Careers of Tomorrow: Your pathway to success in research, business and industry

careers of

Y TO YOUR PATHWA SEARCH, SUCCESS IN RE INDUSTRY BUSINESS AND

tomorrow

Big Data

The information revolution that’s transforming science careers

GET A HEAD START

MAKE IT HAPPEN degree areas to choose from

23

BIG BUSINESS How high-tech agriculture will change the future

Astronomy

Geosciences

6 Chemistry

Maths

Physics

key job growth areas

Environment

You won’t play the game. You will change it.

You won’t be comfortable. You will be challenged.

You won’t be nudged. You will be pushed.

You won’t be a sheep. You will forge your own path.

You won’t always succeed. You will fail before you do.

You won’t bury your head in books. You will get your hands dirty.

You won’t recycle old concepts. You will bring new ideas to life.

You won’t think, “I can’t”. You will think, “Why not?”

You won’t be discouraged. You will be encouraged.

You won’t be part of the status quo. You will innovate and create.

You won’t hold on to the way things are. You will imagine what they could become.

You won’t be constrained by boundaries. You will think freely and openly.

You won’t regurgitate. You will reinvent.

You won’t always accept things. You will question them.

You won’t work in isolation. You will collaborate.

You won’t rely on old or dated techniques. You will embrace new technologies.

You won’t be discouraged by failure. You will be motivated by it.

You won’t assume things are set in stone. You will have the courage to question them.

You won’t scratch the surface. You will search farther and wider.

You won’t settle for second best. You will strive for improvement.

You won’t be content with the way things are. You will make tomorrow better.

Wherever there’s a won’t, we believe there’s a will.

Change something today at maketomorrowbetter.com CRICOS Provider Code 00301J MF CUSE000026B Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology

Foreword

Discover a whole new world

I

n primary school, I learned about negative numbers, fractions, and funny numbers like ‘e’ and ‘pi’. I learned arithmetic, basic algebra and geometry, and about useful things called angles. I started to learn how mathematics could be used to find the answers to some ‘real-to-me problems’.

Of course, this really wasn’t ‘mathematics’ – it is so much more – but I was hooked, and so began my journey as a mathematician.

Professor Jo Ward, Parallel to this, I was discovering the Dean of Sciences, wonder of science. My understanding of Head of School of Science science and of its critical importance and excitement has expanded considerably since that time. So too has my understanding of the fundamental connections between mathematics and the other sciences. For me, mathematics is intrinsically beautiful, but also an invaluable tool – many say it’s a language – that can reduce complicated problems and situations to their essentials.

4

In this special Careers of Tomorrow magazine, we share some student and graduate success stories, and discuss the interesting and varied opportunities in science and mathematics — which can take your career in new directions, from improving cosmetics through nanotechnology, to searching for new planets in outer space. And we talk about how Curtin can help you develop the knowledge and hands-on, real-world skills that you’ll need to make tomorrow better.

Beyond the practical course information and handy career tips you will find in this magazine, I hope you will also get the same sense of joy and discovery that mathematics and science has brought me since I was a child. It’s what will drive you, as it does other scientists around the world, no matter how distinguished or accomplished they are, to break new ground.

Curtin is a place where curious minds come together. If you like to ask questions and experiment with new ideas, then leaf through the pages of this magazine and find out how we can help you reveal a whole new world.

Contents Why study in WA?

Information explosion 12

Ancient worlds

An amazing natural environment and world-class scientific facilities aren’t the only things you can look forward to – the weather and lifestyle in the state’s capital make living here all the more enjoyable.

4

Armed with the skills to use and manage massive amounts of information, Curtin University students are tapping into the big data revolution that’s shaping so many cutting-edge 21st century careers.

Whether studying the oldest crystals or the strangest fossils, Curtin researchers and students use pioneering technology to uncover the secrets of Western Australia’s unique landscapes.

Young guns

Wide skies

6

Meet some of the undergraduates making their mark at Curtin.

16

Top future science jobs Whether you want to chase meteors through the night sky or track down cancer cells in the human body, Curtin University can set your career on track into the next big area of scientific discovery.

23

8

15

Eyes are on the skies as Curtin enters a new and exciting era of astronomical discovery.

Smart farming Studying agriculture opens up huge opportunities to make a better world.

20

Number of opportunities 23 You’ll discover mathematics is at the heart of just about any science or engineering problem.

16

Going places

26

Science courses at Curtin University can take you to new heights, as data on the careers of recent graduates of the School of Science and the Western Australian School of Mines reveals.

3

Into the future

Why study in WA? An amazing natural environment and world-class scientific facilities aren’t the only things you can look forward to – the weather and lifestyle in the state’s capital make living here all the more enjoyable.

P

ERTH, ACCORDING TO The New York Times, is “a city embodying all things right about cities… easy, breezy, green and pristine.” It has more sunshine than any capital city in Australia and has retained a laid-back lifestyle despite Western Australia’s reputation as the economic powerhouse of the nation.

“As soon as you get a taste, you just want more,” says Curtin University coastal and marine science student Sam Montague, who moved to Perth from country Victoria in 2012. “Perth’s just such a nice place to live, with the weather and the people – it’s great!”

When it comes to science, some of the world’s most exciting and innovative research is being carried out in WA. It also enjoys incredible natural environments, abundant mineral resources, a diverse agriculture industry and world-class medical science and supercomputing facilities.

From the forested southwest to the pristine Kimberley region in the

state’s north, WA is a smorgasbord of natural beauty. Lonely Planet describes the Kimberley coastline of northern WA as one that “could make Australian east-coasters weep”.

In fact, the unique marine environments of WA rival those anywhere in the world. Sam says being able to go on field trips to places like Rottnest Island, 19 km off Perth’s coast, has been a highlight of his degree.

“It’s just a different world,” he says.

Sam decided to “fly the nest” from Gippsland and study in WA after meeting some of the lecturers at Curtin University. “They were really friendly and helpful, just heads above the rest,” he says. “They’re always there for you, there’s so much support.”

Clear night skies and low population densities in regional areas mean WA is also one of the best places in the world for astronomers. Construction of the world’s biggest radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), is set to begin in the remote Murchison region 700 km northeast of Perth in 2018.

4 Curtin University – Careers of Tomorrow

Robert Frith © Acorn Photo

Michelle Wheeler

The multi-billion dollar project, which is shared with southern Africa, will be used to make groundbreaking observations and discoveries about the universe. Curtin University has led the development of the Murchison Widefield Array, one of three pathfinders for the SKA and a powerful telescope in its own right.

When complete, the SKA will generate enough raw data every day to fill 15 million 64 GB iPods.

The massive amount of data has driven investment in supercomputing in WA, including the $80 million Pawsey Supercomputing Centre. Launched in 2013, the facility focuses on astronomy and geosciences data but can be used for research across disciplines.

For Curtin University chemistry graduate Cassie Paxman, WA is a great place to be. “As a Curtin student, the facilities and the labs we get to work in are amazing,” she says. “But also the people who are over here — the enthusiasm everyone has for science and all the new things that are happening is great.”

As a communications and outreach officer at chemistry and forensic

science facility ChemCentre, she loves sharing her passion for science with schools and the media.

With its diverse agricultural industry and a strong mining boom, WA continues to drive Australia’s economy. In its 2013 survey of mining companies, Canadian think-tank the Fraser Institute named WA the most attractive jurisdiction for mining investment in the world. Existing projects in mining have caused an explosion in demand for geology and environmental science graduates.

