Welcome to QUT's weekly round-up of news and events. For more updates as they happen, join 14,740 followers of @QUTmedia on Twitter. To subscribe to this wrap, please email media@qut.edu.au.
Crown-of-thorns starfish – nailed it! It’s the moment the Great Barrier Reef’s been waiting for – confirmation QUT’s autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) can help stop the reef’s most prolific pest, the devastating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) (pictured above).
Agbot the robotic weed slayer: Agricultural robot Agbot II, designed and built by QUT with support from the Queensland Government, could save Australia’s farm sector $1.3 billion a year by reducing the costs of weeding crops by around 90 per cent.
Nutritionists must take a bigger piece of the pie when it comes to influencing food policy: Nutrition professionals need to step up to the plate and gain a larger slice of influence on food policy in Australia to dilute the heave concentration of food industry representatives with direct links to food policy decision makers, says Katherine Cullerton.
Groundbreaking QUT review on counteracting mobile phone distraction while driving: With mobile phone use by drivers now a reality, a groundbreaking QUT review looking at the issue as a task-sharing problem has recommended further research into how to make the practice safer.
Better diabetic foot disease care would save taxpayers billions: Australia could save billions of healthcare dollars by investing in proven treatments for people with diabetic food disease, QUT research has found.
The robot eyes have it: cutting-edge tool for koala conservation: Local councils are testing a new tool for protecting their vulnerable koala populations – drones equipped with artificial intelligence and backed by powerful statistical analysis.
QUT professor honoured with prestigious award: Professor Matt Brown, QUT director of genomics at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation has become the first Australian since Professor Ian Frazer to receive the prestigious West Lake Friendship award.
Bright idea that’s streets ahead: switch to LED street lighting to save money & environment: A Queensland research team led by QUT scientists wants Australia’s street lights to be switched to LEDs after a 12-month trial in Brisbane, Ipswich and Townville found power savings of 82 per cent.
QUT startup space unveiled by Queensland Chief Entrepreneur: QUT Foundry, a startup incubation space to nurture the next generation of business leaders at QUT was officially opened by Queensland’s first Chief Entrepreneur, Mark Sowerby.
To sir with love: students’ gift to a teacher brings 19th Century Brisbane back to life: A unique slice of Brisbane and QUT history and culture from the late 19th century is on display at Old Government House in the photographic exhibition, To Sir With Love – The Dr Wilton W.R. Love Album.
QUT to host Brisbane’s first Climathon: Brisbane’s resilience to climate change shocks will be under the spotlight at the city’s first ‘Climathon’ on October 29, hosted by QUT. The global event, which takes place in more than 80 cities around the world, aims to devise innovative solutions to a local climate change problem.
Bank Australia committed to education for all: Bank Australia has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring financial disadvantage is not a barrier to education, establishing a perpetual scholarship for the QUT Learning Potential Fund.
Oct 25: Open Access skill exchange event @ QUT
Oct 26: Open Access Week @ QUT
Oct 29: Brisbane climate change action event (free) @ Gardens Point
Nov 1-5: Dance 16 (featuring QUT dance students) @ Gardens Theatre
Nov 8: An Evening with Groucho @ Gardens Theatre
Nov 11: Future-proofing Global Citizens Symposium @ Kelvin Grove
Nov 16: DUST: QUT Fashion Graduate Show 2016 @ Kelvin Grove
Nov 17: Hiding in Plain Sight: Trends that will shape the economy @ Gardens Point
Nov 20-24: Healthy Housing: ICEERB 2016 @ Gardens Point
Now - Nov 13: 'the churchie' National Emerging Art Prize Exhibition (free) @ QUT Art Museum
Now - early 2017: Physics Observatory (free) @ The Cube
Now - June 18, 2017: William Robinson: Genesis (free) @ William Robinson Gallery
April 5-7: 2017 Times Higher Education (THE) Young Universities Summit @ Gardens Point
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- ABC QLD Country Hour, ABC local radio across Australia, ABC TV News Brisbane, ABC News 24, 7 News Wide Bay, Bundaberg News Mail, Huffington Post, Gizmodo, Stock Journal, Stock and Land, WoW USA, Queensland Country Life, 4BU, Energy Matters and others ran stories about QUT’s new agricultural weed-killing robot Agbot II.
