QUT News & Events Wrap - December 12 edition

NEWS

High praise for QUT’s new Distinguished Professor Kerrie Mengersen: QUT has awarded the title of Distinguished Professor to mathematical and statistical scientist Professor Kerrie Mengersen, who is highly respected for her world-leading research.

QUT statistician becomes first female to win Pitman Medal: QUT's leading mathematician and statistician Professor Kerrie Mengersen has been awarded the Pitman Medal, the highest honour to be presented by the Statistical Society of Australia.

QUT professor named biofutures industry envoy: Industrial biotech expert QUT Professor Ian O’Hara is to be Queensland’s biofutures ambassador, spearheading the growth industry’s drive into the Asia-Pacific.

Enlightened thinking brings power to Bhutan while reducing ‘inland tsunami’ risk: A QUT team of scientists led by Dr Stephen Hughes has returned from Bhutan after a crowdfunded trip to test a simple cost-effective solution that could literally light up the lives of Bhutan’s remote villagers, who are under threat from melting glaciers.

Forget dieting: retrain your brain to beat stress and lose weight: A QUT neuroscientist internationally acclaimed for her research on alcohol and sugar addiction claims brainpower rather than willpower is the key to living healthily.

Weed slayer AgBot II on Darling Downs: Darling Downs farmers have met the future of farming at a QUT showcase of its world-leading agricultural robot, AgBot II.

QUT honoured with three Australian Awards for University Teaching: QUT has been recognised for education excellence and the delivery of outstanding learning programs after receiving three prestigious Australian Awards for University Teaching worth $25,000 each, including an honour for Professor Gayle Kerr (pictured).

Calls for national rural education strategy after poor science and maths results: A leading educator in science, technology, education and mathematics (STEM) studies is calling for a national rural education strategy in the wake of Australia’s backwards trend in international student rankings.

Original approach can aid economic comeback: Australia must embrace “unconventional” measures to take control of its economic future or risk falling into recession, according to a QUT economist. 

Christmas in ad land all about standing out from the crowd: Once upon a time Christmas adverts were all about television, radio, print and billboards. Now they are multi-layered extravaganzas competing to get the most social media shares.


 

EVENTS

Dec 13-16: Social Lightscapes Workshop with QUT Design Lab @ West End
Dec 20: Real Decisions uni info day @ Gardens Point & Caboolture
Now - Feb 23: To Sir with Love: an exhibition of the Dr Wilton WR Love album (free) @ Old Government House
Now - March 5: GLASS: art design architecture @ QUT Art Museum
Now - early 2017: Physics Observatory (free, pictured) @ The Cube
 Now - June 18: William Robinson: Genesis (free) @ William Robinson Gallery
Now - Sept 13: Season 2017 @ Gardens Theatre: Stories that connect  @ Gardens Theatre
March 26-31: MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp @ QUT
April 5-7: 2017 Times Higher Education (THE) Young Universities Summit @ Gardens Point

