White Nose Syndrome vs Australian Bats - Dr Nicholas Wu and Mr Tomás Villada-Cadavid​

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a devastating wildlife disease that has killed millions of insectivorous bats in North America since 2006, when the causal fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) was first detected. Australian bats might soon face exposure to this potentially catastrophic fungal disease. Limited initial screening indicates the fungus is not currently in Australia. However, a Commonwealth-initiated expert risk assessment has concluded it is ‘almost certain’ that Pd will be inadvertently introduced into an Australian cave within the next ten years.

Dr Nicholas Wu and Mr Tomás Villada-Cadavid​ discuss their research which aims to understand, prepare for, and respond to the imminent threat posed by WNS to Australia’s bat fauna. Learn what you can do to also protect Australian bats, and how to respond if you come across a potentially infected animal.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_XIMHSKchmM?si=EQoNMlz8_NLaU10e

Manufacturing and Recycling for a Circular Economy - Professor Richard Yang

Professor Richard Yang is the Director, Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Technology (CfAMT), the Research Theme Leader, Industrialisation and Materials (IAM), and the Discipline Leader, Mechanical, Mechatronic and Robotics (MMR), School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment (SoEDBE), Western Sydney University. Prof Yang is an internationally recognised research leader on fields of research including Advanced Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing (3D printing) of metals, polymers and composites, Advanced Engineering Materials & Structures, Circular Manufacturing & Circular Economy, Defence Technology, Industry 4.0, Machine Condition Monitoring (MCM) & Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), Metal Forming, Metal Surface Treatment, etc. He has been awarded over $12m in competitive research grants, including 12 ARC grants (1 ARC Training Centre, 2 DPs, 3 LPs, and 6 LIEFs), 2 CSIRO/NSF Convergence Accelerator on recycled thermoplastic and composites as well as more than 20 from government and/or industry. He has published approximately 300 high-quality technical articles in top scientific journals, books, and conferences as a major contributor in his relevant fields of research including Mechanical, Mechatronic, Manufacturing, Materials, Aerospace, Civil and Defence engineering.

Every year, global plastic manufacturing has reached a volume of 400 million metric tons. Consequently, there exists a significant imperative to minimise the environmental impacts of plastics and the associated manufacturing procedures. Plastic recycling is a pressing global environmental issue, with a staggering 7.8 billion metric tons of plastic produced since 1950. Approximately 55% of the plastic waste was disposed of in landfills, approximately 30% is presently in use, about 8% has been utilised for energy recovery through incineration, and a mere 7% has undergone recycling for a secondary purpose. The issue of plastic pollution emerges as a global challenge that transcends boundaries, prompting numerous countries worldwide to commit to enhancing their local plastic recycling rates. Under the concept of circularity, in recent years, the emergence of advanced manufacturing technologies, such as additive manufacturing (AM) offers a promising solution. In this project, we experimentally and numerically investigated the feasibility of common recycled thermoplastic materials, including recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) and glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (rPETG) thermoplastics using the fused granular fabrication (FGF) 3D printing technique.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/BKKp3RqJWD8?si=uyTF7qKgh1pbsY6M

Masculinity, Backlash and Antifeminism - Dr Lucy Nicholas

How can we understand the resurgence of masculinism in Australia and elsewhere?

How can we challenge antifeminism and the increase in misogyny?

Dr Lucy Nicholas discusses the changes in contemporary masculinity and the worrying public resurgence of reactionary misogyny, especially online, and how we can use academic ideas to make sense of them. They will consider the emotional and ideological drivers of these ideas, some of the impacts they have, and how they may be challenged.

With a diverse academic background, Dr Nicholas received their PhD from the University of Edinburgh before embarking on a career that has taken them from the University of Portsmouth to their current position in Australia. Throughout their journey, they have demonstrated a passion for teaching, covering a wide range of subjects including sociology, social and political theory, gender and sexualities, and academic skills.

