BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT MATTERS | February 24, 2017

Dear all,

The department is a hive of activity with ARC grants due and S1 starting next week! To make sure that we all have some clear air for thinking, the department decided at last year’s retreat that Thursdays and Fridays should be declared as ‘no admin meeting’ days. It works for me (I love Thursdays and Fridays!) so please make sure you don’t schedule meetings for those days. We are currently working at getting an online department calendar for 2017 finalised that will also help with scheduling.

cheerio,

Michelle

Save the Date

This coming week 27th February – 3rd March

Tue 28th: R Users Group Meeting;  3-5pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Wed 1st: Morning Tea with HoD; 10:30am – 11am; The Hill.

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

Following week 6th – 10th March

Mon 6th: MRes Seminars; 11am – 1pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Tue 7th: Department meeting (1-2pm) with lunch before (12.30-1pm); E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Tue 7th: MQ Centre for Green Cities Kick-Off Meeting; 4pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Wed 8th: Morning Tea with HoD; 10:30am – 11am; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

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

Coming up

Mon 13th: Celebration of Mark Westoby on his retirement; 4pm Biology Courtyard or Tearoom

Department seminar schedule

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

First Slatyer Medallist honour for Mark Westoby

Distinguished Professor Mark Westoby is the inaugural Ralph Slatyer medallist for outstanding biological research. ANU has minted the medal to honour the late Professor Slatyer, a director of its research school of biological sciences and the first chief scientist of Australia. Big congratulations to Mark!

Baby News

Mel Bishop and Alex are very pleased to welcome their gorgeous daughter to the world – she arrived on 14 February and has been named Avicennia (Avi) Eleanor Edwards. She weighed 3.51 kg.

According to legend, Avicenna, The Philosopher, Doctor and Mathematician used to sit by the river bank to do his thinking, healing, teaching and study. So much so that the grey mangrove was named after him. An appropriate name for the daughter of a benthic ecologist!

Faculty of Science & Engineering’s new precinct – ideas wanted!

The Faculty has been given the go-ahead for a massive building program across the whole science precinct of the campus. This will include two new buildings (on the car park between us and MGSM), new building for Engineering, a rebuild of E8B, a new Science Hub in E7B and retrofitting existing buildings. It will result in 70000m2 floor area which is more than double the current floor space. The architects are interested in hearing about any fabulous labs, learning, meeting spaces, etc that you may have seen at other institutions. If you let Michelle know she can pass the information on. Your input now may help us to get even better outcomes of the project!

Field Friendly is Getting a Facelift!

By popular demand some tweaking and a nipping and tucking has occurred to our fieldwork management program Field Friendly. On 13th March a new fresh interface will be going live. Do not panic however! The workflow and fieldwork planning procedures are all intact and it is only the aesthetics of the interface that have changed. You will notice a more consistent design and improved usability  in general but especially for mobiles and tablets.

Before this new interface goes live, if you would like to try it out and play around in the demo account please send one of the fieldwork team an email and we will reply with the demo username and login.

Terrestrial – sarah.collison@mq.edu.au

Marine and Boating- nick.harris@mq.edu.au

Diving/Snorkelling – amanda.sordes@mq.edu.au

Serious WHS Breach in the Department

Someone has caused a serious safety issue by storing milk in a lab Schott Bottle and leaving it in the E8B-215 tea room.

It cannot be overstated that no lab glassware or plasticware should ever be used in any capacity for eating or drinking, or storing food or beverages.

DO NOT DO THIS!

Academic promotions

HR is now finalising the policy documents to address feedback from the University-wide consultation process.

In response to staff feedback and to allow sufficient time for applicants to learn the new model and prepare applications, there will be one promotion round this year, for all levels in August. Please see the indicative timeframes below:

For more information on the proposed model, please refer to the Academic Promotions webpage.

Please direct any queries to academicpromotions@mq.edu.au or Catherine McDonald, Academic Promotions Coordinator on 9850 4287.

