What's On at UWA

The first Soil&Water Seminar for Semester 2, 2012, will be Assoc. Prof. Louise Barton from SEE(UWA)on Weds Aug 8. All welcome!

TITLE: “Assessing strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from wheat production: Role of grain legumes and soil liming.”

ABSTRACT: Utilising inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer greatly influences greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural production systems in semi-arid regions. Our previous research demonstrated that the production and use of urea accounted for 70% of the total GHG emissions from wheat production in a semi-arid region of south-western Australia. Greenhouse gases were emitted during the manufacture of the urea (34% of total emissions), as well as following its application to land via carbon dioxide (CO2) hydrolysis (27%), and soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (9%). A large proportion of N2O emissions occurred between growing seasons, and following summer rainfall events, rather than in response to N fertilizer applications, with nitrification considered to be the source of these losses.

Lowering N inputs is not considered to be an option for decreasing the contribution of N fertilizer to total GHG emissions from cropped soils in south-western Australia, as application rates are typically low. Instead, CO2 emissions resulting from N fertilizer production and urea hydrolysis could be partly mitigated by incorporating plants that fix atmospheric N (e.g. grain legumes) into the crop rotation, decreasing the reliance on synthetic N fertilizer. Furthermore, increasing soil pH by applying lime may be an approach to decreasing N2O emitted in response to summer rainfall events if nitrification, rather than denitrification, is the main soil biological source of the emissions. Consequently this seminar will present findings from a recently completed field-based study investigating if including a grain legume (lupin) in a cropping rotation, or increasing the soil pH via liming, decreased the GHG emissions from wheat production in south-western Australia.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Louise Barton is a soil scientist who has been researching nitrogen cycling in various landuses for the past 17 years. She is currently an Associate Professor at The University of Western Australia, and leads the Soil Biology Group in the School of Earth & Environment. Her current interests include measuring soil N2O emissions from cropping soils in the Western Australian grainbelt, and investigating the contribution of agriculture to greenhouse gas emissions. Louise completed her undergraduate degree at The University of Western Australia in 1991, and her PhD from the University of Waikato in 1998

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.

Come along to the Working in WA State Government information session. The session is open to students from all years and all disciplines. You will be surprised at the opportunities available in the public service.

Bookings on CareerHub – http://uwa.careerhub.com.au

Come down to room G25 in Asian Studies every Tuesday between 3-5pm to meet some new friends, practice your language skills and enjoy some free Chinese tea! It's not a class so feel free to come and go as you wish!

The Graduate School of Education invites you to participate in this inaugural Seminar Series.

With a focus on sharing personal insights into timely and relevant topics in education research, these seminars will engage participants in a lively discussion of some of the pressing issues affecting Australia’s academics, schools and society today.

Speakers and topics for 2012

15 August

Winthrop Professor Grady Venville

“Choosing science comes more from the heart than from the brain (or the pocket)”: A retrospective study of why scientists chose to study science.”

26 September

Winthrop Professor Stephen Houghton

“Are the seeds of antisociality and psychopathic traits sown early in life?”

10 October

Winthrop Professor and Chapple Chair David Andrich

“Sliding Doors in Academe: Idiosyncrasies of autobiography and controversy in psychometrics”

31 October

Winthrop Professor and Faculty Dean Helen Wildy

“NAPLAN Data: Improving student learning OR doing the work of the Devil?”

14 November

Winthrop Professor Thomas O’Donoghue

The primary school’s invasion of the privacy of the child: Unmasking the potential of some current practices

Venue Details

RSVP to Ms. Alyce Green, Administrative Assistant, GSE [email protected]

Abstracts and additional details will be distributed closer to the event date.

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.

Not only is volunteering an opportunity to give back to the community but it provides invaluable experience which can be included on your resume and helps to boost your employablity.

Come and learn more about the value of volunteering and the opportunities available.

Regulation of the utility industries is relatively new in Western Australia. The Economic Regulation Authority was established to licence, monitor and set customer protection standards across the utility industries, particularly water, gas and electricity. In addition, the Authority determines arrangements for access to key gas, electricity and rail assets in Western Australia. The presentation will cover the work of the Authority with particular emphasis on the licensing, monitoring and customer protection functions of the Authority, how they operate and opportunities for the private sector in these industries.

