Note to Staff 11 November 2003

Recognising our staff

Recently I had the pleasure of attending, in one day, three celebrations of the work and community contribution of Curtin's staff and students.

The celebrations began with the 'Cheers for Volunteers' event, arranged to recognise the enormous amount of voluntary work undertaken by members of the Curtin community, and continued with the presentations of the VC's Awards for Excellence (incorporating the Ethics, Equity and Social Justice Prize and the Curtin Environmental Award). The day concluded with the Student Guild's Excellence in Teaching Awards Ceremony.

Detailed below are the names of those recognised this year in the two awards ceremonies. My thanks and congratulations go to the winners, nominees, judges and organisers: your contribution to the University is greatly appreciated.

Ethics, Equity And Social Justice Prizes 2003

Due to the high standard of entries, two Prizes were awarded this year.

School of Public Health

Liz Campbell and I present the Prize to Linda Portsmouth, representing the School of Public Health

The School of Public Health received the Prize for its proactive initiative in providing students with a strong Ethics, Equity and Social Justice perspective in learning outcomes through its Health Science Communication 180 unit.

This is an introductory unit providing various communication, information literacy and computer literacy experiences within a cross-cultural context to most first year, first semester undergraduate students across the Division of Health Sciences. Students gain an understanding of the barriers to successful communication, and the requirement for health professionals to adapt their communication skills, especially when communicating cross-culturally, with Indigenous Australians or with people with a disability.

Through the informative and experiential learning of this unit, students develop critical awareness and skills in relation to cross-cultural communication.

Department of Art

Presenting the Prize to Harry Hummerston (staff) and Geoffrey Scott (deaf student) of the School of Art

The Department of Art received the Prize in recognition of its responsiveness and inclusiveness in creating a learning environment for the profoundly deaf, and by virtue of this, providing students with a strong Ethics, Equity and Social Justice perspective in learning outcomes.

Over the past three years, the Department of Art has been working with profoundly deaf students within its programs. This initiative commenced in 2001 with one student and has been progressively enhanced. The Department is now in the process of facilitating the entry of a fourth student through a bridging course.

The Department has been instrumental in nurturing the self-esteem and confidence of individual profoundly deaf students, and thus has had a significant positive impact on their ability to study at tertiary level and fulfil their career aspirations.

Further, the Department, in maximising opportunities for staff and students to work with the profoundly deaf, has been instrumental in the personal and professional development of all of its staff and students.

Curtin Environmental Award

Curtin Environment Awareness Team

With some members of CEAT

The Award was presented to the Curtin Environment Awareness Team for exceptional performance in developing environmentally sustainable work practices. The Team's achievements include minimising greenhouse gas emissions from the University; an ongoing eco office program; the Lake Rejuvenation Project focussing on Jack Finney Lake; reducing landfill generated by Curtin; and assisting in a number of community awareness promotions.

A key factor in the Team's success has been the development of highly effective partnerships with groups within Curtin including the Student Guild, the Faculty of Built Environment and Design, the School of Environmental Biology, the Centre for Excellence in Cleaner Production and University Properties, as well as with external bodies such as the Sustainable Energy Development Office, Water Corporation and the Department of Environmental Protection.

Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Excellence, 2003

The Humanities Information Technology Services (HITS) Team

With members of the HITS team

The principal function of the HITS team is to service the information technology and audiovisual needs of the Division of Humanities, which they do with an extremely high degree of professionalism, quality customer service and efficiency.

The team also often extends the boundaries of its principal function by being an active participant in initiating and improving IT and AV services across the University. Examples of this include meeting the IT requirements of the John Curtin Gallery's very innovative and successful Biennale of Electronic Art Exhibition, and the Sim City promotion during the 2003 Open Day, which involved connecting all the computers individual secondary schools brought in to a small network unrelated to the main Curtin network.

The HITS team embraces new ideas and challenges and is always seeking different and innovative ways of working with staff, students and partners to help achieve the mission and goals of the Division of Humanities, and of the University.

Abel Nelson Nang, Student Relations Officer, Registrar's Office, Curtin Sarawak

Abel's dedication and commitment to Curtin has been demonstrated by the caring, friendly and innovative approach he takes in his interactions with students and staff of Curtin Sarawak.

He has always gone 'the extra mile' in assisting students and visitors to the campus, and has been instrumental in the development of a strong sense of community at Curtin Sarawak.

