The most exciting thing about the Games from my point of view is not so much the event itself, which I know will be a great success, but the opportunity it provides to showcase the city as a whole. The Gold Coast is growing and growing up as a city and the Games allows us to demonstrate that we’re no longer just famous for fun, we’re also a great place to live, learn and do business.
Being a part of a home Games in Sydney 2000, I’m really looking forward to the vibe and atmosphere of the city in the lead up, during the event and also after the Games. It’s a great opportunity to showcase our City, our athletes and our University.
The Gold Coast is becoming a hub for sport and high performance programs, and the legacy the Games will leave in sport, including community participation, is a real positive for our city.
Having a home Games is a real incentive for our younger local athletes as they see the city transformed over the next 3 years, the young athletes themselves strive for excellence to make sure they are a part of it. For many athletes, this may well be their first experience on the world stage.
In terms of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, much has already been achieved to ensure the event is well placed to leave a lasting positive and universalist legacy to the Gold Coast and Queensland. Planning, under the ‘Embracing 2018’ banner, has already produced an Advisory Committee (including Griffith’s VC, Professor Ian O’Connor), a strategic plan, an evaluation and monitoring group, and legacy related programs are already running, for example the Queensland Rugby Union Pacific Islander Community Engagement and Capacity Building Project.
Thus, the 2018 Games arewell ahead of many other similar events, at this stage of planning, from the legacy perspective. Of course, not all event legacies are positive. The ongoing challenge for legacy stakeholders is to ensure that 2018 Games are is remembered not just for outstanding athletic performances, but because the Games were the catalyst for positive change.
With rising electricity prices one of the biggest issues facing Australian households, Griffith University research into energy storage and supply holds the promise of cheaper, better quality power for the low voltage (LV) electricity distribution network.
According to the research from Griffith’s School of Engineering and published in the journalApplied Energy, a forecast-based, three-phase battery energy storage scheduling and operation system provides benefits such as reduced peak demand, more efficient load balancing and better management of supply from solar photovoltaics (PV).
Researcher Mr Chris Bennett, working under the supervision of Associate Professor Rodney Stewart and Professor Jun Wei Lu, has developed and applied an intelligent scheduling system to a South-East Queensland-based LV distribution network servicing 128 residential customers.
“The low voltage network is a typical suburb of a few hundred homes where there is a single area transformer. Recently there has been a substantial increase in the number of homes with installed residential solar PV in these settings,” says Mr Bennett.
“Daily peak demand in residential networks typically occurs in the evenings in summer and both late morning and evening in winter. But because solar PV generation is dependent on incoming solar radiation, peak generation occurs during the middle of the day, typically when demand in the residential distribution network is low.
“This means there is an incongruity between when energy is generated and when it is required, which can lead to power supply and quality issues.
“However, with a battery energy storage (BES) system comprising Lithium Ion battery banks coupled with smart power control systems, such as STATCOMS, and featuring embedded intelligent forecasting software, we can better manage the LV network.”
Foundation for a future smart grid
Associate Professor Stewart says the recent significant uptake of solar PV has in some locations created issues in the LV network, including surplus power being pushed up the grid, unbalanced phases and poor power quality.
“Our solution tackles these immediate issues while also setting the foundation for a future smart grid,” he says.
“The two main advantages of intelligent BES in the LV network are that we can mitigate power quality issues attributed to fluctuations in generation from renewable energy sources such as PV, and we can store surplus energy gathered during the middle of the day and distribute it when it is needed in the evening peak period.
“If such a system was implemented across an entire city it would reduce wholesale peak generation charges, alleviate costly upgrades to the grid, reduce the average time of outages and improve power quality for customers.”
Associate Professor Stewart and Mr Bennett agree that distributed energy resources and smart power control electronics can revolutionise the grid and reduce the price of electricity for customers.
Mr Bennett’s research was facilitated as part of a Queensland Government 2013-2015 Partnership Grant.
This has allowed collaboration between Griffith University and energy companies Elevare, Ergon Energy and Energex on projects to develop and apply world-leading smart-grid theory, technology and applications such as STATCOMs, energy storage systems and integrated solar PV.
