Search Massey News

Massey News | 12 February, 2001

Shakespeare at Albany
The Albany campus had a summer job as a movie location.

Press Releases

29/01/01
Back and neck pain suffered by New Zealand children
lugging heavy school bags needs to be researched to check if ongoing health problems will dog them in later life, says Massey University's Centre for Ergonomics, Occupational Safety and Health director Associate Professor Stephen Legg.

24/01/01
Massey University has established the New Zealand Centre for SME Research
To help develop innovative and effective Small to Medium Enterprises. (More than 99% of New Zealand's 340,000 economically significant business enterprises employ fewer than 50 people.)

23/01/01
New Zealanders want to be creative writers
if response to a new English creative writing course is any yardstick.

19/01/01
Families and schools need to be aware of the potential emotional impact disappointing exam results can have on young people, says Massey University College of Education senior lecturer Sue Webb.

16/01/01
Gardening is good for the soul, according to research conducted by Massey University into the benefits of gardening to mid-aged women.

10/01/01
The way people have been designed to see movement is a contributor to road accidents such as the truck and Southerner train collision near Timaru on Monday, says College of Education developmental psychologist Dr John Kirkland.

09/01/01
Genetic manipulation may be controversial but it could be the answer to massive jumps in our forage-based production systems in the future and lead to increased sustainability says Professor Tom Barry

Campus News

The pain of school(bags) - Back and neck pain suffered by New Zealand children lugging heavy school bags needs to be researched to check if ongoing health problems will dog them in later life, says Massey University's Centre for Ergonomics, Occupational Safety and Health director Associate Professor Stephen Legg

Nursing debate continues - Nursing mediation talks between the University and the Universal College of Learning broke down at the end of last week. In the meantime the School of Health Studies has been continuing to enrol students for the programme, which provides a university-based, professional nursing qualification.

ACE merger decision - The University will continue to have a formal relationship with the Auckland College of Education, through partnership in the Graduate School of Education. However the proposed merger of the two institutions will not go ahead, following a decision by the Minister of Education Trevor Mallard, declining to approve the application.

Professor Long to drive research and external relations - Shortly before Christmas, the Vice-Chancellor announced the appointment of Professor Nigel Long, to the new position of Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research and External Relations).

Appointment of Government Relations Manager - The Academic Director of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Ruth Anderson has been seconded as the University's Government Relations Manager, to be based in Wellington.

Professor Robert Brooks - Emeritus Professor Robert Brooks, the man who pioneered studies on hyperaccumulator plants to 'harvest' metals such as gold and nickel from soil, recently died at the age of 74. He had worked for Massey University for 40 years.

Teach the teachers well - The College of Education's new Director of Teacher Education, Peter Lind, is passionate about educating teachers.

New school head - Professor David Thomson is the new Head of the School of History, Philosophy and Politics, replacing Professor Peter Schouls.

New CoB Kaitautoko Maori - Newly-appointed Kaitautoko Maori for the College of Business Noreen Mako, left, is determined to be more constantly and consistently in the faces' of the College's Maori student population.

The write stuff - New Zealanders really want to write, if response to Massey University's new English creative writing course is anything to go by.

E-centre welcomes its first business tenant - The countdown has begun for the long-awaited opening of the business enterprise centre at the Albany campus. The official opening, on 2 March, will be previewed in the next issue of Massey News. In the meantime, Massey Albany journalist Niki Widdowson has been talking with one of the new tenants.

Head start for CoE students - A group of 55 first-year Bachelor of Education students kick-started their study at the College of Education with the annual Head Start programme run by the Student Learning Centre .

Michael Lorigan - An energetic student with a real passion for journalism is how lecturer Alastair Campbell describes Michael Lorigan, left, who was killed in a plane crash near Canberra last week.

Running track on track - More than 30,000 cubic metres of earth - about the size of 120 average-sized houses - has been moved in the past two months to prepare the site of the all weather athletics track.

Features

Save our sand dunes - Itís part of the kiwi culture - surf, sand, sitting on the sand dunes viewing the sun setting over the shimmering sea.

Gardening feeds the female soul - the finding of researchers Judith Kidd of the Institute of Natural Resources and Nancy Pachana, formerly of the School of Psychology

A survey of 145 mid-aged women gardeners found that the main reason they garden is not for the physical benefits, though they're appreciated as well, but for the spiritual sense of wellbeing they get from spending time in their gardens.

Messages from the principals - To mark the beginning of the 2001 academic year, Massey News asked the three campus principals and the principal for Extramural and International to look at the year ahead. The next issue of Massey News will include comment from new Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research and External Relations) Professor Nigel Long and from some of our new University Council members.

Events

International viola congress at Massey Wellington - During April, more than 200 string players from throughout the world will gather at the Wellington campus for the 29th International Viola Congress.

Youth choir visits - Directions weren't necessary to find the Tower New Zealand Youth Choir practising at the College of Education ­ you just followed the sound of singing.

Hostels updated - The classic student couch ­ backbone furniture in all student flat lounge rooms ­ will get up-to-the-minute treatment when hostel common rooms are redecorated by first-year students in March.

Marsden and Aston history - If you've ever wondered where the science lecture blocks got their names ­ wonder no longer. Recently-erected plaques mounted outside the Marsden and Aston Lecture theatres will give you an insight into the men who lent their names to halls of learning.

Flame ceremony at New Year - The dawning of 2001 at the Palmerston North campus featured in newspapers throughout China last month. The papers covered a flame-lighting ceremony held at the campus in the early hours of 1 January. The ceremony was attended by a delegation of more than 100 officials from Beijing, six students representing Chinese universities, and groups representing the University and Palmerston North city, including mayor Jill White.

Awards

First Maori Studies PhDs - Several hundred visitors attended the graduation ceremony of Massey's first three Doctors of Philosophy in Maori Studies on 15 December.

National maths prizes - Massey mathematics PhD students Barbara Holland and Patrick Rynhart were two of three joint winners of the Aitken Prize at the recent New Zealand Mathematics Colloquium.

ITE inaugural teaching awards - Dr John Bronlund, left, and and Dr Richard Haverkamp were voted the Institute of Technology and Engineerís most innovative teachers late last year.

Research and Development

Research efforts fruitful - Dr Megan McKenna, right, has received international recognition from the Royal Geographical Society for her post-doctoral research into New Zealand's competitive position in the global pipfruit industry.

Closer Energy Relations with internet course - Students can now study an internationally-recognised qualification in renewable energy over the Internet, thanks to a new relationship between the Massey Centre for Energy Research and the Australian Co-operative Research Centre for Renewable Energy (ACRE).

Enterprising start for SME - The New Zealand Centre for SME Research made significant progress at its inaugural meeting on the Wellington campus recently.

New autism studies diploma - Massey University will offer New Zealand's first post-graduate diploma course in autism and related disability studies this year.

Science summer school - Top-performing science high school students from throughout New Zealand and Australia visited the Albany campus for some hands-on learning during a science summer school.

Students flock to new Albany computer course - Many computers make light work. As long as they are networked and talking to each other nicely, says Albany mathematics lecturer Dr Lutz Grosz.

Journalism campaigns need research - How effective was the ìpublicî or campaigning style of journalism demonstrated by the likes of Wellingtonís City Voice community newspaper prior to the last general election?