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THE MURDOCH UNIVERSITYCOMMUNITY MAGAZINEjuly/august 2009Vol 5 / ISS 5

o p e n y o u r m i n d d a y, a u g u s t 3 0

Double reasonto celebrate

$25M for desalinationand$5m lotterywestgrant for institutefor immunology andinfectious diseases -page 2-3

2THE MURDOCH UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

Prestigious building award or health research

Let to right: Proessor John Yovich, Principals o Pyramid Constructions (WA) John Jones and Jerry Mazaryk,and project consultant Charles Giglia.

Innovative design and qualityconstruction have earned aprestigious award for MurdochUniversity’s health researchbuilding.

The building won the Health/Aged CareBuilding category o the 2009 Master BuildersAssociation (MBA) WA – Bankwest Excellence inConstructions Awards.The $35 million building was designedby architectural rm Hames Sharley andbuilt by Pyramid Constructions (WA), in closeconsultation with the University.The building was designed to not onlyprovide health researchers with world-classacilities, but also has lobbies and linking spacesto oster collaboration between the teams romthe various institutes and centres that will behoused there.The rst three oors accommodate the mainacilities including oces, consulting rooms,laboratories, chemical and cell culture rooms,cold and cool rooms and research and meetingrooms. The ourth oor houses a centralisedplant to service the building.The building is designed to minimise energyconsumption in line with Murdoch University’scommitment to addressing global environmentalconcerns.Wherever possible during manuacture theUniversity avoided the use o materials that weretoxic, scarce or implicated in the emission ogreenhouse gases.Pyramid Constructions (WA) also tookparticular care to protect the delicate orasurrounding the building.The building will become a hub or healthresearch at Murdoch University, housing thehighly acclaimed Institute or Immunology andInectious Diseases.Murdoch University Vice Chancellor,Proessor John Yovich, said he was proud thatMurdoch had once again been recognisedor the quality o commercial developmenton campus, having previously won the bestt-out or a new and/or existing building in theMBA’s 2008 awards or the University’s learningcommon.Proessor Yovich congratulated Murdoch’sproject consultant Charles Giglia and buildingconsultant Jerry Masaryk o PyramidConstructions (WA).The new health research institute will beocially launched later this year.

Explore magazine is or the Murdoch Universitycommunity. It is produced by the Oce o CorporateCommunications and Public Relations. The viewsexpressed in Explore are not necessarily those o theUniversity.

Managing Editor Editor

Tanyia Maxted Hayley Mayneh.mayne@murdoch.edu.auTelephone: 9360 2474Facsimile: 9310 4233

Writers Photography

Freya Contos Brian RichardsDenise Cahill Liv StockleyPepi Smyth Dejan StojanovicTanyia Maxted Rick DawsonHayley Mayne Big hART

Design

Nany Kusumo

Murdoch University hasbeen awarded its largestever research grant - $25million - to host Australia’snew National Centre ofExcellence in Desalination.

Federal Government unding o $20 millionwill be topped by an extra $5 million rom theWestern Australian State Government to seeMurdoch become an integral part o the ederalgovernment’s 10-year $12.9 billion Water orthe Future strategy.Based at Murdoch’s Rockingham campus,the Centre will bring together the country’sleading desalination and water science researchorganisations, combining many o Murdoch’sresearch strengths.Vice Chancellor Proessor John Yovich saidthe new Centre would draw together the nation’stop scientists in desalination to provide solutionsto the water crisis, building on Murdoch’shistorical strengths in renewable energy, waterand environmental sciences.“Murdoch is excited to lead and coordinatethis national and international researchcollaboration in energy-ecient desalinationtechnology or use in Australia’s uniquecircumstances - and indeed rural, city andindustrial locations around the world,” ProessorYovich said.“This important new national research hubwill ofer energy-saving solutions to saeguarduture water supplies or both consumers andindustry, and these new technologies will havewidespread application or the benet o allAustralians.”Murdoch’s reverse osmosis pilot plant at theCentre currently produces about 100 litres anhour o desalinated seawater.By treating the seawater prior to the reverseosmosis process, Murdoch scientists hope toreduce energy use and costs by up to 10 percent.Proessor Yovich said the Centre’s locationat Murdoch’s Rockingham campus wouldenable immediate use o existing inrastructureincluding laboratories, oces and pilot plantacilities.It was ideally placed near commercial areas,the coastal strip and major industrial water usersat Kwinana, providing a major boost to theregional City o Rockingham and employmentor Murdoch graduates.Interim Director Proessor David Doepel saidthe Centre would work closely with industryand commercialisation partners. He has recentlyreturned rom a tour o the United States andSouth-East Asia, meeting with venture capitalistsand industry to explore commercialisationopportunities and partnerships.Watch the YouTube clip on theannouncement at: http://www.youtube.com/user/MurdochUniversity

$25 million or National Desal Centre at Murdoch

Technology and expertise rom chemistry,environmental science and nanotechnology arebeing used in the new Centre.