From the hilarious to the heartbreaking, from the poignant to the downright weird — a fascinating project that witnesses total strangers sharing their most intimate thoughts on life and love has launched online.
Written, directed and produced by Griffith Film School graduates David Ridley and Martin Ingle, Into the Middle of Things captures the duo’s 13,000km journey across Australia to spontaneously interview total strangers.
And the results are fascinating and diverse: with farmers, hipsters, Aboriginal elders, refugees, a butterfly man, a Buddhist monk, a Vietnam vet, a witchdoctor and even a nudist.
Over the course of a year, one interview will now be released every week online, for free.
Talking with strangers
“Listening to the intimate stories of complete strangers — their hopes, disappointments, memories and dreams as told from their own mouths — was equally fascinating and shocking,” David says.
“We passed through big cities and small towns, and through the dozens and dozens of vibrant people we discovered, we really got to experience the diversity of characters and stories that can be found in Australia.
“Australia is a diverse and captivating land, and so are the humans who live there.
“The diversity and depth of these people’s experiences put our own lives into perspective, and we hope to now share that discovery,” he says.
David and Martin during their 13,000km journey across Australia.
Graduating from Griffith Film School in 2011, the pair found common ground working on several projects together throughout their studies.
“Studying filmmaking at university is a very unique experience. It’s a pressure cooker where you are pushed to your limit, both emotionally and financially,” says Martin.
“But what this means is that you come out the other side of it with connections and friendships that were forged through those tough times, and those are the ones that last.”
The documentary series will continue for the following year. Just some of the stories that have been released so far include:
Robb: “Love’s not a real word, I don’t think…”
Dry-docked in the carpark of the Darwin Yacht Club you’ll find Robb, an ex-pat and ex-con who once died three times in the same day. At seventeen years old, he was in jail and had just found out he was a father to a child he was told he’d never meet. He thinks we’ve got it wrong when it comes to Love.
During filming: Robb and his wife Sue cooked David and Martin dinner after his interview and let them sleep on their boat that night to keep them out of the Darwin wet.
Megan: “People don’t understand happiness…”
When she was only seventeen, Megan moved to Sydney with dreams of becoming an actress. So how was it that we found her thirty years later walking her gorgeous bloodhound along a quiet lane in rural Victoria? A quiet, simple and heartfelt interview.
Some behind the scenes action from Megan’s interview.
Chris: Skinhead turned butterfly farmer
When we drove into the tropical town of Batchelor, NT, we asked aroundwho the biggest character was. We were instantly told to go find the Butterfly Man.
But what we found was not just a butterfly man; he had been a skinhead, a soldier, an oil rig worker, a bouncer, and his journey had somehow led him to tend to butterflies in a small Northern Territory town.
Lauren: Love, grief, sexuality
Lauren was in Brisbane at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. At no older than 20 she has experienced the love and loss of a much older person. A challenging, confronting, and hilarious interview but an incredibly moving one.
The project has been undertaken by the duo under their Brisbane-based business, Gawky Media.
Griffith University’s Autism Centre of Excellence (ACE) is gearing up for another community-led bike ride from Noosa to Byron Bay.
The ACE Gran Fondo charity from July 31-3 August covers some of the best cycling roads in the area including the Noosa hinterland and Tamborine Mountain.
ACE Director Professor Jacqueline Roberts, Director said this year the riders’ hoped to raise $50,000.
“The 2014 ride saw 17 community members raise more than $30,000 for ACE. This money has directly funded research and a series of workshops across Queensland and Tasmania,” she said.
“World Autism Day is on April 2. This day helps raise awareness of autism throughout global communities. The ACE Gran Fondo ride is doing its bit to help raise awareness of ASD in our own part of the world.
“Our main goal is to help children with autism succeed at school. This means parents and schools working together. At ACE, we offer workshops that give parents the knowledge and confidence to advocate for their children.”
The ACE Gran Fondo ride is again co-ordinated by Glenn Williams, whose son Mitchell was diagnosed with autism at aged four. After his wife Rayelene was inspired by an ACE seminar, Glenn decided to organise the ACE Gran Fondo ride.
