Faculty news (2007 semester 1)

Creating Robots That Can Swim

IT MIGHT sound like science fiction, but Deakin University senior lecturer Matthew Joordens aims to create swarms of robots that can explore the underwater world.

In June, Mr Joordens will travel to the US to develop underwater swarm robots that he hopes will be used in marine investigations in the future.  The term ‘swarm’ refers to robots that work together.  This provides back-up for a project if one robot is damaged.

Mr Joordens will work overseas on the PhD project for eight months to further develop the cutting-edge robotics technology.  A form of swarm robotics is already used in projects on the ground, but it is much more difficult to design robots that can operate cooperatively underwater.

“We can’t use radio underwater so communication is difficult,” he said.  “We can’t use Global Positioning Systems, either, so we have to be able to locate them underwater another way.”

Sonar and close range video technology have provided solutions to these problems.

“Another difficulty is that you have currents pushing the robot – it’s a bit like flying, but in a denser medium.”

Mr Joordens said he hoped to build on the underwater robots he had already created to make cooperative robots that operated without human intervention.

The robots have the potential to be used commercially on projects such as inspecting oil rigs, the bottom of boats and harbours in the future.

“The project is in its infancy, but we want to design robots that have ability to act autonomously underwater, gathering information that they can bring back to the surface.”

A specially-designed pool is being built at the University of Texas for Mr Joordens to carry out his research.  The underwater swarm robotics project is part of Mr Joordens PhD studies.  He will be assisted in his research by students at the American university.

Mr Joordens has worked extensively in Robotics and Mechatronics at Deakin University.  Diving is one of his hobbies, and he is happy to combine both of his pursuits in developing the underwater robots.

30 year anniversary celebrations in Malaysia

Deakin International in conjunction with the Faculty of Science and Technology recently held a dinner In Malaysia for Alumni members to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the University.

Held in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday 17 May 2007, at the Sao Nam Vietnamese Restaurant, the theme of the evening was 'Remembering the Good Times: Celebrating 30 Years of Deakin University'.

A Deakin International spokesperson believed that the dinner was a great night.

'The event was an outstanding success, with over 65 Deakin graduates from the years 1979 to 2006 attending, as well as Deakin staff. We were at capacity in terms of numbers. I think the Alumni enjoyed reliving many old memories during the night and catching up with old classmates.'

"We are also indebted to our sponsors for donating our door prizes and special thanks should also go out to Alumnus Mr Ronald Leong, former President of the Deakin University Alumni Malaysia, who helped to organise the event from Kuala Lumpur.'

Ms Susan Ang, Associate Lecturer and International Academic Liaison from the Deakin University School of Architecture and Building, was a guest speaker at the event.

Ms Ang spoke about her fascinating journey from an international student studying at Deakin University in the eighties to her current position as Associate Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Building.

Alumni members in attendance were given a swag of Deakin 'goodies' as a mementos, with over 20 door prizes won throughout the night.

Tracking the Powerful Owl

THE secret lives of powerful owls in parks around Greater Melbourne are set to be uncovered later this month.  Deakin University PhD student Bronwyn Isaac will monitor owls’ movements using Global Positioning System tracking technology.

The study aims to determine the size of the species’ home range along a forest to urban gradient across Greater Melbourne.  Data collected during the tracking will reveal the habitats that are important for the survival of these top order predators.  It will also expose the predator/prey relationships between the owl and its predominant prey species.

It will be the first time in Australia that GPS transmitters have been used to monitor the movements of any owl species.  Sites for the study will include highly urbanised parks, urban fringe parks and forested areas.

Ms Isaac said the study aimed to provide more accurate information on the movements of the species that is classified as ‘rare’ in Victoria and ‘threatened’ in Melbourne.

“In the past, it was thought that the powerful owl only dwelled in forested environments, but now this species is also appearing in urban environments.  The next step is to understand why they are moving into urban areas,’’ she said.

