, JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

National Conservation Week: 14-22 September

Please join us from 14–22 September to celebrate 50 years of Conservation Week! With more than 4,000 species threatened or at risk, nature needs us to take action now. You can take part by doing a conservation activity or attending an event. Click here to see more information.

GNSZ Awards

Nominations and applications for GNSZ awards close 19th September with applications and nominations to James Scott (james.scott@otago.ac.nz).

Click here for more information on the awards and application templates.

 

What STEM employers want – event for doctoral candidates

Are you aiming for a STEM career after your doctorate? Come along on 19 September, when we’ll hear industry reps and recent PhD grads working in STEM fields discuss their insights into the job search process. After the discussion, enjoy some tasty treats and network with your peers in other faculties. Book now!

 

Save the date: ENV Postgraduate Wellbeing Week

During the week of the 23rd – 29th September, we will be running a series of drop-in activities for School of Environment postgraduate students. We hope that these events will encourage our students to take a brief break from their studies and be more aware of their Hauora – in particular, their mental wellbeing (Mental Health Awareness Week is the same week).

The theme of each day will focus on a component of a balanced lifestyle, with activities designed with that theme in mind. A highlight will be a specially developed Dance Fit class hosted for us at the university gym on Wednesday 25th.

More details and a full programme for the week will be distributed shortly. In the meantime, mark your calendars and keep some time free on these days!

 

Volcanology, Geochemistry, & Petrology Research Group

The volcanology, geochemistry, & petrology research group (VGP) meets during the semester. 

Our meetings will start again this week on Thursday with two recently completed students Ben Simons and Alex Davidson. To hear them talk, join us on 19 September from 12 to 1 in 302-130. 

The following Thursday 26 September will be another meeting in 439-G10 (not our normal location! It’s up the road in the Auckland Bioengineering Institute building; leave a few minutes to get there!), which likely likely be of interest to earth scientists with many backgrounds, especially students.  Ashleigh Fromont and Karl Wright from GNS to give a talk titled “Introducing the National Geohazards Monitoring Centre: Using the Earth Sciences to keep Kiwis safe.” She will be summarising the new National Geohazards Monitoring Centre that opened last December, and there is potential to join their team. A flier is posted on our website (below).

As always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings. For more information, please see our website: vgp.blogs.auckland.ac.nz See you soon!

 

2019 BARTRUM LECTURE

Unearthing the past to foretell the future: Coastal environments, sea-level rise and the Anthropocene

Colin D. Woodroffe – School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia

Location: MLT3 (303-101)
Date: Monday, September 23
Time: 5 pm, with drinks and nibbles to follow in 302 6th floor break out space

About the lecturer

Professor Colin Woodroffe is a coastal geomorphologist with research interests in the morphology, stratigraphy and sedimentary dynamics of coasts. He is Chair of the International Geographical Union’s Commission on Coastal Systems. He was a Lead Author on Chapter 6, Coasts and low-lying areas (working group 2) of the Fourth Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007, for which the IPCC was jointly awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize (together with Al Gore). He has served on the Scientific Steering Committee of the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) core project of IGBP.

Click here for more information.

 

Free Hearing Tests for Children

How to successfully publish a scientific article?

The presenter will be Thierry Corrège, editor of Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

The session will be held twice on  26 September 2019 , at 8:00 (GMT) and 16:00 (GMT), to maximize international participation. More info in the link

http://pastglobalchanges.org/calendar/upcoming/127-pages/1974

 

Research Presentations by BSc/BA Geography and Earth Sciences Honours 

Our BSc/BA Geography and Earth Sciences Honours students will present their research on September 27th from 9:30 to 3pm in 201E-301. It is important for the collegiality of our School that Geography and Earth Sciences staff attend the talks and support our Honours students!

Below is the close to finished presentation schedule.

 

2019 HOCHSTETTER LECTURE: Earthquakes, geometry, the mantle wedge and tsunami

Bill Fry, GNS Science

7.00 pm Monday 7 October

Auckland Museum, Auditorium – Entry via the Grand Foyer 

Click here for more information.

 

2019 COMPLEMENTARY HOCHSTETTER LECTURE: Rapid characterisation of the earthquake source

Bill Fry, GNS Science

11 am Tuesday 8 October

University of Auckland Science Centre, 23 Symonds St

Medium Chemistry Lecture Theatre/301-G053

Click here for more information.

 

Call for nominations: NZ Universities Women in Leadership (NZUWiL) Discipline Pod Programme

The NZ Universities Women in Leadership (NZUWiL) Steering Group is hosting its third Discipline Pod Programme at the University of Auckland from 10 – 12 February 2020. This programme is aimed at providing discipline specific development and national networking opportunities for early career academic women from the 8 NZ Universities. The focus of this programme is on disciplines with particular equity and/or human capital challenges.

The discipline areas for the 2020 programme are Geography, Geology, Environmental Sciences and related disciplines such as Botany and Ecology. 20 participants from the 8 NZ universities will be selected with the aim to include a mix of participants across the targeted disciplines.

Note: Nominations from women in roles such as post doctorate research, research fellows and senior tutors will be considered, however priority will be given to permanent, tenured academics.

Calls for nominations open on Tuesday, 10 September 2020. See the links below for the nomination form and other supporting information.

The School of Environment encourages self-nominations and will cover the programme fee of $1,450+GST if selected by the NZUWiL Steering Committee.

Nominations close on Monday, 14 October 2019. ​

Please click the below files for more information.

Nomination Form 2020 – Discipline Pod Prog

Flyer Notice – 2020 NZUWiL Discipline Pod Prog

Guidelines for Selecting Participants NZUWiL Pod

Prog Objectives & Benefits NZUWiL Pod

 

Esri Ocean and Atmospheric GIS Forum: November 5 – 7, 2019

There are a variety of technical workshops available to you when you join us at the 2019 Esri Ocean and Atmospheric GIS Forum, on the Esri campus in Redlands, California. With the help of professional instruction at each of these half-day sessions, you will discover and adopt new ways of finding solutions and advanced workflows. There is a $25 fee for each workshop. Space is limited.

Here are the technical workshops available to you on November 7:

• Insights for ArcGIS with Ocean Data
  Insights allows you to quickly discover the secrets your data holds and find answers using exploratory analysis.
• Field Operations and Story Maps
  Get an introduction to several field apps, including Survey123 for ArcGIS, Collector for ArcGIS, and ArcGIS QuickCapture. Learn how the new ArcGIS StoryMaps tools and technology combine maps, photos, text, and other media in a single interactive application.
• Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS and Configurable Apps
  Learn how to create and publish web apps quickly—no coding required. Discover why configurable apps are the fastest and easiest way to go from a map to a shareable app.
• Using Drone2Map for ArcGIS
  Join Esri Drone2Map product team members as they detail the workflows for producing 2D and 3D data products from drone imagery.
• ArcGIS Pro Basics for Science
  Designed for existing ArcMap users, you will learn the basic operational, analytical, and workflow features of ArcGIS Pro.

Advanced Analytical Workflows for Ocean and Atmospheric Science
Join us to discover the latest in scientific applications for ocean GIS. Learn about new, advanced analytical workflows and multidimensional data and geoprocessing tools.

Please click here to learn more.

 

Geosciences 2019: Reporting World-Class Research Results

The annual conference this year is in Hamilton with earlybird registration and abstract submission currently open (deadline 30th September).

Click here to see more information.

 

Health and Safety

Please send Blair any H&S matters you would like raised at the next School committee meeting.

A brief reminder of the requirements for field work, driving and lab access below.

Field work

Field activity is any work carried out for the purpose of teaching, research or representing the University off-site, where facility for health and safety is not managed by another host institution.

Any time you wish to undertake field work you need to complete a Field Activity Plan, have this signed off by your supervisor, and signed off by Blair, before you undertake the work.

If you are unsure if your work requires a field activity plan then please ask Blair first.

Driving assessments and ENV vehicles 

You will need to undergo a driving assessment if you wish to drive any of the School vehicles.  Assessments are booked through Blair and there is no cost to you.

The use of private vehicles for University work is only approved in exceptional circumstances.  The School has a fleet of vehicles to use which includes 2x Utes, 1x Van and 1x 7 Seater SUV.

All of the vehicles have automatic transmissions and can be booked through https://carscience.fos.auckland.ac.nz Vehicles have fuel cards and are billed against the charge code you supply when making the booking.

Lab access

Standard building access to our spaces is Monday-Friday between 7.30am and 6.00pm.

The labs will all be locked and you will need a key or swipe permission to access them.  Blair sign’s off the access forms, so if you need approval contact him.

Inductions for the labs are held regularly, below is a list of the general induction dates for this year and the Technician who is taking it.  If you wish to attend then please let the Technician know in advance.

October 9 – David

November 13 – Neville

December 11 – Natalia

 

Electrons are go!

In the basement of 302 one of the most exciting #unboxing events of 2019 is going on.  Engineers from JEOL Ltd are unpacking and constructing our new JOEL JXA7530F, Hyper Probe, Field-Emission Electron Microanalyser/Microprobe (or “the probe”). On site currently is Masaya Kurobe and two of his colleagues will arrive next week to continue. This is quite the logistical undertaking, with the construction and commissioning of our new instrument set to take at least 7 weeks in the best-case scenario. This is the only Hyper Probe in the country and one of only a few in Australasia. Once we are up and running, with this instrument we will be able to analyse the chemistry of almost any solid-state material over areas as small as only tens of nm². If you were wondering how many square nanometres might fit on the head of a pin – its 5,026,560,000…

The instrument uses a very stable beam of electrons from its field-emission source and then accelerates and focuses them down a magnetic tunnel/tower on to a solid sample under high vacuum. By precisely measuring the energy of the beam impacting on the sample and then detecting the characteristic energy and wavelength of X-Ray radiation given off by the “excited” solid, we can non-destructively determine its chemical composition. With the configuration we ordered, including the most advanced and sensitive large-crystal detectors in the spectrometers, we can examine elements between Be and Pu on the periodic table, with precisions down to 10 ppm, depending on the phase. We can also use this instrument to make high-resolution chemical maps samples and detect processes such as chemical diffusion, pivotal to studies of many geological and geochemical processes.

Currently Blair Sowman is rushing about figuring out logistics of this enterprise, juggling contractors, deliveries, cooling water, gas, power, UPS and all the other myriad of things that makes an instrument of this scale and complexity function. In the meantime, Shane Cronin is trying not to hop about too excitedly, while he scours the world for a range of standard materials to enable us to quantitatively investigate problems from age-dating of volcanic rocks through to tracking down rare earth elements in ores and compositions of stalactites, teeth, ceramics and metals. With a new technician to run this on the way, the School of Environment geosciences group are in for a sudden electron-jolt into a new era of science and discovery…

 

Windows 7 to 10 upgrade coming soon

We have been notified there are a number of computers in our faculty that are currently running Windows 7 operating system. While some of these machines are due to be replaced there are others that need to be upgraded to Windows 10.

As Microsoft will cease to support Windows 7 in the coming months it is necessary that these machines are upgraded to Windows 10 at the earliest. The upgrade to Windows 10 will also better protect the University network from cyber security threats.

If your computer is one of the machines that needs to be upgraded, you will be informed by email and will be able to start the upgrade yourself.

IMPORTANT: Standard devices connected to your computer such as regular printers, USB memory sticks and headsets should not be affected by the upgrade. However if you have any specialist or non-standard devices connected, the technology team need to know, to ensure there are no compatibility issues with Windows 10

If you are using a non-standard device connected to your computer please complete the following survey

Windows7 to 10 upgrade survey

If the upgrade is not completed and no further information is received from you, the computer will be automatically upgraded to Windows 10.