Abel began the student peer program which aids the retention of students through an orientation and transition program, where new students bond to the campus as a group as soon as they enter the University.

Abel effectively interacts with the 24 different nationalities represented on the Miri campus, and has won the hearts and minds of all those with whom he has come in contact. He is capable of giving only of his best, and as a result achieves excellence in all he does.

Admissions and Enrolment Section, Registrar's Office, Curtin Sarawak

The Admissions and Enrolment Section represents the backbone of Curtin Sarawak. The teamwork shown by the four members of the unit is most impressive, as is their endurance during many physical and mental challenges. There is never any doubt that the unit will carry out what is expected or required by their colleagues; the word "no" does not exist in their vocabulary.

The team was recently tested by the implementation of two new computer systems for record keeping. They had to deal with multiple deadlines with limited resources, checking every student record on file to determine data accuracy. The high regard in which the team is held inspired a group of volunteers to work alongside them, up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, for a month to get the job done.

The members of the unit perform innovatively, intelligently, reliably and flexibly in all that they undertake, and have an outstanding commitment to the standards of the University.

Both Sarawak awards were presented to the winners by the Chancellor during a recent visit to Miri.

Stephen Quinton, Acting Manager, Educational Design and eLearning Unit, and Lou Siragusa, Associate Lecturer, Educational Design and eLearning Unit, Learning Support Network

Presenting Lou Siragusa (left) and Stephen Quinton of the Learning Support Network with their Award

Lou and Stephen developed WebKIT, a readily accessible, easy to use local website for Curtin staff that assists them in the design, development, and evaluation of web content specific to their teaching area. Through the WebKIT site, staff can create sophisticated, pedagogically sound, interactive webpages that feature specific content and assessment resources such as quizzes, exercises and puzzles.

It was developed in response to the need to expand Curtin's existing online delivery strategy. It includes a web-based facility that is capable of providing for a wide range of staff online development needs while ensuring the output of their work meets a high standard of quality, without the need for complex technological skills.

WebKIT is an excellent example of an innovative online technology that promotes Curtin as a collaborative learning environment through action, research and reflective practice.

Student Learning Support Unit, Learning Support Network

Presenting the Award to Jeanne Dawson (left), Maureen Massam and Grace Conti-Bekkers of the Student Learning Support Unit

The Student Learning Support Unit provides innovative programs and outstanding services for Curtin students and staff. The excellence of its programs, and the dedication and passionate commitment of the members of the Unit, help ensure Curtin undergraduate and postgraduate students enjoy successful learning experiences.

The breadth of the collaborative programs and the level of service offered by the Student Learning Support Unit is exceptional, and its work to ensure international students experience positive and successful learning outcomes is widely known and applauded throughout the University.

The new programs and educational resources being developed each semester represent truly innovative approaches to the provision of support services to the undergraduate and postgraduate students at Curtin.

Associate Professor Tilak Chandratilleke, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Congratulating Professor Chandratilleke

Associate Professor Chandratilleke is a world class researcher whose applied research ideas and achievements have enabled industry partners to achieve world leadership in their areas of operations and expertise. In doing this, he has significantly advanced Curtin's vision to be recognised as a world class university of technology.

Tilak has used his industrial research grants to develop the Curtin research profile in engineering, and to recruit high calibre students for doctoral research, thus adding to the University's reputation, research culture and teaching standards.

His freezer research breakthrough is a world first in terms of innovation and technology standards, and it has also enabled an industry partner to establish itself as a world leader in design.

His other research relates to the development of propulsion systems for marine vessels, which will make a substantial contribution to cleaner production.

Professor Chandratilleke has helped Curtin to establish itself as a world class, innovative leader, in mechanical engineering fluid dynamics and heat transfer.

Student Guild Excellence in Teaching Awards

This year the Guild recognised the skills and abilities of the following staff:

Award recipients

Dominque Fisher, Curtin Business School
Jim Irvins, Engineering, Science and Computing
Beatrice Tucker and Alma Dender, Health Sciences
Wanning Sun, Humanities
Rene Van Berkel, Resources and Environment
Alma Whitely, Curtin Business School

Honourable Mentions

Anna Bosco, Health Sciences
Matthew Allen, Humanities
Derek Lichri, Resources and Environment
Fran Crawford, Humanities

Lance Twomey
Vice-Chancellor