Engineering Alumni News - University of Auckland€¦ · Engineering Dean Professor Michael Davies. The scholarships are for top applicants to the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

June 2009 | A newsletter for Engineering Alumni | Number 20

Engineering Alumni News

From the DeanIt 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 Vice-Chancellor 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,

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. DaviesDean of Engineering

Professor Michael C.R. Davies

The University of Auckland | 1

Scholarships and AwardsStudents get a Kick Start on their educationKick 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 SailsTarou ShiotaCharlotte Davis David Kung Helen LileyHolly WoulfeClaire BurnettWallace HungBavan GnanasampanthaAbhijit VinjimooreJade Kwong

MeritJingcheng BianIsuru Pathirana Leroy D’Souza Lianqi Zhao Reece OosterbeekJourdan HarveyOlivia CurtisAnnie LuMengyun RaoMing Cheuk

Affirmative ActionSamuel PalliserRebecca Crotty-JonesKierran TuhiRachel Tupou

| The University of Auckland 2

Professor Michael Davies with Kick Start scholarships winners 2009

Top doctoral scholars pursue vital researchGeothermal 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.

Each student will receive an annual stipend of $25,000 for three years plus course fees and conference funding to complete their study.

The recipients were:

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).

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.

The programme is for young visionaries with backgrounds in humanities, science and engineering, who have the right skills to launch successful businesses.

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.

“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

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

Logan Wait

Scholarships and Awards CONTINUED

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 studentA 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

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 VCDan Huang, a PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, has received one of five Vice-Chancellor’s prizes for Best Doctoral Thesis.

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

Chris Van Houtte

Prize for PhD student at Pricewaterhouse Coopers Hi-Tech AwardsPhD 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.

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.

Generous gift to international studentsThree 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

2008, says he is fully committed to his research and the scholarship will ease the financial burden he will face this year.

“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.

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.

“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.


Andrew Graham L-R Joan and Ray Thompson with award winner Arief Tjayhono and Professor Michael Davies

Green roof flourishingThe 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.

“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.

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

pine bark have emerged as favoured substrates, or planting mediums. Soils are not used because they are too heavy.

“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.”

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 speciesNative 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


Research

Dr Elizabeth Fassman

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.

Researchers on award shortlist for saving paper company millionsHelping 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.

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


PhD student Ambuj Dwivedi and Dr Stephen Coleman working on part of a model of the Wainui Stream in the Fluids Laboratory

Professor Andy Philpott

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 industryFunding 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 five-largest technology companies.

“In pursing economic growth in a small

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, Vice-Chancellor 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.

Research CONTINUED


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.

Autumn Graduation extra special for engineering coupleHusband 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.

“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.

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.

Autumn Graduation


Husband and wife Anu and Sashini Premathilaka both graduated with PhDs in Engineering

Dr Rainer Seidel of the Department of Mechanical Engineering is presented with a Teaching Excellence Award by University of Auckland Chancellor Roger France

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

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.

Students celebrating their Graduation

Autumn Graduation CONTINUED


Civil students on construction site tourMore 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.

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 solutionMembers 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

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

Engineering Students

Students from CIVIL411 and CIVIL409 at Mangere Bridge during a construction site visit day

L-R Engineering students Anita Walbran and Alan Collins, Tonga locals David and Andrew, and Peter Trafford from Watercare


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

F:SAE:47 win Outsource IT Domain HillclimbThe 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.

F:SAE:47 Team

Engineering Students CONTINUED


Faculty NewsAwardsProfessor Michael Davies, Dean of Engineering, elected a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ).

Professor Michael Davies has been elected a Fellow of IPENZ for his contribution to the advancement of engineering knowledge and advancement of technological education, particularly

recognising his contribution to geotechnical engineering and engineering education. He has an international reputation for published research in fields such as ground improvement, soil-structure interaction, geo-materials and geo-environmental issues. In parallel, he has held leadership roles in engineering education in the United Kingdom and now in New Zealand where he is seeking to address engineering skill issues.