“It’s astounding that a top order predator such as the powerful owl can live in areas that have been modified so intensely.  This research will give us a better idea of the parts of that habitat that are important to them.  We are also interested in investigating why they are not breeding in urban areas.’’

Tracking began at the end of April, in which Ms Isaac attached GPS transmitters onto the owls.  It is expected to take between 12 and 18 months to gather sufficient data to investigate the owls’ movements.

Ms Isaac’s PhD research will be titled, ‘The Spatial Geology of Top Order Predators’ and most of her field research will be carried out at night when the owls are most active.

For more information, please contact Mandi O’Garretty from the Deakin University Media Unit on 5227 2776.

Sumo Robotics at Deakin

THEY weigh less than 1kg and span just 20cm, but they are still sumos, according to a Deakin University competition.

Deakin’s fourth year Mechatronics and Robotics students competed in the annual sumo robotics competition on May 21.

The robots were been built during the semester under strict specifications; they must weigh-in under 1kg, be less than 20cm x 20cm x 30 cm (tall) and cost less than $100 to build.

During the event they were placed on a sumo wrestling-style platform from which they attempted to push each other off, without falling off themselves.

Faculty of Science and Technology senior lecturer Matthew Joordens said the success of the robots depended on a range of factors.

“They need to be able to sense each other and follow each other’s movements, have the strength to push each other off, and be able to detect the edge of the arena,” he said.  “They must also be completely autonomous.”

“The students really enjoy this activity because it has got the competitive factor,” he said.

Robotics workshops for schools at Deakin

PRIMARY and secondary school students are learning to build robots that can dance and play soccer in new robotic workshops at Deakin University. Deakin University opened its new RoboCup Junior Resource Centre at its Waurn Ponds Campus on May 16 to provide workshops and the use of special robotic equipment to students and teachers. The workshops aim to build the science, technology and mathematics skills of local primary and secondary school students and help alleviate skills shortages in the engineering industry in the future by highlighting the fun and exciting possibilities of the field. Schools that will use the resource in coming weeks include Bellarine Secondary College, Christian College Highton, Kardinia International College Ocean Grove Primary School, Portarlington Primary School and Trinity College Colac. Students will use the resource room to learn to build robots that can dance and play soccer, at the same time developing their skills in science, mathematics and technology.  Schools that would not usually be able to afford the robot-building equipment will be invited to use the centre.  The workshops will prepare schools for the RoboCup Junior Victoria State Finals on 4 August.  Deakin University will host the international robotic soccer competition at its Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds. School of Engineering and Information Technology Associate Professor Abbas Kouzani said building robots provided a fun and exciting introduction to engineering. “We want to share our knowledge and experience with schools that would not otherwise be able to afford this kind of equipment and training,’’ he said. “The school students will have the chance to take part in the exciting process of building a robot, and in the process they will learn more about science, mathematics and technology.’’ The robots produced for the RoboCup competition will be programmed to move autonomously, but will also be able to interact with other robots using sensors.  Soccer-playing robots will sense the ball and other robots nearby, as they attempt to score goals. “Through this activity they will see that engineering is not too difficult, and it can be very enjoyable and rewarding.  Students will work in groups to develop their robots, and we have found that student-led projects produce more effective learning. “It is like the hands-on experience we give our undergraduate Engineering students in activities in which they create sumo-wrestling robots and build Society of Automotive Engineers race cars.’’ Assoc Prof Kouzani said the program was particularly important, given Australia’s skills shortage in the engineering industry, in which robotics skills were highly prized among employers.

Hot topics at Deakin's Hot Research Breakfast

SUSTAINABILITY and climate change were the hot topics at this year’s Faculty of Science and Technology Hot Research Breakfast.

The annual breakfast on May 4 was held to highlight the innovative research being carried out at Deakin University.

Civic, manufacturing, education and mining leaders in the Geelong community were among the guests at the event.

Associate professor Andrew Bennett, professor Craig Langston and senior lecturer Bronwyn Fox all touched upon environmental issues in speeches about their cutting-edge research.

