2011 Alumni

Howard Schweber Distinguished Chair

“The way people conceive of their government as representative speaks volumes about the way people conceive of themselves as democratic citizens and the working understandings of democracy that inform popular understandings of governmental legitimacy.”

Howard Schweber, a Professor with the Department of Political Science and Legal Studies at the University of Winconsin-Madison is the inaugural Fulbright Flinders University Distinguished Chair. The Australian Distinguished Chair in American Political Science was established in 2005, and is hosted in 2011-2015 by Flinders University.

Through his Fulbright, Professor Schweber will spend five months at Flinders University examining the ways in which foundational concepts of representative government have shaped the development of Australian constitutional and political culture.

Professor Schweber’s past research has focused on the conceptual underpinnings of American constitutionalism, and liberal democracy in general, and he has written books on the subject.

“There is a considerable body of work that compares different constitutional ideas across political cultures; my hope is to further that comparative understanding by drawing connections to differences in underlying conceptions of a basic democratic concept,” Professor Schweber said.

Professor Schweber said that Australia provides an exceptionally interesting case for comparative treatment because of its history of maintaining a constitutional system rooted in a combination of elements of British and American systems.

Professor Schweber is eager to take advantage of the archival resources, attitudinal information, and collaborative efforts that being in Australia will make possible. At the end of his project he plans to produce published work analysing the answers to these inquiries in comparative perspective.

Howard Schweber has a BA in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, a JD from the University of Washington, an MS in History from the University of Chicago, and a PhD in Government from Cornell University. His forthcoming book is his fourth (others are studies of American legal history and the First Amendment). He will be accompanied in Australia by his wife and daughter, while another son will remain in the United States to pursue graduate studies.

Timothy Bralower Senior Scholars

“Ecosystems are being altered by climate change—coral reefs are dying, food chains are being damaged, and marine diversity is dropping. A combination of scientific research and policy decisions are desperately needed to address the changes. It is an effort for which international collaboration is essential.”

Professor Timothy Bralower, Professor and Head of the Department of Geosciences in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Pennsylvania State University has received a Fulbright Senior Scholarship to come to the Climate Research Centre at the University of New South Wales for six months. He will focus on ocean acidification and climate change.

Timothy will set up a joint U.S.-Australian project that will address acidification and the larger issue of climate change on three levels.

Firstly the collaboration will work on improving our scientific understanding of ocean acidification. Secondly he will work with Australian geoscience departments to strengthen programs focused on climate change, and thirdly, he will play a role in educating the broader public on pressing environmental issues by developing an on-line course, “Earth Futures.”

“As humans add increasing amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, temperatures are rising and global climate is changing. The oceans are becoming more acidic, causing important marine organisms such as reef-forming corals to dissolve,” Professor Bralower said.

“Current projections suggest that the oceans will become sufficiently acidic to extinguish coral reefs within this century. Acidification will also threaten some of the most important plankton at the bottom of the food chain, and loss of these organisms could hurt life throughout the oceans.”

Timothy has a BA with Honours in Geology, Oxford University, England; an MS in Oceanography, and PhD in Earth Sciences from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. He is a recognised leader in the field of paleoceanography, has published extensively, and is a dedicated educator and administrator. In his spare time he enjoys gardening, travel, and a variety of sports.

Ross Buckley Senior Scholars

“The reforms so far in response to the Global Financial Crisis have embraced no new thinking. Governments have responded with more of the same.”

Professor Ross Buckley, Professor and Chair at the School of Law from the University of New South Wales has received a 2011 Fulbright Senior Scholarship to go to Duke University in North Carolina to undertake a project in international finance law for three months.

“The EU, UK and US are all in the process of enacting regulatory responses to the global financial crisis,” Ross said. “These reforms will help, but all of the thinking behind these reforms is straight from the box that brought us the GFC.”

“In my discussions with senior legal practitioners and regulators, most seem to accept that the complexity of modern securities means that the disclosure regime, upon which all security regulation is based, no longer works effectively.”

