Chronicle, Vol 49 issue 3 - July 2014

He Kupu Whakamahara

July 2014

When science meets art Christchurch nightlife back on track

Weightlifter snatches victory

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Chronicle49 no.3 July 2014

UC’s teaching stars.

Editor: Renee Jones 364 2987 ext 6072

Staff Writers: Kip Brook Charlene Smart

Sub–editor: Col Pearson

Photos: Duncan Shaw–Brown Eve Welch

Artwork: Brian Carney

Printer: Toltech Print

Distribution: Canterbury Educational Printing Services

Email: communications@ canterbury.ac.nz

Address: Communications and Stakeholder Relations, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch.

Thanks to everyone else who’s played a part making this issue happen.

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A new chapter in the transformation of the UC campus has begun with a number of major building projects now completed.

UC’s distinctive Butterfly building has been remediated and was officially reopened on 4 July by Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams.

The building, renamed the Angus Tait building, was first opened in May 1966 and will now be the home of the University’s BlueFern supercomputer team.

The BlueFern computer is one of the most powerful computers in New Zealand.

Earlier in the year the University’s business and law staff and postgraduate students returned to a permanent base in the former Law building.

In March, Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel officially reopened the building, which has undergone an $8.3 million makeover, and has been fully remediated and redesigned to provide a high-quality learning and teaching environment.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Business and Law) Professor Sonia Mazey said staff had demonstrated incredible resilience since the earthquakes and moving back to their dedicated Business and Law building represented the start of an exciting new era for business and law at UC.

The refurbished building includes lecture theatres, seminar rooms, a moot room, café, dedicated spaces for executive development programmes, tutorial rooms, a computer lab and video-conferencing facilities.

Revamped buildings open doors

Opening the Angus Tait building are (from left) Sir Angus Tait's grand-daughter Ella Tait, Lady Hazel Tait, Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams and Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr.

Caption9 Business students on the road to China.10 13 UC weightlifting star wins medal.

Dr Arvind Varsani with Adélie penguins in Antarctica.5

Fighting cyber threats.

CHRONICLE 49, No.3, July 2014

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UC science and art students have joined forces to turn scientific concepts into works of art.

Second-year chemistry and biochemistry students have worked with fine arts and art history students as part of their course requirements to create works of art based on science.

The artworks, created by fine art students after working with the science students, recently featured in an exhibition, Chem-pare/Comm-trast, held in the Edgar Stead Atrium in the Biological Sciences building.

The exhibition was curated by students from the Postgraduate Diploma in Art Curatorship, who also produced an exhibition catalogue.

Dr Sarah Masters (Chemistry) said the project, which was a collaboration between the Chemistry, Fine Arts and Art History and Theory departments, was designed to enhance the science communication skills of the undergraduate students.

“The project enhanced the oral and written communication skills between students from different subject backgrounds. They also developed teamwork skills and independent thinking,” she said.

“It is very important that scientists are able to convey the importance of their work to a non-specialist audience. The desire to provide our chemistry and biochemistry students with the opportunity to enhance and practise their communication skills led to the project, ‘Communicate a Phenomenon — engaging students in communication between science and art’,” Dr Masters said.

Fine arts student Tim McLaughlin said he created a sculpture designed to showcase the process of scientific theory.

“The work I produced is made from plastic cable ties, which interlock and form strong connections. It mirrors the process of our scientific theory, where atoms or molecules collide into each other to create bonds,” he said.

“To form a successful bond, the atoms or molecules need to have both a correct orientation and have enough force, otherwise they will just bounce and no bond will be formed. I took these two aspects — correct orientation and enough force — and, through research, found the material of cable ties, which also require those aspects to form a successful bond. I then began creating structures with the ties and began to introduce colour in the process, so the work could function well visually as well as conceptually.”

Tim said it was the first time he had

collaborated with students from different departments to create art.

“It was such a new and refreshing process to be a part of. I very much enjoyed it. It was quite an exciting and informative experience for both me and the other students that were involved,” he said.

“I found it interesting working with both chemistry and curatorial students. The way the collaboration has been designed is very relevant and helpful to us, allowing us to experience first-hand how some artists choose to work with ideas and how they decide to display their work.”

Communicating science through art

Dr Sarah Masters and fine arts student Tim McLaughlin with Tim's artwork.

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Communicating science through art

A novel papillomavirus associated with Adélie penguins has been discovered in the Antarctic by UC’s Dr Arvind Varsani (Biological Sciences) and his research collaborators.

The team recently discovered the virus after analysing Adélie penguin faecal matter collected from Cape Crozier, Ross Island, during the birds’ nesting season from late October 2012 to January 2013.

Dr Varsani has been working in the Antarctic for the past two years as part of a project on Adélie penguin ecology run by Dr David Ainley of HT Harvey and Associates (USA), Dr Katie Dugger of Oregon State University (USA) and Dr Grant Ballard of Point Blue Conservation Science (USA). The project is funded by the National Science Foundation (USA).

Dr Varsani said the papillomaviruses usually infected skin and mucosal cells, and could be found in both humans and animals.

“Certain papillomavirus types can cause warts, and are aetiological agents of certain cancers. There are about 270 strains of papillomaviruses. More than 160 infect humans and about 100 infect animals. However, of these only three have been identified to be associated with avian species,” he said.

Dr Varsani said this was a previously unknown papillomavirus associated with penguins, making it the fourth avian papillomavirus.

