Links/Events
Engineers Teaching Children - October 2011
15th of May 2012
Another Blockbuster Vernier occasion is to be held on 13th October 2011, commencing at 12.30 for lunch at 1.00pm.
The venue is the Kooyong Tennis Club, 489 Glenferrie Road Kooyong.
Our Speaker for the day will be Heather Wardlaw
The parallels between the work of Heather at ATC Williams and the Vernier Foundation are too great to be overlooked for anther moment and it will be valuable for us to learn how she has achieved such success and penetration of the Engineers Australia.
Heather Wardlaw moved from her Canberra birth place in 1980 to study Civil Engineering at the University of Melbourne.
Her aim of becoming a Geotechnical Engineer was achieved when she graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in 1984 In 1985 she started work with what is now VicRoads and eventually went on to complete a Master of Engineering Science at Monash University in 1992. While completing her MEng Sc Heather worked as a full time tutor at Monash and then as a Geotechnical Engineer for Gutteridge Haskins and Davey.
Heather has been involved in a variety of projects since joining MPAW/ATC in 1995. Her work has included preparing option studies, investigation, design and construction supervision, primarily in the tailings field.
Heather and her husband, Peter, have four year old twin girls, Natasha and Michelle whom she finds just as challenging as Geotechnical Engineering. Following the major change in her life that occurred four years ago, Heather finds her spare time as busy as work.
Her outside interests now include teaching Sunday school, sewing children's costumes, trips to the zoo and especially watching pantomimes. Heather also relishes her new hobby - lead lighting.
ATC Williams, a local engineering consulting firmH with the support of Engineers Australia, Victoria Division is providing educational support for Sandringham Primary School.
Heather Wardlaw, a geotechnical engineer and long time employee at ATC Williams, has a keen interest in engineering and engineering education and has fostered the link between a new method of teaching introduced at Sandringham Primary School and the development of good engineering work practices in children.
In this new teaching method investigation time is used to aide the development of children as young as five and six years of age. It is based on principals developed both overseas, in the
Reggio Emilia method, and in the Australian Developmental Curriculum provided by well known educational specialist Kathy Walker
On 21 June 2011, CEO of ATC Williams, Trevor Qsborne, presented equipment to Margaret Hird, the Principal of Sandringham Primary School The new equipment will be used for investigation sessions for Prep children that will be run on four mornings every week.
ATC Williams, a company whose staff members spend most of their working days on dams and other civil projects, have indeed found a new meaning to their by-line "Grounded in Design".
ATC Williams is proud to be able to support both the school and the engineering profession in its bid to develop a future generation of outstanding engineers. It is hoped this pioneer relationship between schools and the engineering profession will grow.
September 2011 - The Techno Challenge of the Vernier Foundation
15th of May 2012
Dear Members and Friends,
Lunch - Thursday 8th September 2011 - The Techno Challenge of the Vernier Foundation.
A super Vernier occasion is to be held on 8th September 2011, commencing at 12.30 for lunch at 1.00pm.
The venue is the Kooyong Tennis Club, 489 Glenferrie Road Kooyong.
In attendance we will have:
5 schools represented by students, parents and teachers,
Marita Cheng, the founder of Robogals Inc, a Churchill Fellow who will tell us about her journey,
Zeb, a former Techno Challenge prize winner will tell us about his progress in developing a new product with the assistance of his Vernier mentor, Bob Weekes,
Journalists,
Members of Vernier and guests.
This will be a remarkable Vernier occasion.
Members please advise by close of business on Friday if you are unable to attend.
Please advise the names of guests that you intend to bring so that name badges can be made and catering can be arranged.
Yours sincerely,
Peter C. Murie
President
The Victorian Vernier Society
November 10 - Jon Faine from ABC radio 774
15th of May 2012
Dear Members,
There will be a regular lunch time meeting of the Victorian Vernier Society at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club on Thursday 10th November.
On this occasion our guest speaker will be Jon Faine from ABC radio 774.
Jon Faine
Jon Faine (ABC Local)
After seven years as a lawyer, Jon entered radio broadcasting in 1989 to produce and present Radio National's Law Report. He then presented 3LO's Morning and Afternoon programs, worked on ABC TV's Investigators, First Edition and Wise UP and has been presenting the Morning program on 774 ABC Melbourne since 1997.
Known for his provocative and probing debate, quick wit and willingness to ask the stickiest of questions, Jon Faine delivers thought-provoking radio. Each weekday morning from 8.30am, be it politics, finance, health, law, arts or sport, Jon investigates the issues and stories affecting Melbourne with energy and vigour - all without taking life too seriously.
Faine is known for vigorous debate and fostering conversation on politics, law, arts or sport. Enjoying high ratings peaking in September 2002, he was found to be Victoria's top talk-show host (AC Nielsen survey). In 2003 he received the ABC Local Radio 'Broadcaster of the Year' award. He has also worked on scripts for a number of TV and feature films. In 2005 he undertook study in mechanical engineering technology at NMIT to be able to machine parts for his hobby of working on old cars in his spare time.[1]
Together with his son Jack (aged 19) he used his long service leave in 2008 to drive overland from Melbourne to London
Please advise if you intend to bring prospective members or if you are unable to attend.