Perth also has two world-class biomedical facilities: the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Nedlands, which focuses on cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease; and the Telethon Kids Institute in Subiaco, which looks at early childhood development, the brain and behaviour, chronic childhood diseases and Aboriginal health.

To top it off, the state’s capital consistently ranks as one of the world’s top 10 most liveable cities – all the more reason to make Perth your home while studying for your science degree.

(Pictured) Curtin graduate Cassie Paxman and coastal and marine science student Sam Montague.

(Right) The $80 million Pawsey Supercomputing Centre.

(Below) Perth, consistently rated one of the world's most liveable cities.

5

Into the future

JEFFREY BALL

Robert Frith © Acorn Photo

T

he combination of geography and science made a degree in Geographic Information Science (GIS) an appealing prospect to Jeffrey Ball. Getting a Science Excellence Scholarship was a bonus that meant he could pay some of his uni fees upfront.

“One of my teachers in Year 12 mentioned that if you put Curtin science as your first preference and have a high enough ATAR then you get this scholarship. But that wasn’t the main reason for choosing the course,” he says.

Instead, it’s the “hands-on” nature of GIS at Curtin that drew him to the course. “You’re out in the field doing practical work,” he says. With this experience, Ball is considering going into the environmental side of GIS, which can involve everything from “mapping animal migration patterns” to “helping out with exploration”.

When selecting uni courses, Jeffrey recommends students let their interests be their guide. “If you get a high ATAR, don’t feel obliged to do, say, medicine, just because you’ve got the marks to do it,” he says. “Do a course you enjoy.”

DEGREE: Bachelor of Science (Geographic Information Science)

HELEN STEWART

H

elen Stewart is equally enthused by her pursuits in language and science, hoping to someday integrate the two in her career. She recently travelled to Japan, helped by her Science Excellence and Seizan Fukami Fund Scholarships. The money has also eased some of the pressure of student life.

“A lot of people have to balance part-time work and study, which can be quite a challenge,” she says.

With a high school interest in physics and chemistry, she’s chosen Curtin’s materials science stream of physics. “In the summer holidays, I worked on a project on hydrogen

6 Curtin University – Careers of Tomorrow

storage with the research group at Curtin. There’s a lot to learn!”

If you’re looking to apply for scholarships, Stewart’s advice is to keep your interests broad. “For a lot of the scholarships, they won’t only look at your academic record but also at if you’re well-rounded and involved in the community.”

Stewart adds that hard work and diligence are, of course, also vital in your chosen field. “It’s about being really competent in whatever career you do. Every little piece of knowledge is important.”

DEGREE: Bachelor of Arts (Japanese)/ Bachelor of Science (Physics)

CHRISTOPHER VANDERPLAS

Young guns Meet some of the undergraduates making their mark at Curtin University.

Keira Daley

JENNIFER LE

A

passion for problem-solving goes a long way – for Jennifer Le it’s lead to two scholarships and a degree that’s a perfect fit.

“In Year 12, I realised I really liked the problem-solving aspects of mathematics,” she says. Le is now working towards accreditation as an actuary, which takes about eight years. In the meantime, she says, part of her job as a student is to learn where her degree can take her.

“When I started uni, I thought actuaries worked in insurance, superannuation, and resources. But I’ve since learnt you can go into things like consulting and even intelligence.”

Le recommends signing up for the Curtin scholarships email alerts to find out when applications open.

She was awarded both the Science Excellence and BHP Science Undergraduate Scholarships.

“The biggest thing to come out of the BHP scholarship is having the credibility of a leading global company behind you,” she says. “To be able to put that on your resume is really valuable.”

Life is not all maths, however.

Le also plays and teaches violin.

“Music is where I put my energy when I’m not focusing on spreadsheets!”

C

hristopher VanderPlas’ path to uni was full of surprises. “At school, I didn’t even know if I’d go to uni,” he says. “I look back now and go, ‘What was I thinking?’”

When he finally decided to apply, in the last month of high school exams, VanderPlas got more than he bargained for.

“I was on holidays and I got a phone call to say I got a scholarship I’d never even heard of!” he says.

“I had decided to really pull my finger out in Year 11 and 12 and that landed me with a scholarship I’d never considered.”

Now in the fourth year of his surveying degree, with the clear goal of becoming a licensed surveyor, Christopher is on a career path that suits him well.

“I’ve always been interested in geography and maths, so it’s a good combination.”

In his part-time job as a survey assistant, he’s also gaining valuable practical experience that complements his studies. “Working has helped a lot. It gives you context and insight,” he says.

“And if you ever get stuck, you know people who’ve done the course before who can help you.”

The big lesson in all this, he says, is that hard work is absolutely worth the effort. “It’s part of doing your best. You’re there to prove who you are.”

DEGREE: Bachelor of Surveying

More info:

scholarships.curtin.edu.au

DEGREE: Bachelor of Science (Actuarial Science)

7

Growth areas

Top future science jobs Whether you want to chase meteors through the night sky or track down cancer cells in the human body, Curtin University can set your career on track into the next big area of scientific discovery.

Victoria Laurie

S

tudYiNG at curtiN, you could find yourself creating new materials to transform the carbon economy, or deciphering the early days of the formation of the Solar System.

Perhaps you’d prefer to dive into

some of the most spectacular marine environments on Earth — it’s all possible at Curtin University, where cutting-edge science education can steer you into some of the hottest career growth areas.

Here are six top picks.

GEOCHEMISTRY

M

ETEOROIDS HAVE BEEN hurtling around our Solar System since the first epoch of planet formation. “They are a real link into that point in history when planets were still being built,” explains Curtin geologist Professor Phil Bland, head of the Desert Fireball Network – a project built around an array of special cameras installed on the Nullarbor Plain.

“The problem is we don’t really know where any of them came from. What we’re trying to do is track them back to where they come from in the Solar System.”

The project highlights how geochemistry is vital to exploring big universal questions, such as how planetary systems emerged and how earth came to hold water and sustain life.

Bland’s team records nightly images of meteors falling to earth.

Using triangulation, researchers can map the fireballs’ trajectories and even retrieve the fallen objects.

“We’ve got a great opportunity to pursue a big imaginative project, something that might make a splash for Australian science,” says Bland. “We’ve got a whole bunch of people doing honours and internships on this project, and it’s a lot of fun. We’ve even developed an app for smartphones so people can track their own fireballs in the sky.”

JOB OUTCOMES: 89.5% of applied geology students are working in their field within four months of graduating*.

One of the cameras installed on the Nullabor Plain as part of the Desert Fireball Network.

8 Curtin University – Careers of Tomorrow

Curtin University; NASA; iStock; Wiki

* All employment outcome stats are taken from the Graduate Destination Survey 2013.

FOOD SCIENCE

W

Researchers are seeking the best type of sorghum for combatting type 2 diabetes.

orKiNG out What humans can and should put into their mouths is an exacting and varied science. a food scientist may help develop new edible products, solve technical problems in food processing companies, or develop safe ways of boosting taste or nutrition in existing foodstuffs. “currently we’re looking at fibre in food and whether your blood or plasma glucose levels change as you eat different foods,” explains researcher Vicky Solah, associate professor in Food Science and technology at curtin. “if a certain fibre slows down glucose released into the blood, and at the same time it makes you feel fuller for longer, that’s a good thing.”

With uS colleagues, curtin food science and nutrition researchers are also trialling a mobile phone app that may lead to healthy eating habits that satisfy the appetite. based on facial recognition

technology, it identifies foods on a person’s plate, then calculates the fat, calories and nutrients. other research projects involve looking at the impact of climate change on food quality; finding the best kind of sorghum for foods that will combat type 2 diabetes; and food engineering to create healthy foodstuffs.