Ross’s view is that the GFC requires systemic, not mere national, reforms. Ross will undertake a project exploring three potential financial reforms, involving financial transaction taxes, bank levies, and a sovereign bankruptcy regime. “If we don’t pursue truly fundamental reforms in the next 3-5 years, another GFC is highly likely,” Ross said. Ross will continue the study after he returns to Australia for the next three years.

Ross has a BEcon, University of Queensland; LLB (Hons), University of Queensland; LLM, Bond University; PhD, University of New South Wales; and a LLD, University of Melbourne. He has also received various awards including the Bond University Oxford Scholarship, two ARC Discovery Grants and a previous Fulbright Coral Sea Scholarship, and he has published widely.In his spare time he enjoys ocean swimming, snow skiing, and walking his very energetic dog.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Ross is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Virginia Carrieri-Kohlman Senior Scholars

“Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is a leading cause of illness and mortality worldwide resulting in an economic and social burden that is both substantial and increasing.”

Professor Virginia (Ginger) Carrieri-Kohlman, a professor with the Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California-San Francisco, has won a Fulbright Senior Scholarship to travel to the University of Technology, Sydney for six months to test an online dyspnea self-management intervention for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung diseases.

“The suffering and disability for people with COPD is primarily due to the symptom of dyspnea or shortness of breath” Ginger said.

Through her Fulbright, Ginger will test the feasibility and efficacy of an Internet-based dyspnea self-management intervention for people with lung disease in Australia. This program has been shown to be effective for people with COPD in the United States.

“If found to be effective internationally, this web-based intervention will transcend geographic barriers and provide tailored monitoring, education, exercise and skills training for people suffering from lung disease in all settings and all phases of illness,” Ginger said.

Ginger has a BS from Cornell University/New York Hospital School of Nursing, an MS and a DNSc from the University of California, San Francisco. She has also won various awards and prizes, including being elected fellow of the American Academy of Nursing; election as Helen Nahm UCSF Distinguished Research Lecturer, UCSF School of Nursing; an American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award; and a Cornell University-NY Hospital School of Nursing 45th Reunion Distinguished Alumnus Award. She has also published extensively. In her spare time she enjoys, visiting with her three daughters, travelling, gardening, and swimming.

Nicole Carter Senior Scholars

“That water availability can influence energy choices and that energy choices have freshwater implications are only recently part of the international and national debates over the future energy economy and prospects for energy and environmental security.”

Dr Nicole Carter, Natural Resources Specialist with the Congressional Research Service at the U.S. Library of Congress, Washington, DC, will come to the Australian National University in Canberra to explore factors shaping the energy sector’s water use in Australia and other water resource management issues.

“In the last decade, Australia more than any other country has invested financial and political capital in transforming its water policy. It is exploring opportunities to more efficiently use water and to more reliably meet human and environmental needs,” Nicole said. “Pursuing water policy reforms, however, is neither simple nor politically expedient. I want to learn about both the benefits and drawbacks of these reforms.”

“Climate change and new demands for water are testing freshwater systems globally. My research will investigate whether Australia’s investment in reforming water policy will allow it to better adapt and prosper in midst of increasing constraints.”

Using data compiled from government and industry sources and collected through interviews Nicole’s Fulbright research will analyse water-related decisions by the energy sector.

Her research aims to identify policies that may increase energy’s water use (e.g., promotion of some climate mitigation and renewable electricity technologies) and policies that are or could be used to manage this use. The results could inform water, energy, and climate policy in Australia and elsewhere.

The Fulbright Scholar Program will provide Nicole with the opportunity to concentrate her research and thoughts on issues of long-term significance for U.S. water policy through the lens of Australia’s experience.

Nicole has a BS (Civil Engineering) from The University of Texas at Austin; an MS (Engineering) and a PhD (Civil and Environmental Engineering) from Stanford University. She has published extensively, including many reports to Congress. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and water sports.