Regards,
Peter Murie
President.
Bionic Vision - December 2011
15th of May 2012
Our final lunch for 2011 will be held at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club on Thursday December 8, commencing with pre-lunch drinks at 12:30.
Our guest speaker will be:
Professor Robyn Guymer
Program Leader, Clinical and Surgical Research
Bionic Vision Australia
Biography
Retinal Specialist Professor Robyn Guymer is the Head of the Macular Research Unit at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA). Prior to this, she undertook a two-year medical retinal fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London under Professor Alan Bird, for which she was awarded a Royal Australian College of Surgeons travelling fellowship. She is a practising clinician, appointed as a medical retinal consultant at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH).
In 2002, Professor Guymer was awarded the Amgen medical researcher award for her ability to translate basic science into clinical practice though her work in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the genetic study of which she had initiated at CERA, establishing the McComas molecular genetics laboratory in 1997. She conducts clinical trials into AMD treatment and epidemiological studies into its risk factors and has been responsible for introducing new treatments and investigative tools to the RVEEH.
Research interests
Professor Guymer’s finely honed clinical skills and many years of research into AMD make her one of the most important figures in Australian AMD research, a matter that has been recognised by funding support from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia.
Contribution to bionic eye project
Professor Guymer’s contribution to the bionic eye project is two-fold. Firstly, it is to establish clinical tests for appropriate selection of implant recipients, and assessing and monitoring eye health, visual performance and vision-related quality of life, pre- and post-implementation.
Secondly, Professor Guymer’s contribution is to develop safe and reproducible surgical procedures for implantation of the wide-view and high-acuity neurostimulators for animal and human studies and to lead surgical aspects of the first human tests of the wide-view neurostimulator at the RVEEH.
Qualifications
BSc (Melbourne), MBBS (Melbourne), PhD (Transplantational Immunology) (Melbourne)
Publications
Professor Guymer has written several chapters in ophthalmic textbooks, mostly on AMD, as well as more than 40 research papers. She is a section editor and on the editorial board of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, a board member of the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA), and is chairperson of the ORIA research sub-committee.
Please advise if you intend to bring prospective members, guests or if you are unable to attend.
Regards,
Peter Murie
President.
Monthly Meeting with guest speaker Roger La Selle
9th of July 2011
Lunch - Thursday 14th July 2011
Dear Members,
A super Vernier occasion is to be held on 14th July 2011, commencing at 12.30 for lunch at 1.00pm.
The venue is the Kooyong Tennis Club, 489 Glenferrie Road Kooyong.
Our Speaker for the day will be Roger La Salle
Roger La Salle is professional engineer, a director of a number of companies and a successful business entrepreneur. Roger developed and documented his special way of thinking, now referred to as Matrix Thinking, in the four books he has now written based on this simple but effective approach.
Matrix Thinking is now licensed in more than 26 counties and to one of the world's largest consulting firms and is delivered in this form as e-learning modules the world over. Not only does Roger talk on innovation and business building, Roger is also actively involved in business and over the years has created four companies based on his own ideas.
In 2004 Roger was and expert panelist on the ABC TV show the New Inventors and in 2005 was appointed as "Chair of Innovation" at the prestigious "The Queens University" in Belfast. He does guest lecture spots in universities the world over.
A stimulating, engaging and entertaining speaker, who walks and talks as he lays out the simple principles of thinking and business building - not a single overhead or PowerPoint for this fellow. You will be you spell bound as you see opportunities materialize before your very eyes as Roger speaks and draws on a white board.
Please advise by close of business on Friday if you are unable to attend.
Yours sincerely,
Peter C. Murie
President
March 2011 Plant / site tour
7th of March 2011
Visit to the Herald and Weekly Times Printing Press
This month Vernier Society members have the opportunity to tour the Herald and Weekly Times.Guests are welcome but numbers are extremely limited. For those who can stay on, lunch will be held at one of the restaurants in Port Melbourne.
Dress Requirements: Normal clothing with flat heels totally enclosed shoes. A fair amount of walking and climbing stairs is involved. The plant is approximately the length of the MCC and multi story.
Transport: Car pool of 5 cars. Arriving at 9.50 am at the gate so we do not disrupt the truck traffic and all arrive at the same time.
Date and Time: Thursday 17 March 2011 at 10.00 am. Duration of visit approximately 1 hour.
Address: 127 Todd Rd. Port Melbourne opposite the Holden Plant.
Number of visitors: 20 max
RSVP: Denis George, maureengeorge@bigpond.com 9583 5145
Vernier Annual Cocktail Party
6th of November 2010
The Victorian Vernier Society is holding a cocktail party at The Boulevard in Kew.
Please join us on Wednesday 24th November at 7pm
Partners and guests are welcome.
RSVP: caitling@granowski.com.auby 5pm Friday 19th November
Address: 121 Studley Park Road, KEW. Ph 9852 8144, W www.theboulevard.com.au
Cost: $85.00 per person
Dress: Lounge suit
December Monthly Meeting
6th of November 2010
Please join us on 9th December for our final 2010 monthly meeting.
Bill Scales, Chancellor of Swinburn University, will be the guest speaker and all are welcome.
