First, I congratulate Mary Peat, Sue Franklin, Charlotte Taylor, Alison Lewis and Murray Thomson on winning the Vice Chancellor's Special Award for Outstanding Teaching (more details elsewhere in the Newsletter). It is wonderful to see their expertise, evidence-based approach, commitment to student-centred teaching and learning, and their sheer hard work, being recognized at the highest level by the University.

The results of the First Year group's continual improvements to our first year programs are visible in the ways our second year students now approach their work, and so benefit all of us, as well as the students. Several members of staff who have not taught in first year for a long time (until recently) have commented on what a pleasure it is to teach in the labs now, and on how well most groups of students work.

Excellence in first year is really important to us; for example, it gives us the opportunity to lure good students, who may not have been particularly interested in biology when they arrived at the University, into our second year units. It is also a major source of our income. About 70% of our DETYA income is based on teaching, and 61% of our EFTSU this year are in first year units of study. For some years first year has received much less than 60% of our teaching funds and has only been able to keep up its excellent standards by using its reserves. Inevitably these are almost exhausted now, and the School's budget will have to provide more funds to first year units next year.

We need to reconsider our curriculum yet again - there are major issues to do with workloads, as well as with the redistribution of teaching funds within the School. The last restructure we did (which led to the second year cores and the new third year units, which will start next year) achieved a very idealistic, diverse third year curriculum, which unfortunately increased our workloads rather than lowering them. In spite of the fact that next year we will have three new academic staff members (Frank Seebacher, Lars Jermiin and a lecturer in Bioinformatics) we will still have fewer teaching and technical staff than one to two years ago. We just can't go on teaching as much, or more, to larger classes, with fewer staff. So we need to look at the curriculum and the modes of teaching again. TCOM is forming a Curriculum Committee to oversee the School's curriculum as a whole, to improve the links between years and to look at ways to reduce the overall teaching workload. Its formation was timely, as the Faculty is just beginning a review of the Science curriculum. It will focus first on overlaps, within the Faculty and between Faculties, but may well turn up some gaps in the process. The aim is to go beyond those specific aims in the long run. So it is particularly important for us to get our house in order, and decide where we want our curriculum to go in the next 5 to 10 years, before major decisions are made at the Faculty and College levels. I would welcome your input into these processes, starting from now (and will be here throughout the Olympics break).

To those of you going on leave, I wish you an enjoyable time away. For those working through the Olympics, I hope the long break provides time to think, all too rare under present conditions.

Roz Hinde

Not from the Head !

This is just a quick précis of the current round of laboratory juggling. Roz Hinde, Tony Larkum and Mike Kingsford are rapidly filling the new research lab, Rm. 219, while the postgraduates appear in no rush to occupy their new office space. Jenny Saleeba has taken possession of Roz's old lab and office, Bill Allaway is enjoying the view from level two of the Macleay building. Peter McGee and Robin Overall are now in their offices in the space of the old School office, and Peter is anxiously awaiting the finishing touches to his new lab - I hear the legs of his benches are a sight to behold! The new aquaria facilities have been approved for use by the Animal Care and Ethics Committee and the facility managers - Mike Kingsford and myself - will circulate the guidelines and information for users of the aquaria rooms in next month's newsletter.

The current building swaps have extended to the support staff, with Julio Pena and Hamlet Giragossyan swapping buildings. I would ask everyone to help both Hamlet and Julio by introducing themselves so that they can learn who occupies what part of their new buildings. I have also moved and am now located in Rm. 227 in the Heydon Laurence Building. Delivery's etc. can now be addressed to my office as Julio and I will be there to accept them. Hopefully this will alleviate many of the problems that we have been experiencing in that area, and relieve Rick Shine of one of his more onerous tasks!

Finally I would like to thank the many people who have kindly contributed to the School Newsletter, it makes my job much easier and has led to an informative and enjoyable monthly read.

