The second half of the academic year has been as industrious as the first for the Faculty. For those of you who use Symonds Street you may have noted the visible construction work on the exterior of Building 402, this is part of the Library redevelopment which continues to progress and take shape.

The Dean’s Lecture Series was reintroduced in June; to date Professor Ian Collins, Department of Engineering Science; Professor Zoran Salcic, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Professor Dong Chen, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering have presented an array of interesting lectures from Algrbraic-Geometry to Dirt, to Embedded Systems - Challenges and Roadmaps to Food Engineering - An Advancing Branch of Chemical Engineering.

Inline with this PhD Public Lectures have been a feature, with lectures from Kelly Burrowes, An Anatomically-Based Mathematical Model of the Human Pulmonary Circulation and David Simunic, Biomechanical Factors Influencing Disruption of the Intervertebral Disc.

The Faculty has been very active in meeting its prospective students this year, during August in particular. The first event was the Coca-cola Careers Expo – a four day affair at the Auckland Showgrounds. The

expo is the largest of its kind in the country and attracts over 30,000 visitors – including secondary school senior students looking at making decisions about their future. This year the Formula SAE Team were in attendance with their Race Car proving a magnet for students. The Faculty held Engineering Futures Evenings in Rotorua, Whangarei and Hamilton for interested parents and students to learn more about the Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree, University Life and the Career/Employment opportunities a BE affords. And a Faculty representative has attended Course Planning days at Auckland Secondary Schools. The culmination of these events was The University of Auckland’s Courses and Careers Day, which was considered by all to be a stunning success, with the largest attendance of prospective students and parents ever. The School of Engineering Building was once again a hive of activity with interactive Departmental displays and lectures presented throughout the day.

In September the Faculty acquired and unveiled a new painting, “Karanga”, which a number of you may have had the opportunity to admire during the ‘…5’ Reunion Weekend and Annual Alumni Dinner. The Atrium was again dressed as the venue for the Faculty of Engineering Annual Alumni Dinner, the gala event to the ‘…5’ Reunion Weekend. I believe I share the feelings of all those who were present in saying I thoroughly enjoyed socialising with Alumni who attended the Cocktail Function on the Friday evening and the Dinner on the Saturday night. From the enthusiastic accounts I understand the various tours around the University campuses and the old Ardmore campus provided the occasion to revisit the past and experience developments of the present. Details and photos of the painting and ‘…5’ Reunion Weekend can be located further in this newsletter.

September was also the month in which the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) programme was officially launched with guests Professor Bill Oakes a Co-Director of EPICS at Purdue University and John Spencer, Manager University Relations at Microsoft Research USA in attendance. The University of Auckland is the first university outside of the US to run the programme). Spring Graduation was the occasion for 121 graduates in

Engineering to have their degrees and diplomas conferred. It also honoured two individuals associated with engineering in different ways, Peter Menzies and Neil Kirton for their distinguished service to the University. Research work of our postgraduate students was displayed in poster format for students, supervisors, Engineering staff and industry in the 4th Annual Beca Postgraduate Poster Competition.

October proved to be an eventful month celebrating the achievements of a number of our students. Three of our Part IV students were awarded the Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ) Award for Best Practical Work Report; the awards are open to engineering students throughout the country. The Faculty held its second annual Scholarships Function in the newly completed Deans Suite this year, providing the opportunity for Industry, Scholarship recipients and Staff to socialise in an informal setting.

November will see the Golden Graduates – those who graduated more than 50 years ago – Function and tour of the Engineering School and Campus, it is always a delight to welcome back Alumni.

As I write this, students are sitting their final exams of the year ; the building has an air of quiet determination. They will then disappear to start their summers of engineering practical work. During this period the Academics will look to focus on their research.

In looking forward; next year marks the Faculty of Engineering’s Centennial Year (1906 – 2006), there will be various functions held throughout the year to celebrate this historic milestone, culminating in a Centennial Dinner in November 2006.

I thank you for your interest and support of the Faculty; your involvement in our world is always welcomed.

Best wishes for the holiday season.

Professor Peter W. BrothersDean of Engineering

FROM THE DEAN

ENgiNEERiNg AluMNi NEws

NuMbER 10, DEcEMbER 2005

EXcEllENcE iN ENgiNEERiNg AwARDsThe Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE) awarded two firsts and two highly commended awards to University staff at its recent awards banquet in Sydney. Dr Gerard Rowe (Electrical Engineering) won the teaching and learning category, adding to more than 16 teaching awards he has earned during his career from the faculty, the University, and in 2004 a national (NZ) Tertiary Excellence Teaching Award.

Te Kipa Kepa Morgan (Associate Dean Maori, Faculty of Engineering) was the winner of the Excellence in Inclusive Practice Category for his work to increase the participation of Maori in the profession of engineering.

Associate Professor Neil Broom (Chemical and Materials Engineering) won a highly commended award in the teaching and learning category while the Electrical Engineering team (Chris Smaill, Colin Coghill, Dr Abbas Bigdeli and Professor John Boys) behind OASIS Online Assessment System with Integrated Study was highly commended in the excellence in curriculum innovation category.

ROYAl sOciETY AwARDProfessor John Boys was awarded the prestigious Pickering Medal at the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Science Honours Dinner in Wellington recently.

“I’m delighted to receive this award, it’s really satisfying to be acknowledged by my scientific and engineering peers,” says Professor Boys from the University’s Faculty of Engineering.

Professor Boys won the award for excellence and innovation in the practical application of technology after pioneering inductively coupled power transfer where he has managed to transfer power across large air-gaps for commercial use.

“We’ve always known that you can transfer power across air gaps but for the past 100 years everybody has believed that it is impossible to transfer enough power to be able to operate something substantive such as a conveyor or a lift, and transfer it across a practical air-gap that can be a part

of a normal manufacturing process.”

After years of research, Professor Boys managed to develop technology that was able to provide and control sufficient power to operate equipment without wires at power levels of up to 100 kW.

Proving a huge success, the technology is now used to power lighting on roads and in tunnels, in car manufacturing plants, and in Clean Rooms for manufacturing micro-chips and LCD displays. It is also patented in the US, Europe, Japan, Korea and Australasia.

Professor Boys is currently trying to develop the technology further to reduce its cost and increase its performance.

“The goal is to make the technology cost competitive with wired systems while retaining all of the advantages of an inductively coupled system,” says Professor Boys.

The annual Science Honours Dinner, organised by the Royal Society of New Zealand, is held to promote excellence in science and technology.

Congratulations John.

PREsTigiOus scHOlARsHiP TO cAMbRiDgEDavid Delamore is one of two Auckland students to have been awarded a prestigious Woolf Fisher Scholarship to study for his doctorate at Cambridge University.

David Delamore will finish a Bachelor of Engineering specialising in Mechanical Engineering this year along with a Certificate in Arts, majoring in French. He will undertake his PhD research at Cambridge with Dr Jim Platts.

David hopes to research the design of next-generation wind turbines. His goal will be to develop innovative wind turbines with greatly improved efficiency and to site them off-shore where visual and noise pollution are less of a problem.

The Woolf Fisher Trust is a New Zealand-based organisation established by Sir Woolf Fisher in 1960. It recognises and rewards excellence in education.

The Woolf Fisher Scholarship, tenable at either Oxford or Cambridge, is worth

around $100,000 a year. Holders receive a maintenance allowance of $30,000 per year, full payment of their university and college fees, and an annual return airfare from London to New Zealand.