Dr Nicholas is the author of two influential books and their first book, “Queer Post-Gender Ethics,” published by Palgrave McMillan in 2014, explores the intersections of gender, sexuality, and ethics. Their second book, “The Persistence of Global Masculinism,” co-authored with Chris Agius, was published in 2018, shedding light on the complex dynamics of masculinity in a global context.

Lucy is currently working on two streams of research: one on sexuality and gender diversity, and one on men, masculinity, and violence prevention. With their expertise and commitment to advancing knowledge in gender and sexuality studies, Dr Lucy Nicholas continues to make significant contributions to academia and beyond.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/U-CXGikSaIc?si=0BUKV1XhWj0WD1cA

"Teasing-Eve": Sexual Harassment of Women in Dhaka city, Bangladesh in the Era of Rape Culture, Misogyny and Slacktivism - Dr Arunima Kishore Das

Over 90% of women who use public transport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, have experienced some form of sexual harassment during their commute. Despite this alarming figure, few studies have explored women's experiences of sexual harassment, the effectiveness of NGO initiatives, and how women are taking action. At Western Sydney University's School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Dr Arunima Kishore Das is trying to change that.

By combining qualitative surveys and social media analysis, Dr Das, an Associate Lecturer at Western Sydney University, investigated women's experiences of sexual harassment on public transport, their views on women's rights and gender relations, and how they use social media to raise awareness.

"NGOs tend to portray women in Bangladesh as passive victims," says Dr Das. "But many are using social media campaigns to try and change their situation. This isn't being acknowledged."

Dr Arunima Kishore Das joined the School of Humanities and Communication Arts as an Associate Lecturer in Culture and Society in April 2023 after completing her PhD in the same discipline. Her PhD project primarily documented the sexual harassment (SH) of women by critically examining women commuters' SH narratives, NGO interventions and women activists' contemporary autonomous digital media initiatives to address sexual harassment on public buses in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Before commencing her PhD, Dr Das completed a Master's degree in Women's and Gender Studies. Her teaching and research interests include critical theorization of race, racism and multiculturalism, gendered space, migration, masculinities, gender-based violence, feminism and digital media campaigns.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/nHTHPxUaFIQ?si=5nKVV6LGO0RfB-bN

'Nothing Really Happened' - Exploring Harassment in the Legal Profession - Dr Ashlee Gore

Dr Ashlee Gore is a Lecturer in Criminology at Western Sydney University. Dr Gore's research explores gendered violence with a focus on violence against women and the social, cultural, and legal constructions of responsibility.

In this Thought Leadership event Dr Gore will present her research into women's perceptions and/or experiences of sexual harassment in the legal profession, and the role this plays in women's pathways into/out of the legal profession. Sexual harassment of women is rife in the Australian Legal industry. Conservative research estimates suggest one in four women in the legal profession experience sexual harassment. This is rarely reported and is connected to the high attrition rate of women in the law (Law Council of Australia, 2020). This work is based on interviews with Australian women who are current, emerging, and former legal professionals. The women described a continuum of experiences ranging from 'everyday' intrusions to more overt harassment, to extreme experiences of sexual assault by them or others they have witnessed.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Ayt5G-ZLCE?si=SP9ul8n7ccPmkN7Q

Cosmographies: Preview Screening plus Q+A with Dr Juan Francisco Salazar

Cosmographies is a 93-minute hybrid film that draws from speculative fiction, observational and poetic documentary, Indigenous futurisms, and Indigiqueer approaches to weave together cosmic stories about the struggle for environmental justice against ongoing forms of extractivism and ecological ruin in the Atacama Desert as an allegory against ongoing plans to colonize the Moon and Mars, where Māori astrobiologist Xuê Noon finds solace in 2051. Directed by Juan Salazar in collaboration with performance artist Victoria Hunt and the Lickanantay community of Toconao , Chile, the film is an output of an ARC Future Fellowship grant (2020-2024) and a sequel to Salazar's earlier film Nightfall on Gaia (2015).

Juan Francisco Salazar is a Chilean interdisciplinary researcher, author and documentary filmmaker whose academic and creative work explore the coupled dynamics of social-ecological change and is underpinned by a collaborative ethos across the arts, sciences and activism. He is a Professor of Communication and Media in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts and a member of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS).