Mr Bennett from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences drew the audience’s attention to the plight of woodland birds and the impact of landscape change on these species.

School of Architecture and Building professor Langston spoke about his studies of 30 Melbourne buildings and his new method in predicting the amount of energy different buildings would expend over the next 100 years.

Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation senior lecturer Dr Fox spoke about her work with carbon composites and their potential to make air travel safer for the environment.

The Hot Research Breakfast was held as part of the university’s Deakin Week activities.

Presentations:
Bats, birds and bandicoots: wildlife conservation and landscape change in the 21st Century (PDF - 619Kb)
The real cost of Melbourne buildings: a recent study (PDF - 2Mb)
Carbon composites: the way to reduce carbon emissions? (PDF - 1.17Mb)

Students Identify Snake Venom

TESTING venom to identify snakes was one activity that introduced school students to the real-life applications of biological science at Deakin University.

The test is a valuable tool in identifying the type of anti-venom that should be administered to a snake-bite victim.

Students from Bellarine Secondary College and Newcomb Secondary College also tested cow serum to identify the presence of tetanus antibodies as part of the VCE Immunology Workshop.

The workshop was held in cooperation between Deakin and the schools to build students’ knowledge of science and promote science as a career.

School of Life and Environmental Sciences project organiser David Cahill said the workshops aimed to introduce students to the possibilities of science.

“This project brings bright and enthusiastic young people into state of the art facilities at Deakin to see how exciting biological science can be and its relevance to every day life. These students are the next generation of active researchers whom we need to attract to Deakin,” Associate Professor Cahill said.

Bellarine Secondary College teacher Steve Benge said the workshops provided about 60 participating students with the opportunity to see how science could be used in real-life situations, using scientific equipment that they otherwise would not have access to.

“This gives students the chance to see where they could be heading after they have finished their VCE,” Mr Benge said.

“In the workshop they learn from postgraduate students who are just five years older than them, and see what they’re doing.”

The workshop also aims to develop students’ scientific investigation skills, encourage creativity and problem solving and promote higher order reasoning and critical thinking.

The Deakin University and schools initiative has been made possible through a $55,000 grant as part of the Australian School Innovations in Science, Technology and Mathematics program. Mr Benge, a Deakin University honours graduate, said he would like to see the workshops extended to other schools across the region.

 “It is great to be able to link educators in the area with research that is being done at Deakin,” he said.

The event was led by School of Life and Environmental Science (LES) technical staff and honours and post graduate student demonstrators.

Bellarine and Newcomb students will attend another workshop at Deakin University later in the year in which they will learn about DNA technology.

Deakin Students Design Robots for Industry

DEAKIN University students will have the opportunity to design robots that clean up the environment, fight fires, play music, fly or improve workplace efficiency in the new National Robotics Innovation Competition.

The robots designed by students for the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Australasia competition have the potential to be developed and implemented, if successful.

It is the first time the SAE, in partnership with the ABB Robotics Di, has run the robotics competition that will follow the format of the highly successful Formula SAE competition, in which students design racing cars.

In the robotics competition, students team up with local companies to identify a manufacturing process that could be improved with the help of robotics.  It is mainly open to final year Engineering students, but students from other years and courses are welcome to be involved in aspects including design, simulation, control, communications, electronics, marketing and accounting.

Deakin University will compete against teams from across Australia in September, with the possibility of progressing to an international level.

As part of the competition, students will present their design to a board of directors and they will be judged on cost savings resulting from the robot, innovation, environmental impact, safety, practicality of implementing change and planning.

The winning design will be used as a new case study for the ABB robot simulation package.

Engineering and IT Associate Head of School (Research) Saeid Nahavandi said the competition gave students to contribute in a wide range of areas to the design.

"There are so many aspects of this competition that are beneficial to students," Professor Nahavandi said.

"It provides an opportunity for them to work together to create something that could eventually be used in industry."