“Rayelene and I wanted to do something to help benefit other families in Queensland and the money raised from the ACE Gran Fondo ride will go some way towards providing this assistance.”
The ACE Gran Fondo team is looking for more riders.
In a first for an Australian MBA program, Griffith University’s MBA has offset the effect of its greenhouse gas emissions following a comprehensive and complex assessment of its emissions from July 2012 to June 2013.
A total of 433 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-e) was attributed to the operations of the MBA program at the end of the 12-month assessment. This total was offset through the purchase of certified carbon credits from three Asian-based projects supporting renewable energy and waste gas recovery.
The carbon credits cover a bundled wind power project in India (194 credits), a small scale hydropower project in China (152) and a gas recovery project in Indonesia (87).
“This is an important move for the Griffith MBA as it is a move consistent with the core values of our MBA program,” MBA Director, Associate Professor Nick Barter, said.
“In selecting projects in India, China and Indonesia we engaged with three major Asian economies as is congruent with the program’s Asia-Pacific focus.”
The Griffith MBA has set itself apart through its three core values — responsible leadership, sustainable business practice and global orientation.
“Climate change is happening and it is crucial that we all face up to its reality,” Associate Professor Barter said.
Leadership
“By offsetting the impact of our carbon emissions, we are showing the type of leadership we want to imbue in our students. It is also a tangible, meaningful move to mark the build-up to the climate change conference in Paris at the end of the year.”
Global leaders will attempt to hammer out an agreement on climate change at a major summit in December.
The assessment of Griffith MBA’s greenhouse gas emissions was carried out by Pangolin Associates, an Australian-owned energy and carbon management consultancy, and examined six activity sectors of the MBA’s operations.
The largest contributing sector was Utilities which accounted for 361.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. Electricity consumption made up 83.4% of this sector’s total, with internet and telecommunication also contributing.
The other activity sectors assessed were waste (16.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents), transport fuels (7.7) equipment (2.2), third party services (39.4) and business flights (6.4) which totalled 26,136 passenger kilometres.
The equipment sector included paper, recycled paper and stationery, while third party services included marketing (incorporating digital and print media), advertising, outsourced printing and cleaning services.
Using equivalent measurement units, the report revealed that electricity used in MBA operations was the equivalent of 127 tonnes of coal combusted in the same year. Energy consumed through transport and stationary sources was the equivalent of 18 barrels of oil combusted in that year.
The greenhouse gas emissions generated by MBA operations was the equivalent of 114 cars travelling the national average distance in a year. The estimated resultant global temperature rise from the program’s greenhouse gas emissions was equivalent to 6.5E-10 degrees centigrade.
The assessment identified the key areas of the MBA’s operations that were responsible for significant contributions to its emissions total, and proposed the development of an Emissions Management Plan.
“It’s our plan to audit the operations of the MBA going forward and to continue to offset appropriately while also finding ways and implementing strategies to reduce our carbon footprint,” Associate Professor Barter said.
“We have embraced the idea of an Emissions Management Plan and our next steps will be to set up a carbon reduction target, and embed carbon and energy management systems in the workplace and through the operations of the program.”
The report suggested a range of suggestions for improved management of energy usage. These included sourcing electricity from renewable resources; using video-conferencing to cut air travel; ensuring newly-procured equipment carries the energy star rating; using online methods only for payment and communication around bills and invoices; referencing government and industry toolkits; and replacing standard T8 fluorescent lighting with lighting that does not involve as much heat loss.
“Stakeholders of organisations, governments and the general public are increasingly calling for corporate disclosure of greenhouse gas information,” Associate Professor Barter said.
“The best way to influence the behaviour of others is to set an example. A good policy is to encourage all staff members to think green by applying greener and more energy efficient methods in the workplace.”
The Bachelor of Photography student’s winning images captured moments in Rome, a place she says “where I feel most at home in Italy”.
“I love Rome and I photograph this monument every time I visit,” she says, speaking of one of her winning images.
“This is the Res gestae (the text of Emperor Augustus’ will), on the wall outside the museum housing the Ara Pacis and I find this wall wonderful to stand in front of and just wait for things to happen.