For further information please visit: Windows 7 to 10 Upgrade project site

Business Transformation Office

 

Important reminder from Facilities

Please hand back all keys to the Facilities team when you have finished your studies or no longer use the lab or office.

It is important that we remove your name from the key or keys that are assigned to you. This is a security and safety measures that we take to ensure that only people with permission can enter into a lab or room. Returning the keys for reuse also keeps us in line with the University’s sustainability commitments.

The Facilities team is located in building 302 level 6 reception.

We thank you for your cooperation.

 

Improvements to the Travel Purchase Order Request Process

The Shared Transaction Centre (STC), Procurement and Central Finance team have implemented some changes to improve the travel purchase order process.

Following are the main changes:

For staff:

• New digital PO Travel request form
• New Orbit email with improved messaging and a link straight to the new digital form located on the intranet portal page
• New Orbit Confirmation document replacing the preliminary itinerary which will be used to attach to the new Travel PO request form
• Prior approval must be obtained from your line manager before booking travel by completing the Faculty of Science staff travel approval request form
• Automatic production of Purchase Orders, as no secondary approval required

A reminder of the process:

1. Prior to booking travel, continue to obtain approval from your line manager as per current process
2. If travel is funded by your research grant, you will also need to obtain prior approval from your Research Programme Coordinator (RPC) as you will need to enter their Username on the approval form
3. Book your travel using the Orbit Travel Portal or an Orbit Travel Consultant (details on the Travel and accommodation page on the Staff Intranet)
4. Orbit will send you an email containing a link to the new digital Purchase Order Request form as well as an order confirmation document
5. From the Order Confirmation, check all travel itinerary details are correct including the name on the travel booking matches the name on the passport
6. Open the link received on the email with your order confirmation document. Complete the digital Purchase Order Request form and attach your order confirmation document (no other documentation required)
7. Press submit. Once submitted your request goes directly to the Shared Transaction Centre for processing. No further approvals are required
8. If any changes to your travel are needed, contact Orbit as you currently would and repeat step 6 and 7 above.

If you have any queries or would like your GSC to raise the Travel PO please contact your GSC. For more information on the changes and updates visit the intranet.

For students:

• New digital PO Travel request form
• New Orbit email with improved messaging and a link straight to the new digital form located on the intranet portal page
• New Orbit Confirmation document replacing the preliminary itinerary which will be used to attach to the new Travel PO request form
• Prior approval must be obtained from your Supervisor before booking travel by completing the Faculty of Science student travel approval request form
• Automatic production of Purchase Orders, as no secondary approval required

A reminder of the process:

1. Prior to booking travel, continue to obtain approval from your Supervisor as per current process
2. Book your travel using the Orbit Travel Portal or an Orbit Travel Consultant (details on the Travel and accommodation page on the Staff Intranet)
3. Orbit will send you an email containing a link to the new digital Purchase Order Request form as well as an order confirmation document
4. From the Order Confirmation, check all travel itinerary details are correct including the name on the travel booking matches the name on the passport
5. Open the link received on the email with your order confirmation document. Complete the digital Purchase Order Request form and attach your order confirmation document (no other documentation required)
6. Press submit. Once submitted your request goes directly to the Shared Transaction Centre for processing.

7. If any changes to your travel are needed, contact Orbit as you currently would and repeat step 5 and 6 above.

If you have any queries please contact your Group Services Administrator (GSA).

 

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.

 

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Rangahau – Research

Want to get top-quality funded PhD students? China Scholarship Council (CSC) recruiting fairs

The University of Auckland will once again be sending some representatives to the China Scholarship Council (CSC) recruiting fairs in China in October this year. I am writing to ask whether you would like your current research projects to be included in the material we are preparing for the CSC fairs.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send the following information to  sciencephdforms@auckland.ac.nz by 25^th September.

-The name of the researcher or researchers associated with the project, their email addresses, and Department/School

-A name for the project and a short paragraph about the project

Format:

• 2-3 projects per page
• No pictures
• Max 4 projects per main supervisor

It is possible to advertise more than one project per supervisor. Projects do not need to have student stipends associated with them – stipends and fees are paid by the scholarship.

Research Contract Financial statements

You may have noticed that you have stopped receiving monthly BAR reports – financial details for your research contracts can now be viewed in the Strategic Management Reports (SMR).   These allow you to see all your contracts, view expenses and commitments for each project, and download a full transaction list. Balances and transactions for your RDA and HOD accounts can also be found on SMR.

Career Tools have put together a short (20 min) online course:  Research Funding Dashboards for Researchers, but if you would like any training in using SMR, please contact your RPC – Kelly Kilpin, Ivana Mlinac or Amy Weir .  If there is enough interest, we will look to organise a training session.

Interesting Library Resources for ENV – Oxford Bibliographies

The Oxford Bibliographies are a really useful resource for researchers who are moving into a new area of study, or new cross-disciplinary collaboration. They can be particularly valuable for PhD candidates and post-graduate students embarking on their research projects.

The Bibliographies are written by experts in the field and are an excellent introduction and research guide, combining aspects of annotated bibliographies and encyclopedia. In the bibliographies, experts not only list the articles and other resources they consider essential to the field, but describe why they are relevant.

I have found them not only useful as introductions to research fields, but also to research methodologies or frameworks.

Examples include two written by our own researchers

–       Sediment Budgets and Sediment Delivery Ratios in River Systems

–       Sediment Regime and River Morphodynamics

(by Jon Tunnicliffe and Gary Brierley)

As well as popular research theories and methodologies e.g.

–       Actor-Network Theory (ANT)

Te Tumu Herenga – Libraries and Learning Services subscribe to both the Geography and Environmental Science bibliography collections, but other collections of interest we can access include Anthropology, Communication, International Law, International Relations, Political Science, Public Health, Sociology, and Social Work.

 

Meetings, seminars and events

MBIE Endeavour Fund Roadshow Series 2020

The MBIE roadshow will be in Auckland on 15 and 16 October with the presentation at the University of Auckland on October 16^th from 9-11:00am

This is your opportunity to find out what you need to know before applying for funding.  Come a long and learn more about the Endeavour Fund including:

• Feedback from 2019 round
• Impact categories (Protect and Add Value & Transform)
• Investment signals
• Assessment process
• Eligibility criteria
• Funding available

There is no charge for the Roadshows, but places are limited so you must register here

 

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

 

Funding Opportunities

The Deep South: Domains – Request for proposals

The mission of the Deep South Challenge: Changing with our Climate (Te Kōmata o Te Tonga) is to enable New Zealanders to anticipate adapt, manage risk, and thrive in a changing climate. A high level of engagement with communities, iwi/hapu and other stakeholders will be expected. The foci of the work will cover four domains; Māori, Communities; Infrastructure, and National Economy

There are two separate request for proposals running: one for Māori, and another for Communities, Infrastructure and National Economy Domains. However, research that addresses the objectives of both RfPs in one proposal is also welcomed.

Māori Domain – We are looking for research projects that will contribute substantive and transformative outcomes for Māori and for wider Aotearoa New Zealand. These must fit within the Challenge’s mission, to enable New Zealanders to anticipate adapt, manage risk, and thrive in a changing climate.

Communities, Infrastructure and National Economy Domains –We are calling for research that focuses on: making and improving projections of New Zealand’s future climate; the impacts and implications of climate change for Aotearoa New Zealand; and enabling adaptation to climate change.  Research proposals should address the research themes of multiple impacts, effective adaptation, water and land and the economy.

The full details for the request for proposals can be found on the Deep South website.

Closes: 5pm Monday 30 October

 

New PhD Students

Yitong Zhao joined the School of Environment in September as a PhD student working with Sam Trowsdale on the Chinese Sponge City programme.

 

New publications

1.	Mineralisation and release of 14C-graphene oxide (GO) in soils	Navarro, D.A., Kah, M., Losic, D., Kookana, R.S., McLaughlin, M.J.	2020	Chemosphere, 238, art. no. 124558.
2.	Directional multi-scale analysis and simulation of urban expansion in Auckland, New Zealand using logistic cellular automata	Xu, T., Gao, J.	2019	Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 78, art. no. 101390.
3.	Engineering characteristics of soils prone to rainfall-induced slope failure in viti Levu, Fiji	Ram, A.R., Brook, M.S., Cronin, S.J.	2019	Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 52(3), pp. 336-345.
4.	Effects of mis-alignment between dispersal traits and landscape structure on dispersal success in fragmented landscapes	Atkins, J.L., Perry, G.L.W., Dennis, T.E.	2019	Royal Society Open Science, 6(1), art. no. 181702.
5.	Neoliberal social housing policies, market logics and social rented housing reforms in New Zealand	Murphy, L.	2019	International Journal of Housing Policy.
6.	Introduction to Special Issue on Gas Hydrate in Porous Media: Linking Laboratory and Field-Scale Phenomena	Ruppel, C.D., Lee, J.Y., Pecher, I.	2019	Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.
7.	Feminist geographies in Aotearoa New Zealand: cultural, social and political moments	Adams-Hutcheson, G., Bartos, A.E., Dombroski, K., Le Heron, E., Underhill-Sem, Y.	2019	Gender, Place and Culture, 26(7-9), pp. 1182-1197.

 

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Majors and Modules Week

In the week of 23-27 September (teaching week 8) the Science Centre will be inviting undergraduate students for a ‘check-up’ on their programmes – to check that they are on track for their intended major and whether they have considered any of the new Modules.

The School of Environment’s Advisors will be standing by to support this and Stage I lecturers will be asked to display a slide advertising this in classes.

 

School of Environment Teaching and Learning Showcase and Inaugural Ako Awards

Date: Friday 15 November

Time: 11am -1 pm

Venue: 302-551

Please book your calendar to attend the School of Environment Teaching and Learning Showcase. The event will include short presentations from staff on innovative teaching and learning. The Showcase will also include the Inaugural Ako Awards which acknowledges teaching excellence within the School. The event will include lunch! More information will follow soon.

Contact: m.wall@auckland.ac.nz

 

 

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Classifieds

Job vacancy:

Ten Sixty Four Gold, operating in Central Queensland, is exploring for predominantly Intrusion-Related Gold Systems.  Ten Sixty is very small and just getting started having picked up ground, done some initial desktop work to find overlooked potential, and an initial field recce of some of these targets. Now they are planning some initial soil programs, which is where a grad student comes in. There is field and desktop work until the end of the year, and probably more work after that for the right person. The reason they are keen for a grad instead of a fieldy is to train them up in the GIS and data stuff. The project geologist is after someone who’s fit and keen and ready to learn. This is a really good opportunity for someone to get a kick start at learning the trade.

If you are interested, send your CV to Mike Carswell (mcarswell@vitrinite.com.au).

 

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 27th September, to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz

HeadSup

Malo e lelei!

It is Tongan Language week next week. If you would like to know more please check out this website.

Many thanks to those who helped out at last Saturday’s Open Day: giving the presentations for our subject majors, and attending the desk and advising prospective students and their parents. At the risk of overlooking somebody may I say thanks on behalf of the School to Nick (R), Joe, Jenny (S), JC, Martin, Sam, Evan, Siła and Juan, plus a small army of enthusiastic postgraduate students. Many thanks for giving up your weekend – it is greatly appreciated.

There was a good turnout for the Cumberland lecture on 22 August. Kennedy Warne gave us a fascinating and provocative lecture pondering the legal rights of rivers, parks and places. Thanks to Gretel for organising this and to Dan Hikuroa for giving a response. It was a great event and sets the bar high for our season of special, invited lectures – see the advice on the Bartrum Lecture below.

