This weekly newsletter contains the latest news from Engineers Australia
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EDITOR Dietrich Georg To contribute a story or give feedback, email dgeorg@engineersmedia.com.au To have your email address changed, email memberservices@engineersaustralia.org.au |
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NEWS AND NOTICES
Young Australian of the Year
Engineering student Marita Cheng was named this week Young Australian of the Year for 2012. Cheng founded Robogals in 2008, an initiative introducing young women to robotics engineering. Robogals aims to increase the number of school girls choosing to study engineering by offering them the opportunity to learn about a career in engineering.
Robogals runs workshops across Australia and has seen more than 3000 girls participate from over 80 schools. This successful initiative has experienced rapid growth and has since gone international – now with 17 chapters established across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Robogals has more recently extended its reach to rural and regional areas within Australia, through the Robogals Rural and Regional initiative. The initiative mobilises female university students to act as ambassadors for engineering by visiting schools within their regions to interact with female students and share experiences from within the field.
Stephen Durkin, chief executive of Engineers Australia, congratulated Cheng on behalf of the organisation for receiving the honour.
“The incredible influence of Marita’s work has provided young women with a valuable insight into the world of engineering in a hands-on and interactive way.”
Cheng is studying engineering and computer science on a Paterson Scholarship. She has a Nancy Fairfax Churchill Fellowship, an International Youth Foundation YouthActionNet Fellowship, a Creative Innovation Scholarship, as well as an Anita Borg Change Agent Award. She has featured as a panellist on ABC TV's New Inventors program and plans to start her own robotics company.
Marita Cheng receiving her award from prime minister Julia Gillard.
Engineers on 2012 Honours list
Several engineers were among the recipients of 2012 Australia Day Honours. Dr Rod Eddington, Dr Bob Every and Dr David Skellern were appointed Officers in the General Division (AO).
Air Marshal Geoff Brown was appointed Officer in the Military Division (AO).
The engineers appointed Members in the General Division (AM) are: Emeritus Professor John Baird, Simon Bartlett, Professor Mike Dureau, Dr Lorenzo Faraone, Dr John Fenwick, Dr Geoff Goodwin, Professor Martin Green and Professor Jagannath Mazumdar.
In the Military Division, Captain Colin Lawrence was appointed a Member (AM).
The Medal in the General Division (OAM) was presented to Ross Barrett, Dr Michael Myers and Commander Robert Nelson.
Streamlining the process of becoming chartered
By 1 July Engineers Australia will complete eChartered, a project that will deliver a new online assessment process for becoming chartered and registered. The new system seeks to deliver an improved user experience. It will also be the launch pad for the 2012 Australian Engineering Competency Standards Stage 2 for Professional Engineer, Engineering Technologist and Engineering Associate, currently under review.
More information on the eChartered process and the Stage 2 competency review will appear in the February issue of Engineers Australia magazine.
New chief executive at the helm
Stephen Durkin started in his position as the new chief executive of Engineers Australia this week.
“I will build on the enormous work of my predecessors who have established Engineers Australia as an organisation that is widely respected and valued by policy-makers at the federal and state levels,” he said, adding that “there are things we need to do to improve the way we are perceived by current and potential members.”
Further comments on his new role will appear in his first column in the February issue of Engineers Australia magazine.
Submissions invited for inquiry into skills shortage
The federal Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committees is conducting an inquiry into the shortage of engineering and related employment skills, and its impact on infrastructure development.
Submissions can be sent by email to eewr.sen@aph.gov.au, or by post to:
Committee Secretary
Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committees
PO Box 6100 Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600.
Assistance in preparing a submission is available at
www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/wit_sub/index.htm or from the Committee Secretariat at eewr.sen@aph.gov.au or phone +61 2 6277 3521
Submissions should be received by 3 February. The reporting date is 30 June 2012.
Journal of Electrical & Electronics Engineering out now
The latest issue of the Australian Journal of Electrical & Electronics Engineering
(Vol 8 No 3) is now available. It includes peer reviewed papers on an
adaptive coordinator switching scheme for mobile sensor networks,
nonlinear state estimation using derivative-free filters for a
three-phase induction motor, and an investigation of load loss increase
in transformers due to harmonic loads. Engineers Australia members can download individual papers at www.engineersaustralia.org.au.
