About MegRive

I'm the communication manager for CSIRO's Wealth from Oceans Flagship and ASC secretary.

Seeking a science writer – Australian Institute of Marine Science

Posted on behalf of Steve Clarke, Australian Institute of Marine Science. Please direct enquires to Steve (contact details below).

Science Writer Commencing salary up to $83K (dependent upon skills and experience)

FANTASTIC LOCATION, EXCITING OPPORTUNITY

The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is a world-leading research agency committed to the protection and sustainable development of Australia’s tropical marine resources. Its research programs support the management of tropical marine environments around the world, with a primary focus on the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia and the pristine marine environments of northwest Australia.

The Institute is seeking the services of a professional to provide expert scientific and corporate writing, editing, media liaison and consultative services in support of its science communication activities.

To be successful in this role, our preferred candidate will have:

* A minimum of five (5) years experience in professional science writing, preferably with a degree or higher level qualification in a relevant discipline. * Demonstrated ability to provide, under limited direction as a member of a small team, high quality, timely and professional science and/or corporate writing and editing. * Experience producing written material for specific audiences including scientists, collaborators, government and industry stakeholders, and the public. * Experience in writing for media and in media liaison.

A sound understanding of the concepts and terminology common in marine science will be an advantage.

The position will be full-time (9 days per fortnight) for a fixed term of 3 years initially. The starting salary will be in the range of $66,496 – $83,397 (as determined by qualifications and experience) plus up to 15.4% superannuation and other employment benefits. Incremental advancement will be based on annual performance review. The position will be located at the Institute’s Cape Ferguson headquarters near Townsville in North Queensland.

Enquiries: Steve Clarke, Science Communication Manager, s.clarke@aims.gov.au or phone (07) 4753 4264.

ASC AGM 2009 minutes

Hi, all

Please find below draft minutes from the ASC national AGM held on 16 December 2009 in Sydney. Please notify me of any errors or omissions.

Cheers

Meg

Meg Rive | Secretary | Australian Science Communicators | P +61 3 9545 8301 (Mon-Tue) | P +61 3 9239 4433 (Wed-Fri) | F +61 3 9239 4444 | M +61 438 007 301 | www.asc.asn.au | Private Bag 1, Aspendale VIC 3195 Australia

pdf iconASC-FY2009-Accounts-Income&Expenditure.pdf pdf iconASC-FY2008-Accounts-Income&Expenditure.pdf

Melbourne Writers Festival – Richard Dawkins

Thanks to Sally Tetreault-Campbell for this one.

Richard Dawkins is speaking at the Melbourne Writers Festival 2010 (details below). Tickets will go on sale to the general public from Monday 18 January (be quick though – his interstate events have already sold out). Book through the MWF website (www.mwf.com.au)

Cheers

Meg

ASC’s new President

Hi, all

The ASC national AGM on 16 December yielded a new President to guide us through 2010: Jesse Shore. I will forward the AGM minutes soon, but in the meantime, please find below Jesse’s acceptance speech from the night.

A huge thank you to Tim Thwaites for his leadership, contributions and sacrifices during his two-year Presidency. Tim will continue to orchestrate the ASC National Conference (don’t forget – early-bird registrations close on 15 January – sign up now at www.asc.asn.au) and will segue into the position of ASC Past President.

Which brings me to another enormous debt of gratitude – this one owed to Jenni Metcalfe, who will be stepping down as ASC Past President. Her two-year PP term followed two years as ASC President and we are grateful for her continued commitment, energy and ideas (and don’t forget to register for Hot Air at the ASC conference – the last instalment in the successful trilogy, invented and brought to us largely by Jenni).

Cheers

Meg

ASC AGM 2009 – calling all RSVPs and proxies

A reminder that the national AGM will be held tomorrow evening in Sydney – details below. If you are a financial member but unable to attend, please send your RSVP or proxy to me (or someone else attending the meeting) by 5pm tomorrow (AEDST) on meg.rive@csiro.au. We won’t be able to process proxies received by me after this time.