Please note: This preview screening was held for the Western Sydney University community only.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Na4RFyHaUnM?si=CUyG4m-OY6v8-sO8

From Hot Suburbs to Cool Towns

From Hot Suburbs to Cool Towns - Dr Sebastian Pfautsch: 14 February 2023

Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, where nearly 90% of the population lives in towns and metropolitan areas. The trend in Australia and elsewhere in the world is towards larger and denser cities. Both processes, expansion of cities at their fringe zones and densifying within, make cities hotter. This is counterproductive in a time where our summers become hotter. We must do the opposite – develop urban spaces so they keep cool.

Dr Sebastian Pfautsch is an Associate Professor at the Urban Transformations Research Centre of Western Sydney University where he develops strategies to keep cities cool. He is an advocate for change who regularly features in the media. His work has changed government policies and practices and he has won state and national awards for his projects.

In this talk, he explained why it is necessary to pivot urban design and development from business-as-usual to cool. Using practical examples, he demonstrated the wide range of possibilities available today to create heat-smart towns and cities for tomorrow – from simple changes around residential homes to turning public parks into large air conditioners.

You may find out about his work on car parks, playgrounds and schools as well.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/2z6GS_SFMrY

This presentation was recorded, and is available to watch.

Life after school for young people with intellectual disabilities

Life after school for young people with intellectual disabilities - Dr Lise Mogensen: 28 February 2023

Dr Lise Mogensen is an Associate Professor at School of Medicine Western Sydney University, with demonstrated teaching excellence in project based learning. Lise’s areas of expertise include Research Design and Supervision, Lecturing, Medical Education, Medical Sociology, Childhood and Disability Studies. Dr Mogensen holds a PhD in Social Justice and Social Change from Western Sydney University.

Life after school for young people with intellectual disability: “I want to be more than a disability person’’

This session is presented by Associate Professor Lise Mogensen, School of Medicine, Professor Gabrielle Drake, School of Social Sciences, Dr Jenny McDonald, School of Medicine and Dr Nicole Sharp, School of Health Sciences, and Director of Believe and Become Occupational Therapy.

The researchers present findings from a recent study exploring the transition from school to adult life as experienced by young people with intellectual disability in Queensland, NSW, and Victoria. The project also explored whether the change from a social welfare model of disability support to a consumer-focused market-based system, funded by the NDIS, better enable consumer ‘choice and control’ as intended. Findings from interviews with parents, educators, health, and disability services providers will also be presented, questions and discussion will be invited from the audience.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/zeM5VGGvPvs

Women in Science Panel, Celebrating Female Scientists

Women in Science Panel, Celebrating Female Scientists: 8 March 2023

Join us as we host a panel of scientists from fields such as biology, human anatomy, forensic anthropology, ecology and environmental science. Learn how they got into science, their current research, what challenges they have faced as females in the scientific community and celebrate the rise of women in the industry.

Proudly bought to you by Western Sydney University Library, Science @ The Local and Penrith City Library

What did Australia learn about Country after the 2019-2020 catastrophic bushfires?

What did Australia learn about Country after the 2019-2020 catastrophic bushfires? - Dr Jessica Weir: 14 March 2023

Associate Professor Jessica Weir discusses what Australia learnt about Country in response to the catastrophic bushfires of 2019-20 and invites discussion from the audience.

What did Australia learn about Country after the 2019-20 catastrophic bushfires?

Australia’s 2019-20 catastrophic bushfires were shocking – the long stretch of burnt out eastern-seaboard localities, the capital cities blanketed in smoke, and particles from this continent circling the globe. There was national and international media interest in Indigenous peoples’ burning practices as ‘the answer’. This media attention reflects generational shifts by non-Indigenous individuals and institutions towards more respectful relations with Indigenous peoples (e.g. Welcome to Country ceremonies).

However, understanding whether Indigenous fire management is the answer requires understanding first what is the question; and this, as Indigenous leaders keep reiterating, requires understanding Country.