Normally three scholarships are awarded but this was increased to four for 2006 because the selection panel could not separate the best of the nine short-listed candidates. The other two winners are from the University of Canterbury.

FONTERRA DAiRY sciENTisT wiNs PREsTigiOus AwARDFonterra dairy scientist Dr Peter Munro FRSNZ has become the sixth New Zealander to win the American Dairy Science Association’s highest research and development award for his contribution to the industry.

Dr Munro, Fonterra Dairy Cooperative Group’s general manager planning and integration, was presented the 2005 Danisco (formerly called Marschall Rhodia) International Dairy Science Award in Ohio, USA.

The award, established in 1980, recognises outstanding accomplishments in research and development outside the USA and Canada in chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, technology or engineering in the dairy foods industries.Fonterra’s Director of Innovation Bob Major says the award is a tribute to Dr Munro’s outstanding contribution to the

REcENT AwARDs AND scHOlARsHiPs

Dr Peter Munro

New Zealand dairy industry and to dairy science internationally.

A graduate of The University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) in Chemical and Materials Engineering, Dr Munro completed his doctorate at University College, University of London in 1976. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (UK) and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology.

In 1996, he was appointed an Honorary Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering, at The University of Auckland, and in 1998 Adjunct Professor, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University.

TOP scHOlARsHiP FOR TOP sTuDENTGareth Ferrari, undertaking research to examine the aerodynamics of a wind turbine blade, is among The University of Auckland’s nine outstanding researchers awarded national Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarships by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).

Gareth, who is studying towards a PhD in the Faculty of Engineering, is attempting to better understand what happens to a wind turbine blade when hit by New Zealand’s turbulent wind.

“Most blades on existing New Zealand wind farms are imported from European countries with smoother wind than ours so the blades and turbines are not necessarily designed for New Zealand’s turbulent conditions,” says Gareth.

His research into a design specifically for New Zealand’s wind, may lead to more durable and reliable wind turbines being built to better suit our local weather conditions.

Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarships are designed to support research at PhD level in all disciplines, and increase the supply of highly trained researchers and highly skilled graduates by supporting the top ten per cent of doctoral candidates.

Gareth says it is wonderful to receive the scholarship as it will assist him financially over the next three years while he completes his research.

The Minister of Finance, the Hon. Dr.

Michael Cullen, announced the Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarships at The University of Auckland with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, also on hand to congratulate Gareth and the University’s eight other PhD students on their outstanding achievement.

“These are very prestigious scholarships and competition for them among the leading minds in the country is extremely strong,” said Professor Stuart McCutcheon.

“We are immensely proud of their success. The scholarships will support research that has potential to make a significant contribution to the generation of new knowledge internationally, and to directly benefit New Zealand.”

University of Auckland PhD students won nine of the 40 Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarships awarded nationally. They will receive a combined total of $780,000, enabling them to work with leading researchers at The University of Auckland, enhance their skills and further their research.

NEw iNsTiTuTE will TAcklE AucklAND’s ENERgY AND iNFRAsTRucTuRE PROblEMsThe University of Auckland launched the Institute of Earth Science and Engineering in late November in an effort to help solve Auckland’s infrastructure problems and deal with national issues of energy supply and distribution.

The Institute will have a particular focus on Auckland. The region’s unique location on an isthmus and an active volcanic field increases the likelihood that natural hazards such as earthquakes or eruptions will affect the city’s infrastructure lifelines.

A joint initiative between the Faculties of Engineering and Science, the Institute was launched on Friday 25 November at the conclusion of the Underground Auckland symposium at the School of Engineering.

The Underground Auckland symposium highlighted many of the infrastructure problems which the Institute will work to resolve, including: ground collapses during earthquakes, Auckland’s limited aggregate

resources for future construction, potential ground water contamination and storm water management.

In addition to this geotechnical research, the Institute will investigate ways of satisfying the increasing demand for sustainable electricity. It also aims to find solutions to the alarming rise in the demand for transport fuels and hopes to develop innovative ways to search for new petroleum reserves.

University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon says the Institute will build on the expertise and experience currently spread across the Faculties of Science and Engineering.

“The Institute of Earth Science and Engineering has been formed to generate the world-class research required to solve key homegrown issues.

“In New Zealand, and in particular Auckland as its largest city, we face critical issues relating to infrastructure and energy. We need to ensure that our construction is safe and efficient, that our infrastructure lifelines are adequately protected from natural hazards, and that the growing demand for energy is properly managed.”

The University is committing $600,000 over the next two years to the Institute which will work closely with other agencies, including the Government, local authorities, Crown Research Institutes, the private sector and overseas research bodies.

The Institute will be managed by a Governance Board and an internationally recruited Advisory Board of industry professionals. Advertising for the Institute’s Director will begin shortly.

Gareth Ferrari winner of Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarship

HUGE CONTRIBUTIONS SALUTED

Two individuals associated in different ways with engineering were honoured at the Spring Graduation for their distinguished service to the University.

Peter Menzies, chairman of the board of Auckland UniServices Ltd and a member of the University Council, was made a Fellow of the University. He is only the sixth person to be acknowledged in this way.Neil Kirton, a staff member of the Faculty of Engineering for more than 40 years, received an honorary Master of Engineering degree. Excerpts from citations read by the Public Orator, Professor Vivienne Gray, appear below.

PETER MENZIES

Peter Menzies is …an engineer with a masters degree in Engineering from the University of Canterbury. He is probably best known in the community as chief executive of the Mainzeal Group and a past chairman. He has made his unique and valuable contribution to our enterprise as a member of The University of Auckland Council, the governing body of the University …but more particularly as a member of the board, and then as chairman of the board, of UniServices.Engineering applies scientific and mathematical principles to practical ends such as the design, manufacture and operation of efficient and economical structures, machines, processes and systems. Peter Menzies’ background in such discipline and profession, combined with

his background in business, made him an ideal appointment to the board of directors of UniServices in 1996 and then an ideal successor to its chair in 1999. [W]hereas at the time of his appointment, it generated revenue of some $25 million, in the time he was on the board that sum increased to over $70 million. He also helped build our reputation as a reliable supplier of services and a long-term business partner …Engineers have long been a feature of the government of this University and Peter Menzies continues this tradition. When he was appointed to Council in 1999 he replaced Dr John Hood, who also happened to be an engineer, and who became the Vice-Chancellor. This was not too long after the Vice-Chancellorship of Sir Colin Maiden, who was … yet another engineer. Fortunately – you might say rather, inevitably, naturally – the engineers have all been no less than excellent. The University found Peter Menzies especially attractive because of the business experience he had acquired in the course of his profession as an engineer.

