Director's Message

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you had a good weekend as we step into ACT School Holidays. 

This week’s image celebrates the School’s first woman graduate, Dr Elizabeth Bradford, who is recognised in a wonderful article written by Tabitha Cravan, CoS Marketting Team.  Dr Bradford is seen here at her graduation in 1962 with Sir Mark Oliphant (Director 1950-1963). The full story can be found here, and I’m very grateful to Honorary Professor Brian Robson for his contribution.  This story is part of the remarkable 70 year history of this School.

After a decade and a half, Professor Ken Baldwin is to step down as AD(R) to focus on his Grand Challenge and Energy Change Institute. Ken has been a member of the School Executive since 2005, serving as Deputy Director for most of that time, and over the past two years his role has morphed into one of four Associate Director positions.  I know the past two directors, Profs Jim Williams and Steve Buckman, would join me in thanking Ken for his valuable contribution to the School leadership. Indeed, I am indebted to Ken’s stewardship of all aspects of research assessment, ARC submissions with peer review and his influence on ANU research policy landscape.  He has helped the School to come to terms with enormous changes in the funding environment over the past 15 years.  Ken will continue to have beneficial impact for the physics at Senior ANU levels and in National fora.  This week, by email, I will invite expressions of interest for the Associate Director (Research).  Ken has indicated that he would be pleased to talk to prospective applicants about the role. 

Have a good week and please take a look at the NAIDOC program below,

Tim

Get involved with NAIDOC Week 7-14 July 2019.

The College of Health and Medicine is holding a Symposium on 11 July, 12-2 pm in the Finkel Theatre, see link for further details.

Companies have long relied on diversity training to reduce bias on the job, hiring tests and performance ratings to limit it in recruitment and promotions, and grievance systems to give employees a way to challenge managers. Yet laboratory studies show that this kind of force-feeding can activate bias rather than stamp it out. The good news is that we know what does work—we just need to do more of it.

» read more

ANU LGBTI Ally Training (EDHR05) and Indigenous Cultural Awareness (EDHR06) - courses available in August.

» read more

Last Friday we acknowledged LGBTI Day, many thanks to all who contibuted.

The below editorial is from Nature - Pride in STEM, just one of the latest grass-roots-led campaigns for a higher profile and better rights for LGBT+ scientists.

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Mentoring and Guidance in Careers (MAGIC) closes 16 August

2019 ANU Global Research Partnerships Scheme 23 August 2019 

Westpac Research Fellowship 26 August 2019

July Seminars

16 July
Mr Christian Gow
Current capabilities and possible future extensions of the Bruker ICON AFM in EME
» read more

31 July
Dr Jukka Kuva
X-ray tomography – 3D targeted analysis for better 2D results
» read more

Further details about School Seminars or Events can be found on the RSPE Intranet and School News and Events Page.