PENINSULA ONLINE

Issue 12
Monday, 14 August 2006 

Research grant success for Peninsula

Two campus researchers have recently been successful in securing external research grants.

Associate Professor Sonja Petrovic-Lazarevic, from the Faculty of Business and Economics was awarded an ARC Linkage Grant of $175,640 and Health and Wellbeing Research Director, Professor Carol Morse received a $33,000 grant from Department of Health and Ageing.

A/P Petrovic-Lazarevic will explore 'Maximising the effectiveness of public health policies: The case of the smoke-free policies'.

As chief investigator she will work with Monash colleagues A/Prof Chung-Hsing Yeh and Mrs Susan Bedingfield from the Clayton School of Information Technology and Dr Ken Coghill, also from the Faculty of Business and Economics as well as Dr Ron Borland from the project's industry partner The Cancer Council of Victoria, Health Centre for Tobacco Control.

The three year project will develop a methodology for maximising the effectiveness of public health policies, focusing on tobacco control. It will build models, derived from a unique combination of theory, survey data and expert judgements, to explain the different effects of tobacco control policies in different countries. The models will then be tested to see how well they predict outcomes within and across national cultures.

Professor Morse will use her grant to explore "Information and service needs of the ‘baby-boom’ generation as carers of persons with dementia, and as future receivers of care".

Professor Morse explains that the information and service needs of the ‘baby-boom’ generation as carers of persons with dementia, and as future receivers of care are distinct from those of their parents’ generation and of their own children.

"Appropriate dementia support services need to be urgently developed that meet multi-generational needs. The proposed project will be focus on the Mornington Peninsula region -- a community that is demographically the most rapidly ageing region of Victoria with 33.6 percent of its population aged between 40 and 64 years," she explained.

The project will develop communications between the 'baby boom' residents and community-based dementia service providers in order to raise awareness of dementia among this group, to understand their dementia support needs as carers and care recipients and to collaboratively develop and promote at the community level, services that better meet their needs

This one year project is also collaborative in its design with input from Dr Christopher King from Monash, and  Ms Lynn Gray and Ms Sue Leake from Peninsula Health's Mt Eliza Centre on Ageing.

Education leads science and technology challenge in schools

Faculty of Education staff at the Peninsula campus will challenge school students to explore science and technology in their everyday lives as part of the Federal Government's Australian School Innovation in Science Technology and Mathematics program.

The Hastings-Monash School-Community Technology Challenge aims to pilot and implement a unique way for primary school students to explore science and technology by giving them cameras and having them photograph their 'environment'.

The students will the produce then display their photographs in the form of postcards containing challenges based around the theme of science and technology.

Monash staff and current Faculty of Education students will then evaluate and refine the postcard concept. A kit will then be produced which will enable the project to be rolled out in other schools  and after-school programs.

Project coordinator, Professor Marilyn Fleer, explains that this project explores the value of student led learning.

"By giving these students a camera and asking them to highlight what they see as science and technology in their everyday world, it gives teachers and educators a chance to see the world through children's eyes and develop programs that best suit them," she said.

The project team at the recent launch held at Hasting Westpark Primary School.

50 new places for mental health nursing

The Peninsula campus has recently secured 50 new Commonwealth Supported Places to be directed to mental health education in the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Mr Billson met with School of Nursing and Midwifery Deputy Head, Associate Professor Glenice Ives, Peninsula Campus Academic Director Professor Phillip Steele, Dr Susan Lee from the School of Nursing and Midwifery and Monash Vice Chancellor, Professor Richard Larkins at the Peninsula campus.

Thirty of the new places will be allocated to a new double degree, the Bachelor of Nursing / Bachelor of Psychology, while 20 of the places will go to Graduate Diploma of Nursing (Mental Health), which is already offered at the campus.

Local Federal MP for Dunkley Bruce Billson visited the campus to announce the 50 new university places to commence in 2007. Overall, Monash will receive 120 new places across all campuses.

Mr Billson said he was thrilled that Monash Peninsula has won funding for these new places. "They will help ensure that the Peninsula campus continues to develop as a cutting edge education facility for students in a variety of disciplines but critically in mental health areas as well."

Professor Steele added that the additional places represent yet another step forward in building a bright future for the Peninsula campus and for the local community which will benefit from the developing portfolio of health and wellbeing teaching and research undertaken at the campus.

Peninsula academic awarded a Carrick

Dr Suzy Edwards (pictured) from the Faculty of Education at the Peninsula campus has been recognised in the national awards for university teaching, receiving a citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in the annual Carrick Awards.

The citations, awarded by the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, honour those "who have made a significant contribution to the quality of student learning in a specific area of responsibility over a sustained period, whether they are academic staff, general staff, sessional staff or institutional associates".

Suzy's award recognised her for the design and implementation of innovative and reflective teaching practices in undergraduate teacher education that motivate, inspire and support student learning.

As the youngest but one member of academic staff in the Education faculty Suzy's award is made even more significant considering her extremely busy past couple of years. She completed her PhD in 2003 and was promoted to lecturer in 2005 while also becoming a first time mum in September last year.

She returned to work in March this year and as well as her Carrick award she received, with Peninsula campus colleague Marie Hammer, the university's inaugural award for online teaching in 2004.

Campus turns on its best for Open Day

More than 2800 people visited the Peninsula campus on Open Day with staff and current students providing a range of information and advice to prospective students and their families. The following is a pictorial representation of the day.

1. The anatomy lab in G building had many curious visitors
2. Staff from Sport and Outdoor Recreation were busy throughout the day
3. The Vice Chancellor, Professor Richard Larkins, has his blood glucose levels tested in Nursing
4. The Faculty of Education Art Studio drew some prospective students of the younger type
5. Ambulance and Paramedic scenarios drew large crowds
6. The campus services including the gym received several inquiries
7. Staff in Business and Economics advising prospective students
8. Information session in all areas were very well attended

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Staff club news

The Monash Peninsula Staff Social Club is again planning to run a number of activities for staff on campus. Membership for the staff club is currently up for renewal for the 2006-2007 financial year. Cost for membership is $15 for singles and $20 for families.

The following activities are planned.

Membership promotion lunch

Tuesday, 22 August, 12 noon to 2 pm, the outdoor eating area of building C.  Lunch will be free for members and for those who join the club on the day and $3 for non-members. Sausages and vegie burgers will be provided, however to encourage staff to attend who normally do not eat this sort of food, staff can contact Michael Mirra on extn 44212 if they have special dietary requirements or bring their own lunch. A meat raffle will also be held and all members will automatically receive a free raffle ticket to go into the draw for a bottle of wine.

Drinks at the Seahorse Tavern

Thursday 7 September from 5 pm. Members will receive first drink free and a free ticket for wine raffle. 

Peninsula notes

Disability Liaison Unit contact at Peninsula

Mary Tidey is the new Disability Liaison Officer based at Peninsula. She will be at the campus located in the Community Services area each Thursday morning. Appointments to see Mary can be made via Community Services, Peninsula, on extn 44223 or by phoning the Disability Liaison Unit on extn 55704.

Council elections

In accordance with Monash University Statutes 9.1 and 9.2, nomination of candidates for the election to Monash University Council of one academic staff (other than the professors) member are invited. Candidates must hold either a full-time appointment or a fractional appointment of not less than 0.4 and must have held that appointment for a period of more than six months.
 
The member elected will hold office from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2008. Full details and nomination forms are available online.