Kiwi lands job at International Whaling Commission

Source: Massey University – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Kiwi lands job at International Whaling Commission

Dr Karen Stockin takes up a new role at the International Whaling Commission

Massey University marine ecologist Dr Karen Stockin has landed a coveted appointment with the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to coordinate a bold-new initiative focusing on global cetacean [whales, dolphins and porpoises] strandings.

Dr Stockin will take up the newly established role of strandings coordinator within the recently-created Strandings Initiative. The Initiative was formed to assist international stranding networks in their capability to respond and investigate stranding events.

The initiative has been in the works for a number of years and was requested by several of the IWC’s sub-committees, including the welfare sub-committee, to provide more support and strategic direction around strandings of whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Dr Stockin, director of Massey University’s Coastal Marine Research Group and associate investigator at the Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, has a clear record of excellence and experience in whale strandings both nationally and internationally.

New Zealand is internationally recognised for its high frequency of strandings, and especially for its record mass strandings of pilot whales. As part of the new position, Dr Stockin will be responsible for convening the Strandings Expert Panel, which comprises 22 of the world’s leading authorities on marine mammal strandings.

Dr Stockin was the recent recipient of the Bob Kerridge Animal Welfare Fellowship for investigating the human dynamic to stranding events, as part of a larger project designed to improve the conservation-welfare nexus during stranding events.

“The IWC role is a natural progression to the research myself and colleagues at Massey are undertaking nationally on strandings, and it’s a huge privilege to be a part of such a respected international commission such as the IWC,” Dr Stockin says.

Mass stranding of pilot whales [Credit: Massey University’s Emma Betty].

Scope of the work

Earlier in 2017, the Expert Panel and Intersessional Steering Group were convened, drawing from strandings experts from a number of different countries, to draft an initial work programme for the initiative, which called for an initial focus on emergency response and on trainings. Dr Stockin was part of the Steering Group, but as stranding coordinator, her primary role now will be to guide the strategic development and implementation of the portfolio outlined by the Expert Panel.

Some of her responsibilities will include developing strategies for handling requests for assistance, expanding coordination efforts with other intergovernmental organisations and developing international training workshops for emergency response.

A major part of the work will be developing frameworks to guide IWC when it needs to assist governments in unusual stranding situations when called upon. Additionally, Dr Stockin will assist the IWC with its work on other initiatives relevant to strandings as and when required (e.g. ship strike, entanglement).

In New Zealand, the Department of Conservation (DOC) is legally responsible for marine mammals. Project Jonah is a marine mammal welfare charity who are a partner to DOC, providing logistical expertise and trained volunteers to assist at stranding events.

As a member of the IWC’s Stranding Panel, general manager of Project Jonah Daren Grover said, “the appointment of Dr Stockin as the IWC’s Strandings Coordinator will bring considerable benefits to New Zealand, as well as helping share knowledge to save lives at future strandings, both here and overseas”.

Dr Stockin’s history with the IWC dates back to her undergraduate years when she studied minke whale diving behaviour as part of her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology at Plymouth University, England. Her findings which published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom in 2001, were originally presented to the scientific committee of the IWC on the grounds her findings had impact to the way in which abundance estimates were calculated in minke whale populations subject to scientific whaling quotas.

Since then she has periodically attended IWC scientific meetings as an invited participant, and will be invited participant at the Modelling and Assessment of Whale Watching Impacts workshop, being held in La Spezia, Italy prior to the commencement of the European Cetacean Society conference early next month. Additional international duties for Dr Stockin in her new role include attendance at the upcoming Scientific Committee meeting in Bled, Slovenia at the end of April and the Commissions’ biennial meeting held in Mexico in September.

Dr Stockin will begin her new role next month, continuing in her existing roles at Massey University, with the IWC position being part-time.

About the IWC

The IWC is the global intergovernmental body charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whaling with 87 member countries, bringing together a number of sub-committees to deal with major issues like animal welfare and conservation.