The competition also gives students the chance to collaborate with industry to learn about the potential for robotics innovations and different challenges in the workplace

A Promising Future for Deakin Students

Breanne Batten and Scott Chisholm could have a hand in the medical breakthroughs of the future after they gained places in the prestigious Science and Technology Dean's Scholars Program at Deakin University. They are two of six high-achieving students who were awarded scholarships in this year's program at the annual Faculty of Science and Technology Student Excellence Awards at Deakin University's Melbourne Campus at Burwood on Thursday, April 19. Ms Batten was awarded a Dean's Scholarship after achieving an ENTER of 96.45 in her final year at Ivanhoe Grammar School, while Mr Chisholm achieved an ENTER of 96.35, also at Ivanhoe Grammar School.  They will both receive academic mentoring, the opportunity to include an industry-based learning placement as part of her degree and a $5,000 annual stipend .  Ms Batten said the program would give her a head start in her career in medicine or medical research. "I'm interested in the human body and how it works, and I would like a career in medicine or medical research," she said.  "I enrolled in the Biomedical Science course at Deakin so that I can work in that field." She said she had been surprised with her high score after completing her VCE, although she had worked hard throughout the year. "On the morning that I found out my ENTER, I was quite shocked," she said.  "I worked hard in Year 12 because I wanted to do well and get into the Biomedical Science course." Mr Chisholm said the program would help him get a foot in the door in his career. "I applied for the program because I want to get experience working in the industry before I graduate," he said.  "The scholarship's a bonus." An enjoyment of Biology and Chemistry at school steered him towards the course in Biological Science at Deakin University. "I found that Biology and Chemistry were the subjects that I enjoyed the most and this course combines the two." Associate Professor Dineli Mather, Associate Dean (Development) within the Faculty of Science and Technology said the Dean's Scholars Program provided valuable opportunities for students during their degree. "The Dean's Scholars Program was set up to attract high-achieving students to Science and Technology courses at Deakin University," Associate Professor Mather said. "We are delighted to welcome such gifted young students to the Faculty. We will provide students in the program the support and guidance they need to reach their full potential," she said.

SECIA Presentation: What do I do with an Information Security Degree?

SECIA (Organization for E-Security Innovation & Awareness)
Invites you to attend a presentation on: What do I do with an Information Security degree?

4.30pm to 5.30pm, Thursday 26 April
Building Y, Level 2, Room 2.43
Deakin Burwood Campus
MC: Matt Warren of Deakin

Get all the information you need on the e-security industry:

• What esecurity companies do
• What graduate skills they need
• What job prospects are like in the industry over the next few years

You'll have access to experts from three great companies:

• Computer Associates - Tim Ebringer
• Virgil Technologies - Virgil Titeu
• Rusher Rogers Recruiting - Steve Rogers

Join SECIA afterwards for an informal chat over soft drinks and cookies.

Directions:

To find Building Y, enter at gate 1 off Burwood Highway. Free parking is available immediately to your left, or from 4:30pm, in the blue marked spaces to the right. Alternatively, use the parking garage at the rear of the campus.

From the Bush to the Beach

Get your hands dirty!

CLASSROOMS do not always have walls for Environmental Science students at Deakin.  Students have the opportunity to take part in a range of field courses from Phillip Island to the Grampians, where they gain first-hand knowledge about the natural world.

During the field courses, students do not only learn about their chosen field in a fun and interactive way, but also have the opportunity to meet and spend time with their classmates.

In their first year, Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Environmental Management students visit Cape Conran Coastal Park to learn about parks management issues and wildlife conservation. 

In their second year, students have the opportunity to take part in a research methods field trip to the Grampians in their second year, where they carry out experiments they have designed.

In the final year, Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Environmental Management course fieldwork opportunities culminate with a field course to the Great Otways National Park, for which students develop their own program.  This might include small mammal trapping, bird surveys and sand pad research.

Similarly hands-on opportunities are available to Marine Biology students, who travel to Phillip Island to study penguins and seals and learn about managing marine wildlife.  The one-week field course is held in the third year of the course.