I am writing this on JR’s behalf while she enjoys a short break. One other thing from her was to remind staff to get cracking” if you are planning to prepare an MBIE or Smart Ideas proposal.

 

Mālō ‘aupito, David

 

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

School of Environment 2019 Spring Graduation Lunch

Staff are cordially invited to attend the School of Environment Graduation Lunch on Tuesday 24 September. We’d love you to come by and celebrate with your colleagues and students. Please register for the event here by Wednesday 11 September for catering purpose.

Event Date: Tuesday 24 September 2019

Time: 1-2pm

Location: Level 6 Breakout Space, Building 302

Vice-Chancellor’s Lecture Series 2019

Hosted by Te Ao Mārama – Centre for Fundamental Inquiry, this year’s series of three evening lectures and a panel discussion is themed ‘Perspectives on Life in the Universe’.

Are we alone? Is there life elsewhere? How did life begin? Explore the Biggest Questions of all with world-leading scientists in the 2019 University of Auckland Vice Chancellor’s Lecture Series. Hear about how new developments in astrobiology, astrophysics and fundamental science are expanding our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Universe, from the Solar System to ‘exoplanet’ worlds so far away they almost defy imagination. Come join us for these fascinating lectures and a panel discussion hosted by Radio New Zealand’s Kim Hill on the latest thinking about alien life and how we might find it.

All events :  6pm in the Fisher and Paykel Appliances Auditorium

Sir Owen G Glenn Building, 12 Grafton Road, Auckland

 

• Lecture 1   Thursday 5 September

Discoveries of Extra-Solar Planets and the Search for Evidence of Extraterrestrial Life

Professor David Bennett

•  Panel discussion   Tuesday 10 September

Fundamental Questions on Life in the Universe

Chaired by Kim Hill, Radio New Zealand

Panellists :  Professor Maria-Paz Zorzano Astrobiology Center of the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), Spain, and Luleå University of Technology, Norway;  Dr Heather Hendrickson, Massey University; Dr Dan Hikuroa, University of Auckland;  Professor Kathy Campbell, University of Auckland

• Lecture 2  Wednesday 11 September

Searching for Alien Life in the Solar System

Professor Maria-Paz Zorzano

• Lecture 3 Friday 13 September

Letting Life Happen: from Particles to People

Professor Richard Easther, University of Auckland

Click here for more information and here to see the poster.

 

2019 BARTRUM LECTURE

Unearthing the past to foretell the future: Coastal environments, sea-level rise and the Anthropocene

Colin D. Woodroffe – School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia

Location: MLT3 (303-101)
Date: Monday, September 23
Time: 5 pm, with drinks and nibbles to follow in 302 6th floor break out space

About the lecturer

Professor Colin Woodroffe is a coastal geomorphologist with research interests in the morphology, stratigraphy and sedimentary dynamics of coasts. He is Chair of the International Geographical Union’s Commission on Coastal Systems. He was a Lead Author on Chapter 6, Coasts and low-lying areas (working group 2) of the Fourth Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007, for which the IPCC was jointly awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize (together with Al Gore). He has served on the Scientific Steering Committee of the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) core project of IGBP.

Click here for more information.

 

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

 

Māori Graduation Celebration Spring 2019

All Spring Māori Graduates, their Whānau, and all staff are invited to share in the success of our Māori tauira by attendng our Spring Māori Graduation Celebration.

To RSVP, please email Sarai McKay (sarai.mckay@auckland.ac.nz ).

Travel Insurance revoked for travel to Hong Kong

We have been notified by our travel insurance provider Allianz that they have revoked comprehensive travel insurance cover for travel to Hong Kong due to current unrest in that location.

This notification affects all travellers covered under the University Travel insurance policy (including staff, students, consultants, contractors, visitors) who booked their travel after 6th August 2019 and have Hong Kong as a final and/or transit destination.  This is applicable for both University and UniServices activities.

All affected travellers will be contacted by Orbit to discuss their itineraries and work through appropriate measures to either re-route or cancel.   We have posted this information on the staff intranet and I will also include it in my update next week.

If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact the Risk Office at riskoffice@auckland.ac.nz.

Risk Office| Finance

 

PG Exposure competition deadline has been extended

The School of Graduate Studies has advised that the deadline for registrations for the 2019 postgraduate Exposure competition has been extended.

Exposure, the University’s biggest postgrad research expo and competition is now accepting registrations until 2 September! Huge prizes are available, plus the opportunity to polish your academic presentation skills, build valuable networks and gain exposure for your research.

Click here for more details.

 

Women in Earth and Environmental Science Australasia Database (WOMEESA)

WOMEESA are developing a database of women who work in Earth, Environmental and Atmospheric Science in Australasia. The aim of the database is to provide a resource for people who are looking for women in our disciplines to speak at conferences, apply for jobs, work with media outlets on science stories etc. If you would like to be included in the database please take a few minutes to fill out your details in our form.

Why are we doing this? Have you had the experience of turning up to a conference and finding that there are very few (or no) women speakers? Or have you noticed that most of the new hires within your organisation are men. When we’ve asked conference organisers or management why there is such a huge gender imbalance they have said that they had tried but they simply could not find the women. We want to eliminate this excuse and make an online, searchable database where every woman working in our discipline can easily be found.

In this initial stage we are collecting responses from women to populate the database. After this we will create the online database that will be searchable by location, discipline, and keyword. Once this database is implemented you will be able to log on and update your details as required (we will let all participants know once this has been implemented). Finally, we will publicise this database widely, to media organisations, to science communicators, and to every EAE organisation in Australasia, to ensure that everyone knows where to find us.

The WOMEESA committee

 

Important reminder from Facilities

Please hand back all keys to the Facilities team when you have finished your studies or no longer use the lab or office.

It is important that we remove your name from the key or keys that are assigned to you. This is a security and safety measures that we take to ensure that only people with permission can enter into a lab or room. Returning the keys for reuse also keeps us in line with the University’s sustainability commitments.

The Facilities team is located in building 302 level 6 reception.

We thank you for your cooperation.

 

Volcanology, Geochemistry, & Petrology Research Group

The volcanology, geochemistry, & petrology research group (VGP) meets every other week during the semester. We have a great line up for the second half of the semester including two recently finished students Ben Simons and Alex Davidson and four current students Jeff Lang, Daniel Bertin, Alec Wild, and Kate Cocker. We will also be hosting two (maybe three!) out of town guests.

Our next meeting will be on 19 September from 12 to 1 in 302-130. For more information, please see our website: vgp.blogs.auckland.ac.nz See you soon!

 

Improvements to the Travel Purchase Order Request Process

The Shared Transaction Centre (STC), Procurement and Central Finance team have implemented some changes to improve the travel purchase order process.

Following are the main changes:

For staff:

• New digital PO Travel request form
• New Orbit email with improved messaging and a link straight to the new digital form located on the intranet portal page
• New Orbit Confirmation document replacing the preliminary itinerary which will be used to attach to the new Travel PO request form
• Prior approval must be obtained from your line manager before booking travel by completing the Faculty of Science staff travel approval request form
• Automatic production of Purchase Orders, as no secondary approval required

A reminder of the process:

1. Prior to booking travel, continue to obtain approval from your line manager as per current process
2. If travel is funded by your research grant, you will also need to obtain prior approval from your Research Programme Coordinator (RPC) as you will need to enter their Username on the approval form
3. Book your travel using the Orbit Travel Portal or an Orbit Travel Consultant (details on the Travel and accommodation page on the Staff Intranet)
4. Orbit will send you an email containing a link to the new digital Purchase Order Request form as well as an order confirmation document
5. From the Order Confirmation, check all travel itinerary details are correct including the name on the travel booking matches the name on the passport
6. Open the link received on the email with your order confirmation document. Complete the digital Purchase Order Request form and attach your order confirmation document (no other documentation required)
7. Press submit. Once submitted your request goes directly to the Shared Transaction Centre for processing. No further approvals are required
8. If any changes to your travel are needed, contact Orbit as you currently would and repeat step 6 and 7 above.

If you have any queries or would like your GSC to raise the Travel PO please contact your GSC. For more information on the changes and updates visit the intranet.

For students:

• New digital PO Travel request form
• New Orbit email with improved messaging and a link straight to the new digital form located on the intranet portal page
• New Orbit Confirmation document replacing the preliminary itinerary which will be used to attach to the new Travel PO request form
• Prior approval must be obtained from your Supervisor before booking travel by completing the Faculty of Science student travel approval request form
• Automatic production of Purchase Orders, as no secondary approval required

A reminder of the process:

1. Prior to booking travel, continue to obtain approval from your Supervisor as per current process
2. Book your travel using the Orbit Travel Portal or an Orbit Travel Consultant (details on the Travel and accommodation page on the Staff Intranet)
3. Orbit will send you an email containing a link to the new digital Purchase Order Request form as well as an order confirmation document
4. From the Order Confirmation, check all travel itinerary details are correct including the name on the travel booking matches the name on the passport
5. Open the link received on the email with your order confirmation document. Complete the digital Purchase Order Request form and attach your order confirmation document (no other documentation required)
6. Press submit. Once submitted your request goes directly to the Shared Transaction Centre for processing.

7. If any changes to your travel are needed, contact Orbit as you currently would and repeat step 5 and 6 above.

If you have any queries please contact your Group Services Administrator (GSA).

 

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Rangahau – Research

Redesigning the research section of the website 

The Faculty is migrating the research section of the website to a new site and the website is being redesigned. It is also a good opportunity for us to check that we still identify ourselves with the present structure and to request changes. The new pages have been prepared and follow the existing division into researcher areas. Please check this file and get back to Giovanni (g.coco@auckland.ac.nz) for requests of change (which will then need to be discussed). Please check that the key research projects listed on each page are still valid.

If you wanted to see how the website will look like, feel free to check the maths research section https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/about-the-faculty/department-of-mathematics/mathematics-research.html. They have less pages than SoE but the layout is essentially the same and the links go to similar places; find a supervisor goes to Findathesis, Take 10 goes to Take 10 etc…

Please send your comments and requests for change by September 10 (hard deadline).

 

FindaThesis

For those of you looking for a nice way to spend your break- consider creating or updating your FindaThesis page. It has been pointed out that only 2 staff members are currently on FindaThesis. FindaThesis is a centralized searchable database for students to find Masters and PhD supervisors/projects. The FindaThesis website was introduced in 2015 to centralise project searches for prospective students who do not always know which academic unit a topic or project can be found in. FindaThesis is particularly useful for international students as it is much easier to direct these prospective students (and agents) to a single, central webpage to view opportunities and projects.

Students coming to the FindaThesis website can browse projects or supervisors in their subject, can search for projects or supervisors using keywords, or can search for specific supervisors by name.

To get access to FindaThesis please submit a request form:

https://www.forms.auckland.ac.nz/en/staff/school-of-graduate-studies/findathesis-access-request.html

Click here to see Staff User Guide and here to see Setting Up Finda Thesis.

 

Meetings, seminars and events

Postgraduate Research Showcase: Save the Date – October 3^rd

The annual Postgraduate Research Showcase is on October 3^rd in the Fale. This is an important event for our postgraduate students, please try to make the time to attend. This is an all day event with oral presentations by PhD students across all disciplines during the day and posters by our Honours and Masters students at midday. Tea and Lunch are provided with drinks and nibbles back at the 6^th floor of 302 following the event. A full schedule is coming shortly.

