Engineering Alumni News - The University of Auckland

Engineering Alumni News
June 2009 | A newsletter for Engineering Alumni | Number 20
From the Dean
It is said that time passes quickly
when you are enjoying yourself and I
can hardly believe that this month
marks the second anniversary of my
taking up the post of Dean of
Engineering! The time has flown by.
My enjoyment has resulted very much
from the way I have been made to feel
welcome by the Faculty’s staff,
students and our alumni. I am most
grateful for this as well as the trust
The University of Auckland has put in
me as Dean of a world class
engineering faculty.
This Faculty enjoys strong links with many other
world class institutions including Oxford
University in the UK. One of the more notable
links with Oxford is that over the years eight
graduates from the Faculty of Engineering
have been selected for Rhodes Scholarships to
pursue postgraduate study at Oxford. One
former Rhodes Scholar is the current ViceChancellor of the University of Oxford, Dr John
Hood, who as well as being a graduate of the
Faculty is the former Vice-Chancellor of The
University of Auckland. Dr Hood stands down
from his current post later this year and I was
delighted when he extended an invitation to
host our UK-based alumni at a reception in his
official Oxford residence before the end of his
term of office. This takes place on 10 June and
will be a unique opportunity for our UK-based
graduates to reconnect with each other and to
meet Dr Hood. The Deputy Dean, Professor
David Ryan, and I will also be attending the
reception and we look forward to meeting a
large proportion of our UK (as well as other
European) based alumni.
At the beginning of this semester I was pleased
to welcome an academically outstanding
intake of first year students to the Faculty once
again. We were able to reach our intake quota
quite easily while maintaining the highest
standards of entry criteria. As in previous
years, many of the new students are duxes or
other high achievers. About 12% of this intake
achieved the maximum possible grades in their
final year examinations! I am pleased also to
report that 22.6% of our intake were female, a
very slight but positive, increase on the
previous year. Forty-three students with
outstanding academic results were accepted
on to our Accelerated Pathway programme,
Professor Michael C.R. Davies
and will complete the Bachelor of Engineering
(Honours) degree in three years. Notably, our
intake of Postgraduate students has risen a
dramatic 20% this year as the result of a
significant increase in PhD students. This
reflects our efforts to increase activity in the
area of postgraduate research in order for the
Faculty to meet its strategic targets and also to
contribute to this growing resource of New
Zealand innovators and thinkers.
I would like to acknowledge how much I
enjoyed a visit to the Faculty by the Ardmore
Class of 1958, as part of a milestone three day
reunion event held last month. I was bowled
over by the camaraderie that still holds true for
this group of distinguished engineers, and I
was pleased to be able to share with them the
“Ardmore spirit” which lives on in the Faculty
– long after the move from Ardmore to the
City Campus - as an expression of friendship
and pride in the Faculty together with
confidence and excellence in what we achieve
worn lightly. You will find more about this event
and those that attended in this edition Alumni
News. I hope you enjoy reading more too
about the success of our staff, our students
and of our recent graduation ceremony in this
issue.
Finally, the 2009 Alumni Dinner will take place
on 26 September. Graduates from all years are
welcome but I encourage particularly all of our
alumni who graduated in years ending with a
9 – 1959, 1969, 1979 etc – to attend this year.
I enjoy this annual event immensely and look
forward to renewing acquaintances and
meeting more alumni at the dinner.
You can see why the last two years have
passed quickly for me!
Professor Michael C.R. Davies
Dean of Engineering
The University of Auckland |
1
Scholarships and Awards
Students get a
Kick Start on their
education
Kick Start scholarships have been
awarded to 24 high achieving first
year engineering students at a
ceremony hosted by Faculty of
Engineering Dean Professor
Michael Davies.
The scholarships are for top applicants to
the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
degree based on marks achieved in
secondary school. They are split into three
categories - Merit, open to all, Affirmative
Action, open to students of Maori or Pacific
Island heritage, and City of Sails, for
students from outside the Auckland
metropolitan area.
Professor Davies said the scholarships
assist outstanding first-year students make
the transition from school to university.
“Starting university can be a daunting
experience. We hope the Kick Start
scholarships alleviate some of the financial
stress of starting a degree, allowing the
students to focus on becoming successful
young engineers. The recipients are all top
students, and we look forward to seeing
them thrive and develop within the Faculty
of Engineering,” he said.
The scholarships worth $2000 each are to
assist with initial set-up costs, such as
textbooks, fees and accommodation.
Tarou Shiota, from Rotorua, received a City
of Sails Scholarship. He reflected the views
of many of the winners when he said the
scholarship would greatly assist with the
costs of relocating to Auckland to study
engineering.
“It will lighten the financial burden of
paying for the halls of residence,” Tarou
says. “Engineering is a challenging career
and I’m excited to be here. The combination
of logical and lateral thinking drew me to
this field,” he says.
Affirmative Action Scholarship winner,
Rebecca Crotty-Jones, from Auckland, said
she was interested in Chemical and
Materials Engineering, because of the
career possibilities in creating biofuels or
new cosmetics for women.
“Engineering is a prestigious degree but
there is a low representation of Maori
women, so I felt I could alter that.”
The recipients were:
City of Sails
Tarou Shiota
Charlotte Davis David Kung Helen Liley
Holly Woulfe
Claire Burnett
Wallace Hung
Bavan Gnanasampantha
Abhijit Vinjimoore
Jade Kwong
Merit
Jingcheng Bian
Isuru Pathirana Leroy D’Souza Lianqi Zhao Reece Oosterbeek
Jourdan Harvey
Olivia Curtis
Annie Lu
Mengyun Rao
Ming Cheuk
Affirmative Action
Samuel Palliser
Rebecca Crotty-Jones
Kierran Tuhi
Rachel Tupou
Professor Michael Davies with Kick Start scholarships winners 2009
2
| The University of Auckland
Top doctoral
scholars pursue vital
research
Geothermal power, tidal energy,
and saliva secretion are three
areas of research being
investigated by the latest recipients
of Top Achiever Doctoral
Scholarships in Engineering.
Three PhD students in Engineering at the
University of Auckland have been awarded
the prestigious scholarships by the Tertiary
Education Commission. The awards
recognise high-level intellectual skills and
abilities, and research of importance to
New Zealand’s future.
The aim of his PhD is to construct an
anatomically accurate computational
model at the cellular level of a secretory
unit of the salivary gland. This will inform
our understanding of saliva secretion
dysfunction, or ‘dry mouth’, which can be a
significant health problem effecting speech,
the ability to chew food and general oral
health.
Entrepreneur in
waiting: Logan Wait
University of Auckland PhD student in
Mechanical Engineering Logan Wait has
won a place on the prestigious Stanford
University Summer Entrepreneurship
programme in the United States.
Each student will receive an annual stipend
of $25,000 for three years plus course fees
and conference funding to complete their
study.
The programme is for young visionaries
with backgrounds in humanities, science
and engineering, who have the right skills
to launch successful businesses.
The recipients were:
Logan’s all-rounder qualities, with interests
in engineering, design, the environment
and a desire to see more innovation in
business, helped him to secure the
US$9000 scholarship awarded by the
Foundation for Research Science and
Technology (FRST). He will spend four weeks
at the Stanford Graduate School of Business
in July, gaining insights into the processes
and challenges that face all entrepreneurs.
David Dempsey (Engineering Science). His
PhD aims to create sophisticated computer
models of Taupo’s geothermal systems. The
Taupo Volcanic Zone extends from White
Island in the Bay of Plenty southwest to Mt
Ruapehu. David’s advanced computer
models may help inform future decisions
about development of the region’s
geothermal fields as a source of renewable
energy.
Ian Milne (Mechanical Engineering). His
PhD is investigating the mechanical fatigue
of tidal turbine blades, which are used to
generate in energy in water. He aims to
create a sophisticated computer model to
better understand and predict fatigue, in
order to inform better design of the blades.
Oliver Maclaren (Bioengineering Institute).
“I’m passionate about the process of
transforming a raw idea into a commercial
product, it really drives me,” Logan says.
Last year Logan co-founded the start-up
company KBS Sustainable Innovation
Partners, with three other PhD students
Manuel Seidel, Richard Cross and Mehdi
Shahbazpour. KBS helps New Zealand SMEs
improve their environmental management
systems, and ultimately, their economic
performance. Part of the Stanford
programme is an opportunity for Logan to
present KBS to a panel of Silicon Valley
venture capitalists.
“Many of the small and medium sized
manufacturers which make up much of
New Zealand’s industry are struggling to
implement sustainable practices due to
inexperience rather than a lack of
willingness. We see that SMEs need help in
understanding the requirements and
processes for improving their environmental
practices,” Logan says about KBS.
