BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT MATTERS | February 10, 2017

Dear all,

Thanks for coming along to this week’s department meeting to kick off the year – we had a great turnout and next month will provide more food (sorry if you missed out)! I mentioned at the meeting the formation of working groups in the department on sustainability and on diversity – looking at what we do and what we can do better. If you are keen to contribute to either group please let me know. I also overlooked giving Adam Stow a BIG THANK YOU for his contribution as HDR Director for the last few years (sorry again!). Adam will take on the Director of the Master in Conservation Biology.The slides are here if you missed the meeting or want more details.

Stay cool

Michelle

Save the Date

This coming week 13th – 17th February

Wed 15th: Department Morning Tea; 10:30 am – 11 am; W19F The Hill.

Wed 15th: Impresiones de Cuba por Jenny Donald; 1 – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room) – nibbles and slide show.

Thu 16th: New Student Inductions; 11 am – 12 noon; E8C-212.

Thu 16th: Writing Workshops; 2:30 – 4:30pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Following week 20th – 24th February

Feb 21st: E8A Digital Teaching Lab Induction; 9am – 12:30pm; E8A-120 (Red Lab).

Feb 22nd: Weekly Seminar – Emeritus Professor Dick Frankham of MQU – Genetic management of fragmented animal and plant populations: highlights from our new book; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Feb 23rd: E8C Digital Teaching Lab Induction; 9am – 12:00pm; E8C-106.

Feb 23rd: Research Enrichment Program ‘Launch Meeting’; 1 – 2pm;  E6A-102.

Feb 24th: F7B Digital Teaching Lab Induction; 9:30am – 11:00am; F7B-108 (and 105).

Department seminar schedule

Mar 1st: Weekly Seminar – Professor Lourens Poorter & Associate Professor Marielos Pena-Claros of Wageningen University, The Netherlands; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Mar 8th: Weekly Seminar – Dr Antoine Wystrach of University of Edinburgh, UK; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Mar 15th: Weekly Seminar – Dr Geertje van der Heijden of University of Nottingham, UK; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Mar 22th: Weekly Seminar – Dr Marko Miliša of University of Zagreb, Croatia; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Mar 29th: Weekly Seminar – Professor David Warton of University of NSW; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Apr 5th: Weekly Seminar – Associate Professor Clare McArthur of University of Sydney; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

General News and Announcements

Congratulations!

To our newest Macquarie University Research Fellow Dr Chris Reid!

50th Anniversary of Macquarie’s First Lecture

March 6^th marks 50 years to the day since the first lecture at Macquarie. As that lecture was given by the well-known physicist and writer Professor Peter Mason, in what is now the Mason theatre, the Physics and Astronomy Department has taken the lead in organising a commemoration of that significant event. This will be the first of  a number of events throughout the year marking 50 years of students at Macquarie.

A series of talks will be held in the Mason Theatre from around 9.20 am to 10.50 am, followed by refreshments and archival displays in the E7B courtyard.

Speakers will include:

• ABC Radio’s Robyn Williams, a friend and colleague of Prof. Mason
• Prof. John Croucher of MSGM, who attended that first lecture
• Prof. Deb Kane of Physics & Astronomy, speaking on the changes in several fields of study over the last 50 years

Formal flyers and registrations will be circulated over the next two weeks.

Launch Plan for Web Portals

From Professor David Wilkinson

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Corporate Engagement and Advancement

I’m writing to ensure you are up to date with our plans to launch the new staff and student portals on Monday 13 February.  From this date, old websites will no longer be viewable.

As part of our communications plan, a feature story about the new staff portal will publish in Tuesday’s edition of This Week. The story includes information about the enhancements to the site, including better search functionality with the new Staff Directory and opportunities to tailor the homepage to suit individual preferences. On Monday, we’ll share the news with students in a dedicated enrolment and O Week email. We’ll follow that up with a feature story in the first edition of MyMQ on Monday 20 February.

Both stories will include creative videos explaining the changes and staff and students will be guided through a quick tutorial when they first visit the websites. Please visit the new websites next week. The Digital team in Group Marketing will be available to assist with any enquiries after launch.

Thank you for your support of this exciting project.

Weekly Seminars are Back!

This Week – 

Date/Time/Place: Feb 15th, 1-2pm, E8A-280 (Tea Room).

Speaker: Associate Professor Jennifer Donald (Macquarie University).

Title: Impresiones de Cuba por Jenny Donald – nibbles and slide show.

Cuba

And next week – 

Date/Time/Place: Feb 22nd, 1-2pm, E8A-280 (Tea Room).

Speaker: Emiritus Professor Dick Frankham (Macquarie University).

Title: Genetic management of fragmented animal and plant populations: highlights from our new book

Last of Macquarie’s Lungfish Find a New Home

The two remaining lungfish, that were displayed in the Biological Sciences Museum and were hatched at Macquarie as part of Professor Jean Joss’s research on the species, have found a new home in QLD. The two fish will take part in a captive breeding program looking at refining techniques in reproduction and rearing of QLD lungfish. They will be housed in a large outdoor pond and will later join other lungfish in this new venture.

