Alumni Profiles

Burdett Loomis Distinguished Chair

“Whether in Washington, D.C., Brussels, or Canberra, lobbying has become a growth industry over the past 20-30 years. The lobbying communities of national capitals (and of many state/provincial ones, too) have grown larger and more varied, not only in the number of clients served but also in the variety of services offered.”

Professor Burdett Loomis, Professor with the Department of Political Science at the University of Kansas, has been awarded one of two Fulbright Flinders University Distinguished Chairs in American Political Science. Burdett will come to Flinders University in Adelaide for five months to work on a project researching lobbying and its impact in Australia, which will provide a basis for comparative work.

“My research project for the Fulbright Chair tenure will first seek to understand the overall scope and nature of the Australian lobbying industry; this will include how the national government and the individual states/territories seek to regulate lobbying. The second, related research strand will address how lobbying affects agendas and policy outcomes,” Burdett said.

“President Obama has attacked the Washington lobbyists, seeking to place limitations on their interactions with government and their recruitment to it. Still, even in the United States, where this growth first emerged and has developed in the most sophisticated ways, we do not completely understand the scope of lobbying, to say nothing of its manifestations and impacts.”

“I will use a multi-dimensional approach (available data, interviews, surveys) to construct a detailed picture of the Australian sector of organized interests and their attendant lobbying. The differences between the American separation-of-powers government and the Australian parliamentary system will likely yield notable differences in how groups and lobbyists are arrayed to affect public policies.”

Burdett has an MA and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has been a Hall Center for the Humanities Fellow; a Fulbright Senior Specialist; and has won a Kemper Foundation Teaching Award and been an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow. He has held many high-level administrative roles including being Director of Administrative Communication, Office of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius; and he has also taught politics and published extensively, with more than 30 books in various editions. He is a founding co-editor of the new journal, Interest Groups & Advocacy. His interests include research on legislatures and interest group, and he teaches a cours on politics and literature. In addition, Burdett has lectured widely for the U.S. State Deparment in Asia and South America, most recently in Indonesia in 2012.

Professor John Dilles Senior Scholars

John is Geology Professor at Oregon State University and has supervised 40 postgraduate studies of mineral deposits in North and South America, Africa and Asia. He obtained degrees at California Institute of Technology and Stanford University, and uses structural geology, geochemistry and petrology to understand formation of metallic mineral deposits. He received the Society of Economic Geologist’s Silver Medal for research on “porphyry deposits” that supply much globally mined copper, molybdenum and gold.

For his Fulbright Future Scholarship, John will collaborate with researchers and use state-of-theart laboratories at Curtin University to investigate sulfur in magmas that supply hydrothermal fluids, metals and sulfur to mineral deposits

Professor Adam Seth Litwin Senior Scholars

Adam’s research, anchored in industrial relations, spans the intersection of work & employment and technological change. He investigates the ways digital technologies, in particular, are developed and deployed and how they ultimately influence work structures and worker and organizational outcomes. In general, this has pointed to the benefits of workcentered over technology-centered design and deployment. A technologist, he also conducts mixedmethod, industry studies analyzing the interplay of technological change and frontline work in the healthcare sector.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Adam plans to work with his colleagues in the Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney to begin researching a monograph examining the ways employers leverage labor market power and new technologies to displace downside economic risk. His approach responds to more deterministic approaches that either view the relative power of economic actors as the sole driver of labor market outcomes or that ignore the relationship between power, risk, and technological change altogether.

Tessa Boyd-Caine Professional Scholars

“Australian non-profit organisations, like their international colleagues, pride themselves on identifying community needs and finding solutions to them through independent, community-led approaches. However Australia’s non-profit sector has neither the data collection processes, nor the relationships across its many parts, to sustain strong, sector-led accountability.”

Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Australian Council of Social Service, has won one of the two inaugural Fulbright Professional Scholarships in Non-Profit Leadership, sponsored by the Origin Foundation and supported by the Australian Scholarships Foundation. Through her Fulbright Tessa will go to New York City and Washington DC for four months to research issues around how non-profit organisations can strengthen and lead the trust and confidence in which this sector is held.

