Two steps forward, one step back: Achievements and limitations of university-community partnerships in addressing neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage

This article discusses a partnership initiative that involved a major Australian research university (University of Melbourne), a local government and a network of local community service organisations. The partnership projects aimed to promote public access to university infrastructure for poor and marginalised residents, enhance the local value of research and teaching activities, and create employment opportunities. The article draws on an evaluation of the partnership, which focused on four keynote projects. It found that the partnership appeared to achieve positive outcomes for residents but was limited by tensions associated with the university’s ambivalent commitment to the value of such partnerships. These tensions remained difficult to resolve because they signalled present contestation over the foundational values of contemporary public universities.Keywords: university-community partnerships, neoliberalism, neighbourhoods, community developmen

Noise reduction in time series data from dynamical systems.

Introduction: The objective of this thesis is to determine if the amount of noise in the observed time series data has affected the outcome of the chaotic descriptors. To thoroughly analyzed this problem I will first introduce how the data was obtained, next how to find the chaotic descriptors, and then discuss and apply noise reduction techniques

The characteristics of firms that hire chief risk officers

Abstract Enterprise risk management (ERM) is a holistic method of managing both operational and strategic risks across an organization. In recent years adoption of ERM has been increasing. We use a hazard model to examine the factors that influence the adoption of this practice. We find that larger firms that are more levered, have more volatile operating cash flows, and have greater institutional ownership are more likely to initiate an ERM program. However, firms with more growth options and firms that have experienced greater changes in market value are less likely to adopt ERM. When the value of the CEO's option and stock portfolio is increasing in stock volatility, the firm is also more likely to adopt ERM. Finally we find that banks with lower levels of Tier 1 capital are more likely to adopt ERM. Our results indicate that firms adopt ERM for reasons consistent with risk management as well as to offset CEO risk taking incentives and to bolster performance. JEL Classification Codes: G32

Tomographic interferometry of a filtered high-current vacuum arc plasma

Tomography of a plasma enables the distribution of electron density to be visualized. We report on the design of two tomographic interferometer systems used to measureplasma electron density distributions in a high-current pulsed cathodic vacuum arc. The method is shown to be capable of microsecond time resolution. The spatial resolution of the quasioptical interferometer operating at 2 mm wavelength is 20 mm and the spatial resolution of the waveguide-based interferometer operating at 8 mm wavelength is 50 mm. In both cases the resolution achieved depends on the launching and receiving geometries. We developed criteria for assessing the tomogram for artifacts arising from limited sampling. First results of the spatial and temporal history of plasma in a high-current vacuum arc guided by a curved magnetic filter are presented and indicate poloidal field fluctuations reminiscent of magnetohydrodynamic instabilities in pinches. The applicability of the tomographic interferometry method to optimize plasma transport through the filter is also demonstrated.This work was in part supported by the Australian Research Council