Dr Carol Boyle, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, elected a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ).

Dr Carol Boyle has been elected a Fellow of IPENZ for her contribution to the advancement of sustainability, engineering and science.

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 at the IPENZ Awards Dinner held at The Duxton Hotel in Wellington, on

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.

Charles Clifton worked at the Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) from 1983 to 2007.

He was responsible for HERA’s structural steel research and education programme, and for developing new standards and 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.

Charles has authored a large number of papers, technical reports, and seminar notes describing the results and practical applications of his research at HERA, and he has developed applicable software for use in design offices. He has lectured widely and served on several major committees.

The slab panel method for the analysis of 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 TrailwalkerOn 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

The team “Well Engineered” crossing the finish line


Awards

Professor Michael Davies, Dean of Engineering, elected a Fellow of the

Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ)

Professor Michael Davies has been elected a Fellow of IPENZ for his contribution to

the advancement of engineering knowledge and advancement of technological

education, particularly recognising his contribution to geotechnical engineering and

engineering education. He has an international reputation for published research in

fields such as ground improvement, soil-structure interaction, geo-materials and

geo-environmental issues. In parallel he has held leadership roles in engineering

education in the United Kingdom and now in New Zealand where he is seeking to

address engineering skill issues.

Dr Carol Boyle, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, elected

a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ)

Dr Carol Boyle has been elected a Fellow of IPENZ for her

contribution to the advancement of sustainability,

engineering and science. 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 at the IPENZ

Awards Dinner held at The Duxton Hotel in Wellington, on

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

Charles Clifton worked at the Heavy Engineering Research

Association (HERA) from 1983 to 2007.

He was responsible for HERA’s structural steel research and

education programme, and for developing new standards and

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.

Charles has authored a large number of papers, technical

reports, and seminar notes describing the results and practical

applications of his research at HERA, and he has developed

applicable software for use in design offices. He has lectured

widely and served on several major committees.

The slab panel method for the analysis of 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.

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 CouncilProfessor 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

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 steelAssociate Professor Charles Clifton has been recognised for his cont-ributions 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.

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.

Faculty News CONTINUED

Professor Peter Hunter

Associate Professor Charles Clifton receiving award from Hon. Maurice Williamson and Richard Westlake, Standards New Zealand Chair


1965 Ardmore Engineers get togetherIn 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

Annual AUEA LuncheonOn 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 PartonPresident, AUEA Inc.

Alumni

L-R Doug Kingsford, Hogg Witherow, Lynne Tunna, Allie Snow, Hillary Millar, Drowsie Witherow, Cyril Snow, Boyd Millar and Rex Nicholls

Annual AUEA luncheon


Rekindling the Ardmore spiritThe 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.

“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.

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 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.

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.

“The classes were relatively small and because they lived together for three years they developed lifelong friendships,” he 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.

Alumni CONTINUED


Ardmore Reunion

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 WORKDear 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

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 PartonPresident, AUEA Inc.


Ardmore Reunion

Sir Raoul Franklin, The School of Engineering from my perspectiveI 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

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.

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 RobinsonNotes 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 (1985-91), 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

Alumni Profiles

Sir Raoul Franklin


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.

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 Events2009 Alumni DinnerTake 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 AustraliaThree 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 Room249 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, [email protected] or phone +64 9 373 7599 ext 88225

Alumni reception in the USAVice-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 RoomBankers Club of San Francisco52nd Floor555 California StreetSan Francisco, CA 94104

The Los Angeles alumni reception is to be held on 24 June from 6.30pm-9pm at: The Sunrise RoomJonathan Club Beach850 Palisades Beach RoadSanta Monica, CA 90403

For queries please contact Melanie Middleditch, Alumni Relations Events Co-ordinator at [email protected] or +64 9 373 7599 ext. 83566.