Please note an addition to the agenda. Under Item 5: Treasurer’s Report, we will also be appointing ASC’s public officer, as we have done in previous AGMs.

Cheers

Meg

Meg Rive | Communication Manager | CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship | P +61 3 9545 8301 (Mon-Tue) | P +61 3 9239 4433 (Wed-Fri) | F +61 3 9239 4444 | M +61 438 007 301 | www.csiro.au/wfo | Private Bag 1, Aspendale VIC 3195 Australia

Knowing our oceans, securing our future

________________________________ From: Rive, Meg (WFO F/Ship, Aspendale) Sent: Wednesday, 9 December 2009 5:31 PM To: ‘asc-list@lists.asc.asn.au’ Subject: National: ASC AGM 2009 – agenda, presidential nominees and call for proxies

Hi, all

Please find below the agenda for next Wednesday’s national ASC Annual General Meeting (I will circulate minutes from the 2008 AGM in a subsequent email, for your reference). This year’s event will take place at 6pm at the Clarendon Hotel, 156 Devonshire St, Surry Hills. Be there to vote, discuss, munch nibbles and sip a free drink. Further details, and details of the trivia extravaganza immediately following the AGM, are at the bottom of this email. Please RSVP for either or both events to me (meg.rive@csiro.au).

If you are unable to make it to the Clarendon Hotel yourself, please send your proxy to me (meg.rive@csiro.au) or someone else who will be attending the meeting, before 5pm (AEDST) on Wednesday 16 December.

To date there has been one nomination for the role of ASC President in 2010: Jesse Shore. Jesse Shore has over 26 years of experience as a science communicator. Currently he works through his business, Prismatic Sciences, to develop science-based programs for various audiences and media. From 1984 through 2008 he worked at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney where he was an exhibition project leader during the building of the museum and then Senior Curator of sciences for 21 years. While at the museum he created, directed and promoted a wide range of science exhibitions and events and in 2006 was one of the founders of the Ultimo Science Festival, a major National Science Week activity. Jesse was involved with National Science Week events and organising committees from 1997 through 2008 and chaired the 2001 NSWk NSW Coordinating Committee. He has been an active member of the Australian Science Communicators for many years and headed the program committee for the national conference held at the Powerhouse in 2001. Jesse is currently treasurer and National Council representative of the ASC NSW branch.

Nominations for President can still be lodged (with me) up until 5pm (AEDST) on Wednesday 16 December.

Cheers

Meg

It’s AGM Time

ASC’s national Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 16 December at 6pm, at the Clarendon Hotel, 156 Devonshire St, Surry Hills in New South Wales.

Please take this opportunity to have your say in your ASC, and to help shape the activities and direction of our organisation and catch up with other members.

If you are unable to make it to the Clarendon Hotel yourself, please send your proxy to me (meg.rive@csiro.au) or someone else who will be attending the meeting, before 5pm (AEDST) on Wednesday 16 December.

To date there has been one nomination for the role of ASC President in 2010: Jesse Shore. Jesse Shore has over 26 years of experience as a science communicator. Currently he works through his business, Prismatic Sciences, to develop science-based programs for various audiences and media. From 1984 through 2008 he worked at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney where he was an exhibition project leader during the building of the museum and then Senior Curator of sciences for 21 years. While at the museum he created, directed and promoted a wide range of science exhibitions and events and in 2006 was one of the founders of the Ultimo Science Festival, a major National Science Week activity. Jesse was involved with National Science Week events and organising committees from 1997 through 2008 and chaired the 2001 NSWk NSW Coordinating Committee. He has been an active member of the Australian Science Communicators for many years and headed the program committee for the national conference held at the Powerhouse in 2001. Jesse is currently treasurer and National Council representative of the ASC NSW branch.

If you wish to add an item for discussion at the AGM (including a notice of motion) or to nominate yourself or someone else for the role of ASC President, please email me (meg.rive@csiro.au) up until 5pm (AEDST) on Wednesday 16 December.. Please include your ASC member number (if you know it). Note that notices of motion require a proposer and a seconder, and nominations for President need to be agreed by the nominee.