Thomas Hangartner Senior Scholars

“Women with breast cancer often receive a treatment that has a negative effect on bones. Most of these women do not die as a result of the breast cancer but may suffer bone loss and structural decay, which increase fracture risk and decrease quality of life.”

Distinguished Professor Thomas Hangartner, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio has received a Fulbright Senior Scholarship to come to The University of Melbourne in Australia. He will study bone strength in women who have been treated for breast cancer.

“Drugs known as aromatase inhibitors have been successful in reducing the growth of cancer tissue in the breast due to their effect in lowering estrogen levels. However reducing the level of estrogen through aromatase inhibitors is likely to accelerate bone loss, although the effect is not seen in all women and not to the same degree in all women,” Professor Hangartner said.

Professor Hangartner’s Fulbright project brings together the distinctive resources at The University of Melbourne in Australia and expertise developed at Wright State University, to develop and implement an accurate computer model of bone and use it to evaluate the effect of aromatase inhibitors on bone strength in an individual patient.

The tool will have the benefits of helping to identify women with breast cancer who are most likely to fracture bones in the future so that they can be given appropriate treatment. His work will also shed light on the development of osteoporosis in healthy women.

Thomas has a Dipl. Phys. ETH, a teaching certificate (Secondary Education), and a Dr. sc. nat., from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich. He has won various awards and prizes, including Outstanding Engineer and Scientist Award, Engineering and Science Foundation of Dayton; Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine; Honorary Chair, Imaging Science and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Manchester. In his spare time he enjoys photography as well as playing the flute, recorders and crumhorns.

Hylton Menz Senior Scholars

“Foot disorders are often perceived as relatively trivial complaints, however there is strong evidence that foot pain and deformity have a significant impact on quality of life.”

Associate Professor Hylton Menz, from La Trobe University’s Musculoskeletal Research Centre has received a 2011 Fulbright Senior Scholarship to go to the Institute for Aging Research at Harvard University for four months to undertake research into foot pain.

The program of research will identify factors that increase the risk of future development of foot pain, the impact of foot pain on physical functioning, and the contribution of foot disorders in the development of symptoms in other body regions, particularly in older people.

“Foot disorders are a common but largely under-researched public health problem,” Hylton said. “This project will address significant gaps in the literature by examining the prevalence and impact of foot disorders.”

Hylton will use a sample of men and women who are members of the Framingham Foot Study cohort, derived from two large, population-based samples of residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.

The outcomes of this program of research will be a vastly improved knowledge of the risk factors for foot symptoms in older people, which has the potential to inform intervention studies to prevent the onset of foot pain and disability.

“It will also assess the impact of foot symptoms on physical function and health-related quality of life, which will highlight the extent to which foot disorders are a public health problem, and the relationship between foot pain and deformity and the risk of developing pain in other body regions, which has implications for the design of mechanical interventions such as foot orthoses and footwear modifications,” Hylton said.

Hylton has a BPod(First Class Hons) and a PhD from the University of New South Wales, and is the editor of the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research. He has won many awards and prizes including a Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2006), a British Medical Association Book Award (2009), a La Trobe University Excellence in Research Award (2009) and an Honorary Fellowship of the UK Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists (2010).

In his spare time he enjoys international travel with his wife Elizabeth and 2-year old daughter Anika. The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra.

Hylton is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Curt Tofteland Senior Scholars

“I wondered if someone like me – a professional theatre artist – might be able to bring out some of the innate human goodness hidden within a convicted criminal through the power of art, theatre, and the works of William Shakespeare.”

Mr Curt L. Tofteland, Founder & Producing Director, Shakespeare Behind Bars, Inc. (SBB) in Kentucky and Michigan, has won a Fulbright Senior Scholarship to come to The University of Queensland (UQ) from August 17 through December 19, 2011.

“SBB is a nine-month program in prisons that aims to help change the behaviour of convicted criminals and encourages them to lead productive lives when they are released from prison,” Curt said.

