Working With Children Check (WWCC). This is not required for registration – we will ask you to update when we’re allocating projects. You can apply or renew at https://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-organisations/working-with-children-check (free for volunteers).

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Superstars of STEM & Indigenous Scientists/STEM Network

Yuuma! Calling Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people in STEM (science, technology, engineering or maths) who would like to join discussions about forming an Indigenous Scientists/STEM Network.

The initial leadership group on this project is Kamilaroi water scientist Associate Professor Brad Moggridge (University of Canberra), Quandamooka First Nations man Professor Chris Matthews (President of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance and Associate Dean for Indigenous Leadership & Engagement in the Faculty of Science at the University of Technology Sydney), and Kamilaroi scientist Corey Tutt, founder of Deadly Science, University of Sydney).

The aim is to create a space for Indigenous STEM leaders and practitioners – especially Indigenous scientists – to gather virtually to discuss aspirations for this network.

Science & Technology Australia – the peak body for the nation’s STEM workforce – is supporting this initiative by helping to coordinate a first virtual gathering. To get involved, please email ceo@sta.org.au and we’ll connect you in.

And to follow the discussion and Indigenous STEM content: @bradmoggo at @drchris_maths @atsimaAU @corey_tutt @DeadlyScience @ScienceAu.

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SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS

Biological Sciences Seminar 

Date/Time: Wednesday, 26th August; 1pm – 2pm. 

Speaker: Dr Amy Prendergast

Title: Sub-seasonal palaeoenvironmental records and implications for Upper Palaeolithic modern human occupation in the Levant – what we can learn from mollusc shells

Venue:  Zoom link will be sent out via email prior to Seminar.

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Workshop “Introduction to GIS with R”

Description: A variety of research fields include the handling of spatial data. While there are many options of software to process geographic information, using a programming language would help you make your work reproducible and easy to customize in the future. In this workshop, we will cover basic concepts of geographic information systems (GIS) and how to analyse and visualize different types of spatial data in R. We are going to track whales and sharks and investigate for seasonality in ocean water temperatures, but the examples provided are not limited to biological sciences and could be applied by any researcher interested in analysing spatial data with R.

 Presenter: Yuri Niella is a PhD candidate in the Marine Predator Research Group (Department of Biological Sciences – Macquarie University) interested in how the spatial and trophic ecology or large coastal sharks are being affected by anthropogenic stressors such as climate change, fishing and habitat loss.

Date: Thursday, 27th August; Time: 10 AM – 12 PM

Venue: Zoom meeting – please register for this workshop at https://bit.ly/MQCoders_Zoom. This will ask you to register and then you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.

The resources for this workshop are available from https://github.com/mqRusers. If you would like to follow on with the workshop in R, we recommend that you download the resources prior to the workshop start. 

Please have R and R Studio downloaded on your laptop before the workshop. You can find instructions for the same here: https://rstudio-education.github.io/hopr/starting.html. If you have any trouble, we’ll be available to help you sort the issues 15 minutes before the workshop begins at the zoom link.

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Online Statistics Workshops

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Venture Café – will be convening their community online, via Zoom, and offering the #ThursdayGathering programming in a Virtual format.

 

We are pleased to be launching the new program for our HDR students over the next few weeks. This program will enhance the training that we provide to our PhD and 2nd Yr MRes students and will formalise participation in the kind of activities that were formerly provided under Genes to Geoscience and more recently the Research Enrichment Program. In addition, this new scheme will help students to think about career options in and outside academia and improve their skills and CV. 

 

I will be outlining the new program to the students and they will also hear from representatives from the HDR Training and Partnerships Team, and the HDR Professional Skills Team. 

 

There will be a face to face meeting in the tea room for a COVID limited number of students (sign up via the link in the email that was sent out), and a follow-up meeting on Zoom for those who are unable to make the face to face meeting. 

 

Please can you encourage all of your students to attend one of these meetings. 

 

 

Contact Simon Griffith <simon.griffith@mq.edu.au> (Department Director HDR) for more details. 

The University is interested in your commute to campus, the impacts of COVID-19 on your work and travel patterns, and how you plan to use the campus in the future.

Complete the Connect Macquarie Park & North Ryde survey now to share your experience and enter the draw to WIN one of three $100 Macquarie Centre gift vouchers.

The survey is open until 18 August and all responses are anonymous.

Find out more

Contact Head of Design and Sustainability Andrew Cattanach in the Property team for more information: <Andrew.Cattanach@mq.edu.au>

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 Outreach Activities