2013

    Spring 2013

  • Tesla coils

    An electrifying spectacle

    Creating visual music using wireless energy has sparked the enthusiasm of staff and students across Victoria.

  • Builders onsite

    Small talk no trivial matter

    Small talk is puzzling to people from some cultures, but New Zealanders use it to build rapport.

  • In the 1906 earthquake, San Francisco’s hilltop parks.

    Planning for disaster

    According to the unwritten laws of human nature, it often takes a crisis to bring about change.

  • Mani Bruce Mitchell

    Rethinking 'normal is best'

    Transgender and intersex New Zealanders are gaining legal recognition, but some big issues remain, says a Victoria researcher.

  • From left: Andrew McGrath, Angelique Faramus, Xuan Hao Chan, Ben McVey, Dr Anna Henning, Christoph Hasenoehrl, Dr Soshan Cheong, Lucy Gloag, Chenlong Yu, Moritz Banholzer, Dr Richard Tilley.

    Big results from tiny particles

    Creating and manipulating particles made of just a few atoms is all in a day’s work for Dr Richard Tilley.

  • Dr Carolyn Wilshire and PhD student Paula Speer.

    Saying the right words

    Stroke survivors with nonfluent aphasia need to choose common words and steer clear of ones that are too similar, new research suggests.

  • Carolyn Palmer

    Tax policy in crisis?

    They say that times of crisis can bring out the best and the worst in people.

  • A self-made saint

    At the age of 51, 19th-century South Indian poet-mystic Ramalinga Adigal locked himself in a room and never emerged. His body was never found.

  • Professor Pat Walsh speaks at the pōwhiri held to welcome him to Victoria.

    Reflections from the Vice-Chancellor

    Professor Pat Walsh reflects on a career at Victoria that began in 1981 when he was appointed as a lecturer in Industrial Relations.

  • Dr Paul Wolffram and Jennifer Smith

    Exploring the third dimension

    A kiwi feather cloak, a jug from 1890 and samurai armour from 1735 are just some of 100 objects that are being filmed in 3D in an experimental project.

  • Rose Burrowes in Germany.

    Taking the leap

    They say one of the best ways to learn is to be thrown in the deep end.

  • Helen Kedgley

    A life of art

    Helen Kedgley always wanted to be an artist or art historian but her father insisted she get a ‘proper’ degree from Victoria first.

  • Peter Graham

    Uncovering history through crime writing

    For Victoria alumnus and former barrister Peter Graham, writing about crime is an opportunity to discover the world as it was at a particular place in time.

  • Binge Culture's Whales return to the water.

    Bingeing on theatre

    In February, 33 ‘whales’ swam through the streets of Wellington and beached in front of Te Papa. Fortunately, Binge Culture was on hand to save the day.

  • David Walker

    Citizen of the world

    David Walker got a taste for the global life while studying commerce and administration at Victoria in the 1980s and has never looked back.

  • Vinny Carroll

    Changing lives through education

    If you told Vinny Carroll in Year 9 that he’d be studying biology at university, he probably would have laughed.

  • Off the Press

    The Odour of Sanctity and Unspeakable Secrets of the Aro Valley are two works recently published by Victoria University Press (VUP) and are reviewed for Victorious by Briony Pentecost.

  • Kah Chan demonstrates the creation of video footage for BikeEverywhere.

    City cycling made easy

    A Victoria University initiative aims to get more city cyclists on the road.

  • Female tuatara on Stephens Island. Photo: Anna Carter

    Close encounters with tuatara

    Tuatara habitats will have a big impact on whether the reptiles can survive climate change, a PhD student has found.

  • Winter 2013

  • Mapping our deep-sea environment

    A marine biologist taking part in one of New Zealand’s most significant deep-sea research projects says the results will help identify vulnerable marine ecosystems in the South Pacific region, contribute…

  • Max O’Brien-Bowling and William Falloon make the most of Te Papa Tongarewa’s Game Master exhibition.

    Serious fun and games

    A summer boot camp set entrepreneurial game design graduates a challenge: to balance the fun of creating a game with the demands of building a start-up.

