Welcome to QUT's weekly round-up of news and events. For more updates as they happen, join 16,385 followers of @QUTmedia on Twitter. To subscribe to this wrap, please email media@qut.edu.au.
Airborne bacteria remain alive for 45 minutes:
Cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing and wash your hands. QUT and UQ scientists have developed a new technique to study how some common disease-causing bacteria can spread up to four metres and remain alive in the air for up to 45 minutes.
Use grid storage to counter variables of solar & wind, rather than burden clean energy generators: QUT power engineers say Australia's power system must embrace centralised storage solutions to counter the natural variations in solar and wind power generation, rather than burden clean energy providers with responsibilty for grid reliability.
US Navy biofuels expert joins QUT: The US Navy’s former Director for Operational Energy Chris Tindal has joined QUT as an Adjunct Professor thanks to a shared passion for advancing biofuels technology.
QUT and USC agree on Caboolture Campus transition: The governing Councils of QUT and the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) have agreed to move towards a transfer of QUT’s Caboolture campus to USC from 1 January 2018.
Commercialisation deal for home-grown cancer saliva test: QUT’s commercialisation arm, bluebox, has signed an agreement with multinational healthcare company MDxHealth to evaluate and develop a saliva-based test for the early detection of oral cancer.
Real-world Vietnam experience for education and health students: QUT undergraduate students have visited schools and hospital canteens in Vietnam as part of a study trip to gain real-world experiences, that was supported by funding from the New Colombo Plan.
EVENTS
June 21-22: Thérèse Requin @ Gardens Theatre
June 25-July 7: School holiday STEM activities @ QUT
July 10-11: Bakersfield Mist @ Gardens Theatre
July 14 - June 25, 2018: Eternal Present: The Still Life paintings of William Robinson @ William Robinson Gallery, Old Government House
July 14: IFE Grand Challenge Lecture with Dr Henrik Christensen (free) @ Institute for Future Environments
July 20: Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame 2017 Induction Dinner @ Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
July 24: Rhodes Scholarship information session (free) @ Gardens Point
July 30: QUT Open Day (free) @ Gardens Point
Now-Aug 6: Louise Hearman (free) @ QUT Art Museum
Now - Nov 24: STEM for Schools: What's on in 2017 @ QUT
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Dr Paula Dootson (pictured) spoke to News.com about self-serve checkout theft after writing a piece for The Conversation with Associate Professor Gary Mortimer. The story ran across News Corp and ABC Radio, ABC Online and Nine News, Seven News, 6PR, Pedestrian Daily, Ten’s The Project and The New Daily. Prof Mortimer also talked to ABC Radio Adelaide about a proposal to pipe background music into Rundle Mall.
- The Courier-Mail covered Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s speech at the QUT biotechnology luncheon in San Diego during the BIO 2017 International Conference, which included the announcement of Adjunct Professor Chris Tindal’s appointment to QUT.
- The Sunday Mail ran CARRS-Q research led by Cassandra Gauld (pictured) on young people using mobile phones while they were driving and bored. The research was also on radio including 97.3FM.
- The Sunday Mail also profiled QUT graduate Hsiao-Ling Tang who stars in Queensland Theatre’s Rice.
- Professor Stuart Cunningham was interviewed by ABC Radio Brisbane regarding the voluntary administration of Ten Network while Associate Professor Leo Bowman spoke to RN Drive about Ten’s woes which puts media reform laws in the spotlight.
- Brisbane Times, The Australian, the ABC, Zinc FM, Hot FM, and Campus Morning Mail reported on news that the University of the Sunshine Coast will take over QUT’s Caboolture Campus.
- Seven News and Daily Mail Australia covered Dr Sonia White’s research on vision and academic achievement.
- ABC Country Hour interviewed Professor Ian O’Hara about his team’s $14 million biowaste project with the Federal Government, with Sustainability Matters also reporting the news.
- ABC TV News in Sydney and Melbourne featured a new Great Barrier Reef research program between QUT and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
- Campus Morning Mail reported Mary Kelly was a new Member of the Order of Australia, while ABC Radio Brisbane Drive spoke with her about the award.
- Professor Jonathan Roberts’ (pictured) Conversation article explaining how we can backup life on Earth as republished by ABC Online and Business Insider. He was also interviewed by ABC Radio Sydney, 2SER, Radio New Zealand and ABC Nightlife. Washington-based The Daily Caller also covered the topic.
- The ATSE’s Focus magazine (p41) highlighted Dr Anjali Jaiprakash and Professors Jonathan Roberts and Ross Crawford’s Australian-India Strategic Research Fund project.
- Dr Matthew Rimmer was interviewed on ABC Radio Late Night Live about Net neutrality and why it needs to be defended.
- Dr Jane Shakespeare-Finch was on Triple J’s Hack program talking about risk-taking as part of being an extrovert, and finding ways to deal with difficulties through talking. She was also a guest on ABC Nightlife for a segment on life after a major trauma.
- QUT-based Creative Enterprise Australia’s Mark Gusowski told The Australian the winner of its Creative3 Pitch will be sent to London for Richard Branson’s Virgin StartUp’s program.
- Robot Enthusiast featured Professor Peter Corke’s Robot Academy.
- The Institute for Future Environment’s research program on improving the lives of seniors was mentioned in a News Corp feature piece.
- News Corp interviewed Professor Brett Martin about the countries where Aussies are most likely to die on holidays.
- Professor Sandra Hayes’ research on the benefits of exercise to cutting risk of cancer was reported by the Daily Sun and Hindustan Times.
- Associate Professor Nic Suzor (pictured) spoke to RN Drive about Facebook’s secret guidelines being leaked to the media.
- Kilcoy Sentinel ran a story and photos of local high school students who took part in an Explore Uni camp at QUT.
- Dr Mary Crawford joined ABC Radio Brisbane host Steve Austin for his regular politics segment.
- 2SER FM spoke to Dr Axel Bruns regarding the popularity of Instagram.
- Professor Marcus Foth was interviewed by Radio Adelaide regarding smart cities.
- Rik Thompson commented on a new technique to help reveal the architecture of tumours in Cosmos.
- Dr Deanna Grant-Smith was interviewed by The Australian about the prevalence of interning which also ran in Smart Company.
- Professor Linda Graham (pictured) told The Age that two out of three students with ADHD were struggling to keep up with most of their classes. The story ran across the Fairfax network.
- Lauren Shaw from CARRS-Q was interviewed by ABC Radio Canberra Drive about the psychology of road rage.
- MyCityLife interviewed QUT music student and successful artists Ayla.
- Triple J Hack featured Dr Michael Flood on men’s rights activists being a simplistic bizarre parody of feminism. He also spoke to ABC Radio Hobart and was also quoted in a Big Smoke article on ‘mansplaining’.
- Dr Kerry Armstrong spoke with Prevention magazine about the increasing use of alcohol by women.
- Kids in the City reported on the Creative Industries Faculty’s involvement in the design of an all-abilities playground for The Gap.
Media release date: Monday, June 19, 2017
Media contact: media@qut.edu.au
QUT is part of a national collaborative group of five major Australian universities that form the ATN (Australian Technology Network of Universities).
