Executive Dean’s Message - July 2022
Dear colleagues
It’s always lovely to see the campus come back to life, with students returning for the beginning of semester. The St Lucia campus was certainly abuzz yesterday with market day, the great court filled with activities (including dodgem cars!), and a great band outside the new student centre (and the Faculty office!).
Recent events
It's been a busy few weeks of events, as well as some much-needed downtime for many of us (including me!). Highlights include the recent UQ Regional roadshow including VC-led visits to Hidden Vale Research Station and Gatton. The visit to Gatton included a wonderful celebration of 125 years of the campus with 200 alumni and friends attending a long-table lunch, in and around the beautifully restored Foundation building. More information about the history of the campus can be found here. Please also take a look at the photos and a video from the event.
Congratulations
There are several important congratulations this month.
Neal Menzies, Head of the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences (SAFS), has been appointed to the position of Pro Vice Chancellor (Sciences) at Griffith University. Whilst this will be a huge loss to UQ and especially the Faculty of Science, I am delighted for Neal on this significant and well-deserved achievement and share my sincere congratulations. Neal has transformed agricultural education and research at UQ, through enabling the success of staff and students, recruiting the next generation of agriculture academics, strengthening academic programs including increased work integrated learning, and driving a significant increase in industry-partnered research. Together with leaders and colleagues in QAAFI, Neal has jointly guided a step change in UQ’s reputation in agriculture, rising to first in Australia, and second globally (NTU Ranking) in 2021. Neal will finish as Head of School of SAFS on Friday the 24th of September 2022. The process for appointing an interim and substantive Head of School has commenced.
Congratulations to Miloš Tanurdžić(BIOL) for being appointed to the STEM sector policy committee of Science Technology Australia.
Congratulations to the finalists and winners in the Faculty of Science 3-minute thesis competition. I thoroughly enjoyed attending the event and the opportunity to hand out the awards to the winning students. At the Faculty 3MT Final, we saw the winner and runner-up from each School competition: Brianna Clark (SVS), Chyden Chang (SCMB), Ethan Briggs (BIOL), Jade Seaton (SAFS), Jake Linsky (BIOL), Joshua Foo (SMP), Kirti Rawal (SAFS), Maddy Dyring (SEES), Muhammad Nadeem (SMP) Sharon Jeong (SVS), Summa Bibby (SCMB), and Thomas Leon Cortes (SEES). Winner - Summa Bibby (SCMB); Runner-up - Jake Linsky (BIOL); and People’s Choice - Maddy Dyring (SEES).
Vale Ross Smith
I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Ross Smith, a long-time staff member and Head of Department of the UQ Department of Biochemistry / Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which was one of the three predecessors to the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences. Ross was a kind, generous and supportive person and I am personally very grateful for his friendship and mentorship over many years. Ross was also an outstanding scholar, achieving and contributing so much to his discipline area of RNA binding proteins and their role in neuroscience, and sharing his deep knowledge and expertise with so many students and young scientists over his career. His name is synonymous with Biochemistry for many thousand graduates. He will be a sadly missed member of the Faculty of Science community.
Vale Janelle Zahmel
I was also saddened by the passing of the former Director of the Gatton campus, Janelle Zahmel. Known for her proactive and down-to-earth approach, Janelle spent almost 16 years at UQ – nine as Director of Gatton campus – fundamentally transforming UQ’s Gatton campus for the better. Janelle was an integral part of UQ and particularly Gatton Campus. Janelle was also a critical part of the Lockyer Valley’s professional and social fabric. Her years of work and rapport-building with Gatton staff, academics and the wider Lockyer Valley community continue to pay dividends for so many of us here at UQ. We are thankful for Janelle’s commitment and dedication. She will be deeply missed by so many across the Gatton and wider-UQ community.
Vale Errol Hassan
I was also saddened to learn of the passing of Adjunct Professor Errol Hassan, a widely respected entomologist, educator, and research mentor with UQ Gatton. His warm and cheerful smile, generosity and passion for insects and agricultural sciences have left an indelible mark on the lives of many throughout his 49-year career. Dr Hassan’s lifetime of dedication to entomology and crop protection, his students, and his community, will ensure his work and name will live on, both through the love of his family and the generations of fellow scientists he helped to inspire.
Opportunities
A nationwide search has begun for Australia’s next constellation of Superstars of STEM.
Created by Science & Technology Australia and funded by the Australian Government and supporting program partners, this game-changing program advances gender equity in science, technology, engineering and maths, by creating more high-profile diverse role models to step into the public spotlight as media stars. Open to women and non-binary people in STEM, this acclaimed program smashes society’s gender assumptions about STEM careers by striving for more equitable gender representation of STEM experts in the media. Alumni from this program include Teresa Ubide from SEES, and Tamara Keeley SAFS.
Future events and culturally significant dates
UQ NAIDOC Festival is held from 1-6 August across all campuses. The week is a great opportunity to enjoy a range of events and activities that support and celebrate our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
On Sunday 7 August, two teams of scientists, including UQ Quantum Physicist, Associate Professor Jacqui Romero, will battle it out to be this year's National Science Quiz champions. Play along live to win cash prizes. Further details can be found in the main newsletter.
And acknowledging the following culturally significant dates in July: Coming of the Light Festival, Tartan Day, The Hajj (Pilgrimage) to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Naadam Festival (Mongolia), Dhamma Day celebrates the first teaching of the Buddha, and the Islamic New Year.
Distribution of Disciplines project
The Faculty of Science Distribution of disciplines project continues to explore options for optimizing our teaching and research in the board area of Environmental Science. Further information can be found here.
COVID pandemic
As you will be aware COVID case numbers are on the rise again, with the current wave predicted to peak in Queensland in mid-late August.
I learned today that the reproductive rate of the virus, or R0 which measures the average number of secondary infections caused by a single case, is very significantly higher in the current variant. For context, the ancestral strain of COVID had an R0 of approximately 3, Delta had an R0 of approximately 5, the early Omicron variant had an R0 of 9.5, and the latest Omicron variant is predicted to have an R0 of 18. Given the very high transmissibility of the current variant, masks are strongly recommended in environments where social distancing is not possible, e.g., small meeting rooms or teaching venues, in order to keep yourself, your students and your colleagues safe.
Kind regards,
Professor Melissa Brown
Executive Dean - Faculty of Science