Proceeds from the sale of the wine – labelled "Andy" and made of grapes sourced from some of his favourite Central Otago vineyards – will go towards a Lincoln University viticulture and oenology scholarship to help foster talented, enthusiastic winemakers.

The official launch of the wine took place during two evenings in Cambridge and Queenstown in November, with Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards and representatives from Lincoln's Alumni and Development Team attending the latter event.

Andy, who sadly passed away from cancer in 2019 at the age of 50, was one of the first graduates of Lincoln's Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology in 1998. He went on to gain many accolades in the winemaking field, working for wineries in several different countries around the world.

As head winemaker at Waikato's Takapoto Estate vineyard, Andy was the first New Zealander to win the International Wine and Spirit Competition Pinot Noir Trophy and the first person in the world to win it twice (in 2017 and 2018).

For this reason, Andy's friends said via The Wine for Andy website that creating a tribute for their mate had been no easy task, given his illustrious background.

However, they came up with a wine that they hope "he would proudly hold on the international podium and call his own", describing the limited-edition pinot noir as "a fitting tribute to the life, legacy and talent of beloved Central Otago winemaker Andy Anderson".

"The fruit was handpicked from selected blocks in Gibbston Valley, the coolest of the Central Otago subregions," the website explained. "Andy's old stomping grounds proffered grapes, with Matapari, Brennan and Takapoto Vineyards contributing the fruit."

Timbo Deaker, who graduated with Andy in 1998, told Business Desk recently that the wine had been "made for love".

"It's a loving tribute to a legendary winemaker and everything from the grapes to the winemaking, bottling and packaging has been done for free," he said.

The pinot noir has received extraordinary reviews so far, with Kiwi masters of wine, Cameron Douglas and Bob Campbell, rating it 95 and 94 points respectively.

And "true to his infectious enthusiasm and generous spirit", the annual Andy Anderson Memorial Scholarship in Viticulture and Oenology will enable a third-year Lincoln student to experience a Central Otago vintage each year for a decade. Application details will be available soon.

The Andy Pinot Noir 2020 is available for purchase via the Wine for Andy website, which also includes more information about the life and achievements of Andy Anderson.



Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards (far left) at the Queenstown Andy Pinot Noir 2020 launch with Alex Coldicutt, Michael Anderson, Timbo Deaker, Mark Rose and Jason Thomson (the group who developed the wine).

The event on Thursday 1 December at Kaiser Brew Garden, was a culmination of the work that Ben has undertaken to perfect his craft as part of Lincoln's new Graduate Diploma in Brewing and Fermentation.

The beer, called the Hazy Professor, will be available on tap at Kaiser until it runs out, but with only 250 litres brewed, it may not last for long.



This is Ben's fourth creation since he began his studies, having sold three separate trial beers at Lincoln's café and bar, Mrs O's, over the past several months. His first was also called the Hazy Professor, named after Ben's academic father.

The diploma is the first of its kind in the country and was introduced at the beginning of 2022 to equip students with valuable skills that lead them through the entire brewing or fermentation process, from science and technology practices to production and supply chain management.

They gain hands-on experience at Lincoln's on-campus micro-brewery and receive an industry placement to develop their expertise further.

For Ben, that placement was at Kaiser Brothers Brewery in Hornby, and the operation's central city brew garden was the logical place to launch the commercially viable product he was tasked with producing for the diploma at the end of semester 2.

Kaiser Brothers GM Sales & Operations, Chris Mulholland, said students of Lincoln's diploma would be highly sought-after by the industry, due to the experience they gain during their studies.

We look for students who have gone through the prerequisite of brewing and fermentation and through Lincoln University, that endorses it for us and we'd snap them up in a heartbeat.

At Ben's launch event on 1 December, he outlined how he developed the Hazy Professor, as well as discussed the diploma and his future ambitions.

 

The awards, announced last week, recognise achievement across multiple fields within learning, development, and talent management across the corporate, education and public-service sectors worldwide.

The platinum award for Best Learning and Talent Development, Hybrid Learning, was given jointly to Lincoln and Otago Universities for an online collaboration, a lab on Plant Flammability Zoomed live to a 3rd year Plant Ecology class at the latter institution.