“At the moment we have no idea what impact this viral species has on Adélie penguins. This virus has probably been associated with the penguins for some time. There has been so little work done on viruses in Antarctica and hence it is difficult to assess what viruses are emerging within

animal species in Antarctica,” he said.“We will carry on monitoring these birds

and will continue to sample faecal matter in order to identify other viruses. Faecal sampling is a non-invasive sampling method and we processed this faecal matter to recover viruses and their nucleic acids and, ultimately, identify viruses.”

Dr Varsani is also working with another team of geologists from the US Antarctic Program who are trying to identify viruses trapped in the ice during the last glacial period (ice age).

“We aim to determine if viruses are being released into a currently established ecosystem as a result of permafrost melt,” he said.

“Just like the rapidly changing world, the landscape of viral knowledge in the Antarctic is also rapidly changing.”

New virus in Antarctic penguins discovered

Dr Arvind Varsani with Adélie penguins in Antarctica.


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Top UC teachers honouredTeaching excellence at UC has been recognised with the awarding of five University Teaching Awards.

The awards acknowledged the outstanding teaching achievements of Professor Jennifer Brown (Mathematics and Statistics), Jocelyn Howard (Teacher Education), Sascha Mueller (Law), Dr Veronica (Ronnie) O’Toole (Educational Studies and Leadership) and Dr Debra Wilson (Law).

Professor Brown said her role in student learning was to enable.

“The students have their own personal learning journey; I simply provide the map to assist them. I commit myself to enabling student learning and students respond by committing themselves to their own development. This is the most satisfying part of my job.

“My contribution to statistics education, both here at UC and internationally, is that we have students who are ready for the challenges ahead. They are open to fresh ideas, they are equipped with a good set of survival skills and they have a strong base of statistical knowledge to rest on,” she said.

Ms Howard’s teaching focused on ensuring that teachers-in-training, regardless of their background, developed the understanding, skills and dispositions to

make the classroom a welcoming and supportive environment for every learner.

“In addition to ensuring there are clear connections between learning outcomes, content, tasks and assessments in the courses and programmes I design, I also guide students to make their own wider connections: across other courses with literature and theory, in their everyday lives and in their roles as teachers or teachers-to-be. I use a blend of learner-centred practices and e-learning tools to engage on-campus students and to make distant students feel equally valued.

“I am proactive in seeking feedback on my teaching from students, colleagues, principals and teachers. I seek to provide the best possible learning experiences for all our students, backed by preparation, passion and research-informed knowledge,” she said.

Mr Mueller said that enthusiasm and confidence usually came when students felt ownership of their subject, and had an understanding of its purpose and value in the bigger picture.

“I believe that learning begins with the individual. No teacher can make unwilling students learn, but a good teacher can inspire them to want to learn,” he said.

“The role of the modern teacher, therefore, is to build and foster this enthusiasm, encouraging students to

critically analyse and think laterally, to cultivate understanding without reliance on rote learning. Confidence is promoted through inclusive teaching practices that encourage participation in a safe learning environment.”

Dr O’Toole said she was a learning and teaching “addict” who loves to learn about and teach about learning.

“This UC Teaching Award is an acknowledgment of the work to date of various educational teams I have worked with and the educators and students I have learned from. It is an acknowledgement of the importance of each and every moment in teaching, and the unexpected positive consequences that any teaching moment may promise for the future,” she said.

Dr Wilson said her aim was to challenge her students the way she was challenged and to foster critical thinking skills to allow students to form their own opinions. She also hoped that she could inspire her students to care as much about the topics she taught as she did.

“There is a real buzz to teaching a class that is excited and engaged. I believe that all students have the ability to succeed and I encourage them to reach the highest standards in both academia and life,” she said.

UC Teaching Award recipients (from left) Dr Debra Wilson, Sascha Mueller, Dr Veronica (Ronnie) O’Toole, Jocelyn Howard and Professor Jennifer Brown with Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr.

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National teaching award for academicUC academic Professor Charles Fleischmann has been recognised as one of New Zealand’s top tertiary teachers.

Professor Fleischmann (Civil and Natural Resources Engineering) has received one of 12 Ako Aotearoa national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards. The awards recognise and encourage excellence in tertiary education at a national level, and provide an opportunity for teachers to further their careers and share good practice in teaching.

The award includes $20,000 prize money to be used for career development and to promote best practice in teaching.

“To be recognised as one of New Zealand’s top tertiary teachers has been huge for me. I have always put a lot of

effort and time into teaching, and to be recognised at the national level is certainly the highlight of my career.”

He said that, as a teacher, it was his responsibility to inspire, motivate and demonstrate to students how they could learn to solve problems.

“I have always enjoyed the challenge of teaching and believe that teaching is an evolutionary process in which I ask myself: What works, what doesn't and what can be improved?

“As a teacher of engineering, I feel an incredible responsibility to society to produce the most knowledgeable engineers possible. Students I teach will become practising civil, structural and fire engineers who will be responsible for the design of buildings and infrastructure that will improve the safety of society,” he said.

Professor Fleischmann said he saw his role as one of engaging students, guiding their learning and fostering their problem-solving skills.

“I consider myself fortunate to teach in a field that fascinates many students. This practical, real-world focus has had a pronounced influence on my lectures in which I strive to ensure that the material is relevant, useful and interesting.”