“I’ve shot here at all different times of the day and it always offers something,” she says.
Lisa first visited Italy, camera in hand, twenty years ago. She explains that with a passion for art and history, Italy took her heart.
One of Lisa’s winning photos of the Res gestae on the wall outside the museum housing the Ara Pacis in Rome.
Although an avid and passionate photographer for many years,Lisa says before undertaking her photography degree she still felt as though her work was“missing something — a depth or authenticity”.
“I had been doing my own personal study of photography but knew my work could not progress without the guidance and support of a structured academic course,” she explains.
“I chose the QCA based not only on the excellent reputation it has in industry but the variety of subjects and the specialisations offered in the Photography Department.
“What I love about the course is the combination of intellectual vigour and practical technical skills, and the nurturing environment created by the teaching and support staff.
“Lecturers and tutors encourage us to be brave, take risks, experiment, make mistakes, and probe the edges of genre and visual language.”
Lisa, who was presented with anAcademic Award for Excellence in 2014, says assignments are as much about the mistakes and learnings, as they are about the finished product.
“I love the freedom we have in much of our assignment work to explore our own interests,” she continues.
Following graduation, Lisa says she would like to continue on to post-graduate studies.
“I am passionate about the relationship between photo, memory and nostalgia, and would like to pursue practice and research in this area.”
Fellow QCA photography student William Bullimore also entered this year’s AIPP Awards and received a Silver with Distinction. The AIPP is Australia’s peak body representing professional image makers.
With the assistance of funding from the British Academy, WOW guest, Associate Professor Juliane Reineckeand her Warwick Business School (UK) colleague, Associate Professor Jimmy Donaghey, reported on findings from a project investigating responses to the collapse of the Rana Plaza building complex (which housed garment factories) in Bangladesh on 23rd April, 2013, leaving 1129 people dead and over 2000 injured.
During her 18th March seminar, Juliane considered the experimental nature of negotiating and implementing a transnational agreement (chaired by the International Labour Organization) known as the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (the Accord) – a program regulating the building, electrical and fire safety of premises in which 180+ multinational clothing companies do business. Growing out of talks scheduled priorto the Rana Plaza disaster between non-government organisations, global union federations and clothing brands for the 29th April, the role of these MNCs in establishing the Accord, and its ability to be rolled out in other countries, was the focus of the team’s research.
Undertaking interviews with Accord signatories in the United Kingdom and Europe concerning the negotiation stage and case studies in Bangladesh to examine its implementation, Julianeand Jimmy examined how all parties came together to problem-solve, reflect, deliberate – and bargain – for change.
Considering the bigger picture, Associate Professor Reinecke spoke of catalysts to the collapse and the subsequent Accord discussions:
“Workers had been killed in a series of other disasters leading up to Rana Plaza. In the days before [the 23rd April], large cracks were emerging in the [Rana Plaza] building which an engineer had [assessed as] OK. On the day of the disaster however, despite a bank and shops in the building remaining closed, factory workers were forced to enter the building by factory operators. An MoU was already in negotiation between the brands, the Workers’ Rights Consortium and the Clean Clothes Campaign prior to the collapse, however it had no momentum: four signatories were needed and only two had signed up. Union involvement was [also] limited.”
But with a public MoU sign up deadline only a couple of weeks away (15th May), which of the two programs on the table — the MoU/ Accord or a corporation-led corporate social responsibility (CSR) program — would prevail?As it stands, notes Juliane, not all of the brands agreed to the Accord:
“The 27 companies [with supply factories in Rana Plaza] who did not sign up instead agreed to a CSR-based agreement known as the Alliance [for Bangladesh Worker Safety].”
It, unlike the Accord, cannot enforce penalties for non-compliant signatories in their home country, nor does it commit them to a five year binding agreement to maintain purchasing from the country.
After an international open tender process, the Accord’s governing body appointed four international firms to conduct 1103 audits, during which more than 80 000 safety issues were identified. Many were serious and focussed on inadequate (or absent) certified fire doors and sprinklers. Twenty-six factories were consequently closed.