DEPARTMENTAL SEMINAR SERIES

Day/Date/Time/Place: Wednesday, 1st March, 1-2pm, E8A-280 (Tea Room)

Speaker: Associate Professor Marielos Pena-Claros 

Conserving tropical forests: the potential role of sustainable forest management

The conservation of tropical forests depends largely on the fate of tropical forests managed for timber and other products, since the area of forests in protected areas is limited. Sustainable forest management has been proposed as a conservation strategy for tropical forests, with the idea that forests that are not managed sustainably will eventually lose their economic and ecological value and are likely to be converted to non-forest land uses. Many ecological questions about the implementation of this strategy remain, however, unanswered. In this presentation I first evaluate the impact of selective logging on biodiversity, forest dynamics, and ecosystem services. Then I highlight some silvicultural treatments that aim to improve growth of timber trees (such as liberation from lianas and other competing trees), to increase regeneration of commercial species, and to speed up forest recovery. Finally, I argue that ecological knowledge is key to define best management practices for tropical forests, and therefore that ecologists can – and need to – play a more active role in making management practices ecologically sound and environmentally sustainable.

Speaker: Professor Lourens Poorter

The potential of secondary forests: how fast do they recover in terms of carbon and biodiversity?

Over half of the world’s tropical forests are not old-growth, but regrowing forests that recover from disturbances and are undergoing secondary succession. These secondary forests play an important role in human-modified landscapes, may act as reservoirs of carbon and diversity, and provide forest resources and other important ecosystem services to local people. Here I present results of 2ndFOR, a collaborative research network on secondary forests. The network encompasses >50 sites and >1700 forest plots covering the major environmental gradients in the lowland Neotropics. Using a chronosequence approach, we show that above-ground biomass (AGB) recovers quickly over time and that AGB recovery rate increases with the water availability of the sites. Tree species richness increases rapidly over time, highlighting the value of secondary forest as biodiversity reservoirs. In contrast, it takes a long time for species composition to recover to values of neighbouring old-growth forest, indicating the importance of conserving old-growth forest. Although secondary forests are not a substitute for old-growth forests, they have a tremendous potential for carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation in human-modified tropical landscapes.

Department ECRs wanted for seminars in mid-session breaks 2017

As part of the 2017 research seminar series, we would love to hear from the Department’s postdocs! We have reserved slots for this purpose in the mid-session breaks: 19-Apr-17, 26-Apr-17, 20-Sep-17, and 27-Sep-17. We envisage two postdocs sharing each date and giving a 20-25 minute talk each.

This is a great opportunity to let the rest of the Department know what you do!

Please let either Alex Carthey <Alexandra.Carthey@mq.edu.au> or Rachael Gallagher <Rachael.Gallagher@mq.edu.au> know if you are interested, and the date that suits you best.

From the Desk of Em Prof Andy Beattie

The New Scientist for 18 February contained two short articles important to our daily lives in research:

The first, In Praise of Slow Science, questions current university trends:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23331132-200-we-need-slow-science-to-sow-the-seeds-of-future-prosperity/,

and the second reinforces the need for scientists to have time to develop their ideas with a brief article by James Lovelock:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23331130-700-how-to-accidentally-save-the-planet/?campaign_id=RSS%7CNSNS-

Nature just published a letter on the recurring issue of censorship of science around the world – and Australia:

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v542/n7640/full/542165b.html

We tend to scoff at the idea of censorship in this country but some of our colleagues routinely experience it.

Special Screening of Hidden Figures

On Thursday March 9th, IBM is hosting a special screening of the multi-award nominated movie“Hidden Figures” to inspire and celebrate women in the early stages of their STEM careers. A remarkable story,  “Hidden Figures” retells the Space Race from a new perspective, uncovering the contributions of three unsung heroes, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history; the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.

The accomplishments of these three women, which were achieved in collaboration with the IBM mainframe and largely unseen at the time, inspired IBM to shine a spotlight on Hidden Figures from science, technology, engineering and mathematics to act as role models for the next generation.

The evening, held at Event Cinemas in George St, Sydney CBD, includes refreshments and an opportunity to hear from and chat with IBM STEM graduates and senior women in established careers in the technology sector. The event is free but spaces are limited.

Here is a direct link to the registration contained within the invite
https://www-01.ibm.com/events/wwe/grp/grp307.nsf/Registration.xsp?openform&seminar=ZE5KWFES&locale=en_ZZ

Plant of the Week

This week – the ubiquitous Murraya paniculata, much loved by landscape designers of fast food restaurants, but with the potential to wreak havoc on our Australian citrus industry and our bushland.

Bush Tucker Garden Update

The Bush Tucker garden is being clean-up with removal of excess branches, grass and dead stuff. We’ll also be adding some more plants and mulch.

If you need a break from your desk and want to become one with nature for a bit, feel free to pull up some weeds or trim back the native ginger. Contact Samantha Newton <samantha.newton@mq.edu.au>  for more information.

First R Users Meeting of the Year: Tue, 28.02.2017

Our first speaker in February will be Drew Allen and he will introduce Generalized Linear Mixed Models in R.  The meeting will be held at E8A 280 (Biology Tea Room) on Tuesday, 28.02.2017 from 3-5 pm. Drew will introduce his topic for ~30-60min and afterwards, we will have plenty of time to discuss problems you can bring along or we take the chance to learn more about GLMMs.

We are looking forward to see you on Tuesday!

MQ Centre for Green Cities Kick-Off Meeting – 7^th March 4pm E8A-280 Biology Tearoom
There is a new Macquarie University Research Centre that is located within the Department of Biological Sciences but has a multidisciplinary focus. The Centre will take an integrated approach to research on urban greening and sustainable energy innovations and will focus on developing partnerships between the university and industry to find solutions that ensure our cities remain liveable spaces.

If you are interested in the Centre’s research or consider becoming a member, please feel free to come along to the Kick-Off Meeting!

Contact Malin Hoeppner <malin.hoeppner@mq.edu.au> for more information.

Leadership in Sustainability Summit

Sydney | The University of Sydney
9am – 5:30pm, Thursday 23 March 2017
Holme Building, Science Road, The University of Sydney

The world is changing. Fast. And NOW is the time to direct it towards a better future for all through sustainability leadership.

The one-day recurring Leadership in Sustainability Summits in three major cities will help refresh our individual and collective leadership vision, energy and impact in ways that are best attuned to the times. These unique sessions will interest senior leaders, leadership teams and sustainability professionals from all sectors, introducing best in class content that has been validated through executive education programs offered at Harvard University.

Join other leaders with an appetite for driving sustainability into the core of their business and mission by unlocking its potential to improve employee engagement, organisational performance and innovation. Be a part of this experience.

http://www.acts.asn.au/events-2017/leadership-sustainability-summit/

Triathlon with the Charity CanToo

You are all invited to a fundraising BBQ to be held at Macquarie University Hospital on Friday 3 March 2017.

Date: Friday, 3 March 2017

Time: 12 – 1:30pm

Location: MUH Staff Dining Terrace area

Cost: $5 per person

To assist with the fundraising we are also holding a raffle which we will draw at the BBQ (see attached flyer for full details – there are some great prizes).  We will sell tickets at the BBQ and you can also buy tickets in advance 3 March 2017 by contacting either of us directly.

Why we are fund raising

Can Too (www.cantoo.org.au) is a health promotion foundation that transforms lives through fun, fitness, friends and fundraising.   We have signed up for the CanToo Sprint Triathlon program. This year the target event is the Triathlon NSW Sprint Series at Wollongong on March 5.   As part of a team we are given coaching by Can Too to complete the Triathlon. Our part of the deal is to raise $2,750 (each) towards cancer research, any shortfall is paid personally.

Since 2005, Can Too has supported 145 research grants for brilliant early-career Australian researchers.  Cure Cancer Australia  (major beneficiary) identifies, assesses and funds the research they believe has the best possible chance of finding a cure. Most importantly, they fund research for ALL cancer types and ALL areas of cancer research. Many of the researchers they have funded in the past are now leading experts in cancer research.

Tamara and I are taking part in a Triathlon with the Charity CanToo.
All money raised goes towards funding Australian scientists
working in cancer research through Cure Cancer Australia.
Make a tax deductible donation online at:
Louise:              https://www.cantoo.org.au/fundraisers/LouiseMarr
Tamara:            https://www.cantoo.org.au/fundraisers/TamaraLeo

New Publications

In the Media

Recent Completions

Julia Riley submitted her thesis entitled “Social Environment Impacts Behavioural Development of a Family-Living Lizard.”

Supervised by Dr Martin Whiting

---