Professor Fleischmann is a leader at UC in online support for students and is known for the diverse resources that he provides to aid student learning. His fields of research include compartment fire modelling, fire dynamics and fire engineering.

Professor Fleischmann is the tenth teacher from UC to receive a national Ako Aotearoa teaching award since the government-supported scheme was established in 2002.

Professor Charles Fleischmann (second from right) with first-year engineering students.

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Professor Morrish’s ongoing research revealed that at the end of February, a total of 907 restaurants, cafes and bars were operating in the city. This is a jump from 778 premises operating as at January last year.

Professor Morrish (Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship) said 11 per cent or 103 hospitality businesses were new and have replaced some of the closed businesses. However, 317 hospitality outlets that were operating before the earthquakes have remained closed or may not re-open at all.

“We have made some interesting discoveries with the help of geo-spatial mapping with assistance from the UC Geography Department. These hospitality businesses are going back to the same locations contrary to a lot of talk, although there are still many that are understandably closed in the CBD,” she said.

“These maps also dispute the view that Christchurch is becoming a donut city. Clearly, hospitality businesses are going back to the popular pre-quake locations.

Study sheds light on city’s hospitality sectorChristchurch nightlife, which includes restaurants, bars and cafés, is back to 95 per cent of pre-earthquake levels, according to UC’s Associate Professor Sussie Morrish.

“Where businesses have reopened infrastructure such as roading has not kept up. For example, everything grinds to a halt on Victoria Street in peak traffic. The patience of those working with the recovery is being tested.”

Professor Morrish said the maps showed that hospitality was slow to pick up on the increased population in high employment areas such as Sockburn, Wigram, Hillmorton and Avonhead, and the hospitality in these suburbs was significantly under-represented for the population.

“My advice for people as the city grows and recovers is to water and feed the workers where they end up. Also, understandably, Lincoln Road, Papanui Road and Riccarton Road are nightlife hotspots,” she said.

“Businesses would do well to think about transport routing to these areas for the non-driving, drinking crowds, say from 4pm on Thirsty Thursday and for the Thank God It’s Friday crowd. Maybe businesses that may not open late in those areas could

Associate Professor Sussie Morrish

get fully licensed and vary hours for Thursday and Friday but not bother with weekends the way nightlife areas would.”

Professor Morrish said she was seeking more funding to continue research into how Christchurch was recovering during the rebuild and wanted to expand research beyond hospitality.

“There is so much more that can be done. The hospitality sector must continue to meet the needs of residents and visitors to Christchurch and the Canterbury region as the rebuild continues,” she said.

“The University has strategies for attracting more students and the number of construction workers continues to rise as more building works get under way. Hospitality and entertainment is important for these people, and cafés, bars and restaurants play a significant role as Christchurch revamps.”

Christchurch has been voted the second best city in the world to visit this year by the New York Times, which praised Christchurch's ingenuity and its entrepreneurs for bringing life back into the city.

UC student lifts her way to a medal

UC student and weightlifter Mele Tatu celebrates her recent success.

Going to the gym to improve her fitness has led a UC student to become an international weightlifting medallist just one year after starting the sport.

Mele Tatu, who is studying towards a Bachelor of Sport Coaching, was attending her local gym doing CrossFit when a trainer noticed her talent with Olympic weightlifting.

“My coach saw that I was better at Olympic weightlifting and encouraged me to start the sport. I was selected for the Oceania champs and I have been weightlifting ever since,” she said.

Mele won a silver medal at the recent Oceania Weightlifting Championships, which featured competitors from New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. During the competition she lifted 60kg for the snatch and 80kg for the clean and jerk.

“My best is 70kg for the snatch and 85kg for the clean and jerk,” she said.

Mele is ranked third in New Zealand and has the highest total for the New Zealand Junior female class, and is the National Under 75kg Junior Champion.

At the recent South Island Championships, held in June, Mele won gold and Best Female Junior Weightlifter, making her the South Island Under 75kg Junior Champion. She also got the best snatch, clean and jerk, and total overall in the women's competition.

Mele, who also teaches CrossFit, said that she was still reeling from the excitement of winning a medal at the Oceania competition.

“I was so happy and over the moon. I had the biggest smile on my face. I didn’t expect to get a medal at all. It was my first international competition so it was really great,” she said.

“The pressure was on. Everyone in the New Zealand team, my family and friends at home and my coaches were watching and I went out and got it. I was so happy.

“There were a lot of people in the New Zealand team fighting for a spot on the Commonwealth Games team. I am still a junior so I couldn’t qualify this time around, but it would be a dream come true in a couple of years’ time to be in the next Commonwealth Games team.”

Mele was able to attend the Oceania event in New Caledonia after her gym held a fundraiser and raised just over $2000 for her to travel and compete.

“I really enjoy weightlifting. I didn’t realise I was good until I started competing

and my coach told me that I was good enough to compete internationally,” she said.

“I train two, sometimes three times a day for two hours at a time. Sometimes it is hard to balance study as well as training and teaching CrossFit at the gym.”

Mele said her coach, Kyp Kotzikas, has been a huge influence on the start of her career.

“My coach plays a large part in my story, not only being a coach but also a mentor, therapist at times, and a friend,” she said.

Mele’s goal this year is to break the New Zealand junior records in her weight class. She hoped to become a strength and conditioning coach one day.