Cheers

Mark Ahern

 

Publications submitted to the School Database since the last Newsletter

Chapters

Kuyznierewicz, I. & M. Thomson. (2000). GTP-binding proteins in mitochondria of human placentae identified as
Galpha1 and RAN. 287-288

Conference

Blacket, M.J. & M.S. Crowther. (2000). A taxonomic appraisal of the Sminthopsis macroura complex
(Marsupialia:Dasyuridae). Australian Mammal Society 2000 Conference, Alice Springs, Australia

Crowther, M., McAllan, B.M. & C.R. Dickman. (2000). Morphological and functional plasticity in Australian
populations of house mice, Mus domesticus. Soc. Exp. Biol., Cambridge, UK

Crowther, MS, Elphinstone, MS & P.R. Baverstock. (2000). Systematics of Antechinus stuartii and A. flavipes
as revealed by analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region. Australian Mammal Society 2000 Conference,
Alice Springs, Australia

DeKroon, R.M. & P.J. Armati. (2000). The endosomal trafficking of apolipoprotein E3 in cultured human brain
neurons and astrocytes. Federation of European Neuroscience Societies 2000, Brighton, UK

DeKroon, R.M. & P.J. Armati. (2000). The endosomal trafficking of apolipoprotein E3 and E4 in cultured human
brain neurons and astrocytes. Aust. Soc. for Medical Research (NSW) Scientific Meeting, Sydney, Australia

DeKroon, R.M. & P.J. Armati. (2000). The endosomal trafficking of apolipoprotein E in cultured human brain
neurons and astrocytes. 2nd Sydney Region Alzheimer's Meeting, Sydney, Australia

Dickman. C.R. (2000). The Mulgara Dasycercus cristicauda: a keystone predator in central Australia. Australian
Mammal Society 2000 Conference, Alice Springs, Australia

Garkaklis, M. & C.R. Dickman. (2000). The downfall of the Australian digger: a loss of ecosystem function for the
continent. Australian Mammal Society 2000 Conference, Alice Springs, Australia

Haythornthwaite, A. & C.R. Dickman. (2000). Macrohabitat usage of the Lesser Hairy-footed Dunnart
Sminthopsis youngsoni in spinifex desert. Australian Mammal Society 2000 Conference, Alice Springs, Australia

Letnic, M. (2000). Landscape ecology: the response of Simpson Desert mammals to fire and rainfall. Australian
Mammal Society 2000 Conference, Alice Springs, Australia

Letnic, M., Dickman, C.R. & S. Mooney. (2000). Looking after Country: the implications of past and present fire
management for biodiversity in the Simpson Desert, Australia. Southern Connections 2000, Tasmania

Penn, A., Sherwin, W., Lunney, D., Bradstock, R. & I.D. Hume. (2000). Predicting the long-term effects of
disturbance on small mammals. Australian Mammal Society 2000 Conference, Alice Springs, Australia

Ricci, S. (2000). Water content selection in the diet of two species of desert mice. Australian Mammal Society 2000
Conference, Alice Springs, Australia

Journal Publications

Banks, P.B., Newsome, A.E. & C.R. Dickman. (2000). Predation by red foxes limits recruitment in populations of
eastern grey kangaroos. Austral. Ecol. 25:283 - 291

Cox, M.P.G., Dickman, C.R. & W.G. Cox. (2000). Use of habitat by the black rat (Rattus rattus) at North Head,
New South Wales: an observational and experimental study. Austral. Ecol. 25:375 - 385

Dalby-Ball, G. & A. Meats. (2000). Influence of odour of fruit, yeast and cue-lure on the flight activity of the
Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Aust. J. Entomol. 39:195 - 200

Dalby-Ball, G. & A. Meats. (2000). Effects of fruit abundance within a tree canopy on the behaviour of wild and
cultured Queensland fruit flies, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) Diptera: Tephritidae). Aust. J. Entomol. 39:201 - 207

Dickman, C.R., Leung, L.K-P. & S.M. Van Dyck. (2000). Status, ecological attributes and conservation of native
rodents in Queensland. Wildlife Res. 27:333 - 346

Dickman, C.R., Lunney, D. & A. Matthews. (2000). Ecological attributes and conservation of native rodents in New
South Wales. Wildlife Res. 27:347 - 355

Drumond, P.M., Zucchi, R. & B.P. Oldroyd. (2000). Description of the cell provisioning and oviposition process of
seven species of Plebeia Schwartz (Apidae, Meliponini), with notes on their phylogeny and taxonomy. Insect. Soc.
47:99 - 112

Gibson, L.A. & ID Hume. (2000). Seasonal field energetics and water influx rates of the greater bilby (Macrotis
lagotis). Aust. J. Zool. 48:225 - 239

