Kangaroo Island becomes a hive of maritime archaeology student activity, health and safety honour for research fellow, student joins prominent women for national event, editing role in rising journal, and funding wins for research projects on climate and sustainability, medical research and an Aboriginal youth support framework.
Digging for SA maritime treasures
Flinders University Maritime Archaeology students returned to the field on July 21, with an international student group travelling to Kangaroo Island to begin excavating a beach site in American River. Their task was to find evidence associated with the construction of the earliest ship built in South Australia.
The 45-foot schooner Independence was built somewhere in American River by American sealers during 1803, with more than 40 men involved in the construction over a period of three months.
The Maritime Archaeology group – comprising Justine Bulcher (Canada), Hiroshi Ishii (Japan), Faqrun Shalawat (Indonesia), Rhea Thandon (India), Lilly Magidson (USA) and Lucas Brereton (South Australia) – worked at the site with Flinders University’s Associate Professor Wendy van Duivenvoorde and senior WHS officer John Naumann.
Associate Professor van Duivenvoorde confirmed that the group did find port-associated material but further research is need to confirm whether it dates back to 1803.
Health and Safety Institute honour
Dr Valerie O’Keeffe has been made a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety. Dr O’Keeffe joined Flinders University’s Australian Industrial Transformation Institute at Tonsley in March 2020, working with industry partner BAE Systems on an Innovative Manufacturing CRC Project, titled “Accelerating the uptake and diffusion of innovative manufacturing technologies in Australian shipbuilding and supply chain: The Human Factors”.
Dr O’Keefe’s role in this project examines human factors in the adoption of advanced technologies (including robotics, end user computing, track and trace technologies and automatic guided vehicles) in designing the digital shipbuilding yard.
Also at Australian Industrial Transformation Institute, Dr Andreas Cebulla is joining the College of Business, Government and Law research group as Associate Professor – Future of Work. Other newcomers at AITI include Temitayo Abiodun as Senior Project Manager, Ryan Jang (Project Engineer), Dr Arvind Rajagopalan (Research Fellow in Robotic Engineering) and Kosta Manning (Project Support Officer).
Climate Group embarks on new projects
CASPR, the Climate and Sustainability Policy Research group based at Flinders University, has been successful in securing two seed grants in the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) recent Climate Response Seed Grant round.
CASPR – which includes experts across several Flinders colleges, including Associate Professor Cassandra Star (BGL) ; Dr Michele Jones (EPSW); Dr Claire Nettle; Dr Peter Tangney (HASS); Dr Helen McLaren (EPSW) and Associate Professor Beverley Clarke (HASS) – will be examining “Ensuring effective outcomes and implementation for climate adaptation policy: reviewing a co-designed, stakeholder-engaged, evidence-based approach to decision-making” and “Integrated assessment of local governments’ coastal adaptation planning and practice”.
The two projects included cash and in-kind contributions from external partners (Department of Environment and Water, City of Mitcham, City of Onkaparinga, City of Marion and City of Holdfast Bay, Resilient South) worth over $200,000.
International scholar joins talk with national leaders
Hannah Brimstone, who completed her studies with Flinders University this year, participated in a national event alongside some of Australia’s prominent women to explore why we need more female leaders.
Ms Brimstone presented with five other New Colombo Plan scholarship winners alongside the Hon Julie Bishop, Dr April Armstrong, Lyndall Stoyles and Professor Elizabeth Croft.
Ms Brimstone was a New Colombo Plan scholar last year, spending a semester at the Divine Word University in Madang, Papua New Guinea, before undertaking a five-week internship in the Government Relations and Social Investment team at Newcrest Mining in Port Moresby. Read more
Sharing Medical Research Future Fund success
Federal Health Minister Hunt has announced $27 million for 22 Medical Research Future Fund grants, with Flinders University having participants in two Preventative and Public Health projects.
Professor Rebecca Golley, from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is part of a team led by Queensland University of Technology which has obtained a $870,000 grant to study the “Effectiveness of an early childhood intervention to promote healthy child development and prevent chronic disease in families attending community playgroups.”
Professor Sharon Lawn, from the College of Medicine and Public Health, is part of a team led by University of Newcastle which has obtained a $1.36 million grant to study “Building the capacity of community mental health services to provide preventative care to people with a mental health condition.”
Editing role in rising journal
Dr Jeremiah Lim, a senior lecturer in College of Nursing and Health Sciences optometry teaching section, has recently been made associate editor of Clinical and Experimental Optometry. This is the official journal of Optometry Australia and has outstanding international reputation, along with a rising impact factor.
Funding to establish inclusive support framework
Professor Sarah Wendt, Dr Carmela Bastian and Dr Michelle Jones have been successful via SWIRLS research projects in gaining additional funding to work with the Aboriginal Leaders Group in South Australia.
Together, they will design an Aboriginal Outcomes Framework and practice tool to guide assessment and evaluation of intervention outcomes for Aboriginal children and their families.
The project is entitled “Safety and wellbeing of children and families: Privileging Aboriginal knowledge of outcomes” and the additional funding of approximately $300,000 will fund two Aboriginal post doc roles and three PhDs for Aboriginal candidates.