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Business students to gain China experience Thirty UC students will learn about Chinese business and culture first-hand by travelling to China this year, thanks to $72,000 in funding from the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia.

The scholarships will cover travel, accommodation and insurance costs to complete the College of Business and Law’s popular Chinese Business Practices and Culture study tour.

Internationalisation Administrator Jeremy O’Rourke (Business and Economics)said the study tour was a fantastic opportunity to learn about Chinese business and culture hands-on, outside of a lecture theatre environment.

“For some students they will discover new opportunities following the course. For others, it is the courage they need to go on an exchange, see the opportunities in going into business for themselves and see the opportunities to travel and work abroad.”

“The School of Business and Economics aims to be innovative in our teaching methods. This study tour gives students an opportunity to visit businesses operating in China, as well as attend lectures on oriental management, Chinese language and culture. For many students it is a memorable travel experience and they form lifelong friendships,” he said.

Students for the study tour will be selected by the University. In addition, three UC students — Paige Chen, Sam Brosnahan and May Chan — have been awarded individual scholarships from the fund, and will travel to China and Hong Kong this year and in 2015.

Paige, who is studying towards a Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in taxation and accounting, and finance, said she was ecstatic to win the six-month exchange to the University of Hong Kong in 2015.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to promote positive relationships between Asia and New Zealand,” said Paige, who will complete the finance section of her degree while there.

“I am looking forward to studying in a new environment, forming new friendships on the exchange and exploring what Hong Kong has to offer. I would like to embrace the city and witness the financial strength of Hong Kong.”

Sam, who is studying towards a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in international business, will attend Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. He said he was excited about the new experiences he would have, travelling to a new country and speaking some Mandarin.

May, another scholarship recipient, has just returned from the City University of Hong Kong where she has been working on her PhD, researching consumer psychology, specifically loyalty schemes in New Zealand and Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong is a multicultural city with almost double the population size of New Zealand. It is, in my opinion, the perfect place to seek cross-cultural validation by extending my research,” May said.

UC business students Sam Brosnahan and Paige Chen.

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UC’s Gateway Antarctica has been awarded $250,000 in funding for three major Antarctic research projects.

The funding, from the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute, will help researchers investigate issues such as sea ice thickness, changes in sea ice due to climate change and predicting the rapid retreat of ice shelves.

Gateway Antarctica Director Professor Bryan Storey said it was a very exciting time for the research centre.

“I am excited about the results in view of the fact that our staff have been particularly successful in having been awarded three out of seven funded proposals,” he said.

“We are leading the way in Antarctic research in New Zealand and this funding recognises the high quality of the staff involved in Antarctic research at UC.

“It is a particularly exciting time to be in Antarctic research as climate change begins to impact the icy continent and affect both sea level and our climate here in New Zealand.”

The first project to receive funding is led by Professor Ian Hawes (Gateway Antarctica) and will look at the variability of sea ice thickness, optical properties and the abundance of algae living in, and attached to the ice to better quantify ecosystem processes. This will be achieved through using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), which has upwards-looking sensors with the potential to measure properties of sea ice over spatial scales not possible with traditional methods.

“This project addresses how to obtain better information on sea ice properties to better quantify ecosystem processes, develop and test models of ice dynamics, and monitor changes. With increasing focus on the role of Antarctic sea ice in global processes, use of new technologies to make robust, cost-effective measurements at appropriate spatial scales

is increasingly necessary. This project will obtain data that will revolutionise our spatial understanding of sea ice and its biological communities,” he said.

The second project, led by Associate Professor Adrian McDonald (Physics and Astronomy), will focus on the changes in weather patterns and the links between that and Antarctic sea ice production. He said climate models have difficulty reproducing this trend and the changes in weather over the Ross Sea that promote ice production may be poorly simulated.

The aim of the research was to try and answer a fundamental question about Antarctic sea ice — is it the atmosphere or the ocean that is causing increasing Antarctic sea ice levels in a warming world, and why is it increasing?

The third project will try to better understand Antarctic ice sheet grounding zones, which are the areas where the ice sheet comes into contact with ocean water and becomes an ice shelf. Being able to predict the rapid retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet and rising sea levels involves fully

Antarctic research gets funding boost

understanding how ice flows across the transition between grounded and floating ice.

Dr Wolfgang Rack (Gateway Antarctica) will head a team of international experts who aim to uncover important details about ice sheet bending to better predict ice flow at the grounding line and sea level change.

He said to understand how much ice was being lost and, therefore, how much sea level would rise in the next century we needed to know the thickness of ice, how the ice moved and how this would vary with climate change.

“Above all, we need a satellite method of determining these factors remotely and with repeatability across the whole of Antarctica,” Dr Rack said.

“This research will improve the predictions on magnitude and trend in sea level rise, meaning it is important for the management of all coastal zones.”

Field data will be collected from October to January this coming summer near New Zealand’s Scott Base in Antarctica.

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(From left) Professor Ian Hawes, Gateway Antarctica Director Professor Bryan Storey and Dr Wolfgang Rack.

Research focus on brain injury in older adults The impact traumatic brain injury has on adults aged 50 to 65 is being investigated by UC postgraduate psychology student Katie Dainter.

Katie said evidence suggested that older people were more vulnerable to brain injury than younger patients.

“Even mild traumatic brain injury or concussion can have serious effects on older adults’ well-being, whereas younger adults may recover more quickly and effectively from a similar injury,” she said.