In field courses in Marine Biology, second and third year students study a range of marine environments, including rocky shores, mangroves and salt marshes, measure water quality using Deakin’s collection of research and teaching boats and design and carry out their own projects.

Freshwater Biology and Management students contribute to environmental projects across Victoria in their third year field work unit.  In this unit, they work on a specific project for one week to use the practical information they have gained in their classes to assist in the management of water resources.  In the past these have included helping restore Lake Condah and studying the ecology of a wetland near Portland and estuaries in southwest Victoria.

The camps provide students with the practical knowledge and skills for their future careers.

Deakin graduate scoops two major awards

IMAGINE a hotel in Cairns that has been designed to provide a natural escape from the heat, without the use of air conditioning.  That is exactly what Deakin University graduate Cassie Southon did to win two prestigious architecture awards last week.

Cassie shared with Scott Eldridge the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) Graduate Prize for the School of Architecture and Building, 2006, at Deakin University's Waterfront Campus last week, after she designed a hotel that minimised the need for energy-consuming air conditioning systems.  She also received the Peddle Thorp Award for Design Excellence at the awards ceremony ceremony.

Cassie's design is among the award-winning work by Deakin University, University of Melbourne and RMIT graduates displayed at the Geelong Gallery until Friday, March 23. 

Her graduating design project for the five-year Bachelor of Arts (Architecture)/Bachelor of Architecture program is for the Verandah Hotel in Cairns.  The building's shape, materials, ventilation and orientation were designed to keep the hotel naturally cool.

Now working for a leading Australian architecture firm in Brisbane, she will continue designing environmentally sustainable buildings. 

"I want to focus on designing buildings that minimise the use of energy, and that are responsive to their natural environment,'' she said.

"For my thesis I aimed to design a public building in a warm climate that didn't use too much air conditioning.  It is important that buildings are a part of the larger environment.''

Cassie complemented her coursework at Deakin University with summer work at an architecture firm in Bairnsdale.

The projects ‘Three Houses (at Portland)' by her equally talented fellow student, Scott Eldridge, who shared the coveted graduation prize is also displayed at the Geelong Art Gallery.

Scott worked for one of Geelong's most imaginative architects before also taking up a lucrative position in Queensland.

Architecture and Building Head of School Judith Trimble said she is impressed by the calibre of the students' work.

She encouraged members of the public to view the exhibition of work by graduate prize-winners from all three architecture academies at the Geelong Art Gallery until Friday, March 23, and then at Deakin University's Waterfront Campus gallery on level four for two weeks.

A+B's Mentoring Program Inspires and Enlightens

THE Boost mentoring program is taking off again this year in the School of Architecture and Building, following the success of its inaugural year in 2006.

The program is divided into two categories: Boost Enlighten for new students and Boost Inspire for continuing students. In Boost Englighten students who are new to the school are mentored by Second and Third Year students. The mentors support about five students each as they begin their studies at Deakin.  This involves a networking event and informal contact throughout the year.

Coordinator and associate lecturer Susan Ang trains mentors and encourages them to keep a log book of students' concerns and issues. "In the first two weeks they have already asked questions about things like their workload, possibly combining their coursework with a part-time job, and that sort of thing," she said.

"While mentors can't do their homework for them, they can offer them some pointers, like reading ahead, not leaving their assignments until the last minute, and good coping strategies. Our mentors have volunteered to be part of the program, and I've been really impressed by their contribution."

The Boost Enlighten mentoring support is offered by the university's industry partners to students from their second year in Architecture and Built Environment courses. Allocated mentors from Boost's Registry of Professional Mentors offer guidance, support and friendship to provide students with insight into the world of practitioners and the profession.

Students studying Architecture and Built Environment courses who are interested in the program should visit the school's website at http://www.deakin.edu.au/scitech/a+b for more information.

Deakin Ignites women’s interest in Engineering and IT

INFORMATION Technolgoy sparked Sophie Nichols' interest when she was still at school. She thrived in her IT course at Deakin University and has now undertaken her PhD in creative support systems. Unfortunately, Sophie is among a minority of women who study IT or Engineering at university.

