UOW to showcase groundbreaking research at student conference

Sep 27, 2005

Research projects including the molecular identification of blowflies, caffeine’s effect on brain activity, sonification in sound art and music and an environmental perspective on the ‘hobbit’ discovery will be just some of the exciting presentations on display this week (Thursday 29 September) at the University of Wollongong’s Higher Degree Research (HDR) Student Conference.

The Conference will be attended by students, industry partners and academic and general staff and will showcase the diverse range of projects being undertaken by UOW research students based on five themes – promoting and maintaining good health, frontier technologies for building and transforming Australian industries, scientific discovery, capturing our creativity and understanding our society. Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Margaret Sheil, will officially open the conference on Thursday.

“I am very impressed with the quality of the abstracts submitted,” she said. “The conference will be an outstanding opportunity to showcase our world-class research and give potential students the chance to see the range of opportunities available in postgraduate research at UOW.”

Prizes will include a $500 cheque and certificate for the best presentation in each theme and a $200 cheque and certificate for the best poster.

UOW graduate and Manager of Biodiversity Conservation at the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, Dr Jack Baker, is the keynote speaker at the conference.

In 1998 Dr Baker graduated from UOW with a PhD in Biology and has since become a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Biological Science. An ornithologist and conservationist at heart, he is a Councillor of the peak non-government group Birds Australia. He is active in researching the adaptive management of fire in avian habitats, threatened bird populations and species and techniques for restoring avian populations.

The conference will also see the official launch of Volume 1 of ‘Rhizome’, a cross-disciplinary postgraduate journal initiated by the Wollongong University Postgraduate Association (WUPA) and the first of its kind at Wollongong.

WUPA said the journal would not only provide an opportunity for postgraduates to discuss their research but also their purpose during the period of postgraduate study. She also said she is especially encouraging international researchers on campus to contribute.

When: Thursday 29 September from 12pm (with Rhizome launch to be held at the Cocktail Function at 5.30pm)

Where: McKinnon Building (67)

For further information: Contact Professor Margaret Sheil on 4221 3915 or visit: http://www.uow.edu.au/research/rsc/HDRconference/index.html

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128