They may be graduating from Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» of Queensland next week, but five valedictorians are already proving themselves to be change-makers off-campus.
Dominique Fraser, Mikayla Ivanov, Declan Scott, Emy Huntsman and Shona Wood are among 4706 students graduating from Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» in July 2015, with more than 3000 expected to attend graduation
While they haven’t yet donned their caps and received their testamurs, all five have already been active in the local and international community – from volunteering in Nepal, creating a ballet program for children with special needs, levelling the field in school physical education to working towards more efficient and secure food production or working to prevent mass atrocity crimes.
Declan Scott of Chapel Hill who graduates with a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical – honours) and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance), says he’s keen to tackle the world’s energy problems.
“The challenges we face in meeting the world’s ever-expanding energy demands drive my interest and I hope to work on solutions to supply issues including security of supply, environmental impact and affordability,” Declan said.
Declan ran and fundraised for a three-day field trip for engineering students to the Bowen Basin, opening their eyes to future career opportunities. He also volunteered to teach in Nepal teaching English, maths, science and business.
Emy Huntsman of Annerley, who graduates with a Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education, strives to engage with students at a deeper level, integrating themes of relationships, social justice and equity onto the sports field.
“I am buoyed by the fact that health and overcoming the burden of disease is seen as integral to our country’s financial success and, as such, while HPE teachers are not solely responsible for an individual’s health, we are a key source of health literacy,” Emy said.
Mikayla Ivanov of Munruben, who graduates with a Dual Bachelor of Business Management and Commerce majoring in Accounting, Marketing and Sustainability, created a ballet program for children with special needs as part of her Social Entrepreneurship course. has taught more than 60 students, and now has six paid employees.
“Most of our parents never thought their child would have the opportunity to do ballet and watching mothers crying tears of joy during the classes was incredibly touching,” Mikayla said.
Dominique Fraser of West End, graduates with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies with first-class honours in International Relations.
Originally from Switzerland, Dominique has volunteered with an HIV/Aids organisation in Tanzania and later travelled through Uganda and Rwanda.
Her great passion, however, lies in the presiding over the R2P student coalition, interning with the R2P Global Centre in New York and attending an R2P conference in Phnom Penh.
“I have always been interested in the study of conflict and genocide; I remember when even as a teenager I was reading book after book about the Holocaust,” Dominique said.
“In my second semester at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» I took a history elective on genocide studies and was horrified how many incidents of mass slaughter there have been besides the Holocaust. For me, that was really the start of my interest in the prevention of mass atrocity crimes - which are genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.”
Read more about Dominique .
Shona Wood of Murarrie, graduating with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science,
After travelling for seven years, including in Mongolia and South East Asia, chef Shona understood how pressing the issue of food was for many communities.
She traded in the kitchen for the laboratory, working to solve food security problems in the face of climate change – using crop modelling to know what to plant where and, working with sorghum and wheat to improve the nutritional value for communities low on food resources.
“I see agriculture as an important industry now and into the future as demand for food increases with a rapidly expanding population,” Shona said.
“However, as it utilises natural recourses and can greatly affect the world around it, agriculture can often have detrimental effects. I felt that instead of criticising agricultural practices, I should become involved and try and change it for the better.”
More than 225,000 students have graduated from Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» since it was officially founded in 1910, with graduates in more than 170 countries primed to make a change in their world through knowledge leadership.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» of Queensland is consistently ranked well within the world’s top 100 on the major university rankings.
Media queries and media tickets to graduation ceremonies: Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Communications, communications@uq.edu.au or 07 3346 0561.
VALEDICTORIAN QUESTIONNAIRES
DECLAN SCOTT (Chapel Hill, Brisbane)
What qualification are you graduating with?
Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical – Honours), Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from the
Why chemical engineering?
I chose Chemical Engineering as I had a strong base in maths and science from high school and was looking for a field where I could apply these skills to make an impact in the real world. I was particularly interested in a number of large resources projects under development when I entered university and chemical engineering seemed the best pathway to enter into this area.
I decided to combine a Commerce degree with my engineering studies both to help me handle my own personal finances and to assist me in the future if I were to transition from engineering into a more managerial role.