“There is a greenwash pandemic and
people are looking deeper at company’s
claims of being ‘green’. From an
Logan Wait
international perspective, our SMEs need to
be able to demonstrate the steps they have
taken to be green and sustainable. And in
today’s climate, environmental and
economic performance are intrinsically
linked.”
KBS was given its first break when it was
named a SPARK finalist in 2008 – the
University of Auckland entrepreneurship
challenge. The competition gave KBS the
confidence as well as the contacts and
mentorship it needed to grow. SPARK
identified the Stanford Scholarship as an
opportunity for Logan to expand his
entrepreneurial knowledge.
KBS will soon launch a unique software
platform called EcoPortal to guide SMEs
through the process of gaining their
eco-credentials. KBS members helped
Criterion Manufacturing Ltd achieve the
Sustainable Business of the Year Award for
the northern region from the Sustainable
Business Network.
At the Faculty of Engineering, Logan is
completing a PhD looking at strategic
product innovation in SMEs. While it may
not sound like traditional engineering
subject matter, Logan’s supervisor, Dr
Rainer Seidel, directs the INNOVATIONZ
research group which aims to improve the
innovation potential of manufacturing SMEs
in New Zealand. Logan’s work is
complementary – he is looking at how New
Zealand SMEs can incorporate new product
development processes into their business
model so they can develop new innovations
and products.
Logan is also the Product Development
Manager for Kingsland-based company
Adept Ltd, which designs and
manufacturers new products in the
PhD student David Dempsey
The University of Auckland |
3
Scholarships and Awards
engineering and medical fields, and he has
had a part to play in other international
product launches. An entrepreneur in
waiting.
European
Commission prize
for Auckland student
A University of Auckland graduate
has won a prestigious European
Commission scholarship to pursue
his studies in earthquake
engineering.
Chris Van Houtte, from Parnell, was one of
12 students from outside of the European
Union to receive a MEEES (Masters in
Earthquake Engineering and Engineering
Seismology) Scholarship worth at least
21,000 Euro.
It was awarded under the Commission’s
Erasmus Mundus programme, which
intends to strengthen Europe’s international
links in higher education by enabling
visiting scholars from around the world to
engage in postgraduate study at European
universities.
Chris, who completed a Bachelor of
Engineering (Civil) Honours degree in 2008
CONTINUED
with a focus on seismic design, must
complete his masters in at least two
universities from Italy, France, Greece or
the United Kingdom over the course of one
year.
“This will expose me to some of the most
advanced earthquake engineering research
taking place in Europe, something which I
could never have pursued without a
scholarship,” Chris says. “This is such an
important field to a seismically active
country like New Zealand. I am stoked to
have this opportunity.”
Chris recently represented The University of
Auckland in an international seismic design
competition in Taiwan, the team recording
a respectable sixth placing. He received a
Senior Prize in Civil Engineering in the final
year of his degree.
Top thesis
recognised by VC
Dan Huang, a PhD student in
Electrical and Computer
Engineering, has received one of
five Vice-Chancellor’s prizes for
Best Doctoral Thesis.
Chris Van Houtte
The prize is awarded to the most
exceptional theses successfully examined
across all Faculties at The University of
Auckland in 2008. It takes into account the
significance of each thesis in its field, the
originality and excellence of the research,
intellectual achievement and timely
completion.
Dan’s thesis investigated improving the
performance of Networked Control Systems
(NCS). These systems are used in
communication networks such as wireless
internet and Ethernets. They connect
sensors, actuators and controllers through
a communication network. Such a system
has the advantage of executing tasks across
distance, low cost, flexibility and less wiring,
but it is also prone to delays and data loss.
Dan’s thesis, titled “Robust control for
uncertain networked control systems with
random delays” proposes design
methodologies to overcome these
problems.
Dan’s thesis was supervised by Associate
Professor Sing Kiong Nguang and
co-supervised by Professor Zoran Salcic.
Dan Huang
4
| The University of Auckland
Andrew Graham
L-R Joan and Ray Thompson with award winner Arief Tjayhono and Professor Michael Davies
Prize for PhD student
at Pricewaterhouse
Coopers Hi-Tech
Awards
The PricewaterhouseCoopers New Zealand
Hi-Tech Awards celebrate New Zealand’s
highly successful and burgeoning high tech
companies representing the electronics,
software, biotechnology,
telecommunications and creative
technology sectors.
2008, says he is fully committed to his
research and the scholarship will ease the
financial burden he will face this year.
Generous gift
to international
students
French student Anna Dupleix was a winner
of one of the supplementary awards of
$2,500. Anna is studying for a Master of
Engineering in Civil and Environmental
Engineering and says the award will help
her to pursue her goal of a PhD in Timber
Design.
PhD student Andrew Graham has
won the Endace Young Achiever
Award at the 2009
PricewaterhouseCoopers New
Zealand Hi-Tech Awards.
Andrew was recognised as being an
outstanding young manager and leader
who has, amongst other things, helped to
found a company creating 30 jobs, is one of
New Zealand’s leading robotics specialists,
and is completing valuable research to
assist surgeons.
Andrew is a co-founder of robotics company
Inro Technologies, which formed out of a
team of engineers from The University of
Auckland and won the Spark
Entrepreneurship Challenge in 2005. His
PhD in the Department of Mechanical
Engineering under the supervision of Dr
Shane Xie brings the fields of medicine and
robotics together.
His focus is on developing a device to assist
surgeons in reducing (or re-aligning) long
bone fractures. The aim is to be able to
provide a new tool to the surgeon that will
mean less exposure to radiation from
imaging the fracture, remove the physical
strain they experience which leads to
fatigue and improve patient outcome by
using information about sensed force.
Three University of Auckland
engineering students were the
proud winners of the AUEA
Braithwaite-Thompson Graduate
Award this year.
While the award, which is offered to
international postgraduate engineering
students, is usually offered to one student
annually, this year the donors Ray and Joan
Thompson said the applicants were so
outstanding they decided to make two
one-off awards.
In his speech at the prize giving Ray
Thompson says he established the award to
support international students who could
widen the base of graduate research with
innovative ideas that went beyond the
mainstream.
Arief Tjayhono, who is studying towards a
PhD in Mechanical Engineering won the full
award of $5,000. Tjayhono, who graduated
with a Bachelor of Mechatronics
Engineering with First Class Honours in
“I feel it is the right time to continue my
study because the job market has become
smaller and I want to prepare myself further
before I enter the work force,” he says.
“It gives me financial support and alleviates
my budget concerns, but more importantly,
it gives me confidence in my project. Being
awarded means people, apart from your
supervisor, are confident in what you are
doing and also what you have already
done. I would like to continue into a PhD,
and I will need support to manage this
project.”
Another academically outstanding student,
Simon Jegan also received a one-off award
and is studying towards a Master of
Engineering in Chemical and Materials
Engineering with a focus on producing
biofuels from renewable sources of energy.
“I feel proud and happy to receive this
award. This scholarship has given me
confidence that I am pursuing my research
in the right direction,” he says. The University of Auckland |
5
Research
Green roof
flourishing
The Faculty of Engineering’s green roof is
proving an ideal solution to preventing
stormwater runoff.
The roof, on top of the engineering tower
on Symonds Street, was planted two years
ago as part of an Auckland Regional
Council funded study. Green roofs are
tipped as a solution to reducing the
stormwater runoff that pollutes our
waterways and can lead to flooding.
Dr Elizabeth Fassman, from the
Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, says emerging results show
the roof is soaking up about 75% of rainfall.
A snapshot recording between 5 September
and 5 October 2008 recorded 101mm of
rain, seven storms, and only 25mm runoff.
pine bark have emerged as favoured
substrates, or planting mediums. Soils are
not used because they are too heavy.
“We’re really pleased with the performance
and fully believe it is a viable stormwater
control technology - with the added factor
of multiple environmental benefits from a
single technology,” Dr Fassman says.
“During the first summer growth spurt the
iceplants sprung up, then pulled back. A
year later the sedums pushed through. In
winter, the tussocks take over.”
Dr Fassman, postgraduate students and
Landcare Research are involved in the
project. They have been trialling a mix of
hardy native and foreign sedums and
different lightweight mediums on the roof.
The sedum mexicanum and the native New
Zealand iceplant have emerged as early
flourishers. Pumice, zeolite and composted
The researchers have also isolated plants in
greenhouses to measure how much water
they intercept on their own, to establish the
role of the plants in the overall system.
Last summer the roofs of four garden sheds
at Tamaki were also planted with a mix of
natives and more common ornamental
varieties, like chives and daisies.
Dr Fassman is due to present a “how to
guide” on green roofs to the ARC in July.
Fish bypass helps
protect native
species
Native fish in the Waikato’s Wainui
Stream are set to benefit from the
latest engineering technology
when their custom-designed dam
bypass is upgraded.