Although the Accord will expire in 2018, Associate Professor Donaghey notes rhetoric amongst the signatory brands to adopt similar models in countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia. Likewise, as around 50 people are currently employed by the [Bangladesh] Accord [Foundation], Jimmy speculates that “it’s hard to imagine that they’ll shut it down.”
In response to this project, a forthcoming special issue of Human Relations journal, edited by Juliane, Jimmy, WOW Director,Adrian Wilkinson and WOW Adjunct member,Geoffrey Wood, will address the intersection of global supply chains and social relations at work.
From cancers to infectious and neurodegenerative diseases, no topic was left unexplored when more than 50 students from Griffith’s Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery converged for their annual Student Symposium.
This event provides students with the opportunity to showcase their current research projects and learn from each other about the molecular mechanisms which drive disease, as well as emerging therapies.
The symposium was hosted by second year PhD student Steven Bentley who has uncovered several promising leads in his research to find a genetic trigger for Parkinson’s disease in several Queensland families.
“Most people who develop Parkinson’s disease have no family history of the condition,” he said, “however, one in four patients has some family history and 16 per cent have a close relative with the disease,” Steven said.
“In rare situations the history of the disease and its pattern of inheritance through the family tree suggest a substantial genetic component to causality. By identifying and understanding how the genetic changes affect the brain, we can better understand the cause of Parkinson’s disease and potentially develop new therapies.”
“Our results so far have revealed several promising leads, which we hope will soon be confirmed as a new gene for familial Parkinson’s disease.”
Winners of the poster presentations at the Student Symposium were Noé Sturm and Claire Levrier
Co-host and 2nd year PhD student Hannah Leeson’s research explores a phagocytic role for P2X7 receptors during adult hippocampal neurogenesis – the way in which new neurons are continually produced in the hippocampus of the brain.
She believes that uncovering molecular mechanisms is essential for understanding how neurogenesis and regeneration occurs in the adult brain.
Third year PhD student, Deborah Sneddon is developing a targeting compound to identify hypoxic tumours.
By utilising the carbonic anhydrase IX biomarker found on hypoxic tumours, a compound detectable by positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonanceimaging (MRI) will attach and allow for accurate detection of the tumour’s position.
The Student Symposium gives students the opportunity to present their research and discuss ideas with their peers.
The event was sponsored by Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Bioscientific Pty, Eppendorf, Cullens Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys, Merck, Fisher Adams Kelly, Associate Professor Andreas Hofmann, the Structural Chemistry Group at Eskitis, Griffith University Postgraduate Students Association, the Eskitis Institute and the Eskitis Student Club.
Fellows of the Academy are recognised for their outstanding leadership in the science of health and medicine, and for demonstrating significant and continuing involvement with issues of health care, prevention of disease, education, research, health services policy and delivery. Congratulations to both Mark and Michael on this thoroughly deserved distinction.
The award recognises nurse researchers who have achieved significant and sustained national or international recognition and whose research has improved the profession and the people it serves. Wendy’s research focuses on patient participation in patient safety activities such as clinical handover and pressure injury prevention. This work aims to promote active patient engagement in their hospital care.
Coastal management awards
On the back of winning the 2014 B/HERT Ashley Goldsworthy Award for Sustained Collaboration between Business and Higher Education, the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management (GCCM) has won two major categories and has been acknowledged in a third at the prestigious 2015 Australian Coastal Awards.
Announced in Melbourne on 12 March, the GCCM won the Research category, for its overall research program, and the Community Engagement category. Meanwhile, the Centre’s QSurge project – funded by the Queensland Government and involving real-time storm tide risk assessment – received Special Mention in the Planning and Management category. The Australian Coastal Awards are conducted by the National Sea Change Taskforcewhich supports and advances the interests of coastal councils and their constituencies. Well done to Professor Rodger Tomlinson and his team at the GCCM.