- Associate Professor Felipe Gonzalez, Dr Grant Hamilton and Dr Sandra Johnson’s project using drones to track vulnerable koala populations gained coverage including 7 News, 9 News, ABC radio, 2GB, Tweed Daily News, 4KQ, AAP, Gizmodo, The Huffington Post, Brisbane Times, Jimboomba Times, Beaudesert Times, SBS, Tech.co, The Australian, News.com.au, Echo Net Daily and more.
- Dr Matthew Dunbabin and Dr Feras Dayoub’s COTSbot robot was in the Herald Sun, 10 News, 7 News, Sunday Mail, The Australian, News.com.au, Business Insider, Yahoo 7, Institute of Mechanical Engineers, ABC Cairns and student journalists QUT News. The team’s next iteration, the RangerBot, was reported by National Geographic Indonesia and Public Now. Don’t forget to vote for RangerBot in the Google Impact Challenge!
- Research by Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios that suggests we should find ways to make driving and using phones safer was reported by Gizmodo, Autotalk.com.au, Health Medicine Network, Technobahn, Autotalk and CarAdvice.
- Nature Index printed Associate Professor Adrian Barnett’s opinion piece about the research sector’s obsession with the word ‘excellence’.
- Criminal barrister and QUT lecturer James Morton told ABC TV News, ABC NewsRadio and ABC Brisbane and Canberra juror access to social media should be restricted following Instagram posts from a murder trial juror. He was also interviewed for ABC News 24 and Pedestrian TV. Associate Professor Mark Lauchs and Dr Claire Ferguson also commented on the case to ABC Gold Coast.
- Pro Bono Australia and the USA’s Philanthropy News Digest ran stories on the new $160 million leadership program backed by The Atlantic Philanthropies and universities including QUT. It also got a mention in The Australian. Associate Professor Wendy Scaife also told The Australian the project was a “game-changer”.
- Scienmag and Phys.org reported the study from Dr Gillian Isoardi that found LED street lighting would be cheaper and more environmentally-friendly and Dr Isoardi discussed the findings with ABC North Queensland.
- Australian Health Law Research Centre’s guest lecturer Professor Jocelyn Downie was interviewed on RN Breakfast about Canada’s new medically assisted dying laws.
- Professor Lindy Willmott spoke to AAP about how a South Australian bill on assisted dying could highlight the issue nationally, with the story also on News.com.au.
- The Australian Financial Review named QUT’s STIMulate and National Exceptional Teaching for Disadvantaged Schools programs as finalists in the 2016 AFR Higher Education Awards.
- The Guardian reported on work by Associate Professor Janet Davies (pictured) to establish a standardised national pollen network.
- An experiment led by QUT research fellow Dr Erin Peterson, which will report to UNESCO on Great Barrier Reef aesthetics, was in Brisbane Times and The Age.
- Professor Clive Bean commented on the political debate regarding Queensland abortion laws for a Brisbane Times story.
- Fairfax sought Emily Li’s expertise for its story about mobility-related falls, which ran in 136 publications across Australia.
- Dr Helen Vidgen was on ABC Wide Bay Breakfast talking about childhood obesity and QUT’s PEACH program and was also in a APN story on PEACH.
- Dr Zoe Hazelwood spoke to 612 ABC Brisbane on how to stop your mobile from ruining your relationship. Indian outlets Maluku News and Tribun Jambi also reported the story.
- QUT behavioural economists Harriet Smith and Stephen Whyte talked to 612 ABC Breakfast about their survey on tradies and cash jobs.
- 4BC asked Associate Professor Gene Moyle what options athletes like tennis player Nick Kyrgios have after the Australian was advised to see a sports psychologist.