Haythornthwaite, A.S. & C.R. Dickman. (2000). Foraging strategies of an insectivorous marsupial, Sminthopsis
youngsoni (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae), in Australian sandridge desert. Austral. Ecol. 25:193 - 198

Letnic. M., Dickman, C.R. & G. McNaught. (2000). Bet-hedging and germination in the Australian arid zone shrub
Acacia ligulata. Austral. Ecol. 25:368 - 374

Meats, A. & F.A.C. Fay. (2000). Distribution of mating frequency among males of the Queensland fruit fly,
Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), in relation to temperature, acclimation and chance. Gen. Appl. Ent. 29:27 - 30

Murray, B.R. & C.R. Dickman. (2000). Relationships between body size and geographical range size among
Australian mammals: has human impact distorted macroecological patterns? Ecography. 23:92 - 100

Oldroyd, BP & K.E. Osborne (1999). The evolution of worker sterility in honeybees: the genetic basis of failure of
worker policing. P. Roy. Soc. Lond. B. 266:1335 - 1339

Oldroyd, BP, Osborne, K.E. & M. Mardan. (2000). Colony relatedness in aggregations of Apis dorsata Fabricius
(Hymenoptera, Apidae). Insect. Soc. 47:94 - 95

Peat, M. (2000). Towards First Year Biology online: a virtual learning environment. Educat.Technol.Soc. 3:203 -
207

Peat, M. (2000). Online self-assessment materials: do these make a difference to student learning? Assoc.
Learning Technol. J. 8:51 - 57

Thomas, B.J. & A. Meats (2000). The relation of dose rate and light intensity to the effect of bait spray
formulations with the photo-insecticide phloxine B on the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Diptera:
Tephritidae). Gen. Appl. Ent. 29:1 - 4

Report/Consultancy

Doherty, M., Kearns, A., Barnett, G., Sarre, A., Hochuli, D., Gibb, H. & C. Dickman. (2000). The interaction
between habitat conditions, ecosystem processes and terrestrial biodiversity - a review. Environment Australia.
Australia: State of the Environment Second Technical Paper Series (Biodiversity). 1-116

 

Biology Olympiad Training in SOBS

This is the fourth year that the Biology Olympiad Training has been run in SOBS. A total of 76 high school students have passed through the School in preparation for the Biology Olympiad National Qualifying Examinations. This year's National Qualifying Examination is on the 30th of August. Based on the results in this exam, the top 20 students in Australia will be selected for a two-week training course in Canberra, after which the Australian team of four or five is ultimately chosen.

The Biology Olympiad syllabus covers certain aspects of the former Year 11 and 12 courses. There is less overlap with this year's high school course due to the (precipitously ill-timed and ill-fated) introduction of the new HSC syllabus. The training course includes lectures and practical work, and classes are held in the Joseph Banks laboratory in A12. Practical exercises have included preparation of root tips to examine mitotic division, fermentation of alcohol, a mark-recapture study of the elusive soybean and the all-important "How to make pineapple jelly". The need to contend with renovations going on in the herbarium lab created a challenge, so it was useful to fall back on one's rigorous academic training in mopping floors. (Similar life skills were taught in the course when one of the students knocked a hose off the aquarium and flooded the floor.)

The course has been well-received and students have enjoyed examining animals, plants and cells they would not see at school. One student enjoyed last year's course so much that she came again this year to revise for the HSC. Students from the SOBS training course have had great success in the International Olympiad competitions. In 1997 and 1999, several students were selected for the Australian training camp in Canberra and just recently Daniel Guilbourd, who attended the 1999 training course, received a silver medal in the 2000 Biology Olympiad held in Turkey in July.

Many people have helped out with preparations for the Olympiad training course in this Olympic year: providing materials, equipment, posters, plants and animals for practical sessions; booking rooms; helping with AV crises; loaning me slides; or organising textbook sales. My sincere thanks to Jo Walker, Ralph Maddox, Hamlet Giragossian, Sandra Lloyd, Helen Kranidiotis, Heather Sowden, Michael Joseph, Malcolm Ricketts, Margaret Gilchrist, Christine Newman, Les Edwards, Glenda Wardle, John Harper, Angela Low, Sanaa Zaki (Vet Science), Eric Von Werstak (Coop bookshop) and Jas Chambers (Faculty Development Manager).

Elizabeth May.