Engineers from The University of Auckland
have spent the past five months modelling
a new fish passage in collaboration with the
designers of the pass, environmental
consultants Tonkin and Taylor Ltd (T&T).
Based on the latest international research
and practice, the upgraded fish pass will
help preserve the natural migratory
patterns of all local fish species.
The upgrade was in response to a desire by
New Zealand Steel Ltd to improve the
means for fish to swim past an in-stream
dam it uses for iron sand mining
operations.
An original fish passageway was built when
the dam was constructed in the 1970s and
while this has helped to protect the fish
species, new advances in design
technologies means the fish bypass could
be more effective.
“Some fish have trouble finding or
negotiating the existing passage and we
know it could operate better. Our aim was
to validate the design of a more fish
friendly structure that would allow species
to swim up and downstream all of the
time,” says Associate Professor Stephen
Coleman, of the Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering. “You have to
Dr Elizabeth Fassman
6
| The University of Auckland
Professor Andy Philpott
Researchers on
award shortlist
for saving paper
company millions
Helping a global company to reduce
costs and increase earnings in a
declining market earned researchers
from The University of Auckland’s
Faculty of Engineering a finalist’s
spot in an international competition.
Norske Skog, one of the world’s largest
paper producers, called on the University’s
Department of Engineering Science to
streamline its manufacturing and supply
chain costs using operations research. The
model Professor Andy Philpott helped
Norske Skog to develop saved the company
more than (US)$200 million over 11 years.
PhD student Ambuj Dwivedi and Dr Stephen Coleman working on part of a model of the
Wainui Stream in the Fluids Laboratory
make sure the fish will naturally choose to
swim through the passageway, and that is
achieved by understanding fish behaviour
as well as the dynamics of that stretch of
water.”
Dr Coleman teamed up with Mike Heiler
and Simon Croft of T&T, PhD engineering
student Ambuj Dwivedi and NIWA fish
specialist Jacques Boubée, to model the
bypass design. Scale models of the Wainui
Stream and the bypass were built in the
University’s Fluids Laboratory, and tests
involving modelling of the water flows and
turbulence were carried out to ensure the
newly designed fish pass and its interaction
with the existing stream would work in
practice.
The research team’s findings have been
used by T&T to perfect the design, with
construction taking place in the 2009/2010
earthworks season.
Dr Coleman says fish-friendly design such
as this has become more commonplace in
engineering practices throughout the world.
“Using our skills to create better habitats is
not only fun but it reflects an increasingly
holistic view by engineers of our
environment,” he adds.
The Institute for Operations Research and
the Management Sciences (INFORMS)
announced Norske Skog as one of six
finalists for the 2009 Franz Edelman Award
for Achievement in Operations Research
and the Management Sciences. The other
finalists, selected from 200 companies,
were IBM, Hewlett Packard, Marriott
International, CSX Transportation and Zara.
The team travelled to Phoenix, Arizona, in
April for the competition final and although
Hewlett Packard was announced as the
overall winner, Professor Philpott said it was
still a great honour and tribute to the
team’s work to be in the final round.
“This is another great achievement for the
Department of Engineering Science and once
again demonstrates the value of operations
research. In a market where newsprint
demand is in decline, Norske Skog was able
to increase its profitability using the
The University of Auckland |
7
Research
CONTINUED
operations research models developed by our
team,” Professor Philpott says.
The team’s work is garnering international
attention. Business Week magazine in New
York praised the work of “two maths
whizzes from New Zealand” for helping
Norske Skog to turn shrinking during a
recession into a science, encouraging other
managers to take note.
The model called PIVOT (Paper Industry
Value Optimization Tool) used by Norske
Skog was developed by Professor Philpott,
Graeme Everett, an Engineering Science
graduate and employee at the company’s
Tasman paper mill, and Kjetil Vatn from the
company’s Oslo office. PIVOT helped Norske
Skog to better allocate raw materials to
mills, and products to customers, across its
global operations. When it needed to
downsize, the model was used to best
reallocate paper to other mills and recoup
the optimal salvage value from its plants.
It is only the second time New Zealanders
have been shortlisted for the award - both
projects arising from research in the
Department of Engineering Science. In
2000 software developed by Professor
David Ryan and collaborators to optimise
crew scheduling at Air New Zealand was
named as a finalist.
New High-Tech
Accelerator for the
transformation
of New Zealand
industry
Funding of $9.6 million over four
years has been awarded to a
University of Auckland-led
materials development programme
that aims to transform New
Zealand’s manufacturing sector
through partnerships between
research and industry.
The Materials Accelerator brings together
scientists and engineers from seven
research organisations into a “one-stop
shop” to help New Zealand manufacturers
develop high-value materials and enter new
export markets. The programme is expected
to generate economic growth and skilled
jobs across the manufacturing sector, which
accounts for approximately one third of the
country’s exports and three of its fivelargest technology companies.
“In pursing economic growth in a small
8
| The University of Auckland
L-R: Three of the key participants in the Materials Accelerator, Gavin Lennox (CEO, Nextspace),
Ralph Cooney (Director, Materials Accelerator and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Tamaki) and Lewis
Gradon (Vice President, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare) discuss new opportunities for New
Zealand high-technology products.
economy like New Zealand we urgently need
to adopt a ‘NZ Inc.’ approach to innovation
and commercialisation,” says Professor Ralph
Cooney, Science Leader for the programme.
“The Materials Accelerator, with its extensive
research and industry collaborations, has the
potential to turbo-charge the development of
high-technology exports.”
The programme will focus on developing
high-value products that incorporate
multiple materials, such as plastics, metals,
composites, ceramics, conducting polymers
and coatings. It is anticipated that the
benefits of the Materials Accelerator will
flow across a wide range of industries,
including plastics and packaging, food and
beverage processing, construction,
electronic devices, and the marine,
transport and aerospace sectors.
“The development and prototyping of
high-value, multi-material products for
export is an expensive, time-consuming and
risky business beyond the capability of
many New Zealand companies,” says
Professor Cooney. “A central aspect of the
Materials Accelerator is the creation of a
virtual prototyping and evaluation facility
that will accelerate commercial product
development and greatly reduce the cost
and risk for firms.”
Funding for the Materials Accelerator has
been awarded as part of the High
Technology Transformational Research,
Science & Technology initiative. This is a
new government initiative administered by
the Foundation for Research, Science and
Technology that aims to establish platforms
for the accelerated development of
high-technology products from basic
research through to commercial use.
Professor Stuart McCutcheon, ViceChancellor of The University of Auckland,
says “The University is delighted its strengths
in basic and applied materials science have
been recognised in this new research funding
initiative linking science to industry. The
University is committed to supporting the
high technology manufacturing industry in
New Zealand through the application of high
quality research.”
The successful proposal was led by The
University of Auckland working in
partnership with Auckland University of
Technology, Industrial Research Limited,
Scion Research Ltd, GNS Science, Victoria
University of Wellington, and Massey
University. “We are conscious that the
Materials Accelerator involves a new model
for collaboration across seven research
organisations and that the contributions
from our collaborators and their scientists
were critical in being awarded this
funding,” says Professor McCutcheon.
The Materials Accelerator seeks to build on
existing linkages between research
organisations and industry. The concept was
developed in consultation with four industry
sector associations representing
approximately 1,000 New Zealand
companies – the Heavy Engineering
Research Association, Plastics New Zealand,
the Composites Association of New
Zealand, and the Packaging Council of New
Zealand. Discussions were also held with 20
selected innovative companies with a
special interest in manufacturing materials.
Autumn Graduation
Autumn Graduation
extra special for
engineering couple
Husband and wife Anu and Sashini
Premathilaka were among 560
students to graduate from the
Faculty of Engineering during the
Autumn Graduation ceremony on
May 8.
The couple flew to New Zealand for their
capping from Bristol in the UK, where they
both work as engineers.
Anu and Sashini spent nearly a decade
completing their studies in the Faculty of
Engineering, from Bachelor to PhD level.
Both originally from Sri Lanka, they married
in 2005 in New Zealand while studying
toward their PhDs.
Husband and wife Anu and Sashini Premathilaka both graduated with PhDs in Engineering
“We thought the special occasion of
graduating together as husband and wife
would leave us great memories not only for
our future, but also it would be significant
for the Faculty of Engineering. So, we
waited until both of us completed the
degree,” Anu says. “It gave us great
pleasure to graduate together and
celebrate the occasion with both our
families beside us. As you can imagine, for
our families this was a very proud moment,
especially for our parents whose mutual
wish was to see us reach as high as we can
in our education.”
Anu’s PhD in Civil Engineering, supervised
by Associate Professor Roger Dunn,
investigated rail track asset management,
focusing on developing mathematical
models for efficient long-term planning of
rail renewal activities of railway networks.
Shashini completed a PhD in Chemical &
Materials Engineering supervised by
Associate Professor Margaret Hyland. Her
research was aimed at understanding the
underlying mechanisms leading to whey
protein fouling in the dairy industry.