It is shared between Lincoln's Associate Professor Tim Curran, who presented the lesson via his plant barbeque with assistance from Dr Azhar Alam, the Lincoln University Education Media Unit of Mitch Adair and Charlotte Crone, the Lincoln Connected Online Team and Otago University's Professor Kath Dickinson, as well as its Econferencing team.

The Lincoln Connected Team claimed the second platinum award for Best Learning Model Online "for the theoretical framework, design elements and creation of Online courses".

The LearnX Award is an online annual event that acknowledges innovative workforce learning and showcases projects and solutions that deliver best practices and business value.

Lincoln Connected was established in 2019 to provide a technology-enabled learning ecosystem that promotes excellence and success in online education and learning. The team works with academics to develop online programmes, as well as offering online student support and pastoral care programmes.

Through Lincoln Connected, the university offers a range of online options helping people to study and nurture their potential in a way that fits into their lives. Students can learn in their own time, at home or in a location of their choosing, either full-time or part-time.

Find out more here.

Image: Platinum award winners Associate Professor Tim Curran (Lincoln University) and Dr Azhar Alam teaching the University of Otago class from the Lincoln campus.

Professor Travis Glare co-authored a paper in Science Direct which looked at how, unusually, only a single fungal black mould strain caused a fatal mass aspergillosis outbreak, allowing it to be traced back to its source. Senior technician Jenny Brookes processed the samples for the study.

In 2019, during a highly successful nesting season, the outbreak affected 21 individuals and led to the deaths of nine, leaving a population of only 211 kākāpō.

Aspergillosis is a respiratory disease caused by the inhalation of spores from fungi. The lung physiology of birds makes them susceptible, and aspergillosis can affect otherwise healthy individuals when spore loads are high.

The study identified the possibility the strain was brought to the birds' five offshore sanctuary islands by humans through supplemental feeding.

However, it also suggested the outbreak may have been a 'black swan' event, in which multiple variables combined to cause the disease.

"These may include a more virulent strain of A. fumigatus in the island environment, and a warm, dry summer favouring fungal spore production in soil and leaf litter, as well as causing dusty conditions that increase airborne spore densities," the paper stated.

Using whole-genome sequencing data to identify the strain and understand the epidemic allowed the researchers to suggest procedures to detect and mitigate such events in the future.

"For example, detection of potentially pathogenic Aspergillus isolates could trigger measures such as enhanced hygiene controls, limits on the movement of eggs, chicks and equipment among nests and islands, and widespread screening for Aspergillosis."

The paper also sounded a warning for the future.

"The warm dry summer conditions which may have contributed to this outbreak will become more common with global warming, making genetic surveillance for disease-causing strains a crucial tool for managing the conservation of threatened species."

View a Newshub item on the report here.

Lincoln University offers a soil testing service to determine the risk of aspergilliosis from environmental Aspergillus, aimed at kiwi breeding facilities.

PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Birmingham

Launched in 2019 with a graduating cohort of 151 students, Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children's University has this year presented 830 certificates of achievement to its graduating cohort.

The stunning result represents an increase in graduate numbers of more than 450% in just four years, an especially pleasing outcome given the considerable pandemic-related disruptions experienced in 2020 and 2021.

The 2022 Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children's University graduates, aged between seven and 14, received their certificates in front of crowds of whānau and friends at a series of graduation ceremonies held over four nights (21, 22, 28 and 29 November) at the James Hay Theatre, Christchurch Town Hall.

The tamariki were presented with their graduation certificates by Emeritus Professor James McWha, Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Student Life Damian Lodge from Lincoln University, and Professor Letitia Fickel and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Professor Catherine Moran from University of Canterbury.

A total of 1126 tamariki participated in Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children's University in 2022 from 34 schools and rūnanga across Christchurch, Selwyn, Hurunui and Waimakariri Council areas.

Unique in Aotearoa, Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children's University is delivered by a partnership between University of Canterbury and Lincoln University, and is part of an internationally renowned outreach programme which aims to foster lifelong learning among young people and raise their aspirations for higher education.



The tamariki join the programme through their school or rūnanga, and on joining they receive a Passport to Learning.

The tamariki fill their passports with hours of learning outside the classroom by visiting learning destinations, taking part in university campus experiences and engaging in online activities. This year the participating tamariki could visit over 100 learning destinations in Canterbury, including libraries, museums, galleries and wildlife parks.

390 Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children's University scholars visited the Lincoln University campus on 30 June and 1 July 2022 to engage in a range of experiences designed to broaden their interests, demystify the university environment and spark an interest in a tertiary education.