  • Community support eases transition

    More Māori and Pasifika students from low-decile schools in the Wellington region are studying at Victoria as a result of a successful, decade-long outreach programme. High school students registered with…

  • Research for a greener city

    Ecological restoration, sustainable growth and enhanced urban design are a few of the many topical issues being explored by students through a new research agreement with Wellington City Council. The…

  • The wonders of flax

    Secrets of the past may not be the only valuable knowledge held by some of New Zealand’s oldest Māori cloaks. While researching the properties of harakeke (native flax) to find…

  • 3D printing revolutionises design

    It might sound far-fetched, but Ross Stevens believes that in just a few years children will receive a computer code instead of a toy with their McDonald’s Happy Meal. “Rather…

  • Rational approach long overdue

    New Zealand’s drug laws are “stuck in a time warp”, says Associate Professor of Criminology Dr Julian Buchanan. “The way drugs are classified bears little resemblance to the risk posed.…

  • Improving IVF success rates

    It could be easier for women to get pregnant through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the foreseeable future, thanks to efforts from scientists to eliminate guesswork at critical stages in…

  • Passion drives change

    Passionate individuals have brought about change in youth justice regimes in New Zealand and South Africa, but sustaining progress over time is hard work. Public policy PhD candidate Ashley Shearar…

  • Loud and clear

    The cochlea remains one of the relatively uncharted areas of the human body. Researcher Dr Paul Teal is helping to unravel its mysteries. The spiral chamber, located inside the ear,…

  • New view of Polynesian conversion to Christianity

    Missionaries are often seen as the drivers of conversion to Christianity in Polynesia but research by anthropologist Dr Jeff Sissons puts forward a different view. Jeff ’s three-year Marsden-funded study…

  • Protecting traditional knowledge

    A growing recognition of the cultural economic value of indigenous knowledge and a determination on the part of indigenous peoples and developing countries to secure their rights is putting the…

  • Learning through story-telling

    Bringing theories to life through story-telling is central to Chris Bowden’s approach to teaching. “You can teach theory, you can show research and you can try to explain concepts—but…

  • Keeping it current

    When Dr Anita Brady’s students tell her they can no longer blob happily in front of the television, the Media Studies lecturer feels a sense of achievement. “My job is…

  • Charting a course to success

    While university life is often what you make of it, a new Student Charter identifies the ingredients for success and commits both staff and students to fostering them. First…

  • Love the Hub? Join the club!

    Alumni may now need a map when returning to their alma mater—the formerly windswept and barren Quad has been transformed into a vibrant new central building. Known as the…

  • Great ideas go viral

    Made by students to showcase their innovative work, a group of videos have been viewed by hundreds of thousands around the world and are well worth watching. The Greenfingers Fogponics…

  • An Italian-New Zealand story

    A new book by Dr Vincent Moleta delves deep into his Italian heritage and explores the challenges that immigrants face adjusting to life in a new culture. Vincent grew up…

  • Discovering a passion for teaching

    Arts graduate Lui Lafou says he “stumbled” into teaching. The fact that he’s remained is no accident. Lui completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in 2004 with the…

  • Celebrating 30 years of Summer Shakespeare

    Summer Shakespeare reached its 30-year milestone this year, with past players gathering to celebrate in the capital. An event hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh marked the opening of an…

  • From far and wide

    As friends and family from around the globe gathered in Wellington to celebrate graduation, one happy group couldn’t be missed. Joyce Siao Chien Tay arrived in Wellington in 2010 from…

  • New Chair in Fisheries Science

    A new position established within the School of Biological Sciences will deepen expertise in the subject of fisheries science at Victoria. Created through the generous support of the Ministry for…

  • A gift of music

    Commerce students benefited from Emeritus Professor Athol Mann’s expertise during his tenure at Victoria, but it is musicians who will enjoy a lasting legacy from the former Dean of Commerce.…

  • Off the Press

    Two Girls in a Boat and Glass Wings are two works recently published by Victoria University Press (VUP) and are reviewed for Victorious by Briony Pentecost. Details of forthcoming publications…

  • New works for new building

    Donations from alumni through the Victoria University Foundation have helped fund the acquisition of three new art works for the Hub building. Adam Art Gallery Director Christina Barton says…

  • Enhancing skills and experience

    Health professionals from across the lower North Island have two new opportunities to further their professional development through the Graduate School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health. The School was selected…

  • Viva Verdi!

    School of Music (NZSM) is marking the 200th anniversary of Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi’s birth by presenting a full-scale, four performance season of Il Corsaro. It will be the…