| AHS guest lecturers (from left) Susan Brandner, Michael Clarke and Ki... AHS guest lecturers (from left) Susan Brandner, Michael Clarke and Kimberley Worthy with Professor Colin Woodroffe (second left) and Gordon Homes |
Young graduates strengthen UOW’s links with Australian Hydrographic Service
7 Aug 2007 | Bernie Goldie
Three young spatial sciences professionals from the Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS) returned to their former classrooms at the University of Wollongong yesterday (6 August) – as guest lecturers.
Susan Brandner, 23, Michael Clarke, 27, Kimberley Worthy, 22, and AHS Head of Geospatial Intelligence and Innovation Gordon Homes were invited by the Co-ordinator of the GeoQuest Research Centre (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences) Professor Colin Woodroffe, to present a special guest lecture to the third-year Geographic Information System (GIS) students.
The lecture, “GIS in hydrography”, was a first for the young trio of UOW science graduates.
“I have been at the Australian Hydrographic Service since graduating in 2005 – and it is valuable to now give something back to UOW and the current students,” Susan said.
Spatial technology is a rapid growth area in the Geosciences -- and the Australian Hydrographic Service is one organisation in the Illawarra that makes considerable use of these technologies.
“It is really valuable for the Geographic Information Science students to see that there are organisations using the technologies they are learning about, that are custodians of enormous spatial databases, and are encountering the challenges of GPS positioning, projections, analysis and visualisation,” Professor Woodroffe said.
Kimberley Worthy agreed pointing out that her particular area of interest in this profession was being able to use an innovative geospatial system and having the opportunity to use the latest technology in order to produce nautical products.
The city of Wollongong has a special historical link to geographic information science.
Captain James Cook tried to land at Wollongong when he sailed past in the Endeavour in 1770. Famous early explorers Matthew Flinders and George Bass then explored this part of the coast in the Tom Thumb, naming many of the local places such as Coalcliff. Some of the very first surveys of Australian waters were of the entrance to Lake Illawarra.
The guest lecture built on the links between the University of Wollongong and the Australian Hydrographic Service developed through the International CoastGIS conference last year.
|