SBB has been running in the U.S. for sixteen years. It was first program of its kind created in the U.S., and continues to be the longest running program of its kind in North America.

“Our research has found that in prisons where this program has been running, we can see a lower incidence of re-incarceration following release from prison,” Curt said. The current SBB recidivism rate over the past sixteen years is 7%. The national recidivism rate in the U.S. is 67%.

In Australia, Curt will work with UQ’s Dr Rob Pensalfini, who is the co-founder and artistic director of the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble (QSE), a professional Theatre Company based in Brisbane. Curt will co-direct with Crystal Arons a production of William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice. QSE runs a ‘Shakespeare-in-Prison’ program modeled on SBB, Arts in Community Enhancement (ACE) in a prison west of Brisbane, the Borallon Correctional Centre.

“Shakespeare in Prison is a trailblazer in its fusing of the plays of William Shakespeare with the methodology and work of Shakespeare & Company and of Augusto Boal, the preeminent Brazilian theatre director, writer, and politician, and his Theatre of the Oppressed. This is a theatrical style that embraces relevant interaction and dialogue between the performer and the audience. ACE is the first Australian Shakespeare-in-Prison project and it continues to be the only program of its kind in Australia,” Curt said.

“By sharing my work in the SBB program with my Australian colleagues and learning their unique methodology of combining the plays of William Shakespeare with the work of Shakespeare & Company and Augusto Boal, my Australian colleagues and I believe the cross fertilization of beliefs, ideas, and methodologies will make both of our programs stronger, deeper, and richer.”

Curt has a BFA in music (vocal performance) from the University of North Dakota and a MFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota. He also has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Bellarmine University; a Petra Foundation Fellow; a Distinguished Alumni Award from University of Minnesota; and an Al Smith Fellowship in Playwrighting from the Kentucky Arts Council. In his spare time he enjoys reading, playing guitar, biking, swimming, and hanging out with his family.

Sharon Davis Professional Scholars

“The Murray-Darling Basin is an important and iconic river basin, at both the national and international scale. It covers around 1 million square kilometers and produces approximately 40 per cent of Australia’s agricultural production. The Basin system also contains more than 30,000 wetlands and many ecological systems of international significance including 16 Ramsar Convention listed sites.”

Dr Sharon Davis, General Manager with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority will have the opportunity to contribute to the Harvard Water Initiative at Harvard University through a Fulbright Professional Scholarship.

Sharon’s research will share the Australian experience of setting sustainable water resource diversion limits, identify potential opportunities for future development, and evaluate the applicability of the approach used in the Murray-Darling Basin to other countries. “Australia is a recognised international leader in water resource management and has a significant history in water reform,” Sharon said. “Over the last 20 years Australia has made major steps forward in water resource management, most recently through the Commonwealth Water Act 2007, which requires sustainable water diversion limits to be set across the Murray-Darling Basin.” 

“The project is designed to contribute to advances in water resource management in Australia and internationally.” Sharon has a BA (Hons) (Physical Geography) Monash University and a PhD (Civ. Eng.) (Hydrology), Monash University. She received the Murray-Darling Basin Commission Leadership Award; is currently the leader of the Environmental Planning Team within the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, and was a Member of the Murray-Darling Basin Reform Taskforce. She represented the Murray-Darling Basin Commission on the Mekong River Commission/Murray-Darling Basin Commission Strategic Liaison Partnership Mission in 2007.

In her spare time she enjoys skiing, bushwalking and trekking, adventure racing, triathlons, good coffee and travel. The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Sharon is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Fergus Hanson Professional Scholars

“While Australia and the United States have very close diplomatic ties, when it comes to recent innovations in diplomacy there is great untapped potential for exchange and opportunity to further broaden the alliance relationship.”

Fergus Hanson, Director of Polling and Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney will have the opportunity to spend three months at Georgetown University in Washington through the Anniversary Alliance Scholarship sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). DFAT sponsored a second scholarship for 2011 as part of the celebrations for the 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program.