If you miss Macquarie’s lungfish you can see five siblings of the Biology Museum’s two at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, as well as the National Zoo and Aquarium and just about anywhere else in the world that exhibits this species. Such was the breeding success here at Macquarie that our fish are now scattered far and wide for people to view and learn about!

The photo show Jean and the Museum lungfish taking part in a Dutch documentary on Australian fauna in 2014.

Libby Eyre – Biological Sciences Museum Curator.

iLearn Drop-in Clinic 

The iLearn Drop-in Clinic is back for Session 1, 2017 where help is on hand for all things iLearn. It will be open 10am – 2pm weekdays from 13th February – 3rd March 2017.

Get help with:

• iLearn – Editing and building your unit
• iTeach – iLearn Spaces (in plain English, creating/activating your iLearn unit for the new session)
• iTeach – Unit Guides
• Echo360
• Turnitin and Feedback Studio

Drop in any time at the following locations:

Monday 13 – Friday 17 February:  C5A 204
Monday 20 – Friday 24 February:  C5A 204
Monday 27 February – Friday 3 March:  W6B 259

No need to register, just turn up during the opening hours.

Environmental Research Program Grants – Now Open

The NSW Environmental Trust is now inviting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to its Environmental Research Program. The closing date for Research EOIs is 13 March 2017.

This year’s Research Program is offering grants of up to $150,000 for applied research projects resulting in practical application under the following themes:

Priorities under each theme are outlined in the Program Guidelines.

Applicants must demonstrate a collaborative approach that engages end-users from the outset of their proposal, through to dissemination of research findings. Proposals that fail to do so will not be assessed.

Program information
Go to the Trust’s website (www.environment.nsw.gov.au/grants/research.htm) for more information about the Research Program, and to access the following documents:

• Program Guidelines
• Expression of Interest Form
• Guidelines for completing your EOI

Questions?
Please contact the Trust on (02) 8837 6093 or email info@environmentaltrust.nsw.gov.au

Plant of the Week!

For this week, Ivory Curl Flower, Buckinghamia celsissima.

Introducing: the MU Research Enrichment Program

The Research Enrichment Program, or REP, aims to incubate current and future research leaders both scientifically and societally by cultivating a broad-thinking, collaborative and supportive community within Macquarie University, across all academic levels.

REP achieves this by offering a menu of masterclasses designed to help participants encounter new research questions and possibilities across a wide range of fields. These masterclasses also provide opportunities to enhance soft skills and generic skills.

The topics most likely to be offered in 2017 REP masterclass menu include:

• Programming in R
• Tutor training
• Academic writing and communication
• Soft skills and teamwork
• Microbial traits
• Non-academic jobs following a PhD
• Future directions in Neuroethology
• How to embed extra-curricular training in your C.V.
• making a five-year research plan
• Experimental design
• How to negotiate the PhD journey
• The evolution of Art
• REP Outlook – the REP 2-day celebration of research

On Thursday, the 23rd February REP will officially ‘Launch’ its menu of masterclasses for 2017 in E6A 102 (1-2pm). At the meeting you’ll have an opportunity to see what masterclasses are on offer and begin to sign-into them.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Writing Workshops

The Department is offering writing workshops regularly this year for HDR students and early-career scientists, courtesy of Jennifer Hallinan and Ken Cheng, who are donating their time and passion for writing. These face-to-face workshops are envisaged to take place every two weeks. The first one is slated for the coming week:

Thursday 16 February

14:30–16:30

Place: tea room, E8A 280

Writing at any stage and of any genre welcome, from first draft to final polish, from empirical paper to literature review to popular news story. We envisage face-to-face feedback linked with rounds of revisions on selected passages during the session. The aim is not just to get stuff written, but to write everything well.

Those interested should email Ken Cheng <ken.cheng@mq.edu.au> by Wednesday 15 February, 12:00, preferably with a draft attached of what they are working on and some indication of what they especially need help with.

International Volunteer

My name is Jack Wykes-Anderson and I am a zoology graduate from the University of Reading, England. I am travelling out to Sydney in late February, where I plan to get involved with volunteer projects relating to biological research and conservation. I have particular experience in lab and field data collection, data analysis and flora and fauna identification due to my dissertation investigating the effects of urbanisation and climate change on the interactions between ants and aphids.

I am available from 20^th February until the 5^th April, after which I am traveling north to participate in conservation projects in Darwin and Cairns. However, in May I will be returning with two friends, both equally eager to participate in volunteer research. I enjoy lab work but am especially interested in surveying and identification of all flora and fauna as I will be starting an MSc in Species Identification and Survey Skills when I return to England, hoping to enter the career of environmental consultancy.

<jackwykesanderson@hotmail.com>

House for Rent

3 bedroom house in Lane Cove Rd, NSW.  Contact <petrageara@yahoo.com> if interested.

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