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

- A project led by Associate Professor Janet Davies (pictured) to map pollen grasses from space in the wake of Victoria’s thunderstorm asthma event ran nationwide on ABC Radio News, ABC Online and News24, The New Daily and Brisbane Times. Prof Davies also wrote a Conversation article on thunderstorm asthma, which was reprinted by the Australian Journal of Pharmacy and Mamamia.
- Dr Jonathan Peake and Dr Oliver Neubauer spoke to The New York Times about how exercise affects our immune systems.
- Associate Professor Adrian Barnett told Nature Index why he made his latest grant application public, and spoke to ABC Alice Springs about heatwaves.
- Campus Morning Mail reported on Distinguished Professor Kerrie Mengersen's new title and her Pitman Medal.
- The findings of three clinical trials into the treatment of migraines with common vitamins were presented by Professor Lyn Griffiths (pictured) at a neuroscience conference and reported on by The Courier-Mail, Gold Coast Bulletin and news.com. She was also interviewed by 7 News, 10 News, 3AW and ABC Sydney Breakfast and ABC Cairns.
- The launch of the Herston Biofabrication Institute, led by Associate Professor Mia Woodruff, was covered in a piece about 3D printing by Geektime.
- Research from Professor Richard Brown and Farhad Hossain on using recycled tyres to form lower emission diesel was in Australasian Transport News, Inside Waste, Fully Loaded, the US site Metro, and Recycling International.
- Associate Professor Gary Mortimer spoke to Inside Retail and 2UE about Amazon Go, to 7 News about the world’s first fully online used car dealership at North Lakes, as well as petrol prices, and to 9 News about Brookside Shopping Centre.
- Dr Ziqi Sun's research into solar cells inspired by flies' eyes was on ABC Newcastle, Brisbane Times, Fairfax regional papers, World News Report, Brazil Business Today and Science in Public.
- Queensland Country Life, NQ Register, and WIN News featured Professor Tristan Perez and Agbot II (pictured). AgBot II, Harvey the capsicum picker, Owen Bawden and Dr Chris Lehnert  also featured on kids’ TV show Scope (1:30).
 - Dr Mark McGovern was interviewed by ABC Radio National Breakfast on decentralisation.
- The Australian Financial Review sought Professor Axel Bruns’ expertise for a story on ASIC using AI software to target fake stocks news on Facebook.
- Professor Selena Bartlett explained her research into the weight gain/stress connection to the Huffington Post, Scienmag and WoW.
- Research by Dr Mark King naming the top 10 most dangerous Brisbane CBD pedestrian crossings was reported on by Brisbane Times.
- The Courier-Mail and Advertiser shared the story of new QUT engineering graduate Ezekiel Nimpaye, who came to Australia as a refugee in 2009.
- Associate Professor Nicolas Suzor spoke to News.com.au about the debate over ‘fair use’ in proposed changes to Australian copyright law.
- Professor Lisa Nissen’s comments about extending medication prescribing rights for pharmacists were reported by the Australian Journal of Pharmacy. She and Dr Esther Lau also wrote a piece for the Australian Journal of Pharmacy on giving up smoking.
- Professor Paula McDonald spoke to Fairfax about young people being underpaid for work.
- Third Sector covered the launch of Giving Australia 2016 with Associate Professor Wendy Scaife.
- Regional press including The Singleton Argus and The Daily Advertiser reported QUT students would have access to Chip, a robot that will help customers in shopping centres.
- A 'crash course' in contemporary art with Dr Mark Pennings was promoted by Arts Hub.
- Brett Lewis’ ground-breaking coral bleaching research made it onto the Australian Science Media Centre’s list of top science stories for 2016.
 - Gizmodo AU's top Australian science stories for 2016 included Drs Matthew Dunbabin and Feras Dayoub’s RangerBot project (pictured with Cotsbot), Associate Professor Felipe Gonzalez and Drs Grant Hamilton and Sandra Johnson’s koala-mapping project with local councils, Professor Selena Bartlett’s brainpower over willpower research and Professor Tristan Perez’s AgBot II.
- Energy Source & Distribution reported ARC Laureate Fellow and physicist Professor Dmitri Goldberg will join QUT next year.
- Dr Jamie Riches told Lab Online about the benefits of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope and Thermo Scientific UltraDry EDS purchased by QUT.
- Yahoo news ran a story about QUT graduate Sheriden Newman winning the Dance Singapore Dance competition. The story also ran internationally on Television Post and TV News 4U.
- South West News and Caboolture Shire Herald featured pieces on QUT New Colombo Plan Scholars Jesse Christian and Lauren Wilkins.
- Dr Chris Watling explained to True Viral News what really happens when you drive tired or distracted.
- A Conversation article co-authored by Dr Peter O'Connor on workers who 'cut corners' was republished by Smart Company, Mamamia, News Corp, TravelTalk, Mail on Sunday, Singapore News, Askmen India, Daily Mail Online and more.
- Quest Newspapers included research by the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Non-profit Studies in a story on corporate philanthropy.
- Dr Anne-Frances Watson’s piece for The Conversation on the end of Dolly magazine in hard copy was republished by MamaMia and Daily Bulletin and she also spoke to 2ser and SYN FM Melbourne.
- A Conversation article from Professors Ben White and Lindy Willmott and Dr Andrew McGee about the likelihood of Victoria’s assisted dying laws passing was republished by the Daily Bulletin.
- ABC Southern Queensland asked CARRS-Q’s Professor Narelle Haworth about the Safer Roads and Safer Queensland Forum.
- Tomina Ali spoke with ABC South East NSW about how kangaroo knees can help treat human injuries.
- Malcolm Burt spoke to ABC Brisbane Afternoons about his research on why rollercoasters exist.
- Dr Bill Lott was on ABC Sydney’s Overnight program talking about electricity and solar technology.
- The US Consul General Valerie Fowler on ABC Radio mentioned QUT’s participation in building a biofuels industry to help fuel the US Navy fleet.
- Professor Mark McGovern spoke to ABC Armidale about the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority’s planned move to the city.
- Associate Professor Terry Lyons' assessment of Australian students' falling international standards in scientific literacy was covered by ABC Regional Radio.
- Dr Mary Crawford from the QUT Business School was interviewed on ABC Brisbane Mornings about COAG and her support for lockout laws.
- Susan Hetherington was on ABC Capricornia as part of her regular family affairs segment talking about a range of parenting issues including bullying.

Release date: Monday, December 12, 2016
Media contact: media@qut.edu.au

QUT is part of a national collaborative group of five major Australian universities that form the ATN (Australian Technology Network of Universities).