Research Conference Papers

Since 1968 I have made 29 presentations at various research conferences in Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Yugoslavia, Poland, Germany and France.

Symposium Convenor:

• 1988 XXIV International Congress of Psychology, Sydney, 1988. Symposium on Intelligence.
• 1994 Australian Experimental Psychology Conference, Sydney. Symposium on Intelligence.
• Invited Presentations:
• 1988 ACER Seminar on Intelligence
• 1992 ARC Cognitive Panel, Macquarie University
• 1992 XXV International Congress of Psychology, Brussels, 1992: Invited paper for the Symposium on Intelligence (Prof. J. Lautrey convenor)
• 1997 Australian Council for Educational Research. Howard Gardner Seminar: Intelligence or Intelligences?
• 1997 10th Congress of the Yugoslavian Psychological Association. Keynote address.
• 1997 The Future of Learning and Individual Differences. Conference organized by the US Air Force and University of Minnesota. 20 selected international experts in the field.

Seminars and Colloquia

Additional to regular presentations since 1973 at Departmental Colloquia at the University of Sydney, I have given colloquia at Macquarie University, University of NSW, Curtin University, University of Queensland, University of Melbourne, Universities of Belgrade, Zagreb, Novi Sad, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Nis, University Rene Descartes (Paris), University of Manchester, University of Sourthern California, University of Uppsala, University of Denver, University of Washington, Yale University, and Free University Berlin.

Refereeing for professional journals and granting agencies

I have served as referee for a number of papers submitted for publication to the Australian Journal of Psychology, Australian Psychologist, Journal of Educational Psychology, Intelligence, Personality and Individual Differences, Learning and Individual Differences, Psychology and Aging, British Journal of Psychology, Perception, and Yugoslavian journal Psihologija.

I have also served as referee for a number of grants: 5 in 1993, 2 in 1994, 8 in 1995, 5 in 1996 and 4 in 1997 submitted to both ARC and NH&MRC.

Research Grants

Grants applied for since 1998:

Large ARC grant: "Reductionistic, Cognitive, and Metacognitive Aspects of Human Intelligence" . Amount requested: $250,000 over 3 years.

Teaching Experience

I have wide experience in lecturing and tutoring at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I have been teaching in the areas of individual differences (cognitive and personality aspects) and method courses (statistics, research design, psychological assessment, measurement, factor analysis).

Evaluation of undergraduate teaching:

One of the items on my evaluation form has been: "All things considered, how would you rate Lazar's effectiveness as a university teacher?" In 1997, the frequencies obtained for my 'Individual Differences' (2nd Yr) and 'Intelligence' (3rd Yr) courses are as follows:

Rating Categories(5=High): 1 2 3 4 5

240 2nd Yr Students: 8 22 50 97 63

78 3rd Yr Students: 0 2 8 43 17

Overall, my teaching at the postgraduate level receives higher marks than at the undergraduate level.

Supervision of postgraduate students

Since my appointment as a lecturer at the University of Sydney in 1973, I have supervised over 60 4th Year empirical theses. My students are generally awarded high marks for their empirical thesis. For instance, K. Anstey was the best student in 1991 and was a winner of the Elsie Harwood Award for research in aging in 1993. Three of my past Honours students are now teaching at university level: S. Dunn is Professor of Medicine at Royal North Shore Hospital. Another former student, J. Crawford, is Level B at the University of Technology, Sydney and B. Myors is a Level B academic at Macquarie University. Both Crawford and Myors maintain close research links with me to this day.

I was co-supevisor for several M.Phil. degrees. The most recent was A. Prichard-Levy's study of stimulus complexity in relationship to musical experiences.

I have supervised two PhDs to completion. G. Fogarty (degree conferred in 1984) is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queensland. R. D. Roberts (degree conferred in 1995) held a post-doctoral fellowship in Armstrong Laboratory, San Antonio, TX from 1996-1998. He won the University medal and 'the reviewers' reports were the best I have seen in my whole academic career. He has since taken a Level B position at Sydney University (which he commenced in September, 1998).

At the moment, I am supervising five PhD theses and co-supervising two.

Administrative Experience

I have been a member of virtually all committees within the Department of Psychology including Undergraduate and Postgraduate Committees, Facilities and Resources, Teaching and Staffing, and Examination and Assessment and I have been co-ordinator of several courses. On several occasions over the past seven years I was also the Acting HoD.

I have also been a member of several committees at the University level, mainly committees for new appointments and promotion to the Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor levels.