The Lincoln campus activities included tamariki making unique shapes from food with the 3D food printers, understanding the different flammability of plants through a plant BBQ activity and a range of other activities looking at insects, soil, sport science and more.

Similarly, 470 tamariki visited the University of Canterbury campus on 28 and 29 June 2022.

Lincoln University Pro-Chancellor, Emeritus Professor James McWha, has been Patron of Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children's University since its inception, and was first introduced to the Children's University programme in his role as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Adelaide.

Professor McWha was instrumental in establishing Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children's University in Aotearoa, and he believes "its greatest impact has been creating opportunities for all young people to experience new learning for life opportunities and to think about what they might do with the rest of their lives".

For media enquiries email media@lincoln.ac.nz or phone 03 325 3827

Farmstrong New Zealand shares farmer-to-farmer tips that are supported and informed by wellbeing science to help people cope better with the unique challenges of farming.

Lincoln University Agribusiness Lecturer Dan Smith said the ups and downs of rural life meant it was important for farmers to develop habits that helped them to cope effectively.

"Farmstrong engage with our Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) students five times during their degree and meet with our Diploma in Farm Management students as well. It's a great way of starting early to promote the importance of wellbeing before they even enter the industry."

As well as delivering lectures and presentations, the organisation meets with Lincoln staff and distributes the Farmstrong book, Live Well, Farm Well, around campus.

During presentations to students, Farmstrong Content Advisory Hugh Norriss introduces resources based on wellbeing science and farmers share their personal stories, relating how they apply the science on farm.

Information provided includes how to stay in the right headspace with healthy thinking, dealing with stress and burnout, sleeping and eating well, taking time out, and getting help.

By working with Lincoln, Mr Norriss said Farmstrong aimed to "help promote the importance of psychological wellbeing as a fundamental aspect of good farming and agricultural industry practice".

"We also want to help embed practical applications of positive mental health practice into the industry learning culture and curriculums, as well as work with Lincoln academics to potentially publish papers into the effectiveness of the Farmstrong approach."

The organisation began engaging with Lincoln after the university identified psychological wellbeing as an important issue for students in today's complex and high-pressure environments.

"Building mental and physical wellbeing strategies for farming personnel into farm business planning is now recognised as an important driver of business success," Mr Norriss said. "Farmstrong provides resources on how this can be done effectively and relatively easily.

"We have practical tools relevant to anyone in agriculture that can be adopted by students. Our supporters and contributors provide many examples of role models in the agricultural sector that students can relate to."

A case in point is Lincoln alumnus and All Black, Sam Whitelock, a Farmstrong ambassador who has helped the organisation to create wellness resources. Sam holds a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Plant Science, and has conducted research into the flammability of species commonly planted in shelterbelts on New Zealand farms. Within his Farmstrong role, he specifically champions the importance of socialising to build resilience.



PHOTO: Lincoln University Agribusiness Lecturer Dan Smith pictured discussing Farmstrong and Lincoln initiatives with Lincoln Alumni and Farmstrong Ambassador Sam Whitelock. 

The 'Grow' game was officially launched earlier today at the Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub.

Developed as part of a joint initiative between Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University, Rabobank and the Agribusiness in Schools Programme, the game was created to support learning by year 11 students studying the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Agribusiness.

It touches on all the major topics included within the agribusiness curriculum and provides students with a fun way to acquire and reinforce the course content.

Copies of the board game are now being mass produced and several sets will be sent to the more than 100 schools participating in the Agribusiness in Schools programme in time for the start of the 2023 school year.

Rabobank New Zealand CEO Todd Charteris said the idea for the new game came about following discussions between Lincoln University and Rabobank's Upper South Island Client Council – a group of the bank's clients from the upper half of the South Island who meet regularly to discuss the challenges facing the agri sector. 

"Our Client Councils have identified long-term industry capacity as one of the key challenges facing the agricultural sector and, over recent years, our Upper South Island Council has worked closely alongside Lincoln University to develop initiatives to highlight to school students the range of career opportunities within the sector," he said.

"One of the topics that has regularly come up in conversations between our Council and Lincoln University is the need for more resources to support learning about food production at the secondary school level and, as a result, it was decided the two parties would collaborate to develop a new board game which would help shine a light on the wide array of knowledge and skills required to run a successful farming operation."