Food safety is a growth area. “if you’re going to work in food security or sustainability, you have to be thinking about the health impacts,” says Solah. “We see a big future for our people in this sector.” each third-year curtin student is carefully matched with suitable fieldwork in the food industry. “often they arrive at their placement and find they are greeted by a curtin food science graduate!” says Solah.

JOB OUTCOMES: 93% of health sciences students were employed within four months of graduating.

MATERIALS SCIENCE

P

ROFESSOR CRAIG BUCKLEY and his team from Curtin University’s Fuels and energy Technology Institute aspire to change the face of the transport world. They are working to build a hydrogen fuel tank in order to meet an urgent global need for sustainable energy alternatives to petrol-based vehicles.

The team is testing lightweight materials such as aluminium, magnesium, boron, lithium, carbon and their alloys as potential elements in the construction of a fuel tank to store hydrogen.

“We need alternative sources of fuel and for a number of reasons hydrogen is an ideal substitute,” says Buckley.

“We can make it from water and it turns back into water when it is used as a fuel, so it’s much cleaner than petrol.”

Over at Curtin’s Department of Imaging and Applied Physics, researchers are taking inspiration from space rocks. They are focused on creating nanodiamonds – tiny diamond particles that occur naturally in meteorites.

“Nobody really knows how nanodiamonds in space are created

or why they are so common,” says materials physicist Associate Professor Nigel Marks. “We have proposed a model for the formation of very small diamonds, and we’re building a lab to test the hypothesis.”

At the moment it’s fundamental science investigating how carbon changes from one form into another. But, says Marks, this kind of research might one day lead to breakthroughs in materials science and practical technologies that could provide industry with new forms of protective coating.

“We know there may well be industrial applications – we could put nanodiamonds on the surface of things we manufacture to form hard diamond coatings, for example,” Marks says, explaining that these types of projects hark back to Curtin University’s origins as a centre of technology excellence.

“When it comes to computational materials science, Curtin is up there with the best in the region.”

Toyota’s hydrogenfuel powered concept car.

JOB OUTCOMeS: 75% of physics students are working in their field within four months of graduating.

9

Growth areas

MARINE SCIENCE

The vast ocean provides endless possibilities for research students.

HE COORDINATOR OF Curtin’s marine science course, Dr Jennifer McIlwain, has a passion for the underwater world. “I guess it’s in my DNA,” she laughs, a fisherman’s daughter-turned-academic researcher who has devoted years to studying the ecology of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Along with Curtin’s other marine science lecturers and their students, she literally immerses herself in the planet’s biggest environment – the ocean.

McIlwain’s work has included the acoustic tagging of fish around Micronesia, a delicate operation that involved inserting pill-sized, signal-emitting tags into tiny incisions in living fish. Other Curtin colleagues have been conducting remote camera work on Australia’s continental shelf to track passing fish shoals and documenting whale migration up and down Western Australia’s coast.

Not surprisingly, with this research underway, there’s an emphasis on fieldwork for Curtin’s marine science students. From their second year, they visit species-rich coastal

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE

Robert Frith © Acorn Photo

G

eographic data about the spaces we occupy can help us to locate the best spots for our homes, highways, mines, ports and hospitals. As we grow more able to match mapping data with other forms of information, we are developing powerful tools with applications across disciplines.

Geographic information science (GIS) is concerned with the location of things above or below the Earth’s surface: it has global applications and spans most industries.

Graduates in spatial sciences can specialise in surveying or in GIS and are in high demand – in mine and engineering surveying, agricultural planning, and mapping land divisions for the government.

Professor Bert Veenendaal, head of Curtin’s Department of Spatial Sciences, says Curtin’s degree is shaped to industry needs, producing job-ready graduates who quickly find employment. Many are hired by the mining sector, where they help with every aspect of resource exploration – from where gas and oil lies to what routes are needed to ship it. But, he points out, the applications of GIS are diverse.

“In the health sector, you might link rates of disease to potential sources through geographic mapping,” he says.

Curtin has a long association with mapping, developing WA’s first mine surveying course 100 years ago. In 1992, the university offered the world’s first degree in GIS. These days, Curtin’s spatial sciences students apply their knowledge in the latest technologies in geodesy, photogrammetry, laser scanning and remote sensing.

The real-world applications can be rewarding, Veenendaal says. He recently helped villagers in the arid southern African nation of Botswana solve a dilemma in using their grazing land to maximum benefit for the remote community. Each villager was aware he and his cattle herd were competing for grazing land and water. But they lacked the perspective to function cooperatively.

“By mapping their community, the villagers realised they needed to install an 11 km pipeline and tank and ask for government help to do so,” explains Veenendaal. “Suddenly, they were spatially aware, and it resulted in the empowerment of a community.”

JOB OUTCOMES: 100% of GIS students are working in their field within four months of graduating.

10 Curtin University – Careers of Tomorrow

areas such as Coral Bay, part of the renowned Ningaloo Reef area. “Students spend the first few days learning techniques and the rest doing their own research into topics like fish cleaning behaviour or the impact of the recreational use of Coral Bay,” says McIlwain.

In third year, students may grapple with problems of marine taxonomy, aquaculture, bioacoustics or oceanographic research. They learn to use technology such as side-scan sonars, multi-beam sonars and the latest geographic information science (GIS) software to pinpoint and capture underwater lifeforms.

Students are encouraged to get their dive tickets and put themselves forward as volunteers to build their networks. Many graduates have been rewarded with jobs as environmental consultants for parks and wildlife authorities, in local government, with port authorities and as academics in the Curtin Centre for Marine Science and Technology.

JOB OUTCOMES: 90.9% of marine science students are working in their field within four months of graduating.

Shutterstock

T

Robert Frith © Acorn Photo

Curtin University student Joshua Vogelpoel at work at an instrument lab in the Bentley campus.

BIOMEDICAL Science

M

OLECULAR BIOLOGIST Adrian Paxman describes Curtin’s molecular genetics and biotechnology degree as one of the university’s “most exciting”. He adds: “Our graduates are trained to investigate DNA and other molecules involved in biological systems. We envisage a lot of these graduates will go on to cutting-edge research at PhD level.”

Biomedical science is part of the Faculty of Health Sciences, which covers a wide range of fields, with practical experience a focus. In 2014, more than 2000 Curtin students began their inter-professional first year, where they gain experience in other health professions as well as their own speciality.

One example is Curtin’s human biology preclinical degree, which prepares students for postgraduate medicine and other graduate entry programs in the health sciences area.

Curtin’s laboratory medicine degree trains students to become medical scientists in pathology labs, doing blood tests and checking cholesterol.

Because it’s WA’s only accredited qualification in the area, graduates can have excellent job prospects.

Rebecca Flunder, 22, is a third year student in Curtin’s internationally

JOB OUTCOMES: 93% of health sciences students were employed within four months of graduating.

Choose a degree Sc ie nc e – N CU ut M rit PE io n M – o C an le UH d cu KS Bi la ot r G ec e n h e – nol tic CU o s g H y H ea GS lth Ge Sc og – ien ra ph CU ce S H s ic IS Ge cien In ol ce for og / m y Ap ati – C pl on Te Fo UE ied Q ch o no d S E lo cie gy n – ce CU an Ge Ap H d op pli SF hy ed si Ge cs – olo Ap CU g pl GE y / ie d Ge E ol CU ogy SD – E

Curtin graduate student Kirstan Lee at Daisy Milano Mine, WA.

recognised medical imaging science degree. “It is a hidden gem that more students should consider,” she says.

