Victoria University - Celebrating achievement

14 May 2007

Celebrating achievement

For many students, this week marks the end of several years of study and one of the biggest achievements of their lives.

About 1,850 students will graduate with degrees, diplomas and certificates in six graduation ceremonies held between 16 and 18 May.

Two distinguished New Zealanders are also to be honoured with honorary doctorates in this round of graduation: producer John Barnett, chief executive and co-owner of South Pacific Pictures, and Kiwi-born business leader, Wade Thompson, who is unable to attend graduation and will receive his award in the United States later this year.

Sixteen PhDs will be conferred, with topics ranging from children’s interactions in the playground and classroom, to violent offending in women, to the biology of virus uptake and elimination by Pacific oysters.

The traditional street parades of graduands and staff will depart from the Government Buildings Historic Reserve on Wednesday and Thursday at noon, parading along Lambton Quay and Willis and Mercer Streets to finish in Civic Square, where they will be welcomed by Mayor Kerry Prendergast.

If the parade is cancelled, notification will be given on Newstalk ZB from 11am on the morning of the parade.

Ceremony details:

Wednesday 16 May: Michael Fowler Centre
Noon graduation parade
Ceremony 1: 1.30pm Faculties of Architecture & Design and Science
Ceremony 2: 6pm Faculty of Education

Thursday 17 May: Michael Fowler Centre
Noon graduation parade
Ceremony 3: 1.30pm Faculties of Commerce & Administration and Law
Ceremony 4: 6pm Faculty of Commerce & Administration
Honorary Doctorate: John Barnett

Friday 18 May: Michael Fowler Centre
Ceremony 5: 1.30pm Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
Ceremony 6: 6pm Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences

Graduation stories

Mother and daughter graduation
Kamolwan Sonsomsook, 57, will be graduating on Friday with her daughter Arunee Wilson, 20. Both decided to study at Victoria in 2003. Arunee is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, while Kamolwan has completed her MA in Teaching English as a Second Language.

Off to Oxford
Euan Sadden is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, First Class, in International Relations. Recently he was accepted to read for a Master of Science degree at Oxford University, and is starting in October.
Finally graduating
Matt Nippert completed his Bachelor of Commerce & Administration with Honours, First Class, in Public Policy in 2001 – and is having it conferred on Friday. Exactly one year ago, on 17 May, Matt was also due to attend the ceremony to receive his MS in journalism from Columbia University in New York, but on the morning of the ceremony was admitted to hospital, where he remained for a month. He was diagnosed with Goodpasture’s Syndrome – causing permanent kidney damage – and says finally graduating this week “is an effort to not let things drag on – and also make up for missed ceremonies.”

Deafness no barrier
Jared Flitcroft graduates on Friday with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies. He’s profoundly deaf, but with the help of teachers, interpreters, Victoria’s Disability Support Services and many more, this has proved no barrier to his learning. His mother Gladys focused on using visual aids to help him learn and would talk, sing and sign to him as a child in the hope he would read the expressions on her face. “We’re proud of his achievement and hope he’ll be a role model to other deaf students who have the willingness to learn.” Contact Gladys on 04 478 9416, 027 249 1428 or email afex@ihug.co.nz

Third generation law graduate
Amy Shearer is becoming the third generation in her family to graduate from Victoria with a law degree. On Thursday she is graduating with an LLB, as did her father, Geoffrey Shearer, and grandfather, Hamish Shearer. Both still practice in the Inglewood branch of Govett Quilliam, New Plymouth, and both will attend her graduation. Contact Amy on 04 976 4435 or 027 231 3603.

PhD Thesis topics (a selection from 16 graduands)

Violent offending in women
Sharlene Murdoch analysed data collected from women imprisoned for violent offences. She used this to provide a description of the process underlying women’s violence and how this unfolds over time. Among others, she identified the main risk factors to be dysfunctional family of origin, early traumatic experiences, the inability to regulate emotion and behaviour, and how violence is learned and incorporated into their sense of self. Sharlene’s study has implications for understanding the specific clinical and rehabilitation needs of this offender group. Contact Sharlene on 04 494 9560 or 027 663 9759.

Pacific oysters
Gastroenteritis outbreaks have been associated with the consumption of oysters contaminated with viruses in New Zealand. Catherine Seamer researched the biology of virus uptake and elimination by Pacific oysters. Different patterns of uptake and elimination of distinct viruses were observed and may result from differences in the interactions of viruses with oyster cells. This highlights problems with using surrogate pathogens to estimate the risk associated with faecal contamination of shellfish. Given the traditional and economic importance of kaimoana to New Zealanders, this additional knowledge provides positive direction for future research and the refinement of risk management strategies. Contact Catherine on 04 894 2648 or 029 894 2648.

Identity conflict
En-Yi (Judy) Lin’s thesis explores the identity conflict experienced by Chinese young adults, placing emphasis on the construction of a predictive model. The three theoretical perspectives considered were developmental, intergroup, and cross-cultural. Her results suggest intergroup variables—social interactions and relationships with the host society—played the most significant role in predicting a person’s level of identity conflict. En-Yi also examined the relationship between identity conflict and other domains of acculturation. Her results reveal that cross-cultural adaptation consists of affective, behavioural and cognitive domains that are conceptually related, but empirically distinct from one another. Contact En-Yi on 09 440 9119 or 021 604 4767.

Researching plant species
Flavonoids are important chemicals that vary among and within plant species. Kevin Mitchell’s PhD research surveyed leaf flavonoids of New Zealand’s largest plant genus, Hebe. He used his comprehensive database of 700 plant samples and 115 flavonoids to address questions about species limits, relationships, and classification. The data supported the recognition of several new species, for instance the newly-named Hebe cryptomorpha, and have been published in nine scientific papers. Kevin’s research contributed to a collaborative programme involving the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Victoria University, and Industrial Research Ltd, culminating in a recent book on Hebe published by Te Papa Press.

Music and organisations
Ralph Bathurst examined the relationship between the arts of composing, performing and listening to music, with ways of understanding how organisations function. Using the language of music to analyse the Auckland Philharmonia during a time of governance change, he explored the idea that organisations themselves are works of art and can be understood by applying the same processes used to listen to music. This new way of examining organisations enables researchers to listen to the many different themes that comprise an organisation’s music.

Child’s play
Carly Butler’s research involved recording children’s interactions in the school classroom and playground. Her thesis examined a game called ‘fairy club’ that was played by a group of six- and seven-year-olds during lunchtimes. The analysis is based on detailed examination of the children’s talk, and considers the resources and practices that were used to produce and organise the club. Carly’s thesis offers a rare glimpse into children’s everyday lives and the real-time management of play and friendships. The study demonstrates children’s competencies in producing their social worlds, and in using language and interaction for organising social activity. Contact Carly on carlywbutler@gmail.com

ENDS

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