Events

Upcoming events at Western Sydney University are listed below.

• Suggest a new event

• Feb 8
  School of Psychology Colloquium 1

  Presented by Genevieve L. Quek The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development

  academic events; Conferences and seminars; Online Events
  All Welcome
  Presented by Genevieve L. Quek The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development

  Title:

  One face, many functions: Critical information thresholds for generic and familiar face recognition at the same encounter

  Presentation summary:

  Faces hold exceptional status in the human brain, conveying a great deal of meaningful social information that is recognised nearly effortlessly by neurotypical adults. Yet the ease with which we perceive faces belies the multifaceted nature of this brain function, which in fact comprises a heterogeneous set of processes that culminate in distinct categorisations of a face’s category, sex, emotion, familiarity, identity, and more.

  Remarkably, these various high-level recognition functions appear to be evoked automatically at every face encounter, such that to see a face is to almost instantaneously ‘recognise’ it in a multitude of ways. Characterising how different dimensions of face processing relate to each other is a core challenge for modern face perception research – one that requires a shift away from overt categorisations of faces, which necessarily apply to just a single dimension at a time (e.g.,“is it a male or female face?” vs. “Is it a famous face?”).

  In this talk, I consider the question of how the brain extracts information along different face dimensions at the same encounter, presenting a series of experiments that quantify generic and individual face recognition signals using frequency-tagged electrophysiological responses. Results suggest that at a given face encounter, the information requirements of generic face recognition (i.e., recognising a face as a face) are lower than those of familiar face recognition. These findings provide direct empirical evidence for the frequent claim that category ‘precedes’ identity in the face perception hierarchy.

  Bio:

  Dr Quek graduated in 2015 with a combined PhD / Master of Clinical Neuropsychology from Macquarie University. She has extensive experience in continuous behavioural methods, and trained extensively in leading European cognitive neuroscience labs to build deep expertise in advanced electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). She joined MARCS as a Research Fellow in 2021.

  Register via Eventbrite to receive the zoom link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sop-colloquium-with-genevieve-l-quek-marcs-zoom-event-tickets-513631263937

  Wed, 08 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +1100
• Feb 9
  Intersect Online Training: Excel for Researchers

  We'll use Microsoft Excel to import, sort, filter, copy, protect, transform, summarise, merge, and visualise research data

  Training and skill upgrade
  We'll use Microsoft Excel to import, sort, filter, copy, protect, transform, summarise, merge, and visualise research data

  Important:

  This course takes place over 2 days. The dates and times are as follows:

  • Day 1: Thursday, February 9 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM AEDT
  • Day 2: Friday, February 10 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM AEDT

  Data rarely comes in the form you require. Often it is messy. Sometimes it is incomplete. And sometimes there’s too much of it. Frequently, it has errors. We’ll use one of the most widespread data wrangling tools, Microsoft Excel, to import, sort, filter, copy, protect, transform, summarise, merge, and visualise research data.

  While aimed at novice Excel users, most attendees will walk away with new tricks to work more efficiently with their research data.

  You'll learn:

  • ‘Clean up’ messy research data
  • Organise, format and name your data
  • Interpret your data (SORTING, FILTERING, CONDITIONAL FORMATTING)
  • Perform calculations on your data using functions (MAX, MIN, AVERAGE)
  • Extract significant findings from your data (PIVOT TABLE, VLOOKUP)
  • Manipulate your data (convert data format, work with DATES and TIMES)
  • Create graphs and charts to visualise your data (CHARTS)
  • Handy tips to speed up your work

  Prerequisites:

  In order to participate, attendees must have a licensed copy of Microsoft Excel installed on their computer. Speak to your local university IT or Research Office for assistance in obtaining a license and installing the software.

  Thu, 09 Feb 2023 09:30:00 +1100
• Feb 14
  Intersect Online Training: Surveying with Qualtrics

  This course will introduce the technical components of Qualtrics from building a survey to analysing the results.

  Training and skill upgrade; Online Events
  This course will introduce the technical components of Qualtrics from building a survey to analysing the results.

  Note:

  In order to participate in this course, you must be able to access a Qualtrics instance. Please confirm that you can sign in to your university's Qualtrics instance before registering for this course. For Western Sydney University researchers, please follow this guide to create a Qualtrics account. When signing up for a new account, please just enter your University email address and ignore the Access Code. We strongly suggest you log in and confirm that in the project page (default page after login), your "Create new project" button is clickable, not greyed out.