His project aims to make a practical contribution to alliance cooperation by examining the broad range of innovations the State Department has been adopting in the area of 21st century statecraft, including digital diplomacy, and assessing which of these could be applied in Australia. A second focus will be on the State Department’s use of opinion polling to inform foreign policy making – where it is also a world leader – and looking at how DFAT could learn from this experience. “These innovations greatly extend reach at limited additional cost and, in the case of polling, allow better targeting of scarce resources,” Fergus said.

“This project would provide DFAT with an in-depth analysis of this ‘creative diplomacy’ as practised by one of the world’s leading diplomatic services. It would broaden the depth of understanding of which factors are fostering this innovation, which programs have been most effective and in which areas, and will allow for a more informed decision about those that might work best in an Australian context. Most importantly it will encourage further deepening of diplomatic cooperation and strengthening of the ANZUS alliance.”

Fergus has a BA in Philosophy and a Masters in International Law from the University of Sydney. In addition to his qualifications he has represented Australia in the Netherlands as a diplomat, been awarded a Vasey Fellowship from CSIS Pacific Forum (November-February 2010-11), held a Visiting Fellowship at the Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law, University of Cambridge (May-July 2003), been awarded a full Swiss government scholarship to undertake postgraduate studies in Switzerland (2003-04) and has published extensively.

His non-academic interests include surfing (badly), snowboarding, carpentry, trekking and reading. The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Fergus is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Libby Maynard Professional Scholars

“The safety of women and children experiencing family violence has become increasingly prominent in both the Australian and Victorian government policy agendas since the mid-1990s. The challenge is where money can best be directed to help address this problem and how to show that intervention measures have been successful”

Libby Maynard, a partner at Julian Midwinter & Associates, a strategic practice development consultancy focussing on professional service firms, has won the 2011 Fulbright Professional Business/Industry Coral Sea Scholarship. This Fulbright scholarship was established by former U.S. Ambassador Mel Sembler and U.S. companies to recognise the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea and address business and industry issues common to Australia and the U.S.

Through her Fulbright, Libby will visit think tanks and non-profit organisations in Washington DC and New York, as well as the Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership at Georgetown University in Washington DC and the Department of International and Public Affairs at George Mason University in Virginia. She will spend up to four months studying methodologies for measuring the social impact of community legal services for women experiencing family breakdown and violence and explore whether partnering with other services enhances social outcomes.

“Good practice interventions can make enormous differences in women’s lives. Providing financial support for these interventions is essential. As the demands placed on government funding increase, more reliance is being placed on private philanthropic and corporate support,” Libby said.

“However, in today’s competitive environment, non-profit organisations are competing for funding based on what they can deliver. As a result, non-profits are striving to demonstrate efficiency and social impact.”

Libby’s project will explore the application of established methodologies for evaluating the performance of non-profit organisations to community legal services for women.. The results will benefit non-profits operating in both the access to justice and family violence sectors by providing guidance on frameworks for evaluating and communicating the social impact of their programs.

“This project will enable access to some of the most progressive thinking and practices in the delivery and measurement of these kinds of services. It will also provide real assistance for government, private philanthropic and corporate funders, who increasingly demand a framework for the measurement and evaluation of non-profit efficiency and effectiveness when making decisions about their investment in community programs and evaluating those investments,” Libby said.

Libby has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University and a Master of Business Administration from the Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne. She has worked for law firms including DLA Phillips Fox and Freehills and is a current Board member of Women’s Legal Service Victoria.  As a consultant, Libby has developed and delivered a variety of programmes tailored to help professional service firms achieve sustainable results including as an occasional lecturer in the Melbourne Law School Graduate Diploma of Law Firm Management and at Leo Cussen Institute.  She has two daughters and is married to fellow 2011 Fulbright Scholar, Timothy McEvoy.  She is passionate about ensuring access to the justice system for those women who need it most.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Libby is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Timothy McEvoy Professional Scholars

“There are currently no treaties, whether bilateral or multilateral, by which judgments of Australian courts can be easily enforced in the U.S. and judgments of U.S. courts can be easily enforced in Australia. The absence of formal arrangements for the mutual recognition and enforcement of judgments sits uncomfortably with the close political and economic relationship that exists between Australia and the U.S. It is time to take reform of this area of the law out of the too-hard basket.”