“My project will examine the work of the Foundation Center, an organization instrumental to building openness within the American non-profit sector, and its partnership with the National Center for Charitable Statistics,” Tessa said.

“In a sector driven by values of innovation and independence, non-profits need to develop their own models for measuring their social and economic contribution. I want to identify strategies, processes and relationships underway in the USA that could be adapted to better support the contribution of the Australian non-profit sector. These might include benchmarks of accountability, operational standards or indicators of performance and outcomes that the sector itself can develop as markers of its effectiveness.”

Tessa has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney; a Masters in Criminology from the University of Sydney Law School; and a PhD from the London School of Economics. Her previous awards and prizes include the JH McClemens Memorial Prize in Criminology at Sydney University and a Studentship from the Sociology Department at the London School of Economics. Her book, ‘Protecting the public: detention and release of mentally disordered offenders’ was published by Routledge in 2010.

Tessa has worked in university and government roles and has extensive experience in the non-profit sector, where she worked for several international human rights organisations before joining ACOSS in 2009. Her interests include health, law and justice, human rights, representative governance and accountability, and community development. She plays Ultimate Frisbee and is an avid walker.

David P Bishop Postdoctoral Scholars

David obtained his bachelor degree in Applied Chemistry with Honours from the University of Technology Sydney. He continued his studies at UTS, obtaining his PhD in Analytical Chemistry in 2012. David was a founding member of the Elemental Bio-imaging Facility at UTS, which contains one of the finest collections of high-tech analytical equipment in Australia. He was employed from 2010-2014 as its Laboratory Manager during which time he developed his skills in novel applications of advanced analytical instruments and management. This experience also provided him with insights into diverse fields of research, ranging from biochemistry to nanomaterials, providing him with excellent cross-disciplinary understanding.

During his PhD and in the ensuing years, he became involved in projects which looked at the effects of metals in human health and in particular degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases and more recently muscular dystrophy. David commenced a post-doctoral fellowship in 2015 with the aims of using his knowledge of instrumentation to develop novel analytical techniques to further investigate the roles of bio-metals in physiology and to use metal tags to quantify biomolecules that may be indicative of disease.

The Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship will allow David to develop a novel approach to quantitatively determine dystrophin levels in mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a debilitating disease that primarily affects young people. This research will take place in the laboratory of Dr Wanagat in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California Los Angeles. This research will enable measurement of small changes in dystrophin levels, which may be indicative of an effective treatment. Changes as small as 10-15% may provide extended and/or improved quality of life, but cannot currently be well quantified. The strategies developed during this project will be applicable to numerous disease states which currently rely on qualitative histological assessments.

Paul Branson Postdoctoral Scholars

Paul is a jointly appointed UWA/CSIRO Research Fellow at UWA’s Wave Energy Research Centre (WERC). Paul’s career spans both the engineering and research sectors with a focus on understanding the physical ocean conditions that impact the natural environment and built infrastructure. 

Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy systems requires collaboration across global multidisciplinary teams. During his Fulbright Scholarship, Paul will collaborate with PMEC researchers to improve methods to assess a sites ocean conditions including the potential extremes. For wave energy converters, devices must interact with ocean waves to harvest energy during typical conditions but also survive extreme conditions during storms. Paul will evaluate data-driven, machine-learning techniques to improve site characterization from data and models. Improved site characterization will allow marine energy device manufactures to establish site specific designs thereby avoiding costly over-engineering or risking damage during extreme conditions. 

Dylan Cronin Postgraduate Students

In 2003 Dylan began his tertiary education at the Queensland University of Technology, where over the next four years he obtained his bachelor’s degrees in both Information Technology and Applied Science (majoring in Chemistry).  It was during this time that Dylan met Professor William Doherty, with whom he still works with today.  He began his professional relationship with Professor Doherty and the Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities (CTCB) as a research assistant, working on various projects related to the sustainable development of value-added products from waste agricultural materials produced in the Australian sugarcane industry.  Realising the social and ethical merit of this general area of research, as well as the necessity for its continued growth in the future, Dylan began to develop his career within this institute.

