ON THE MOVE campusreview. com. au
MELBOURNE ADDS VC’ S FELLOW
The University of Melbourne has named Noel Pearson a vice-chancellor’ s fellow.
Coming from the Guugu Yimidhirr community of Hope Vale, Pearson has for decades advanced native title reform and economic development and social policy for the people of Cape York Peninsula.
“ I am very much looking forward to my time at the university, and the opportunity to make a significant contribution on a topic close to my heart education,” he said.
Pearson will be a student mentor and co-supervisor and will develop Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research for Good to Great Schools Australia.
FEDUNI VC TO RETIRE
Federation University Australia vice-chancellor professor David
Battersby has announced that he will retire in the second half of 2016. Battersby was appointed vice-chancellor in 2006.
“ My decade as vice-chancellor has been the highlight of my academic career, which has spanned nearly 40 years,” Battersby said.
The chancellor of Federation University, Dr Paul Hemming, acknowledged Battersby’ s contribution.
“ Professor Battersby was recently recognised nationally with a Member of the Order of Australia award for his role at the university and in regional university education,” Hemming said.
USQ VC TO LEAD REGIONAL UNI GROUP
University of Southern Queensland vice-chancellor Jan
Thomas has been named the new chair of the Regional Universities Network( RUN). Thomas, who will replace Southern Cross University vice-chancellor professor Peter Lee, said she was looking forward to her new role.
“ I’ m honoured to accept the position of chair of RUN and am looking forward to building on the excellent reputation that professor Lee has established for the regional network,” Thomas said.“ As chair, I want to represent the interests of broad and diverse regions and bring to any discussion the absolute benefits that regional Australia has in terms of its economic, social and environmental capabilities.”
NEW FISHERY RESEARCH HEAD AT BOND
Bond University will welcome Dr Daryl McPhee as the new director of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation( FRDC). McPhee will help guide the research and investment efforts of the FRDC and play a role in investing producer and taxpayer funds.
“ I hope to bring my extensive multidisciplinary experience along with my grassroots understanding of fisheries to the table, drawing on this knowledge to ensure research investments are the best value for money and are addressing the needs of the national peak bodies representing commercial fishing, recreational fishing and aquaculture,” McPhee said.
GRIFFITH NAMES BUSINESS SCHOOL PVC
Professor David Grant has been appointed pro vice-chancellor for the business school at Griffith University.
Grant is currently the senior deputy dean at the University of New South Wales Business School. Prior to that, he was co-dean of the University of Sydney Business School.
Grant holds a PhD in management from the London School of Economics. He is also internationally recognised as a principal scholar in organisational studies and management, with an expertise in organisational discourse. Grant has delivered executive change and leadership education for a variety of business and government bodies, including Citibank, Darley and the UK Ministry of Defence.
UQ TECH INSTITUTE PICKS DIRECTOR
Professor Alan
Rowan has been appointed director for the University of Queensland’ s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology( AIBN). Rowan has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles with more than 12,000 citations. He expressed his enthusiasm for his new role at AIBN.
“ I’ m excited to be a part of such an important cause, and I’ m looking forward to helping create a stimulating environment for scientific excellence and driving AIBN’ s innovative discoveries into industry, making sure that scientific research is translated into viable and practical solutions that benefit the whole of society,” Rowan said.
STRICTLY SPEAKING | KELP
Kelp is an old word for seaweed, especially for the biggest in the family, the so-called giant kelp found on the Pacific coasts of America. Over the centuries, it was used in agriculture as a fertiliser, and as a pre-industrial source of sodium carbonate for making soap and glass( Oxford English Dictionary Online). A kelp-derived carbohydrate is still used in thickening ice-cream and toothpaste, and iodine sourced from brown kelp has been used to treat goitre. Alongside these established uses of the noun kelp, there’ s evidence of its use as a verb in colonial Australian slang. As recorded in Vaux’ s Flash Language( 1819), to“ kelp a person, is to move your hat to him”. Fast forward to the early 20th century, and the verb reappears in reference to the swaying gait of a drunken person. A shearing song published in Wagga’ s The Worker( May 1900) urges shearers:“ don’ t be kelping when there’ s hard sheep to be shore”, and explains the usage as“ the effects of alcohol on work … like kelp fronds waving and wobbling about in the sea”. Another 100 years, and the online Urban Dictionary reports an update in kelp girl, the dance club phenomenon of young women swaying in time with the music without moving their feet, because of the challenges of their high-heeled shoes – but not necessarily inebriated.
Written by emeritus professor Pam Peters FAHA, researcher with Macquarie University’ s Centre for Language Sciences.
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