Dr Timothy McEvoy, a member of the Victorian Bar, will spend the Fall Semester of 2011 in the School of Law at the University of Virginia and at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. through one of two 2011 Fulbright Professional Scholarships in Australia-U.S. Alliance Studies sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. DFAT sponsored a second scholarship for 2011 as part of the celebrations for the 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program.

“There is increasing recognition that the absence of formal arrangements between Australia and the U.S. for the recognition and enforcement of judgments is a major impediment to the developing trade relationship between the two countries. By increasing the uncertainties associated with enforcing legal rights, the absence of formal judgment recognition and enforcement arrangements impacts adversely on investment decisions. It has a chilling effect on the expansion of trade relations and ultimately the economic growth and prosperity of both countries”, Dr McEvoy said.

“The Australia US Free Trade Agreement is alive to the problem which the absence of formal arrangements for the mutual recognition and enforcement of judgments represents. It expresses a bilateral commitment to exploring the possibility of greater mutual recognition and enforcement of judgments obtained by the regulatory authorities of both countries in consumer protection cases.”

Dr McEvoy’s research will assess the desire for greater mutual recognition and enforcement of judgments expressed in the AUSFTA, and consider the potential form of a bilateral treaty for the recognition and enforcement of judgments between Australia and the U.S. An important part of his research will be consultation with key US stakeholders on the desirability and possible structure of a judgments recognition and enforcement convention with Australia.

Dr McEvoy has an LL.B (Hons) and an LL.M from the University of Melbourne, together with a BA in politics and history. In 1999 he received an SJD (Doctor of Juridical Science) from the University of Virginia. From 1998 to 2001 he was a member of the Australian delegation of experts to the Special Commission of the Hague Conference on Private International Law which drafted a global jurisdiction and judgments convention. He has been a Visiting Professor in the School of Law at the University of Virginia annually since 2001, and is currently the Senior Tutor in Law at Ormond College in the University of Melbourne. He sits on the board of the Parenting Research Centre and is married to fellow 2011 Fulbright Scholar Elizabeth Maynard. They have two daughters.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Dr McEvoy is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Damien Pearce Professional Scholars

“I aim to provide education and training that not only develops the skills and knowledge required to undertake a specific role description, but to also promote life-long learning and the transference of skills to new contexts.”

Damien Pearce, doctoral student in law enforcement education at the University of Southern Queensland, is the winner of the 2011 Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Vocational Education and Training (VET) sponsored by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

This Scholarship was established in 1995 to support the exchange of research and ideas in VET between Australia and the United States.Through his Fulbright, Damien will go to the John Jay School of Criminal Justice in New York, to undertake a comparative analysis of police education and training strategies used in Australian and the U.S. policing, from April for six months.

“Australian police are confronting increasingly complex and challenging environments of law enforcement,” Damien said.

“I aim to look at how police officers are trained in the U.S. and compare it with what we are doing in Australia. I will look for methods and strategies that they use in the U.S, to see if there are ways that we can enhance our education and training.” He will also investigate the contemporary design of the police curriculum, the practical training approaches used by police educators and look at how contemporary adult teaching methods are applied to enhance police education in the U.S.

Damien has a Master of Educational Leadership from the University of Canberra; a Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Teaching and Learning from the Canberra Institute of Technology; and trade certification as a Fitter Armourer attained while serving in the Australian Army. Damien has a long time relationship with youth development through Scouts Australia. In his spare time he enjoys outdoor activities.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Damien is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Clare Sullivan Professional Scholars

“The concept of digital identity provides a new perspective for the analysis and classification of identity crime, particularly in distinguishing identity theft from fraud. It also leads to consideration of whether intentional or reckless misuse of an individual’s identity can be considered criminal damage.”

