Flinders NT-based teams win national recognition for research and impact in Indigenous communities, wastewater professor builds on Flinders’ French collaborations, and screen student nominated for international award.
Award for Indigenous health promotion
A Flinders University team of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal researchers has received the 2019 Ray James Award for excellence and innovation in health promotion research. The award, issued by the Australian Health Promotion Association, recognised the research work of Centre for Remote Health’s Dr Rosalie Schultz, Associate Professor Sheree Cairney and Senior Aboriginal Community Researchers Tammy Abbott and Jessica Yamaguchi.
Their paper – Injury prevention through employment as a priority for wellbeing among Aboriginal people in remote Australia, based on findings of the Interplay Research project - describes how meaningful employment for Aboriginal people has many inter-locking benefits. These include building on the knowledge of Aboriginal people in managing Country in remote regions, improving fitness and diet, and reducing alcohol consumption, interpersonal conflict, violence and injury. The importance of these findings has triggered interest from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Department of Environment and Energy.
Facebook analysis gets lots of Likes
Dr Matteo Farina, Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at Flinders University, is enjoying continued success with his book Facebook and Conversation Analysis – an incisive study of Facebook threads and offering tips about what works best and is most effective. With two billion people having a Facebook account (11 million being Australians), and 1.3 billion using this social network every day, his examination of social interactions happening online identified the important cues and references that must now be considered as this new mode of conversation becomes common.
The book has already been a very successful academic publication for Bloomsbury Academic, becoming the best-selling monograph across Bloomsbury’s Linguistics list in the past year – and the publisher has now also issued it as a paperback with the aim of generating widespread commercial success.
Bloomsbury is promoting the book as part of its Christmas sale, offering 30% off print and 45% off eBook prices until 15th December. Follow the weblink to take up the sale discount offer.
Alice Springs trio earn healthcare plaudits
Three Flinders NT staff members from Alice Springs were recently recognised at Bond University’s Sustainability of Healthcare Awards.
Kathleen Martin, an Arrernte woman and Lecturer in Indigenous Health at the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, and Centre for Remote Health employees Barbara Richards (an Anmatjere woman and Academic Lead/Lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges and Culture) and Robert Charles (an Anmatjere man and Indigenous Facilitator) were finalists in the Educational Award for increasing student understanding of sustainable health.
These lecturers are currently delivering the Cross-Cultural Awareness Training program to approximately 1500 mining staff and contractors at the remote Tanami mine operated by Newmont Goldcorp Tanami Operations. The team is also providing mentoring and support services to the mine-affected remote Indigenous communities of Yuendumu, Nyirripi, Willowra and Lajamanu. This program aims to increase the number of workers employed from these remote communities, resulting in health care sustainability, better quality of life and health outcomes for these Indigenous people.
Global platform for student cinematographer
Flinders Screen Production student Jack Davis has been nominated for an international cinematography award. Mr Davis shot the film Language, which was the Gold Award winner at the 2019 Australian Cinematographers Society National Awards in the student category, and will now be the ACS entry in the student category at the 2020 IMAGO International Awards for Cinematography, to be held in Brussels in March 2020. Entries are expected from over 50 countries represented across many categories, and Mr Davis’ nomination will place his work under the gaze of a discerning international audience.
Bioprocess strengthens our French connection
On a recent study trip to France, Flinders Aquatic Microbial Ecologist Professor Howard Fallowfield met with Christelle Morançais, Regional Council President for the Pays de la Loire region, as part of a delegation which visited Algosolis, the algal biotechnology facility at the Polytechnic University of Nantes.
The presence of the Regional Council President provided Professor Fallowfield with an opportunity to explain the microalgae for wastewater treatment research being conducted at Flinders, and to describe the opportunities for research collaboration between Flinders University and the Polytechnic University of Nantes. While in Nantes, Professor Fallowfield also delivered lectures on microalgal wastewater treatment to students enrolled in the International Masters in Microalgae Bioprocess Engineering.