NEIL KIRTON

The University is made up of various types of people. One is the fellowship of academic staff who teach and research into subjects as various as engineering and art history, geology and classics. Another is the group of technicians and administrators and other that support research and teaching, whose talents also cover many fields. Neil Kirton contributed to the Engineering Faculty as a member of this group of staff for over 40 years.He has been called Technician, Personal Assistant, Administrative Officer, Paymaster and Purchase Officer. One word, it seems, was insufficient to describe the many capacities of the man. He was with you

from 1942-1984, from the times when Professor Leech led the School through to the times of Professor Meyer. He was here when you were accommodated in the tin shed by the old Physics building. He was with you when Professor Leech moved you to Ardmore against your will in 1948. Neil Kirton supervised the building of the laboratories around the old parade ground in the plywood and timber hangars at the old airfield at Ardmore, and the creation of the library out of seven dilapidated huts used in the Pacific Islands by US troops. He got the services up and running. He was still with you when he returned from Ardmore in 1969 to the grander School of Engineering that you now occupy.It is in his contribution to the Ardmore years that is remembered best. There he developed the expertise he had in an earlier life when he had been a radio operator in the Merchant Marine and he gave technical advice and support to the research projects of students and staff. He indeed exposed himself to danger for the good of Professor Leech, who had many ideas relating to military matters in those war years and carried out experiments involving novel ways to use explosives for “non-standard” ends. One of these was a commission to produce “offensive inundations” by means of TNT, in order to swamp Pacific atolls being held by Japanese in the Second World War …Histories of universities are mostly written in terms of what professor achieved or the higher echelons of management administration. With this honorary degree in Engineering we recognise a member of the general staff who ga ve long and distinguished service to the School of Engineering, and thereby to the whole discipline and profession of engineering.

sPRiNg gRADuATiON

Peter Menzies

Neil Kirton

The Faculty of Engineering held its ‘…5’ Reunion Weekend and Annual Alumni Dinner - which gathered graduates of the Faculty of Engineering from all years ending in 5 and the graduates of Ardmore - affectionately known as ‘Ardmorians’ - over the weekend of September 9 - 11, 2005. Although primarily aimed at ‘….5’ year graduates and Ardmorians as a chance to reacquaint themselves with old friends and as an opportunity to showcase the innovative developments within the Faculty of Engineering, all graduates were in fact encouraged to attend, along with valuable corporate stakeholders and others who have assisted in the development and success of the Faculty of Engineering over the years.

The weekend began with a Cocktail and Registration Reception on the Friday evening hosted by the Dean of Engineering, Professor Peter Brothers. At the cocktail function guests mixed and mingled, viewed the historical photographic display and

enjoyed drinks and nibbles whilst listening to musical accompaniment provided by Robbie Ellis on the piano. The highlights of the Cocktail Function were both the attendance of Robert Foster, a 1935 Graduate, who is 91 years young, and the display of the race car put on by the successful Formula SAE team.

The Annual Alumni Dinner was the gala event of the ‘...5’ Reunion Weekend and was on the Saturday evening, September 10. The dinner was held in the atrium, in what is the student common area and cafeteria by day, but which was suitably transformed into a milieu in which to enjoy the sumptuous three course dinner, accompanied by fine wine and background music courtesy of the trio, The Flying Shards, from the School of Music. The dinner provided the opportunity for guests to meet the new Vice-Chancellor of The University of Auckland, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, who was also the guest

speaker. Guests also heard from the Dean of Engineering, Peter Brothers, whilst Faculty of Engineering Registrar Keith Willson MC’ed the event. In total over 250 guests joined us for a memorable evening of wonderful food and musical entertainment, with a feature of the event being a musical medley by accomplished accordion player and School of Music student Chelsey Mayes.

The dinner provided the occasion to formally award the prestigious Ardmore Fund Undergraduate Scholarships for 2005. The Ardmore Fund was established by students from the Auckland University College School of Engineering at Ardmore. The award is made to students of high academic achievement who exemplify the camaraderie, school spirit and values representative of “The Ardmore Years”.

Interviews for the Ardmore Fund Undergraduate Scholarships were held earlier in the year, and the standard of the candidates was so high that this year three scholarships were awarded, two traditional Ardmore Fund Undergraduate Scholarships and a third new Auckland University Engineers Association (AUEA) sponsored scholarship, provided generously by Des Mataga and the AUEA.The three successful students, Nanda Surendran, Daniel Tombleson and Neil Menzies attended the dinner along with their families and were honoured with a special presentation of their scholarships.

Scholarships, like this one, are utilised to better the learning experiences of students at the Faculty of Engineering. Financial assistance is truly valuable for students and assists them in becoming successful young New Zealand engineers. Our thanks to John Duder, and Ardmore Fund Advisory board and Des Mataga, and the AUEA board, for their continued support and generosity.

A number of tours were available to the Reunion Weekend attendees, which were

a chance for an interesting trip down memory lane for the past students, as well as an exciting showcasing of the many new developments and innovative research projects within the Faculty. On the Saturday morning, guests enjoyed a relaxed, yet informative, tour of The University of Auckland city campus facilities, including recently developed amenities such as the Kate Edger Student Commons and the Fale Pasifika. After a break for morning tea the tour moved onto specific Faculty of Engineering amenities, with guests enjoying tours of the new Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and facilities, the Manufacturing Systems lab within Mechanical Engineering and the newly developed Research Centre for Surface and Materials Science.

Whilst on Sunday, after the Annual Dinner, a few hardy souls managed to set the alarm on time in order to attend the tour which encompassed ‘something old, something new’. The Sunday tour began with a trip

out the old Ardmore campus, which is now the Ardmore Flying School and Airport, where guests got to view the old Ardmore barracks and get up close and personal with a Spitfire. The tour then moved onto the new Tamaki campus and the latest research developments out there, including a visit to the Formula SAE workshop and the Centre for Advanced Composite Materials.

The ‘…5’ Reunion Weekend and Annual Alumni Dinner was an impressive and successful event, thoroughly enjoyed by all. We would like to thank all those who attended, especially those who flew in from overseas, and made it such a memorable event. Guests who attended the ‘…5’ Reunion Weekend will be receiving a commemorative CD with photos of the various events and tours. Furthermore, those who participated in the weekend’s events are already looking forward to the events being planned for the 2006 Centennial celebrations.

‘…5’ REuNiON wEEkEND AND ANNuAl AluMNi DiNNER

Graduates from 1954 to 1957

Guests enjoying the Dinner

Pre-dinner drinks in the Atrium

2006 cENTENNiAlYESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW

We are proud to announce that 2006 is the Centennial Year for the School of Engineering at The University of Auckland

To celebrate this significant occasion, centennial events will be occurring throughout the year, both here in New Zealand, and overseas. These celebrations include functions, historic displays, lectures, appeals, and opportunities to visit and tour The University of Auckland, and the School of Engineering.

The gala event of the 2006 Centennial year will be the Centennial Reunion Weekend and Annual Dinner, which is scheduled to be held on 24-26 November 2006. The Centennial Reunion Weekend will begin with a Cocktail Function on the Friday night (24th November). In addition, various other celebrations, tours and events will be occurring over the weekend. The weekend will culminate with the main occasion; the Centennial Dinner, which will be held in the evening on Saturday 25th November.

You will be receiving a programme early in 2006 with further details about this event and other planned celebrations. We are making a determined effort to bring all Alumni together. Please help us to contact lost Alumni and we will endeavor to help you contact lost friends .

Please ensure that you keep your contact details up-to-date, so that we can send you further information about the School of Engineering’s Centennial Celebrations. If you would like to assist with some of the Centennial events, please feel free to get in touch with us, we welcome your input and support.

Sharon AndersenExternal Relations Manager School of Engineering Ph 64 9 373 7599 Ext 88225 Mobile 021 689 333 Email s.andersen@auckland.ac.nz

usA AluMNi VisiT

In June the Dean, Professor Peter Brothers, visited the United States of America, whilst there he met a number of Faculty of Engineering Alumni.

One event he attended was a Dinner held

in his honour at Le Jardin restaurant in Los Angeles, California, organised by Ngo minh Triet.

NEw ART iNsTAllATiON

A number of you may have had the opportunity during the ‘…5’ Reunion Weekend and Annual Alumni Dinner to admire our new piece of art installed in the main foyer of the School of Engineering Building.

