Issue No.49, March 1995 (ISSN 0158 9040)

Edited by Tim Sherratt on behalf of AAHPSSS.

School of Science and Technology Studies,
University of New South Wales

The School has had a rather hectic and disruptive time over the summer vacation. There has been a reorganization of the Faculty, with all the language schools being combined into one unit. As a result it was determined that all the language units (now departments) should be located on one floor of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences building. So everyone played general post for several weeks. It provided an opportunity to turf out some things that should have been turfed long ago, but a great deal of (academic) work time was lost.

The School of STS has been relocated to the lower ground floor of the Morven Brown Building, and this is said by some to represent a decline in status; though others claim that in South America being on a ground floor is a mark of importance as one doesn't have to climb stairs. In fact, the new premises are not unsatisfactory from some points of view. There is more actual space for us and we have a much larger seminar room. Also, massive refurbishments are going on in our part of the University, and in some respects we now seem to be closer to the scenes of action-an enlarged and glorified Esme's cafeteria for example. But points of view can differ. Some fortunates now look out onto a pleasant courtyard and garden; others have a vision of a carpark and (for the moment) workmen's sheds. Also, being on the ground floor, we are all now barred. Students of grid-group theory - who may think of us as a high-group, low-grid bunch - doubtless regard this as an appropriate case of 'monster barring'.

With regard to staff movements, etc., there are several matters to report. Gavan McDonell remains in Europe for another year. His place here continues to be filled by Paul Brown, who is currently active in promoting Environmental Studies, with work being done towards establishing a postgraduate program in ES for next year.

The University is, after much agonizing, disestablishing the Centre for Liberal and General Education, and from 1996 general education throughout the University will be taught and administered through the various faculties. So far as our Faculty is concerned, this change involves considerable additional administrative work, and Randall Albury has been appointed Associate Dean to oversee this. Because of this additional workload, he has relinquished his position as collaborating editor of Social Studies of Science, while remaining on the journal's editorial board.

In 1994, David Oldroyd was awarded the Sue Tyler Friedman Medal of the Geological Society, London, for his contributions to the study of the history of geology; was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities; and was promoted to full professor. Since then, he has been active in moving books and furniture, with a few moments given to finishing his book, Thinking About the Earth.

Susan Hardy is Visiting Fellow in the School this year, and is doing a considerable amount of teaching. So too is Rosemary Robins, who did honours with us some years ago and has been teaching at Melbourne University. We welcome her back. She is a member of the Federal Government's advisory body on the regulation of genetic engineering. Bronwyn Holland is a half-time associate lecturer.

The School is terminating its MScSoc program, the last intake having been made last year. Likewise, the Faculty of Engineering is winding down the MCogSc program, with which the School has been closely associated for a long time. However, the study of cognitive science and environmental studies may be expected to continue next year under the aegis of a revised Faculty MA program. Meanwhile, David Miller is continuing with the administration of the MScSoc in its last year of operation.

Early this year, Peter Slezak organized the visit by Noam Chomsky to the University of New South Wales, and to other venues. The visit, which was co-sponsored by the East Timor Relief Organization, excited great public interest, and it was impossible to accommodate all people who wished to attend. Several overflow halls proved insufficient to meet the demand.

Tony Corones has been doing stalwart work keeping the finances of AAHPSSS in order, and he is teaching yet another subject that he has not taught before this year. He will, it seems to this writer, soon have taught just about every HPS subject offered by the School. Nessy Allen, Guy Freeland, and George Bindon are on study leave in Session I 1995.

We are pleased to report that the numbers in the School's honours program are very healthy this year, with fifteen enrolled students, a record to date. From last year's cohort, Lee Borkman and Jo Wodak obtained first-class honours and Commonwealth scholarships. They also shared the Ronayne Prize. Lee is doing a combined PhD in Philosophy and STS, and Jo is starting her PhD at Sydney University. (Parenthetically, the Association should thank Jo for the large amount of work she has put into the promotion and production of Metascience) We are pleased to report that Kirsten Birkett completed her PhD successfully last year.

- David R. Oldroyd, S&TS, UNSW