What's On at UWA

Fire stick farming of hunter-gathers preceded the development of agriculture. Fire continues to be a major land management technique and contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. In the last two decades satellites have provided at regional and global scales unprecedented amounts of data on active fires and burnt areas. Most anthropomorphic in origin, some from lightening.

Dr Richard Smith will present data on the satellite monitoring of fire in the agricultural areas of southern Australia, the Tropical Savannas of northern Australia and the Tropical Rainforests of Indonesia. He will discuss their application to the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions.

Bio 1961-present:

BSc (Agric) London University, Dip. Agricultural Economics (Oxford), PhD (Agronomy) UWA. Farm Management Consultant (Broomehill, WA), Senior Lecturer Agronomy (University of New England. NSW), Irrigation Research leader (CSIRO, Griffith, NSW), Research Associate Remote Sensing (NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre), Manager Satellite Remote Sensing Services, WA Government.

In retirement Rottnest Volunteer Guide and with the Floreat Uniting Church, Community and Economic Development of the Mowanjum Aboriginal Community, near Derby.



PS* This seminar is free and open to the public, no RSVP required.

****All Welcome****

A public lecture by Michael Levine, Winthrop Professor of Philosophy and Jacqueline Boaks, The University of Western Australia.

Talk of leadership seems to dominate public discourse. Many of us have images of Martin Luther King, Jr. as a moral leader harnessing and focussing the hopes of millions in the mid-twentieth century. Millions of people read books written by corporate ‘leaders’ such as Richard Branson, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet in an attempt to not only gain insight into their money making abilities but also look to them for inspiration with respect to how whole societies can or should change. Teenagers wear t-shirts and badges that appeal to Che Guevara as leader. Sporting figures, especially coaches and captains, write books and give motivational speeches as ‘leaders’.

Much of this talk includes discussion about values and ethical leadership. But is this focus on values and ethics in leadership a sign of natural fit between the two, or perhaps a sign of deep seated concern that there might not be any natural fit at all? Is it simply wishful thinking? This talk will explore whether we have reason for thinking that ethics and leadership go together, and the reasons and ways that this thinking can and does go wrong.

Michael Levine is Winthrop Professor of Philosophy at UWA where he teaches a course on philosophy, film and aesthetics. His publications include: Prospects for an Ethics of Architecture (with Bill Taylor. Routledge, 2011),Doing Philosophy, Watching Movies (with Damian Cox. Boston: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011), Politics Most Unusual: Violence, Sovereignty and Democracy in the ‘War on Terror’ (with Damian Cox and Saul Newman. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009) and Integrity and the Fragile Self (M. Levine; D. Cox; M. LaCaze. Ashgate, 2003.). He is currently working on regret (oh brother!!!) and other emotions of self-assessment.

Jacqueline Boaks studied philosophy at UWA before working in management roles in several large Perth organisations. She is now undertaking a PhD in Philosophy looking at leadership in the areas of ethics, political philosophy and business literature.

This lecture is a part of the Institute of Advanced Studies 2012 lecture series ‘Global Transformation and Public Ethics’. This series of free public lectures aims to stimulate considered debate about urgent issues in public ethics and policy as well as reflecting on ways we can improve public discourse about such issues.

Cost: Free, no RSVP required.

It is with great pleasure that Counselling and Psychology Service and Student Services invite you to attend a discussion on whether ‘University study is a pathway for mental illness rehabilitation?’ at our next Mental Health Professionals Network (mhpn) meeting. This meeting is suitable for mental health professionals and all UWA staff actively involved with students who have mental health difficulties. Date: 15th of March 2012, Start Time: Arrive at 7.00am for 7.30am presentation by Prof Kaiser followed by panel discussion including an analysis of a hypothetical student’s journey. Finish Time: 9am. Place: The University Club, UWA. Light breakfast will be provided. RSVP by 13/3/12: Claire Murphy, [email protected].

Panel members Dr Ann Solar (Consultant Psychiatrist, Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital), Ms Pauline Parnell (Psychologist, UniAccess, UWA), Ms Bev Hill (Associate Director, Equity & Diversity, UWA), Prof Roland Kaiser (Associate Dean[Student Affairs] Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, UWA), Ms Margaret Doherty (Board member of a number of community action groups for people with mental illness and member of the Western Australian Mental Health Advisory Panel).

Background on UWA mhpn. This is an open network that aims to bring together people providing mental health services to UWA tertiary students. The purpose of the network includes information sharing, collaboration and professional development opportunities. It is envisaged that the network will provide opportunities for the UWA Services to enhance referral pathways to external clinical services with the aim of improving the coordination of care students receive.