Bill Robinson

YES, I would like to support THE ARDMORE FUND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPTHE CECIL SEGEDIN ENDOWMENT FUNDCOLOMBO PLAN SCHOLARSHIPSTHE ENGINEERING ENDOWMENT FUND

NAME:

ADDRESS:

TELEPHONE: EMAIL:

YOUR DONATION: $

CHEQUE made payable to The University of Auckland Foundationor

CREDIT CARD Card Type: VISA MASTERCARD AMEX (CIRCLE ONE) Card Number:

Expiry Date: Name on Card: Signature:

Please complete form and return to Sharon Andersen. Thank you for your generosity. You can be proud of your commitment to making adifference in our young students’ lives.

ContactSharon AndersenExternal Relations ManagerFaculty of EngineeringPhone: +64 9 373 7599 ext 88225Email: [email protected]

Postal Address:Faculty of EngineeringThe University of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019AucklandNew Zealand

Foundations for the futureThank you donorsWe would like to thank Alumni and Friends of the Faculty who have generously supported our funds for the future, we are very grateful for your involvement.

Engineer’s skills are essential for maintaining a functional society and they significantly influence our economic prosperity. Despite this, there exists in New Zealand and around the world a critical shortage of skilled engineers. As the country’s leader in engineering education and research it is the Faculty of Engineering’s responsibility to help fill that void. Not only are we charged with attracting greater numbers of undergraduate and postgraduate students, we must also equip them with the best skills and knowledge available.

This is becoming increasingly expensive for the students themselves and for the Faculty. Government funding no longer covers the costs of study and independent and private research grants and scholarships are becoming increasingly important. Furthermore, with today’s uncertain economic climate the Faculty and its students more than ever rely on the generosity of Alumni and Friends. Your donations help us continue providing students with a high standard of engineering education, and also support students directly.

We hope you will play your part and make a real contribution to the future of the Faculty.

You can make donations into any one of five funds listed below. Your contribution will be channeled directly into that fund. Donations can be made by completing the attached form or if you would like to talk to us about other ways in which you would like to assist please contact our External Relations Manager Sharon Andersen contact details below.

The Cecil Segedin Endowment Fund was established to recognise the significant contribution of Cecil Segedin’s work to the fields of Engineering Science and Applied Mathematics. The Fund will provide financial support for undergraduate students.

The Ardmore Fund was established by students from the Auckland University Faculty of Engineering at Ardmore, class of 1957-59, after their successful reunion in April 2000. The awards are made to students who have excelled academically and who exemplify the camaraderie, school spirit and values representative of “The Ardmore Years”. Special consideration is given to students experiencing financial hardship.

Colombo Plan ScholarshipsThe Colombo Plan was formed in 1950 to assist economic development in South and Southeast Asia. It enabled students from the region to train in more developed countries in areas such as dentistry, agriculture, food processing and engineering. We have had over 220 Colombo

Plan students join the Faculty between 1950-1970, many of whom have gone on to become international leaders in industry and research making significant economic and social contributions in their home countries and throughout the world. These Scholarships will go to assisting applicants from participating countries in the Colombo plan.

The Engineering Endowment Fund has been established with the specific purpose of helping fund much of the specialised equipment needed for research purposes. For the Faculty to be at the forefront of Engineering we need to invest heavily in our future. Research projects, upgrading and expansions of our physical facilities and support for selected academic positions. This Fund will help us to achieve our goals in these more than competitive times, and see us continue to maintain our position as a world wide leader in Engineering.

AUEA Endowment Fundhas been established by AUEA, a committed funding partner of the Faculty of Engineering, to support the need to attract and retain the most talented staff and students possible. The fund’s main focus is on providing undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral scholarships. The significant and projected growth of the faculty is in need of your generous support.

If you are making a donation from the United States, please make cheque payable to Friends of The University of Auckland and send to Friends of The University of Auckland, c/- Angela Rosati, 1209 G Street N.E., Washington DC 20002.

