UTS PhDs creating change

Louise O'Flynn, Industry Doctorate Program
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service

In a rapidly changing climate, the cost of managing the natural environment is spiralling — and public land management agencies are facing rising costs. “The issue of financial sustainability does affect our ability to manage our national parks effectively,” says Louise O’Flynn, who has been overseeing major projects for NPWS for more than 15 years. 

“This is a grand challenge that our industry is facing.” 

Louise could see that what was needed was someone who could dedicate themselves to the problem full time and over an extended period, with the support of an experienced research team. With the blessing of NPWS, Louise enrolled in the UTS Industry Doctorate Program to tackle the problem head on. 

Three years later, her research is paving the way towards enhanced financial sustainability for public land management agencies in Australia and beyond. 

Read more about how Louise's research is improving financial, environmental and social outcomes for NPWS. 

Alan Murray, Industry Doctorate Program
Transport for NSW

Alan Murray is a student on the world’s first Construction Industry Doctorate Program at UTS. Developed by Professor Martin Loosemore in partnership with the NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler OAM, the innovative program brings academic research and industrial practices together to address key challenges facing the construction industry. 

Alan is pairing his role as a Project Manager at the Infrastructure and Place division of Transport for NSW with research into how developers can support a circular economy through reduced embodied carbon emissions and waste generation. 

Read more about how the Construction Industry Doctorate Program is building critical skills and linking practitioners with world-class research.  

Alison Ricafrente, research internship
Genetic Signatures

Alison Ricafrente's placement with specialist molecular diagnostics company Genetic Signatures focused on enhancing the capacity of the company’s own brand PCR tests. The tests detect a wide range of illnesses, including COVID-19.

“My project dealt with their sample processing kit, which is a universal kit that deals with all different types of human samples,” she says.  

For Alison, the experience provided a unique opportunity to contribute to the global pandemic response.  

It was also an undeniable demonstration of the importance of research in confronting urgent, emerging challenges — while working towards a publication, she was helping to deliver real-world diagnostic tools that could make a measurable difference to countless lives. 

Read more about how Alison's research internship helped Genetic Signatures innovate their commercial product, and opened her next career door. 

Clyde Webster, research internship
NASA

Already four years into his PhD in November 2020, a NASA internship landed in Clyde Webster's lap. 

Working in simulation, he compared lunar rover designs to see which worked best for missions in regions of the moon that don’t see the sun.  “It's a really interesting problem from an engineering perspective. It’s just inspiring, because it seems so intangible going up so high. Only a lucky few astronauts get launched into space, but through robotic instruments and measurements, engineers like me can sort of get there.” 

Back on earth, Clyde's PhD research turned into a parrot-inspired climbing robot that might transform how governments and corporations maintain large assets like telecommunications infrastructure, bridges, and potentially even the International Space Station. 

Read more about how Clyde's PhD journey took him from initial inspiration to industry-led partnerships.

Payar Radfar, entrepreneur
Co-founder and CEO, Smart MCs

Before his PhD in biotechnology was even finalised Payar Radfar was making waves in the medical world with a cancer diagnostics tool. He also had an established startup that reduces a major bottleneck in production for lab-grown meat producers. 

The two innovations seem like an unlikely pair but, as he says, “that’s what’s possible with a PhD”.

“Entrepreneurship and PhDs overlap in the sense that you're solving a problem in both,” he says.

“At UTS during a PhD program, you actually have more freedom to learn, explore new things and play around. You're given access to state-of-the-art technologies and really cool biotechnology resources as well as team expertise and lecturers at the university.”

Read more about how Payar's research-driven entrepreneurship is crossing disciplinary boundaries to deliver sustainable solutions. 

James Brownlow, Industry Doctorate Program
Colonial First State

"CFS is an employer of choice and, as such, they’re strong advocates of employee development. Having me participate in the IDP at the UTS allows me to develop my researcher and analytics skill whilst also looking to solve a challenge for our business.

My research looks at how new technologies and approaches might improve retirement outcomes. Specifically, I’m interested in how investors’ engagement with their superannuation can be quantified using data mining, instead of relying on anecdotal evidence. This is important because existing research already highlights correlation between low engagement and poor retirement outcomes.

IDP research is different to the research I would be able to conduct on my own. For instance, I can access data and customers that other researchers can’t. It also allows me to join my professional career with my education for personal development.

The IDP has allowed me to really focus on solution for industry. I know that the research I’m conducting will be used to make a difference in the Australian community."

Karen Duong, Industry Doctorate Program
Eprep

For PhD student Karen Duong, the UTS Industry Doctorate Program provided hands-on experience with industry throughout her degree.

A student in the UTS School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, Karen was paired with Eprep, a laboratory equipment supplier based in Melbourne. Her PhD was designed to help Eprep solve a key business problem: developing a series of customisable processes for an automated sample preparation robot that the company is preparing for market.

"Being a part of an industry partnered project gives you more opportunity after your PhD. You get to experience what it would be like to work in industry, and so that should provide you additional skills to get a job,” Duong says.

“Networking is another benefit – you meet a lot of people as well.”

For a small company like Eprep, engaging with UTS in a doctoral partnership provides them with access to cost-effective research expertise, as well as to UTS equipment and facilities.

“Although this is very new development work, it really lends itself to a PhD, because at the end of it, it’s actually a very unique output. From our point of view, if it all fits together and works, it’s got very good commercial value as well,” says Andrew Minett, Eprep’s General Manager.

But the benefits don’t stop there: according to Professor Philip Doble, the PhD project supervisor, the IDP offers extensive opportunities beyond the research outcomes themselves.

“Eprep is able to tap into our analytical chemistry expertise, which aids in product and application development. They can also access allied technologies at UTS such as high-end mass spectrometers, state-of-the-art analytical tools, and UTS facilities for product marketing, proof of concept customer demonstrations, and user group meetings,” he says.

“From our perspective, we also benefit enormously from performing industry-specific research, as it enables us to remain relevant and responsive to changing industry needs.”