There will be a particular focus on the Water Sector.

Bio,

Paul has had 25 years experience at Senior and Senior Executive levels in the Public Sector with extensive experience in :

* the development of high level government policy;

* the negotiation of State/Commonwealth Agreements;

* advice to senior levels of government;

* public administration and regulation.

He was responsible for major State wide reforms in purchasing and contracting of services for Government in the human services industry involving over 600 contracts totalling $42m.

He was previously Executive Director of the Office of Water Regulation in Western Australia, responsible for the establishment of a state wide licensing regime for Water Service Providers and reported to Government on the operations and performance of the water industry. Paul is currently Executive Director of the Economic Regulation Authority.

The Authority was established in 2004 as an independent entity to regulate the Water, Gas, Electricity and Rail industries in Western Australia. Its functions include licensing, monitoring and setting customer protection standards of utility service providers as well as determining access arrangements to infrastructure in the electricity, gas and rail industries. In addition to these roles the Authority can be requested to provide independent advice to Government.

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

****All Welcome****

Short course topics • Geomechanics data collection • Intact rock • Discontinuities • Rock mass classification • Stress measurements • Rock fracture criteria • Underground geomechanics design • Numerical modelling • Monitoring The course could be of particular benefit to geomechanics personnel with limited practical experience and is applicable to both open pit and underground mining personnel.

Short course topics • Types of ground instability in underground and surface excavations. • Mechanisms of reinforcing and supporting rock. • Bolting alternatives and their relative performance. • Support design techniques including practical constraints on design. • Support installation methods and minimum standards of installation quality. • Quality assurance programmes. • Support costs and monitoring the support design. • Rockfalls and mine seismicity in underground mines. • Ground support in highly deformable ground. • Case studies from the coal and metalliferous industries. Each topic will be illustrated by case history examples from surface and underground mines.

Want to learn more about the lucrative Oil and Gas industry but don’t know where to start? Thinking about a career in Oil and Gas? Interested in adding a professionally accredited course to your résumé? The UWA Society of Petroleum Engineers is pleased to sponsor the Drilling Essentials course presented by Intertek Moody, valued at $3,000+. The event is open to UWA students from all disciplines interested in learning more about the industry, and no prior knowledge is required. If you’re interested in attending, please email Michael at [email protected] to register. Get in fast as the event is limited to the first 30 students.

SIFE is a global network of university teams competing in over 40 countries, creating change in the lives of others through the positive power of business.

Being the 2012 National Australian Champions, SIFE UWA will be travelling to Washington D.C in September to represent Australia at the SIFE World Cup. SIFE UWA has projects in areas including financial literacy, environmental sustainability and economic development whilst simultaneously impacting communities across Australia and beyond.

Want to help make a difference and gain invaluable business experience?? SIFE UWA is looking for talented, switched-on students from a range of disciplines to help us make a difference.

If you are interested in getting involved, we would like to invite you to the SIFE UWA Information Session WHEN: 1pm, Tuesday 28th of August, 2012 WHERE: Law Lecture Room 1, G.31

For more information – please contact [email protected]

This one day workshop held prior to Mine Closure Conference will be presented as a series of interactive presentations and participatory exercises. On successful completion of this workshop, participants will be able to: Understand the role of soil erosion and its control in landscape reclamation and restoration; Understand the drivers, mechanics and processes of erosion of slope forming materials; Undertake erosion risk assessment using a range of techniques, including the use of erosion prediction models (practical exercise; Recognise the on-site and off-site impacts of erosion and sediment production; Understand the principles of soil erosion control and soil conservation; Select, design and evaluate appropriate techniques for the protection of soil and other slope forming materials, using vegetation, inert materials and/or engineering structures (case study exercise).

This workshop, held prior to Mine Closure Conference, will teach participants how they can help mines transition to sustainable mining now. Participants will learn why it is both in a mine’s business interest and society’s interest to be mining sustainable now. During the workshop the presenters will outline the concrete steps and efforts required for a mine to transition to sustainable mining over a three-year period. Attendees will be given a chance to work through two examples – starting sustainable mining with a new mine in the exploration stage, and transitioning a mine that is reaching midlife.

