Entry into research degrees

Why did you choose to do a research degree?

I undertook a PhD after completing my Master of Arts (Writing) through Swinburne. 

Undertaking a PhD while I was starting out as a full-time novelist gave me some headspace from my working life, while allowing me to focus on an area of research — Young Adult Fiction — that I knew I would one day enter into.

What was your research topic?

Chasers is a Young Adult novel written in the first person from the point of view of a sixteen year-old character trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic setting. I used auto-ethnography and Practice Led Research (PLR) to record and reflect on the writerly journey, from idea to publication and beyond.

My journey through the methodology of auto-ethnography centred on the novelist as creator, the artefact through PLR, the aesthetic of young adult fiction, how creativity meets commerce, and what only the novel can say via explorations of style, allegory, and symbolism.

What were the best aspects of your PhD candidature?

I loved the broad nature of the project - and I detested it too; it was an interesting journey! My topic changed about half way through, as I (and my supervisors) kept coming to the fact that it was too big to achieve within a PhD candidature. Once I’d made the commitment to focus on one specific area of my original concept, it was much easier to achieve the outcome. 

Some other fond memories are all the meetings with my supervisors, discussing my work and getting critical and constructive feedback from people I trusted and respected. It made my regular meetings something to look forward to.

What do you hope to achieve after completing your PhD?

For me it was about the journey, not the outcome. I achieved what turned out to be bigger than I imagined from the out-set. Bigger in terms of the volume of work that never made the final cut; probably 80% of my work sits like the unseen portion of an iceberg supporting what you see above the water.

I’ve been a full-time author since 2006 and see myself continuing that for the foreseeable future.

Why did you choose to do a research degree with Swinburne?

I was working on a book on asylum seekers and their supporters. Swinburne’s then journalism program director Meg Simons suggested that I consider completing a research degree.

What is your research topic?

I am examining the extent to which a grassroots theatre production acted as a counter-narrative in the early 2000s when research overwhelming suggests media coverage was compromised by Federal Government propaganda.

What are the best aspects of your PhD candidature?

I’ve enjoyed the privilege of returning to study after decades in the workforce, engaging with other students and great supervisors. I’ve gained a unique opportunity to explore issues that continued to concern me after leaving The Age in 2009.

Why did you choose to do a research degree with Swinburne?

I completed my undergraduate degree in Digital Media Design here at Swinburne and received First Class Honours.

After working within the industry for some time, I knew from experience and on-going relationships with my past lecturers and peers that Swinburne was going to be the right choice to undertake my research degree. I now have an exceptional and highly qualified supervisory team who are dedicated to letting me grow and develop academically.

The wider research community within Swinburne provides tremendous encouragement and support to those who wish to flourish as researchers.

What is your research topic?

For the elderly, falls are a significant issue that negatively affect their safety and quality of life. Within Swinburne’s Centre for Design Innovation, I am developing a digital tool to assist in the visualisation and retrofitting of existing elderly home environments for fall prevention.

The aim of this is to facilitate safer and more empowering ageing-in-place conditions and solutions.

What are the best aspects of your PhD candidature?

Throughout my PhD candidature there have been a number of standout moments. An example is presenting my research topic as a whole and receiving warm commendations at the 6th Biennial Australian and New Zealand Falls Prevention Conference in Sydney.

Also, the opportunity to become a sessional lecturer has allowed me to get back into the classroom to engage with and motivate Swinburne’s future digital and communication designers. 

What is your research topic?

The topic of my research is studying streaming flows generated by ultrasound around milk fat globules in milk. I simulate how milk fat globules form cream under the influence of ultrasound, and find out what factors improve or aggravate this process of creaming.

This is an important area of research because ultrasound has never been used to separate cream from milk before.

Upon successful completion, we will be able to provide the industry with an alternate technology to the current centrifugation process for cream separation.

What are the best aspects of your PhD candidature?

The most interesting aspect of my PhD is how it is directly related to the dairy industry. The project was actually proposed by industry itself as they wanted to introduce a new technology to separate cream from milk.

The project is interdisciplinary and I got the opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds such as physics, engineering and bioengineering.

As a mathematician I had always thought we only play with numbers and equations, but now I have had the opportunity to visit milk processing and cheese making plants.

What do you hope to achieve after completing your PhD?

I see that science is more and more about teamwork and that we no longer work individually. Working with an interdisciplinary team has helped me understand how to see the same problem from other perspectives.

I believe this will help me tackle new challenges in the future.