The AGM will be followed by The Science Trivia Night . This hotly contested, controversial fun event will be compered by quiz master David Ellyard. Prizes – there will be many, Challenges – even more, Laughter – abundant, Beer – on tap, Wine – from bottles!

When: 7.30 pm for Science Trivia event, 16 December 2009 Where: Clarendon Hotel, 156 Devonshire St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Tel: (02) 9699 6001 Who: ASC members for AGM which starts at 6.00pm; everyone invited to Science Trivia event from 7.30pm How much: ASC members free, non-members $5 for Science Trivia event Why: reflection, insight, and to find out who is the science trivia maven of 2009. Tasty nibbles provided and ASC will shout members attending the AGM a drink (hurrah!).. RSVP: Meg Rive, meg.rive@csiro.au, 0438 007 301

photo: myJon / Jon Scheiber

ASC AGM 2008 minutes (for reference)

Hi, all

As foreshadowed in my earlier email, please find below minutes from last year’s AGM, for your reference.

Cheers

Meg

ASC AGM 2009 – agenda, presidential nominees and call for proxies

Hi, all

Please find below the agenda for next Wednesday’s national ASC Annual General Meeting (I will circulate minutes from the 2008 AGM in a subsequent email, for your reference). This year’s event will take place at 6pm at the Clarendon Hotel, 156 Devonshire St, Surry Hills. Be there to vote, discuss, munch nibbles and sip a free drink. Further details, and details of the trivia extravaganza immediately following the AGM, are at the bottom of this email. Please RSVP for either or both events to me (meg.rive@csiro.au).

If you are unable to make it to the Clarendon Hotel yourself, please send your proxy to me (meg.rive@csiro.au) or someone else who will be attending the meeting, before 5pm (AEDST) on Wednesday 16 December.

To date there has been one nomination for the role of ASC President in 2010: Jesse Shore. Jesse Shore has over 26 years of experience as a science communicator. Currently he works through his business, Prismatic Sciences, to develop science-based programs for various audiences and media. From 1984 through 2008 he worked at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney where he was an exhibition project leader during the building of the museum and then Senior Curator of sciences for 21 years. While at the museum he created, directed and promoted a wide range of science exhibitions and events and in 2006 was one of the founders of the Ultimo Science Festival, a major National Science Week activity. Jesse was involved with National Science Week events and organising committees from 1997 through 2008 and chaired the 2001 NSWk NSW Coordinating Committee. He has been an active member of the Australian Science Communicators for many years and headed the program committee for the national conference held at the Powerhouse in 2001. Jesse is currently treasurer and National Council representative of the ASC NSW branch.

Nominations for President can still be lodged (with me) up until 5pm (AEDST) on Wednesday 16 December.

Cheers

Meg

ASC AGM (national) – call for nominations and agenda items

Hi, all

As previously advised, ASC’s national Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 16 December at 6pm, at the Clarendon Hotel, 156 Devonshire St, Surry Hills in New South Wales.

Please take this opportunity to have your say in your ASC, and to help shape the activities and direction of our organisation and catch up with other members.

If you wish to add an item for discussion at the AGM (including a notice of motion) or to nominate yourself or someone else for the role of ASC President, please email me (meg.rive@csiro.au) by COB Thursday 10 December. Please include your ASC member number (if you know it). Note that notices of motion require a proposer and a seconder, and nominations for President need to be agreed by the nominee.

I will circulate the agenda to the ASC-list and call for proxies a week before the AGM.

The AGM will be followed by a rollicking Science Trivia event (details below).