In 2008 Dylan completed a postgraduate honours course in Applied Chemistry research on the preparation of biodegradable multicomponent films.  The project culminated in the preparation of a thesis entitled “Formation of Multicomponent Films Using an Ionic Liquid”, defended during a final presentation several weeks later.  He was awarded the grade of 1st Class Honours for his work and commercial interest towards the project has been expressed by the international packaging company Inova.  Having the opportunity to direct his own research project confirmed his aspirations towards a career in research, particularly within the sustainable energy and materials sector.

On completion of Dylan’s honours thesis he was offered a scholarship to partake in a cultural exchange program in Cordoba, Argentina. Having never travelled outside Australia, Dylan considered this a great opportunity to contribute to his cultural education and knowledge of the Spanish language.  After spending a month attending school and living with numerous other students from around the world, Dylan spent a further nine months travelling and studying Spanish throughout Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia.  Having greatly enjoyed this experience Dylan returned to South America in 2011 to live in Rio for one year studying Portuguese, working as an English and Science teacher, and volunteering with a community outreach centre within one of the local favelas.

The most recent stage in Dylan’s career progression was his enrolment in a doctoral research project in 2013 with the CTCB, and as such his immediate academic goals relate to the successful completion of this work. The refining of organic waste materials into sustainable fuels and products is an area which Dylan has been involved in for nine years, and which interests him greatly.

With the depletion of non-renewable petroleum resources and a growing global demand for both energy and raw materials, biorefining is a socially and ethically pertinent area of research, with the potential to make a significant and immediate contribution to alleviating society’s dependence on fossil fuels. The opportunity to work at the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory at Washington State University will be of immense value to Dylan’s research, and to the immediate research community. Dylan’s area of specialisation relates to the pulping of lignocellulosic (plant material) and the valorisation of the lignin obtained therein (in basic terms this means the attempt to use a material such as lignin, but also similarly cellulose and hemicellulose,  in such a way as to exploit greater economic and environmental potential). .  It is his objective to gain valuable experience and further knowledge in the application of biomass utilisation processes and technologies, in particular those technologies relating to the acquisition, depolymerisation and subsequent valorisation of lignin.

James Dingley Postgraduate Students

James is an engineer, entrepreneur, and educator passionate about Australia’s role in space exploration and sustainable commercialisation of the final frontier. He is especially excited about the colonisation of Mars but believes Australia’s shortterm focus should be on the utilisation of satellite technology through the design and launch of its own sovereign satellite constellation. James completed an Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering and Finance from the University of Western Australia where he co-founded and lead the UWA Aerospace rocketry team. He has worked closely with academics and industry to further develop Western Australia’s space capabilities. James’ research experience includes microgravity test platforms, supersonic jet noise reduction, satellite constellation design, and Martian laser communications. James is creator and host of the popular engineering YouTube channel ‘Atomic Frontier’.

James will use his Fulbright Scholarship to strengthen institutional and industrial relations between the Australian and American space sectors. He will continue to inspire the next generation of engineers required for the colonisation of Mars and beyond

Simon Jankowski Postgraduate Students

Simon is a Masters of Hydrogeology student at the University of Western Australia, focused on regional groundwater management strategies. Simon will perform research at Stanford University’s Centre for Groundwater Evaluation and Management in the School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences.

His research will focus on the development of new geophysical and remote sensing imaging techniques to support sustainable groundwater management in California’s Central Valley. California’s Central Valley is a $20b agricultural precinct reliant on groundwater irrigation during periods of drought. Simon will use his findings to inform comparable Australian systems and seek to apply his research internationally – specifically in developing nations in order to encourage sustainable water management practices.

Simon’s research will be translational. It will contribute to more effective water resource management strategies that can be applied by governments in Australia and within the world’s most vulnerable climatic regions.

Josiah Khor Postgraduate Students

Josiah graduated from the Australian National University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science majoring in mathematics, and a Bachelor of Engineering with First Class Honours. He was awarded the University Medal, the HA Jones Medal for Engineering Excellence, and the Institute of Engineering and Technology prize upon his graduation. Additionally Josiah was the recipient of multiple scholarships and prizes throughout his undergraduate studies.