This publication is printed on environmentally riendly stockrom sustainable managed orests.

A troupe of Murdoch’stheatre students flew toChile in July to perform twoplays that will aid in theteaching of English.

Murdoch’s Senior Lecturer in English,Dr David Moody, said the idea originatedin discussions between a Murdoch honoursstudent, Jaime Wilson-Ramirez, and aneducational resources company in Chile.“Mr Wilson-Ramirez is an experienced,proessional actor and director,” Dr Moody said.“The Chilean education company have paidor the airare and expenses o the students,who will be on a minimal wage or the durationo the tour.”Dr Moody and Mr Wilson-Ramirezconducted a preliminary writing workshopin December which resulted in a play called

Words...

.“

Words …

looks comically at the history othe English language and the other play thegroup perorms, on bullying, was provided bythe Chilean company,” he said.The third-year students involved were chosenor their ability and proessionalism.Mr Wilson-Ramirez directed the two shows,which Dr Moody says have great potential astouring vehicles to schools in Australia and Asiaas well.“We are hoping that through the experiencein Chile we might be able to set up a regularstudent exchange with universities in Chile.”

Murdoch University hadcause to celebrate whenLotterywest announced a$5 million grant towardsthe establishment of theInstitute for Immunology andInfectious Diseases (IIID) atthe end of July.

The grant was awarded to the MurdochUniversity Foundation, which was established toadvance the strategic priorities o the Universityor the benet o the community.Lotterywest Chie Executive Ocer, JanStewart, said it was one o the largest grantsever awarded or medical research projects.“Lotterywest’s approach to medical researchis to support projects that signicantly buildthe State’s capacity and assist in achieving orretaining international standing,” Ms Stewartsaid.“Grants are considered or majorinrastructure that supports research alreadyendorsed and supported by key national andinternational unding bodies.“We were satised that the Institute’s workwas endorsed at the highest internationallevel, and the groundbreaking research indeveloping personalised medicine tailored to theindividual’s DNA had already produced healthand social benets.”Vice Chancellor Proessor John Yovich saidthe Lotterywest grant was signicant and wouldplay an important role in keeping the state atthe global cutting-edge in inectious diseaseresponse and research.“The University is committed to ensuring thatthe Institute’s researchers have the best possibleresources to enable them to tackle the world’smost signicant health issues,” Proessor Yovichsaid.“The grant will help und the new $35million health research building - which housesIIID.“The building has already received $19.5million rom the Australian Government, $2.3million rom the WA Government, $500,000rom the McCusker Charitable Foundation and$500,000 rom the Stan Perron CharitableFoundation.”The Genesiis Campaign, one o the MurdochUniversity Foundation’s public undraisingcampaigns, was established to ensure IIID’s lie-saving research achieves its goals.“The Genesiis Campaign has now raisedmore than $6 million o the original $10 milliontarget and I’d like to congratulate the Oce oDevelopment team and Diana Duf in particularor their eforts to achieve this grant and theother donations.”Some o the IIID staf have now moved romRoyal Perth Hospital and taken up residence onthe rst and second levels o the new building.The remaining staf will also move in beore theend o the year.The Oce o Commercial Services isnow investigating commercial partnershipopportunities with other health researchcompanies to lease the third level o the healthresearch building.For more inormation on making a taxdeductible donation to the Genesiis Campaigncontact the Murdoch Foundation on 9360 2894or visit www.genesiis.murdoch.edu.au

Murdoch’s award-winning $35 million health research building is the new home o the Institute or Immunology and Inectious Diseases. Jaime Wilson-Ramirez and Murdoch’s theatre students prepare or their Chilean perormances.

Lotterywest grant rewards hard work

Teaching English – Murdoch actors head to Chile

july/aug 2009 / Vol 5 / Iss 5