Mr Charteris said both parties felt it was essential to align the content of the game with the NCEA curriculum, so they reached out to Kerry Allen and Melanie Simmons from the Agribusiness in Schools Programme to help with the design process.

"After more than 18 months of development, the game is now ready to go and I'm confident it will prove a hit with students and really help increase understanding of food production as well as encouraging more young people to consider a career in the primary industries," he said.

"Initially the game will only be made available to schools who are part of the Agribusiness in Schools programme but, if there is enough interest, there is also scope to make the game available to all secondary schools across New Zealand."

Lincoln University Student Engagement Manager Jaime Shone said the game focuses on the financial, social, and environmental aspects of food production and also incorporates elements of Mātauranga Māori.

"Up to six players can participate in the game, with all players initially allocated a piece of land and sum of money before choosing if they wish to operate a dairy, sheep and beef, horticulture, viticulture or arable farming operation," she said.

"Gameplay consists of players moving around a board and accumulating money which then gives them an opportunity to purchase the required assets to operate their farm. Players must first successfully answer a question to collect an asset, and the first player to collect all the assets required for their farm wins the game."

Ms Shone said game questions relate to a massive array of topics including but not limited to biosecurity, soil composition, waterways, key agri terms, biodiversity, biological processes, animal behaviours, weather patterns and agricultural production by region.

"In addition to covering all key aspects of the agribusiness programme, game questions also have significant cross-over with the content of the NCEA geography and science curriculums," she said.

"And we expect the game will also get plenty of use from students studying these topics."

For media enquiries, email media@lincoln.ac.nz 

The small Lincoln team has been ranked second for Sport Science for the last two years, ahead of New Zealand universities that boast much bigger rosters. In the same period, it also broke into the top 300 in the world rankings.

The team is led by the Director of the Sport and Exercise Science Laboratory Professor Mike Hamlin, a world expert on altitude/hypoxic training.

His research is used to set altitude training guidelines for elite athletes, including the British and Irish Lions rugby team, and he provides consultation for Olympic athletes such as those in the New Zealand and Netherlands triathlon teams.

Part of the Department of Tourism, Sport and Society, his team are also leading rugby concussion research  to ensure player safety, and even putting players through yoga courses to see if it helps their game.

Sport Science at Lincoln topped the Industry Income points in the rankings nationally, which reflects knowledge transfer through innovations, inventions and consultancy, such as through the Sport and Exercise Science Laboratory in the Whare Hākinakina LU Gym, which tests elite and non-elite athletes alike, helping them all lift their outputs.

The Sports Science team is also closely connected to the university's Sports Scholarship programme, which is growing All Blacks, Black Ferns, Tall Ferns, Black Sticks, martial arts stars, and elite athletes performing around the world.

Image: Professor Mike Hamlin puts a visitor to the lab through testing.

Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki | Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards and the University of Canterbury (UC) Tumu Whakarae | Vice Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to continue a long-standing partnership in freshwater science and management.

The agreement builds on the 2009 Joint Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management (WCFM) Agreement. A teaching and research partnership, previously based at both UC and Lincoln campuses, will now be located in a new combined Waterways Centre at UC's Ilam campus.

Developed on the back of successful postgraduate programmes in Water Resource Management, the Waterways Centre will now offer two new programmes designed to address the changing demands for graduates in the water sector. The Master of Water Science and Management and MSc in Water Science and Management will be accepting new enrolments from 2023.

Professor De la Rey says the new programmes will create a new generation of graduates equipped to address the evolving challenges that climate change will increasingly place on our water resources.

"By providing relevant and impactful research and education in an environment where students can make a difference we hope to improve water management practices and outcomes."

With water being a significant issue both in New Zealand and globally, the partnership aims to provide postgraduate programmes specifically relating to freshwater, while aligning the shared strategic goals of both universities.

Professor Edwards says the MoU will build on the strongly interdisciplinary focus of the universities' existing programmes while extending scientific and technical training.

 "We can also help provide the bicultural competence and confidence necessary to manage water in Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad.

 "This will help create opportunities for students to learn and contribute to resolving global sustainability challenges," he says.

WCFM Director Professor James Brasington says the Centre is central to the freshwater sector, providing independent research, tertiary education and professional development in water science and management.

"It is increasingly clear that we face a future characterised by periods with too little, then too much water, and water that is, far too often, too dirty to use safely or to support healthy ecosystems.