Massey and the IWC

Dr Stockin is not the first Massey staff member to be involved with the IWC, with one of the most notable pioneers being the late Professor Emeritus David Blackmore. In 1991 Professor Blackmore was asked by the New Zealand government to prepare a paper for the IWC on the humaneness of the methods used for the slaughter and euthanasia of whales. He worked tirelessly in the field during many strandings and demonstrated via his research, a need for investigation to ensure that stranded whales, unable to be returned to the sea, were euthanised using pain-free methods. More recently, Professor Craig Johnson facilitated an IWC workshop investigating welfare threats to whales in situations other than strandings with the aim of encouraging further research into the effects of interactions between whales and humans.

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March 26, 2018

Vet students bare it all for charity and halfway day

Source: Massey University – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Vet students bare it all for charity and halfway day

Vet students aiming to raise money for charity and their halfway day.

Massey University’s Veterinary School third-years are getting ready to release their annual calendar to fundraise for their halfway day and for a charity helping retired working dogs.

The Barely There Calendar has been a tradition for Bachelor of Veterinary Science students for the past 13 years, to raise money for their halfway day, which represents the midpoint of their five-year degree.

Each year, the students also choose a charity to donate 10 per cent of the proceeds to, with this year’s class choosing, Retired Working Dogs NZ, which aims to find homes for ex-working dogs, and was established in 2012 by Natalie Smith.

Students split into groups to take photos for each month.

Overcoming the awkwardness

This year’s calendar co-ordinators, Aimee Alexander and Stephania Hpa said that halfway day is important, but the tradition is to give back as well.

“We put out a poll to all of our students to see what charity they wanted. It was pretty clear that this was an amazing charity as these dogs still had a lot to give, but they were also a young charity so needed a helping hand,” says Miss Alexander.

On the awkwardness of the photo shoots, Miss Alexander said, “It’s something we all knew was coming, so we just embraced the tradition and the daunting nature of a nude calendar. We spilt into groups for each month with the photographs being taken all over New Zealand, mainly on farms but also at a car museum. I will say they featured many animal co-stars, strategically placed hay bales and a lot of laughter.”

Third-year student Hannah Burrows said, “Getting ready for a naked photo, with 50 other people from your class, was certainly an experience. But we have all come to be good friends over the past two and a half years, so managed to laugh it off and enjoy the photoshoot.”

The students are hoping to sell more calendars than last year. Calendars can be purchased for $15 from their website shipping both domestically and internationally. Pre-orders have opened, with the official release of the calendar early next month.

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March 23, 2018

Professor named co-editor of world’s top marketing journal

Source: Massey University – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Professor named co-editor of world’s top marketing journal

Professor Harald van Heerde at Massey University’s Auckland campus.

Professor Harald van Heerde, who holds the MSA Charitable Trust Chair in Marketing at Massey University, has been appointed to the new editorial team at the Journal of Marketing, considered the world’s leading academic journal for marketing research.

The Journal of Marketing is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal, which was established in 1936 and is published by the American Marketing Association.

Professor van Heerde will work with co-editors Professor C. Page Moreau from the Wisconsin School of Business and Professor Robert W. Palmatier from the University of Washington, under the direction of incoming editor-in-chief Professor Christine Moorman from Duke University.

The team will take the helm of the Journal of Marketing on July 1, 2018 but have already outlined their planned direction in a joint statement. The editors said they will continue to focus on real-world marketing problems, which has always been the journal’s raison d’être.

“This means that theories are grounded in important marketing problems, that models are in the service of marketing questions, and that research offers implications for firms, policy makers, or society,” they said.

Professor van Heerde says he is honoured to be recognised as capable of taking on co-editing responsibilities, despite being based outside the United States.

“I want to ensure the Journal of Marketing provides real thought leadership for marketing practice and marketing scholarship,” he says. “I hope we can do this by publishing really ground-breaking papers and providing a constructive environment for authors.”

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March 23, 2018

Massey students and alumni flying the flag for NZ

Source: Massey University – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Massey students and alumni flying the flag for NZ

Massey students and alumni flying the flag for NZ

Massey University is well represented at next month’s Commonwealth Games.