As the plaque notes, the painting - an acrylic on hardboard work - is titled “Karanga” and was painted by Hinerangitoariari (Winifred Belcher) in 1990. The custodial owners are Ngāti Whātua and it was previously displayed at the Aotea Centre. It was removed from the Aotea Centre when it was remodelled. Due to significant efforts by Kepa Morgan, Associate Dean (Māori), the Faculty has been fortunate enough to secure the loan of the painting.

“Karanga” was unveiled and blessed at a ceremony on the 2 September 2005 in the main foyer of the School of Engineering Building. Faculty staff, Hinerangitoariari and members of her family were in attendance.The Dean of Engineering, Professor Peter Brothers said “the painting has significant Maori cultural references and meaning; I also think it a fine work in aesthetic terms, and am delighted it is here”.

The University of Auckland and the Faculty of Engineering would like to acknowledge the generosity of Ngāti Whātua, the Auckland City Council, the artist Hinerangitoariari, her father, an electrical engineer and her brother, a graduate of the Faculty of Engineering.

AluMNi EVENTs

L-R: Dao kim Chung, Angela Rosati (Advancement in the US and UK, The University of Auckland), Dean

Professor Peter Brothers, Ngo minh Triet, Khe (Triet’s wife), Tu (Pham phan Long’s wife), Long.

‘Karanga’ Painting Unveiling

L-R: Daniele Le Cong Hoai Vong, Huong (Daniele’s daughter in law), Tran huu The.

Photographs by Dao kim Chung.

PlAsTics cENTRE AwARDED $5 MilliON bY gOVERNMENT

The Government has awarded up to $5 million in funding to the Centre for Plastics Innovation and Technology, an initiative of The University of Auckland in collaboration with Plastics New Zealand.

The project, which aims to advance New Zealand’s plastics industry, will provide a world-class innovation centre for developing advanced polymeric materials, industry specific research, graduate and industry training, and application of leading-edge technologies in plastics processing and manufacturing.

The funding will be provided under the Government’s Partnerships for Excellence scheme, with the Government matching dollar-for-dollar up to $5 million in funds raised by the plastics industry.

University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon welcomed the Government’s decision, saying the Centre will meet a national need.

“The combined turnover of the New Zealand plastics industry and the polymer composites sector exceeds $3 billion. While this is significant, the plastics business globally exceeded $800 billion at the end of 2002.

“Plastics New Zealand has developed a framework for advancing the sector over the next 8-15 years to make it more competitive internationally by growing turnover to $4 billion, increasing exports, initiating training and establishing a ‘centre of excellence’. The Centre for Plastics Innovation and Technology will play a pivotal role as this ‘centre of excellence’ and the plastics industry has committed $5 million of funding to the centre.”

Plastics New Zealand Chief Executive Robin Martin says the centre’s formation is probably the biggest event in the plastics industry’s recent history.

“We are really excited at the opportunities the centre will create for our industry, which supplies a range of finished products and components to agriculture, horticulture, fishing, IT, home appliances, food and beverage, and construction, just under half of which is exported, either directly or

indirectly.

“The ability to direct and co-ordinate research into new products and processes is critical to our growth strategy. Our industry needs to assist in developing tertiary education opportunities in polymer science and process engineering to support the technical and managerial skills of graduates. The creation of a hub for this activity at the Tamaki Campus will focus the resources we are now able to apply, not only for the benefit of our industry, but for the New Zealand economy as a whole.”

Located at the University’s Tamaki Campus and working in association with the Centre for Advanced Composite Materials, the Plastics Centre will feature close collaboration between academics and industry.

Professor Debes Bhattacharyya, Director of the Centre for Advanced Composite Materials and a principal applicant of this proposal, said the Plastics Centre would house not only University of Auckland researchers, but also involve collaboration with researchers from other tertiary institutions, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) and industry, making it an invaluable national resource.

“Plastics training, research and development are currently uncoordinated activities in New Zealand, with a number of tertiary institutions providing education at various levels, a few universities and Crown Research Institutes involved in research, and commercial enterprises competing for business as individual companies.

“For the New Zealand economy to grow at a rate that the Government has publicly called for, the productivity of the manufacturing sector needs to progress significantly further than it has done in recent years. This can only be achieved through the development of a concerted approach from industry, government and university researchers.”

Professor Bhattacharyya said that while the local plastics industry had shown considerable resilience and growth, there were significant gaps in areas including research and development, training, product development, performance evaluation and prototyping. “These gaps are becoming more obvious as New Zealand moves to secure free trade relationships with Asian nations, such as China, which have advanced research

capabilities in the polymers sector.

“Other issues such as higher customer expectations, short lead times and the need to meet environmental standards, call for the development of new raw materials and advanced processing technologies.”

A dedicated centre of excellence for training, research and development will make it easier to build international relationships and help attract top international researchers and lecturers, as well as entice leading expatriate academics to return to New Zealand, Professor Bhattacharyya said.

“This will help reduce the catch-up phase required for New Zealand to become a competitive player on the global stage.”

Professor Graham Bowmaker, Head of the Department of Chemistry, said the very welcome development recognised the strength and depth of polymer research capability in the university that has already resulted in strong collaborations between researchers in Chemistry and the Faculty of Engineering.

The centre’s research will focus on development and application of leading-edge technologies (polymers and processes) to grow industry capability. It will draw strongly on University of Auckland researchers who are recognised as experts in polymer research.

Government and industry grants worth a total of more than $25 million have been awarded to the University over the past five years for research in the areas of advanced composites and conducting polymers.

The centre’s education and training roles will focus on up-skilling technicians, chemists and engineers to support the changing requirements of the industry, and also provide a central place for the development of management and entrepreneurial expertise.

The Institute will be led by a Director, who is yet to be appointed, and overseen by an Industrial Advisory Board comprising representatives from partner organisations.

AwARDs

HANDs-FREE RObOT scOOPs ENTRE-PRENEuRsHiP cHAllENgE A university-based business developing a fully autonomous robotic driver has sped away with the top prize in Spark’s $40K Entrepreneurship Challenge.

At the annual prize-giving in late September, team Grand Challenge led by Grant Sargent, a technician in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s robotics laboratory, won $20,000 and a twelve-month tenancy at The ICEHOUSE business incubator, valued at $10,000.

Ten teams with developed business ideas ranging from delivering premium quality fruit direct to workplaces, to new Sing & See software, which assists people to improve their singing, won $1,000 each in Spark’s $10,000 Challenge. Another six teams took home $1000 for their ideas aimed at achieving social or environmental change in Spark’s inaugural Aspire Challenge. Among Aspire winners was an idea to produce a Sun2Hat home space-heating system to combat cold and damp in housing and a project called Linking Generations, which will produce a series of educational books focusing on the cultures of different ethnic groups in New Zealand.

Aimed at turning first-class ideas into world-

class businesses, Spark offers students and staff free seminars to develop skills around creating a business and the change to test their entrepreneurial ventures while competing for a share of a total prize pool of $60,000.

Grand Challenge was launched in November 2004 to compete in the DARPA Grand Challenge – a 175-mile, Pentagon-funded race for robots in the Mojave Desert – for a US$2 million prize. Out of almost 200 entrants in the 2005 race, they reached the quarter finals before lack of resources forced them to withdraw.

Their entry into Spark centred on the commercial applications for intelligent robots that can drive everything from cars to forklifts, trucks, bulldozers and tractors.“Our robotic driver drives whole convoys in war-torn zones without risking a single human life,” the team state in the Spark programme. “It drives in irradiated or diseased zones, inside volcanoes and over ice flows - in any areas to dangerous for a human to go.