Dr Rainer Seidel of the Department of Mechanical Engineering is presented with a Teaching
Excellence Award by University of Auckland Chancellor Roger France
Two staff members were also among
graduates in the Autumn ceremony. Dr
Theuns Henning, a senior lecturer in the
Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, graduated with a PhD in Civil
Engineering. His PhD explored the
development of pavement deterioration
models in the state highway network of
New Zealand. Ivor Woodfield, the School
Computing Manager, graduated with a
Master of Management from the Business
School on May 6.
The University of Auckland |
9
Autumn Graduation
Among the PhD students to graduate from
the Faculty were three from Engineering
Science. Ziming Guan completed a
Doctorate on “Strategic inventory models of
international dairy commodity markets”.
Richard Lusby’s PhD investigated
“Optimising methods for routing trains
through railway junctions” and Oliver
Weide’s PhD topic was “Robust and
Students celebrating their Graduation
10 | The University of Auckland
CONTINUED
integrated airline scheduling”.
The ceremonies were also a chance to
officially confer the University’s Teaching
Excellence Awards for 2008. Five staff from
across the University received awards,
among them Dr Rainer Seidel of the
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
who won the Collaboration in Teaching
category. A member of the Faculty since
1984, Dr Seidel has a strong track record of
innovative and collaborative teaching
practices, in particular spearheading
several initiatives to involve industry and
engineering professionals in student
learning.
Engineering Students
Civil students on
construction site
tour
More than 75 final year students
went on a tour of Auckland City
with a difference on March 12 –
visiting some of the major
construction sites across the
region.
The Civil and Environmental Engineering
students were hosted on the site tour by
Auckland City Council and various
contractors.
They travelled by coach to Grafton Bridge,
where a major strengthening of the historic
concrete arch bridge is taking place;
Mangere Bridge, to view the construction of
a second bridge over the Manukau
Harbour to the airport; and the Central
City Connector System, which is a major
road upgrade being carried out in Symonds
Street.
Students from CIVIL411 and CIVIL409 at Mangere Bridge during a construction site visit day
Colin Nicholas, from the Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering, says
site visits are an essential part of learning
for Civil Engineering students. The students
were able to meet recent graduates on site
and ask questions about the construction
and engineering decisions being made.
Prior to the site visits, the students attended
an hour of lectures about the projects they
were about to see.
Thanks are extended to Auckland City
Council, Fletcher Construction and Brian
Perry Civil for their generosity in organising
this event for our final year students.
Engineers Without
Borders assist Tonga
with Biogas solution
Members of the organisation
Engineers Without Borders New
Zealand (EWBNZ) from the Faculty
of Engineering have been helping a
Tongan community build its own
unique energy source.
A team of volunteers from EWBNZ travelled
to Tonga in December 2008 to build two
biodigesters with locally available materials
and labour. Biodigesters are low pressure,
warm temperature anaerobic reactors that
convert common biodegradable wastes into
flammable methane-based gas, dubbed
“biogas”. Biodigesters offer a triple benefit:
to treat wastes, produce gas that can be
L-R Engineering students Anita Walbran and Alan Collins, Tonga locals David and Andrew,
and Peter Trafford from Watercare
used for cooking, lighting, and electricity
generation, and to produce nutrient rich
fertiliser.
EWBNZ is an organisation of professional
and student engineers who share a vision
to confront global challenges of poverty,
sustainable development and social
inequity by undertaking projects that will
directly improve the quality of life in
communities within New Zealand and in
the South Pacific region.
The EWBNZ team which travelled to Tonga
consisted of Anita Walbran, and Roy Elliot,
both postgraduate students, Alan Collins
and James Russell, engineering
undergraduate students, and Peter Trafford,
Senior Process Engineer at Watercare
Services Limited.
The Pacific Islands Trade and Investment
Commission received the project proposal
from a farm in Tonga and passed it on to
EWBNZ. The owners of the farm called
upon the skills of EWBNZ to assist in
evaluating the technical, environmental and
social feasibility of using biodigester
technology in Tonga.
The team spent five months part-time
researching and designing a suitable
biodigester system before travelling to Tonga
to implement the design. This groundwork
produced excellent results, and the team was
able to recommend and develop the detail
The University of Auckland | 11
Engineering Students
CONTINUED
F:SAE:47 Team
for two separate designs, a Chinese design
and a polyethylene bag design.
The two digesters presented different
challenges during construction, but both
were successfully completed and tested.
The team spent the last few days of their
visit educating the owners on operations
and maintenance. They also provided the
farmers with material to give to other
Tongans interested in implementing a
biodigester system.
EWBNZ would like to thank the Rotary Club
of Auckland East for their financial
contribution, Convex Plastics for the
donation of a custom run of polyethylene
plastic and Pacific Blue for donation of an
excess baggage allowance to get materials
and tools to Tonga.
EWBNZ have two more exciting projects
lined up for 2009 – a micro hydro project
for Tanna Island, Vanuatu, and a solar
energies project in Tonga. EWBNZ is always
looking for financial assistance for projects
so if you would like to assist please visit:
www.ewb.org.nz
12 | The University of Auckland
F:SAE:47 win
Outsource IT
Domain Hillclimb
The University of Auckland
F:SAE:47 (Formula SAE) team won
the Outsource IT Domain Hillclimb
with an overall time of 21.8
seconds which was over 0.7
seconds faster than the second
placed car.
The team, which consists of solely
undergraduate students, design and build
their car from scratch every year. This year
the team ran the 2008 car in the event as
the 2009 car is still in its design stages.
Last year the team struggled with the rain
and this threatened to ruin the day again
this year, with the wet tires being used for
the first two runs. However, the rain
stopped and stayed away and the team
were able to complete their remaining four
runs on their normal race tires.
After problems with traction control in the
second run followed by a rough start in the
third, the team along with driver Ashley
Blewett turned in the fastest time of the day
on the fourth run as Blewett piloted the car
near-perfectly up the hill to put the team
into first.
With two runs remaining, the goal became
the team’s all time course record of 21.6
seconds. Unfortunately this was not to be.
Even with a drying track, the team could
not push the car any faster. They did finish
with the top three times of the day,
however.
Victory in the Domain Hillclimb is another
great success for the University of Auckland
F:SAE:47 team and provides the team with
a mid-year competitive boost. The team
now looks forward to a winter of events
culminating in a finished 2009 car and a
trip to Melbourne to compete at the end of
the year.
Faculty News
el Davies, Dean of Engineering, elected a Fellow of the
ofessional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ)
Davies has been elected a Fellow of IPENZ for his contribution to
of engineering knowledge and advancement of technological
larly recognising his contribution to geotechnical engineering and
ation. He has Professor
an international
reputation
for published
Michael
Davies,
Dean ofresearch in
und improvement, soil-structure interaction, geo-materials and
Engineering,
elected
a
Fellow
ofengineering
the
al issues. In parallel he has held leadership roles in
United Kingdom
and now inof
New
Zealand where he is seeking to
Institution
Professional
ng skill issues.
Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ).
Awards
Friday, 27 March 2009.
Associate Professor Charles
Clifton, Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering
receives the Supreme Technical
Award for Engineering Achievers
2009, in the category of Building
and Construction.
Professor Michael
Davies has been
elected a Fellow
Charles Clifton
of IPENZ for his
worked at the
contribution to
Heavy
the advancement
Engineering
of engineering
Research
knowledge and
Association
advancement of
(HERA) from
technological
1983 to 2007.
education,
particularly
He was
recognising his contribution to geotechnical
responsible
for
HERA’s
structural
steel
engineering and engineering education. He
Departmenthas
of Civil
and Environmental
electedresearch and education programme, and for
an international
reputation Engineering,
for
Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) developing new standards and codes of
published research in fields such as ground
engineering practice for structural steel
improvement, soil-structure interaction,
design and fire engineering. He has made an
geo-materials
issues.
Dr
Carol Boyle and
has geo-environmental
been elected a Fellow
of IPENZ for her
outstanding contribution in this field which
contribution
to has
the held
advancement
sustainability,
In parallel, he
leadershipofroles
in
engineering and science.
has been recognised internationally.
engineering
education
in the United
Carol
has been
totally immersed
in environmental and
Kingdom andengineering
now in New for
Zealand
he decades. Charles
sustainability
more where
than two
She is
has authored a large number of
recognised
both
nationally
and internationally
for her
is seeking to
address
engineering
skill
papers,
technical leadership in this growing field. The success of
the technical reports, and seminar
issues.