Background
I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa but moved to Brisbane when I was 12 and attended high school at Brisbane Boys’ College.
Why Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»?
I chose Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» as the engineering faculty came highly recommended, with Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» ranked in the top 20 for Chemical Engineering at the time.
I had also visited the St Lucia Campus in my final year of high school and was extremely impressed with the facilities and grounds.
Finally, I was also offered an academic scholarship at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³», which reinforced my decision to study there.
Extracurricular activities
Whilst at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» I was able to study abroad for a semester at the University of Massachusetts. Back home, I have been heavily involved in the Society of Petroleum Engineers and last year worked as Treasurer for the society and helped organise a three-day field trip for engineering students to Coal Seam Gas Facilities in rural Queensland.
I have also been involved in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering Student Society, playing in the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»IC rugby competition and the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»IC TRL competition for three years in a row.
Scholarships
I was awarded the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship (which is an academic scholarship) upon commencing at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» and the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Student Exchange Scholarship prior to my semester abroad.
I have also been awarded industry-sponsored scholarships during my time at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³».
Tell us about your volunteer work
In July 2014, I volunteered as a teacher in Pokhara, Nepal for a month with IVHQ. This involved independently running classes in English, Maths, Science and Business at a local school for Grades six to 10. During this time I lived in a homestay with a local Nepalese family who lived near the school.
What makes a great university teacher?
I believe the number one factor that makes a great university lecturer is the ability to inspire students to learn by making the course content interesting and relevant. One of my favourite lecturers would be Dr Simon Smart who runs a course looking at various energy systems and their effects on climate change. Simon was able to make the content extremely engaging whilst still delivering all the key concepts. As a result of this, I completed my undergraduate thesis under Simon’s supervision on a related topic.
Most memorable/inspiring moment at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»
My most memorable moment at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» would be running a three-day field trip for 20 engineering students to CSG facilities in the Bowen Basin. The opportunity to attend the field trip myself and see the impact it had on some students and the way it opened their eyes to future career opportunities made all the organisation and fundraising truly worthwhile.
. . . and the most surprising
One of the most surprising things during my time at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» was how useful my Commerce degree would become when completing my final year engineering design projects. This was something that I never expected but definitely helped me through my studies.
Career plans
I intend to work in engineering roles initially to develop my technical proficiency and become a chartered Chemical Engineer. Over time I hope to transition into more managerial type roles and work in project management and business development.
What drives your interest?
The challenges we face in meeting the world’s ever expanding energy demands drive my interest in chemical engineering. I hope to work on solutions that tackle all three aspects of the energy supply issue; security of supply, environmental impact and affordability.
How do you feel entering a rapidly-evolving workforce – where some jobs no longer exist and other jobs are yet to be created?
I think it’s exciting but still rather daunting at the same time. After watching the way that new technologies have so successfully disrupted the incumbent players in many industries, I have decided to avoid trying to plan my career too far in advance. I believe that staying flexible and open to new opportunities will be the best way for me to survive and thrive in such a rapidly-changing workplace.
What’s next for you?
Shortly after graduation I will be heading over to Europe to meet up with friends and attend the Rugby World Cup in England. Following this, I intend to continue my travels in Canada and the USA with friends and family. In February 2016, I will be relocating to Perth to take up a position as a Graduate Process Engineer with Woodside Petroleum in a three-year development program.
EMY HUNTSMAN (Annerley, Brisbane)
What qualification are you graduating with?
Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education from the
Why this field of study?
I wanted to continue to work in sport and science and with young people but in a more applied way than research.
Did you have other challenges to overcome?
I moved to Brisbane from Melbourne to study at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» and did five subjects and undertook summer school to finish my degree as quickly as possible.
I broke my dominant arm in my second semester (whilst taking five subjects) so doing exams with my left hand was rather challenging!
Background
I was born and raised in Melbourne and moved to Brisbane to study at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³».
Why Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»?
Ever since I became interested in exercise and sport science over a decade ago, I knew that Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» of Queensland had the most prestigious and respected program in the country. Securing a full-time health and physical education teaching position in Victoria is difficult so I wanted to give myself the best chance I could and Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» was the best option. I also liked that the degree up here had a strong focus on sociocultural aspects of sport.