Log in as a member, then go to Resources and Library.
Calls for papers
Abstracts are being invited for the 14th Water Distribution Systems Analysis Conference on 25-27 Sep in Adelaide. The deadline is 12 Feb. Inquiries: http://www.wdsa2012.com/cfp.html.
Abstracts are being invited for the Down to Earth Conference 2012 on 10-11 Oct at the Crown Plaza in the Hunter Valley. The deadline is 2 Mar. Inquiries: Click here.
Abstracts are being invited for the 34th Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium on 19-22 Nov in Sydney. The deadline is 19 Mar. Inquiries: www.hwrs2012.org.au.
Abstracts are being invited for the Australian Control Conference AUCC2012 on 15-16 Nov in Sydney. Inquiries: www.aucc.org.au/sydney.
Calls for nominations
Chemical engineering
The Australian and New Zealand Federation of Chemical Engineers is calling for nominations for the 2012 Chemical Awards of Excellence. Nominations close 20 April.
Applicants are sought from industry, academia and the public sector.
For information on the awards and the 2011 winners click here.
The 2012 Awards will be presented at the Chemeca conference dinner in Wellington, New Zealand, in September. For nominations click here.
Railway engineering
Nominations are open for the following railway awards:
- 2012 Biennial Railway Project Award
- 2012 Young Railway Engineer Award
- 2012 Railway Engineering Individual Awards.
Conference registration
Registration for the Practical Responses to Climate Change Conference 2012 is now open. To register click here.
PUBLICATIONS
Coastal Engineering: Processes, Theory and Design Practice, 2nd Edition
Dominic Reeve, Andrew Chadwick and Christopher Fleming
$77.27 + GST = $85.00
2012 9780415583534 416pp Paperback
This
second edition brings the models and examples of practice up to date.
It has expanded coverage of tsunamis and generating energy from waves to
focus both on the great dangers and the great opportunities which the
ocean presents to the coastal zone. With an emphasis on practice and
detailed modelling, this is a thorough introduction to all aspects of
coastal processes, morphology and design of coastal defences.Click here to buy this book.
Transmission And Distribution Electrical Engineering, 4th Edition
Colin Bayliss, Brian Hardy
$215.41 + GST = $236.95
2012 9780080969121 1180pp Hardcover
This
market leading classic is a true comprehensive on-the-job reference,
covering all aspects of getting electricity from the source to user via
the power grid. This new edition covers renewable and distributed energy
developments, international regulatory compliance issues with coverage
of IEC standards, and new key conversions to US based standards and
terminologies.
Engineers Australia conferences
The Pacific 2012 International Maritime Conference will be held on 31 Jan–2 Feb in Sydney. Inquiries: www.pacific2012imc.com.
The 3rd Asia-Pacific Optical Sensors Conference (APOS2012) will be held on 31 Jan–3 Feb in Sydney. Inquiries: www.apos2012.org.
The Water Sensitive Urban Design conference (WSUD2012) will be held on 21-23 Feb in Melbourne. Inquiries: www.wsud2012.com.
The Systems Engineering, Test and Evaluation Conference 2012 will be held on 30 Apr–2 May in Brisbane. Inquiries: Click here.
The conference on Practical Responses to Climate Change 2012 will be held on 1-3 May in Canberra. Inquiries: www.climatechange2012.org.
The 2012 Engineering Leadership Conference will be held on 30 May–2 Jun in Adelaide. Inquiries: www.elc2012.org.
The Asset Management Council’s ICOMS Asset Management Conference will be held on 4–8 Jun, in Hobart. Inquiries: www.amcouncil.com.au.
The Australasian Structural Engineering Conference (ASEC2012) will be held on 11-13 Jul in Perth. Inquiries: www.asec2012.com.
The 11th Australia New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics will be held on 15-18 Jul in Melbourne. Inquiries: www.anz2012.com.au.
CORE2012, the Conference on Railway Engineering, will be held on 10-12 Sep in Brisbane. Inquiries: www.core2012.com.