Cheers

Meg

Meg Rive | Communication Manager | CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship | P +61 3 9545 8301 (Mon-Tue) | P +61 3 9239 4433 (Wed-Fri) | F +61 3 9239 4444 | M +61 438 007 301 | www.csiro.au/wfo | Private Bag 1, Aspendale VIC 3195 Australia

Knowing our oceans, securing our future

________________________________ From: asc-list-bounces@lists.asc.asn.au [mailto:asc-list-bounces@lists.asc.asn.au] On Behalf Of Prismatic Sciences Sent: Thursday, 12 November 2009 9:37 PM To: asc-list@lists.asc.asn.au Subject: [ASC-list] ASC AGM (national) and Science Trivia Night

ASC AGM (national) and Science Trivia Night – or a ‘deep and meaningful discussion followed by laughs and prizes’ 6.00 pm, 16 December 2009 Clarendon Hotel, 156 Devonshire St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ASC members free, non-members $5 for Science Trivia event

This year economic gloom and then glimmer has strangled the media of most other matters. It is up to us to grasp back the garrotte and grapple with where the truly wild things are – in the thickets and imagination of science communication.

We commence our quest in Sydney by inviting you to attend the national ASC AGM. In this tightly run and quick moving meeting all will be revealed about the past year’s activities at the national level and we divine the portents for the year to come. Of course the AGM itself is a portent – of elections (details to be announced soon).

The national AGM is a very important event in the ASC year. You get a chance to hear and talk about how the year has gone across the country, receive reports from the president and the treasurer, elect the new president and put forward your ideas about what we should be doing in the year ahead …the “big picture” stuff. NSW is the biggest ASC branch, and so it is the right place for all this to be happening. You will also hear about plans for our forthcoming national conference. Be there.

RSVP: Meg Rive, meg.rive@csiro.au, 0438 007 301

But wait there is more!

The Science Trivia Night will follow closely on the breeze of the fast moving AGM. This hotly contested, controversial fun event will be compered by quiz master David Ellyard. Prizes – there will be many, Challenges – even more, Laughter – abundant, Beer – on tap, Wine – from bottles!

When: 7.30 pm for Science Trivia event, 16 December 2009 Where: Clarendon Hotel, 156 Devonshire St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Tel: (02) 9699 6001 Who: ASC members for AGM which starts at 6.00pm; everyone invited to Science Trivia event from 7.30pm How much: ASC members free, non-members $5 for Science Trivia event Why: reflection, insight, and to find out who is the science trivia maven of 2009. Also tasty nibbles provided. RSVP: Meg Rive, meg.rive@csiro.au, 0438 007 301

Cheers, Jesse

Jesse Shore, PhD Prismatic Sciences Science communicator P: (02) 9810 2328 M: 0415 841 276 E: jesse@prismaticsciences.com W: www.prismaticsciences.com

_______________________________________________ ASC-list mailing list list@asc.asn.au http://www.asc.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=115

communicating in an emotionally charged environment

Tonight (17 November 2009), 6.45 for 7pm

Bushfire Science: communicating in an emotionally charged environment It is the nature of science to be objective and factual, to provide advice and information dispassionately, and report without personal bias or emotion. But how is science communicated at an emotionally charged time when people are looking for explanations from a subjective and passionate viewpoint? Using the Black Saturday bushfires as a case study, three panellists will discuss the role of scientists, science communicators and the media in communicating science in an emotionally charged environment, and provide an insight into how those caught up in the bushfires viewed the media attention.

The panel will comprise:

– Kevin Hennessy (CSIRO climate scientist who commented widely in the media during the February bushfires, and appeared before the Bushfire Royal Commission) – Steve Varga (Wandong resident who lost his property in the bushfires, narrowly escaping with his life, appeared on SBS Insight and an ABC documentary at www.abc.net.au/innovation/blacksaturday/people/steve) – John Ferguson (Herald Sun journalist)

Where: Clare Castle Hotel, 421 Rathdowne St, Carlton (new ASC venue) When: 6.45 for 7pm, Tuesday 17 November 2009 RSVP: to meg.rive@csiro.au

Free for members, $10 for non-members, $5 for non-member students Meals and drinks at bar prices

Meg Rive | Communication Manager | CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship | P +61 3 9545 8301 (Mon-Tue) | P +61 3 9239 4433 (Wed-Fri) | F +61 3 9239 4444 | M +61 438 007 301 | www.csiro.au/wfo | Private Bag 1, Aspendale VIC 3195 Australia

Knowing our oceans, securing our future

_______________________________________________ ASC-list mailing list list@asc.asn.au http://www.asc.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=115