Extracurricular activities
My main activity revolves around rowing. I began coaching for Somerville House as soon as I moved here and also got back into competitive rowing again myself last year.
Volunteer work
I have recently become a member of the Australian Council of Health and Physical Education and Recreation Management Committee to promote healthy lifestyles and advocate health and physical education and recreation professions.
What do you think makes a great university teacher/lecturer?
Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education lecturers Sue Monsen, Louise McCuaig, Gary Osmond and Murray Phillips have been my standout lecturers while at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³». They are passionate and knowledgeable about their subject areas and encourage students to actively engage with the course content to share their enthusiasm. Murray, for example, used to begin his sociology of sports classes with a discussion of current sporting phenomena in the media and we’d interpret it through the sociocultural lens we were studying. All were fair and genuine and encouraged my inquisitiveness and were always more than willing to help and engage in my endless questions and curiosities.
Most memorable or inspiring moment at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»
Teaching at Yeronga State High School as a pre-service teacher. This small school is attended by a diverse range of students including from refugee backgrounds and represent more than 56 countries and countless languages in addition to English. The students taught me so much about the value of education and the power of sport as a social mediator. Some of my students had experienced significant difficulties in their lives – so much more than I ever had – and yet they would turn up to class, eager to learn and play sport – it was an incredibly humbling experience. My proudest moment was marching with the school at the recent Luminous Parade to welcome new Australians and refugees to Queensland. The students (and the other teachers and I) sang the song over and over again as we marched with our banner and placards around the Southbank forecourt in front of thousands of supporters.
. . . and the most surprising
When I signed up for teaching, I was most looking forward to the science-oriented classes because that was what I had experience in and knew I enjoyed, however as my degree progressed, I came to enjoy the classes on pedagogy and sociology most. While I still enjoyed the science classes such as biomechanics and motor control and learning, the pedagogical and sociology classes forced me to think and analyse at a much deeper level, which I hadn’t experienced before so I thoroughly enjoyed this challenge.
Career plans
I would like to pursue a career in education with a particular focus in HPE (health and physical education) and science. I haven’t decided yet whether I would like to stay in schools long term and move into leadership positions or perhaps one day move back into research or perhaps curriculum development. Experience with time will tell.
This has changed substantially since I left school – which was over a decade ago now. I originally thought I wanted to be a sport scientist – firstly working with elite athletes at the Australian Institute of Sport, and then that I wanted to do sport science research as a PhD student. However, after a year of post-graduate study, I realised that those areas weren’t for me so then I transitioned into teaching. I didn’t plan to be a teacher, it just evolved and now it makes sense. It’s not easy but there is nothing more satisfying than helping a student achieve something they didn’t think they could and seeing their face light up.
What drives your interest?
Health, fitness and social justice. I am passionate about these topics and strive to engage in these topics with my students.. In line with the new Australian Curriculum and the senior Health and Physical Education courses, HPE integrates themes of relationships, social justice and equity in addition to sport and is something in the field that I would most like to help address.
How do you feel entering a rapidly-evolving workforce – where some jobs no longer exist and other jobs are yet to be created?
This is something we have studied in class and something that I am very passionate about. It is something that deeply concerns me, especially with the increase in outsourcing of HPE teaching that is starting to occur, particularly in the US and overseas, but is increasing in Australia too with the privatisation of education I am buoyed by the fact that health and overcoming the burden of disease is seen as integral to our country’s financial success and as such, while HPE teachers are not responsible for an individual’s health, we are a key source of health literacy (how to be physically/mentally/socially healthy/active or physically educated and how to find and critique health-related information). For this reason, I feel excited to enter this new and challenging environment.
What next?
I start my first teaching job at St Peter’s Lutheran College. I will enjoy every moment of a very well-earned break until then.
MIKAYLA IVANOV (Munruben, Brisbane)
What qualification are you graduating with?
Dual Bachelor of Business Management and Commerce with a triple major in Accounting, Marketing and Sustainability from the
Why this field of study?