The Australian Biomedical Engineering conference ABEC2012 will be held on 16-19 Sep in Brisbane. Inquiries: abec2012.iamevents.com.au.
The Mining Electrical and Mining Mechanical Engineering Society (MEMMES) Convention will be held on 21-22 Sep at the Crown Plaza Hunter Valley. Inquiries: http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/mining-electrical-and-mining-mechanical-engineering-society/.
The Risk Engineering Society Conference (RISK 2012), organised by Engineers Australia’s Risk Engineering Society, will be held on 21-22 Sep at the Crown Plaza Hunter Valley. Inquiries: www.engineersaustralia.org.au/risk.
The 28th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences will be hosted by the Australian Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society, in cooperation with Engineers Australia, on 23-28 Sep in Brisbane. Inquiries: click here.
Chemeca 2012, organised by the Chemical College, IChemE in Australia and New Zealand, and RACI will be held on 23-26 Sep in Wellington, NZ. Inquiries: www.chemeca2012.com.
The 14th Water Distribution Systems Analysis Conference, convened by Engineers Australia’s National Committee on Water Engineering and sponsored by the Environmental & Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, will be held on 25-27 Sep in Adelaide. Inquiries: www.wdsa2012.com/cfp.html.
The Down to Earth Conference 2012 will be held on 10-11 Oct at the Crown Plaza in the Hunter Valley. It is organised by Engineers Australia in conjunction with the IEEE and the Electric Energy Society of Australia. Inquiries: Click here.
The Australian Control Conference AUCC2012, organised by Engineers Australia's National Committee for Automation, Control and Instrumentation (NCACI) and technically sponsored by the IEEE Control Systems Society, will be held on 15-16 Nov in Sydney. Inquiries: www.aucc.org.au/sydney.
The 34th Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium will be held on 19-22 Nov in Sydney. Inquiries: www.hwrs2012.org.au
For more details on these conferences click here.
Engineering Education Australia
Engineering Education Australia, Engineers Australia’s subsidiary company organising professional development courses, seminars and other events, is offering a range of new courses in 2012. For a full list of its offerings go to www.eeaust.com.au.
Other events
Paul Blanchfield, the Electrical College National Professional Electrical Engineer of the Year 2011, has been touring Australia as part of Engineers Australia’s Eminent Speaker Program. His talk is on “Learning, applying and facilitating the transfer of electrical engineering know-how in the power industry”. The remaining dates are 6 Feb in Perth and 8 Feb in Adelaide. To register click here.
The Sir Eric Neal Address, to be presented by Stewart Kreltszheim, Operations Manager of the Country Fire Authority in South Australia, will be held on 22 Feb in Adelaide. Organised the South Australia Division, the event will include the presentation of the Craig Gilbert Leadership Award, University Medals and Fellows presenations.
For registration click here.
The 52nd Floodplain Management Association Conference will be held on 21-24 Feb in Batemans Bay. Inquiries: http://www.floodplainconference.com/.
The Regional Conference of the New England/Northwest Group will be held on 24 Feb in Moree, NSW. For more information contact Michelle Burgess at michelle@ipwea.org.au or phone 02 8267 3013.
A seminar on Precast for Engineering Graduates and Students will be held on 1 Mar in Brisbane, 8 Mar in Perth, 15 Mar in Hobart, 22 Mar in Adelaide and 29 Mar in Melbourne. The seminar is supported by Engineers Australia. To register go to www.nationalprecast.com.au.
The Pacific 2012 International Maritime Conference will be held on 31 Jan–2 Feb in Sydney. Inquiries: www.pacific2012imc.com.
The 3rd Asia-Pacific Optical Sensors Conference (APOS2012) will be held on 31 Jan–3 Feb in Sydney. Inquiries: www.apos2012.org.
The Water Sensitive Urban Design conference (WSUD2012) will be held on 21-23 Feb in Melbourne. Inquiries: www.wsud2012.com.
The Systems Engineering, Test and Evaluation Conference 2012 will be held on 30 Apr–2 May in Brisbane. Inquiries: Click here.
The conference on Practical Responses to Climate Change 2012 will be held on 1-3 May in Canberra. Inquiries: www.climatechange2012.org.
