Executive Dean's Message - February 2020
Dear colleagues,
It’s wonderful to see more students on campus as Semester 1 2020 commences. O-week was a great opportunity to welcome many students studying Science programs, as well as their families and friends, at numerous events, college lunches, BBQs and more. Thanks so much to the many staff who contributed to this, including Michael Drinkwater, Susan Rowland, Aimee Clarke, Talia Sellars, the Science Engagement team, our amazing academics and our fabulous student leaders.
Good news stories
Congratulations to all of our Faculty of Science Awards winners – check out our full list of winners, including shortlisted and nominated staff, as well as the wonderful photographs from the event. Also, a reminder that UQ Awards for Excellence nominations close 2 March.
UQ researchers have reached a significant milestone on the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The SCMB-led team has developed a vaccine candidate in the laboratory and are moving immediately into further development before formal pre-clinical testing. An enormous congratulations to Paul Young, Keith Chappell and Dan Watterson – keep up the great work.
I’m delighted to report some progress on the Science Precinct project, notably that UQ’s Senate has approved relocating the current occupants of the Seddon buildings, construction of the Plant Grow Building and design of the main Science Building. Planning is continuing, although we are now anticipating a six-month delay to enable us to better understand the impact of COVID-19 associated travel bans.
Congratulations also to Dan Schull and the School of Veterinary Science for hosting Vet Ed Down Under Symposium at Gatton from 11-13 February, which I hear was a great success. I’m extremely proud that UQ is a national and international hub for veterinary education, so thanks to all who participated in sharing your expertise and showcasing our world-class veterinary facilities.
Teaching and Learning
The Faculty Teaching and Learning Forum was excellent, with highlights including words of wisdom from our T&L chairs about current opportunities and challenges, from our students about their needs and expectations, and an opportunity for staff to workshop our response to the COVID-19 situation and know that they are not alone. It was also wonderful to hear about opportunities to embed Indigenous knowledge into our curriculum and to develop short-form credentials. We were delighted to welcome UQ’s DVC (Academic) Joanne Wright and our Pro-VC (Teaching and Learning) Doune MacDonald as special guests.
I’m also delighted to let you know that, as part of the UQ Student Strategy, a new role of Career Development Adviser (CDA) was created and embedded within the faculties in 2019. CDAs are employed by the Student Employability Centre, and spend part of their time in the central unit and part of their time within faculties. Science has two CDAs, Jamie Jones and Carrie Beddis, who spend four days and two days in the Faculty respectively. They develop and deliver workshops, individual consultations, employability awareness and development events, industry events, and employability resources.
The Program Architecture 2 (PA2) project is continuing, and is more important than ever, given anticipated pressures on enrolment numbers. Thank you for the great work by so many across the Faculty – the project is progressing well and I’m looking forward to the forthcoming workshops, details of which are all available on SharePoint.
Research
For those of you who are currently putting together research grant applications, just a reminder that most schools and the Faculty-run grant readership schemes and I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity.
For researchers involved – or wanting to get involved – in citizen science projects, keep in mind the soon-to-close 2020 Queensland Citizen Science Grants. Get your application in by Monday 9 March and apply for up to $30,000 in funding. Further details are in this Faculty e-zine.
And for those wanting to spread their research to the public, consider becoming a presenter at Pint of Science Brisbane. These lectures will occur in Brisbane pubs, engaging the public with punchy and succinct science synopses. Participating is a great way to get the public interested in much of our impressive research, which may otherwise be confined behind closed doors. Further details are in this Faculty e-zine.
Coming opportunities
There are plenty of great opportunities at this time of year – many of which are listed in this e-zine – but I’d like to particularly draw your attention to a couple of key opportunities.
The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are one of Australia’s premier science awards, honouring Australia’s best scientists, research-based innovators and science teachers. UQ has celebrated great successes through these awards in the past, so please seriously consider applying before nominations close on 12 March 2020.
The opportunity to nominate colleagues for the UQ Awards for Excellence is also closing very soon. Help the Faculty celebrate the achievements and successes of our staff. These awards celebrate leadership behaviour and staff achievement across all levels of the organisation, regardless of position.
And finally, don’t miss the chance to take part in UQ’s International Women’s Day Breakfast: ‘The XX Effect: Securing Australia’s health and economy’. This year, the team at IMB have brought together a collective of STEMM specialists to celebrate their achievements and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. It should be a great event, and kicks off on the morning of Thursday 12 March.
Kind regards,
Professor Melissa Brown
Executive Dean