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How to choose an interesting research project  To a lot of students, embarking on a final year student project in engineering can be daunting enough without also thinking up a topic for their project. Lecturers and other academics in university engineering departments often try to concoct controlled projects, having an idea about what the outcome should be. A number of projects are also very theoretical rather than industry-based or related to real life applications. It was therefore refreshing to read the article “Tiny sensors for everyday life” in the March 2010 edition of Student News. The project, undertaken by two RMIT students and a supervisor from the CSIRO ICT Centre, is directly applicable to every day life and the objects that we use daily. Last weekend I stumbled on Moora Moora, a sustainable cooperative located just outside of Melbourne, Victoria. What I thought was an interesting piece of modern art turned out to be an innovative wind turbine. However, it did not seem to function and apparently never has. I discussed with other engineers who were with me, that had we known about this community wind turbine when we were at university, attempting to get it up and running would have made a fantastic final year project. Not only would it have been directly applicable to industry and really interesting, but helping a community create a sustainable power source would have been something we would always remember. It is never too early to start thinking about your university research projects. I encourage you to approach industry partners when considering your final year project or to think up your own topic related to your interests or an area you ultimately want to work in. If you come up with a topic, you are more likely to be interested in it, will want to work on it to achieve the best outcome, and best of all, if you link it to industry it could be your foot in the door for a vacation work placement or even a graduate position. Think outside the rhombus… Carla Cher is chair of the Young Engineers Australia National Committee. |
YOUNG ENGINEERS ONLINE COMMUNITY Victoria Division: |
First year student attitudes and experiences revealed A study into the character and quality of Australian first year university students has been completed by the University of Melbourne and Griffith University. The report, funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, presents findings on the changing attitudes and experiences of first year students over a period of 15 years. Comparing students in 2009 with those in 2004, the study found that first year students in 2009 are more organised, pragmatic and focused than their 2004 counterparts. Also, students are now spending less time on campus, keeping more to themselves and being involved in fewer campus-based extra-curricular activities. The report provides recommendations for teaching and learning processes, including resolving the problem of student income support, strengthening the interactions between students and staff, and matching students to courses and institutions. The full report can be found at www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/research/FYE_Report_1994_to_2009.pdf |
Government to publish new university website The federal government intends to set up a “My University” website, according to deputy prime minister and minister for education Julia Gillard. The success of the My School website, launched in February, indicates it is time for the government to implement a similar tool for universities, she said at the Higher Education Conference in March. My University will provide information about Australia’s 39 universities in an easily accessible form for students and parents. The aim of the website will be to inform students about institutions, courses and career pathways. Some of the information that is expected to be on the website includes student to staff ratios, results of student satisfaction surveys, measures of graduate skills, graduate outcomes, fees, access to student services, and quality of teaching and learning outcomes. My University will be developed with input from the university sector and will commence in 2012. |
Tom Harvey Award for Citizenship Engineering student Nicole Kuepper has won the Australia Youth Trust’s Tom Harvey Award for Citizenship. The award, named after the inaugural chairman of the Australia Youth Trust, was presented to Kuepper for her outstanding contribution in the field of development work. Her research focuses on creating low-cost solar cells that can be manufactured cheaply and from common materials and equipment such as pizza ovens, nail polish and inkjet printers. “We’re working to simplify how the cells are manufactured so they can be produced in developing countries,” Kuepper said. She was nominated for the award by the NSW minister for science and medical research Jodi McKay. “Her work to create this revolutionary technology could lead to having cheaper, cleaner and greener energy more easily available for those living in developing countries,” McKay said. Kuepper is in her final year of her PhD, studying at the Australian Research Council Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence at the University of New South Wales. |
Engineering masters programs accredited The University of Sydney’s Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies has had two of its masters programs accredited. The Master of Project Management (www.pmgp.usyd.edu.au/) was accredited by the Project Management Institute of the US in March. The accreditation demonstrates that the program meets global standards in project management education, according to the University of Sydney. The Master of Professional Engineering (www.chem.eng.usyd.edu.au/postgrad/MPE.shtml) received provisional accreditation from Engineers Australia in January. Full accreditation may be offered after the first students graduate from the program. |
James Dyson Award finalists Thirteen student finalists have been selected for the 2010 Australian Design Awards - James Dyson Award (ADA-JDA). The award aims to highlight projects from tertiary students of design and engineering in Australia and requires the end product to not only look good, but also be innovative and make good use of technology. James Dyson, after whom the award is named, said: “Design is not just about how something looks, but how it works. I don't see a difference between a designer and an engineer, and I don't want to see a difference. A designer should be both.” Among the finalists’ projects were a fire reconnaissance vehicle, a heart transportation system, and a “kegless” carbonated beverage dispenser. Details of each of the projects can be found on the Australian Design Awards website (http://student.designawards.com.au/). Each of the projects were assessed by a panel of six industry experts on six criteria: innovation; visual/emotional appeal; functionality; quality and manufacture; human factors (ergonomics, semantics and safety); and environmental sustainability. An additional “Dyson” criterion was used to assess whether each project was both designed and engineered well and whether there was a need for the end product in its respective marketplace. The winner of the award will be announced at the Australian International Design Awards ceremony in Sydney on 4 June. |