Harmony Week
The University celebrated another successful Harmony Week across all its campuses from 16-21 March. During the week, staff and students enjoyed cultural performances, art displays, morning teas and other talks and presentations that resonated with Griffith’s commitment to celebrating the diversity of its communities. Highlights included a Citizenship Ceremony hosted by the Centre for Interfaith and Cultural Dialogue; a presentation by rugby league legend, Mr Wayne Bennett AM at the Logan campus; a saxophone orchestra performance featuring world music at the Queensland Conservatorium; the Universal Feast event hosted by Griffith Mates at Gold Coast and Nathan campuses; and the Library’s Great Wall of Harmony display. I would like to extend a warm thanks to the many elements across the University whose careful planning and hard work contributed to a very memorable week of activities. In particular, a special thanks to the team at Students Services who played such an important role in overseeing this year’s Harmony Week.
Sciences reunion
It was my great pleasure to join the DVC (Engagement) and PVC (Sciences) at the 40th reunion of the first cohort of undergraduate science students at a special event on 14 March 2015. Many of those who attended had vivid memories of the 3rd March 1975 when 87 ‘new’ science students gathered at 8.30am in the Science 1 building, Nathan campus, to hear David Pegg deliver the University’s first ever lecture.
Our first cohort of science students proved to be outstanding – 18 students achieved PhD qualifications, three became medical doctors (two as specialists) and incredibly, 24 students graduated with first class honours (which required special exemption to allow so many students to be awarded this level of honours). It was fantastic to catch up with 32 of the original science students at the 40th reunion and to share their life experiences. It was inspiring to hear about their various achievements in industry, medicine, academia, research and government since graduating from Griffith all those years ago.
Our choir at Carnegie Hall
On Sunday 29 March, Griffith Health Group’s A’Capella Choir, Serotonin, was one of two choirs from Australia to perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall as part of the prestigious “Distinguished Concerts International New York Concert”. For the Choir of 25 Griffith students, under the direction of Choir Master Mr Jonathan Albertini, it was the experience of a lifetime. The Choir’s incredible trip would not have been possible without the generous support of the University’s donor community and on behalf of the Choir and the University, I sincerely thank all our donors who kindly contributed.
Join the Gold Coast Marathon
Griffith’s team of students, staff, alumni, family and friends are already in preparation for the Gold Coast Marathon on 4 and 5 July. For the third year running we are attempting to win the ‘Largest Corporate Team’ and ‘Most Kilometres Travelled’ awards. As advised in a recent email, each staff member will receive a complimentary Griffith running shirt as well as free registration, but you must register via the Griffith University Gold Coast Marathon website prior to 30 April. I hope you will be able to join us for a very enjoyable day of exercise and social activities.
An experiment devised in Griffith University’s Centre for Quantum Dynamics has for the first time demonstrated Albert Einstein’s original conception of “spooky action at a distance” using a single particle.
In a paper published in the journalNature Communications, CQD Director Professor Howard Wiseman and his experimental collaborators at the University of Tokyo report their use of homodyne measurements to show what Einstein did not believe to be real, namely the non-local collapse of a particle’s wave function.
According to quantum mechanics, a single particle can be described by a wave function that spreads over arbitrarily large distances, but is never detected in two or more places.
This phenomenon is explained in quantum theory by what Einstein disparaged in 1927 as “spooky action at a distance”, or the instantaneous non-local collapse of the wave function to wherever the particle is detected.
Almost 90 years later, by splitting a single photon between two laboratories, scientists have used homodyne detectors — which measure wave-like properties — to show the collapse of the wave function is a real effect.
Professor Wiseman says this phenomenon is the strongest yet proof of the entanglement of a single particle, an unusual form of quantum entanglement that is being increasingly explored for quantum communication and computation.
“Einstein never accepted orthodox quantum mechanics and the original basis of his contention was this single-particle argument. This is why it is important to demonstrate non-local wave function collapse with a single particle,” he says.
“Einstein’s view was that the detection of the particle only ever at one point could be much better explained by the hypothesis that the particle is only ever at one point, without invoking the instantaneous collapse of the wave function to nothing at all other points.
“However, rather than simply detecting the presence or absence of the particle, we used homodyne measurements enabling one party to make different measurements and the other, using quantum tomography, to test the effect of those choices.”
“Through these different measurements, you see the wave function collapse in different ways, thus proving its existence and showing that Einstein was wrong.”
