News in Brief 13/2/15

University of Canterbury – News in Brief

School of Music student composes piece for Abbey commemoration performance

February 13, 2015

University of Canterbury teenage music student Matthew Everingham has composed a piece to be played at Westminster Abbey in London next week to commemorate the February 2011 earthquake.

Everingham was commissioned by one of the university’s School of Music honours graduates and Westminster Abbey organ scholar, Jeremy Woodside to compose the piece for the fourth anniversary on February 22. The piece, named Fractures: In Memoriam, is about 10 minutes long and it takes listeners on a four-year journey. He is heading to London today to work with Woodside during the rehearsal period.

Everingham and his family lost their North New Brighton home in the February 2011 earthquake. The property was subsequently red-zoned and demolished. The rental property they moved to in Shirley was later red-zoned as well. Associate Professor Glenda Keam says the opportunity for Everingham to experience the performance of his new work at Westminster Abbey will be an extraordinary and rewarding experience.

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University of Canterbury concept Blu Tech tracks employees indoors

February 13, 2015

A University of Canterbury student is working with companies in Australia and New Zealand to produce an automated Bluetooth system to keep track of employees and visitor attendance.

GPS is linked to satellites but doesn’t fully work indoors. It’s a difficult problem locating people in buildings using technology. Student Tom Wilson has a concept Blu Tech which is an integrated hardware and software solution to track attendance and location in indoors. It makes up for the shortcomings of GPS location which does not work indoors by uses the latest Bluetooth technology.

He has pitched his business model idea to Canterbury businesses and industry at the annual University of Canterbury Innovators summer start up programme. Innovators manager Dr Rachel Wright says second professional year electrical engineering student Wilson has already received significant interest from industry about his concept. More information see: www.blutech.co.nz.

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University offering surplus used furniture to the public

February 13, 2015

The University of Canterbury is giving away surplus unwanted used furniture for free from 15 shipping containers on February 28.

The university is offering surplus furniture to students, staff and the community at no cost. The furniture no longer fits the university’s needs. The items include office and lounge chairs, old-style academic desks, filing cabinets, bookshelves and cupboards, organiser Katie Nimmo says.

Furniture will be available from the Clyde Road car park from 12.30pm on February 28. The furniture is being offered on a first-come-first-served basis. It must be taken immediately and cannot be held for later collection. A team of volunteers will assist with the Furniture Adoption Day.

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University of Canterbury tax professor Adrian Sawyer honoured

February 13, 2015

University of Canterbury tax professor Adrian Sawyer has been awarded the Australasian Tax Teachers Association Hill Medal, in recognition of outstanding contributions to tax teaching and policy in Australasia.

Professor Sawyer is just the second New Zealander to receive the medial since it was first awarded in 2000 and he has also been elected president of association for the next two years. Professor Sawyer is currently the research director for the School of Business and Economics and has published over 400 articles on tax issues.

He has published in a wide range of high ranking journals such as the British Tax Review and Australian Tax Forum. He is chair of the Editors of the New Zealand Journal of Taxation Law and Policy. One of his PhD students, Alireza Salehifar, won the best PhD paper at the association’s recent conference in Adelaide.

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