Deakin is attempting to turn that around by launching its Initiative for a Girds' Network in Information Technology & Engineering @ Deakin (IGNITED) in March. The initiative provides mentoring for female students from current students, industry leaders and academic staff. The highest-scoring VCE student entering each Engineering and IT stream at Deakin, ranging from IT Security to Robotics and Mechatronics, also received a $10,000 scholarship through the program.

Engineering and IT Head of School Kate Smith-Miles said Deakin aimed to create more awareness of the benefits of entering the industries.

"Nationally, there are less than 25% female students in IT degrees and 15% female students in engineering degrees at Australian universities. The interesting thing is that when women do embark on careers in engineering and IT, they are usually very successful, working their way into management roles very quickly. This is possibly due to the extra non-technical skills that women are often very good at, such as communication, team work, relationship building and project management."

"It is really critical that we encourage more high achieving female students to consider Engineering and IT degrees. Women represent 50 per cent of the population, and given the growing skills shortages in these industries, we cannot continue to have women so under-represented in the workforce," Professor Smith-Miles said.

Life and Environmental Sciences Melbourne Seminar Series

On Tuesday 13th March Dr Jenny Martin Lecturer in Zoology, University of Melbourne
will deliver the first seminar in The Melbourne Seminar Series run by The School of Life and Environmental Sciences, entitled:

"A tale of two sites: Behavioural ecology of the bobuck (Trichosurus cunninghami)"

These Seminars will be held regularly on Tuesdays from 1-00pm-2-00pm in Lecture Theatre 10 (LT10) on the Burwood Campus.

Program for upcoming seminars:

Wanted: Race Car Team

DEAKIN will once again line up against universities from across Australia in the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers competition this year. A team of engineering, marketing, business and IT students from all year levels is needed to help design, build and promote the Formula SAE racing car that will compete in the event. Last year's entry in the competition was displayed at Clubs and Market Day at the Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds during O-Week to entice students to take part in the event in December. Features of the car include a carbon fibre mono-cockpit and carbon fibre wheel rims. Members of this year's team will draw on their own creativity and the expertise of the world-class researchers in the Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation Centre to create a new car. This year finance students are needed for the costing element, while marketing students are needed to help promote the event. IT students will help maintain Deakin's competition website. The entry will be judged in a range of static and dynamic events, taking speed, acceleration, endurance, cost and presentation into consideration. The Formula SAE competition is held across the world and last year Deakin's entry competed in the German Formula Student competition and won the Continental AG "Most Innovative Chassis Design" award. Anyone who is interested in joining the team should email Alexander Leigh at aelei@deakin.edu.au or Ashley Richards on aprichard@deakin.edu.au.

Climate Change on the Coast

THE impact of the annual influx of tourists into coastal towns was the topic of Deakin associate professor Geoff Wescott's speech at the Sustainable Living Festival at Federation Square last month (February).

Life and Environmental Sciences professor Wescott said his speech titled Sea Change and Sustainability aimed to highlight the potential impacts caused to the coast by tourists each summer as part of the widely discussed "sea change" phenomenon.  He said the effects of day visitors were potentially more significant than the population movement of permanent residents to the coast.

"A problem is that if we were to build facilities to cater for all of the people who come for a total of, say, two weeks a year, these facilities would be left underutilised for the other 50 weeks of the year," he said.

"We might build car parks, toilet blocks, roads and shops to cope for a short time and it's costing the environment and local councils.  Places like the Surf Coast that are a day trip from Melbourne are particularly confronted by the problem."

Professor Wescott also spoke about the serious issue of rising sea levels.

"Most of the country is preoccupied with the drought, but 85 per cent of Australians are living on the coast and it is predicted that the sea level will rise by half a metre within this century.  In the event of a high tide and an offshore storm, that could become a real problem."

