What's On at UWA

The course is designed for people with knowledge of basic statistics who want to learn more about regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

The course is hosted by the Centre for Applied Statistics and we offer discounted rate fees to UWA Graduate Research Students.

Fee information is available on our website cas.maths.uwa.edu.au. Please register online.

The 3MT competition challenges research students to give a dynamic and engaging presentation about their research and its significance in a way that can be understood by everybody. The audience will select the "People's Choice" winner.

The Annual Lecture is the highlight of the year for the UWA Historical Society and Convocation and we are delighted to welcome Winthrop Professor Cheryl Praeger to the podium to reflect upon her years on Campus and subsequent experiences and achievements.

Mathematician Cheryl Praeger has served the University of Western Australia as Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Professor since 1976. She leads a flourishing research group in pure mathematics and is in the top one per cent of highly cited mathematicians in the world.

Attendance is free.

The course is designed for people with knowledge of basic statistics who want to learn more about how to analyse binary or survival data.

The course is hosted by the Centre for Applied Statistics and we offer discounted rate fees to UWA Graduate Research Students.

Fee information is available on our website http://www.cas.maths.uwa.edu.au/courses. Please register online.

Investigation Awards event at The University of Western Australia on Tuesday the 27th of July from 9am to 2:40pm.

The PICSE Science Investigation Awards (SIA) are an opportunity for Year 8, 9 and 10 students to investigate a topic and hypothesis of their OWN CHOICE to find out answers with a hands-on and fun approach to science. Winning investigations receive cash prizes of up to $500.

Simply pick a topic that interests you, pose a hypothesis, carry out experiments and work towards answering your question using scientific methodology (it’s really like Myth Busters!).

You then present your findings as a poster (presentation board) and report. These are entered into the awards at your school. The top three investigations from each year group entered from your school will then be selected to attend the PICSE UWA Science Investigation Awards at UWA. These investigations will then be judged by scientists and industry representatives.

The Science Investigation Awards are open to any student in years 8, 9 and 10 from any school in the Great Southern and Perth Metropolitan areas of Western Australia. Schools need to contact PICSE UWA and submit their Expression of Interest details (see website).

Teachers can also get involved by attending the Science Investigation Awards Teacher PD.

Artemis Kitsios is currently a Masters candidate with SymbioticA, School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, and the School of Environmental Systems Engineering UWA. She will speak about her interdisciplinary research project – Ecosystem complexities: an interdisciplinary study of stress, resilience and change. This project examines the complexities of aquatic ecology, with particular attention to resilience and the role of the human. The project aims to examine, simulate, and visualise ecosystem processes that are not easily translated into human scale perception/comprehension and hence establish greater understanding of the fragility and importance of aquatic ecologies

Artemis Kitsios studied environmental engineering at UWA (2001 - 2004), visual art at the Central Institute of Technology (2007 – 2010) and before beginning the Masters in Biological Arts, completed the Art and Life Manipulation course with SymbioticA (2009). She has worked in water resource management, ecology and conservation locally and internationally for the last 10 years and has exhibited artworks in Perth, Melbourne and Barcelona.

The Western Australian Marine Science Institution welcomes you to the first of a series of free seminars on past, current and planned research in the Kimberley.

1st Speaker: Dr Barry Wilson (Murex Consultants), Patterns of life on Kimberley shores

The major controls of palaeographic development of the North West Shelf, including the Kimberley, have been climatic and sea level change and tectonism. The history of these events, especially those of the Quaternary, superimposed on the regional geology, has determined the range of habitats, the biological connectivity between them and adjacent regions, and the evolutionary development of the marine fauna. In this presentation, the contemporary marine fauna of the Kimberley is discussed in these historical biogeographic terms.

2nd Speaker: Dr James Gilmour (AIMS), Two decades of research on the Kimberly’s oceanic reef systems: dynamics and connectivity of coral assemblages in a changing world

This talk summarises almost twenty years of research by AIMS on the oceanic reefs of north-western Australia, focusing on the Scott Reef system. Scott Reef is unique in being far from the influence of many human activities responsible for the degradation of coral reefs globally, but for a catastrophic mass bleaching event in 1998. The 80% reduction in coral cover that followed provided an opportunity to quantify the rates and processes of recovery following a massive climatic disturbance. The recovery of the reef after 12 years is explained in the context of its connectivity to other reef systems and the underlying demography of its coral assemblages.