  Why do this course?

  Needing to collect data from people in a structured and intuitive way? Have you thought about using Qualtrics?

  Qualtrics in a powerful cloud-based survey tool, ideal for social scientists from all disciplines. This course will introduce the technical components of the whole research workflow from building a survey to analysing the results using Qualtrics. We will discover the numerous design elements available in order to get the most useful results and make life as easy as can be for your respondents.

  You'll learn:

  • Format a sample survey using the Qualtrics online platform
  • Configure the survey using a range of design features to improve user experience
  • Decide which distribution channel is right for your needs
  • Understand the available data analysis and export options in Qualtrics
  Tue, 14 Feb 2023 09:30:00 +1100
• Feb 14
  Free academic writing and referencing workshops

  Create success at Uni by developing your academic writing and referencing skills.

  academic events; Training and skill upgrade; Online Events
  students
  Create success at Uni by developing your academic writing and referencing skills.

  During 14 February - 3 March 2023, attend either an on-campus or online workshop to brush up on your academic writing and referencing skills.
  
  For more information and to register for a workshop, visit the web page below.

  Tue, 14 Feb 2023 09:30:00 +1100
• Feb 14
  Thought Leadership Events: From Hot Suburbs to Cool Towns - Dr Sebastian Pfautsch

  Mark your calendar to attend these thought-provoking talks by leaders in sustainability research from Western. Events are free and open to the public.

  academic events; Conferences and seminars; Online Events
  All welcome
  Mark your calendar to attend these thought-provoking talks by leaders in sustainability research from Western. Events are free and open to the public.

  Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, where nearly 90% of the population lives in towns and metropolitan areas. The trend in Australia and elsewhere in the world is towards larger and denser cities. Both processes, expansion of cities at their fringe zones and densifying within, make cities hotter. This is counterproductive in a time where our summers become hotter. We must do the opposite – develop urban spaces so they keep cool.

  Dr Sebastian Pfautsch is an Associate Professor at the Urban Transformations Research Centre of Western Sydney University where he develops strategies to keep cities cool. He is an advocate for change who regularly features in the media. His work has changed government policies and practices and he has won state and national awards for his projects.

  In this talk, he explains why it is necessary to pivot urban design and development from business-as-usual to cool. He uses practical examples to demonstrate the wide range of possibilities available today to create heat-smart towns and cities for tomorrow – from simple changes around residential homes to turning public parks into large air conditioners.

  Find out about his work on car parks, playgrounds and schools right now. Hardcopies of Sebastian’s reports will be available at the event venue.

  Register via the web page below.

  Tue, 14 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +1100
• Feb 17
  Seminar: Diversity and Creative Social Change

  Seminar: Diversity and Creative Social Change, School of Social Sciences

  Conferences and seminars; Information sessions
  All Welcome
  Seminar: Diversity and Creative Social Change, School of Social Sciences

  You are invited to our Seminar: Diversity and Creative Social Change, School of Social Sciences (Flyer attached).

  • Date: Friday, 17^th February 2023
  • Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm
  • Location: Building EB, Level 3, Room EB.3.33A (CLS), Parramatta South Campus
  • Title: Pragati: co-constructing pathways towards sustainable development

  Abstract: Located in the reserved forest zone adjacent to Thansa water reservoir, there are several padas (hamlets) where people live without basic facilities and poor access to resources. Despite their location adjacent to a reservoir, there is water scarcity and women walk miles to fetch water. With increasing droughts, and the inability to cope with the livestock and farm-based income, seasonal migration became a reality where most of the men and adolescents migrated to adjacent peri-urban areas. Continuing to work on health as an isolated concern became a huge challenge for the project Pragati. With the realization, that enhanced income/assets and access to resources, community mobilizing and organizing are key aspects for health promotion, the project co-constructed pathways to intervene on development and social disparity issues. The talk will highlight on the re-strategizing efforts, impact and the insights to feed back to community based models working on health.

  Biographical Statement: Dr. Asha Banu Soletti is currently Professor at the Centre for Health and Mental Health, School of Social Work (SSW), Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. She is also the Dean, Student's Affairs, TISS. She was the Chairperson of the Centre for Health and Mental Health (CHMH), SSW, from 2012 to 2018. She teaches Master's level courses in Public Health and Mental Health. Her research projects and field engagements focus on understanding, evolving and strengthening interventions addressing the social determinants of health, with special focus on marginalised communities. Her field engagement includes co-constructing community-led interventions for emerging public health concerns in both urban and rural contexts. Presently, she leads Pragati: Integrated Rural Health and Development Project, a Field Action Project, which is located in a tribal belt and caters to the health needs of the Warli and Katkari tribes. She has published on specific issues concerning older adults that explores inequities in later life, elder abuse and ageism.

  Please register through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/526081332427

  Fri, 17 Feb 2023 13:00:00 +1100
• Feb 22
  2023 Queer Displacements Conference

  Conference on protection and settlement challenges of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex & queer (LGBTIQ+) forcibly displaced people

  academic events; Conferences and seminars; Exhibitions and performances
  Staff, students, researchers, advocates, service providers, community members, public
  Conference on protection and settlement challenges of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex & queer (LGBTIQ+) forcibly displaced people

  The Queer Displacements is the first and only conference in the Asia Pacific designed to comprehensibly foreground protection and settlement challenges of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) forcibly displaced people.

  The 2023 Queer Displacements will foreground the leadership of LGBTIQ+ forcibly displaced people and best and emerging practices of supports of these communities, all with a common goal of achieving belonging and ending displacement.

  Our confirmed keynote speakers include:

  • Artemis Akbary, founder of Afghan LGBT
  • Olena Shevchenko, founder of Insight, Ukrainian LGBTIQ+ organisation
  • Marianna Polevikova, managing director of For Equal Rights, Ukrainian LGBTIQ+ organisation that evacuated LGBTIQ+ community from occupied Kherson
  • Danny Ramadan, Syrian-Canadian author, public speaker and advocate for LGBTQ+ refugees
  • Ryan Figueiredo, executive director Equal Asia Foundation
  • Prof. Churnjeet Mahn, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
  • Bamby Salcedo, The TransLatin@ Coalition, USA

  All further updates including a program can be found at https://fdpn.org.au/queer-displacements/

  Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +1100
• Feb 22
  Intersect Online Training: Data Capture and Surveys with REDCap

  This course will introduce you to REDCap, a rapidly evolving web tool developed by researchers for researchers.

  Training and skill upgrade
  This course will introduce you to REDCap, a rapidly evolving web tool developed by researchers for researchers.

  Note:

  In order to participate in this course, you must be able to access a REDCap instance. Please confirm that you can sign in to your university's REDCap instance before registering for this course. For WSU researchers, please follow this guide to create a REDCap account.

  Why do this course?

  Would you like to enable secure and reliable data collection forms and manage online surveys? Would your study benefit from web-based data entry? Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) might be for you.

  This course will introduce you to REDCap, a rapidly evolving web tool developed by researchers for researchers. REDCap features a high level of security, and a high degree of customisability for your forms and advanced user access control. It also features free, unlimited survey distribution functionality and a sophisticated export module with support for all standard statistical programs.

  You'll learn:

  • Get started with REDCap
  • Create and set up projects
  • Design forms and surveys using the online designer
  • Learn how to use branching logic, piping, and calculations
  • Enter data via forms and distribute surveys
  • Create, view and export data reports
  • Add collaborators and set their privileges
  Wed, 22 Feb 2023 09:30:00 +1100
• Feb 24
  Intersect Online Training: Introduction to Research Data Management at Western Sydney

  This workshop is ideal for researchers who want to know how to create a research data management plan.

  Training and skill upgrade
  This workshop is ideal for researchers who want to know how to create a research data management plan.

  As a Western Sydney University researcher or HDR Candidate, is important to understand your responsibilities around the management of your research data.

  The University's Research Data Management Policy requires all researchers and HDR candidates to develop a Research Data Management Plan (RDMP) prior to starting research at the University.

  A RDMP will help you think proactively about your project and the data that will be produced, including how it will be collected, organised, managed, stored, preserved, shared and possibly published during and after your research project.

  In this workshop you will learn more about the process of creating a comprehensive RDMP, including:

  • How to access and submit an RDMP on ResearchDirect
  • How to manage your research data according to legal, statutory, ethical, funding body and university requirements.
  • Research data storage options at WSU
  • The importance of update and review of your RDMP
  • The benefits of publication and re-usability of research data
  • How to access support with research data management planning

  Co-presented by: Library, Intersect

  Fri, 24 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +1100
• Feb 28
  Thought Leadership Events: Life after school for young people with intellectual disabilities - Dr Lise Mogensen

  Mark your calendar to attend these thought-provoking talks by leaders in sustainability research from Western. Events are free and open to the public.

  academic events; Conferences and seminars; Online Events
  All welcome. Events are free and open to the public.
  Mark your calendar to attend these thought-provoking talks by leaders in sustainability research from Western. Events are free and open to the public.

  Dr Lise Mogensen is an Associate Professor at School of Medicine Western Sydney University, with demonstrated teaching excellence in project based learning. Lise’s areas of expertise include Research Design and Supervision, Lecturing, Medical Education, Medical Sociology, Childhood and Disability Studies. Dr Mogensen holds a PhD in Social Justice and Social Change from Western Sydney University.

  Life after school for young people with intellectual disability: “I want to be more than a disability person’’

  This session is presented by Associate Professor Lise Mogensen, School of Medicine, Professor Gabrielle Drake, School of Social Sciences, Dr Jenny McDonald, School of Medicine and Dr Nicole Sharp, School of Health Sciences, and Director of Believe and Become Occupational Therapy.

  The researchers present findings from a recent study exploring the transition from school to adult life as experienced by young people with intellectual disability in Queensland, NSW, and Victoria. The project also explored whether the change from a social welfare model of disability support to a consumer-focused market-based system, funded by the NDIS, better enable consumer ‘choice and control’ as intended. Findings from interviews with parents, educators, health, and disability services providers will also be presented, questions and discussion will be invited from the audience.

  Register via the web page below.

  Tue, 28 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +1100
• Mar 8
  Thought Leadership Events: Women in Science Panel, Celebrating Female Scientists

  Mark your calendar to attend these thought-provoking talks by leaders in sustainability research from Western. Events are free and open to the public.

  academic events; Conferences and seminars; Online Events
  All welcome
  Mark your calendar to attend these thought-provoking talks by leaders in sustainability research from Western. Events are free and open to the public.

  Join us as we host a panel of scientists from fields such as biology, human anatomy, forensic anthropology, ecology and environmental science. Learn how they got into science, their current research, what challenges they have faced as females in the scientific community and celebrate the rise of women in the industry.

  Proudly bought to you by Western Sydney University Library, Science @ The Local and Penrith City Library.

  Register via the web page below.

  Wed, 08 Mar 2023 18:30:00 +1100
• Mar 14
  Thought Leadership Events: What did Australia learn about Country after the 2020-21 catastrophic bushfires? - Dr Jessica Weir

  Mark your calendar to attend these thought-provoking talks by leaders in sustainability research from Western. Events are free and open to the public.

  academic events; Conferences and seminars; Online Events
  All welcome
  Mark your calendar to attend these thought-provoking talks by leaders in sustainability research from Western. Events are free and open to the public.

  Dr Jessica Weir discusses what Australia learnt about Country in response to the catastrophic bushfires of 2021-22 and invite discussion from the audience.

  What did Australia learn about Country after the 2020-21 catastrophic bushfires?

  Australia’s 2020-21 catastrophic bushfires were shocking – the long stretch of burnt out eastern-seaboard localities, the capital cities blanketed in smoke, and particles from this continent circling the globe. There was national and international interest in Indigenous peoples’ burning practices as ‘the answer’. But are they? And, hey, what is the question? This presentation brings together decades of learning from Indigenous leaders about Country and comparing that with the priorities of Australian governments to reveal what is before us and what might be done next.

  Register via the web page below.

  Tue, 14 Mar 2023 12:00:00 +1100
• Mar 17
  Intersect Online Training: Introduction to Research Data Management at Western Sydney

  This workshop is ideal for researchers who want to know how to create a research data management plan.

  Training and skill upgrade
  This workshop is ideal for researchers who want to know how to create a research data management plan.

  As a Western Sydney University researcher or HDR Candidate, is important to understand your responsibilities around the management of your research data.

  The University’s Research Data Management Policy requires all researchers and HDR candidates to develop a Research Data Management Plan (RDMP) prior to starting research at the University.

  A RDMP will help you think proactively about your project and the data that will be produced, including how it will be collected, organised, managed, stored, preserved, shared and possibly published during and after your research project.

  In this workshop you will learn more about the process of creating a comprehensive RDMP, including:

  • How to access and submit an RDMP on ResearchDirect
  • How to manage your research data according to legal, statutory, ethical, funding body and university requirements.
  • Research data storage options at WSU
  • The importance of update and review of your RDMP
  • The benefits of publication and re-usability of research data
  • How to access support with research data management planning

  Co-presented by: Library, Intersect

  Fri, 17 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +1100