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Director's Message
Colleagues,
Thought I’d point out a few fun things happening this week, in lieu of all the work that has gone into submitting ARC grants and getting teaching in full swing.
On Wednesday Mervyn Patterson will be celebrating his 93rd birthday.
On Thursday, International Women’s Day, a Science in the Pub event will be held at the Wig and Pen, featuring among others our very own Hannah James.
Steve |
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Science in the pub- International Women's Day
Fanciful Planets, Ancient Fangs and Bringing the Dead Back to Life
It's International Women's Day and to celebrate we have a fabulous lineup of talks, quizzes, songs and stand-up comedy from amazing women doing extraordinary science of all kinds.
When: 6.30 PM, Thursday 8th March - International Women's Day
Where: Wig and Pen, ANU School of Music, William Herbert Place, Canberra
More Info : https://www.facebook.com/events/153513835313268/
Tickets: Free - but come early, seats are limited!
Thanks to Inspiring Australia & ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Also supported by ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Grab a drink and a snack in the relaxed vibe of the Wig and Pen micro-brewery at the ANU School of Music and see local archaeologists, biologists, doctors and astronomers chatting about their amazing research.
From the latest medical techniques - operating on patients who are technically no longer alive - to distant planets forming around binary star systems (yes, just like Tattooine in Star Wars) - you will be astonished, entertained and inspired.
A Phil Up On Science event. |
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Look who is having a birthday this week - March 7
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Science meets Parliament
Leanne Armand, Senator Chris Ketter, Brad Pillans and Karen Taylor-Brown at our meeting during Science meets Parliament two weeks ago now!
Brad was representing The Geological Society of Australia (correct me Brad if this is the case).
Leanne was representing ANZIC. |
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PNG Mw 7.5 earthquake
The PNG Mw 7.5 earthuake appears to have broken a megathrust which might aptly be called the New Guinea Highlands Boundary Thrust, not unlike its analogue In India at the feet of the Himalaya. The main rupture would have run for about 48 seconds as a dominantly mode III fracture, and would have had a strike length of around 100 km. The image shows aftershocks (blue), and the main shock (red), with fault slip lines as shown. RSES scientists in the Earth Dynamics research group are swinging into action collaboratively seeking to analyse the pattern of movement, continuing the Satellites, Seismometers and Mass Spectrometers initiative. The location of the Porgera deposit is shown [green square]. |
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Vale: Alex McLaren & Geoff Taylor
Long-time members of the School community will be sad to learn that both Alex McLaren and Geoff Taylor passed away during the last few months.
Alex McLaren trained in the University of Tasmania and in Cambridge, before joining the faculty of the Physics Department of the then young Monash University during the 1960s. A collaborative effort between Mervyn Paterson of RSES, Bruce Hyde of the Research School of Chemistry, and Tony Eggleton of the Geology Department led to the establishment in 1984 of the ANU Mineralogy Research Centre. Funding for the new Centre supported an academic position for Alex McLaren (from 1985) and an associated Research Officer position for John Fitz Gerald, as well as the purchase of a new analytical transmission electron microscope.
Following his arrival in Canberra with his wife Netta, Alex soon became a much respected and greatly valued member of the ANU academic community. It was a busy period during which Alex, John and others made good use of the new electron microscope. Alex collaborated with Mervyn Paterson, John Fitz Gerald and PhD student Jurriaan Gerretsen on new ideas concerning the water weakening of quartz and with Ian Williams and John Fitz Gerald on the influence of radiation-induced defects in zircon-based geochronology. In 1991 his seminal book Transmission Electron Microscopy of Minerals and Rocks was published by Cambridge University Press.
Alex retired from ANU in 1993 and several years later, he and Netta returned to Alex’s native Tasmania, where they have shared a long and enjoyable retirement.
Like Alex McLaren, Geoff Taylor began to use transmission electron microscopes in the early 1960's when such instruments were first installed around Australia. Within CSIRO’s Division of Coal Technology, Geoff used transmission electron microscopy on sections prepared with a diamond knife from coal and from industrial products of coal such as coal-tar pitch. This work included two highly influential papers on carbonaceous mesophase. Geoff’s long research career at CSIRO resulted in a vastly improved understanding of coal through skilful microstructural observation. There followed a period of scientific administration, firstly as Director of ANU’s Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, later to become the Fenner School of Environment and Society, and subsequently on the CSIRO Executive. In ‘retirement’ Geoff moved to RSES and returned to active involvement in research with a small team, including John Fitz Gerald, whose members used both TEM and SEM to great effect in studies of coal and other carbonaceous materials.
Each of these distinguished Australian microscopists and school members will be sadly missed.
Ian Jackson & John Fitz Gerald
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Publications
Adam, P., Schaeffer, P., and Brocks, J. J., 2018. Synthesis of 26-methyl cholestane and identification of cryostanes in mid-Neoproterozoic sediments. Organic Geochemistry 115, 246-249.
Guilbaud, R., Slater, B. J., Poulton, S. W., Harvey, T. H. P., Brocks, J. J., Nettersheim, B. J., and Butterfield, N. J., 2018. Oxygen minimum zones in the early Cambrian ocean. Geochemical Perspectives Letters 6, 33-38.
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ANU offers a range of counselling services for enrolled students (undergraduate or postgraduate) who might be experiencing a range of difficulties around mental health, stress, motivation, social anxiety and so on.
web-site is http://www.anu.edu.au/students/health-wellbeing/counselling
In addition to the group programs and workshops they also offer confidential counselling services for individuals. If you have concerns about the welfare of any of your students, please consider directing them towards this service, |
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ANU Green
In collaboration with four cafe's on Acton campus, ANU Green have introduced new KEEP CUPS >>read more |
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International Women's Day: Changing the Culture of Gender at ANU
Presenters: Professor Brian Schmidt, ANU Vice-Chancellor; Professor Margaret Jolly, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific and GI Convenor; Professor Kim Rubenstein, ANU College of Law; Professor Jodie Bradby, Research School of Physics and Engineering; Dr Caroline Eakin, Research School of Earth Sciences and Emma Davies, PARSA Women's Officer.
Event date: 9.30–11.30am 8 March 2018
Venue: Common Room, University House, ANU
Join the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian P. Schmidt, and a panel of leading ANU women to discuss Changing the Culture of Gender at ANU. The discussion will be followed by morning tea.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is held annually on 8 March to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
Please register your interest for the morning tea and/or panel discussion. |
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