I’ve always wanted to do something in business and Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» gave me the chance to complete a triple major in three different areas I was very interested in. In an ever-changing society, where individuals tend to change careers approximately five times in their life I wanted to diversify my knowledge and give myself the best advantage going into the workforce.
Any challenges to study?
Along with studying full time, I worked at The Department of Transport and Main Roads part time.
Background
I was born in Brisbane and did not have to move to study.
What made you choose Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»?
I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Young Scholars program in grade eleven. This involved a week long camp at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» where I fell in love with the campus and all the diverse opportunities Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» provides.
Volunteer work
In 2013, as part of an assessment piece for Social Entrepreneurship I worked in a group of four to create a sustainable business model that could positively impact the community. We chose to target children with special needs and realised there was a lack of extra-curricular activities available to these children. We decided to create a ballet program where children could come together to learn to dance in a fun environment and we called it The Tippy Toe Co. We ran a five-week program and then a fellow student, Zachary Fook, and I turned it into a non-for-profit organisation, which has been running for the past two years. I volunteer my time running the business as the Secretary and Treasurer as does Zachary, but we now have six paid employees and have taught more than 60 students since its inception. We have been featured on The Today Show and in the Sunday Mail, That’s Life Magazine and West Side News. My work with The Tippy Toe Co has changed my life.
What do you think makes a great university teacher/lecturer?
When you can tell a lecturer loves what they are teaching it always makes a huge difference on the learning experience. Lance Newey was my lecturer for Social Entrepreneurship and he was the best lecturer I have ever encountered. He gave us the freedom to create something different and unique and didn’t confine us to exams and essays. He was motivating and kept us on track to meet our goals during the semester. Furthermore, he continues to support us and give us guidance with our business almost two years after finishing his course.
Most memorable or inspiring moment at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»?
There have been so many memorable moments with The Tippy Toe. When we initially ran the five-week program as part of our assessment piece, I was overwhelmed by the incredible families we met and the stories they shared. Many of our parents never thought their child would have the opportunity to do ballet and watching mothers crying tears of joy during the classes was incredibly touching. One of our mothers said to me, “you realise now that you’ve started this and you’ve opened up this door for these families that you can’t stop it right?” It was at that point I stopped viewing these classes as an assessment piece and instead as a vehicle for change and something that could really positively impact the community.
. . . and the most surprising
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» and in particular the Business School with the course Social Entrepreneurship, which taught me that being successful in business and making a difference in the community were not mutually exclusive ideas. You can create change and impact communities while also creating a profit and growing a business.
Career plans
Now looking forward I will pursue careers that are rewarding and where I can make a difference.
What drives your interest in your subject?
Studying sustainability has opened my eyes up to inequalities in our local communities as well as issues on a global scale such as climate change. Sustainability is a very general term and covers many areas but it is something that I will endeavour to find throughout my career. Whether it be working for a company that has strong themes of Corporate Social Responsibility or following the Social Entrepreneurship path.
How do you feel entering a rapidly-evolving workforce – where some jobs no longer exist and other jobs are yet to be created?
It can be slightly daunting but mostly I’m really excited to see what areas I can use my skills in and how I can develop professionally in my chosen field. A rapidly-evolving workforce is exactly the reason I chose to complete a triple major.
What’s next?
I plan to continue my work with The Tippy Toe Co and grow the program throughout Australia. My dream is for every child to have a place to dance and express themselves creatively in a safe and welcoming environment.
DOMINIQUE FRASER (West End, Brisbane)
What qualification are you graduating with?
Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) from the . My thesis examined why the UN Security Council takes over peacekeeping missions from the African Union.
Why this field of study?
I have always been interested in the study of conflict and genocide. I remember when, even as a teenager, I was reading book after book about the Holocaust. My mother’s side of the family is from Austria (my father is Swiss), so I wanted to understand how that could have happened. Then in my second semester at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» I took a history elective on genocide studies and was horrified how many incidents of mass slaughter there have been besides the Holocaust. For me, that was really the start of my interest in the prevention of mass atrocity crimes (which are genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing).
What challenges have you faced?