Community engagement or community enragement? Good community engagement is the cornerstone of collaborative planning and a key feature of successful transformation and regeneration initiatives, yet community consultations can often be more confrontational than conversational. Recognising that the way in which we approach the conversation around post-mining legacies can set the tone and scope of the entire closure programme. Successful community engagement doesn’t make assumptions about its audience; instead, it ensures that everyone participates in some way, not necessarily the same way. Community-led initiatives across the world are developing techniques and approaches that can provide useful insights when planning for post-mining outcomes. Join the Post-Mining Alliance in a one day workshop to explore learning from within and outside the sector about how we can hold better conversations with local communities about the future.

A one day workshop on the application of geochemical data in the assessment of the mining environment specifically designed for mine personnel having no formal training in environmental geochemistry, and only rudimentary understanding of geochemistry and geochemical data. Environmental geochemical assessment mining and the storage of waste rock and tailings have become integral and vital parts of mine planning, management and closure. Whilst mines employ environmental officers and may have significant environmental departments, normally few have had formal training in environmental geochemistry. Such training is also far from universal amongst staff of consultancies advising the mining industry. This workshop provides a theoretical foundation to the impacts of metals and other chemical substances encountered on the mine site on the natural environment, and practical advice on the acquisition, interpretation and reporting of environmental geochemical data. In addition to well-illustrated presentations on individual topics, it will encourage discussion of individual problems and cases raised by those attending. Who should attend? The workshop will be of interest to anyone associated with the mining industry who has ever been in possession of the results of geochemical analysis relating to the environment or has had to address a chemical contamination problem and thought, “where do I begin?”. Material presented in the workshop is designed for mine personnel with only rudimentary experience in geochemistry and likely have no formal training in environmental geochemistry. As such, it would be of value to a wide variety of mining (and consulting) personnel who have need to report on the geochemical aspects of the mine site, including mine managers, environmental officers, waste rock and tailings managers, geologists and engineers.

Review of ANCOLD guidelines on designing using risk-based methodology, choosing an appropriate design earthquake, characterising seismic design parameters for tailings, methods of analysis, field testing to determine liquefaction potential.

This is a one day workshop designed for environmental mangers, regulators and consultants who wish to understand more about how the biology of the soil functions and how it can be used in the monitoring and management of mine site rehabilitation. Workshop objectives: On the successful completion of the workshop the participants will be able to: understand the size, composition and activity of the soil biological community and its control on plant community assembly and growth, understand the roles of different trophic levels of the soil biota and their roles in nutrient cycling and decomposition processes, recognise the importance of plant-microbe symbioses and how these can be manipulated, know what is required to monitor soil ecological development in context.

The series of international conferences on mine closure was initiated in 2006 by the Australian Centre for Geomechanics. It has since been held in Chile, 2007; South Africa, 2008; Perth, Australia, 2009; Chile, 2010; and Canada, 2011. These conferences provide industry professionals committed to responsible and sustainable mining with a unique opportunity to interact with their counterparts from different countries, and share ideas and experiences on innovations related to mine closure design, planning and operation. Attendance at Mine Closure 2012 will provide you with an opportunity to learn from many national and international experts about the rapidly developing and expanding field of acceptable mine closure. Aside from the technical conference, there will be a trade show, relevant and topical workshops, and social activities. Brisbane is home to some of the world’s most exciting and progressive mining operations, as well as closed and rehabilitated mines. We look forward to welcoming you to Brisbane.

You might have a great idea, but are you ready for the business world?

Whether you are working on a specific project or have a bunch of ideas that might be a future business or product, this workshop will help you get started!

Our presenter, Jane Garrett is an entrepreneur with firsthand experience of the path to success and can help you develop your skills. Jane is passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship and is the instigator and program director of the inspirational ‘Ignition’ program for inventors and business developers at the Curtin Centre for Entrepreneurship. Jane is also a regular contributor to the WA Innovator of the Year program and part of the WA Innovation Centre Team.

Come and join the discussions and learn!

Register your interest with Kerry for a tour of the Scitech workshop where we make our amazing exhibitions. Tour will start at 3.00pm. Refreshments and complimentary entry to Scitech are included in the ticket price.