Afternoon tea (provided) and networking opportunities will follow the presentations.

RSVPs are essential please, for catering purposes.

General public and media welcome to attend.

RSVP & more info: Sue Lim [email protected]

www.wamsi.org.au

You may have seen Jurassic Park, where dinosaurs were from insects, but how much time travelling is really possible with ancient DNA? Join us for the first public lecture in Scitech's Lecturesaurus series with expert Dr Mike Bunce from Murdoch University.

Mike will tell us about his groundbreaking research extracting DNA from extinct birds. From the fossilised poo of the twelve foot moa bird of New Zealand, to eggshell fragments from the massive Madagascan elephant bird, ancient DNA can reveal more about what these creatures ate, how they evolved and how they became extinct.

This lecture is part of a series of public lectures in which local scientists will provide insight into some of the fascinating research in the world of palaeontology and extinct animals. The lecture series coincides with Scitech’s current feature exhibition Explore-a-saurus, and each lecture will include time before and after the lectures to step back in time and walk amongst the dinosaurs.

Time: Doors open 6.00pm, lecture 6.30-7.30pm Location: Lotterywest Science Theatre, Scitech Cost: $5 per person, or free to Scitrekker members. The fee includes time in Scitech’s Explore-a-saurus exhibition which will be open before and after the lecture (6pm-8pm). Bookings are essential by following the link.

SPICE Events are designed to expose high school science teachers to exciting new science by increasing interaction between teachers and researchers at UWA. They provide the opportunity for teachers to engage in current research and learn new ideas for the classroom, and usually contain a range of activities including hands-on lab sessions, field trips or presentations showcasing cutting-edge research. We expect the heightened engagement and interaction between teachers and tertiary scientists to have a significant impact upon the enthusiasm of teachers for science.

See website for dates and further details.

The De Laeter Youth Lecture is organized annually by the WA Branch of the Australian Institute of Physics. It is named in honour of the late Emeritus Professor John De Laeter. Not only was Professor De Laeter one of Western Australia's most noted scientists, but he also had an enormous impact on education is Western Australia. A minor planet was named after Professor De Laeter in recognition of his research in astrophysics and, in 1992, he was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his contributions to science, education and industry. He received a Eureka Prize in 2005, and a Clunies Ross Science and Technology Award in 2006.

Paul Sharp is founder of Two Hands Project and works on issues of plastic pollution, particularly in the marine environment. Two Hands Project is a collaborative approach to dealing with plastic pollution: take 30 Minutes and Two Hands to clean up yOUR world anytime, anywhere.

Two Hands embodies the spirit of the huge national/international clean up days but asks what you can do with your two hands in 30 minutes, at a location near you, on any day of the year. We are taking it all back to grass roots, looking at what you can do to care for the place(s) that are near to you or important to you, anytime that you want. Whether you’re doing this to improve the health of our oceans, reduce the risk to wildlife or to simply clean up unsightly trash in one of your favorite parks or beaches, what you can do with your own Two Hands is easy.

Sharp will be talking about his recent experiences in the North Pacific, where he was part of the 5 Gyres/Algalita Marine Research Foundation Tsunami Debris Expedition.

twohandsproject.org

Artist Talk with Vivienne Glance Playwright and actor Vivienne Glance has been fascinated by science for many years, but incorporating science into creative works presents particular challenges. Her main interest is how science is depicted in performance which has been the topic of her recently completed PhD research. Vivienne will talk about the dramaturgy behind science plays, why she thinks it is important that artists tackle science and technology in their work, why audiences seem to love it or hate it, and the delights and challenges scientific themes present to playwrights. Her latest play The Cat in the Box is an absurd comedy with a dose of quantum mechanics. The play premieres at the Blue Room Theatre on 2nd August. For more details please visit www.blueroom.org.au. Hosted by John Aitken. Presented by Stages WA in association with the AWG.

Cost: Free – all welcome

The 2012 Joseph Gentilli Lecture by Naomi Oreskes, Professor of History and Science Studies University of California & 2012 UWA Institute of Advanced Studies Professor-at-Large.

This event has reached capacity, no more registrations can be taken.