The 2012 Engineering Leadership Conference will be held on 30 May–2 Jun in Adelaide. Inquiries: www.elc2012.org.
The Asset Management Council’s ICOMS Asset Management Conference will be held on 4–8 Jun, in Hobart. Inquiries: www.amcouncil.com.au.
The Australasian Structural Engineering Conference (ASEC2012) will be held on 11-13 Jul in Perth. Inquiries: www.asec2012.com.
The 11th Australia New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics will be held on 15-18 Jul in Melbourne. Inquiries: www.anz2012.com.au.
CORE2012, the Conference on Railway Engineering, will be held on 10-12 Sep in Brisbane. Inquiries: www.core2012.com.
The Australian Biomedical Engineering conference ABEC2012 will be held on 16-19 Sep in Brisbane. Inquiries: abec2012.iamevents.com.au.
The Mining Electrical and Mining Mechanical Engineering Society (MEMMES) Convention will be held on 21-22 Sep at the Crown Plaza Hunter Valley. Inquiries: http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/mining-electrical-and-mining-mechanical-engineering-society/.
The Risk Engineering Society Conference (RISK 2012), organised by Engineers Australia’s Risk Engineering Society, will be held on 21-22 Sep at the Crown Plaza Hunter Valley. Inquiries: www.engineersaustralia.org.au/risk.
The 28th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences will be hosted by the Australian Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society, in cooperation with Engineers Australia, on 23-28 Sep in Brisbane. Inquiries: click here.
Chemeca 2012, organised by the Chemical College, IChemE in Australia and New Zealand, and RACI will be held on 23-26 Sep in Wellington, NZ. Inquiries: www.chemeca2012.com.
The 14th Water Distribution Systems Analysis Conference, convened by Engineers Australia’s National Committee on Water Engineering and sponsored by the Environmental & Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, will be held on 25-27 Sep in Adelaide. Inquiries: www.wdsa2012.com/cfp.html.
The Down to Earth Conference 2012 will be held on 10-11 Oct at the Crown Plaza in the Hunter Valley. It is organised by Engineers Australia in conjunction with the IEEE and the Electric Energy Society of Australia. Inquiries: Click here.
The Australian Control Conference AUCC2012, organised by Engineers Australia's National Committee for Automation, Control and Instrumentation (NCACI) and technically sponsored by the IEEE Control Systems Society, will be held on 15-16 Nov in Sydney. Inquiries: www.aucc.org.au/sydney.
The 34th Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium will be held on 19-22 Nov in Sydney. Inquiries: www.hwrs2012.org.au
For more details on these conferences click here.
Engineering Education Australia
Engineering Education Australia, Engineers Australia’s subsidiary company organising professional development courses, seminars and other events, is offering a range of new courses in 2012. For a full list of its offerings go to www.eeaust.com.au.
Other events
Paul Blanchfield, the Electrical College National Professional Electrical Engineer of the Year 2011, has been touring Australia as part of Engineers Australia’s Eminent Speaker Program. His talk is on “Learning, applying and facilitating the transfer of electrical engineering know-how in the power industry”. The remaining dates are 6 Feb in Perth and 8 Feb in Adelaide. To register click here.
The Sir Eric Neal Address, to be presented by Stewart Kreltszheim, Operations Manager of the Country Fire Authority in South Australia, will be held on 22 Feb in Adelaide. Organised the South Australia Division, the event will include the presentation of the Craig Gilbert Leadership Award, University Medals and Fellows presenations.
For registration click here.
The 52nd Floodplain Management Association Conference will be held on 21-24 Feb in Batemans Bay. Inquiries: http://www.floodplainconference.com/.
The Regional Conference of the New England/Northwest Group will be held on 24 Feb in Moree, NSW. For more information contact Michelle Burgess at michelle@ipwea.org.au or phone 02 8267 3013.
A seminar on Precast for Engineering Graduates and Students will be held on 1 Mar in Brisbane, 8 Mar in Perth, 15 Mar in Hobart, 22 Mar in Adelaide and 29 Mar in Melbourne. The seminar is supported by Engineers Australia. To register go to www.nationalprecast.com.au.