“The autonomous robotic driver is precise, effectively removing handling areas in warehouse situations and allowing vehicles to move faster... Our robots are service robots – robots that help people live their lives.”

The Spark win will help Grant and his team of more than 20 to reach the 2006 DARPA Grand Challenge finals as well as develop their drivers for industrial uses,

and achieve their vision of creating a global centre of excellence in robotics, here in New Zealand.

“Spark has played a key role in stimulating an entrepreneurial culture here at the University, which is spreading through all faculties and building our connections with the external community,” says Manoj Patel, Spark chief executive.

“The challenge impacts on many more people than just entrants. This year more than 100 people from the business community contributed as judges, mentors and speakers in the free 15-week Vision to Business seminars, workshops and the intensive qualifiers’ ‘boot camp’. “It is really exciting to see the development of so many initiatives and ventures brought about because of the support and mentoring all entrants receive as part of Spark.” To find out more about Spark see www.spark.auckland.ac.nz To find out more about the Grand Challenge see www.grandchallenge.co.nz

AwARDs

scNZ sTuDENT sTEEl DEsigN AwARD

Idy Li, a fourth year Civil Engineering student, won the Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ) Student Steel Design Award in early August.

SCNZ, a division of the NZ Heavy Engineering Research Association, makes the award annually to the Faculty of Engineering’s top steel design student as part of its commitment to seeking the best engineers for the steel industry.

Beating 56 other students Idy topped her Structural Design 3 course to win the award.

“The course was a lot of hard work but it was a good learning experience that

required me to work under design office conditions,” says Idy.

Presenting Idy with a cheque for $500, SCNZ Chairman, Mike Sullivan, said one of the association’s objectives is the promotion of New Zealand’s steel construction industry.“We want to encourage the next generation by promoting career pathways in a way that benefits the wider construction industry and the community in general,” says Mr Sullivan.SCNZ Manager, Clark Hyland, also added that his association is please to have such a worthy winner for 2005.

Since beginning her Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, she has consistently achieved A-grades and been named on the Faculty of Engineering’s Dean’s Honours List for her outstanding results.

Colin Nicholas from the University’s

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering says Idy is an exceptional student with a bright future in engineering.“We are also grateful of SCNZ’s long association with the Faculty, as well as providing the scholarship they have supported us by providing handbooks and up to date industry information,” says Mr Nicholas.

L-R: Steel Construction New Zealand Manager, Clark Hyland, SCNZ Chairman, Mike Sullivan, Idy Li accepting this year’s SCNZ Steel Design Award, and representing the Faculty of Engineering, Colin

Nicholas, Designer in Residence.

Grand Challenge leader Grant Sargent holds up $40K cheque

Msc cONsulTiNg gROuP scHOlARsHiP

The MSC Consulting Group Scholarship was established in 2003 to assist fourth year students completing a Bachelor of Engineering degree, with a particular interest in structural engineering, and specifically, seismic design. The scholarship has a value of $3000 per annum, and in addition, the recipient of the MSC Consulting Group Scholarship may also have the opportunity for work experience at MSC during the summer holidays.

The MSC Consulting Group is a well-established, progressive Consulting Structural, Civil Engineering and Development Planning practice with a wide range of clients in the Auckland Region. The company was established in 1979, and has become one of the leaders in the design of structures ranging from domestic through to industrial and commercial buildings to high rise apartment buildings. The Civil Engineering division specialises in the design of subdivisions, roading and infrastructure often associated with their structural projects. This year the MSC Consulting Group Scholarship was awarded to Blake Mitchell, a Civil Engineering student. The Faculty of Engineering would like to offer our congratulations to Blake, and also say thank-you to Tom Donald and Bob McGuigan from MSC, and Colin Nicholas,

Designer in Residence from the Civil Engineering department, for their assistance with the awarding of this scholarship

scHOlARsHiP FuNcTiON

To celebrate the achievements of the numerous 2005 Faculty of Engineering scholarship winners, the second annual Scholarship Lunch was held on Thursday 20th October 2005 in the new Deans Suite in the School of Engineering Building. The function was a tremendous success with over 130 people attending the catered lunch. The function provided the Faculty with an opportunity to personally thank the scholarship sponsors for their continued generosity and assistance and to congratulate the students involved on their accomplishments.

Furthermore, the event enabled scholarship sponsors to meet the scholarship recipients, and ensured that students could personally thank their sponsor. Scholarships and awards are very important to the Faculty of Engineering, as financial assistance is truly valuable for students, and as ultimately scholarships give students something to strive for and also recognise their achievements and encourage excellence along the way towards their degree.

We would like to thank all the scholarship sponsors for their support and commitment towards our successful scholarship programme, and offer our congratulations to those students who have been awarded one of the prestigious

and sought-after scholarships within the Faculty of Engineering.

NEw scHOlARsHiPs AT THE FAculTY OF ENgiNEERiNg

In 2005, four new scholarships and one new prize were established and awarded within the Faculty of Engineering. The companies sponsoring the new awards, SKM, Perry Metal Protection Limited, Eastland Infrastructure, Talgentra and Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts, have recognised that establishing a scholarship or prize is a unique way of touching the lives of

scHOlARsHiPs

L-R: Tom Donald, Blake Mitchell (Scholarship Winner), Geoff Chilcott, Kevin Wyborn, Bob

McGuigan and Sophie Power.

2005 Maurice Paykel Undergraduate Scholarship Winners with Neil Cheyne (centre), from Fisher and Paykel

Scholarship Lunch and Guests

students, and creating a mutually beneficial relationship with the Faculty of Engineering. The main purpose of awards like these is to assist and encourage students studying toward the Bachelor of Engineering degree. However, the benefits of creating a scholarship or prize is that these sponsors are able to not only assist students, but also to raise the profile of their company (or specific area of expertise, product or field of technology), recruit top scholars in terms of holiday and graduate employment and create personal mutually advantageous links between the scholarship provider and the recipient.

SKM Scholarship

In 2005, the SKM Scholarship was awarded for the first time to Laura Devcich, a Civil Engineering student. The Sinclair Knight Mertz (SKM) Group is a leading global professional services firm working with public and private sector clients across several chosen market areas. Services include engineering, scientific studies, planning, economics, logistics, architecture, geotechnical engineering, project management and spatial information. The SKM scholarship is open to students in their second year of a Bachelor of Engineering degree, specialising in Civil Engineering. The value of the scholarship comprises of 50% of compulsory fees for Year 2, 75% of compulsory fees for Year 3 and 100% of compulsory fees for Year 4 of study. Furthermore, the successful scholarship recipient may be offered vacation employment at SKM, over the summer holidays, to gain work experience and a knowledge/understanding of the company. In addition, SKM has very generously offered to open up the Scholarship for a second round of applicants, with the winner of the subsequent scholarship to be decided at the end of Second Semester 2005.

Perry Metal Protection limited Scholarship

Perry Metal Protection Limited has been a major force in the metal protection industry; a founding member of the Galvanizing Association of New Zealand, the company operates sites in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and from Southgalv in Christchurch, offering highly efficient galvanizing facilities. In 2005, the Perry Metal Protection Limited Scholarship was set up by Dave Bayliss, Craig McFarlane and Patrick Crake from the Perry Group, in association with representatives from the

Faculty of Engineering. The Perry Metal Protection Limited Scholarship is awarded to third year students undertaking study towards a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering, and has a total value of $1500. The selection criteria for the scholarship is a student’s academic results for Part II of the Bachelor of Engineering degree, technical ability and professional skills, character and leadership potential, contribution to the University &/or community activities and, in addition, a written statement from the applicant of approximately 500 words setting out the contribution the applicant could make to the Galvanized Steel Industry. Matthew Lory, a Civil Engineering student in his 3rd year of study towards a Bachelor of Engineering degree, has been awarded the inaugural Perry Metal Protection Limited Scholarship in 2005.

