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Master-planning a winner for PhD student
A University of the Sunshine Coast student researching job opportunities in master-planned communities in south-east Queensland has won a new USC thesis competition.
Buderim’s Pamela Wardner, who is a year into her Doctor of Philosophy (Business), today won the inaugural Three Minute Thesis event held on campus as part of USC’s 4th annual University Research Conference.
Ms Wardner summed up her topic within three minutes, both entertaining and informing the audience.
She said she aimed to find out why master-planned communities had a lower percentage of people working where they lived, compared to traditional subdivisions.
USC organisers were impressed by the calibre of finalists. Five other talks dealt with: the ethics of dolphin-assisted therapy; climate change in relation to canal estates; the use of computer games in classrooms; the benefits of exercise for people with peripheral arterial disease; and how to control aquaculture disease.
Ms Wardner received her $1,000 prize from Professor Roland De Marco, who will start work in January as USC’s inaugural Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research.
Professor De Marco, who travelled from Curtin University in Perth, presented a number of awards including Best Overall Research Presentation to Dr Scott Cummins of the USC Genecology Research Group.
Dr Cummins’ presentation, entitled “Making scents of pheromones in molluscs”, drew laughs from the audience as he examined possible uses of the signalling molecules in species reproduction and pest control.
– Julie Gatehouse