Friday, August 12, 2016

Ara - research week 2016 - Students' 'pitch a project'.

Students ‘pitch’ their projects with 3 minute sessions over yesterday and today.

Kirill Kudinov from Electrical Engineering on ‘converting a grid tie inverter into a hybrid tie inverter’. For solar inverters to design device to improve efficiency and lower costs. Solar inverters convert electricity as used in a variety of devices. Summarised the project’s rationale and method to find the solution – firstly using simulations.

Gabriella Elea from applied sciences on ‘correlation between parent nutritional knowledge and their adult child’s dietary behaviour’. Hypothesis that parent knowledge not effective and support should be to children for them to learn the right approaches and to change behaviour to attain better diet.

Nilay Chauhan and Nineb Haddad from Engineering on ‘mobility platform development’. 
Background of the need to adapt domestic mobility scooter to farm environment conditions for a client. Aim to improve overall functionality to provide better lifestyle outcomes for client.

Charles Brookes from Engineering with ‘development of F1 sidecar chassis’. Goal to reduce cost of chassis as currently very expensive. Also to ensure to incorporate racing technologies. Has prepared simulation to find out where chassis is stressed and to add into new design.

Shannon-Aimee Bradley from Performing Arts on ‘Hamilton the musical: rewriting history’. A qualitative study to examine the translation of a historical event into a musical. How is the musical developed and themes relevant to the NZ socio-political context.

Keeneth Love presents from NASDA on ‘sustainable musical theatre in Canterbury’. As most musicals are run by ‘amateurs’ who are not paid. Investigated funding to set up a musical theatre through a cooperative organisation whereby actors will be paid, ensuring talent is nurtured within Chch. rather than moving overseas.

Dearna Doglione also from NASDA on ‘showing our girls they can be great: female representation in commissioned works in Christchurch theatre’. Looked at 3 works to work out female participation (not only actors but producers, directors, playwrights etc.) rates and find out support for women in the industry. Proposed a support network to help mentor new entrants and provide mutual support.

Alex Taylor from Engineering with Olympic paddle design – an epic wing paddle. Needed to increase speed, decrease fatigue and win medals. Using wind tunnel to simulate various designs and analysed numerical data. Still need to test in water.

Eloise Goodison from Outdoor Education and Sustainability with ‘phenomenogical study of women experiences with surfing’ in relation to healthy lifestyles and involvement in physical activity, The challenges and potentials. Literature tends to be on male surfers and barriers. So this study is to find out from women, their experiences and recommendations.

Savanna Ornsby from health promotions programme on ‘St. Georges workplace well-being programme’. Aimed to identify what types of well-being programmes staff would be interested in attending if offered at their workplace. Covered rationale and method for study to assist workplaces to design cost effective, customised programmes for workplaces.

Mario Evason and Chelsea Sheehan-Gaiger  from NASDA on ‘NZ film /theatre and its potential in youth crime prevention’. Media is powerful instrument in establishing models for social change. Argued for ensuring context of NZ film etc. are accessible to youth and have a moral objective to assist with social change.

Julianne Gordon from Applied Science presented on her work on the antimicrobial properties of Manuka Honey. Covered the ways Manuka honey contribute to fighting pathogens and her project is to investigate efficacy various types of honeys on wound healing.
Always interesting to see how students perceive the world through the newly attained lenses of their discipline’s paradigms. Good variety of presentations exampling the range of topics students find are of interest. Good learning when projects are student initiated.









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