I moved here from Switzerland and not speaking English fluently was definitely a challenge. It was also quite difficult coming here without the networks of my family and friends.
Background
I was born in Bern, Switzerland and moved to Brisbane to live with my boyfriend at the time (now husband). I moved here in 2010 to do a BA in International Relations at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» (I later changed my major to Peace and Conflict Studies).
Why Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»?
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» was my husband’s uni and I pretty much only looked at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»’s courses, as that was the only uni in Queensland I’d heard of. But I loved the course list of International Relations, which was much broader and much more practical-focused than the ones I’d been looking at in Switzerland.
Extracurricular activities
In my second semester, I became involved in the , of which I later became president in 2011. Pretty much all the other great opportunities I was able to take advantage of later came from my involvement with the R2P Student Coalition. I would definitely recommend to every student that they get involved in some extracurricular activities they are interested in.
The opportunities that came from my involvement with the R2P Student Coalition were the following:
I was able to do an internship subject with the Asia Pacific Centre for the R2P, looking at abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law in East Timor during the 1999 crisis.
Then, when I graduated from my BA in 2013, I got an with the Global Centre for the R2P in New York for three months. I helped out with research on current and potential mass atrocity crime situations, for example in the Central African Republic, Libya and Bangladesh. I also helped organise a major event commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide at UN headquarters, where I met one of my all-time heroes, ret. Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire, who was force commander of the UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda in 1994.
At the beginning of this year, I was able to attend the ‘R2P at Ten’ conference in Phnom Penh, which was co-hosted by the Asia Pacific Centre for the R2P. There were so many amazing speakers and attendees from civil society, academia, government agencies and the UN. The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Advantage Office and the Asia Pacific Centre were very generous in giving me, and a few other Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» students, funding to attend this fantastic conference.
Scholarships
I received the summer research scholarship in 2012/13 to act as research assistant to Dr. Phil Orchard. I did research on the interplay between the Responsibility to Protect and Human Security.
Volunteer work
In summer 2012, I had the opportunity to travel to Moshi in Tanzania to volunteer with a local HIV/AIDS organisation. After two months there, I got to travel around Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda, which was an amazing experience. I received some funding from the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Advantage Office in order to do this volunteer work, which was a great help.
Recently, I started volunteering with the Queensland chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). I compiled a list of recommendations to include in the NGO shadow report for the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review of Australia in November 2015. Right now, I am examining a report for them from the Centre for Policy Development – the interplay between military spending and climate change.
I also got to travel to Canberra in May this year to present a poster of my Honours thesis at the WILPF centenary conference, for which I got funding from WILPF Queensland and the UN Association of Australia QLD chapter.
I have also been writing .
What do you think makes a great university teacher/lecturer?
I have had some great uni lecturers at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³». Some that stand out are Dr. Sebastian Kaempf and Associate Professor Marianne Hanson. My Honours supervisors Dr. Phil Orchard, Dr. Charlie Hunt and Prof. Alex Bellamy were also fantastic. I think the most important aspect of a good teacher is someone who is passionate about the subject they teach and excited to be teaching. Students can definitely tell if a lecturer only does it because they are forced to teach or whether they actually enjoy it.
Most memorable or inspiring moment at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»?
I think what has really set me on my path towards aspiring a career in mass atrocity crime prevention was the elective on genocide, as well as all the great POLS courses I took that spoke about prevention of these crimes. Many people are very jaded about the world and are calling me naïve for believing that we can build a world free from mass atrocity crimes. But what the lecturers at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» have taught me is that these crimes are not an inevitable feature of human society, but occur because the perpetrator(s) have taken a deliberate and calculated path towards mass atrocity crimes. So while conflict seems to be inevitable (although I leave that up to psychologists), violent conflict and mass atrocity crimes are definitely not and we can all work towards their prevention.
. . . and the most surprising
What surprised me most was probably the relaxed and close relationship between students and lecturers at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³». In Switzerland, academics are much more aloof than they are in Australia, and I would have never dreamt of calling them by their first name or sending them an email with a question. I think the relationship is great here and it has definitely contributed to my great uni experience.