Dr Rachel Batty is heading to the Commonwealth
Games.

At least 22 current students and alumni are competing at next month’s Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast. Around 250 athletes are representing New Zealand, making it the largest ever team.

Massey University’s high performance programme coordinators are getting news on a daily basis of more students and alumni who have qualified for the Games, so we will be updating this list as information comes to hand.

The Games kick off on April 4 and run until April 15, with more than 6600 athletes and officials taking part, including Dr Rachel Batty from the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, who will be working as part of the athletic events presentation team at the Games. Part of her role will be to ensure the athletic road events (including the Marathon) run to schedule. She will also be assisting with coordinating the venues and routes, and managing event announcements.

The University congratulates all the athletes on their selection and wishes them success and enjoyment at the Games.

Massey students and alumni competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Athletics

Alana Barber

Ben Langton-Burnell

Brad Mathas

Nick Southgate

Basketball

Tom Abercrombie

Mike Vukona

Cycling

Samara Sheppard

Hockey – Mens

Hugo Inglis

Dane Lett

Harry Miskimmin

Arun Panchia

Hayden Phillips

Nic Woods

Hockey – Womens

Samantha Charlton

Lawn Bowls

Mandy Boyd

Shooting

Sally Johnston

Swimming

Chris Arbuthnott

Daniel Hunter

Matthew Stanley

Triathlon

Tayler Reid

Nicole Van der Kaay

Wrestling

Brahm Richards

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March 23, 2018

Raising Kiwi chances of success at the Commonwealth Games

Source: Massey University – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Raising Kiwi chances of success at the Commonwealth Games

Raising Kiwi chances of success at the Commonwealth Games

Dr Toby Mündel from the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition.

Sodium bicarbonate, more commonly known as baking soda, is one of the most commonly used performance-enhancing substances by athletes. It is used by those performing repeated high-intensity/maximal efforts lasting less than one minute (e.g. sprinting 100 – 400 metres) as it “soaks” up some of the acid produced by the muscle, thereby delaying fatigue.

However, no previous research has questioned whether this is effective when exercise is performed in a hot environment, such as will likely be happening to those competing at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast next month.

Now, new research from Dr Toby Mündel from Massey University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, has identified that sodium bicarbonate ingestion improves repeated sprint performance in the heat by the same magnitude it does in cooler environments.

“These findings should be of particular interest to some of the travelling New Zealand team, such as our track cyclists and paddlers [kayakers and canoeists] who often compete in multiple heats on a daily basis, each requiring maximal effort,” Dr Mündel says.

One frequent problem with sodium bicarbonate ingestion is that it can cause gastro-intestinal (GI) issues such as cramping, bloating and diarrhoea. However, Dr Mündel trialled a dosing regimen that overcame this issue.

“Instead of providing one large dose of sodium bicarbonate, we provided athletes with a much lower dose that was taken at regular intervals with meals throughout a whole day. None of the athletes complained of GI problems but all displayed the improved buffering capacity due to the sodium bicarbonate in their blood, making this an athlete-friendly method of consumption,” Dr Mündel says.

Sodium bicarbonate ingestion improves repeated high-intensity cycling performance in the heat was recently published in the journal Temperature.

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March 23, 2018

Scholarship for sustainability-focused students

Source: Massey University – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Scholarship for sustainability-focused students

Assistant Vice-Chancellor Research, Academic and Enterprise Professor Giselle Byrnes, Air New Zealand representative Sam Winstanley and Massey scholarships committee member Dr Nives Botica Redmayne.

A new Massey scholarship made possible by Air New Zealand, is aiming to support undergraduate students who have a passion for sustainability.

The Air New Zealand Sustainability Scholarships were established as part of the partnership between Massey University and Air New Zealand to support up to three undergraduate students of $5000. Sustainability is a theme of interest and priority for both Massey University and Air New Zealand.

Students will be selected based on their personal commitment to sustainability and how this will be achieved through their study at Massey as well as their academic record. Preference will be given to a Māori student, a female business student, and a student studying at distance.