“We experience placements in real hospitals, which is invaluable. We use on-campus X-ray machines from our very first week and lab facilities are excellent.”

Competition is strong for places in Curtin’s oral health therapy degree as employment opportunities in the field are good. Professor Philip Newsholme, head of Biomedical Sciences, says both the laboratory medicine and oral health therapy degrees “attract students who want to move into the professions immediately upon graduation.”

Understanding human genetics can have applications outside of human health sciences, including, for instance, research into microorganisms that extract precious metals from ores. Genetics understanding is also crucial to improving the survival of endangered animals, for example, or preserving the DNA of important fisheries.

Other research underway includes investigating better vaccines as well as the best way to deliver insulin in diabetic patients and how to use the immune system to combat cancer.

11

Big data

Information explosion Armed with the skills to use and manage massive amounts of information, Curtin University students are tapping into the big data revolution that’s shaping so many cutting-edge 21st century careers.

O

NE OF THE most hyped terms of the decade, big data is a powerful resource with the potential to answer a myriad of questions in science.

Harnessing this power calls for the right analysis techniques and enough computational grunt to handle vast data sets, ranging from high resolution telescope observations of the entire sky to detailed geological models of the Earth.

“Scientific instruments are generating much more data, far faster than laptops are improving,” says Andrew Rohl, Professor of Computational Science in Curtin’s Department of Chemistry.

“The challenge is how do we analyse it? You cannot do that as an individual human with a spreadsheet.

You’re going to have to do some sophisticated analysis to make any sense of the data,” he points out.

Curtin researchers and students are already benefiting from Perth’s Pawsey Supercomputing Centre. One of the largest facilities of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, the centre’s main Cray Petascale Supercomputer will be capable of a full petaflop (a thousand trillion ‘floating-point operations per second’ – flops are a measure of the number of mathematical operations involving decimal fractions the computer can handle in one second).

Radio astronomers are using the supercomputer to handle data from the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, 800 km north of Perth.

12 Curtin University – Careers of Tomorrow

The two telescopes at the observatory are pre-cursors to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will be the largest big data project the world has seen. Data from the behemoth radio telescope will overtake the daily traffic of the Australian internet in less than 20 minutes.

The prodigious power of the computer has also opened up new possibilities for chemists, including computer simulations that predict the behaviour of drugs in the body.

Rohl explains that most drugs control the body’s proteins, switching them on or off. Finding just the right molecule to do so is a complex task.

iStock; Robert Frith © Acorn Photo

Phil Dooley and Jude Dineley

Across disciplines, Curtin students (below) are learning to harness the power of big data.

Such cutting-edge applications are already being taught to Curtin’s chemistry students. “We are starting to run courses in molecular simulation.

Our plan is to get to the point where students can use some of the machines in the Pawsey Centre,” says Rohl.

Rhys Sheil is one of the first students to have that chance.

The subject area of his PhD – the behaviour of water, hydroxide and aluminosilicates in the refining processes of bauxite – wasn’t his main motivation for taking on the project. “Using the petascale computer, that’s what really grabbed me!” he enthuses. “Supercomputing and big data are becoming more fundamental to all the sciences.”

Where will it lead him? “I’d like it to lead to network theory and computation – using machine

learning to create ideal networks, or apply network theory to biological or chemical problems. And using network theory and big data to map out all the neural connections in the brain,” says Sheil.

Improved computing power is also transforming geophysics research, says Associate Professor Andrej Bona, the head of Curtin’s Department of Exploration Geophysics. “Only a few years back it was much more efficient to make a scaled down physical model of the Earth’s subsurface and then use

13

Big data

These sorts of practical applications appeal to Curtin geophysics Honours student Matthew Kovacevic, whose project involves seismic surveys in the Great Australian Bight. “The standout moments have been the field trips where we go out and perform surveys,” he says.

“We processed the data ourselves and wrote recommendations for theoretical drill holes. It’s a really interesting way of applying old mathematical theories to try to solve the world’s energy needs.”

Fellow geophysics student Sandy Jones is also inspired by practical possibilities, but in a different direction. “There are exciting humanitarian applications – finding water and managing water resources,” he says. “There’s scope for community development in places that don’t have mining infrastructure.” He plans to look overseas for work after completing his Honours degree.

Big data careers also beckon for students in geographic information science (GIS). Bert Veenendaal, Professor in GIS at Curtin says already, several reports have identified long-term workforce shortages for the high level information management skills required in areas ranging from

Electrical and computing engineering students at Curtin have access to high-level computer technology.

infrastructure, education and all its benefits. You start eating, health, to resources and planning. living and breathing GIS!” “With the skills that Catherine Higgins, a recent Curtin is even realising these girls and guys real-world benefits in the Curtin University Bachelor of Science graduate who majored have, they are being traditionally abstract field in GIS, has exactly the sort of of mathematics. Professor used in all sorts of big data skill set that’s in demand.

Louis Caccetta, head of the exciting areas.”

She has already experienced its Department of Mathematics broad potential, working first and Statistics, works for Western Australia’s Central extensively in the mining Desert Native Title Services and industry on optimisation, which then Western Power. involves a lot of data. But it’s not “The degree does prepare you well,” necessarily the volume of data says Higgins. She chose it on the that’s the most challenging. advice of her dad. “He is an engineer “It’s the resulting mathematical and had seen GIS in his work and problem that we have to solve, once how it was growing in use,” she you start putting in all the interactions recalls. She was always interested and the conditions,” he says. “We also in maps and geography, but her GIS have some research with CSIRO, studies opened up some completely trying to analyse either satellite data unexpected opportunities. or data recorded by cameras, to do “The computing aspect, with environmental monitoring.” programming and learning about He adds that these examples are databases, and keeping up with the helpful in his teaching. technologies that are advancing so “I think that gives the right context quickly – I find that stimulating,” and people think, ‘This is relevant’ and says Higgins. “The more you get into get motivated and fired up. That’s what it, you can see what it involves and makes a difference,” he says.

Choose a degree n io s at e is gi al lo su no H Vi ch VT Te U C PE M IS H CU CU –

e nc ie

n Sc n ie io Sc at lth form ea In ed H ic pli E ph p EQ ra / A U C og ce – nd Ge ien ogy s a E Sc ol em ET st Ge y CU rS – te ng r pu ki te m or s m pu Co etw te m N ys Co E rS / te ng EH pu eri CU / om ne –

–

s– ce

g C gi ce in En ien er Sc ne E gi EX En CU al – ic try em is Ch em ogy Ch eol G d ie E pl D S Ap CU s – es in us E rib M nce M e Ag U ci C – lS ia ar E tu SW Ac CU –

14

Robert Frith © Acorn Photo

ultrasonic transducers to simulate the seismic response,” says Bona.

“But these days it is becoming easier, and better and faster, to do a full three-dimensional model of the subsurface on the computer.”

These computer models are related immediately to the real world, he says.

“We are applied researchers working on petroleum and mining industry problems, as well as environmental problems such as water resources and CO2 geosequestration,” says Bona.

Radio astronomy

Tim Young

John Goldsmith

C

URTIN UNIVERSITY reinforced its place in the nation’s astronomical history when the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy (CIRA) assembled a team of astronomers, engineers and students to build and commission the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), which was completed in 2012.