Career plans
I would like to pursue a career in mass atrocity crime prevention. While that has not changed all that much since school, uni and my internship experiences have opened my eyes to all the opportunities that exist – although it is a very difficult field to break into.
What drives your interest in your field?
Mass atrocity crimes directly kill a lot of people. Just look at Syria at the moment –so preventing these is very important. And preventing these crimes also means looking at topics such as climate change, poverty, land reform, justice etc.
How do you feel entering a rapidly-evolving workforce – where some jobs no longer exist and other jobs are yet to be created?
I think it’s quite scary, but an Arts degree sets you up very well for the changing workforce (and I think every generation had their own challenges to overcome). In 2013, some researchers from Oxford released a study on the computerisation of the labour force, arguing that within the next few decades, almost 50 per cent of the jobs available today will no longer exist. However, professions in the social sciences and humanities are pretty safe, because machines won’t (at least not in the foreseeable future) be able to take on tasks that require human interaction and interpretation.
And a lot of the changes are also fantastic. For example, I recently read about , that allows people on the ground to document abuses of human rights and international law; these are then verified and can later be used in international tribunals to prosecute war criminals.
What’s next?
In September, I will move to Geneva, where I have been admitted to do a master at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, one of the best institutes/universities in my field. I also can’t wait to be close to so many international organisations and non-governmental organisations in international Geneva.
I would also like to go back to New York and do an internship with the UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations sometime within the next couple of years.
SHONA WOOD (Murarrie, Brisbane)
What qualification are you graduating with?
Bachelor of Agricultural Science (honours) from the
What made you choose this field of study?
I had spent some time in the countryside when I was growing up and love the outdoors. I see agriculture as an important industry that is a key aspect of Australia. However, as it utilises natural recourses and can greatly affect the world around it, agriculture can often have detrimental effects. I felt that instead of criticising agriculture, I should become involved and try and change it for the better.
Challenges
My main challenge was studying itself. I’m a mature-aged student and had more than my fair share of gap years (seven to be exact). So returning to the student lifestyle was a challenge.
Background
I was born and raised in Brisbane. However, I returned from seven years abroad, living in London for five years and travelling for two, to study at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³».
Why Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»?
It has a world renowned reputation for great research in agriculture.
Extracurricular activities
Unfortunately I never managed to participate in any extracurricular activities. I spent all my time focused on my studies.
Scholarship
I received an honours scholarship from GRDC, Grains Research & Development Corporation.
What do you think makes a great university teacher/lecturer?
I’m glad to say that I’ve had so many great teachers and lecturers throughout my degree. A great university teacher/lecturer needs to be able to engage with students, be enthusiastic and clearly articulate the concepts they are trying to teach.
Most memorable or inspiring moment at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»?
I had the opportunity to visit South Africa through a course in my degree. It was a great opportunity to meet students from other degrees and other countries.
. . . and the most surprising.
One of the most fascinating things I’ve learnt during my study was back in first year, the biology of cells. Every cell of the body has the equivalent of a turbine in them which generates energy, the ATP synthase enzyme.
Career plans
Initially I wanted to learn more practical farming techniques and be directly involved with crop production. However, through the development of laboratory skills and my interactions with lecturers my interest in research has grown. I’m currently employed as a research technician with CSIRO. I’m working on obtaining data for crop models in wheat, which can be used to determine how crops will perform in particular environments. After my time with CSIRO I hope to use the practical experience I’ve learnt and apply it to my own PhD, hopefully in this field.
What drives your interest in your field?
I would like to address world food security in the face of climate change. During my travels I’ve seen firsthand the necessity of crop adaptation and I would like to be a part of it.
How do you feel entering a rapidly-evolving workforce – where some jobs no longer exist and other jobs are yet to be created?
I feel that is it very important to be able to continually adapt and learn, especially in such a rapidly- evolving workplace. However, thankfully, I believe that attending university and undertaking a variety of courses has allowed me to learn the skills necessary to do this.
What’s next?
I’ve just taken on a two-year contract with CSIRO working on collecting data for crop modelling in wheat. My plan is to commence a PhD afterwards hopefully in this field.