- Dive Magazine reported on Brett Lewis and Dr Luke Nothdurft’s coral bleaching research.
- A news story from QUT’s student journalists about a QUT music student drawing inspiration from whales ended up as a talking point on ABC Brisbane Breakfast.
- Aged Care Insite asked Azadeh Rezvani about his research into which technologies reduce social isolation in older people.
- SeniorAu reported on Professor Elizabeth Beattie’s role revamping the Dementia Training Program.
- Research by Dr Indira Prasadam on high cholesterol being linked to osteoarthritis made the UK’s Daily Express, The Indian Express and Medical News Today.
- Professor Chris Eves told Quest and 4ZZZ it wasn’t uncommon for married millennials to move in with family when saving for a house.
- Public Now reported on QUT hosting Brisbane’s first Climathon.
- Professor Mark King’s comments in the forward of a new parents’ guide for teaching good driving behaviours to their children featured in more than 50 articles across US news sites, including The Tampa Bay Indian and Jacksonville Indian.
- Scienmag reported on Professor Matt Brown’s prestigious award.
- The Cube made Must Do Brisbane’s list of top indoor activities for kids.
- New Atlas quoted Professor Nicolas Suzor in an article on the remix age and copyright.
- Research from Pete Lazzarini, Dr Rosana Norman and Qinglu Cheng that found investment in proven diabetic foot care could save Australia billions was reported by Aged Care insite.
- QUT’s Gavin Winter spoke to The Educator Magazine about a research project to enhance the way visual data is displayed and delivered in classrooms.
- QUT engineering student Jaden Partridge featured in his local paper, Lismore’s Northern Star, after winning a 12-month placement with a Formula One team.
- Associate Professor Gary Mortimer (pictured) talked to Smart Company about a South African retail giant buying Australian retailer Fantastic Furniture. And Smart Company also asked him about Coles’ trial of the low-cost Liquor Market.
- Architecture & Design wrote about QUT Master of Architecture students Brittany Hill and Lauren Hickling receiving the inaugural Philip Y Bisset Planning (Architecture) Scholarship.
- Professor Axel Bruns discussed the Australian news market and what impact the New York Times might have here in a story that ran on ABC Radio National Breakfast and ABC NewsRadio Mornings.
- Professor Lisa Nissen commented on pharmacists and vaccinations for an article in the October edition of Australian Pharmacist and also co-authored a piece with Dr Esther Lau in the same edition on the possible use of propanolol to counter PTSD.
- ABC Brisbane Saturday Breakfast spoke to the curator of the Bapu Khadi Exhibition at QUT.
- A review of retail trading hours saw Adjunct Associate Professor John Mickel interviewed on ABC Radio.
- Professor David Kavanagh and Nicole Robinson work on a robot to stop people snacking featured on ABC Brisbane.
- Professor Philip Baker’s call for more targeted research on abuse of elderly Australians featured in magazine, The Senior.
- Lecturer Susan Hetherington chatted about family news in her regular segment with ABC Capricornia and also joined 612 ABC Breakfast for her weekly theatre reviews. Peter Black also joined 612 ABC Breakfast on Tuesday morning for his regular technology segment.
- Dr Stephen Harrington wrote a piece for The Conversation on how Donald Trump’s claims of a conspiracy against him are undermining democracy. The story also appeared on the Daily Bulletin and Australian Business.
- Professor Brian McNair’s Conversation article on how Donald Trump was trumped in the debates by Hilary Clinton was republished by Daily Bulletin and Australian Business.
- Amanda Gearing’s Conversation article about how social media is helping under-resourced journalists uncover big news stories was republished by ABC News, Daily Bulletin and Australian Business.
- Dr Deanna Grant-Smith and Professor Paula McDonald contributed to an article in The Conversation, republished by ABC Online, on why young people aren’t reliant on the "bank of mum and dad".
Release date: Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Media contact: media@qut.edu.au