Comprising thousands of waist-high antennas across tens of square kilometres, the MWA is a telescope designed to search the sky for low-frequency radio waves. It’s the first of three precursor telescopes that will form the multinational Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

With a total collecting area of one square kilometre across Australia and southern Africa, the SKA will be the world’s largest telescope.

Observing space from Down Under has many advantages. Australian skies offer the best views of our Milky Way galaxy, much of which is barely visible from northern latitudes. The collection of charged particles through the top part of our atmosphere – the ionosphere – is also unusually ‘quiet’ over southern Australia, allowing low frequency radio waves to pass and be collected on the ground by special radio telescopes.

The MWA also takes advantage of the geography of outback WA – being so sparsely populated, the region is among the world’s most radio quiet places. Low frequency emissions from space are drowned out by mobile phones, television and radio broadcasts, and wireless internet. This interference means observations at low frequencies are usually very difficult, making the MWA a priceless scientific asset.

Professor Steven Tingay of the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy.

Choose a degree an put d er N et Sys w t – ork em CU in s Sc ET g ie E nc e – CU M PE

Eyes are on the skies as Curtin enters a new and exciting era of astronomical discovery.

Co m pu Co m E ter pu ng S te in yst r S ee em ci rin e g s C nce / Co UEH – m E

Wide skies

Professor Steven Tingay, CIRA’s Director of Science and Operations, is proud of the Curtin students taking undergraduate courses in areas such as physics and astronomy, who made the effort to travel to Murchison, about 500 km north-east of Perth. “No other students anywhere in the world have the same opportunity to be so closely connected to the most advanced technology and astrophysics in radio astronomy.”

The MWA is already probing deep into our universe, seeking light that was emitted just after the Big Bang.

After 13 billion years of cosmic inflation, this light’s wavelengths have been stretched so much it now lies in the low frequency radio spectrum. It’s this primordial light that Curtin students and astronomers are building these next generation telescopes to observe, and it’s just a matter of time before they make their next big discovery.

15

Agriculture

C

Smart farming Studying agriculture opens up huge opportunities to make a better world.

Rosslyn Beeby

LEVER CROP SCIENCE, sustainable agriculture systems, the ability to make informed farm business decisions in response to market trends – these factors will be critical in feeding not just Australia but the world as the global population continues to boom this century.

“It’s a great time to be studying agriculture,” says Dr Sarita Bennett, Curtin University’s senior agronomy lecturer. “There are so many opportunities to use your degree to make a real difference in the world.’’

In the 21st century, Australian agriculture faces challenges on a national and global scale. Weather records analysed by the Bureau of Meteorology have confirmed our climate is changing, with more frequent droughts affecting water supplies for crops and farm livestock.

CSIRO, the national research body, has estimated that crop yields for wheat, maize and rice could

WA farmland is the setting in which Curtin agriculture students gain field experience in a supportive environment – even if they have never been on an Australian farm before.

16 Curtin University – Careers of Tomorrow

IF STUDENTS ARE interested in finding solutions to global problems, including food security, food safety, water supply or climate change, studying agriculture will give them the practical science skills necessary to make a meaningful contribution to these challenges, says Bennett.

“Agriculture graduates can work anywhere in the world and, in developing countries like Africa, they can help provide real solutions to hunger and poverty through crop

research or as agricultural advisers,” she says. “They can see their work helping to build the momentum to create a better future.”

Bennett teaches crop and pasture science, and sustainable agriculture systems, to students studying for the three-year Bachelor of Agribusiness at Curtin’s main campus at Bentley, in Perth’s south. Originally from England, where she completed an Honours degree in biological sciences and geography and a PhD in plant ecological genetics, Bennett came to Australia to take up a research position in Perth.

She travelled to Turkey, Asia and Europe on plant-collecting trips for her investigations into the wild genetic resources of new pasture legumes.

“When I started my university degree, there were limited opportunities for women in agriculture,” Bennett recalls, adding that this is certainly no longer the case. She says the range of different jobs available in the field of agriculture today is huge.

BRETT JENKINSON

W

HEN BRETT JENKINSON finishes his Bachelor of Agribusiness at Curtin University and returns to his family wheat and sheep farm at York, east of Perth, he will become a fourth-generation farmer.

Brett has always wanted to be a farmer. He decided to do the degree because he thought its combination of science and business would give him a better insight into the financial complexities of farm management.

“You never stand still in farming, you’ve always got to try new things,” says Brett.

“I thought the business aspect of the degree would sharpen up my understanding of what kind of changes will make a farm sustainable, and also profitable.”

Brett is finishing the third year of his degree and considering a fourth year Honours research project on ways to reduce frost damage to wheat and other grain crops. In 2008, the West Australian Department of Agriculture estimated spring frosts caused losses of more than $105 million to WA’s wheat and barley crops.

Brett says frosts are becoming more frequent in WA and can drastically reduce the yield and value of a wheat crop.

“I’d like to be involved in research that can find ways to manage the problem and share that knowledge with other farmers in the wheatbelt,” he says.

DEGREE: Bachelor of Agribusiness

Curtin University students Christopher Hofmeester, Michelle Brent and Aleksandar Vuksis.

Sheep in WA. The state produces a significant portion of Australia’s agricultural products.

Alamy; Adrian Lambert © Acorn Photo

decrease by around 8% by 2050 if average temperatures rise by 2°C. The biggest challenge to future food security, however, is global population growth. According to the United Nations, the world’s population will increase by more than a third, or 2.3 billion people, by 2050. As a consequence, global demand for wheat and other cereals will grow by more than one billion tonnes. The big question for today’s farmers is: How can we continue to feed the world?

17

Agriculture

“Our graduates can do research in agronomy, animal production, agribusiness or crop protection and take up a career improving crop management and genetics. Or they could get a job with one of the big international chemical companies, looking at ways to control crop disease or weeds. They can work as an agricultural consultant, or use their degree to work in natural resource management, where they can blend conservation with farming.

There are so many possibilities.”

CURTIN IS THE only Western Australian university to offer a degree course in agribusiness.

It combines agricultural science with agribusiness, teaching students a range of management skills that include financial planning, marketing and business risk management.

It’s a “good robust degree” that gives students plenty of practical experience, says Bennett.

The course is structured to allow hands-on opportunities to work on regional farms as well as in research laboratories, food processing and rural banks. Students can also design and conduct their own field trials. The university has a small field trial area

and a recently built glasshouse with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment.

Dr Sue Low, a senior lecturer in animal production at Curtin, says agribusiness students gain practical experience of a broad range of farming industries through the university’s links with regional food production groups, such as the Southern Forests Food Council at Manjimup, 307 km south of Perth.

Students undertake 12 weeks of industry experience across livestock and cropping enterprises as well as in businesses servicing the agricultural sectors.

“One of the many advantages of our agribusiness degree is that when students graduate, they’ve gained a lot of experience through these field excursions, and they’re industry ready,” says Low. “They have the applied experience to make knowledgeable decisions, and they’ve also made contact with potential employers, and have had a chance to talk about the kind of work they’d like to be involved in when they graduate.”

Low teaches agricultural and animal production systems. With a Bachelor in Rural Science and a PhD that investigated cattle production

Curtin University’s Nikky Lee, Gina Staples and Sharni Wilkes in Salter Point in Perth’s south.

MADDISON McNEIL

W

HEN MADDISON McNEIL enrolled for a three-year Bachelor of Agribusiness at Curtin, she says she “didn’t have any idea” about how her skills might develop or where the degree might lead. Now finishing her third year, she is considering a postgraduate research career in livestock genetics.