“There is also some evidence suggesting that, as the lasting effects of traumatic brain injury are difficult to differentiate from the effects of normal ageing, it is possible that the symptoms of the injury in older adults aren’t being managed in the same way as the symptoms in younger adults.”

Katie said it was estimated that there were more than 36,000 new traumatic brain injuries each year. The number of New Zealanders with traumatic brain injuries had reached epidemic levels, with a new injury occurring on average every 15 minutes. Most were due to falls (38 per cent) followed by mechanical forces, transport accidents and assaults.

“There is a significant amount of research looking at adults aged 65 and over, but fairly limited research into the effects of injury on adults aged 50-65,” she said.

“It is important to look at the 50-64 age demographic as people are working well into their sixties and investigating whether an injury in older adults is preventing them from continuing to work is critical to society.”

Katie, whose research is being supervised by psychology's adjunct fellow Dr Audrey McKinlay (Monash University), is looking at life roles, such as whether people are involved in their community, volunteering, participating in hobbies, doing things around the house or studying, and whether having an injury affects these roles.

“We will also be asking people how they perceive their quality of life, general health and happiness. We will be looking at 30 people who have had head injuries, 30 people who have broken an arm or leg, and 30 people who have not had injuries,” she said.

“All participants will be aged between 50 and 65 and will have had their injury within that age range. We will be comparing the two types of injuries to see if the lasting effects and the rehabilitation they received differed. We will also be comparing those with injuries to those who haven’t had an injury, to see how their employment, life roles and quality of life differ.

“Through our research we hope to find a difference in the lasting effects of traumatic brain injury and orthopaedic injury on return to work, life roles and quality of life, and to provide more evidence for the suggestion that even mild injury in older adults can have a devastating effect on people’s quality of life. This project could contribute to improvements in the way traumatic brain injury is managed in older adulthood.”

If people are interested in participating in the study they can contact Katie by emailing [email protected].

Psychology student Katie Dainter.

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The UC Cyber Security Group has developed a scalable and adaptable security model and method, named HARM (Hierarchical Attack Representation Models), which evaluates the security of large networked systems and cloud computing systems.

Dr Dong-Seong Kim (Computer Science and Software Engineering) recently outlined the model and method at the premier international conference on dependable systems and networks in Atlanta, in the United States. He also presented it to cyber security experts in Sorrento, Italy, earlier this year.

“Our HARM model enables one to assess how effective moving target defence techniques are, in order to confuse attackers and improve security for networked systems. Cyber threats and actual cyber-attacks have already happened in New Zealand,” he said.

“Many software vulnerabilities, from personal computers to servers in large enterprise networks, can be exploited by attackers. There are emerging cyber-attacks such as SMS [text] phishing attacks to personal mobile smartphones, insider

threats, cloud computing security and cyber-attacks to critical infrastructures and smart grids.”

Dr Kim said potential threats in New Zealand were cyber and physical attacks to agriculture information communication technology (ICT) systems, such as systems and sensor networks deployed to monitor livestock and crops.

“There is no perfectly secure system. Therefore, it is necessary to use preventive, reactive and proactive methods, mechanisms and solutions to protect computer systems. For instance, ICT system users have to apply regular updates for patching vulnerabilities for their PCs, such as Windows and its software updates, software security updates for apps on smartphones, and updates for anti-virus engines to detect and remove computer viruses and worms,” he said.

“For system administrators, there are multiple ways to protect their systems and networks. Best practice on security needs to be applied. Security solutions such as vulnerability scanners, firewall and intrusion detection/prevention/tolerant systems can be used to discover, prevent and detect

attacks respectively, and countermeasures can be used to improve security.

“It is also very important for organisations to establish well-defined security processes and plans. Security assessment can help to check and improve systems and networks, and reduce the impact of any security incident.”

Dr Kim said the biggest worldwide security attack this year was the Target breach, where information on 40 million credit and debit cards was stolen and 70 million records of customers’ personal information was leaked, resulting in head staff resigning.

“Our daily lives are heavily dependent on ICT infrastructures. New threats to our PCs, servers and ICT infrastructures appear every day as organisations are paying more attention to securing their systems and networks.”

In 2012, New Zealand’s National Cyber Security Centre incident summary reported an increase of about 50 per cent in serious cyber intrusions compared to 2011.

Computer security in spotlight

Research focus on brain injury in older adults

Psychology student Katie Dainter.

Dr Dong-Seong Kim

Cyber security researchers at UC are developing a novel security system, which will be the first of its kind in New Zealand.


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Kieran began studying towards the Bachelor of Sport Coaching at UC in 2005 and completed two years of the three year degree but, as his professional career gathered momentum, he deferred his studies and put his efforts into rugby. He recently began studying towards completing his degree part-time.

“It’s great being able to do this degree at the University of Canterbury through the School of Sport and Physical Education. It’s a fantastic place to learn,” he said.

“Being a university student in Christchurch is an exciting place to be right now. As my kids grow up I’ll instil in them that they will get a lot out of life with a good education.

“I won’t graduate for another year or so as rugby continues to take up a lot of my time. But I manage to study and do a lot of my work when on tour with the Crusaders or the All Blacks. I actually have more time then.

“For me, I’ve learned a lot. Even now I get a real kick out of going into Christchurch schools and coaching young kids. It’s all about leadership. I enjoy it.”

