Rachel Bolton

What is your topic of research? The working title of my PhD research is: Who owns the trees? Property rights, carbon and forests. It concerns the law’s treatment of nature and takes place at the intersection of property law and critical legal geography.

What expectations did you have about UTS:Law’s proficiency and capacity as a research institution? Have these been met? To be honest, I didn’t look into things like international university or Excellence in Research in Australia rankings. I prefer to make judgments myself based on the people I meet and on the available resources. I was (and continue to be!) highly impressed by the depth of legal research produced by the Faculty and by other Quentin Bryce Scholarship holders.  Because there is a small cohort of postgraduate students, many of us have our own research space within the faculty and are offered fantastic access to faculty staff and research networks. This personalised research support is invaluable.

Was it more important to come here based on a research centre, individual supervisor or UTS as a whole? How did you identify and select your supervisor? The most important factor for me was finding the right supervisor; someone with proven research excellence and expertise in my research area and someone with the capacity and motivation to support and engage with me on the research content and process. My supervisor was suggested to me by a professor from my undergraduate study. I then approached Dr Nicole Graham by email, and met with her in person to discuss my research proposal. On the basis of that initial contact, I decided I had found the right person!

What is the most rewarding aspect of your research? Why? Being given the opportunity to think deeply about and contribute to scholarship on the theoretical dimensions of property law and its profound material implications for our relationship with the environment.      

What is the most useful or important thing you have learned from your studies at UTS? That postgraduate research is not just writing about a 100,000 argument; it is about developing professional skills for a lifetime of research. The postdoctoral framework offered by UTS:Law provides a simple and clear structure for strategic direction and skill development, such as engaging in research communities, communication skills and planning for funding opportunities.

What would your advice be for someone who is looking at undertaking research in Law at UTS? Come to the Faculty in person and meet with potential supervisors. There is nothing like experiencing an institution first-hand before making any decisions about where to study.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience at UTS:Law, or the University as a whole? UTS:Law offers a professional and supportive environment for professional women who are also carers of young children.