Josiah currently works as a Senior Engineer with FEI Lithicon Digital Rock Services in Canberra, a high technology start-up out of the Australian National University focused on providing digital core imaging and analysis services. This role has exposed him to several fields: high performance parallel computing, micro-CT X-ray imaging, and petroleum engineering. His goal is to build expertise in high performance parallel computing programming while developing applications for the oil and gas industry.

Josiah was first introduced to the field of digital rock physics during his undergraduate studies, when he undertook an internship with Lithicon while simultaneously pursuing an individual research project on calibration in micro-CT X-ray imaging at the Australian National University. Since then, he has become more deeply involved with the research and development of image processing and simulation algorithms in the area of digital rock physics.

His current focus is the upscaling of flow properties from laboratory to field scales using digital rock technology. It has been established that small-scale features (e.g., clay layers) can have a significant impact on hydrocarbon recovery and CO2 sequestration. Unfortunately, small-scale heterogeneities cannot be directly incorporated into field-scale (km scale) simulation models because of limitations in computing power. Therefore, the ultimate effects of small-scale heterogeneities in large-scale numerical simulations of flow properties must be accounted for through upscaling techniques. Josiah’s research on imaging and analyzing core samples at multiple scales will help identify the importance of incorporating realistic sedimentary geometries in effective flow and CO2 storage estimates due to contrasts in permeability and pore structure.

In his spare time, Josiah is also involved with the Raising Hope Education Foundation, a local not-for-profit organisation that connects university volunteers with local schools to build confidence in local schoolkids. He currently serves as a Director on the Board of Raising Hope. When not working or travelling, Josiah enjoys spending his free time running, fishing and playing soccer, and has also practiced Judo in the past. A keen snowboarder, Josiah has travelled to Japan and New Zealand chasing the snow. He also enjoys documenting his travels as an amateur photographer and relaxing at the beach.

Josiah’s current focus is the extrapolation of flow properties from smaller to larger scales using digital imaging of rock samples. It is well established that the small scale (below a millimetre) variations in rock structures can significantly impact the recovery of oil and gas from the earth. However, limitations in computing power means that these variations cannot be directly accounted for when modelling hydrocarbon fields on the kilometre scale. Therefore, the ultimate effects of these small-scale variations in large-scale numerical models must be accounted for using upscaling techniques that integrate different scales of information into a single model. Josiah’s research on imaging and analyzing rock samples at multiple scales will help identify the importance of incorporating realistic sedimentary properties when calculating fluid flow and storage properties of rocks.

During his Fulbright scholarship, Josiah plans to spend his time undertaking a Masters of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M. Texas A&M is one of the global leading universities in Petroleum Engineering. This program represents a significant opportunity to learn more about the industry from a different viewpoint, in order to better tailor the potential applications of digital rock physics.

Julian O'Shea Postgraduate Students

Julian is a designer, educator, social innovator and researcher within the Mobility Design Lab at Monash University. His project, Vehicle for Change, explores how sustainable vehicles – from solar tuk tuks to plastic bottle kayaks – can be used in public engagement and outreach. His Fulbright project will explore the design of e-bikes and scooters, incorporating the use of sustainable materials including bamboo – as well as video outreach and storytelling. Julian creates engaging educational video content for YouTube and TikTok, and was named the YouTube Breakout Creator for 2021 for his Unknown Melbourne series exploring urban design topics.

Lachlan Tegart Postgraduate Students

Lachlan is a PhD candidate at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania. His research is examining the triggers of hay fever, a common and debilitating allergic disease. As part of his Fulbright Future Scholarship, Lachlan will be working with a world leader in aerobiology (the study of airborne biological particles that affect human health). He will be implementing a new technique called the Halogen Immunoassay. This will provide scientifically robust information about which pollen types are triggers of allergy symptoms. Importantly, this method is able to detect novel pollen allergens, including Australian native taxa that cannot be tested for using conventional techniques. 

Upon his return to Tasmania, Lachlan hopes that his training will help to contribute to the knowledge of aerobiology in Australia which can foster improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of hay fever and allergies.