Future mhpn on 25th of July and 22nd November 2012.

Adam is showcasing some of his favourite contemporary repertoire along with some new works, Adam presents a lunchtime concert like no other.

Speaker: Donna Chung, Winthrop Professor of Social Work and Social Policy, The University of Western Australia.

In the last decade there has been increasing concern by a cross section of the community about what has been termed the sexualisation and ‘pornifcation’ of children, particularly young girls. This has led to government inquiries in Australia and the US in recent years with a particular focus on the role of the media in this phenomenon. There is no doubt that various forms of digital media have changed how images are produced, circulated and accessed, however, we cannot assume that digital technologies have created this concern.

In this presentation the origins of the concerns and the various debates will be examined as they relate to gender equality and women’s status. The question of what all this means for future actions and responses will be discussed.

Donna Chung's research interests have been in the areas of gender equality, gendered violence and heterosexual relationships. As a result of her research Donna has worked as a consultant to governments advising on policies and programs aimed at stopping gendered violence and promoting gender equality.

The annual Grace Vaughan Memorial Lecture is a partnership arrangement between the Australian Association of Social Workers, The University of Western Australia and Department for Communities - Womens Interests, Western Australia.

The Grace Vaughan Memorial Lecture is held annually to commemorate the life and achievements of Grace Vaughan who died in 1984.

This is a free public lecture, All Welcome. Please RSVP your attendance to [email protected] by 7 March 2012.

The Winthrop Singers, UWA's chamber choir, perform an Evensong service every Thursday this semester at St Thomas More College.

Responses: Rose Psalm 139 Old Testament Reading: Genesis 45:4-14 New Testament Reading: Hebrews 2:5-9 Canticles: Farrant in g minor Anthem: Pearsall Tu es Petrus Hymn: Praise my soul the King of Heaven

The literature investigating attentional biases in chronic pain has been mixed, however, a recent meta-analysis has confirmed the presence of attentional biases in chronic pain patients that are similar to those observed in patients with anxiety disorders. However, unlike the anxiety disorders, there is relatively little evidence that has assessed the role of attentional biases prospectively as a predictor of subsequent pain. Indeed, although all four studies that have assessed attentional biases as a predictor of future pain have found that biases predict subsequent, clinically meaningful pain, the nature of biases that predict pain in these studies has been different to the pattern of biases that are found in patients with chronic pain. That is, while chronic pain patients show a bias towards sensory pain words, it has been a bias away from affective pain words or towards happy words that has been associated in prospective studies with chronic pain. These results seem to support the role of vigilance-avoidance hypothesis of attention in the development of chronic painful conditions. Understanding the attentional mechanisms associated with the development of chronic pain is important because interventions, such as attention bias modification (ABM) have shown good preliminary results in the management of anxiety disorders. Indeed, results of two laboratory based studies and two field studies in the area of pain will be presented to demonstrate that ABM has considerable potential in the management of pain conditions also. However, the results of recent prospective work have important implications for optimizing ABM protocols specifically for pain patients, which will be discussed.

CONVOCATION, THE UWA GRADUATES ASSOCIATION

invites all graduates and other members of Convocation to attend its

FIRST ORDINARY MEETING

with reports from

the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Johnson

the Warden of Convocation, Associate Professor David Hodgkinson

and the Guild President, Mr Matthew Mckenzie

Guest: Speaker Winthrop Professor Paul Flatau, Director, UWA Centre for Social Impact

Topic:

Abstract: Accounting for Social Impact

Abstract In recent years, we have witnessed a significant change in the number and form in which social and community initiatives and programs have been financed and delivered. Whereas previously the social arena was dominated by government financed and delivered programs with support from the not-for-profit sector, now we see a much greater role for the corporate sector in their community investment programs and in terms of different forms of impact investing. At the same time there is now much greater emphasis on the role of measurement of the effectiveness and impact of social programs and initiatives. This talk will explore these various themes and trends.

It’s on again, the UWA Bike Breakfast. All UWA cyclists welcome. On Wednesday 21st March ride your bike to Riley Oval and be rewarded with breakfast catered by Uni Club. Breakfast from 7.00am until 9.00am. So cycle down to UWA and help celebrate all things cycling. Great prizes will be on offer.

Alien Agencies: Research-Creation and Ethnographies of the Nonhuman

A public lecture by Dr Christopher Salter, Director, Hexagram Concordia Centre for Research-Creation in Media Art and Technology.

What does it mean that nonhuman matter “performs”? How can contemporary techno-scientifically influenced and produced artworks be understood under the term “new materialism”?

The Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing is hosting a Seminar presented by Professor Alan Rosen, Research Psychiatrist, Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health, University of Newcastle.