This presentation considers what the catastrophic bushfire inquiries tell us about where the Federation of Australia is at with learning about Country. Associate Professor Weir will demonstrate how diverging and aligning Indigenous and non-Indigenous bushfire expertise offers not just more possibilities for responding to global environmental crisis, but more possibilities for understanding expert knowledge itself.

Associate Professor Weir: 'I contribute as a white non-Indigenous scholar descended from colonialists, and my scholarship is both charged and constrained by this positionality.'

https://www.youtube.com/embed/QF2jkE0jKJk

Gender Matters

Gender Matters - Professor Susanne Gannon: 19 April 2023

How and in what ways does gender matter in Australian education? How are pedagogies, practices and policies influenced by understandings of gender? What old ideas and approaches persist and how do these need to change for the present? How are young people, teachers and school leaders responding to contemporary notions of gender? How has feminist thinking and praxis been effective in the in the past and what is needed now? In this presentation, Professor Susanne Gannon revisits her work in this field over more than twenty years, in the school education and university sectors, to consider what does it mean now for schools to be inclusive, safe spaces for all students of all genders to thrive. In particular her work considers initiatives in secondary schools, and the findings from the ARC funded Gender Matters project (with Prof Kerry Robinson).

https://www.youtube.com/embed/DNW6qgeNaqg

Wombats: Creatures of Wonder

Wombats: Creatures of Wonder - Associate Professor Julie Old: 19 April 2023

The Growing Thought Leadership series aims to promote and celebrate Western Sydney University's work aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for a younger audience.

Come and learn about wombats, an Australian native marsupial that is endangered and needs our help.

Enjoy hands-on craft activities creating your very own wombat mask and discover more about these fascinating creatures.

Presented by Western Sydney University’s Associate Professor Julie Old, Ecologist and Western Sydney University Library.

Either Lost or Found? A Child’s Story from a WWII Australian Internment Camp

Either Lost or Found? A Child’s Story from a WWII Australian Internment Camp - Professor Pedram Khosronejad and Mrs Helga (Girschik) Griffin: 1 June 2023

As many as 50,000 German, Italian, and Japanese civilians were sent to Internment camps in Australia during WWII. Until today, the lives and fates of 512 German civilians of Persia (Iran), the imprisoned inhabitants of Australian World War II confinement centres, and the roles that they and their family members played in the development of post-war Australia has been ignored by academia.

Professor Pedram Khosronejad and Mrs Helga (Girschik) Griffin present the findings of a research project which explores the socio-cultural history and memories of a group of civilian German detainees and migrants in Australia through their heritage and the roles that they played in the development of the country after World War II. This presentation is the result of a four year collaboration between Professor Khosronejad and Mrs Helga (Girschik) Griffin, the only surviving female among the civilian Germans from Persia (Iran) who were brought to Australia as families and allegedly kept in detention, but actually lived like prisoners in Tatura’s Internment Camp No. 3 (1941-46).

The daughter of an Austrian railway engineer working in Iran (1936-41), Helga was aged six when, with her parents and younger brother, she became a captive of the British Army’s invasion of that politically neutral country in 1941. Her family was evicted from Iran and sent by sea to a WWII prison camp at a secret destination. Her family’s internment in Australia’s Camp 3, Tatura, in north-western Victoria, lasted five years. Helga’s story represents a rare opportunity to hear a first-hand account of a young female’s experiences arriving in Australia by boat as a stateless refugee and being placed in detention for an unforeseeable time. She is the only surviving female from 512 civilian Germans detained in Iran who were taken into Australian WWII internment prison camps.

The research project investigates whether the concept of internment is a polite euphemism to disguise the political actuality of civilians being treated like prisoners without any political or moral conviction. Helga’s so-called internment was associated with life threatening danger during transportation, long-term detention in an antagonistic political environment, and the fracture of a child’s normal development. It is questionable whether such violations of Human Rights are excusable in the interest of a foreign neutral country’s national security during a time of war.