His supervisor, Acting Head of the School of Sport and Physical Education, Glenn Fyall, said a big part of the University’s sport coaching programme involved delivering content to groups of the University’s students.

“In recent years we have implemented flexible online learning that enables students like Kieran to achieve the qualification from anywhere in the world,” Fyall said.

“We have worked with Kieran using our online course website, phone conversations, emails and texts. Many of the distance courses have videoed lectures that students can view wherever and whenever they want.”

Alumni and former staff honoured

Acting Head of the School of Sport and Physical Education Glenn Fyall (left) and All Black Kieran Read.

Eleven UC alumni and four former staff members have been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Alumnus and former staff member Professor Jonathan Mane-Wheoki and Dr Warren Tucker were made Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to the arts and to the state respectively. Professor Mane-Wheoki taught art history at UC from 1976 to 2003 and served as Dean of Music and Fine Arts during that time.

Four alumni were also made Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM): Waihaere Mason for services to Māori; David Meates for services to health; and Deryck Shaw for services to the community. Dr Lesieli Tongati’o was made an honorary member of the MNZM for services to education and the Pacific community.

Former staff members Associate Professor Kenneth Daniels and Dr Nigel Priestley were made Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to health and structural engineering respectively. Professor Daniels worked in the University’s social work and human services area from 1975 to 2005, and Dr Priestley worked in the College of Engineering from 1976 to 1986.

Dr Graham Stoop, who was Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the College of Education from 2006 to 2007, and alumnus Roy Ferguson received the Queen’s Service Order (QSO) for their services to education and the state respectively.

Five alumni were awarded Queen’s Service Medals (QSM): Ron Ballantyne for services to education; Alistair Boyce for services to education; Ruth Jones for services to people with disabilities; James Mathewson for services to education; and John Orchard for services to heritage preservation.

Flexible learning allows rugby leader to study and playAll Black and Crusaders player Kieran Read is juggling his rugby career while also studying towards a UC sports coaching degree.

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A UC researcher is investigating the potential benefits of using degradable metallic alloy plates and screws for patients with serious head injuries.

Dr Mark Staiger (Mechanical Engineering) believes that in the not-so-distant future, magnesium metal plates and screws that break down safely within the body will be useful in treating bone fractures.

The cost of treating people with severe head or facial injuries was high while the current solutions were not ideal, Dr Staiger said.

Degradable plates and screws would substantially improve surgical management of head or facial fractures and would lower patient management costs.

“During its lifetime, an implant that is intended to temporarily assist the healing of a bone will transition from an implant to a foreign body, once the body has healed

itself. A major driver of this research is the cost-effective removal of this foreign body by having it biodegrade after having completed its role in bone healing.”

Dr Staiger is working with collaborators from the University of Otago to develop degradable magnesium plates and screws that will reduce hospital costs and improve patient outcomes, representing a paradigm shift in the current technology. The project recently received a grant of $690,000 in funding from the Health Research Council.

“This new approach will deliver reduced patient recovery time by enhancing new bone formation and reduce cost by eliminating the need for secondary surgery to remove implants. Based on the number of plates used annually at Dunedin Hospital and the cost of maxillofacial surgery, plate removal alone is estimated to cost the New Zealand health system $12 million a year, while worldwide the total costs are staggering.”

He said the research would attempt to eliminate current problems with

permanent devices, including growth restriction, bone resorption due to stress shielding and infection.

“Titanium implants are the current gold standard to obtain rigid fixation in damaged bone, partially based on the belief that titanium resists corrosion in the body. Rigid titanium-based plates or screws have gained widespread acceptance in correcting head deformities and in the management of fractures in the last two decades,” he said.

“However, 50 per cent of all titanium plate systems require removal. A temporary biodegradable implant would eliminate the need for surgical removal of the implant. Our previous work on the breaking down of magnesium alloys has shown their potential as a new degradable implant material.

“We are looking to establish close partnerships with device manufacturers that will support the longer term development of degradable devices with the aim of creating new opportunities for the New Zealand biomedical industry.”

Degradable plates may help head injury patients

Dr Mark Staiger


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Efficacy of natural medicines studied Health sciences PhD student Sandra Clair.

The benefits of natural medicines are being investigated by a UC health sciences PhD student.

Sandra Clair is studying traditional medicine, an often overlooked health science topic in New Zealand, and her research explores the practical relevance of traditional medical plant knowledge for today's evidence-based healthcare system.

Sandra has already developed a comprehensive herbal cough formula specifically for young children up to six-years-old.

She said she drew from traditional clinical knowledge and scientific research into medicinal plants that had proved to be both safe and effective.

The combination of natural ingredients worked to reduce symptoms and nurtured the growing immune system to build long-term immune resistance, Sandra said.

“The common cold is the most frequent infection in the industrialised world with children having anywhere between four to

10 colds a year. As children grow and mature, their treatment of coughs and colds needs to be different to adults otherwise complications can arise,” she said.

Sandra said that in recent times, there had been no difference in the treatment of colds for adults and children.

“Pharmaceutical or over-the-counter cold medicines were first introduced in the 1950s to help reduce cold symptoms such as a blocked nose or a cough. At the time it was assumed that the treatment for adults and children was the same,” she said.

“Over the past decade, pharmaceutical cough and cold medications have been implicated in a number of children’s deaths in the United Kingdom, as well as thousands of reported side effects.