Specifically, the students should be engaged in advancing understandings of how to sustain our people, our place and our economy, as outlined in the Sustainability Framework developed by Air New Zealand.

These scholarships will be of interest to students learning about and advancing progressive workplace practices, inclusive communities, an ultra-low carbon economy, biodiversity, tourism and world-class health and safety standards.

The scholarships are open to both domestic and international undergraduate students studying full or part-time, in any field of study at Massey University, who can demonstrate their commitment to and advancement of sustainability for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Applications close on 1 April of the year the scholarship is awarded and for this year close on 1 April 2018. Applications can be made on the Massey University student portal.

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March 22, 2018

A very kiwi rockstar – Michael Morris on touring

Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury

Headline: A very kiwi rockstar – Michael Morris on touring

Michael Morris is sharing a painful memory with the Ara Music Arts students while speaking about the finer points of touring.

The self-employed solo musician, recording artist and member of band the River Jesters is recalling a particular moment during a gig at a festival on the West Coast this month.

“We played to 7000 people, which was awesome, on a huge stage. I decided half way through a guitar solo on the last song that I was going to jump into the crowd, as you do, and I was surfing along while playing, shredding it up, and they dropped me about two meters onto the ground, on my head. My guitar luckily didn’t split but my glasses were somewhere on the ground. Disaster! In the end my huge big American friend pulled me out, along with the security guards, so that was fine.”

Morris is telling the story on the first day of his first solo tour of New Zealand of 16 venues starting at Blue Smoke. It’s a very kiwi rockstar story and Morris seems unperturbed by it, perhaps because he has eight years of touring experience since he graduated from Ara (then CPIT) with a degree in Music Arts, with big goals, a network of contacts and a healthy stock of reality checks.

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He had determination in spades but the reality checks came courtesy of his tutors, who taught their students about the real world of professional music, and through his final year project.

“The project was one of the best things I have done because I had to find out what it was actually like at some point. You go out and do it and there is no safety net, if a tyre blows, you have to sort it out.”

That is the kind of detail Morris believes the current students need to hear before they head out into the vibrant, but slightly under-supported, national live music scene.

“I wanted to get through to students the finer details of going on tour. Because it can be quite a grand idea: ‘I want to go on tour; where do I start?’ You don’t actually know that you need to find someone to do the door sales; you need to find an hour a day of peace for yourself… So I was trying to show them the things that are unglamorous, the realities of what you have to do to make it a success.”

“My advice to students is just give it everything they have got and really immerse themselves and choose passion over anything else. If they really love it, just keep pushing and there will be hard moments but it is absolutely worth it.”

For Morris the rewards show up every day with “the thrill of playing all the time, the thrill of the adventure and the thrill of setting yourself this unbelievable goal and finally somehow achieving it”.

“I love playing with my band and the shared experience of working together. It is a feeling of us against the world in those situations where you are driving all day. You spend a lot of time with those people doing what you love doing, so it is all completely worth it to me.”

When Morris bumps into his tutors now it is on a professional level – touring with bands, playing festivals and checking out each other’s shows. After this tour however, Morris is heading to France to experience the larger venues and crowds there. New Zealand musicians are producing fantastic music, he says, but in a small country, the audience is somewhat limited. “Go to see live gigs!” he says.

He is grateful to his fellow students and tutors at Ara for helping him to channel his dream into a career: “Without my degree I would not be in the situation I am, because I was able to focus entirely on music and I was also be able to make mistakes, which I have learned from.”

Whether the crowd surfing was a mistake, let’s wait and see if he tries it again.

March 22, 2018

Volunteering work setting Ara student up for success

Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury

Headline: Volunteering work setting Ara student up for success

Sasindu Anjula (“Sas”) Don Simon Patabendi, an Engineering student of Ara Institute of Canterbury, is proud to say that he can see the physical impacts of his volunteer work in Christchurch.

“Last year for the Christchurch Youth Council I helped to develop an exciting space for the city, in collaboration with Gap Filler, and Regenerate Christchurch. You can see the basketball hoop and the giant spray cans at the end of Lichfield Street and Manchester Street. The installation is going to be there for two years which is really awesome.”