This event also includes an exhibition curated by Professor Pedram Khosronejad displaying some of the objects from Mrs Griffin’s family collection from their internment periods in Tatura Internment prison camp.

After the event, Mrs Helga (Girschik) Griffin will be signing copies of her book "At Home in Exile", which will be available to purchase for $44. Please bring exact change.

^{Girschik Collection. Curator: P. Khosronejad © P. Khosronejad
Tatura, Victoria, Australia, 10 March 1945. Family groups of German Internees at No. 3 Camp, Tatura Internment Camp. Back row, left to right (standing): Helga Girschik; Rudolf Girschik; Lothar Streker; Daniel Streker. Front row (sitting): Peter Girschik (standing); Elfriede holding baby Herbert Girschik; Elisabeth Streker; Liselotte Streker.}

Biography of Professor Pedram Khosronejad and Mrs Helga (Girschik) Griffin (PDF)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/N0hXWHg5j5E

Turtles Rock! Let's Shellebrate

Turtles Rock! Let's Shellebrate - Associate Professor Ricky Spencer: 3 June 2023

As part of Reconciliation Week and in celebration of World Turtle Day, Western Sydney University Library and Associate Professor Ricky Spencer, in partnership with Penrith City Library, present an interactive family workshop on how we can all help protect Australian endangered turtle species, incorporating mindful rock painting activities, following on from turtle-themed Indigenous story time activities led by Pearl Wymarra, Aboriginal Elder.

This event is part of the Growing Thought Leadership Series which aims to promote and celebrate Western Sydney University's work aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for people of all ages.

Time: 12 noon to 1pm

Location: Penrith City Council

Fix My Food: Sustainable Food Systems

Fix My Food: Sustainable Food Systems - Dr Catharine Fleming: 8 November 2023

Global food systems are failing children and adolescents. Poor diet quality is driving malnutrition among adolescents around the world. The quality of food eaten by adolescents not only determines their health and development but is also the foundation of thriving communities. With 1.3 billion adolescents (10-19 years), forming 16 percent of the world’s population (UNICEF Data 2023), investment in the transition from childhood to adulthood during this critical period of growth is crucial.

To develop a truly child-centred food system, we need to understand how children navigate their food environments, deciding what to eat, where to eat, and where to buy it. To do this we used a novel distributed data generation method to consult with 1,300 children and adolescents from over 30 countries to document their needs, experiences and aspirations in relation to nutrition, food environments and food systems. We published two companion reports to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2019 report and a seminal report on how young people engage with their food systems globally.

This presentation will showcase what young people told us about a range of barriers which impact their ability to consume foods that are healthy, nutritious, and sustainable. We will also highlight how children and young people want to be engaged in the food system transformation.

Join us to hear recommendations from children and adolescents across the world and what they identified as urgent actions needed to transform food systems and reduce the negative impact on young people and their environment.

Dr Catharine Fleming is a Lecturer in Public Health in the School Health Science, Western Sydney University and is Stream Co-Lead for Youth Participation and Engagement in the Young and Resilient Research Centre. Dr Fleming has a PhD in paediatric nutrition and dietetics and over 15 years’ experience in paediatric nutrition relating to infant and young child feeding, paediatric food allergy and childhood obesity. Dr Fleming has research experience in mixed methods, co design, clinical and public health research methodologies covering quantitative, qualitative and data linkage studies. This experience has involved working with families, children and population-based data in paediatric nutrition in a variety of clinical, community and global settings. Dr Fleming is building a body of work focusing on protecting against lifelong chronic disease through investigating different aspects of feeding and diet in the most teachable moments of childhood and adolescence. Dr Fleming is passionate about ensuring a sustainable nutritional change occurs for children and adolescents through co-designed and development of interventions and policies by young people for young people.

Date and Time: Wednesday 8th November, 2023, 12 noon to 1pm

Location: Western Sydney University, Parramatta City Campus, Peter Shergold Building, Level 9, Conference room 2 (PC-01.9.16) or online via Zoom.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/KiRe8IGO2iA?si=aLn-Plg0UeLMoceJ