Staff profile

Qualifications

• BSc(Hons), DipEd, PhD NE, GradCertHigherEd La Trobe, MAIP, MAAS

Teaching areas

• Learning science
  I have an interest in how and what students are learning, and endeavor to challenge the traditional format of University teaching and to experiment with alternative formats when the opportunity arises. Projects have included

• The introduction and development of group project work in science and engineering programs
• An investigation into students understanding of free-body diagrams
• The use of WebCT to support student learning in science subjects
• Teaching that focuses on developing a conceptual understanding in first year Physics
• A pilot study in "Multimodal representations of Concepts" with colleagues from the School of Education
• Students' misconceptions in energy conservation through misconstrued modelling.

Research interests

• Nonlinear Frame Analysis – In collaboration with Professor Joe Petrolito.
  Nonlinear analysis of frames has become common over the past decade due to changes in engineering codes of practice. The changes to the codes were intended to produce requirements that would lead to more accurate analyses, but little guidance was provided as to the type and implementation of such analyses. Our work addressed the seemingly ad hoc nature in which models have been derived for nonlinear analysis, and examined the consequences of simplifying assumptions on the results of the analysis. We have produced a unified formulation that is capable of allowing any level of nonlinear effects to be treated in a rational manner and used it to compare the accuracy of results obtained through different approximate formulations and to produce benchmark solutions
  

• The application of numerical techniques to musical acoustics – In collaboration with Professor Joe Petrolito.
  In musical acoustics we also deal with complex structures, albeit on a smaller scale. The field of musical acoustics has typically used numerical techniques to analyse the vibrational frequencies and patterns in musical structures. In our work we apply numerical optimisation techniques to the design rather than the analysis of the structures. In particular, we have used a numerical method called constrained optimisation whereby the structure is constrained to respond with particular frequencies and another, perhaps less obvious function, is optimised.

  We have investigated the effects of a variety of optimising functions and compared our technique to other optimising techniques, with particular reference to the tuning of marimba or xylophone bars. We then expanded the technique to consider rectangular, circular and polygonal plates (bell plates). By varying the thickness of particular elements of the plates with set geometry, or by retaining a constant thickness and instead varying the dimensions of the polygon, we were able to design structures that would respond when struck with specified frequencies. Currently, we are investigating the use of the technique to design three-dimensional structures such as church bells.

• Pollen electron micrographs – In collaboration with Dr Sabine Wilkens
  Compilation of electron micrographs of pollens from the Box Ironbark forests of Bendigo.