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University of Queensland connection
WSU, Australian officials seek research synergies
Thursday, June 14, 2012
By Jane Payumo, Office of International Programs
Andrew Everett and Alan Lawson, UQ delegation (left) with Manuel Garcia Perez, Biological Systems Engineering and Michael Wolcott, Civil and Environmental Engineering, discussing WSU’s bioenergy initiatives.
PULLMAN, Wash. – Top ranking officials of the University of Queensland (UQ), a research-intensive Australian institution ranked in the top 100 of universities world-wide, visited Washington State University this week to strengthen ties between the two universities. Led by Professor Alan Lawson, UQ vice president for Research, the Australian officials had discussions with several WSU faculty on a range of topics including wheat genetics, tree fruit DNA marker assisted technologies, interdisciplinary studies, nanotechnology, communication, and bioenergy. A meeting held at Bryan Hall was jointly planned and coordinated by WSU’s Prema Arasu, vice provost and associate vice president, International Programs, and UQ’s Anna Ciccarelli, deputy vice-chancellor and vice president, International.
"WSU and UQ have several complementary strategic priorities in energy, animal health, food security, and education,” said Arasu. "Today’s meeting provided further opportunity for in-depth discussions about innovative research, student exchange, and funding models for building a solid and sustainable collaborative framework.’
In August 2011, a WSU faculty delegation led by Provost Bayly visited UQ and the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane to initiate discussion on research synergies. One outcome of that visit was a recently announced award on "Nanovaccines for improved animal health” from the Queensland Government Research Partnership Program, given to UQ’s Neena Mitter, working in collaboration with WSU’s Wendy Brown and Guy Palmer, Pfizer Animal Health and Queensland’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Mitter was a visiting scientist in the laboratory of Hanu Pappu, chair of WSU Plant Pathology, in 2009.
Comprehensive internationalization and global engagement are integral to the strategic goals of both institutions. Discussion is underway for a 2013 joint symposium on biofuels to potentially be held at WSU Tri-Cities.
Contact:
Jane Payumo, International Research Coordinator, Office of International Programs; 509-335-8367, jane.payumo@wsu.edu
Jane Payumo, International Research Coordinator, Office of International Programs; 509-335-8367, jane.payumo@wsu.edu
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