"Learning how to assess these risks, adapt and find new solutions that ensure sustainable and equitable access to water for both people and ecosystems couldn't be a more urgent challenge.  Our new programmes will provide graduates with the professional skills and theoretical understanding needed to drive the transformative change sweeping through the freshwater sector." 

The Waterways Postgraduate Student Conference is an opportunity for postgraduate students to showcase their freshwater-related research.

The 2022 conference was held Tuesday 8 November, 2022 in Ti Kōuka, Haere-Roa, at the University of Canterbury. 

The Ann Scanlan Scholarship pays tribute to a passionate high-country farmer who serves as a fantastic role model for young women working in the farming industry.

Ann first honed her stock and dog skills as a young shepherd at Tautane in the North Island, and from that point on, she pushed the boundaries in farm management, sheep handling and wool production.

Following her shepherding stint, she was recruited by John and Heather Perriam – of Bendigo Station – to manage Otamatapaio Station, which they purchased in partnership with the Botto family from Italy and the Lempriere family from Australia.

The Botto family were initially sceptical about appointing a woman to manage their investment, but Ann soon proved them wrong with her dedication to the property.

The three families eventually purchased Rugged Ridges in the Waitaki Valley and Glenrock Station in the MacKenzie, with Ann moving into the General Manager's role and overseeing the three properties.

Francesco Botto, a member of the Italian family who was involved in purchasing the properties, said he and his relatives would always be grateful for the job she had done.

"Ann has been an important person to the evolution of our farming in New Zealand. She took on a big challenge working with a wide range of people and she won because of her passion for wool and sheep."

A particularly noteworthy occurrence in Ann's career took place during the 2004 autumn muster at Bendigo Station, when she found a wool-blind merino wether who had evaded being shorn for six years and had a huge 27kg fleece. Named Shrek, he became the most famous sheep in New Zealand, attracting international media attention.

In record time, Ann developed one of the best merino flocks in New Zealand and won the Otago Merino Wools Association Clip of the Year title. She was also chairwoman of the Otago Merino Association, a long-standing committee member and a recipient of the Heather Perriam Memorial Trophy for services to the merino industry.

Ann passed away in 2014 after a determined fight against cancer.

Gendie Woods of Alexanders, Accountant to the Ann Scanlan Trust, said Ann had always wanted to encourage more women into the wool industry.

"It was certainly something she was very passionate about and we often talked about why more women weren't in the wool industry."

The Ann Scanlan Scholarship will be offered annually to a full-time female student entering their second or subsequent year of study towards a Lincoln University bachelor or postgraduate degree, with a focus on wool.

As part of their ECOL103 Ecology I: New Zealand Ecology and Conservation course, the group spent time weeding and planting to enhance biodiversity in the Arboretum, which includes a wetland area.

The Arboretum has been a feature of campus since 1986 and is made up of half a hectare of exotic and native flora and fauna, including the largest collection of magnolias in the South Island. Historically, it was an amenity area for teaching horticulture, and was a project started by long-time former staff member, horticulture lecturer, Roy Edwards.

In 2021, a Living Laboratory Guardian Group was established to provide leadership and governance of the Arboretum area on campus to ensure its continued use.

Several Lincoln University courses are using the area as a Living Laboratory to offer students practical experience in a range of different subjects.

Ecology lecturer Mike Bowie says the ECOL103 course focuses primarily on Aotearoa New Zealand ecosystems, as well as their plants, animals and fungi, and teaches the concepts underpinning ecology and conservation biology.

Additionally, students from ECOL293 Field Ecology Methods, are involved in monitoring pests, birds and invertebrates around campus, including close to the Arboretum.

"This class have also been part of a predator trapping programme, using DOC 200 traps designed to kill rats, stoats and hedgehogs," Mr Bowie says. "The ecological restoration and monitoring aspects learned by these ecology students are highly desirable skills that enable them to protect and enhance threatened habitats.

"Students with these skills are highly sought-after by landcare organisations such as the Department of Conservation, Environment Canterbury and environmental consultants."

Other subject areas using the Arboretum as a Living Laboratory include landscape architecture and environmental planning.

The Living Laboratory concept involves students using resources on the Lincoln University campus to explore, test and solve real-world problems relating to the land-based sector. Research partners also take an active involvement in these activities.