Eastland Infrastructure Scholarship

The Eastland Infrastructure Scholarship is a new scholarship in 2005, open to students studying a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and who intend to specialise in Electrical Power Engineering. It comprises of $5,000 for one year, which will normally be available for each subsequent year until the completion of the degree (subject to review of the recipients academic progress). In, the scholarship recipient has the to spend some time working during the summer holidays for Gisborne-based Eastland Infrastructure Limited undertaking projects on Eastland Network, the electricity lines business Wairoa, Gisborne and East Coast region. This year Andrew Austin, a third year Electrical and Electronic Engineering student, was awarded the Eastland Infrastructure Scholarship. Gavin Murphy, Eastland Infrastructure commercial manager and committee member, stated; “It is our belief the scholarship and its criteria will assist with encouraging excellence within students, who intend to specialise in electrical power engineering. It is intended that using scholarships, over time we will help create a greater pool of young talent wanting to pursue careers in the electricity industry, not only for Eastland Network but also for the industry as a whole.”

Talgentra

Another new scholarship for 2005 is the Talgentra Programming and Service Excellence Scholarship, which is available

to students in their final year of study towards a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Systems Engineering or Software Engineering (it is also available to students studying towards a BSc (majoring in Computer Science), BBIM or BCom (majoring in Information Systems)). This scholarship is financed by Talgentra – who with over 20 years experience in the utilities, finance, telecommunications and public sector, are a market-leader in the provision of software solutions - and is to the value of $4000. For the inaugural year, the Talgentra scholarship selection committee which consisted of representatives from the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Computer Science, the External Relations Office at The University of Auckland and James Docking, GM of Talgentra, decided to award the scholarship to a Faculty of Engineering student, Filip Wroblewski, who is completing a BCom/BE Conjoint degree in Software Engineering

Laserframe University Prize in Timber Engineering

This Prize was established by Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts to encourage excellence in Timber Engineering. The Prize is offered annually to an undergraduate Civil Engineering student enrolled in CIVIL 451 who has submitted the best Timber Engineering project. The total value of the Laserframe University Prize in Timber Engineering is a very generous $2,000 per annum. The inaugural recipient of the Laserframe University Prize in Timber Engineering for 2005 is Craig Lavin, who has this year excelled in the CIVIL 451 course of Timber Engineering.

Thanh Van Nguyen Scholarship

The Thanh Van Nguyen Scholarship was established in 2005 to assist undergraduate students enrolled in the Bachelor of Engineering degree at the Faculty of Engineering.

This scholarship has been generously financed by Dr. Thanh Van Nguyen, a former Colombo plan student from Vietnam. Dr. Thanh Van Nguyen completed his Bachelor of Engineering degree, specialising in Chemical and Materials Engineering, in 1971 and his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 1975 at The Faculty of Engineering. He has now become a very successful businessman in the United States.

The Scholarship is for financial support to a

scHOlARsHiPs

student of Vietnamese heritage. The tenure of the scholarship is for the entire duration of the student’s Bachelor of Engineering degree (subject to continuing satisfactoray performance). The scholarship is worth $7,500 per year for up to four years.

We look forward to awarding the inaugural Thanh Van Nguyen Scholarship in 2006 and would like to thank Dr. Thanh Van Nguyen for his generosity and support towards the Faculty of Engineering.

scHOlARsHiP THANks

On behalf of The University of Auckland and the Faculty of Engineering, I would like to thank SKM, Perry Metal Protection Limited, Eastland Infrastructure Limited, Talgentra and Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts for their time and effort with the development, selection and awarding of these new scholarships and prize - their generosity is greatly appreciated.

For the 2006 academic year, there are a number of new scholarships and prizes currently being finalised. If you would like further information about establishing a scholarship and/or prize within the Faculty of Engineering please contact;

Sophie PowerScholarships OfficerFaculty of Engineering Email: s.power@auckland.ac.nzPhone: +64 9 3737 599 Ext 85347

gROwiNg scHOlARsHiPs

As part of the Faculty of Engineering Alumni, you have the opportunity to make a contribution to two scholarship funds (The Ardmore Fund and Cecil Segedin Fund). Your gift will be promptly utilised to better the learning experiences of students at the Faculty of Engineering and enable them to follow in your footsteps. Your generosity is greatly appreciated - without your positive support and donations there would be students unable to complete their Bachelor of Engineering degree at The University of Auckland.

The Ardmore Fund Undergraduate Scholarship

The Ardmore Fund has been set up by members of the Ardmore Alumni who were keen to not only support the next generation of engineers, but also ensure the memory of their time at the School is preserved in a way that offers assistance to today’s students in a manner similar to the way they helped each other at Ardmore. The fund awards a scholarship to a student of high academic achievement who exemplifies the camaraderie, school spirit and values representative of ‘The Ardmore Years’. It is intended to rekindle these feelings in all former students and help graduates remember the relationships they developed and some of the antics in which they and their classmates were involved. It is the hope of the Ardmore Alumni that an enduring legacy will be established so that as they inevitably pass from the scene, they and Ardmore will not be forgotten. The first scholarship was awarded in 2002. Since then, the scholarship has been awarded on an annual basis: $5000, tenured for one year, and to be used for compulsory fees, course materials and textbooks. Any student enrolled in a Bachelor of Engineering degree at the Faculty of Engineering is eligible to apply. Special consideration is given to students experiencing financial hardship, particularly where such hardship might result in the student not completing their Bachelor of Engineering. Your support is sought to continue the legacy of ‘The Ardmore Years’.

The Cecil Segedin Endowment Fund

The Cecil Segedin Endowment Fund has been established to recognise the significant contribution of Cecil Segedin’s work to the fields of Engineering Science and Applied Mathematics. Cecil’s love of mathematics and teaching, especially within the Faculty of Engineering, has made a lasting impact on the New Zealand academic scene and on The University of Auckland in particular. His close and loyal association with The University of Auckland for nearly 50 years endeared him to many students and ensured he formed friendships with a diverse range of people from academic, professional and cultural circles. The Fund will provide financial support for two undergraduate students for each of the three years of their study – a total of $8000 a year for each student. One student will be selected

from the field of Engineering Science and one from Applied Mathematics.Your support is sought to continue the influence and memory of Professor Cecil Segedin at the Faculty of Engineering. A number of alumni have already made a contribution to the Cecil Segedin Endowment Fund and the first scholarships will be funded from the interest of this contribution. Your contribution will ensure greater numbers of Engineering students will benefit from Cecil’s legacy.

A donation to these funds ensures that you can be proud of your commitment to make a difference in our young students’ lives.

To donate to the Ardmore Fund and/or Cecil Segedin Fund please contact;

Sharon AndersenExternal Relations ManagerFaculty of EngineeringPhone: +64 9 373 7599 ext. 88225Email: s.andersen@auckland.ac.nz We look forward to keeping you informed of the progress and growth of theses funds and of the Faculty of Engineering.