New
Zealand Society for Sustainability Engineering and
notes describing the results and practical
Science and the International Centre for Sustainability
applications of his research at HERA, and
Dr Carol Boyle,
Department
of Civil
Engineering
and Research
in developing
both national, and
he has developed applicable software for
increasingly
international
reputations
and
increasing
and Environmental Engineering,
involvement in multi-lateral work programmes, is largely
usedue
in design offices. He has lectured widely
elected
a
Fellow
of
the
Institution
to her determined leadership.
and
served on several major committees.
of Professional
Engineers
New
Carol
Boyle was presented
with her
Fellowship at the IPENZ
Awards
Dinner
held
at
The
Duxton
Hotel
in
Wellington,
on
Zealand (IPENZ).
The slab panel method for the analysis of
Friday, 27 March 2009.
Dr Carol Boyle has
been elected a
Fellow of IPENZ for
her contribution to
the advancement
of sustainability,
engineering and
science.
steel framed buildings subjected to severe
fire attack is the culmination of Charles’s
work at HERA, and this has contributed to
the innovative fire safety design of three
high-rise steel buildings currently under
construction in Auckland. As a result, he
has been appointed principal contributor
on fire resistance ratings for structural
stability to the Building Authority.
“Well Engineered”
Team conquers
Oxfam Trailwalker
On April 4-5 the team “Well
Engineered” made of Bryony
James, Margaret Hyland, Michael
Hodgson and Rosalind Archer took
part in the Oxfam Trailwalker - a
100km hike for fundraising.
Bryony says the trek “was one hell of an
experience. Walking for 100km more or less
non-stop, through the dawn, through the
night, through the fog, and simply being
awake for over 36 hours was a bit odd.”
She praised the aid from the support crew
which helped the team get through the trail
by meeting the team at each of the 7 check
points providing water, food, new plasters
for blisters and fresh socks.
Colin Doyle from the support crew says “the
best things about the whole exercise is that it
was a team effort - the support crew are
amazed at how the walkers managed to just
keep going, it is certainly nothing that we
would want to do, but the walkers claim they
had the easy bit and that they could never do
the support part! We were all doing our part
Carol has been
totally immersed
in environmental
and sustainability engineering for more
than two decades. She is recognised both
nationally and internationally for her
technical leadership in this growing
field. The success of the New Zealand
Society for Sustainability Engineering and
Science and the International Centre for
Sustainability Engineering and Research in
developing both national, and increasingly
international reputations and increasing
involvement in multi-lateral work
programmes, is largely due to her
determined leadership.
Carol Boyle was presented with her
Fellowship
the IPENZ Awards
Dinner
held worked at the Heavy Engineering Research
Charles
Clifton
AssociateatProfessor
at
The Duxton
Hotel in Wellington,
on (HERA) from 1983 to 2007.
Association
Charles
Clifton,
Department of Civil
and Environmental
Engineering
receives the
Supreme Technical
He was responsible for HERA’s structural steel research and
The team
“Well Engineered”
crossingand
the finish line
education programme, and
for developing
new standards
codes of engineering practice for structural steel design and
fire engineering. He has made an outstanding contribution in
this field which has been recognised internationally.
The University of Auckland | 13
Faculty News
to make sure that the team achieved their
goal. We all had a lump in our throats as the
walkers crossed the finish line, there was a
huge sense of pride that they had done it
without anyone dropping out, and that we
had helped get them there. It made the
practice walks, and the fundraising and all
the logistical hassles so much more worth it”.
The idea to take part in the trailwalker
came up over a coffee break. “It seemed
like a pretty easy thing to accomplish sat on
level 12 in the sun!” Bryony says.
But the team soon realised the Trailwalker
required intense training.
“The largest practise walk was 10km
overnight in the Waitakere ranges followed
by 40km round the city the next day, the
idea was to simulate a bit of the sleep
deprivation of the actual event (though it
didn’t really come close) and to have two
‘check points’ where our awesome support
crew could train for their role too,” she says.
Oxfam Trailwalker is one of the hardest
team challenge events in the world. Teams
of four walk 100km to raise money to
support Oxfam New Zealand in their bid to
help people living in poverty.
Prior to the walk, the team organised several
fundraising activities such as two well
attended quiz nights, cake raffle and morning
tea where Derek Hobbis brewed hot drinks
made from his home roasted beans.
So far the team “Well Engineered” has
raised a little over $5000.
People can continue to support the team’s
fundraising efforts until 15 June by logging
on to www.oxfamtrailwalker.org.nz/oxfam_
trailwalker/ and use the Find a Team
function to find the team “Well Engineered”.
Peter Hunter to
head Marsden
Council
CONTINUED
Council comprises eminent researchers
who assess funding applications.
Professor Hunter says it was a privilege and
an honour to be appointed to the position.
“The Marsden Fund is the jewel in the
crown of New Zealand research funding. It
is and will remain committed to fully
over-headed and thoroughly peer-reviewed
‘blue skies’ research with no linkage to any
agenda other than research excellence,”
Professor Hunter says.
In April Professor Hunter was presented
with the “Research, Science, Technology
and Academia” category of the World
Class New Zealander awards. Seven
awards were presented by Kea New
Zealand and New Zealand Trade and
Enterprise to the country’s greatest “tall
poppies”, for giving their time, knowledge
and skills to help New Zealand companies
and industries succeed internationally.
Professor Hunter is best-known for his
pioneering mathematical modelling of the
human heart. He also heads the Institute’s
flagship Human Physiome Project, an
international network of researchers
developing mathematical models of all
aspects of human physiology.
Man of steel
Associate Professor Charles Clifton
has been recognised for his contributions to guiding New Zealand
standards on the use of steel.
Charles, a member of the Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering, was
presented with a Meritorious Service Award
from the Minister of Building and Housing
(Maurice Williamson) and the Chair of
Standards New Zealand at a breakfast on
February 20.
Charles has advised on steel structure, loadings,
and related Standards for over 20 years. Professor Peter Hunter
Each year, Standards New Zealand honours
the outstanding individuals who volunteer
their expertise to inform high quality
Standards that assist New Zealanders in
their everyday lives. The body relies on
experts to set quality and safety levels,
delivering benefits and clarity for both the
public and private sectors.
Charles is known for his expertise in the
performance of steel buildings in severe
earthquakes and fires. He was a staff member
with the Heavy Engineering Research
Association (HERA) for 25 years, which was
instrumental in significantly increasing the use
of steel in New Zealand buildings.
In 2005 he gained his PhD under the
supervision of Associate Professor John
Butterworth. This involved the development
of new forms of seismic-resistant steel
frame connections, which feature in the
University’s new Owen G Glenn building.
After completing his PhD he accepted a
position with the Faculty.
Charles is currently engaged on a major
FRST-funded project developing composite
components using light gauge steel sheet
for the building industry.
Professor Peter Hunter, director of
the Auckland Bioengineering
Institute, has been in the news this
year for two notable
accomplishments.
In February he was appointed Chair of the
Marsden Fund Council, and in April he was
named a World Class New Zealander.
The Marsden Fund is a major source of
funding for research in New Zealand,
investing $54million in the 2008/09 year in
support of 91 projects. The Marsden
14 | The University of Auckland
Associate Professor Charles Clifton receiving award from Hon. Maurice Williamson and
Richard Westlake, Standards New Zealand Chair
Alumni
1965 Ardmore
Engineers get
together
In March of this year, some 40
Engineers and partners from the
1965 graduating class from the
Auckland University, Ardmore
Engineering School, got together in
Tauranga to swap yarns and catch
up on how life was treating their old
buddies. Such is the camaraderie between
these ex students, many people traveled long
distances to be present at this weekend.
Notable long distance travelers included
George and Mary Walker, Monty and Gina
Blomfield, and Kevin and Helen McSweeney
all from Queensland in Australia.
Activities included walkers taking on the
climb up the Mount, or around it,
depending on fitness and inclination,
helicopter rides, wine tasting at Mills Reef
Wineries, and a friday night cocktail do at
The Armitage. For those addicted golfers, a
round was organized at the Mount Course,
with Geoff Wales taking away the men’s
challenge trophy.
The highlight of the weekend was the
saturday night at Classic Flyers, where all
the museums’ exhibits were on show, and
explained by museum staff, while enjoying
sparkling wine. This was followed by dining
and dancing to a live band at the Classic
Flyers Function Centre.
By Doug Kingsford
L-R Doug Kingsford, Hogg Witherow, Lynne Tunna, Allie Snow, Hillary Millar, Drowsie
Witherow, Cyril Snow, Boyd Millar and Rex Nicholls
Annual AUEA
Luncheon
On 01 April 2009 the annual AUEA
luncheon was held at Beaufords
restaurant at Totara Park,
Manurewa. The annual luncheon
has become an event keenly
anticipated and attended by 50’s
and 60’s alumni.
This year 96 alumni and their partners
attended the luncheon stretching the facilities
at Beaufords to near capacity. It was a time
for old friends to meet again and share
recent experiences. We were honoured to
have in attendance three alumni who have
held, or hold, the position of Dean of the
Faculty of Engineering; Professor Ray Meyer,
Professor Peter Brothers and, current Dean,
Professor Michael Davies. As well, we were
pleased to have Sir Colin Maiden with us,
alumnus and ex-Vice Chancellor of The
University of Auckland.
The success of the luncheon has caused
your Executive Committee to consider
holding a second luncheon, perhaps later in
the year, targeting the younger alumni with
whom, presently, AUEA has little or no
contact. We will advise the date of next
years annual luncheon later in the year.
Ian Parton
President, AUEA Inc.
Annual AUEA luncheon
The University of Auckland | 15
Alumni
CONTINUED
Rekindling the
Ardmore spirit
The Ardmore class of 1958 have
reunited more than 50 years after
they studied engineering together.
The former students of the then Auckland
University College travelled from all over
the world to attend a three-day reunion,
organised by class member Bob Wakelin. A
host of activities was organised across
Auckland including a visit to the Faculty of
Engineering. Mr Wakelin said even after five
decades and with the spread of graduates
across continents, friendships were still
strong. “We have a bond that is unique.”
Ardmore, an isolated aerodrome east of
Papakura, was the location of the University’s
School of Engineering from 1948 to 1969. It
produced some of New Zealand’s most
noteworthy, eclectic and influential engineers
and business leaders. Its students were also
known for their academic excellence, a
fondness for practical jokes, and a special
collegiality. The class of 1958 were, like all
students at Ardmore, an all male intake, who
nostalgically remember living in cramped
and primitive buildings on campus, and also
of learning from great Professors.
Ardmore Reunion
16 | The University of Auckland
“You got to know everybody well living
together like that. The interesting thing is that
we still instantly recognise each other as if 50
years had vanished,” said Jim Lord, who
travelled from California for the reunion.
Arved Raudkivi, a retired Professor in fluid
mechanics who taught the 1958 Ardmore
class, attended the reunion and said the
students were not only outstanding, but fun
to teach.
In total more than 41 engineers and 30
wives attended the reunion from the
original class of 62 people, with members
travelling from Australia, the United States,
Malaysia, France and throughout New
Zealand to attend. Of the original group, 12
have sadly passed away. All of the former
classmates are now aged between 69 and
73. The class of 1958 were high achievers
academically, with nine going on to
complete PhDs, more than any other year
at Ardmore. Three members of the class
have been honoured by the Queen.
“The classes were relatively small and
because they lived together for three years
they developed lifelong friendships,” he said.
The current Dean of the Faculty of
Engineering, Professor Michael Davies,
hosted a lunch and tour of the school as
part of the reunion activities. He told the
group they were influential in setting the
tone for the future success of the Faculty.
“We look toward the Ardmore spirit in
engineering if we want things done well.
Your success has resulted in us having a
very strong engineering school today,”
Professor Davies said.
A number of alumni are now based in the
United States, with several class members
pursuing postgraduate studies at American
universities in the 1960s before making it
their permanent home.
Jim Lord co-founded US engineering firm
Lord, Flicks and Zayed in California. He and
his wife recently established a fellowship to
enable young emerging members of The
University of Auckland to complete
placements in the University of Southern
Californian, where he completed his
Masters in Civil Engineering.
John List, an Emeritus Professor at the
California Institute of Technology and
co-founder of engineering consultancy
FlowScience in the US, paid tribute to the
late Professor Cecil Segedin, who he
described as a wonderful teacher and an
inspiration to all of the students.
The class also has a significant Malaysian
connection - eight of the original class
members were Malaysians who studied
engineering in New Zealand under
Colombo Plan Scholarships, an initiative
which continues today.
Hooi Jee Sum, a Malaysian scholarship
student, was back in New Zealand for the
reunion for the first time since 1962.
“I’m amazed at the success of this group,
across so many fields. I’ve been wanting to
come back for so long so when the idea of
a reunion came up I jumped at it. It has
changed so much here, I remember walking
down Queen Street on a Sunday morning
and it was so quiet I could hear my own
footsteps,” he said.
Other notable graduates from the class of
1958 include winemaker Kim Goldwater,
former Dean of Canterbury University’s
School of Engineering Alex Sutherland, and
Neil Paton, who worked on various aspects
of the US space program as a materials
engineer with Rockwell International.
A souvenir Reunion Book has also been
printed which includes the life stories of 61
classmates and four lecturers. A copy of the
book has been placed in the Faculty of
Engineering Library.
For more information on the reunion please
visit: www.ardmore-engineers.co.nz
From the AUEA
President
AUEA AT WORK
Dear Alumni,
Your AUEA Executive Committee continues
to develop initiatives which will strengthen
our links with Alumni and support the
Faculty of Engineering. Of particular
concern is the low participation rate we
have with City Campus graduates at social
functions and their general understanding
of AUEA. We are talking to employers of
graduates of workplace schemes which we
hope will overcome this.
On Friday 01 May I spoke to this year’s
graduands prior to capping ceremony. It was
clear that we had been unsuccessful in 2009
in making contact with them as
undergraduate students, or informing them
that they have membership of AUEA as of
right and at no cost. We are considering
ways to overcome this through closer
relations with AUES and the student body.
Our Annual General Meeting is to be held at
Ardmore Reunion
6.00pm at the Dean’s suite, 5th Floor, Faculty
of Engineering on the evening of 14 July. A
notice of Meeting is included with this edition
of Alumni News. Drinks will be served from
5.30pm. Please attend so we can get your
feedback on AUEA, and consider standing for
the Executive Committee.
Our final social event for the year is the
AUEA Annual Dinner to be held on 26
September 2009 at the Hyatt Hotel
adjacent to the University. Last year we
had more than 590 alumni and partners
attend and had to turn many away. This
year we already have several table bookings
for this gala event. To reserve your place
please email Sharon Andersen at:
[email protected]
Attendance at the Annual Luncheon
(reported elsewhere) and the Annual Dinner
confirms to your Executive Committee that
members wish AUEA to act as a focal point
for alumni networking and support the
Faculty in its endeavours. In my last
column in Alumni News I stressed the
importance of a strong alumni organisation
working with the Faculty, supporting
teaching and research through scholarship,
and achievement of the Faculty Strategic
Plan. Nothing has changed, except the
need for greater support and philanthropy
during a time of global credit tightening.
This year we have changed the structure of
our funds so that which ever way you give,
through the AUEA Charitable Trust or the
AUEA Endowment Fund, all donations
eventually migrate to the AUEA Endowment
Fund so we have more influence over the
disbursement of funds through
scholarships. In addition you may show
your support for the traditional Ardmore
Fund or the Cecil Segedin Fund on the
donation form if you wish.
Please consider giving regularly to any of
the funds using the form provided.
Together we can make a difference to this
Faculty of Engineering which has had such
a dramatic impact on our lives and careers.
Remember, no donation is too small.
Ian Parton
President, AUEA Inc.
The University of Auckland | 17
Alumni Profiles
subsequently New Zealand went seriously
non-nuclear. So I claim that my native
country abandoned me rather than the
other way round. For years if there had
been the threat of a Third World War there
would have been a tap on the door in the
middle of the night and I would have been
required to go back to NZ.
My subsequent life as a don in Oxford and
then being involved in the administration of
that university, I will pass over quickly, but it
happened at the unusually young age of 36,
and I then went on to be Vice-Chancellor of
City University, London at the age of 42.
Sir Raoul Franklin
Sir Raoul Franklin,
The School of
Engineering from my
perspective
I spent my formative years doing a Civil
Engineering degree at Ardmore and a
Mathematics degree simultaneously. That
was not unusual given the common content
of the first degrees, and several of us did so.
But I went on to do, is what in retrospect
seems almost madness, namely Masters’
degrees in both subjects simultaneously. I
was encouraged in this by Cecil Segedin,
and he travelled between Mt Eden and
Ardmore via the Mount Wellington
Highway to enable me to achieve his idea.
In my time at Ardmore we had three
professors who all had experience of going
abroad. Cliff Dalton and Gordon Bogle had
been simultaneous Rhodes Scholars, and
therefore had the benefit of going to Oxford
and doing a D. Phil. there, but Mowbray the
civil engineering professor, had practical
experience in the fens near Cambridge.
Their Oxford experience in some sense gave
Dalton and Bogle superiority over
Mowbray, and I was stimulated from an
early date to emulate them. It came to
fruition when I got in contact with Dalton
who was by then Chief Engineer to the
Australian Atomic Energy Commission. His
response was, “They won’t let us anywhere
near Hangar 7 at Harwell, if I were you I
would get into plasma physics”.
Being young and gullible, that is what I did,
and it determined my future, because while
doing my D. Phil. at Oxford I was supported
by the NZ Defence Scientific Corps. But
18 | The University of Auckland
I served at City for twenty years, but did
not quite match the time that Colin Maiden
gave to Auckland. And, quite
dispassionately, he achieved in Auckland
more than I did in the City of London.
The Faculty of Engineering has produced a
number of very able people who have gone
on to perform on the World scene, and in
this connection I should mention Graeme
Davies, two years behind me who has been
Vice-Chancellor of Liverpool University,
then Chief Executive of the Funding Council
for England, then VC of Glasgow University,
before ending his career as VC of London
University.
I am well aware of the debt that I owe to
the staff of the School in my day. In my
own way I have already tried to repay that
debt through the Cecil Segedin Fund, which
I ‘kick started’ while there were those still
alive whose lives were transformed by him
and his colleagues.
The Faculty of Engineering should be proud
of its record over the years – and I hope
that it will continue to be so.
Bill Robinson
Notes from Bill Robinson (www.rslnz.com)*
I was born in Auckland, in October
1938, attending Avondale Primary,
Intermediate and College before studying
Mechanical Engineering at Auckland
University. In the fifth form - 5A Tech with
Jim Lord I was not sure that I would pass
School Cert. While at Avondale College I
played hockey. The first eleven included
Geoff Martin, Ray Haddon and Keith
Glucina who I roomed with in first Pro. Like
Geoff and Jim I met my wife, fellow hockey
player Barbara at Avondale, marrying in
December 1961 while writing up my
Masters. My ME(Mech) thesis was titled ‘Flow
of Particles in an Airstream’, a problem
related to topdressing. During my time at
Ardmore I rode an Arial Red Hunter 350cc
motorbike, with a shocking suspension. I
don’t know how Barbara survived the
uncomfortable rides and oil leaks. The year
spent studying for the ME was made possible
by winning one of the two University of
Auckland University Research Scholarships
(£375 + £90 from higher leaving certificate).
The ME year (1961) was made more
enjoyable by our purchase of a 1936 Ford Y
(~8hp, top speed ~40mph, ~40mpg, shocking
rod brakes) for which we paid £75, selling it
to Murray Brown after a year. We sold it to
help fund our honeymoon – hitchhiking
around the South Island – felt we should see
it before heading overseas. So marriage
meant sharing Barbara’s motorscooter or
catching the bus.
From 1962 to 1965 I studied for a PhD in
Physical Metallurgy at the University of
Illinois, thesis, ‘High Temperature Internal
Friction (damping) in Potassium Chloride’. My
biggest problem for the PhD was passing the
German reading knowledge. I ended up
spending a Summer Semester doing only
German, lots of Goethe. The two years 1966-7
were spent working as a Research Fellow in
Physics at the University of Sussex on a topic
that turned out to be impossible. A very hard
time - my income was less than what I was
getting at Illinois as a student and Barbara
was no longer doing paid work as in the US
plus the cost for petrol/mile for our Mini was
the same as for our 2 door, 2 gear, automatic
V8 De Soto bought for the bargain price of
US$165 (we couldn’t afford a VW ~US$1000).
Still it was very nice to be by the sea again and
by subletting our house we were able to afford
to take a camping trip to France and Italy.
Our first son Riki (1963) was born in the
US and Michael (1967) in the UK. Riki and
Michael now live with their wives and children,
2 boys for Riki and a boy and girl for Michael,
by the sea on Lyttleton Harbour. Our daughter
Sian, now living in Melbourne with her Aussie
partner, was born in Lower Hutt in 1970. In December 1967 I joined the DSIR, Physics
and Engineering Laboratory as a scientist,
progressing to the position of director (198591), where I continued until 1995 when I
founded Robinson Seismic Ltd. In 1968
Barbara and I bought a 2 bedroom
bungalow, two houses from the beach in
Eastbourne at Robinson Bay on top of which
we eventually, with our own two
hands, added 1½ floors, closely following
one of Barbara’s work manuals, published
by the Technical Correspondence Institute.
Being so close to the sea we naturally fished
(set net from an aluminium dinghy) and
sailed - first a Moth, graduating to 20ft
trailer sailor (Davidson M20).
In a career spanning more than 30 years I
have developed many new techniques and
written more than 60 papers in the fields of
Antarctic studies (sea ice), ultrasonics (solid
state physics), plasticity (metallurgy) and
damping devices (seismic isolation). In
1993 I was a co-author of ‘An Introduction
to Seismic Isolation’ by Skinner, Robinson &
McVerry, the first book in this new field of
engineering. The book has been published
in Japanese and Chinese. A revised and
extended version of this book is now being
published in India. I became involved with seismic isolation in
1970 when I invented the Lead Extrusion
Damper. The Lead Rubber Bearing (LRB),
the device I am most well known for, was
invented in 1974. The Lead Rubber Bearing
is now the most widely used seismic
isolation device used around the world, and
has been installed in more than 3000
buildings and bridges – NZ Parliament and
Te Papa (both have good displays of LRBs);
Wellington Hospital extensions; Salt Lake
City Hall, etc – see our website for
examples. More recently I have invented a
new seismic isolation system based on
‘friction and rubber’, the ‘RoGlider’ which
has been installed under two new light
buildings at Wanganui Hospital.
In November 1990, I suffered a cerebral
hemorrhage paralysing my right side. After
intensive physiotherapy and 4½ months in
Hutt Hospital I stepped down as director, was
able to return to work as an engineer and
founded Robinson Seismic Ltd (1995). The
physiotherapists and nursing staff were
absolutely wonderful and the superb support
of Barbara, Sian and Michael invaluable. I
am now able to walk slowly and drive.
During my career I have been awarded
more than ten Awards and Honours
including the 1999 NZ Royal Society Gold
Medal for Technology (now called The
Rutherford Medal), an honorary DSc from
Victoria University of Wellington and made
a Distinguished Fellow of NZ Institute of
Professional Engineers. In 2007 I
was appointed a Companion of The
Queen’s Service Order (QSO) in recognition
of my services to engineering. I am now semi-retired, living in a bach with
Barbara, 10 Kaimanawa horses and 3
llamas, gifts from Governor’s Bay, on 30
acres by the sea at Otahome just south of
Castlepoint. Bill Robinson
I apologise for the formality of parts of this
autobiography - I have nicked it from a
more formal company autobiography,that
was prepared for our 50th reunion of
Ardmore 1st Pro.
Upcoming Events
2009 Alumni Dinner
Take note all alumni it is your time to dine
in 09.
This year all alumni who graduated in a
year ending in …9: 1959, 1969, 1979,
1989, 1999 are encouraged to attend the
2009 Annual Alumni Dinner.
The Alumni Dinner will take place on
Saturday 26 September and will be held at
a new venue; the Hyatt Regency Auckland
at the corner of Princes Street and Waterloo
Quadrant near the University campus.
The formal black tie affair will be take place
from 6.30pm to midnight at a cost of $95.
The dinner gives members of the Faculty,
University and old friends a chance to
reconnect and share experiences. All
graduates are invited to attend.
To attend this event please complete the
enclosed registration form. If you would like
help putting together a table of friends, to
reserve a table of ten, or more please
contact Sharon Andersen at
[email protected]
or phone +64 9 373 7599 ext 88225
Alumni reception in
Australia
Three alumni receptions will be held in
Australia in July.
The Melbourne alumni reception is
scheduled on Monday 20 July 2009 from
6.30pm to 9.00pm at:
The Wine Room
The Westin Melbourne
205 Colliers St, Melbourne
The Sydney alumni reception is to be
held on Tuesday 21 July 2009 from 6.30pm
to 9.00pm at:
The Glasshouse
State Library of New South Wales
Maquarie Street, Sydney
The Brisbane alumni reception takes
place on Wednesday 22 July 2009 from
6.30pm to 9.00pm at:
Sofitel Hotel
Bastille Room
249 Turbot Street, Brisbane
Professor Michael Davies, Dean of
Engineering and Sharon Andersen, External
Relations Manager look forward to seeing
you there.
Please contact Sharon Andersen should you
have any further queries, s.andersen@
auckland.ac.nz or phone +64 9 373 7599
ext 88225
Alumni reception in
the USA
Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon invites
you to join him at informal Alumni and Friends
gatherings in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The San Francisco alumni reception will take
place on 23 June from 6.30pm-9pm at:
The Bay Room
Bankers Club of San Francisco
52nd Floor
555 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
The Los Angeles alumni reception is to be
held on 24 June from 6.30pm-9pm at:
The Sunrise Room
Jonathan Club Beach
850 Palisades Beach Road
Santa Monica, CA 90403
For queries please contact Melanie
Middleditch, Alumni Relations Events
Co-ordinator at
[email protected]
or +64 9 373 7599 ext. 83566.
The University of Auckland | 19
Foundations
for
the
future
Foundations
for
the
future
Thank you donors
Thank you donors
We would like to thank Alumni and Friends of
the
whotohave
generously
supported
WeFaculty
would like
thank
Alumni and
Friends our
of
funds
for thewho
future,
wegenerously
are very grateful
for our
the Faculty
have
supported
your
involvement.
funds
for the future, we are very grateful for
your involvement.
Engineer’s
skills are essential for maintaining a
Engineer’ssociety
skills are
for maintaining
a
functional
andessential
they significantly
influence
functional
society
and they
significantly
influence
our
economic
prosperity.
Despite
this, there
exists
economic
Despite
this, athere
inour
New
Zealandprosperity.
and around
the world
critical
shortage
of skilled
engineers.
As thethe
country’s
exists in New
Zealand
and around
world a
leader
engineering
education
and research it is
criticalinshortage
of skilled
engineers.
the
of Engineering’s
responsibility
to help
As Faculty
the country’s
leader in engineering
education
fill
that
void.
Not
only
are
we
charged
with
and research it is the Faculty of Engineering’s
attracting
greater
numbers
undergraduate
responsibility
to help
fill thatofvoid.
Not only are
and postgraduate students, we must also equip
we charged with attracting greater numbers of
them with the best skills and knowledge
undergraduate and postgraduate students, we
available.
must also equip them with the best skills and
This
is becoming
increasingly expensive for the
knowledge
available.
students
themselves
and for the
Faculty. for the
This is becoming
increasingly
expensive
Government
funding no
covers
the costs
students themselves
andlonger
for the
Faculty.
ofGovernment
study and independent
and
private
research
funding no longer covers the costs
grants and scholarships are becoming
of study and independent and private research
increasingly important. Furthermore, with
grants and scholarships are becoming
today’s uncertain economic climate the Faculty
increasingly
important.
and
its students
more than ever rely on the
We
hope
you
will play
your
part and
generosity of Alumni
and
Friends.
Yourmake a
real contribution
the future
of the students
Faculty.
donations
help us to
continue
providing
You acan
make
donations
into any one
of four
with
high
standard
of engineering
education,
funds
listed
below.
Your contribution
will be
and
also
support
students
directly.
channeled directly into that fund. Donations
We hope you will play your part and make a
can be made by completing the attached form
real contribution to the future of the Faculty.
or if you would like to talk to us about other
You can make donations into any one of five
ways in
which
you would
like to assistwill
please
funds
listed
below.
Your contribution
be
channeled
into
that fund.
Donations
contact ourdirectly
External
Relations
Manager
Sharon
can
be made
by completing
the attached form
Andersen
contact
details below.
or if you would like to talk to us about other
The in
Cecil
Fund
ways
whichSegedin
you wouldEndowment
like to assist please
contact
our External
Relationsthe
Manager
Sharon
was established
to recognise
significant
Andersen
contact
details
below.work to the
contribution
of Cecil
Segedin’s
fields of Engineering Science and Applied
The
Cecil Segedin Endowment Fund
Mathematics. The Fund will provide financial
was established to recognise the significant
support for undergraduate students.
contribution of Cecil Segedin’s work to the
fields
of Engineering
Science and Applied
The Ardmore
Fund
Mathematics. The Fund will provide financial
was established by students from the Auckland
support for undergraduate students.
University School of Engineering at Ardmore,
class Ardmore
of 1957-59, Fund
after their successful reunion
The
in April
2000. The
awards are
made
to
was
established
by students
from
the Auckland
students who
haveofexcelled
academically
and
University
Faculty
Engineering
at Ardmore,
class
of 1957-59,
their successful
who exemplify
theafter
camaraderie,
schoolreunion
spirit
in
April
2000.
The awardsof
are
made
to
and
values
representative
“The
Ardmore
students
who have
excelled academically
Years”. Special
consideration
is given to and
who
exemplify
the camaraderie,
school spirit
students
experiencing
financial hardship.
and values representative of “The Ardmore
Years”.
Special
consideration
is given to
Colombo
Plan
Scholarships
students
experiencing
The Colombo
Plan wasfinancial
formed hardship.
in 1950 to
assist economic development in South and
Colombo
Plan Scholarships
Southeast Asia. It enabled students from the
The Colombo Plan was formed in 1950 to assist
region to train in more developed countries in
economic development in South and Southeast
areasItsuch
as dentistry,
food to
Asia.
enabled
studentsagriculture,
from the region
processing
and
engineering.
We have
hadsuch
train
in more
developed
countries
in areas
over
220 Colombo
Plan students
join the and
as
dentistry,
agriculture,
food processing
Faculty between
many
whom
engineering.
We 1950-1970,
have had over
220ofColombo
Plan students join the Faculty between
have
gone onmany
to become
international
1950-1970,
of whom
have gone leaders
on to
become
international
leaders
in industry
and
in
industry
and research
making
significant
research making
significant
economic
and
economic
and social
contributions
in their
social countries
contributions
their homethecountries
home
and in
throughout
world. and
throughout
the world.
Scholarships will
These
Scholarships
will These
go to assisting
go to assisting
fromcountries
participating
applicants
fromapplicants
participating
in the
countries in the Colombo plan.
Colombo plan.
The Engineering
Engineering Endowment
Endowment Fund
Fund
The
has been established with the specific purpose
has been established with the specific purpose of
of helping fund much of the specialised
helping
fundneeded
much offor
theresearch
specialised
equipment
equipment
purposes.
For
needed
for research
Forof
theEngineering
School to
the Faculty
to be at purposes.
the forefront
be
the forefront
Engineering
we need to
weat
need
to invest of
heavily
in our future.
invest
heavily
in our upgrading
future. Research
projects, of
Research
projects,
and expansions
upgrading
and
expansions
our physical
our physical
facilities
and of
support
for selected
academic
positions.
Thisselected
Fund will
help us to
facilities
and
support for
academic
achieve our
goals
these
positions.
This
Fundinwill
helpmore
us tothan
achieve our
competitive
us continue
to and
goals
in thesetimes,
more and
thansee
competitive
times,
maintain
our position
as a world
wide leader
see
us continue
to maintain
our position
as a in
Engineering.
world
wide leader in Engineering.
AUEA Endowment
AUEA
EndowmentFund
Fund
has been
been established
established by
by AUEA,
AUEA, aa committed
committed
has
funding partner of the Faculty of Engineering,
funding partner of the Faculty of Engineering,
to support the need to attract and retain the
to support the need to attract and retain the
most talented staff and students possible. The
most
staffisand
students possible. The
fund’stalented
main focus
on providing
fund’s
main
focus
is
on
providing
undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral
undergraduate,
andprojected
doctoral
scholarships. Thepostgraduate
significant and
scholarships.
significant
andofprojected
growth of the The
faculty
is in need
your
growth
of support.
the faculty is in need of your
generous
generous support.
YES, I would like to support
YES, THE
I would
like toFUND
support
ARDMORE
UNDERGRADUATE
THE ENGINEERING ENDOWMENT FUND
THE ARDMORE FUND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
SCHOLARSHIP
AUEA ENDOWMENT FUND
THE CECIL SEGEDIN ENDOWMENT FUND
THE
CECIL
SEGEDIN
ENDOWMENT
FUND
COLOMBO PLAN SCHOLARSHIPS
THE ENGINEERING
ENDOWMENT FUND
COLOMBO
PLAN SCHOLARSHIPS
NAME:
ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE: EMAIL:
YOUR DONATION: $
CHEQUE made payable to The University of Auckland Foundation
or
CREDIT CARD
CARD
Card Number:
Expiry Date:
Date:
If you Ifare
a donation
from the
United
States, States,
pleaseplease
make
youmaking
are making
a donation
from
the United
cheque
payable
Friendstoof
The University
of Auckland
and
make
chequetopayable
Friends
of The University
of Auckland
send to
The University
of Auckland,
c/-c/-Angela
andFriends
send to of
Friends
of The University
of Auckland,
Angela
Rosati,
1209
G Street
N.E.,
DC20002.
20002.
Rosati,
1209
G Street
N.E.,Washington
Washington DC
Card Type: VISA MASTERCARD AMEX (CIRCLE ONE)
Name on Card: Signature:
Please complete form and return to Sharon Andersen. Thank
Thankyou
youfor
foryour
yourgenerosity.
generosity.You
Youcan
canbebeproud
proudofofyour
yourcommitment
commitmenttotomaking
makingaa
difference in our young students’ lives.
Contact
Contact
Sharon Andersen
Sharon Andersen
External Relations Manager
External
Manager
FacultyRelations
of Engineering
Faculty
Engineering
Phone:of+64
9 373 7599 ext 88225
Phone:
9 373 7599 ext 88225
Email:+64
[email protected]
www.engineering.auckland.ac.nz
Email:
[email protected]
www.engineering.auckland.ac.nz
Postal Address:
Postal Address:
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
The University of Auckland
The University
of Auckland
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