PhD students, if you are in your 3^rd or 2^nd year (priority to 3^rd year students), please send Michael Rowe (michael.rowe@auckland.ac.nz) a title by September 6^th and he will get you into the schedule.

 

Vision Mātauranga Workshops  

These sessions are provided by Kaiarahi Geremy Hema from UniServices and will cover:

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

The 2 hour programme will include:

• A one hour presentation
• 30 minutes Q&A
• Time to meet and greet other colleagues and the UniServices team
• There will be time at the end of these sessions to meet other researchers and university staff
• Refreshment will be provided

Please register for a session on one of the links below:

• Wednesday 4 September
• Friday 4 October
• Friday 8 November

 

Commercialisation Workshops

UniServices are hosting interactive half-day workshops, developed to help you transform your idea into a new and exciting venture. Bring along your research idea and UniServices advisors will help you develop the value proposition and commercialisation strategy.

Why should you come?

• You will learn what UniServices Commercialisation, Return on Science and The University of Auckland Inventors Fund can do for you.
• You will have the opportunity to talk to well-networked industry advisors and gain their insight on the opportunities for your idea.
• We will help you develop a business plan.
• We will work with you to identify the potential commercial value, intellectual property protection, research impact, target customers, and funding sources available to progress your ideas.
• You will receive a professional review of your idea from UniServices

Click here for more information and to register.

• Friday 6 September
• Friday 22 November

 

Dendroprovenancing in New Zealand: can we identify the forest areas where kauri was sourced from?

Gretel Boswijk and Anthony Fowler

Tuesday 17 September

Building 302, Room 551, Ontology Lab – 4.00pm to 5.30pm

Click here to see NZGS newsletter for more details.

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).

 

MBIE Endeavour Fund Roadshow Series 2020

The MBIE roadshow will be in Auckland on 15 and 16 October with the presentation at the University of Auckland on October 16^th from 9-11:00am

This is your opportunity to find out what you need to know before applying for funding.  Come a long and learn more about the Endeavour Fund including:

• Feedback from 2019 round
• Impact categories (Protect and Add Value & Transform)
• Investment signals
• Assessment process
• Eligibility criteria
• Funding available

There is no charge for the Roadshows, but places are limited so you must register here

 

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

 

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

 

Pacific Development and Conservation Trust

The trust supports sustainable development and supports grants for a range of conservation, cultural heritage, development and goodwill projects and activities in the Pacific.

The objectives of the Trust shall be to encourage and promote:

• the enhancement protection and conservation of the physical environment of the Pacific and of its natural and historic resources;
• the peaceful economic, physical, and social, development of the Pacific and of its peoples;
• the peaceful conservation and development of the cultural heritage of the peoples of the Pacific;
• peace understanding and good-will between the peoples of the Pacific.

Further information can be found here.

Grants range from $2,000 – $50,000

Application deadline:  5pm, Monday 16 September 2019

 

Auckland Museum Future Tāmaki Research Partnerships

Auckland Museum is looking for research partnerships to collaborate in the development of research-driven participatory visitor experiences that are focused on engaging the public in relevant science, research and technology for Future Tāmaki, an exhibition about the future of Tāmaki Makaurau.

Auckland Museum wants to work with researchers to develop a range of opportunities to facilitate public engagement with current research in Future Tāmaki. We are looking for research topics that are relevant to the future of Auckland, and that will make compelling, interesting, and provocative experiences for visitors to the Museum. The intent of the EOI process is to identify research topics that have potential for public engagement and dialogue. We are not looking for comprehensive or fully resolved solutions. The researchers with the successful proposals will work alongside the Auckland Museum project team to develop the research partnership elements of the exhibition.

Please see the documentation – an information pack and the EoI form. Note that the deadline for submission is 30^th September 2019.

If you have any questions, please do get in touch with myself.

Faith Welch  |  faith.welch@auckland.ac.nz

Office of Research Strategy and Integrity

 

Dumont d’Urville’s call for applications

Dumont d’Urville’s call for applications for projects starting in 2020 is now open until October 17, 2019. The programme aims at fostering new partnerships between France and New Zealand, and developing science and technology exchanges between research laboratories of excellence. Follow link here for more info.

To apply for Dumont D’Urville project funding, applicants need to apply via the RSNZ under the Catalyst seeding process.

RSNZ Catalyst Leaders and Catalyst Seeding

This Catalyst Leaders round is to support excellent PhD students and/or young researchers to attend the HOPE meetings with Nobel Laureates in Japan in 2020.

The Catalyst Seeding round funds new small and medium pre-research strategic partnerships that cannot be supported through other means under three programmes:

• Seeding General ($80,000 in total for up to two years);
• Dumont d’Urville NZ-France Science & Technology Support Programme ($80,000 in total for up to two years);
• NZ – Japan Joint Research Project ($ 30,000 per year for up to two years)

Application due to Research Programme Coordinator and Funds & Submissions by 5pm Tuesday 8 October 2019.

Information on Catalyst Funds and Leaders guidelines and  Seeding guidelines here.

 

New publications

Emma Sharp has an updated publication

Sharp EL (2019) (ed) Editorial: The Role of Reflexivity in Care-full Food Systems Transformations. Policy Futures in Education – Special Issue: Eating in the Anthropocene.

 

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

 

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.

 

The flipped classroom:  How flipping good is it really?

Date: Wednesday 2^nd October

Time: 10-12

Venue: 302-140

The Ako Innovation Committee invites you to its latest workshop:   The flipped classroom:  How flipping good is it really?

Join our flipped classroom to explore the do’s, don’ts and challenges of the flipped classroom.   We use a flipped environment to learn how to flip a classroom and to explore:

How can we rethink space and time in our classrooms?

Do flipped classrooms lead to better learning outcomes?

Do students like flipped classrooms?

What are the challenges of implementing a flipped classroom?

 

 

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Classifieds

Job vacancy:

Geology/Geophysics Internship with Todd Energy

EnergyTodd Energy is offering the opportunity for a Geology and/or Geophysics student to join our Exploration team in our New Plymouth office for an internship position over the 2019/2020 summer holidays. The position is suitable for a post-graduate student or MSc student with high academic achievements. The position runs from November-February for approximately 12 weeks (start and finish dates negotiable) and offers students the chance to gain professional experience within the geoscience department of a large New Zealand based Energy Company.

Please email your CV, academic transcript and a covering letter to Sheree Long at EnergySkills NZ sheree.long@energyskills.co.nz  by 10 September 2019.

Click here for more information.

 

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 13th September, to Samantha: samantha.huang@auckland.ac.nz

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

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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 20^th 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 (20^th 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 28^th 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 28^th 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 2^nd and 3^rd. 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 2^nd and 3^rd 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:

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2018/10/11/nothing-artificial-about-the-intelligence-of-kiwi-students.html

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 8^th 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 (21^st 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 22^nd August starting at 19:00

Impact to you: Network (wired) services will be changing in Building 301 all levels on Thursday 22^nd 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

 

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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 21^st 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 16^th September with a closing date of Friday 27^th 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 30^th 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

1. 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).
2. 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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 30th August, to Samantha: samantha.huang@auckland.ac.nz

HeadSup

Kia orana kōtou,

Great to see so many excellent activities going on in the School. We are trying to get a better system happening in p-cubed so you can click on a calendar entry for an event and get it into your e-calendar. Please bear with us this week while we are in transition – you will need to capture the things you want to do from the posts below.

Two events driven by our PG students are coming up – the Annual Ball, and a newbie, the Film Competition, which hopefully will become a regular event. There are some great prizes so take time to show your creative side and help us show the world what we do. Big ups to our PG geniuses for thinking of this one!

Also on the horizon – the Cumberland Lecture. Kennedy Warne, founding editor of NZ Geographic, will be speaking on a brilliant topic: Place as person, Landscape as identity. This one will be a highlight so don’t miss it.

The 3-year strategic plan is now in rough draft form – you can read it here. We still need to wordsmith it and catch a few omissions/updates. Thanks everyone who has contributed at short notice so far.

If you would like to comment on the draft strategic plan or make suggestions for changes, please send comments to me by email OR feel free to drop-in to the Level 6 common space for a conversation 12-1pm this Tuesday or 12.30-1.30 this Thursday. All feedback on this draft must be in by the end of this week.

Have a great couple of weeks.

Ngā mihi – JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

Cook Islands Language Week

Click on this link to find out more about Cook Islands Language Week Sunday 4 August – Saturday 10 August 2019

https://www.mpp.govt.nz/language-culture-and-identity/pacific-language-weeks/cook-islands-language-week/

Helpful Resources

We encourage you to speak, use, teach and learn Te Reo Māori Kuki Airani (Cook Islands Language), below are some helpful resources and links:

• 2019 Cook Islands Language Week poster
• 2019 Events Calendar
• Cook Islands Language fact sheet
• Cook Islands Language Educational Resource
• Pacific Language cards (includes all 7 Pacific Languages from our series)

Some more links:

https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/cook-islands-language-week/

https://www.mpp.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Cook-Islands.pdf

The School of Environment Film Competition

For further information please see here.

Engagement Expo

The science student engagement expo on Thursday 18 July was attended by AUGA, where new students starting this semester were invited to join various clubs. We [AUGA] took this opportunity to show off some of the highlights from the past year, and to tease a few of the exciting events we have planned over the coming semester!

Here is a picture of AUGA member Thomas who spent the time talking to the new students

The School of Environment Ball

Save the date – the School of Environment Ball will be held on Saturday 12^th October. We have a team of students and staff working on planning this year’s ball. If you want to be involved please contact Joe on j.fagan@auckland.ac.nz

Cumberland Lecture

Place as person, landscape as identity: Traditional connection and modern legislation: 22 August, 5 pm, PLT2/303-G02

Kennedy Warne, founding editor of New Zealand Geographic, discusses the Whanganui River and Te Urewera legislation granting those geographical entities legal personhood, and reflects on his own evolving conversation with landscape. This will be a great seminar for everyone in the School – all welcome, bring a friend.

 

Safe Travel

We have been made aware of a recent legislative change which appears to raise the potential risk of working in Indonesia. The two links below highlight the issue. If you are aware of any researchers in your faculty who work in Indonesia, could you pass this information on to them. The provisions appear quite onerous and if we get this wrong quite punitive. It may be necessary to seek advice from our legal people before undertaking work there.

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/07/16/house-passes-bill-imposing-criminal-charges-on-foreign-researchers-into-law.html

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/07/indonesia-s-strict-new-biopiracy-rules-could-stifle-international-research

Space survey

This is to advise that Property Services’ Semester 2, 2019 room usage survey will be undertaken on 12-16 Aug for the City Campus. The following room types will be included in the survey:

• Flat-floored and tiered general teaching rooms,
• Meeting rooms of greater than 15 sq mtrs and other selected meeting rooms,
• Specialist teaching rooms with reasonable access,
• Student computer rooms,
• Drawing laboratories, music rooms and other studio spaces,
• Postgraduate offices and similar postgraduate facilities.

 The method of surveying will remain the same as for previous years with surveyors visiting each room on their list each hour between 8.00 am and 6.00 pm, Monday to Friday.

 As usual the surveyors will be provided with a name tag that they must wear at all times and will carry a letter confirming that they are undertaking the survey

New Hire – Senior Technician, Geochemistry

We are happy to announce that we have appointed a new Senior Technician to run our Electron Microprobe Facility.

David Adams will be migrating from Denver where he has been working with USGS; prior to that Macquarie University and the University of Western Australia.  David has extensive experience with running an Electron Microprobe (EPMA) laboratory, LA-ICP-MS, XRF and XRD.  His main role will be to oversee the installation of the new EPMA and to run the facility once established.  He will also be the Schools contact point for iLab, and a backup operator for the ICP-MS.