He said courses at Deakin that included Coastal Management units and the national Sea Change Taskforce were helping to address the issues, but more attention was needed.

"Let's hope the discussion of the impacts of climate change last well beyond when the current drought breaks," he said.

He also spoke about the issue of sea change and sustainability on SBS News.

Students Construct their Own Game

DEAKIN students will this year take the next step in the production of an exciting game that has the potential to become a marketable product in the future. The game, titled Construct, is being developed by first to third year students as part of the Information Technology (Games) course. It features five levels in which the player can travel through a cartoon landscape, space, a mystic world, a nuclear plant and a quiz show. The game started out in 2005 as a program with a basic framework that has evolved to become a complex and original audio-visual experience that includes music, narration and detailed animation. This year students will help further develop the game with different textiles, and try to port it from a pc game to one suitable for X-Box consoles. To create the game students exchanged their ideas with visitors from Singapore's Institute of Technical Education, and that collaboration will continue when another student group from ITE visits in 2007.  The Singaporean students created their own mobile phone game during the visit and contributed to the design and animation of Construct. The project aims to give Games students exposure to all aspects of games production and create highly-employable graduates. Students involved last year have already gained employment in the industry as a result of their involvement and six students have been profiled on the Federal Government's Youth Central website at www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au. The game has also been showcased at various events including the Australian Games Developers Conference at Federation Square in 2005 and Electronic Games Expo at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre in 2006. Engineering and Information Technology School lecturer Kok-Leong Ong said this year's students would help develop the game further. "We will build upon what we have done and there is still a lot of room for development. We want to take this as far as we can," Mr Ong said.

A World of Design at Deakin

ONE graduate of Deakin Architecture worked on the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium in London.  Another carried out similar work in Shanghai, and closer to home at the MCG.

Deakin will this year build on the international success our students are experiencing with the introduction of a five-year Master of Architecture degree.  It is the first time the Bachelor of Design (Architecture)/Master of Architecture format has been offered in a Victorian university.

The new program means that graduating students will leave after five years armed with a Master degree that will boost their employment opportunities, whether in Australia or overseas.

Another benefit for Deakin graduates will be the program's focus on hands-on architecture and design experience from the start of their studies.  While elsewhere students wait until their third year to learn specifically about architecture, students in the Bachelor of Design (Architecture)/Master of Architecture program will design and build their own models and respond to professional architectural briefs from day one.

The hands-on format has long been a successful part of Deakin's Architecture course.  In 2006 first year students gained an international perspective while gaining hands-on experience in one of their early assignments in which they were asked to create a model Mediterranean village building out of limestone.

By the third year of the course the small-scale designs have grown to include high-rise buildings, illustrating complex issues in architecture and design, including price, materials, energy use, aesthetics, and cultural issues.

Both the international design and major project experience are a taste of the potential the future could hold for graduates of Architecture at Deakin.

Challenging Perceptions – The Science and Engineering Challenge

STUDENTS from across the Geelong region will converge on Deakin University for the Science and Engineering Challenge on April 30 and May 1.

The region's reigning champions from the past two years, Oberon High School, will be among more than 400 students expected to compete in the event at the Waurn Ponds Campus.

During the event students will take part in science and engineering-based activities with the chance to compete against other schools Australia-wide. The challenge is held in rounds across the country before the top eight schools compete in the Grand Challenge Gold final at the end of the year. Last year, Oberon won the state final and only missed out on the national title by a narrow margin, settling for second place.  This year the college will be aiming to go one better.

The Science and Engineering Challenge was first held at University of Newcastle seven years ago to introduce students, mainly in Year 10, to the possibilities of science and engineering.  In the challenge, activities including building a catapult and crash testing model cars, aim to show students that science and engineering can be fun.

The event is held in partnership between universities, regional Rotary clubs and secondary schools.  It is also supported by community organisations including Young Scientists, Young Engineers and Engineers Australia.

For more information on the Science and Engineering Challenge at Deakin contact Natalie Quick on 5227 2367.