During the national election last year Sas was also given leadership of the Civics focus group and assisted with the organisation of events for youth voters such as “Connecting before Electing.”

Sri Lankan-born Sas came to Ara three years ago to study the Bachelor of Engineering Technology. As an international student finding his way in a new city, which was still in a post-earthquake recovery phase, Sas made sure to take full advantage of opportunities to form new connections.

“When I first came to New Zealand I found it really hard to make friends, but once I got out and started talking to people it was easy. I used to be an introvert, but now I’m kind of an extrovert.”

Twenty-five year old Sas now has an impressive list of volunteering positions to add to his résumé. Alongside his role as a member of the General Executive for the Christchurch Youth Council in 2017, Sas has fulfilled roles as an International Student Representative for the Ara Student Council, and is now the Student Representative for Engineering.

Known as a bright, hardworking student, the Head of Department handpicked Sas to be Engineering Student Representative.

“I got called up and asked me to fill the Student Rep position, so now I’m representing my classmates at the Engineering New Zealand, Canterbury Committee meetings each month. I love it because it’s study-related, and I get to meet a lot of industry people.”

Lynda Clegg from the Ara Careers Centre believes students can find great value in volunteering.

“Volunteering offers a range of opportunities for students including; building on their employability skills, gaining experience in an area of interest, contributing to the community and enhancing their CV,” Clegg says.

To support students to explore volunteering opportunities Ara organised a Student Volunteer Expo for Wednesday 21 March, to give students the chance to connect with a variety of Volunteer Agencies including Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army and SPCA.

Sas has found that volunteering “is great for networking”, especially now that he is a third year student and considering his future career options.

“It’s been good for developing my communication skills, and public speaking. Currently I’m doing my final year project on recycled concrete but I’ve also talked to the City Council to see if there’s any research they want me to do for them. It’s good to do industry projects so if I hear back then I might do that instead.”

As for what Sas would like to do the future? Volunteering is still on the cards.
“I’m not actively involved in Engineers without Borders at the moment but I would like to do that. I’d love the opportunity to go to the Pacific Islands and use the knowledge I’ve learned so far to help build structures, and give back to those communities – that’s something I’d really like to do.”

March 22, 2018

Jack Reacher and Thinking Inside the Box

Source: Massey University – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Jack Reacher and Thinking Inside the Box

Tom Cruise as Lee Child’s fictional retired military policeman Jack Reacher. The character can teach readers a lot about leadership, says Dr Ralph Bathurst.

This is the second in a series of five articles on leadership by Dr Ralph Bathurst, who is the academic coordinator for Massey’s Master of Advanced Leadership programme. Each week he will tackle an aspect of leadership through the lens of a favourite fictional character, Jack Reacher.

Read Article 1: Jack Reacher and the Call to Leadership

I often hear the claim: “We need leaders who can think outside the box!” As if there is a box that is somehow imprisoning us and constraining our ability to think critically and creatively. We believe that if only we could release ourselves from the shackles and break out, then we would find creative solutions to the many unresolved problems within our organisation.

How does Jack Reacher think when facing a problem situation? An incident in Night School gives us a clue. The novel has Reacher and his side-kick Sergeant Neagley going to Hamburg, Germany, in search of an American who is selling a nuclear weapon to Middle Eastern terrorists.

Reacher, Neagley and their local German counterpart Griezman, have located the apartment where the American is living, and suspecting he is inside, ring the doorbell only to hear its gentle chime echoing back. The American is not home. They want to carry out a thorough search, but they don’t have a warrant giving them legal access. In spite of Griezman’s protests, Reacher will not be deterred and decides to force his way into the apartment, but without causing any damage which would alert the American to them having been there.

How will he gain entrance? By thinking inside the box.

Dr Ralph Bathurst.

Seeing leads to acting

Before I explain, let’s get philosophical, and I’m sure Reacher would agree with this side-trip because he fancies himself as a bit of a moral philosopher, as we will discover in another article.