THANk YOu DONORs

We would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the students and staff of the Faculty of Engineering, to sincerely thank all those who have generously donated to The Ardmore Fund, the Cecil Segedin Endowment Fund, and the Faculty’s Engineering Foundation this year.

Donations ensure the Funds and Foundation continue to grow in an encouraging manner. For example, The Ardmore Fund enables financial assistance of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Engineering.

You can be proud of your commitment to make a difference in our young students’ lives.

ENgiNEERiNg sTuDENTs HElP cOMMuNiTY

Recycling glass bottles into sand for commercial use, converting used cooking oil into biodiesel and automating Auckland’s Stardome.

These are some of the community service initiatives 31 engineering students are involved in as part of the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) programme, which was officially launched a the University in late September.

Founded at Indiana’s Purdue University in 1995, EPICS enables teams of undergraduates and academic mentors to work with community organisations that need engineering help. It is currently up and running at 15 US universities and was introduced to Auckland (the only New Zealand university running the programme) after the Dean of Engineering Professor Peter Brothers met a project co-director while at a conference in the US in 2003.

Returning to New Zealand with a vision to set up EPICS here, Peter and now Programme Director Dr Heather Silyn-Roberts (Mechanical Engineering) scoped

out possible projects last year and the first three got underway earlier this year.

These include two groups of fourth-year students who are working with the Waiheke Waste Recourse Trust. The first has come up with a way to recycle into sand the 100 tonnes of bottles per month the Island’s 8000 permanent residents produce. In the process the students have shown the cost of $100 per tonne for shipping bottles to the mainland can be eliminated. They have also created a sand that has a host commercial applications from use in certain type of cement, mortar and plaster, to asphalt and sports turfs.

The second group working with the Waiheke Trust has come up with a way to convert the island’s waste cooking-oil (from deep fat fryers) into viable biodiesel. They are now starting to test the biodiesel for potential use in any diesel car or truck engine.

The biodiesel doesn’t just offer an alternative to increasingly expensive petroleum-based fuel, it is also more environmentally friendly. When converted it produces much less carbon monoxide and fewer particulates than petroleum-based diesel.

A second team of Engineering students is working to automate and computer-

control the rotation of the Auckland’s iconic Stardome while the third is looking at water conservation and treatment at Auckland Zoo, the largest user of water in Auckland.The projects are long-term and will run over several years, explains Dr Silyn-Roberts. Next year, new interdisciplinary groups comprising year-one to four students will build on the progress achieved this year. New clients likely to come on board include the Auckland Museum, the Laura Fergusson Trust and MOTAT.

“The Dean and I are determined to embed EPICS in the faculty,’ Dr Silyn-Roberts said at the launch. “It’s a good learning experience for students, and a chance for the faculty to interact with prominent clients on some very good projects.“The EPICS programme is also an example of the skills, innovation and knowledge developed at the University benefiting the wider community.”

For more information on EPICS see www.epics.auckland.ac.nz

ENgiNEERiNg AND THE cOMMuiNTY

Dr Heather Silyn-Roberts holds EPICS plaque presented at the launch by Professor Bill Oakes (far

left) co-director of EPICS at Purdue University

It is a tradition for the SPIES (South Pacific Indigenous Engineering Students Association – The University of Auckland) group to take their message to the people. The Maori and Pasifika students of the Faculty of Engineering travel to the provinces to visit schools and promote tertiary education. Using themselves as role models and presenting a more accessible image of university education, SPIES hopes to increase Maori and Pasifika participation in post-secondary education, especially in engineering.

In 2005, SPIES wanted to broaden the scope of their community activities and take their message to the Pacific. More than half of the SPIES cohort is of Pacific descent and many of those have travelled from the islands to gain a New Zealand tertiary education.

Almost six months of planning and some intensive fundraising (weekly BBQ’s, a social and lots of work), allowed SPIES to spend two weeks in Fiji and Tonga in July. The Tour incorporated school visits, two Alumni Functions, an engineering site visit and plenty of fun activities for the 22 students and three staff that participated. The Tour was sponsored by Signature Travel and Oliver Young. Support was also received from the Faculty of Engineering, the International Office, the Office of the Pro VC Equal Opportunities, and Nga Tauira Maori. These valuable contributions made the Tour possible.

During their two week expedition, SPIES ran five “Tertiary Seminars”, three in Fiji and two in Tonga, presenting to over three hundred and fifty senior high school students. The seminars delivered information on the opportunities available in tertiary education and gave students the opportunity to see and talk to role models from their own communities succeeding at University.

As well as seeing secondary students, SPIES

visited the Rewa Bridge project, a bridge being built by Fletchers Construction. Two functions, one each in Suva and Nadi, were also hosted by SPIES, for the alumni of the Faculty of Engineering, currently living and working in Fiji.

Four days were initially spent in Fiji, before the group headed to Tonga for five days, and then returned to Fiji for four more days of rest and relaxation in the Fiji sun. While plenty of hard work was done, SPIES also made time to have fun and to experience local culture and absorb the sights and sounds of the Pacific. In Tonga, the group was treated to a traditional feast and a tour of the islands in the Nuku’alofa harbour. In Fiji, SPIES made the most of local transport, having caught rides in local buses, taxis, open carriers, and dubious hire buses.

SPIES were lucky to have excellent weather for the majority of their trip (other than the tropical storm which greeted them in Tonga). SPIES would like to thank their supporters, without whom this innovative project would not have been possible. They would also like to thank all those in Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand who helped them

sPiEs PAciFic TOuR

along the way, especially the families of the SPIES students who attended.

If you would like to know more about SPIES please visit our website at www.engineering.auckland.ac.nzSelect: Clubs and Associationsthen South Pacific Indigenous Engineering Students

ENgiNEERiNg scHOOl lAuNcHEs MENTORiNg scHEME

STEPS (STudent Engineer PartnershipS) is a newly established mentoring scheme in the Faculty of Engineering. An initiative led by Sam Gordon, a third-year Engineering Science student who had previously been involved in Uniguides and the MATES (Mentoring and Tutoring Education Scheme) programme.

STEPS is run by students for students. It enables senior students across all disciplines to help first (and eventually second) year engineering students both on an academic and personal level through regular mentoring sessions.

suMMER PlAcE-MENT PAYs OFF

Summer placements at Tonkin & Taylor Ltd, Dalton Electrical and Fisher Paykel Appliances have paid dividends for three Part IV Bachelor of Engineering students – Cory Pointon, Jeff Vickers and Janelle Keeble, respectively.

Cory, a Civil Engineering student specialising in Geotechnical Engineering; Jeff, an Electrical and Computer Engineering student specialising in Computer Systems

and Janelle, a Mechanical Engineering student specialising in Mechatronics have each been awarded one of three Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand Awards for Best Practical Work Report.

Worth $1500, the awards are open to fourth-year engineering students through-out New Zealand who demonstrated skills such as report writing, and linking the value and relevance of their work experience to engineering.

“We are very proud that all three winners came from our Faculty. It illustrates the quality of work of our students and the effort they put into their study,” says Dean of Engineering Professor Peter Brothers.

Cory, Jeff and Janelle were presented their Awards by ACENZ Director, Allan Leahy at a Lunch Function held in the Faculty of Engineering’s new Dean’s Suite in October.

Both Cory and Janelle take up full-time roles with Tonkin & Taylor Ltd and Fisher and Paykel Healthcare respectively.

