Welcome to new Graduate Research candidates joining us and congratulations to our current and graduating candidates on your achievements!

(Please note that this is based on reporting up to and including the 9th November. Candidate achievements recorded after that will appear in the next month’s GR News)

If you have news about awards, grants, publications or other achievements please let us know so we can share it.

New candidates

Faculty of Arts and Education

Ceinwen Jones

Tina Martin

Nicola Pitt

Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences

Benjamin Martyn

John Zannes

Thesis Submitted for Examination

Congratulations to the following candidates who have recently submitted their thesis for examination.

Faculty of Arts and Education

Nick Gahan     School of Social Work and Arts

Thesis Title: Sirens to silence: Examining the experiences of firefighters transitioning into and living in retirement.

 

Candidates approved to graduate

Faculty of Arts and Education

Melinda Brooker            School of Education

Principal Supervisor: Dr Andi Salamon

Co-Supervisor: Tamara Cumming

Thesis Title: An explorative study of followership, followers and following practices in early childhood education sites in Australia

 

Brenda Audrey Bruce   School of Education

Principal Supervisor: Aspro Lena Joel Danaia

Co-Supervisor: Aspro Deb Kaye Clarke

Thesis Title: Primary school teachers documenting reflections: A Western Sydney case study

 

Anita Stibbard                School of Education

Principal Supervisor: Aspro Christina Ruth Davidson

Co-Supervisor: Aspro Chris Joy Edwards-Groves

Thesis Title: Investigating Problem Solving Talk in Early Years’ Mathematics Classrooms

 

Michael Earl     School of Theology

Principal Supervisor: Aspro Clive Pearson

Co-Supervisor: Peter Walker

Thesis Title: Ordination: The Gospel Held in Trust

 

Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences

Deb Murdoch                  School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering

Principal Supervisor: Prof Lihong Zheng

Co-Supervisor: Aspro Xiaodi Huang

Thesis Title: Development of an ontology of course design in higher education

 

Muhammad Rana         School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering

Principal Supervisor: Dr Quazi Ehsanul Mamun

Co-Supervisor: Aspro Rafiqul Islam

Thesis Title: A Lightweight Block Cipher Algorithm to secure Smart City Resource-constrained IoT Devices.

 

Gen D’Ament   School of Psychology

Principal Supervisor: Prof Anthony John Saliba

Co-Supervisor: Aspro Tahmid Nayeem

Co-Supervisor: Dr Ben William Morrison

Thesis Title: The holistic understanding of the co-created cellar door experience from staff and customer perspectives: An Australian viewpoint

 

Faculty of Science and Health

Joachim Bretzel             School Agricultural, Environmental & Veterinary Sciences

Principal Supervisor: Prof Lee Jason Baumgartner

Co-Supervisor: Prof Robyn Janet Watts

Co-Supervisor: Dr Craig Ashley Boys

Co-Supervisor: Dr Katie Elizabeth Doyle

Thesis Title: Screening water diversions to support freshwater fish conservation in the Murray–Darling Basin

 

Ryan McGrath                School Allied Health, Exercise & Sports Science

Principal Supervisor: Rod Pope

Co-Supervisor: Tracey Parnell

Co-Supervisor: Jasmine MacDonald

Co-Supervisor: Aspro Sarah Elizabeth Verdon

Thesis Title: Experiences and practices of Australian physiotherapists with clients experiencing psychological distress

 

Thilini Munasinghe       School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences

Principal Supervisor: Prof Jade Kenneth Forwood

Co-Supervisor: Noelia Roman

Co-Supervisor: Prof Shane Robert Raidal

Thesis Title: Structural analysis of ORF4b protein of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in complex with host proteins and its role in innate immunity

 

 

More candidate achievements

HDR Candidate Nushrat Azam Presents at the “Not just another (Feminist) conference” – Gathering To Explore Courageous Feminisms

Attending the conference “Not Just Another (Feminist)”: Gathering to Explore Courageous Feminisms was an enriching experience. The Australian Women & Gender Studies Association organised the conference at Southern Cross University’s Gold Coast Campus from November 13th to 15th.

It was an invaluable experience filled with inspiring conversations and innovative ideas. It was liberating and inspiring to be surrounded by feminist scholars from around the globe, discussing gender, feminism, and violence in a supportive atmosphere. It offered a platform for education and engagement, hoping to inspire change through dialogue.

I presented my paper, “Captive in a Snowglobe” – A Story of Love, Betrayal and Resilience in the Face of Psychological Domestic Abuse, at the conference. It was a personal highlight for me. It delves into the pattern of psychological abuse suffered by migrant women. The cycle of psychological abuse follows a repetitive pattern with four distinct phases: tension, incident, reconciliation, and calm. Its hidden nature makes it hard for survivors to see what they have been through, making it difficult to discuss it with others. I was deeply touched and humbled by the topic’s resonance with many participants, emphasising the urgent need for increased awareness and understanding. Post-presentation discussions revealed the need for greater awareness and comprehension of this prevalent yet often overlooked issue.

This experience has not only deepened my comprehension of gender, feminism, gender roles, and gender-based violence but also expanded my perspective and prompted me to continue exploring these social issues through research. I am thankful for the chance to engage with scholars and feminists, and I will use these reflections to guide my future actions.