As with most philosophical schools, the so-called Continental Philosophers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were interested in exploring and describing human experience. Their ideas of present-at-hand and ready-to-hand offer interesting insights. One explains everything that we know about the world and the other describes what to do with what we know.

To be present-at-hand is to be able to see all the elements that make up our life-world. It is a desire to know everything that we possibly can about our world and to let that curiosity drive our questions. Ready-to-hand gives us the tools to make decisions and to take action. One thing leads to another. Seeing leads to acting, and both are necessary leadership skills.

Constraints can lead to creativity

So, let’s return to the box that we are encouraged to think outside of. The Continental Philosophers would say, “Hold on, why are you trying to think outside your box? You need to know your world deeply. You have to think inside your box!”

Creative people know this very well. For an artist, creativity is not found outside, but inside the box. When an artist knows the constraints within which they must operate, then they are free to create.

Think about a painter and the constraints they must confront. Canvas size (large or small), medium (oil or acrylic), tool (brush or knife) are just a few of elements that box them in. And this is not to mention the genre and style that will bound their work. All the famous painters throughout history worked within boxes, and many produced works that were revolutionary.

So, we return to Jack challenged with getting inside the apartment without breaking anything. Following our reasoning, he must think inside the box and recognise what is ready-to-hand.

Let’s pick up the story with the team standing outside the door.

Griezman said, ‘We need a warrant.’

Reacher said, ‘Are you sure?’

‘In Germany it is essential.’

‘But he’s American. And we’re American. Let’s do this the American way.’

‘You need a warrant also. I have seen it in the movies. You have an Amendment.’

‘And credit cards.’

‘What for? To buy something? To pay someone off?’

‘For ingenuity and self-reliance. That’s the American way.’

The credit card, with its strong yet flexible plastic, can be repurposed and used to slide around the tongue of the locking mechanism and, with some pushing and pulling on the handle, open the door. Reacher had to first know what was available to him – what was present-at-hand – choose among all the options available – what was ready-to-hand – and then take action. He had to think inside the box.

Creativity and innovation are highly prized abilities not only in business but in solving the many social and environmental problems that threaten our future. The world needs leaders who can act wisely and decisively, leaders who can think inside the box and devise creative solutions within existing constraints.

Learn about the Master of Advanced Leadership Practice

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March 22, 2018

Ara invests into Electrical Training at Timaru

Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury

Headline: Ara invests into Electrical Training at Timaru

Students starting their Electrical trades in Timaru in 2018 have a $200,000 new workshop on which to learn to apply Electrical Engineering knowledge, skills and techniques to identifying and defining complex problems in a variety of contexts.

Working in the Electrical industry requires a specific and complex skillset. Because of this, employers look for qualified and trained people with a Level 3 pre-trade qualification who can apply up-to-date electrical industry knowledge to their work place.

The brand new training workshop is fully equipped with new hand tools and wired up for 3-phase power, with control gear, electric motors, and benches protected by residual current devices (RCDs). Ara has also invested in the latest lab and practical electrical test equipment.

The new facilities will improve the students’ learning experience and set them up for industry, Stephen Price, Manager Electrical Trades, says. “It enhances their opportunities for getting an apprenticeship, because they will be familiar with household appliances, switchboards, motor testing – all the basic electrical elements. They are gaining greater knowledge of the industry.”

In the past, students studying at Ara in Timaru could gain a Level 2 qualification and complete their Level 3 by either correspondence or night classes. Now they are able to complete two thirds of the theory required to become an electrician.

The new facility, in the former outdoor education area, has been upgraded for Level 3 training to take students through the New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering Theory. The nine-month qualification gives students electrical industry knowledge and skills in a way that is hands on and enjoyable, in small classes that allow for individual time with the tutor.

Graduates will be ready for an apprenticeship as an Industrial, Domestic, Commercial or High Voltage Electrician or other electrical related careers in switchgear fitting, motor rewinding and repair, industrial measurement and control, electronic security and electrical service technical support.

This programme is very popular and has 16 students in Timaru, however applications are open for the next intake, beginning in 2019.