McNeil is planning to do a fourth year Honours research project on sheep breeding and genetics. Although her parents are sheep and cereal farmers in WA, she hadn’t intended to specialise in livestock research.

“The degree requires a lot of practical research and, as a result, I found myself

18 Curtin University – Careers of Tomorrow

becoming more and more interested in livestock genetics – especially sheep.

“I’m only just starting to look into it as a possible career when I finish my degree, but I really want to work in a research laboratory.”

McNeil says the degree’s emphasis on applied research gave her the chance to experience different areas of agriculture, including business management.

“The practical research also helps you to build networks, because you’re out getting real experience on farms and talking to people who are working in research and industry. You learn so much.”

DEGREE: Bachelor of Agribusiness

from potentially toxic pastures, her qualifications and experience led to work nationally and internationally as a nutritionist across a range of animal industries. She worked with the New South Wales Department of Agriculture advising on survival nutrition strategies for livestock during drought, and also spent 10 years in Papua New Guinea teaching agriculture as well as working as a nutritionist for a poultry and crocodile operation.

“There is a strong demand for industry-ready agriculture graduates who have practical experience,’’ she says. “At Curtin, we’re finding many of our students are getting job offers in their final year or earlier. ” CURTIN’S AGRIBUSINESS course also has much to offer international students and has already attracted candidates from Canada, South America and Asia.

Dr Judith Lichtenzveig is a senior lecturer in genetics at Curtin, who has published research papers on crop diseases in international science journals. From northern Patagonia in Argentina, she did a PhD on crop genetics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Israel.

Lichtenzveig says Curtin’s agribusiness degree will prepare students for an international postgraduate career in research.

It offers all students, including international students and those from non-farm backgrounds, a solid grounding in applied crop and animal sciences.

“Advanced course units offer the chance for students to do their investigations, and there is an emphasis on gaining practical experience based on solid scientific knowledge and independent thinking.

We actively encourage it,’’ she says.

Lichtenzveig says students from other countries and city backgrounds

applied research will give them experience in a supportive environment.

They will also be able to discover that an agribusiness degree leads to many career opportunities that are based in cities.

“If a graduate wants to work in laboratory research, there will be good jobs in areas like diagnostic biosecurity or quarantine services,” says Lichtenzveig.

“They can work on developing disease-resistant crops or new pasture plants to increase farm production and profitability.”

By blending science and business, the degree gives graduates knowledge about agricultural industry economics, such as whether new crops or systems will increase farm productivity as well as long-term profitability.

Lichtenzveig also advises that Curtin’s infrastructure is another reason to choose the university’s agribusiness degree.

“It’s a beautiful campus, and that’s important because students will be here most days,” she says. “It has a very international atmosphere, lots of small social events, little hidden gardens and lots of places to wander and discover.

It’s a very welcoming campus.”

Choose a degree Ag ri – bus C UM ine Sc ie M ss nc E e – CU M PE

Robert Frith © Acorn Photo

“Agriculture graduates can work anywhere in the world and, in developing countries like Africa, they can help provide real solutions to hunger and poverty.”

will find they can quickly build knowledge and skills across both the science and business units. Even if first-year students haven’t visited an Australian farm before, or have no experience of farming systems, the degree’s emphasis on

19

Geology

Ancient worlds

Whether studying the oldest crystals or the strangest fossils, Curtin researchers and students use pioneering technology to uncover the secrets of Western Australia’s unique landscapes.

Ben Skuse

W

iStock

ESTERN AUSTRALIA IS home to ancient rocks that record crucial periods of the Earth’s past. This wealth of prehistoric information has attracted the attention of leading experts from various disciplines over the years.

Today, Curtin University scientists are exploring unanswered questions about the past that often have relevance to life on Earth today. Their approaches include obtaining and restoring the DNA of extinct animals and deciphering how the Earth’s geology has evolved over many millions of years.

Ancient DNA Professor Michael Bunce from Curtin University’s Department of Environment and Agriculture

studies ancient DNA — fragments of the molecular ‘blueprint of life’ — extracted from modern and ancient samples.

He uses genetic techniques to read the DNA sequences of genes and genomes to better understand how different organisms evolved, are related and when they became extinct. DNA sequencing can be used in forensics to identify individuals, or in molecular biology to study the genome itself, identifying new genes and their role in the body.

Bunce has studied DNA from a wide variety of samples including the extinct elephant bird from Madagascar, samples of traditional Chinese medicines and 40,000-year-old sediment collected from archaeological sites in southwestern Australia. He was also involved in a project that used a 100-year-old lock of hair to

Outback WA contains a wealth of prehistoric records, and Curtin University is in a prime position to study them.

20 Curtin University – Careers of Tomorrow

sequence the first ever genome of an Aboriginal Australian. He investigated the extinction of the New Zealand moa (a 250 kg megaherbivore) and developed techniques to assist in wildlife forensics.

To study degraded DNA, samples must be kept meticulously clean.

“We have a state-of-the-art clean room where we extract DNA from biological substrates like fossils and ice cores,” he says. “The facilities within the faculty are world-class — they need to be for us to stay at the forefront of our field.”

Fossil fish Delving into the past can tell us about how life on Earth evolved. Western Australia has some of the world’s most fascinating fossils, including fossil fish from the Gogo Formation in the Kimberley region in the state’s north.

These 375 million-year-old fossils are some of the best-preserved and oldest vertebrate soft tissues in the world.

Curtin University’s Associate Professor Kate Trinajstic from the Department of Chemistry made a remarkable discovery relating to these fish with a team from Museum Victoria in 2005 — the oldest known vertebrate mother.

“One of the most important findings of our team was the discovery of embryos within a placoderm [fish with armoured skin],” says Trinajstic.

“An embryo attached to the mother by an umbilical cord showed internal fertilisation and live birth occurred at the same time as the first vertebrates developed jaws.”

Her research today focuses on how jaws, teeth and soft structures evolved — these are key questions in the study of the evolution of vertebrate life. Having extracted

excellent examples of these fossils, Trinajstic is using the Australian Synchrotron — an incredibly powerful piece of equipment with a beam of light a million times brighter than the Sun — to better understand these fish.

Below, clockwise from top left: Professor Michael Bunce; Associate Professor Kate Trinajstic; Curtin's Resources and Chemistry Precinct; a fish fossil from WA's Gogo Formation.

Mass extinctions Another researcher at the Department of Chemistry, organic and isotope geochemist Professor Kliti Grice, is investigating how life suffered and recovered after mass extinction events. There have been five major extinction events in Earth’s past — the most famous being the one 65 million years ago that wiped out the dinosaurs. But there was an even more significant event much earlier, 252 million years ago.

The Permian extinction event,or ‘The Great Dying’, was the Earth’s most severe extinction event known, wiping out 96% of marine life and 70% of terrestrial life.

Grice’s research revealed that a rapid rise in the numbers of algae and green sulphur bacteria at that time drastically altered the Earth’s atmosphere — oxygen levels dropped due

“The facilities within the faculty are world-class — they need to be for us to stay at the forefront of our field.”

to the toxic concentrations of hydrogen sulfide used in photosynthesis by green sulphur bacteria. She also studies the evolution of life, the preservation of life in fossils and all of the above events with regard to their relevance to improving mineral and petroleum exploration.

Grice is a John Curtin Distinguished Professor in the John de Laeter Centre for Isotope Research and Director of the WA-Organic Isotope Geochemistry Centre program. She is also Cluster Leader of the $3 million CSIRO Minerals System Cluster, a collaborative research venture involving Curtin University, the University of Western Australia, Australia's national science organisation, the CSIRO ,and the Geological Survey of Western Australia.

