QUT News & Events Wrap - May 2 edition

NEWS




QUT’s ‘amusement academic’ helps create world-first VR waterslide: The ever-popular theme park waterslide is about to enter a new dimension thanks in part to a QUT academic who has become a world-leading expert in fun.

QUT research: Girls start school with more behavioural skills that predict success: Girls are ahead of boys when it comes to starting school with behavioural skills that have been shown to predict academic success, new QUT research has found.

Smart city research pioneer made a fellow of the Australian Computer Society: Director of the QUT Design Lab, Professor Marcus Foth has received a prestigious honour by being named a fellow of the Australian Computer Society (ACS).



QUT Professor Peter Coaldrake earns international award for inspirational leadership: QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake has been honoured with the 2016 CASE Asia-Pacific Leadership Award in recognition of his inspirational guidance and development of a strong culture of advancement at the institution.

Facial recognition technology encourages empathy through art: How do we feel when someone blinks with our eyes? Smiles with our lips? Then, tells their own story. Using the latest in interactive gaming and facial recognition technology, QUT’s The Cube artist-in-residence has captured a virtual mirror in her project called Echo.



 

EVENTS

May 4: The 7 Stages of Grieving @ Gardens Theatre
May 7: QUT Classic fun run @ Brisbane CBD
May 12: CARRS-Q pedestrians, cyclists & vehicles road safety initiative launch @ Samford
May 12: Prestige Scholarships Information Seminar (free) @ Gardens Point
May 14: Mother's Day High Tea @ Old Government House
May 14: Mother's Day Art @ QUT Art Museum
May 16-18: High school students & parents information seminars (free) @ Gardens Point, North Lakes & Caboolture
Now - May 21: Earth & fire: Ceramics from the QUT Art Collection (free) @ QUT Art Museum
Now - May 21: Less than: Art and reductionism (free) @ QUT Art Museum
May 24: Business Leaders’ Forum with Sam Walsh @ Hilton Brisbane
May 26: IFE Grand Challenge Public Lecture with John Gunn @ Institute for Future Environments
June 2-3: Careers and Employment Expo @ Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
June 12-13: Shirley Valentine @ Gardens Theatre
Now - June 18: William Robinson: Genesis (free) @ William Robinson Gallery
Now - Sept 13: Season 2017 @ Gardens Theatre: Stories that connect  @ Gardens Theatre
Now - Nov 24: STEM for Schools: What's on in  2017 @ QUT
 

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS



- Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake’s 2016 CASE Asia-Pacific Leadership Award was covered by The Australian. He also talked to ABC Radio Brisbane about planned changes to higher education funding.
- Associate Professor Gary Mortimer was across ABC and on 2GB talking about Amazon’s launch in Australia, appeared in a Nine News national story on cashback marketing, and talked to Seven News about retailers opening and paying penalty rates on public holidays. He was also interviewed for an ABC News online story about consumers buying cheap milk, which also ran on Mamamia. 
- Professor Susan Walker and Adjunct Professor Donna Berthelsen  told Education Today that girls start school with more behavioural skills than boys. The paper they published in the journal of Early Childhood Australia was also reported on by 2SM.
- Professor Walker’s research on gender differences in the literacy, reading and numeracy of new students was also in The Age.
- Professor Yin Xiao, Dr Indira Prasadam and Sunder Sekar’s research showing saturated fats have been pinpointed as the main trigger for osteoarthritis was in HealthLine, Arthritis Research UK, and The Shepparton News.
- Professor Matthew Rimmer spoke to Fairfax media including the Sydney Morning Herald about fashion as intellectual property.
- Malcolm Burt spoke to ABC News Radio about the world-first VR waterslide. It was also reported by Gizmodo, The Australian, Travel and Leisure, and Scimex (Science Media Exchange).
- Professor Adrian Barnett was interviewed for ABC Radio’s The World Today on traffic fumes and heart health.
- Associate Professor Michael Milford provided a scientist’s review of Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 for The Conversation that was republished by The Daily Bulletin, My Broadband, Sci Fi Generation and Australasian Science.
- Professor Marcus Foth and Mirko Guaralda penned a Conversation article on why we should create cities for slowing down, which was also published by The Fifth Estate and prompted a 2SER interview.  Technology Decisions also highlighted Professor Foth’s ACS citation.
- Dr Mark Gibbs also wrote about the challenges of affordable housing for The Conversation (which was republished by Brisbane Times and other Fairfax titles), while Professor Pascalis Raimondos co-authored a piece on how Donald Trump’s proposed corporate tax cuts would impact on Australian competitiveness.
- New Scientist cited research by Professor Ken Beagley in a story on the chlamydia vaccine for koalas.
- Professor Remco Polman spoke to Bloomberg Technology about whether virtual reality can help people get fit. The story also appeared on Stuff.co.nz, and Executive Style.
- Associate Professor Geoff Walker was quoted in RenewEconomy on ‘green’ fuel exports such as solar power.
- Dr Lee Duffield wrote about the French presidential elections for Independent Australia.
- Professor Marilyn Campbell told the Canberra Times Australia needed a national bullying prevention and intervention program, but the original Safe Schools program had been too idealogical. She also talked to the ABC’s The World Today about a terrorist’s son being used in a propaganda video.
- Kidspot talked to Dr Kirsten Vallmuur about the dangers of baby slings.
- Associate Professor Mark Lauchs was interview for ABC Brisbane Mornings about the reliability of crime statistics.
- Domain ran a story on Singapore’s tallest skyscrapers that quoted Dr Simone Brott at length.
- Ian Faulks spoke with ABC NSW Statewide Drive program about dash cameras capturing footage for entertainment.
- Dr Mary Crawford joined Steve Austin for her weekly segment on ABC Radio Brisbane and was also quoted in the Pine Rivers Press about third-party donors.
- A happy Ray Weekes shared his 20-year love affair with Bluesfest with The Courier-Mail.
- Regional press including the South Burnett Times reported on a day in the life of QUT graduate and Warwick State High School principal Joy Craig.
- Susan Hetherington talked family affairs on ABC Capricornia touching on first-time parents and anxiety.
- Year 12 student Jeremy Herwig penned a piece for the Cairns Post about his participation in QUT’s STEM internship program.
- The Caboolture News ran an article by QUT graduate Jennifer Lung on why she loves making films.
- The Caboolture Shire Herald reported applications are now open for the 2017 QUT ViceChancellor's STEM Camp.
- Art graduate Amica Whincop was the featured artist of the month in Crowd Ink.
 

QUT is part of a national collaborative group of five major Australian universities that form the ATN (Australian Technology Network of Universities).