“Diphenhydramine, an ingredient used in a popular children’s cough syrup, was mentioned in the cases of 27 deaths. Chlorphenamine was mentioned in reports of 11 deaths: an antihistamine commonly used in allergy prevention medication for children. Until recently, many medicines containing these ingredients were specifically labelled and sold as being suitable for children in New Zealand.”

In 2009, Medsafe New Zealand conducted a review of cough and cold medicines and found some startling results.

“They found 12 chemical substances to be unsafe and ineffective for children and issued a mandatory change that oral medicines containing these substances should not be used in children under six and not recommended for children under 12,” she said.

“Natural medicine is the only alternative for children as the suitability and efficacy of herbal remedies are well documented from generations of medical use, observational and scientific studies.”

According to the World Health Organisation, plant medicines are the most prevalent medicines used worldwide with up to 86 per cent of Western populations using them. They are used by people looking for either an alternative to pharmaceutical drugs or a complementary treatment.

Sandra is a registered medical herbalist and was awarded a University of Canterbury scholarship. She is doing her thesis under the supervision of Associate Professor Ray Kirk (Health Sciences).

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UCSA leaders’ contributions to UC celebrated

The hard work and dedication of the current UCSA President, Sarah Platt, along with her predecessors Erin Jackson (2012 and 2013), Kohan McNab (2011), Nick McDonnell (2010) and Steve Jukes (2009) was acknowledged by Dr Carr during a dinner event at Ilam Homestead. Adrienne, Lady Stewart also attended the event as Dr Carr’s guest.

Dr Carr said he wanted to celebrate the work of the presidents with whom he had worked closely since his appointment to the role of Vice-Chancellor in 2009.

“This was an opportunity to get together with all the UCSA presidents that I have worked with and thank them for all their hard work during what has been one of the most

extraordinary and challenging times in the University’s history. It was great to hear how these talented individuals saw University life going forward and how they were now making their mark on the world since moving on from their roles leading the UCSA.”

Sarah said a highlight of the event was hearing each of the presidents talk about the ups and downs of their term.

“It was definitely reassuring to hear that many of the challenges I faced coming into the role were similar to those Steve, Nick, Kohan and Erin all faced during their time as president,” she said.

Steve said it was a special occasion and a chance for the presidents to share their experiences.

“Throughout the evening each past president was asked to summarise their time ‘in the chair’ by giving a background to their election, the student issues that were most important that year, and what we learned during our tenure. We were then asked to forecast our next five years,” he said.

“Interestingly, our stories were reasonably similar, setting aside the seismic events. We all wanted to make the place better for students when they were here. Dr Carr also reflected on this, and said that he believed we had achieved that and we will keep achieving it.”

The contributions made to UC by current and past presidents of the University of Canterbury Students’ Association (UCSA), who have worked with Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr, were celebrated recently.

(From left) Former UCSA presidents: Steve Jukes (2009), Nick McDonnell (2010), Kohan McNab (2011), Erin Jackson (2012 and 2013) and current President Sarah Platt with Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr.

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Professor Henrietta Mondry

Fellowship to study Soviet-era animal psychology UC’s Professor Henrietta Mondry (Global, Cultural and Language Studies) has been awarded a prestigious senior research fellowship at the Institute of Advanced Study at Durham University in the United Kingdom.

Professor Mondry, a literature and cultural history expert, will work at the University of Durham collaboratively with Dr Andy Byford from October to December this year.

Professor Mondry said her research during the fellowship would focus on animal psychology and human transformation in 1930s Soviet literature and education during the high Stalinist era.

“We are going to look at the work of two famous figures in animal training and animal exploitation, and explore how their ideas get distilled in juvenile and adolescent literature and films made for children,” she said.

“The aim of the project is to contribute new perspectives on the issue of what it means to be human and what is involved in efforts to transform humanity. We will approach this problem historically, situating it at the intersection of evolutionary biology, cognitive neuroscience, political culture, educational process and literary fiction.

“The project will, firstly, examine the theories, methodologies and research practices of the psychologist Ivan Pavlov and the animal trainer Vladimir Durov as two contrasting representatives of early-Soviet zoo-psychology — a cross-section of ethology, animal neuroscience and comparative/evolutionary psychology which concerned itself with the combined problem of ‘animal minds; and the emergence of mind’ in human development.”

Professor Mondry said the project would also correlate their findings with the work of two seminal Soviet writers for children of the same era, Arkady Gaidar and Ruvin Frayerman.

“The focus will be on the late 1930s, the epoch characterised by Stalin’s ‘human engineering’ based on a strong distrust of

nature. We will examine how stories written for Soviet youth both reflected and contributed to an understanding of human transformation based on a distinctively framed contiguity between animals and humans,” she said.

“The project entails a new, interdisciplinary approach to a relatively little known topic, bringing to light material that is far from widely accessible, seeking to reach original insights into a highly topical matter of concern.”

Professor Mondry said she would investigate animals being used not for entertainment but to serve humans by delivering mail or working with border guards.

“The 1930s in Russia was an interesting period because it was a time of ‘high Stalinism’. All the patrons of psychoanalysis, such as Leon Trotsky, were removed by Stalin, so psychoanalysis became eradicated but this type of psychology, zoo-psychology and behavioural psychology, was actually encouraged. It became part of the political climate, patronised by the state so there was unlimited funding available,” she said.

