Celebrating success

Medieval texts create headlines, plaudits for digital arts student, artistic focus hits new notes, ag-tech pioneer celebrated, film mixes music and colour in lockdown success, uni hub wins procurement award, professor delivers coal seam gas measures, nursing students secure coveted scholarships and climate-based fiction emphasises power of science.

Medieval texts create headline news

Dr Erin Sebo

Dr Erin Sebo has stirred some international controversy with her latest research on Kingship and Maritime Power in 10th‐Century England, written with PhD student Matthew Firth and published in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. While the Royal British Navy claims that the navy was founded by King Alfred the Great, Dr Sebo and Matthew’s research proves that this is not the case. Read more >

Dr Sebo has also worked with  Dr James Kane and PhD students Cassandra Schilling and Matthew Firth on a series of pieces examining medieval isolation and its modern parallels for the ARC Centre for Excellence for the Study of the History of Emotions blog as part of the public-facing component of the CHASS-funded Exiles: Medieval Responses to Isolation Project.

Plaudits for digital arts student

The 2020 Rookies results in visual effects and entertainment design were recently released, with Flinders/CDW Studios student Jay Blencowe receiving Runner-up in Concept Art – not a small feat considering there were 3769 entries from 524 schools in 88 countries submitted. The School of the Year results, of which Flinders/CDW won the world’s number one title in 2017 and 2018, will be released in the coming weeks. Good luck to all involved.

Artistic focus hits new notes

Bestselling author Dr Sean Williams demonstrated his artistic diversity last month, releasing a six-track album of experimental music under the name ‘The Adelaidian’ with US Label Projekt Records and obtaining a development grant from the Adelaide Festival Centre.

The soundscapes comprising Dr William’s album Isolation were inspired by solitude and confinement during COVID-19 lockdown, drawing on fragment recordings he made in 1983 and transformed with present day technology. The music has been described as delicate strands that shift subtly in timbre and mood.

Dr Williams also received an inSPACE development grant with the Adelaide Festival Centre. Through this he will receive several weeks of rehearsal at the venue, technical equipment hire and a financial contribution towards his time. Work-in-progress showings of his project will be presented to an invited audience who will provide valuable feedback to help inform artistic progression. More information will be shared on this later.

Ag-tech pioneer celebrated 

Associate Professor Greg Falzon

Associate Professor Greg Falzon has won a national award at the Academy of Technology and Engineering’s Innovation and Excellence Awards. Associate Professor Falzon was presented with an ICM Agrifood Award for his contributions in creating a multi-billion dollar growth industry in precision agriculture systems through the use of artificial intelligence.

The recently commenced Flinders University professor’s achievements include developing a surveillance alert camera system to detect feral animals, creating sensor networks to manage soil moisture, and writing algorithms and software to facilitate drone-based monitoring of livestock. His work is transforming agriculture around the globe.

An Associate Professor of Precision Agriculture Systems, Associate Professor Falzon is advancing technology for the purpose of addressing food security challenges. His key research areas include artificial intelligence, data science, machine learning and software systems. His outcomes span many sectors, from cotton to dairy, grains and livestock.

Film mixes music and colour in lockdown success

Dr Nick Prescott made a short film during COVID-19 lockdown that has been selected as part of a year-long online exhibition, following its shortlisting for Brian and Roger Eno’s ‘Mixing Colours’ project.

Filmmakers from around the world were invited to make and submit short films to accompany music from the Eno brothers’ new album. Of nearly 2000 films submitted, Dr Prescott’s film, A Bokeh of Candles, was selected alongside a group of other films that will be hosted online for a year. A small selection of these will be chosen to become the official visual accompaniments to the album.

Dr Prescott’s film can be viewed below. All films shortlisted on the Mixing Colours website are available on its dedicated website.

Uni hub wins procurement award

Flinders is a member of the University Procurement Hub, which just won a national procurement award. The university, led by David Paterson in Procurement Services, worked with other universities and developer Accenture to develop the platform. The innovation is enabling Flinders University to achieve maximum efficiencies in procurement – meaning more funds for teaching, learning and research.

Flinders professor delivers coal seam gas measures

Emeritus Professor Emeritus Jorg Hacker is one of two Australian experts contributing to the largest study of methane emissions from coal seam gas operations in Queensland’s Surat Basin in Queensland.

One of Australia’s key inputs is providing airborne measurements of the emissions using the Airborne Research Australia (ARA) unique research aircraft. ARA is a not for profit research institute that grew out of Flinders University. The ARA/Flinders team works closely with scientists from the University of NSW, measuring emissions from the ground that are then analysed, interpreted and put into a larger context using a sophisticated numerical analysis scheme developed in Switzerland.

Professor Hacker is Chief Scientist and a founding director of ARA. He has been contributing to the study for two years.

Nursing students secure coveted scholarships

Winners of the 2020 Destination Australia Scholarships

Professor Robyn Aitken’s first visit to Flinders University’s Riverland campus as the new Deputy Dean, Rural and Remote Health featured the presentation of 11 first year nursing students with a Destination Australia Scholarship award.

These prized scholarships, a Commonwealth Program, are designed to attract and support students to study in regional Australia. Students each receive $15,000 every year over the three-year program. Congratulations to:

  • Jade Stewart
  • Cassidy Knight
  • Hayley Stevens
  • Joanne Good
  • Karli Falting
  • Siobhan Craig
  • Rachel Polson
  • Tayla Wainwright
  • Hannah Gregory
  • Reshika Patterson
  • Alicia Hendry

Climate-based fiction emphasises power of science  

Retiree Tony Clancy – a Flinders Bachelor of Arts graduate from the early 1980s – has released a new novel in the flourishing sub-genre of cli-fi (climate-focused science fiction). His ebook, The Rain Circle, provides sharp commentary on global climate change and how scientists can make a difference – which Mr Clancy believes is a pertinent theme on the eve of National Science Week (August 15-23).

“There’s a need for the power of science to be recognised in everyday reading,” he says. “It’s why this book places special emphasis on the possibilities that can be created through science teaching and scientific research.

“Who knows what can happen if good scientific research is allowed to flourish? My belief that climate fiction, or cli-fi, can be a way of creating greater awareness of global warming through imagining the near future. I have not painted a catastrophic picture in this novel, but an argument for giving science a chance to make a difference.

The Rain Circle, published by Fontaine Publishing, Australia, is available in e-book format.

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