Glowing plants, drug-delivering artificial cells, smell-changing bacteria, propelling mouse tissues… Today, new kinds of biological designs are increasingly gaining public awareness and shifting biological imagination towards new horizons. Next to scientists and engineers, do-it-yourself biologists are claiming crucial roles as the hackers, artists, designers, cultural theorists, and entrepreneurs of the biophilic era. As Synthetic Biology is becoming the go-to-discipline to those who are interested in the biochemical design space, engineering principles become the driving force behind designed biologies.

But what do we mean by “design” when we talk about biological design?

In this two-part talk, Orkan Telhan will trace the long history of biological design rather quickly through a series of designed and commercialized biological artifacts and offer a more discursive view on the evolution of the biologically designable beyond specific disciplinary agendas. Secondly, Telhan will reflect on the outcomes of his research residency at SymbioticA and briefly discuss his current project on “Biosynthesis and the Futures of Sandalwood.”

Current SymbioticA resident Orkan Telhan is an interdisciplinary artist, designer and researcher whose investigations focus on the design of interrogative objects, interfaces, and media, engaging with critical issues in social, cultural, and environmental responsibility. Telhan is Assistant Professor of Fine Arts - Emerging Design Practices at University of Pennsylvania, School of Design. Telhan is working towards his PhD in Design and Computation at MIT School of Architecture and Planning. He was part of the Sociable Media Group at the MIT Media Laboratory. He studied Media Arts at the State University of New York at Buffalo and theories of media and representation, visual studies and graphic design at Bilkent University, Ankara. Telhan's individual and collaborative work has been exhibited in a number of venues including Ars Electronica, ISEA, LABoral, Archilab, Architectural Association, Architectural League/ NYC, and the MIT Museum.

National Science Week is an annual celebration of science in Australia, an opportunity to join together to enjoy and explore the wonders and benefits of science. The Faculties of Science at The University of Western Australia will be hosting a number of special events for schools and for the community.

The Chanelle Carter Memorial Fund, sponsored by Alcoa Australia, was established at The University of Western Australia in 2011. Chanelle was a UWA chemistry graduate who worked at Alcoa Australia. Her life was tragically cut short in 2010. Alcoa Australia established the Chanelle Carter Memorial Fund to honour her zest, energy and passion. Chanelle’s parents, Yve and Mike Carter in particular were very keen that the fund was used to support young women in science. They wanted their daughter’s memorial to potentially make a difference. The Chanelle Carter Memorial Fund therefore offers six Year 10 girls from South West schools the opportunity to visit and participate in a range of science-focused activities at The University of Western Australia.

In 2011, the inaugural year of the fund, the project was coordinated by Associate Professor Jan Dook and Charmaine White from the SPICE project and Dr Joanne Castelli from the LPS faculty office. Three Year 10 girls from Newton Moore SHS and three from Pinjarra SHS, together with accompanying teachers were invited to be guests of the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences at The University of Western Australia, from Sunday 14 August to Thursday 18 August. These dates encompassed the UWA Expo and National Science Week. Teachers were able to attend SPICE PD sessions during the visit.

In 2012, visits to UWA will be from 12 to 18 August. Further details will be available shortly.

UWA opens up the whole campus to the public.

Come and find out about the courses on offer, career options, scholarship opportunities, our valuable research, community programs and facilities.

There's also residential college tours, hands-on activities, live music and entertainment, and plenty of fun activities for the whole family.

As part of National Science Week, the Science Library is once again hosting the SCINEMA Film Festival

Two collections of short films on selected topics will be screened in the Science Library Foyer during Open Day, and they are as follows:

11:00am - 12:45pm - ‘A Climate for change’

12:50pm - 3:00pm - ‘Space & Astronomy’

Entry to enjoy these two collections of films is free, so come along and enjoy!

The ‘science pipeline’ in Australia is under threat because not enough budding scientists are moving through from school to university to science-based jobs. The aim of this research was to retrospectively survey current Australian and New Zealand scientists to ascertain why they chose to study science. The quantitative data from 722 respondents showed that, unsurprisingly, the main reasons were that they were interested in science and they were good at science. Secondary school science classes and one particular science teacher also were found to be important factors. Of more interest are their anecdotes about the challenges of becoming a scientist, some of which will be shared in this presentation.

Due to illness Glenn Johnson's talk will be moved to a later date