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What s on at UC? the end of the year. So what does this mean for the country and the people of Afghanistan? Abbas will draw on his own experiences in Afghanistan and share some personal stories that will hopefully challenge the traditional view of Afghanistan.

Register for this lecture at www.canterbury.ac.nz/wiw

Guest Lecture with Sir Tamati Reedy 31 July Undercroft 101 Seminar Room 5.30pm–7pm

In partnership with the Fulbright New Zealand Alumni Association, UC will host a lecture by Sir Tamati Reedy. The mauri of Aotearoa New Zealand is our sense of nationhood. What is it? Who says so? Sir Tamati will focus on the themes of New Zealand’s history, Māori and Pakeha, reflecting on the hopes and promises of our partnership under the Treaty of Waitangi, commenting especially on themes of our relationship: economics, socio-cultural, identity, educational, political and the place of Māori in the future of Aotearoa New Zealand.

www.canterbury.ac.nz/events

Shane Cotton, Baseland Running until 27 July Ilam Campus Gallery, School of Fine Arts

Trained at the University of Canterbury’s School of Fine Arts, Shane Cotton’s works have, over the last half-decade, become increasingly complex and provocative, incorporating a host of charged symbols and imagery. Baseland features a selection from the Christchurch Art Gallery’s celebrated Australasian touring exhibition The Hanging Sky, combining major recent paintings with works made especially for the show — including a vast new mural-scale painting, a spectacular suite of “target” prints, and painted baseball bats that suggest both trophies and weapons.

www.canterbury.ac.nz/events

What if… Cancer screening can cause harm as well as benefit? 13 August C3 Lecture Theatre, Central Lecture block 7pm–8.30pm

In this talk, Professor Ann Richardson from the School of Health Sciences will look at the potential benefits and harm of cancer screening. Why are the benefits of cancer screening sometimes overestimated? How do the benefits and harms of screening for different cancers compare? She believes that although the benefits of screening tend to be well recognised, the potential harms of screening are not always acknowledged, and that understanding the benefits and harms will help people make informed decisions about cancer screening.

Register for this lecture at www.canterbury.ac.nz/wiw

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2014 21–27 July

The University is celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week with a wide range of events and activities. The theme this year is Te Kupo o te Wiki – the word of the week. Under this theme, a new Māori word will be highlighted each week for 50 weeks with the aim of helping people build their Māori vocabulary by learning words that can be used in everyday conversation. Staff and students are encouraged to embrace te reo by using the resources provided and getting actively involved.

www.canterbury.ac.nz/maoristudents/tereo

What if … There is hope for Afghanistan after all? 23 July C3 Lecture Theatre, Central Lecture block 7pm–8.30pm

In this talk, UC law student Abbas Nazari will aim to provide some hopeful insights into the future with a look at the history of Afghanistan. The current war in Afghanistan is fast coming to an end as international troops begin to withdraw from one of the longest wars in history. New Zealand has already withdrawn all its forces and the USA, along with NATO, is planning to wind down to a minimum combat presence by


CUP recently launched a new edition of The Bond of Time: An epic love poem by John Puhiatau Pule. Mr Pule will talk about his work at the WORD Christchurch Writers and Readers Festival in August and at the Going West Festival in September.

A landmark book about the tuatara, New Zealand’s distinctive but enigmatic reptile, will be published in September. Tuatara: Biology and conservation of a venerable survivor is the first detailed monograph for decades about the tuatara, and the first to be illustrated in colour throughout.

The book’s author, Alison Cree, has spent nearly 30 years researching the biology of tuatara and contributing to its conservation management. Tuatara provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution, history and conservation of this remarkable reptile.

Animals in Emergencies: Learning from the Christchurch earthquakes by UC academic Associate Professor Annie Potts and Donelle Gadenne is due to be published in October. The book is an illustrated narrative history with a dual focus: it covers the specialist area of animal welfare in emergencies, and includes accounts from frontline rescuers, shelter workers and animal advocates of their work in post-quake Christchurch. It also captures first-person accounts from people whose companion animals were directly affected by the disaster.

CUP will also publish a revised edition of a classic West Coast book, The Diggers’ Story or tales and reminiscences of the Golden Coast direct from Westland’s earliest pioneers. The book was first published in 1914 to mark the 50th anniversary of the gold rushes. In this new edition, the original

book has been thoughtfully edited and expanded for today’s readers by Hokitika Museum Director Julia Bradshaw. It features additional stories, information and illustrations, and will be released during Westland Anniversary weekend when the region celebrates 150 years since the gold rush.

Other titles CUP will release this year include Canterbury Foothills & Forests: A walking and tramping guide (second edition), by Pat Barrett; New Zealand Native Ground Cover Plants: A practical guide for gardeners and landscapers, by Lawrie Metcalf and Roy Edwards; Victoria Square: Cradle of Christchurch, by historian and UC alumnus Dr Geoffrey Rice; Akaroa Cocksfoot, by Vaughan Woods; and The Breathing Tree, a collection of 40 new poems by Apirana Taylor.

You can find out more about these titles, and order online, at www.cup.canterbury.ac.nz.

Winter warmers from CUPAn epic love poem, the history and conservation of one of New Zealand’s iconic reptiles, animal welfare during disasters, and the West Coast gold rush are among the wide variety of topics covered in upcoming books from Canterbury University Press (CUP).

Documents

Chronicle, Vol 49 issue 3 - July 2014