21

Wiki

Geology Evolving Earth support other discoveries Earth is unique in the Solar System, in geosciences. The with a complex geological past.

Resources and Chemistry Understanding this past can reveal Precinct is a $116 million how our Solar System and planet state-of-the-art formed. Professor Simon Wilde from chemistry laboratory the Department of Applied Geology housing over 200 researches how Earth’s continental scientists, engineers crust has changed and grown through and support staff. time. This work has taken him across Both the Department the world, including Brazil, Egypt, of Chemistry — of China, Vietnam, and Thailand. But which Grice and his most notable finding came from Trinajstic are members a remote part of Western Australia, — and ChemCentre (the where he unearthed the world’s WA government’s flagship oldest crystals: the Jack Hills zircons. analytical chemistry facility) This discovery confirmed that the are based within the precinct.

Earth’s crust first formed at least 4.4 billion years ago.

New discoveries, new careers Wilde has also discovered Degrees in applied geology, rocks that host a major goldfield. chemistry, the mineral and petroleum “I discovered the Saddleback industries, environmental science, Greenstone Belt in Western Australia geophysics, molecular genetics and and provided the first samples that biotechnology, physics and science indicated the are all relevant potential for to ancient world mineralisation research. As elevated gold studies conducted values,” he at Curtin require “Geology is an exciting explains. “This a collaborative career, especially for was to become approach, those wanting to travel the Boddington opportunities Gold Mine, at abound for and who enjoy an various times students to outdoor lifestyle.” the largest participate gold producer in projects at in Australia.” the forefront Wilde and his of knowledge.

PhD student Qian Wang use advanced “Students get to attend and instruments for their research, such present at the best conferences in as powerful scanning electron the world, take part in international microscopes and two Sensitive High workshops, study abroad through Resolution Ion Micro Probes (SHRIMP) small travel grants, write grant — only about 10 such instruments are proposals, gain technical experience in operation anywhere in the world. and perform their own fieldwork “We use SHRIMP to determine within teams,” adds Grice. the accurate age of minerals such These experiences are crucial as zircons,” says Wang. stepping stones to building interesting Cutting-edge facilities at Curtin and fulfilling careers. But exactly what University and nearby institutions career opportunities are available?

Cyanobacteria are some of the earliest known forms of life and are still living today in Shark Bay, WA.

Choose a degree

–

– H SU CU

M CU

y

n io at rm fo In ed ic pli QE ph p E ra / A CU og ce y – s Ge ien og tic y Sc eol ne og G Ge ol ar hn ul c e ec ot g/ ol Bi rin gy M d GS an UH nee lur – gi tal En e al M ic ive em ct E a Ch tr CX Ex CU y/ – og ol al E Ge nt B d e G ie m CU pl ron – Ap nvi ogy E iol PE B

e nc ie Sc

ph g/ ra in er og ne XE Ge gi E En CU al – ic try em is y/ E Ch em og GE Ch eol CU G – d ics

ie s pl hy y/ Ap eop og E ol GC G Ge U d C – ie – pl ce ogy n Ap na ol Fi Ge d ie pl DE Ap US C

22

Prehistoric studies, for a start, can lead to a wide range of career options. For instance, Bunce’s techniques for reading the DNA sequences of genes and genomes are applied in fields as diverse as medicine, forensics, conservation and archaeology.

“A career in molecular biology and bioinformatics will keep your options open for when you finish at university and want to make decisions about where to apply your skills,” he says.

“The isolation and interpretation of DNA sequences is a skill set currently in huge demand — the career prospects for computer-savvy scientists have never looked brighter.”

Palaeontologist Trinajstic also sees a range of career options for graduates. “There are many jobs in applied palaeontology as fossils are used in the mining industry to date rocks. Another possible career is working as a curator in museums.”

Prospects also include jobs in global mineral and petroleum industries, government, environmental agencies or in forensic science.

Students might also choose to stay in academia.

The life of an academic can be as interesting as anything outside university, as Wilde testifies. “Geology is an exciting career, especially for those wanting to travel and who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle.”

If you have an interest in ancient worlds, Curtin University’s world-leading facilities and knowledgeable academics, as well as WA’s natural bounty, will give you an unrivalled student experience.

Mathematics

Number of opportunities

someone for a project or home. What all these problems have in common is the use of mathematics to solve them.

“MATHEMATICIANS ARE just problemsolvers,” says van Loosen. “We’re highly specialised with analytical skills and those skills are valued worldwide.”

Mathematics is a broad field, but as well as more general courses in financial mathematics and applied mathematics, Curtin offers two important specialisations: industrial optimisation and actuarial science.

Chances are you’ve never heard of optimisation, but it’s something we encounter every day in one form a submarine or flight path for an or another. Optimisation is about unmanned surveillance aircraft. working out how to do something Perhaps you’re trying to work out more effectively, says Nicola Wilson, how to deal with electricity demand who recently graduated from Curtin on the hottest days of the year when with a Master’s degree in the area everyone turns on the air(read Nicola’s profile on p25). conditioning at the same time.

Curtin University gives You could also be trying to mathematics undergraduate work out whether climate students the option of “The fact that change means we’re going to specialising in industrial you get knowledge get hit with more cyclones each optimisation after completing year. Or you could be working in their first year. Van Loosen of something real, banking and trying to determine says graduates with industrial something you can optimisation skills are in hot just how risky it is to invest use... that was money in a certain industry demand, especially in the or company, or working in mining industry. one of the best insurance and calculating parts of it.” the risk of lending money to

You’ll discover mathematics is at the heart of just about any science or engineering problem.

Bianca Nogrady

iStock

T

HERE’S A PEP TALK that Curtin University’s undergraduate coordinator of mathematics, Dr Ian van Loosen, likes to give his mathematics students.

“Most science and engineering problems can be reduced into a set of mathematical equations,” he begins. “And once you’ve got those, you can then use mathematical methods to get an answer. Once you’ve got an answer, you’ve got a solution to your real world problems.”

He then reinforces his message with a list of examples. For instance, maybe you’re trying to work out how many trucks you need in a delivery fleet, or plotting the ideal course for

23

Mathematics

ANOTHER AREA OF maths that opens up a broad range of opportunities in the real world is actuarial science, which at its heart is all about assessing risk. Curtin is one of only a few universities in Australia to offer an accredited undergraduate degree in actuarial science, the Bachelor of

“With the skills that these girls and guys have, they are being used in all sorts of exciting areas.”

Science (Actuarial Science); graduates completing that qualification have a widely versatile range of skills.

A report by the Department of Education, Training and Workplace Relations highlights strong growth of 15.9% in the finance and insurance sector. Demand for graduates in the Perth region is high.

Traditionally, actuaries were the people who worked out premiums for insurance — putting a price on the risk of insuring a person or project. But these days there is an endless range of situations that need someone with actuarial skills to model the risks associated with different scenarios and calculate a price on those risks.

Curtin University’s actuarial science degree equips graduates with a great range of skills, says the head of actuarial science, Associate Professor Kevin Bowman.

Mathematics is fundamental to the sciences and also has exciting applications in fields as diverse as finance and mining.

EMMA McCORMACK

A

CTUARIAL SCIENCE GRADUATE Emma McCormack is now working with accounting firm Ernst & Young Australia, dealing with clients from government agencies to the mining industry.

