News 2008
PhD Scholarship in Ocean Wave Modelling and Marine Renewable Energy Systems
The University of Wollongong is offering an APA(I) scholarship to a full time candidate, wishing to enrol in a PhD program, starting from July 2008. The stipend for this award is $30,000 per annum for three years (tax exempt), subject to satisfactory progress.
The successful candidate will be involved in the development of a new hydrodynamic wave model to study wave interaction with an Oscillating Water Column device used to convert ocean wave energy to electricity or to desalinate seawater.
For more details, please click here.
Honour for Matt Wand
Professor Matthew Wand has been elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences, in recognition of his internationally known work in semiparametric statistics and statistical analysis for flow cytometry.
Election to the Academy is an honour that is awarded for a career that has significantly advanced, and continues to advance, the world’s scientific knowledge. [March 2008]
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AMSI Summer School 2009
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The School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics will host the 2009 AMSI Summer School and A/Prof. Jacqui Ramagge has been appointed Director.
It will be held over Jan-Feb 2009 and will mean that UOW will host a number of high profile national/international guest lecturers and about 100 Honours/Postgrad students from all over Australia. The Summer School allows Australia's best students to do courses which are not normally available in their home institutions. [March 08]
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Linkage Grant success
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Dr Mark Tranmer, University of Manchester
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Dr Robert Clark, UoW
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Prof David Steel, Prof Ray Chambers and Dr Robert Clark, Centre for Statistical & Survey Methodology, UoW and
Dr Mark Tranmer and Dr Mark Elliot of the Centre for Census and Survey Research, University of Manchester
received a grant under the Linkage International Social Sciences Collaboration between the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the UK Economic and Social Research Council, with combined funding of $390,000.
Their collaborative project aims to develop methods to better determine the impact of household structures and other groups/social networks on unemployment, poverty, educational attainment, crime victimisation and poor health.
Only Seven grants were funded nationally. [March 08]
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ANZIAM medal awarded to Jim Hill
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Professor Jim Hill was awarded the ANZIAM Medal at the annual conference held 3-7 February 2008 in Katoomba.
ANZIAM is a Division of the Australian Mathematical Society which promotes industrial and applied mathematics in Australia and New Zealand.
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The medal is the premier award of the Society and confirms Jim as one of Australia's leading mathematicians. It is also further evidence that the School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics is home to some of the best mathematicians and statisticians in the country.
The award was made for Jim's outstanding achievements in applied mathematics and services to ANZIAM. The citation, which was read out at the award ceremony, is available here.
Maths in Industry Study Group
The Mathematics and Statistics Industry Study Group held at the University of Wollongong from 28 January to 1 February investigated a range of topics including the shelf life of wine to tsunami risk modelling for Australia
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(from left) Dr Andrew Fowler (University of Limerick); Dr Jane Sexton, (Geoscience Australia); Associate Professor Tim Marchant (MISG director, UOW); and Dr Maureen Edwards, (Assistant Director, MISG)
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Industries bring a problem that they want solved to MISG, and the mathematicians and statisticians work in groups to mathematically model the processes involved. This leads to a better understanding of the problem, and, if all goes well, a solution.
The organisations attending the conference this year are Geoscience Australia, Integral Energy, New Zealand Steel, Provisor/Food Sciences Australia, Transpower New Zealand and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Details of the industry problems are available from the MISG website http://www.uow.edu.au/informatics/maths/research/misg/
and for an article by the Illawarra Mercury about MISG see http://illawarra.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/mixing-maths-and-fine-wine/1172519.html
Accreditation
Late in 2007, the School applied to the Australian Mathematical Society (AMS) for formal accreditation of its undergraduate mathematical programs. The assessor's report was very positive, and the AMS has approved the accreditation of our degrees for a five year period, 2008 – 2012 inclusive.
Some of the strengths that were identified in the report were:
- Excellent integration of modelling and computing in mathematics courses.
- A comprehensive selection of traditional and modern subject offerings.
- Student mentoring and support.
- Strong and innovative degree offerings such as the BMathFin and BMathAdv
- Good use of modern technologies in teaching and learning.
- Good gender balance among both staff and student body
A full copy of the Accreditation report can be viewed here.
Link to 2007 News
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