He tells me that he is looking forward to working with researchers and students again.

David will be joining the Technical team in September.

If you have any questions send Blair an email.

The 2019 Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Showcase

The 2019 Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Showcase is coming up on 2-18 September 2019.

Students who are currently enrolled in postgraduate study are eligible to enter their academic posters into this 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 they will be eligible to win further prizes. The Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Showcase will use the same judging criteria for posters as Exposure.

The deadline for students to have registered online and submitted their posters to the Science Student Centre will be Thursday 29 August 4.00pm

In the coming week, we will send more information about how students can register and submit their posters, as well as providing details for workshops run by The Exposure Committee on creating engaging academic posters.

August Talatalanoa

We would like to invite you to attend the next Talatalanoa, held in the City Campus.

This session will present some of the amazing work that is going on in our facilities and an opportunity to Talanoa about key issues and concerns.

It is a great way to share and learn from each other – everyone is welcome!

Date: Thursday 8 August, 10am-11.30am

Room: Clock Tower 32 (105-032), Auckland Campus

For further information please see here.

Light refreshment will be provided . Please RSVP to Sonia at s.fonua@auckland.ac.nz

 

Travel Improvements Update – What you need to know?

As part of STC’s ongoing efforts to streamline the travel bookings and ensure efficiency,  we are pleased to advise that the travel booking and approval process has been under review, with a view to improve the user experience.  The aim is to reduce administrative re-work, delays and incurred costs when ticketing deadlines are missed, caused by late approvals. This review was triggered, following the ongoing negative feedback received from our customers.

SLT has agreed to rely on, and capture employee declarations that pre-approval has been confirmed before a purchase order is raised, thus allowing us to remove the secondary approval on Travel purchase orders and still be able to identify approvers of each travel requisition.

We have collaboratively worked with the Business Transformation Office on this improvement initiative and have engaged stakeholders across the organisation, creating awareness of the impending Travel improvements for the user’s experience of booking travel.

What you need to know and how will this impact you once we go live:

As part of the process improvements we have increased the PeopleSoft workflow approval limit to $15K.  Proof of pre-approved travel will be captured when submitting a request for travel to STC on the new AEM form by capturing the traveller’s line manager or DFA.  With no secondary approval required, we expect to see an immediate decrease in missed ticketing deadlines and administrative rework.  However, any travel above $15K will still require PeopleSoft secondary approval by the Delegated Financial Authority (DFA).

Through our stakeholder engagement across Group Services teams within Faculties and the DFF/DFO Cop Groups, we have instructed staff to ensure they have their localised approval processes ready, emphasing the need to enter the correct cost centre/project code on the PO form.   This will minimise the need for journal corrections.

All travellers/travel arrangers will notice the following process improvements for when they request a Travel PO to submit to STC:

• New digital PO Travel request form
• New Orbit email with improved messaging and a link straight to the new digital form located on the intranet portal page
• New Orbit Confirmation document replacing the preliminary itinerary which will be used to attach to the new Travel PO request form
• Increasing the PeopleSoft workflow secondary approval limit to $15K.  Any travel above $15K will still require PeopleSoft secondary approval
• Orbit will change the way they work moving forward, streamlining the amount of manual data input required at their end

What we would like you to do:

• We would like you and your Finance teams to continue to review your financial reporting for spikes in ‘travel associated costs’. Transaction reports can be made available to support the investigation, including reports from our vendor – Orbit
• The compliance team will increase background checks and the reporting will be enhanced to provide improved detective controls
• Travellers booking travel will need to obtain approval from their line manager or DFA upfront and capture this within your localised processes as this will be required on the PO form. There will be no need for approval attachments
• Emphasise the need to enter correct cost centres within your local process to minimise the need for journal corrections
• The only attachment required to submit a travel request to STC will be the new order confirmation that will replace the preliminary itinerary.

What next?

We have an indicative date (end of August 19) of when the changes will be implemented there will be communications going out prior to going live through a number of different channels.For any questions, do not hesitate to call STC and please note this communication is only intended for the Finance and Accounting Community.

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Rangahau – Research

New Research Programme Coordinator

Dr Kelly Kilpin will be starting as the new Research Programme Coordinator in the School of Environment on 5 August.  Kelly has a PhD in chemistry and has held postdoc positions at Otago University and at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland.  She moved into research project management in 2014 managing large research grants at the University of Southampton.  Since Kelly returned to New Zealand this year, she has been working as a technical assistant at Massey University’s Albany campus.  Kelly is looking forward to joining the University of Auckland and assisting the School with its research support needs.

Researchers with queries in relation to National Science Challenge projects can continue to contact Amy Weir amy.weir@auckland.ac.nz.

Geology and Geophysics researchers, please contact Ivana Mlinac i.mlinac@auckland.ac.nz.

Research:

MBIE annual reports due in the MBIE Portal by 30 August

RSNZ Marsden rebuttals expected 14 – 28 August

Meetings, seminars and events

Are you having trouble finding the time or motivation to write?

Come and join us for some “Shut up and write” sessions at Te Tumu Herenga – Libraries and Learning services.

Our new “Shut up and write” workshops are scheduled fortnightly on a Tuesday morning in Kate Edger Information Commons, and provide a great opportunity to focus on those writing goals you need to get done, in the company of other folk doing the same thing.
Bring your keep cup for the tea/coffee breaks during the sessions.

The sessions are aimed at PhD students, but staff and other post-grad students are welcome as well.
You can book online at the workshops page.
(if the sessions look full, please do join the waitlist, as there tend to be spaces that open up closer to the dates)

A few days on Great Mercury Island- a recent research trip by Paul Augustinus

For further reading please see here.

Volcanology, Geochemistry, & Petrology Research Group

The volcanology, geochemistry, & petrology research group (VGP) meets every other week during the semester. Our next meeting will be on 8 August from 12 to 1 in 302-130. (Note the time and location change from last semester!) Phil will be giving a talk entitled “Mantle influence on magmatism at arc volcanoes: can we see it,” and Ian will be presenting after. For more information, please see our website: vgp.blogs.auckland.ac.nz See you soon!

Disaster Prevention and Management Seminar Series

The Disaster Prevention and Management Seminar Series would like to welcome your attendance on the 19th of August, 1 to 4 pm, in the Ontology Lab (302-551) of the University of Auckland city campus (map attached here).

Ksenia Chmutina (Loughborough University), Loïc Le Dé (Auckland University of Technology), Jake Rom Cadag (University of the Philippines Diliman), and Anthony Gampell (The University of Auckland) will be presenting alternative approaches to participatory mapping for disaster risk reduction. This seminar will include hands-on and playful activities for everyone to experience these creative ways of mapping disaster risk.

Details of the seminar can be found here. 

Green Building Certification and the Sustainable City

Arnaud Besse-Ciller (PhD Proposal)

Date/time: Tuesday 6 August,  12:00pm

Location: B302-130

For further information please see here.

Do we under-estimate the social complexity of pest eradications on habited offshore islands?  Learning from national and international eradication cases.

Speaker: Marie McEntee

Date/time: Tuesday 20^th August, from 4.00pm to 5.30pm.

Location: Ontology (302-551)

For further reading please see the NZGS Auck_newsletter August 2019.

A quantitative analysis of the characteristics of the urban boundary layer in an area of complex coastal terrain: Implications for air pollution

Hannah Marley (PhD Proposal)

Date/time: Tuesday 6 August, 1:00pm

Location: Room 302-130

For further information please see here.

Funding Opportunities

RSNZ Catalyst Leaders and Catalyst Seeding

This Catalyst Leaders round is to support excellent PhD students and/or young researchers to attend the HOPE meetings with Nobel Laureates in Japan in 2020.

The Catalyst Seeding round funds new small and medium pre-research strategic partnerships that cannot be supported through other means under three programmes:

• Seeding General ($80,000 in total for up to two years);
• Dumont d’Urville NZ-France Science & Technology Support Programme ($80,000 in total for up to two years);
• NZ – Japan Joint Research Project ($ 30,000 per year for up to two years)

Application due to Research Programme Coordinator and Funds & Submissions by 5pm Tuesday 8 October 2019.

Information on Catalyst Funds and Leaders guidelines and  Seeding guidelines here.

Whaitaketia o Rangahau ki te Ao Māori – Assessing research relevant to Māori

He whakatauki: “Mā te rongo, ka mōhio; mā te mōhio, ka mārama; mā te mārama, ka mātau; mā te mātau, ka ora”

“Through resonance comes cognisance, through cognisance comes understanding, through understanding comes knowledge, through knowledge comes life and well-being”

The purpose of the WORK dens are to provide a ‘think tank’ opportunity for researchers. Please view this as a time to express where your research will be a feature. An opportunity to discuss your idea(s) with Vision Mātauranga advisors and work together to identify ways in how Vision Mātauranga can benefit from your idea(s).

The WORK dens will be held on Thursday 8^th August 10am-12pm and Friday 9^th August 1pm-3pm. Each session will last 30 minutes and will be an informal discussion. You are welcome to bring other members of your team to your session.

To ensure the time is useful for all involved, you will need to prepare a brief outline of your idea. Your outline should show (or say) how your idea will benefit or contribute to Māori. The outline should be at a minimum a paragraph long, with a maximum of half a page.

This is an opportunity for you to safely ‘test the waters’ with your understanding/knowledge of Vision Mātauranga. If you are interested click here to pick a day and time.

Any questions feel free to email us on vmresponsiveness.science@auckland.ac.nz

MBIE Unlocking Curious Minds

Unlocking Curious Minds is a contestable fund that supports innovative, quality projects which provide more New Zealanders with opportunities to learn about and engage with science and technology.

Registration due in the MBIE Portal by 12 noon Thursday 15 August 2019.  If you do not register your project by this date, you cannot start or submit a proposal.

Application due to Research Programme Coordinator and Funds & Submissions by 5pm Tuesday 3 September 2019.

Information and guidelines: Unlocking Curious Minds

New publications

1. Robin Kearns has recently published, with R Foley (Ireland), B Wheeler (England) and T Kistemann (Germany) Blue Space, Health and  Wellbeing: Hydrophilia Unbounded  (Routledge: London & New York)https://www.routledge.com/Blue-Space-Health-and-Wellbeing-Hydrophilia-Unbounded/Foley-Kearns-Kistemann-Wheeler/p/book/9780815359142
2. Itrax μ‐XRF core scanning for rapid tephrostratigraphic analysis: a case study from the Auckland Volcanic Field maar lakes
   Leonie Peti, Patricia S. Gadd, Jenni L. Hopkins, Paul C. Augustinus
   Journal of Quaternary Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3133
   https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jqs.3133
3. Coote, A., Shane, P., Fu, B. 2019. Olivine phenocryst origins and mantle magma sources for monogenetic basalt volcanoes in northern New Zealand from textural, geochemical and d18O isotope data. Lithos 344-345, 232-246, doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2019.06.026
4. Boswijk, G., Fowler, A. 2019. Dendroprovenancing: A preliminary assessment of potential to geo-locate kauri timbers in northern New Zealand. Dendrochronologia 57, 125611, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dendro.2019.125611.
5. Bertin, D., Lindsay, J.M., Becerril, L., Cronin, S.J. & Bertin, L.J. MatHaz: a Matlab code to assist with probabilistic spatio-temporal volcanic hazard assessment in distributed volcanic fields. Journal of Applied Volcanology 8:4.https://rdcu.be/bKV2v

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Māori and Pacific – Future of Tech Event

Discover where your degree and your cultural perspective can take you in the STEM industry!

Date/time: Thursday 15 August, 5-8pm

Location: Unleash Space, Faculty of Engineering Building, Room 402-433

Book your place on the event page on MyCDES

Talofa lava, Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Fakatalofa atu, Kia orana, Mālō e lelei, Mālō nī, Kia orana and warm Pacific greetings to you all.

The CDES team would like to invite you all to our very first Māori and Pacific STEM event! This is a fantastic opportunity to hear about the range of career pathways across different organisations and understand the realities of work-life in the STEM industry! You will hear from a diverse panel of Māori and Pacific speakers who will share their career journey and the challenges they face in the STEM industry, followed by networking.

Come and hear from Air New Zealand, Microsoft, Xero, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Suncorp NZ, rhipe and Watercare!

If you have any questions about this event, please email Pepe Afeaki: p.afeaki@auckland.ac.nz

Ako Innovation Teaching & Learning Seminar:
Using LEGO to encourage collaboration in an educational environment

Date/time: Friday 23rd August · 11-12pm

Location: 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 discipline

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

Secondary School Unit Standards for Earth and Space Science

Martin has kindly placed a load of resources for high school Earth and space sciences here:

S:\env\Share\Secondary School Unit Standards Earth and Space Science

Included are exemplars of student work, unit standards, scholarship exam etc. This is a good place to look if you want to understand the educational context of this discipline.

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Classifieds

Job vacancy: Research Assistant for natural hazard research projects (Jan Lindsay)

I am seeking a full-time Research Assistant to work with me on a number of major research projects. The position is for 1 year, starting ASAP, with the possibility of renewal. The successful candidate will become part of the project management teams of both the Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) project and the Urban Theme of the Resilience to Natures Challenges National Science Challenge. They will also assist me with tasks related to the International Working Group on Volcanic Hazard Maps. I would also be open to two people sharing this role at 0.5 FTE each.

Main tasks would fall in the areas of communication and outreach (including website maintenance), database management, organisation of meetings and workshops, research and field assistance, and project management support. The candidate(s) should ideally have a bachelors or a postgraduate degree in a relevant field (e.g. Earth Sciences, Geography, Environmental Science, Communication) and some research experience. Candidates should have excellent organisational and oral and written communication skills, and ideally a good understanding of the natural hazard risk research environment in New Zealand. Project management, science communication and stakeholder engagement experience would be desirable, as would experience with Vision Mātauranga and engaging with Māori.

For more information please visit https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CfT6W8qwpfU4Z6qSnam8U9gJm4bBifZc

Or email Jan Lindsay j.lindsay@auckland.ac.nz

Please apply by emailing a Cover letter and CV to Jan Lindsay by Monday 19^th August.

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 16th August, to Samantha: samantha.huang@auckland.ac.nz

HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to Semester 2, the big run to the end of the year! It’s great to see all the activity around campus. Please give a warm welcome to all our new and returning students, and especially keep an eye out for the lost ones. Starting out at Uni can be a daunting experience; your friendly greeting can make a big difference.

It’s consultation time. The faculty has kicked off its annual strategic planning exercise and we have 4 weeks to submit our school 3-year Strategic Plan. This plan sets out our objectives and resourcing requirements. Over the next two weeks the Chairs of the various committees and Academic Programme Heads will be drawing together material for the draft plan that will be circulated for comment to staff and PG students in the next edition of P-cubed. There then will be a one week opportunity for consideration and feedback after which the plan will be finalised for submission on 16 August. If you would like to contribute to the 2020 plan, please engage via committees and/or disciplinary groups, or send individual comments directly to me. For reference, our 2019 plan is here.

In developing the strategic plan, we would like to include a short mission/values statement, one that we can develop further over the next 12 months. If you are interested in contributing to this, please see below for further information.

Now is the time to think about short projects or qualifying purchases that need some $$ and which can be receipted before 31 December. If the budget is looking flush as we get late into the 3rd quarter we will start funding these items. ‘Underspend proposals‘ are open to all committees, disciplinary groups (incl. student experience committee) and individual staff. Please see here for details.

Have a great week!

Ngā mihi – JR

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For Your Diary

Deadlines	Date & Location
ENV morning tea – farewell for Vanessa	Wednesday 24th July, 10.30am, Level 6 common space
FRDF grants -contact RPC Ivana Mlinac i.mlinac@auckland.ac.nz for more information.	Wednesday 24th July
NZ Association of Scientist Medals	Wednesday 31 July, 2019
Draft content for ENV strategic plan to JR please, Values content/ideas to Larry please	Friday 2 August
Promotion applications (excluding Professorial applications) – send to JR- Discussion with JR before the deadline is required	Thursday 15  August
Proposals for short-term funding (Underspend proposals) due to JR	16th August
UOA Teaching Excellence Awards	Due Friday 6th September

 

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

Shaping our vision and values

The School of Environment sits within a broader organisation with defined missions and values; our mission and values must map onto these broader frameworks, though they can reflect our unique identity.

• What is our mission
• What are our values?

Larry is building a short mission/values statement for the 3-year strategic plan, one that we can develop further over the next 12 months. If you would like to contribute ideas or opinions, please get in touch with him before Friday August 2.  l.murphy@Auckland.ac.nz

The University’s core values are:

• Excellence in teaching, learning, research, creative work and administration
• Respect for each other and for our shared commitment to excellence, collegiality, academic freedom, equity, and the principles of the Te Tiriti ō Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi).
• Service by our staff, students and alumni to high quality learning, the advancement of knowledge and to our local, national and international communities

DRAFT FACULTY OF SCIENCE VALUES

Our Mission: Excellent science – local impact – global leadership

We undertake excellent scientific research and education that are valued for their contribution to evidence-based global discourse and for the way they underpin and support New Zealand and New Zealanders to:

• Understand the processes that shape our physical, natural and social environments and their implications;
• Be responsive and responsible in addressing challenges that might affect them or their environments;
• Live lives that are healthy in mind and body in habitats that are rich and diverse;
• Transform our economy to one that is environmentally and socially sustainable and which is founded on evidence-based research
• Grow a population that irrespective of background is well educated in science, including mātauranga Māori, and its ethical application;
• …and which, through our local actions, provide global leadership.

Our Values

Within this framework we are committed to:

• Quality – valuing quality over quantity in our teaching, research, relationships and cultures.
• Te Tiriti ō Waitangi – respecting its principles, and meaningfully engaging with Māori and Pacific approaches and values in all that we do.
• Equity – supporting all students and staff to reach their potential, irrespective of background.
• Inclusivity – providing an inclusive work and study environment that promotes wellbeing and celebrates diversity.
• Pedagogy – ensuring our teaching programmes respond to international best practice and to the diverse and changing needs of our students.
• Research – promoting thriving research communities, including those based on interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Stakeholders – strengthening our engagement with, and our relevance to, our stakeholders and their communities.
• Sustainability – investing in sustainability in its broadest sense: ethical, emotional, environmental and financial.
• Professionalism – encouraging core values: Integrity, Efficiency, Credibility, Compassion, Passion, Helpfulness.

Promotion Applications 2019 (excluding Professorial applications)

If you are considering applying for promotion, please make sure you are familiar with the content of the Academic Promotions webpage (it contains links to all promotions forms, policies and the standards) and email Samantha (Samantha.huang@auckland.ac.nz ) to schedule a meeting to discuss with JR before submitting your complete applications to her. The deadline of submitting applications is Thursday 15 August. Click here for more details.

Space

Multi-use Laboratory Room 302-586

The ‘document’ lab has been reconfigured to provide a multi-use facility that is suitable for microscope work or small meetings/seminars. Several specialist microscopes are positioned on the back/side walls. Window screens, fold-up chairs and a large smart TV are available.

If you want to book this room please see Farnaz or Lynnette in the main office, Level 6. They will record your booking and have a key that you can collect when you need it. All staff and PG students can book this space.

The space is available for use without a booking but obviously bookings take precedence.

IMPORTANT:

The new release of the University Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) Policy:

The H&S policy is now the Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) policy, and replaces all previous versions. The HSW policy includes Governance and Leadership statements, breaks down responsibilities by role, and describes how we manage HSW at The University.

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/the-university/how-university-works/policy-and-administration/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-policy.html

Accident and near miss reporting:

You should be reporting injuries, near misses, potential incidents, vehicle incidents and anything else of concern.  If in doubt, ask one of the HSW committee members.  Reporting from the School has been a bit slow over the last few months, but we have had a couple of interesting potential incidents reported.

• A cheeky seagull has been stacking pebbles on the 302 L6 building ledge.  This has the potential to cause some harm if one fell off and hit someone below.  This was reported, investigated and is now sitting with property services to rectify (bird netting? Scarecrow?)
• A couple of live shotgun shells were accidentally sent back to the School with some field equipment.  Reported, and shells dropped off to the police.

Reporting procedure can be found below.  Pretty easy, fill in the form and send to a member of the School HSW committee.

https://www.staff.auckland.ac.nz/en/human-resources/health-safety-and-wellbeing/accident-reporting-and-investigation/reporting-procedure-and-purpose.html

Events

Farewell

Morning Tea for Vanessa Castro’s farewell – 10:30am, 24 July, L6 Breakout Space

Cumberland Lecture

Save the date! The Cumberland lecture will be on 22 August, 5 pm, PLT2. Kennedy Warne – Writer, Photographer, and co-founder of New Zealand Geographic – is our Cumberland lecturer. Further details coming soon.

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.

Volcanology, Geochemistry, & Petrology Research Group

The volcanology, geochemistry, & petrology research group (VGP) meets every other week during the semester. Our next meeting will be on 25 July from 12 to 1 in 302-130. (Note the time and location change from last semester!) Geoff and Jan will be giving talks about his recent experimental work in Munich and the Resilience to Nature’s Challenges- Urban Phase 2 research programme, respectively. For more information, please see our website: vgp.blogs.auckland.ac.nz See you soon!

FoS Postdoc Society

The Faculty of Science Post-Doctoral Society is a society for Postdocs and Early Career Researchers within the Faculty of Science that has the following objectives:

1. a)            To promote excellent science by providing a community for FoS postdoctoral staff and early career researchers that facilitates networking and collaboration both in and out of the lab.
2. b)            To facilitate training and career development amongst FoS postdoctoral staff and early career researchers; and
3. c)            To promote the interests of and provide a voice for FoS postdoctoral staff and early career researchers within both the School and the University of Auckland.

We are always open to new committee members so if you know any postdocs or early career researcher who are passionate about helping other postdocs/early career researchers and interested in becoming committee members or if you are that person, please contact us at  fos-res-fellows@auckland.ac.nz.  Alternatively, if you would like to find out what it is like being a committee member, please come along to any of our committee meetings held on the first Tuesday of each month at 3pm in the Building 302, 6th floor breakout space (next one is Tuesday 6^th August).

Unfortunately, we don’t currently have an automatic notification when a new postdoc joins the Faculty. We manually add a new person to our emailing list when we can identify one, but it is tricky to track everyone.  So please let us know by emailing at fos-res-fellows@auckland.ac.nz if you would like to be on our mailing list. We run a range of events throughout the year ranging from panel discussions to skills workshops and use this list to advertise events and let you know what’s going on within the society as it happens.

Best regards,

Lena Weissert

Student Levy Consultation

The Student Levy, or Compulsory Student Services Fee, is open for consultation from Monday 1 July – Friday 2 August. There is five $50 Westfield Shopping vouchers to be won.
Complete the Student Levy Survey and tell us how you think the compulsory fee should be spent at the University in 2020. The survey can be found here
Please find the Flyer here

Open Day 2019 – ambassadors

UOA is looking for 200-odd student ambassadors (including UniGuides) to help for a full day on Open Day, doing tasks such as transport coordination, help desks, lecture support, SkyBus help and other misc. tasks. As a thank you for volunteering your time and support, you will be provided with lunch on the day and a Westfield voucher.
More information and sign up form for students: https://forms.gle/aQUr7vCWB66ncKSy5

Datamine graduate recruitment information evening:

Wondering where your degree in science, statistics, computer science or technology can take you? Datamine is on the search for Auckland University students and near-graduates to join their growing team.
Date: Tuesday 6 August
Time: 5pm
Place: 23 Symonds Street, MedChem Lecture Theatre, Science Building.
Spaces are limited. Please book your spot through our website or by contacting Datamine at grads@datamine.com.

Please find the Flyer here

Thank you!

INCREDIBLE SCIENCE DAY 

We would like to thank all of our outreach volunteers from AUGA, DEVORA, QuakeCore, Rū, and UOA geography who helped with several tables at The University of Auckland’s Incredible Science day on July 2nd. There were over 500 students, teachers and parents from around the Auckland region. It was a successful day enjoyed by all. Anna and Shannen.

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Rangahau – Research

PhD student Kate Cocker working with Phil Shane using the electron microprobe at Victoria University in Wellington last week. She is analysing crystals in andesites from Ruapehu volcano. The aim to understand how magma ascends to the surface.

Financial Reports

 The Budget Availability Report (BAR) sent to researchers each month will be retired at the end of July. An enhanced report is available through Strategic Management Report (SMR) research dashboards.

The dashboard provides detailed reports of the HOD and RDA accounts and all research projects that you are a PI on. It has updated data from the previous working day.

An eLearning module entitled ‘Research Funding Dashboards for Researchers’ has been created – with a PI specific view.

The school’s RPCs can help if you have any questions, how to access and interpret the dashboard.

Meetings, seminars and events

Registrations for Exposure 2019 open 29 July

Get ready for Exposure 2019! The University’s biggest postgraduate research expo is back this October. Whether you want to compete in the Poster Session or Oral Presentation Session, prepare your abstract and be ready to submit when registrations open on 29 July.

 In 2018, Science students won first and second place in the poster competition and won second place in the oral presentation.

With a total prize fund of $7,500, can you afford to miss it?

 Find dates, details and resources at auckland.ac.nz/exposure.

‘Ken Cumberland and Historical Geography – (or why I’m an ambivalent social scientist)’

Tuesday 6^th August at 4.00pm in the Ontology Lab on Level 5 of Building 302

Speaker: Professor Michael Roche, Massey University, Palmerston North

Please find the flyer here.

Research Ideas Seminar – Our World and Universe

You’re cordially invited to the second in the series of Our World and Universe seminars on Wednesday 14 August at 2-4pm.

The focus of the seminar will be for YOU to present YOUR current research project ideas – whether it be for MBIE, Marsden, industry or for internal funding. Any project idea is welcome, no matter how new or developed it may be! The main aim is for all of us to share our interests and connect to others outside of our immediate disciplines.

$$$$! – Anyone who gets involved in the session and presents will be eligible to receive SEED MONEY for their project idea: There are two prizes worth $4K (for research staff) and two prizes worth $2K (for postgraduate research students).

And if the money isn’t enough of an incentive, we will have free food and drinks too!

Any topic that relates to the theme in any aspect is welcome. As a reminder, the theme has three main focus areas:

• Earth. The study of our oceans, climate and geological systems; Life and it’s development, from mitochondria to megafauna.

• Space. Remote sensing and space technology; Exploration of the stars, galaxies and supernovae; All things ‘Astro’.

• Fundamental Questions. The origins and evolution of life; The philosophy of biology and enaction; Complex networks and machine learning.

The format of the session will be for you and other members come by, create a quick write up of your idea on a whiteboard on the day, and present these to the room. We ran this format in April in a similar session, and had a great response – if you’d like to take a look, click here to find out more about the talks.

Please RSVP to this email to sign up, with a few words that describe your idea/talk.

Journal Editors Workshop – Auckland Monday 26 August

The Journal Editors Workshop will be held across 2 locations: (View online)

AUCKLAND
Monday 26 August
9.00am – 11.30am
Auckland University of Technology

WELLINGTON
Tuesday 27 August
9.00am – 11.30am
Victoria University of Wellington

Featured speaker: Dr Anthony Dona

What you will discover at the workshop:

• Journal Selection Criteria and Improving your Publication – Understand how journals are selected and analysed in Web of Science.
• Enhancing your Impact Factor and the State of Open Access – Understand how to use the Impact Factor Metric, and its limitations. Learn about other valuable bibliometric indicators and the trends of these in open access journals.
• Find Peer Reviewers and Publons Profiles – Discover where academics are editing and reviewing journals like your own.

Please register here.

Marine Geosciences Talk

 Wed 24/7, 1-2 pm

CAG01/114-G01 (Commerce A)

 Fish predators maintain estuarine biodiversity and benefit a critical ecosystem engineer

 Joseph Reustle
Smee Marine Ecology Lab
Texas A&M University

A Prognosis on Privacy: Are We Equipped for Emerging Challenges?

 David Swanlund is a visiting PhD Candidate from Simon Fraser University in Canada. He will be giving a talk on modern Geo Privacy issues and solutions next week. David’s excellent work has been published in Progress in Human Geography and the Annals of the AAG, and his has most recently won an award for his talk at the Spatial Knowledge and Information conference in Canada.

 The abstract for his talk is as follows:

Whether it’s Cambridge Analytica, revelations about government surveillance, or the seemingly endless breaches of corporate databases, privacy is often marked by scandal. As a result of this constant exposure, surveys show that members of the public are increasingly worried about their privacy and are feeling less confident that they understand how corporations and governments are collecting, analyzing, and sharing their data. But what exactly is privacy anyways, where are its edges, and why do privacy scholars so often disagree over these seemingly basic questions? Moreover, why might we look at privacy through an explicitly spatial lens (i.e. geoprivacy), and what does spatial data reveal about us that other forms of data do not? Finally, what can we as researchers do to better protect the spatial privacy of the individuals in our datasets? This presentation will explore each of these questions, and in doing so will outline emerging problems in the study, protection, and even conceptualization of privacy.

 Hope you will be able to join us in the Ontology Lab for a talk that is sure to be of interest for all of the school of environment as we all have data that requires security and has privacy considerations. If you think others outside of the school would be interested, please feel free to invite them as well. There will be cookies! 

Details:

Thursday, July 25. 

Talk 2-2:30, discussion thereafter.

Ontology Lab,B302, Level 5. Rm. 551

Funding Opportunities

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

 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 5pm on Wednesday 24^th July and should be submitted via the RFM – contact your RPC Ivana Mlinac i.mlinac@auckland.ac.nz if you have any queries.

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

New publications

1. Simon-Kumar, R., Collins, F.L. & Friesen, W. (eds) (2019) Intersections of inequality, migration and diversification: the politics of mobility in Aotearoa/NewZealand. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.
2. Friesen, W. (2019) ‘Quantifying and qualifying inequality among migrants’ in R. Simon-Kumar, F.L. Collins, & W. Friesen (eds), Intersections of inequality, migration and diversification: the politics of mobility in Aotearoa/NewZealand. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 17-42.
3. Shirley, G., Wylie, E., & Friesen, W. (2019) ‘The branding of post-conflict tourism destinations: theoretical reflections and case studies’, in A. Neef and J.H. Grayman (eds), The tourism-disaster-conflict nexus. Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing Ltd, pp 119-139.
4. Underhill-Sem, Y, Marsters, E., Bedford, R., Naidu, V. & Friesen, W., (2019) Are there only winners? Labour mobility for sustainable development in the Pacific. New Zealand Institute for Pacific Research, Auckland. 48 pp.
5. PhD student Megan Tuck has just published a paper in Geology. The paper has been covered by various media organisations. Link to one piece below.Tuck, M. E., Kench, P. S., Ford, M. R., & Masselink, G. (2019). Physical modelling of the response of reef islands to sea-level rise. Geology.https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/114265809/some-islands-get-higher-migrate-as-sea-levels-rise-storms-intensify-auckland-university-researchers

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Teaching Excellence Awards

Applications are being called for The University of Auckland Teaching Excellence Awards. There are five Teaching Excellence Awards available, in the following categories:

• Sustained Excellence in Teaching (two awards)
• Early Career Excellence in Teaching (two awards)
• Leadership in Teaching and Learning (one award)
• In the 2019 round, applications are invited for formal leadership in teaching and learning*

In a particular year, if an award is not made in one or more of the categories, an award may be re-assigned to another category if the next best ranked application in that category is of sufficient merit. The Awards are contestable across the University and carry with them a medal and a monetary prize of $6,000.

Selected recipients of University of Auckland Teaching Excellence Awards will usually be considered for nomination by the University for the national awards. The University, however, reserves the right to approach other staff to nominate for the national awards.

The ‘Information to applicants’ and application forms are available on the University’s Teaching and Learning website at:

http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/excellence-innovation/

For guidance and advice on preparing a teaching portfolio, potential applicants can:

–       view the portfolios of the University’s national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award winners as an example of best practice

–       consult the online resources available on the Centre for Learning and Research in Higher Education (CLeaR) website

–       submit a request for a consultation with CLeaR

The closing date for applications is Friday 6 September 2019 with the Teaching Excellence Awards Secretary, Susan McDowell-Watts, s.mcdowell-watts@auckland.ac.nz

For any enquiries – contact Claire Walters, Academic Reviews Manager, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, c.walters@auckland.ac.nz

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Classifieds

Free 3-seater sofa

In great condition, except for the cat damage to the arms and the base :-(. Don’t take it if you’re allergic to cats. But, if you  need a couch for the flat this could be a goodie. Email JR.

Are you good at graphics? Want some work?

If you make great visual posters and want some paid work, I’m keen to have a chat to you. Email JR.

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 2nd August, to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz

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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

 

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 5th July, to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz

HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

Well done everyone getting to the end of the teaching semester. Once the marking and exams are done I hope everyone gets the chance to have a good break before Semester 2 kicks-off. If you are an academic, a research fellow or a research assistant on contract, you will be accruing annual leave. If you are not saving it up for later in the year, this is a great time to take a few days off to recharge the batteries. If you a PG student with exams coming up fast, good luck and study hard.

I’m pleased to announce that Dr James Muirhead has accepted the Earth Sciences post and will be starting in mid-January 2020. We had a high number of applicants (103) for this position and a good share of excellent ones. In making the selection, the committee prioritised early career and expertise in structural geology and tectonic geomorphology. These attributes were in addition to collegiality, potential or demonstrated ability in teaching, and good values around diversity and inclusivity. James’ track record is outstanding for an early career academic and I’m delighted that he has accepted our offer. Unfortunately we have been unsuccesful in securing a new Professor for the Environmental Management position. Annie will call a meeting for those with an interest in this position to discuss options for moving forward.

Can you save our bacon? Today is the deadline for confirming the School’s contribution to ‘Incredible Science’, the annual Faculty of Science showcase for 10-12 year olds to be held on Tuesday 2 July. Usually Kate Kenedi and Neville Husdon run the day, but both are on leave this year. Mila has put her hand up to participate but we need a volunteer to coordinate the day. If you are a motivated and well-organised PG student or staff member and can devote a bit of time to this worthy cause I would love to hear from you today.