Over many years, psychiatric professionals have dominated the lives of people with mental illnesses. We have been responsible for their forced separation and disconnection from their families; incarceration in remote regions; their being humiliated, stigmatised and sequestered as moral lepers; the loss of their identities as people, denying them their human rights, their dignity and entitlement to full membership as citizens. Mental health professionals have become the officially anointed custodians of people with mental illnesses – “for their own good”. We have inadvertently broken their spirits, disempowered them, alienated them from their kin, and in many instances de-skilled them and depleted community knowledge of how to look after their own. The case for regret and apology for the past suffering of Aboriginal Australians with a mental illness is pressing.

Iran’s nuclear programme has been a cause of concern for the international community. US and Israel are convinced that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, Iran claims that it has no intention to produce nuclear weapons and its nuclear activities are to sustain a peaceful nuclear power programme. It asserts its right to have access to peaceful nuclear technology. There have been anomalies in Iran’s reports to the IAEA and its ballistic missile programme also causes serious concerns. It is feared that if Iran goes nuclear there will be a ‘nuclear break out’ in Persian Gulf region. Israel’s threats to attack and destroy Iranian nuclear installations and its pressure on the US to take military action against Iran have created a very combustible environment with serious implications for regional as well as global security.

The Winthrop Singers, UWA's chamber choir, perform an Evensong service every Thursday this semester at St Thomas More College. This week is our special 5th Anniversary Evensong where we will officially induct new choristers into the choir.

Responses: Rose Psalm 95 Old Testament Reading: Genesis 46:1-7 New Testament Reading: Hebrews 3:12-19 Canticles: Gibbons Short Service Anthem: Harris Faire is the heaven Hymn: Forth in thy name, O Lord

Models of judgement and decision-making suggest that the relative ranked positions of options within a context influences judgement and choice. I will summarise evidence for the relative rank principle in a number of different social and applied contexts, ranging from actual product choice through to social and health-related attitudes. I show that wage and life satisfaction are related to relative rank of income; that similar principles predict self-perception of body-image, student satisfaction, and alcohol consumption,and that the effects of societal income inequality can be understood in terms of the same principles that underpin judgement and choice.

LIWA invites you to a free seminar on: "Thoracic Cancer Medicine" by Professor Anna Nowak from School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Time: 12 noon for light lunch with 12.30pm – 1.30pm presentation

A public lecture by Professor Richard Hobbs, 2011 WA Scientist of the Year.

Professor Hobbs studies the patterns and processes of life - species and how they interact, ecosystems and how they work - and how humans intersect with and affect these species and ecosystems. Working as an ecologist in Western Australia is at the same time a great privilege and an immense challenge. Quirks of history and geography have rendered WA a unique and diverse place, whose ecology, we are discovering, is sometimes surprisingly different from other parts of the world.

This ecology is now facing rapid directional change as human impact increases through land use changes, urban and resource development, introduced species, exploitation and climate change. Managing these ecosystems in the face of such change seems fraught with contention. Debates are often highly polarised and dominated by claim and counterclaim - only some of which are backed up with solid information.

Professor Hobbs steps into this minefield to try to provide reasoned commentary, backed up with good data wherever possible, that can feed into the decision making process. Sometimes, however, the decision making process ignores the good science already available. Public and media discussion simplifies and further polarises complex phenomena and renders finding effective solutions more difficult. Few attempts are made to de-polarise debates and find common ground from which to work towards useful outcomes.

Navigating this minefield is an ongoing challenge, but one that is essential to continue to pursue while at the same time conducting the normal business of science. In this talk Proferssor Hobbs will discuss these issues from a personal perspective and in the context of current issues in Western Australia.

Richard Hobbs is Professor of Restoration Ecology in the School of Plant Biology at the University of Western Australia, where he holds an ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship, and leads the Ecosystem Restoration and Intervention Ecology Research Group. He was elected to the Australian Academy of Science in 2004, is an ISI Highly Cited Researcher and was awarded the Ecological Society of Australia Gold Medal in 2010. His current research focuses on “Intervention ecology: managing ecosystems in the 21st century”.

Cost: Free, no RSVP required.

"Dante's Purgatorio and Easter: an introduction with a reading of the First Canto"

We invite you to attend one of our upcoming information evenings which will give you the opportunity to learn about the programs on offer, to discuss your study options, meet Business School staff and have all your questions answered before applying for your chosen course.

If you're a Year 12 student or a parent of a Year 12 student, this session will give you information about courses, admission requirements and how to structure TISC preferences to help you make the most of your WACE results and achieve your study and career goals.

Admissions Centre and Prospective Students Office staff will be available to answer questions following the presentation.