4TH ANNuAl bEcA POsTgRADuATE POsTER cOMPETiTiON

The Engineering Postgraduate Society and the Faculty of Engineering once again combined with sponsors Beca Group and Campus IT to coordinate the successful Beca Postgraduate Poster Competition, a firmly established event in the Faculty and University calendar ; culminating in a prize giving ceremony on 28 September 2005.

Thirty-two posters displaying a diverse range of research were entered in the competition by postgraduate students from across all five Faculty of Engineering Departments. The prize giving ceremony attracted approximately 75 guests in addition to the many interested observers who perused the displays throughout the exhibiting week.

Prizes were presented by Beca Group Chief Executive Richard Aitken. Anita Shu-Han Lin from the Department of Engineering Science received the first prize for her poster ‘Modelling the Slow Wave in the Small Intestine and its Associated Magnetic Field. Heide Friedrich of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

received second prize and Alex Wong from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department third prize.

In addition to receiving generous money prizes, the overall winners and best poster from each Department were invited to participate in the University’s Exposure05 competition.

A PAssiON FOR POwER

Engineering student Andrew Austin has won the Eastland Infrastructure Scholarship. Offered for the first time this year, the scholarship is open to undergraduates studying for a Bachelor of Engineering (in Electrical and Electronic Engineering) who intend to specialise in electrical power engineering. Comprising $5,000 for one year’s study with the chance for renewal, the scholarship requires the student to spend time working during the sum-mer holidays for Eastland Infrastructure Limited. This company undertakes projects for Eastland Network, the electricity lines business in the Wairoa, Gisborne and East Coast region. “Andrew is an outstanding young man, who will benefit enormously from such a generous scholarship,” says Dr Gerard Rowe, Deputy Head of Department (Aca-demic), for the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Andrew is particularly interested in the initiatives Eastland Network is undertaking to ease the Gisborne region’s long-term electricity supply issues. These projects

ENgiNEERiNg sTuDENTs

L-R: Dr. Joe Deans (Faculty of Engineering), Janelle Keeble, Cory Pointon, Jeff Vickers and Allan Leahy

(ACENZ Director)

L-R: Dr. Gerard Rowe, Andrew Austin, Gavin Murphy

include the Mokairau Wind Farm, which recently won the company 80,000 Kyoto Protocol carbon credits and the Biomass Plant project, a proposed combined heat and power plant. “We are aware the success of our busi-ness and network development initiatives are dependent on the qualities and skills of our people,” comments Gavin Mur-phy, Eastland Infrastructure commercial manager. “It is our belief the scholarship and its criteria will assist with encouraging excellence within students, who intend to specialise in electrical power engineering. It is intended that using the scholarship, over time we will help create a greater pool of young talent wanting to pursue careers in the electricity industry, not only for Eastland Network but also for the industry as a whole. In addition, the new ideas the students bring to the company will encourage fresh thinking in the more experienced staff.”

ENgiNEERiNg sTuDENTs DOiNg iT FORMulA 1 sTYlE

Formula 1 has the world’s fastest racing cars, built with cutting edge technology and multi million dollar budgets. A team of

engineering students from The University of Auckland is using some of the same technology but without the million dollar budget.

The Faculty of Engineering’s Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) team is one of only a handful of motorsport teams outside of Formula 1 to have a roll-ing floor wind tunnel.

Entered in the Australasian Formula SAE competition the team, who are New Zealand’s only University to enter, have to design, construct and race a prototype race car, costing no more than $50,000 Australian dollars.

Up against 30 of the world’s top engineer-ing universities in Melbourne at the start of December the team is using the testing technology to help give them the edge over their competition. “This is an amazing piece of equipment that Glidepath have kindly given to us and it will hopefully give us a significant ad-vantage over the other teams,” says Chief Engineer Matt Houston. The team have already started testing a half scale model of their car on the 1.5m wide high speed conveyor belt in the

University’s twisted flow wind tunnel.

“The modified conveyor belt can travel at up to 50km per hour so we can use it to give us a better idea of what the wind is doing to the car as it moves,” says Matt.

The testing will allow the team to improve the down force of the car, making it take corners at a faster speed.

Entering the competition for the first time last year the team finished 6th and picked up the best endeavour award for rookie of the year.

With last year’s experience in the bank and other technology advances the team is aiming for first this season.

“We have made some other major advances with the car including the chas-sis. We’ve replaced the steel frame and constructed a carbon fibre monocoque chassis making the car a lot lighter and stiffer.”

After the race in Melbourne the team hopes to compete in the USA and UK Formula SAE competitions in 2006.

Formula SAE Team, Melbourne 2004

The Auckland University Engineers Association (AUEA) was formed nearly 50 years ago to assist graduates in maintaining the friendships made at the Engineering School and to maintain contact between them and the School. This is the first of regular articles in the Engineering Alumni News to keep graduates up to date with its activities.The AUEA held its AGM on the 18th of October and elected its officers for the coming year,

President Des Mataga Secretary/treasurer Alan Routley Committee members Ros Archer Graeme Brown Bruce Goodfellow Jason Ingham Ian Parton David Ryan John Smith Dean of Engineering or Nominee

The new members of the committee bring new backgrounds and fields of expertise to the Committee. Bruce Goodfellow in financial services, Ros Archer, Jason Ingham and David Ryan as Faculty members and Ian Parton in management of engineering consultancies. Their input and fresh approach will be of great assistance in pursuing the goals which the AUEA has set for itself.As the number of undergraduates has risen from a total of less than 100 in the 1950’s to an annual intake of over 500 today the task of maintaining links has grown. With the valued assistance of the Faculty the AUEA annual dinners and reunions have been orgainsed to encourage participation of graduates from a range of years. These excellent events have led to a renewal of contacts between graduates, their friends and the School.Graduates have formed informal groups of the AUEA in Tauranga, Wellington, Palmerston North and Christchurch. Visits by the Dean and other Faculty members have led to the formation of similar groups overseas in Sydney, Brisbane, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur

and Hong Kong. The incoming Committee has the objective of reinforcing the ties between these groups and the School and other graduates. Since the time that the AUEA was founded, funding of Universities has gone from being directly funded by Government to one where Universities now obtain this funding from a mix of student fees, direct funding and grants from other sources. The Engineering School’s planning contemplates that in the future the latter could become as high as one third of total funding. Student fees have also reached a level where qualified worthy students may find it unaffordable to attend the School.Over the same time period the membership of the AUEA has changed from one of struggling young graduates to one with a broad range of ages and incomes. For many, some level of support is affordable, and some of these will be willing to contribute to the support of either students or Faculty.A resolution was passed at the AGM to the effect that the Committee would “Vigorously support the School by raising funds to develop School facilities, promote research and provide scholarships and other support for students at the School”. To implement this resolution is a major task and to do so effectively (in addition to its other activities), the Committee will need to co-opt additional members to assist with specific tasks. The Committee is a voluntary group and each member has only a certain amount of affordable time, but is heartened by the assurance of logistical assistance from the Faculty.Last but not least, the outgoing Committee decided to move immediately to assist students by granting what is hoped to be the first of many AUEA Scholarships. On the recommendation of the selectors for the Ardmore Fund, an AUEA Scholarship was granted to Neil Menzies. We wish him well in continuing his studies and career and look forward to him maintaining contact with the AUEA in future years.

Des Mataga AUEA President

NOTEs FROM THE AuEA

gRADuATiON 2005

EMAil AluMNi NEws The Faculty of Engineering wants to advance the Engineering Alumni News. If you would like to receive this publication via email please confirm your preferred email address to Catherine Kerins, Communications Manager at c.kerins@auckland.ac.nz