“In my degree, we were looking at assessing the exact amount of risk, the cost of risk, to an individual or organisation,” McCormack says. “Now I look more fully across a business and at how we can identify risks in processes.”

While actuarial science is often seen as a very specific degree, she adds, people who study it can go on to do many different things. “It’s a really good grounding in statistics and the importance of statistics, and you can apply that to lots of different fields,” she says.

CHOOSE A DEGREE ce en ci lS ia ar E tu SW PE Ac CU M – CU – ce e er nc m ie m Sc Co e/ nc RE ie M Sc CU –

24

There is also huge international demand for people with actuarial skills, particularly in places such as China, Singapore, South Africa and Eastern Europe.

“When you’ve got a student who has some knowledge of actuarial concepts and valuing risk, as well as knowledge of logistics, optimisation and supply chain, in addition to skills in economics, accounting and spreadsheets, they’re the complete package. You can train them to whatever business you can use them in,” says the University’s head of actuarial science, Associate Professor Kevin Bowman.

DEGREE: Bachelor of Actuarial Science

123RF

“There are big dollars flowing around in mining these days and it’s quite expensive to do things, so you want the most efficient system possible — that’s where industrial optimisation comes into its own,” says van Loosen.

Another industry that needs people with industrial optimisation skills is defence. “The students’ eyes light up when you mention that mathematics is used in defence for determining the optimal paths for submarines or unmanned aerial vehicles,” says van Loosen.

He often talks to his undergraduate students about cryptology and cryptography: the study and creation of codes for the security of large bits of information. As online shopping is now such a huge industry with a large number of payments involving online transactions, cyber security is a big business and one that requires mathematical knowledge of codes theory, he says.

NICOLA WILSON

A “With the skills that these girls and guys have, they are being used in all sorts of exciting areas other than life insurance, and certainly the resources industry is very keen.”

The environmental field is another area snapping up actuarial graduates for their skills in modelling risks and the costs of those risks.

Peter Kennelly chose a Curtin University degree in actuarial science after learning about it in Year 10 from a maths teacher.

“I like the specialisation aspect more than anything because you can do a straight mathematics degree if that’s what you’re interested in, but I think the fact that you do get knowledge of something real, something you can use… that was one of the best parts of it,” says Kennelly, who is now working as an actuarial

consultant with multinational professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia.

Kennelly is applying his actuarial skills to general insurance, but is also looking at wealth management and investment advice. Some graduates go on to train as actuaries and join the Actuaries Institute, however Kennelly says this is just one of many possible paths for actuarial science graduates.

“Even if you don’t want to be an actuary, the undergraduate actuarial science degree is still very well regarded in terms of the skills you get,” he says. “You do some accounting, some economics and mathematics, so if you do have an interest in mathematics I think it’s a very good degree to differentiate yourself from someone who does a commerce degree.”

LMOST TWO DECADES after finishing her undergraduate mathematics degree at Durham University in the United Kingdom, Nicola Wilson decided to specialise in optimisation.

She had been teaching maths at Penrhos College and at Corpus Christi College, both in Perth.

Wilson recently graduated from Curtin University with a Master of Science in Industrial Modelling and Optimisation and is now working for Woodside Energy.

“One of the things I learned was how to optimise how many trucks to have in a fleet,” she says.

“But you could optimise how you lay out chemicals in a warehouse… how you fill the warehouse and where you store things. You can optimise production levels of something and, at the moment, I’m optimising inventory because there’s a cost involved in storing materials and you want to minimise the cost.”

“A Year 12 lesson on optimising supermarket queues sparked the idea that modelling and optimising was something I would enjoy doing as a career,” she recalls. She decided she wanted to get a bit more hands-on with her skills.

“I like to make things better,” says Wilson.

“I see a problem and I want to be in a position to be able to fix it.”

DEGREE: Master of Science in Industrial Modelling and Optimisation

25

By the numbers

Going places Science courses at Curtin University can take you to new heights, as data on the careers of recent graduates of the School of Science and Western Australian School of Mines reveals.

Industry breakdown

Want to study further?

18%

52.5%

85.2%

completed a research doctorate

of all surveyed completed Honours

56.8% are working full time

3.9%

18.1%

manufacturing

other

Graduate gender breakdown

agriculture, forestry & fishing

17.7%

8.2%

education & training

public admin & safety

13.8% professional, scientific & technical services

…and in the following occupations

earning more than $60,000 a year as their graduate salary

undertook paid work during their final year

9.9%

health care & social assistance

75.8% of those are

84.3% of students

23.7% mining

4.7%

of all graduates remained at Curtin to undertake further study

Big bucks + jobs in the can

You’ll find Curtin graduates working in the following industries

37.8%

33.1%

design, engineering, science & transport professionals

other

6.4%

63.2%

36.8%

engineering, ICT & science technicians

10.7% health professionals

12% education professionals

Source: Graduate Destination Survey 2013 (survey of graduates of the Western Australian School of Mines and School of Science). Data from students’ answers at four months after graduating (in some cases the no. of respondents is <30)

Careers of Tomorrow Published by Refraction Media on behalf of Curtin University

Publisher: Karen Taylor

Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth, Western Australia 6102.

Editor: Karen McGhee

Editorial & advertising offices:

Art Director: Greg Kearns

To order free print copies, contact 61 8 9226 1190 or scienginfo@curtin.edu.au

Sub Editor: Keira Daley

93A Shepherd St, Chippendale NSW 2008, Sydney, Australia.

To view a digital edition, go to science.curtin.edu.au

Managing Editor: Heather Catchpole

Layout Sub: Carolyn Parfitt

Phone: 02 8091 5543

Writers: Rosslyn Beeby, Keira Daley, Phil Dooley, Victoria Laurie, Michelle Wheeler, Bianca Nogrady, Ben Skuse, Tim Young

Postal address: PO Box 38, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012, Sydney, Australia.

Email: info@refractionmedia.com.au

Careers of Tomorrow is a publication of Refraction Media. Copyright © 2014 Refraction Media, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner or form without written permission.

This issue went to press on 9 May 2014. Printed in Australia by Webstar.

Information in this publication is correct at the time of printing and valid for 2014 but may be subject to change. This material does not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. Curtin accepts no responsibility for and makes no representations, whether express or implied, as to the accuracy or reliability in any respect of any material in this publication. Except to the extent mandated otherwise by legislation, Curtin University does not accept responsibility for the consequences of any reliance which may be placed on this material by any person. Curtin will not be liable to you or to any other person for any loss or damage (including direct, consequential or economic loss or damage) however caused and whether by negligence or otherwise which may result directly or indirectly from the use of this publication. © Curtin University 2014. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology. CRICOS Provider Code 00301J (WA) 02637B (NSW)

26 Curtin University – Careers of Tomorrow

Biomedical Sciences at Curtin can open the door to a range of exciting careers in medical or forensic science, molecular genetics and biotechnology, agriculture and biomedical industries.

Obtain real-world practical skills and experience, and have access to industry experts within an interprofessional environment.

Visit biomed.curtin.edu.au.

Make tomorrow better.

CRICOS Provider Code 00301J CU-HSBS-0005/MF CU-SE000031 Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology.

A science degree at Curtin reveals a whole new world.

Fascinated by the world around you? Or intrigued by worlds that are light years away? Then turn your passion into a career with a science degree at Curtin. With a wide range of science courses, we will provide you with the knowledge, skills and industry-experience you need to graduate career-ready and succeed.

Visit curtin.edu.au/study-science

Make tomorrow better.

CRICOS Provider Code 00301J/ MF CUSE000026 Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology