University of Canterbury

Asthma may have even more negative impact on young children’s learning to read than research linking the two to date has previously suggested delegates at the NZ Respiratory Conference were told last month.

Associate Professor Kathleen Liberty from the University of Canterbury told the 120-strong audience of health professionals that new analysis of data collected for the Children’s Learning Study (CLS) – conducted in Christchurch between 2005 and 2008 involving 298 children from several primary schools – suggested a strong positive relationship between increasing asthma severity in the first year of school and being six or more months behind their peers in the first year of school.

The University of Canterbury has increased its scholarship funding for 2012 and beyond by more than a third. This includes increased scholarships that support Maori and Pasifika students at UC and Emerging Leaders.

A University of Canterbury academic has received international recognition from the world’s largest organisation for psychologists.

Associate Professor William Helton has been awarded the Earl Alluisi Award for Early Career Achievement by the American Psychological Association (APA) in recognition of his work in the field of human factors psychology.

AUT University has been responding to enquiries from Christchurch students who need to consider their options following the Canterbury earthquake.

“Some students have been completely displaced due to loss of accommodation, family moves and other impacts of the disaster,” said Vice Chancellor, Derek McCormack.   

Three high school students from Canterbury and Nelson have had the door to a world of scientific opportunity opened to them during a summer internship at the University of Canterbury.

Sarah Quinney (Garin College, Nelson), Sheetal Chand (Hillmorton High School) and Gina Kioa (Christchurch Girls High School) were among eight secondary school students nationwide awarded 2010/2011 MacDiarmid Discovery Awards.

Megan Ashford, Daniel Garry and Rory McCourt were awarded Mike Pero Mortgages Foundation Scholarships. The three Kiwi achievers are studying for final secondary school knowing they will head to university next year.

Meghan Ashford has this year combined study with duties as Head Girl of Massey High School, and preparation for the world aerobic championships. In fact, she was at the worlds in Holland when she was woken by a phone call to tell her she had won the scholarship.

Six New Zealand students with dreams of pursuing careers in environmental research have been given the chance to do this with the help of a BayerBoost scholarship grant.

The secondary school and tertiary students from Christchurch, Lincoln, Auckland, Whakatane and Wellington have each been granted financial assistance to undertake projects in their area of interest, under the guidance of a nominated host organisation.

Fulbright New Zealand and the Cognition Institute have selected two researchers from different education sector branches for exchanges to the United States of America in 2011.

Ngaire Addis from Havelock North High School and Dr Veronica O’Toole from the University of Canterbury are the two recipients of Fulbright – Cognition Scholar Awards in Education Research for 2011, and will each spend several months in the US conducting research aimed at improving aspects of the schooling system in NZ.

Thirteen universities in Australia and NZ have selected Century of Social Sciences(TM), a superior and unique set of archival data (backfiles) covering ground breaking research in the social sciences back to 1900, from Thomson Reuters for their education and research needs.

The NZi3 National ICT Innovation Institute has opened at the University of Canterbury.