Two opportunities to ‘tautoko’ your colleagues are in this edition of p-cubed: please think about encouraging applications for the NZ Association of Scientists awards, and for the positions on the Rhodes scholar selection panel. Sometimes a little encouraging nudge can help someone have the confidence to step forward.

Lastly, the deadline for feedback on the draft ‘code of conduct’ is coming up fast. The purpose for of this code is to clarify and maintain a standard of behaviour of all members of the University of Auckland. I encourage everyone to read this document and provide feedback as appropriate.

Ngā mihi – JR

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For Your Diary

Deadlines	Date & Location
Feedback due on draft Code of Conduct – see here	14 July 2019 – to claire.hall@auckland.ac.nz
Application to be on the Rhodes selection panel	end June – to j.harding@auckland.ac.nz
Professorial promotion applications – send to John Hosking, see here for info	01 July 2019
NZ Association of Scientist Medals – applications due	31 July, 2019
Other Events
Workshop: The Writing Habits of Successful Academics, click here to register	18 Jun, 1pm in 302-140
Ako Innovation: Blended Learning Workshop	18 Jun, 10-12pm in 302-140
ENV Staff Retreat – see agenda and background info here	12 June, 8.30-5pm, Old Government House

 

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities 

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Tom Baker who has been elected to the Council of the Royal Society Te Apā​​rangi for a three-year term as Councillor representing early career researchers.

PhD Student Megan Tuck won one of the top student paper awards at the 2019 Coastal Sediments Conference at St Pete Beach, Florida. There were over 60 student papers from around the world presented at the conference.

Mighty congratulations to Mary-Anne and Sam, and welcome Rhett Robert Clive, who arrived on 5 June, healthy and happy at 2.85kg.

News

School of Environment Dodgeball Tournament

Team Geography managed to dodge, dip, duck, and dive its way to winning the recent School of Environment Dodgeball Tournament. While geography took the honours, defeating a combined GISCI-ENVSCI team in the final, the highlight of the tournament was the performance of JR. Representing AUGA there was a moment when she found herself as the only person left on her side of the court. Completely outnumbered, JR used her knowledge of fluid flow and her ability to identify vectors, to dodge a barrage of red missiles. After lasting a remarkably long time she eventually took a hit, but not before she had gained the respect of everyone present. It would be wonderful if more staff would follow JR’s example and join in on these sports events. It really does help to foster healthy relationships between staff and students within the school.

Competition results after two events: Geography 5 points, Geospatial Club 5 points, AUGA 2 points, ENVSCI 2 points.

Geography Association Quiz

On Wednesday 5th June, 13 teams battled it out for glory in the Geography Association Quiz. In a close fought contest, the very serious  “Finalfinalteamnamev2.tif” (66 points) held on to win, finishing just ahead of “GA QUIZ: a comprehensive analysis of Joe Fagan’s ability to teach” (65 points). Taken for Granite (60 points) came in third. Hampered by their lack of youth, the two staff teams finished well off the pace. A big thank you to the GA crew for organising an excellent event and to everyone who came along.

On telly: Beneath New Zealand

Beneath NZ II started screening on prime last night – about volcanoes. Episode 3 is about Auckland and features Jan Lindsay.
https://www.primetv.co.nz/beneath-nz

National awards and service opportunities

2019 Science Medals – nominations open

Applications are invited for the following 2019 Science Medals from the New Zealand Association of Scientists (NZAS)

Marsden Medal – awarded for a lifetime of outstanding service to the cause or profession of science, in the widest connotation of the phrase.

Shorland Medal – awarded to an individual or to a team in recognition of major and continued contribution to basic or applied research that has added significantly to scientific understanding or resulted in significant benefits to society.

Hill Tinsley Medal (formerly known as the Research Medal) – awarded for outstanding fundamental or applied research in the physical, natural or social sciences published during the year of the award or the preceding three calendar years. Applicants will normally be within their first 15 years after graduating PhD as at 1 January 2019, unless career breaks extend this period.

Cranwell Medal (formerly known as the Science Communicator Medal) – made annually to a practising scientist (or group of scientists) for excellence in communicating science to the general public, in any area of science or technology. Nominations are sought from scientific organizations, scientific associations and individuals.

How to apply:

• Interested applicants should apply directly, rather than seek a nomination.
  • Please submit electronic applications. See the guidelines from the links below and email applications to: awards@scientists.org.nz and tobuchananp@LandcareResearch.co.nz by 31 July, 2019.
• Individuals or Scientific Teams (of up to five people) may apply for the Shorland and Cranwell Medals
  • Applications submitted in previous years will remain valid for five years from the original submission date (except for Hill Tinsley Medal applicants if the 15 year post-PhD limit is exceeded), but a previously submitted application should be updated annually using the current format.

For instructions and guidelines, please see:https://scientists.org.nz/2019-awards-applications or the guidelines attached to this email.

NZ Rhodes Scholars – nominations open for selection panel

See here and here for detail. Please send nominations directly to Jane Harding as NZ Secretary for the Rhodes Trust – j.harding@auckland.ac.nz.

Meetings, seminars and events

How the other half lives: A round-table discussion on collaborating across the social/natural science divide

Geography Auckland (NZGS Auckland Branch) newsletter

Please note the June Dialogues:

Date:     Tuesday 18 June

Time:     4.00pm to 5.30pm

Place:    Building 302, Room 551 (Ontology Lab)

Who:     Tom Baker and panel (Jan Lindsay, Richard Le Heron, Mark Dickson, Nick Lewis)

HR Services- Open Day (for staff)

The HR Services Team will be hosting an Open Day on Thursday, 18th of July 2019 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM in Building 302, Room 140.

This drop-in session is for employees who may have any questions in regard to things like staff benefits (superannuation), leave, retirement or anything else relating to their employment with the University.

The HRS team may also be able to assist staff and shed light on some other HR processes and workflows.

They will also have a Recruitment Consultant on hand to answer any Advertised Recruitment related queries.
For future details please click here

EAP Services e-flyer

Topics in this edition include:

• Learn encouraging tips for self-motivation
• How to improve the quality of your sleep
• Sharing happiness and the value of a smile

See here.

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Rangahau – Research

Funding Opportunities

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.

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.

Information and guidelines: Kate Edger

Pacific research, Consultancies, Teaching, Supervision

Request for information (Urgent, rather than gentle, reminder!)

I am working on a report which includes a section on the involvement of School of Environment in the Pacific islands in relation to research, consultancy, teaching and any other linkages. This includes the pre-ENV departments of Geology, Geography etc. By “Pacific” I am meaning Pacific islands i.e. NOT including NZ, Australia, Philippines etc.
Specifically it would be good to have information on you and/or colleagues in relation to:
1) Research: location, topic, how funded, dates, resulting publication(s) .
2) Consultancy: with what agency in the Pacific? location, dates, resulting reports
3) Teaching: Is there any “Pacific islands” content in the courses you teach? or in earlier versions of courses you or your predecessors taught? What is the nature of content? Were there many Pacific students in these courses?
4) Supervision: Masters and PhD theses supervised on a Pacific topic; student name and topic
5) Other linkages: with institutions not covered in the above categories? Nature of linkages etc.
As well as research etc. in the Pacific itself, please include any involvement with Pacific issues in Aotearoa NZ, and with Pacific communities in Auckland/ NZ. Also, if you are old enough to remember the 1990s, 1980s, or even the 1970s, are you aware of the Pacific work in these eras (not necessarily involving yourself)?
I appreciate your help in this; please forward this information directly to me w.friesen@auckland.ac.nz
Cheers,
Ward

Dr. Wardlow Friesen
Associate Professor of Geography
School of Environment
The University of Auckland

Meetings, seminars and events

Marine Geosciences Group meeting

Tue. 11 June, 12-1 pm (note, new time), 303-G14

Francesco Turco, who is visiting us from the University of Otago, will give a presentation on “Geostatistical methods applied to seismic data: trace interpolation and seismic inversion”

Doctoral Morning Tea | International Student Life by School of Graduate Studies

If you’re an international doctoral candidate, the next Doctoral Morning Tea is for you! Our panel of candidates from across the globe (and University) will discuss what it’s like to study for a doctorate as an international candidate. Come along on 20 June for networking, snacks and to hear and share stories, struggles, tips and tricks. Book now!
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/doctoral-morning-tea-international-student-life-tickets-56769430896
Date and Time
Thu., 20 June 2019
9:30 am – 11:00 am
Location
iSpace (Kate Edgar Bldg Level 4)
UoA City Campus
9 Symonds Street

Towards the unbiased processing of temporal location data using machine learning

Kamil Smolak is visiting us from Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Poland. His talk is titled ‘Towards the unbiased processing of temporal location data using machine learning’.

Thursday 13 June, 11:00am in Building 302, Room 551 (Ontology Lab)

He will discuss the ways of predicting human mobility using geo-located data (data from mobile phones and GPS) as well as the limits of existing human mobility models.

If you are interested in meeting him for a more detailed discussion, he would be happy to do so at any time before his talk. He is based in the room 302:430.

Learning from our lakes
Biological community shifts resulting from natural and anthropogenic disturbances

Katie Brasell (PhD Proposal) Tuesday, 11th June · 12 pm · Room 302-130

 

Introductory R Workshop

The second Introductory R Workshop for 2019 is being run on July 8th and 9th. This will be led by Kevin Chang and supported by other Statistical Consultancy Centre staff.

The workshop is limited to a maximum of 40 participants. Therefore if you would like to attend please register ASAP.

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). You can find the payment authorisation form here.

The cost for non-UoA attendees is $500 + GST.

Location: Building 302 room 190.

Time and schedule:  9am till 5pm. For more details please click here

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).

Colombian National Geothermal Meeting

Research and Development to Action- November 25-28

Please click here for more details.

Publications:

Nano-enabled strategies to enhance crop nutrition and protection

Melanie Kah , Nathalie Tufenkji & Jason C. White
Nature Nanotechnology 14, 532–540 (2019)

This link should bring a pdf of the paper (https://rdcu.be/bFEMx) please try as it may be associated with some personal rights.
The two following links should redirects to the issue page where the cover appears: https://www.nature.com/nnano/ or https://www.nature.com/nnano/volumes/14/issues/6

Hartley Travers Ferrar (1879-1932) and his geological legacy in Antarctica, Egypt and New Zealand

Martin Brook and Susanna Ferrar

Earth Sciences History 38, 43-58 (2019)

See here for a copy of the paper

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Academic matters

Masters Thesis Examiner Nominations

All staff supervising Masters Students submitting in July are requested to nominate the examiners. An AS-512R, examiner nomination form needs to be completed for each submitting student by Friday the 28th of June 2019 and submitted to Mick Johannisson-Wallman at m.johannisson-wallman@auckland.ac.nz
If you or potential examiners are going to be away in the preceding weeks, please ensure that you submit your nominations early.

You can access via the following link: AS-512R Masters Thesis or Research Portfolio worth 90 points or above (PDF)

Meetings, seminars and events

Examiners’ Meetings

For details on Semester 2 Examiners’ Meetings, and advice on preparing for these and submitting final grades, please see the ENV Academic Guide.

Blended Learning Workshop

The Ako teaching and learning innovation committee will be hosting a workshop on “Blended Learning” on the 18th of June from 10-12 in the 302-140 (MDL lab). This session is dedicated to sharing ideas on how to effectively integrate various teaching and learning tools and strategies within your courses. Topics covered include: blended learning resources available at UoA, enhancing motivation, using analytics, Canvas hacks, managing group work online, among others.

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 12:00 21st June, to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz