University hosts two key lectures

16-September-2002

The University of Wollongong will host two key lectures tomorrow (Tuesday, 17 September) ­ the Allan Sefton Memorial Lecture and the Nortel Networks' Canadian Studies Lecture.

Nortel Networks' Canadian Studies Lecture

The National Librarian of Canada and one of Canada's most decorated writers, Mr Roch Carrier, will present the third Nortel Networks' Canadian Studies Lecture. Mr Carrier is an Officer of the Order of Canada, the former President and then Director of Canada Council for the Arts and an award-winning novelist and humorist.

The State Librarian of NSW, Dagmar Schmidmaier, will introduce the guest speaker and the vote of thanks will be offered by the Deputy High Commissioner for Canada, Mr Gaston Barban. A free screening of the National Film Board of Canada animation of Roch Carrier's most famous story, The Hockey Sweater, will also be screened.

The event is offered free to the public because of the sponsorship by Nortel Networks.

Venue: Gallery 9, Wollongong City Gallery.
Time: 12.30pm, Tuesday 17 September.
Further information: Associate Professor Gerry Turcotte, Director of UOW's Centre for Canadian-Australian Studies on 4221 4140. Media please note: Interviews may be undertaken with with Roch Carrier from 11.30am before the official lecture.

Allan Sefton Memorial Lecture

The 2002 Allan Sefton Memorial Lecturer is Professor Richard Hobbs who is an ecologist and a Professor of Environmental Science and Head of the School of Environmental Science at Murdoch University.

Following a position as postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University (1982-84), he worked with the CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology in Western Australia from 1984-2000, latterly as Officer-in-Charge. He then moved to Murdoch University where his main teaching interest is in Environmental Restoration.

His particular interests are in vegetation dynamics and management, fragmentation, invasive species, ecosystem rehabilitation and restoration, conservation biology and landscape ecology. His current research focuses on management of remnant vegetation in agricultural areas, the rehabilitation of degraded areas and the integration of conservation with production.

He is currently President of the International Association for Landscape Ecology and was President of the Ecological Society of Australia from 1998-1999. He is Chair of the Editorial Board of "Ecological Management and Restoration" and a member of the editorial board of 'Landscape Ecology' and 'Conservation Biology'.

Venue: UniCentre, Building 11, Function Room 1, Level 2, University of Wollongong.
Time: 7.30pm, 17 September.

Note: Professor Hobbs will be introduced by the Lord Mayor Elect of Wollongong City Council, Cr Alex Darling. The vote of thanks will be given by Mr Alan Thomas, Vice President Technology and Environment, BHP Steel. The lecture will be preceded by a poster display at 6.30pm on environmental activities at the University of Wollongong and at 7.20pm by the presentation of prizes in Environmental Science.