YES, I would like to support

NAME:

ADDRESS:

TELEPHONE: EMAIL:

YOUR DONATION: $

CHEQUE made payable to The University of Auckland Foundationor

CREDIT CARD Card Type: VISA MASTERCARD AMEX (CIRCLE ONE) Card Number:

Expiry Date: Name on Card: Signature:

Please complete form and return to Sharon Andersen. Thank you for your generosity. You can be proud of your commitment to making a difference in our young students’ lives.

ContactSharon AndersenExternal Relations ManagerFaculty of EngineeringPhone: +64 9 373 7599 ext 88225Email: [email protected]

Postal Address:Faculty of EngineeringThe University of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019AucklandNew Zealand

Foundations for the futureThank you donorsWe would like to thank Alumni and Friends of the Faculty who have generously supported our funds for the future, we are very grateful for your involvement.Engineer’s skills are essential for maintaining a functional society and they significantly influence our economic prosperity. Despite this, there exists in New Zealand and around the world a critical shortage of skilled engineers. As the country’s leader in engineering education and research it is the Faculty of Engineering’s responsibility to help fill that void. Not only are we charged with attracting greater numbers of undergraduate and postgraduate students, we must also equip them with the best skills and knowledge available. This is becoming increasingly expensive for the students themselves and for the Faculty. Government funding no longer covers the costs of study and independent and private research grants and scholarships are becoming increasingly important. We hope you will play your part and make a real contribution to the future of the Faculty. You can make donations into any one of four funds listed below. Your contribution will be channeled directly into that fund. Donations can be made by completing the attached form or if you would like to talk to us about other

ways in which you would like to assist please contact our External Relations Manager Sharon Andersen contact details below.

The Cecil Segedin Endowment Fund was established to recognise the significant contribution of Cecil Segedin’s work to the fields of Engineering Science and Applied Mathematics. The Fund will provide financial support for undergraduate students.

The Ardmore Fund was established by students from the Auckland University School of Engineering at Ardmore, class of 1957-59, after their successful reunion in April 2000. The awards are made to students who have excelled academically and who exemplify the camaraderie, school spirit and values representative of “The Ardmore Years”. Special consideration is given to students experiencing financial hardship.

Colombo Plan ScholarshipsThe Colombo Plan was formed in 1950 to assist economic development in South and Southeast Asia. It enabled students from the region to train in more developed countries in areas such as dentistry, agriculture, food processing and engineering. We have had over 220 Colombo Plan students join the Faculty between 1950-1970, many of whom

have gone on to become international leaders in industry and research making significant economic and social contributions in their home countries and throughout the world. These Scholarships will go to assisting applicants from participating countries in the Colombo plan.

The Engineering Endowment Fund has been established with the specific purpose of helping fund much of the specialised equipment needed for research purposes. For the School to be at the forefront of Engineering we need to invest heavily in our future. Research projects, upgrading and expansions of our physical facilities and support for selected academic positions. This Fund will help us to achieve our goals in these more than competitive times, and see us continue to maintain our position as a world wide leader in Engineering.

AUEA Endowment Fundhas been established by AUEA, a committed funding partner of the Faculty of Engineering, to support the need to attract and retain the most talented staff and students possible. The fund’s main focus is on providing undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral scholarships. The significant and projected growth of the faculty is in need of your generous support.

If you are making a donation from the United States, please make cheque payable to Friends of The University of Auckland and send to Friends of The University of Auckland, c/- Angela Rosati, 1209 G Street N.E., Washington DC 20002.

THE ARDMORE FUND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

THE CECIL SEGEDIN ENDOWMENT FUND

COLOMBO PLAN SCHOLARSHIPS

THE ENGINEERING ENDOWMENT FUND

AUEA ENDOWMENT FUND

Documents

Engineering Alumni News - University of Auckland€¦ · Engineering Dean Professor Michael Davies. The scholarships are for top applicants to the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)