After-hours support for overseas students Ten Australian educational institutions have signed up to be part of a national after-hours Student Assistance Hotline that will allow overseas students in Australia access to personal after-hours support regardless of whether they are on or off-campus. The hotline is the initiative of Mondial Assistance. Dr Brett Robinson, the company’s CEO, said the company worked with education institutions to develop the hotline. “We are providing an after-hours service where overseas students can find help and someone to talk to when they don’t know where else to go,” Robinson said. Each education institution participating in the hotline has one specific and dedicated 1800 number that its international students can call after hours when the institution’s services are unavailable. Australian education institutions currently involved in the hotline are Bond University, Think Education, Victoria University, the University of Newcastle, Navitas English, Swinburne University of Technology, James Cook University, La Trobe University, the University of Southern Queensland and John Paul College. |
Space Engineering Prize University of Sydney student Daniel Wilson has been awarded the 2009 Space Engineering Thesis Prize for his thesis titled “A low cost autopilot for small unmanned aerial vehicles”. The prize, run by the Engineers Australia National Committee on Space Engineering, aims to encourage undergraduate interest in space engineering, enhance knowledge and application of space engineering disciplines, and also encourage academic participation. Wilson completed his thesis project under the supervision of Dr Ali Haydar Goktogan from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR). The project focused on providing a low cost alternative to existing large and expensive unmanned aerial vehicle autopilots, while being capable of autonomous waypoint navigation. A successful test flight was conducted at the ACFR test area in Marulan, New South Wales. Similar autopilots are used in hypersonic test vehicles, launch vehicles and spacecraft platforms. |
Graduate development programs to address skills shortage Professor James Trevelyan and Sabbia Tilli of the University of Western Australia believe that the existing shortage of engineers in Australia could be fixed through better use of graduate development programs. They said there is no shortage of engineering graduates, but many leave the profession and seek employment elsewhere. They found significant dissatisfaction among graduates about the graduate development programs offered by their employees. There is a gap between graduates’ expectations and the reality of the workplace eliminating this gap will address skill shortages, they said. They are developing a new approach to graduate training with the aim to reshape graduates’ perceptions and beliefs about engineering practice. According to Trevelyan and Tilli, this will allow graduates to reach higher levels of competence much faster and eliminate the disappointment experienced by young engineers in their early careers. Further information about the research, including a three-year study of graduate engineers, can be found on the project website (www.mech.uwa.edu.au/jpt/pes.html). |
Engineering student awarded scholarship University of New South Wales engineering student Pallavi Gosain has been awarded the Order of Australia Association Foundation Scholarship. The scholarship was created to provide assistance to outstanding students who show potential as future leaders in their field of study, who are involved in their community, and who will be an asset to the nation in future years. The scholarship is for $40,000 and also matches awardees with high-profile mentors. Gosain will be mentored by Dr Robert Frater, vice-president of innovation at ResMed and a former CSIRO deputy chief executive. Gossain has maintained a high-distinction average during her double degree in chemical and biomedical engineering, and has been invited by the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering to join its Elite Student Program. Gossain said her goal as a biomedical engineer is to develop new pharmaceutical products and better biocompatible materials for surgical procedures. “I aspire to work with organisations that can bring pharmaceuticals, immunisation programs and treatments to underprivileged communities,” she said. She has worked to raise funds for Unicef and the Salvation Army and also plans to work in developing communities overseas with the organisation Engineers Without Borders. |
Aerospace conference The Australian Youth Aerospace Association is hosting a two-day conference called Aerospace Futures. Aerospace Futures will be held on 29 to 30 June at the Rydges resort, Southbank, Brisbane. It will cover the latest developments in the aerospace industry, including what organisations are involved and what job opportunities are available. This year’s program includes presentations from NASA, Boeing and Google. A full program of the conference and the online application to attend is available at www.aerospacefutures.com.au. Applications are due by 1 May. The conference costs $120 to attend and includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea on both days. |
Engineering Leadership Conference Young Engineers Australia (YEA) and the Centre of Engineering Leadership and Management (CELM) will present the 2010 Engineering Leadership Conference on 5-7 May 2010 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Student rates and mentoring packages are available for Engineers Australia members. More information is available at http://www.engineeringleadership.org/register.asp. For more information about finding a mentor, contact yea@engineersaustralia.org.au. The conference will deliver a dynamic and thought provoking combination of high profile speakers and challenging presentations appealing to experienced engineering leaders and those transitioning into leadership roles. The conference will cover leadership in business, leadership in the environment and community, and pathways to leadership. Further information about the conference can be found on their Website, LinkedIn or Facebook. |
Leadership conference mentor package available Power Project Engineering is offering a free conference registration to a young engineer to attend the Engineering Leadership Conference 2010 as part of a Mentoring Package. Click here for more information and for details of the nomination criteria. |