Dr Clare Sullivan, a research fellow with the University of Adelaide has been awarded the 2011 Fulbright South Australia Scholarship to spend four months at George Washington University in the United States. The South Australia Scholarship is supported by the South Australian Government and South Australian based universities, and was launched in 2009.

Through her Fulbright, Clare will examine whether the digital identity that people use for transactions online is emerging as a new legal concept in the U.S. and if so, the legal nature of digital identity and how it can be legally protected.“ Typically, the identity information required for transactions consists of full name, gender, date and place of birth, a signature or PIN and often, a social security number. It may also include photographic and biometric comparison. This set of information is used for transactions with government and with private sector organizations,” Clare said.

Clare’s research in the United Kingdom and Australia will provide the framework for this analysis. “Although identity has been used in commercial dealings for some years, my research shows that a legal concept of identity for transactions has now clearly emerged in the United Kingdom as a result of the Identity Cards Act 2006 (UK) and the national identity scheme it establishes.”

“The emergence of a similar concept is also evident in Australia, particularly as a consequence of the federal health registration scheme proposed in 2007. These developments are based on the premise of one person: one identity which, of itself, constitutes is a major change to the law.” The nature of digital identity has been designated as a priority area in both Australia and the U.S. Clare’s research will be able to inform both governments.

Clare has a LLM, MBA and PhD in law from the University of Adelaide. She has received an Award of University of Adelaide scholarship to commercialise PhD research on digital identity, has published widely, including a trade-based money laundering report for the Australian Institute of Criminology, to be published in 2011, and a book entitled ‘Digital Identity : An Emergent Legal Concept’ University of Adelaide Press, published in November2010. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, swimming, travel and the arts.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Clare is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Jacek Jasieniak Postdoctoral Scholars

“Imagine your wallpaper acting like an efficient light or your TV being made from millions of individual lasers. This is how printed lighting and lasers will revolutionize our everyday life.”

Dr Jacek Jasieniak, a post-doctoral fellow at the CSIRO has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to go to the University of California Santa Barbara for 12 months. Jacek’s research will seek to expand a current project he is involved with, which is developing laser technology in new ways. “In the future it is possible that we will develop very tiny lasers that could be used in a myriad of ways,” Jacek said. “For instance, the development of printable and electrically operated lighting and lasers will revolutionize the way our houses, streets and cars will look, how we will detect explosives and pathogens in water, and even what types of computers we will use,” Jacek said.Jacek’s work will progress technology necessary to meet this dream.

“We need to further improve on materials which can efficiently transport electricity, and also establish the best device structures to accomplish the most efficient light emitting process,” Jacek said. In this project, Jacek will combine his experience of synthesizing efficient charge transport layers, with the fabrication capabilities of complex device architectures offered by Professor Alan Heeger at UC, Santa Barbara.

“Through this synergy, efficient, electrically operated light emitting devices will be developed,” Jacek said. Jacek has a BSC in chemistry from Flinders University and a PhD in chemistry from the University of Melbourne. He was awarded the University Medal by Flinders University and the Chancellor’s Prize for best PhD thesis within Science and Engineering at the University of Melbourne.

His interests include understanding the transition of the electronic and physical properties of semiconductors as they change from the atomic to the bulk states of matter, as well as developing technologies useful in future electronics that are based on organic and inorganic amorphous and nanocrystalline materials. Jacek’s research discoveries will contribute to CSIRO’s efforts to develop new kinds of flexible solar cells and lighting systems through their Future Manufacturing National Research Flagship.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Jacek is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011

David Nisbet Postdoctoral Scholars

“There is currently no effective treatment for repair of the central nervous system (CNS) damaged by disease or injury, with the physical and psychological consequences to the patients and their families being devastating.”

David Nisbet, a Senior Research Fellow at Monash University is the winner of the 2011 Fulbright Victoria Scholarship, supported by the Victorian Government and Victorian universities. Through his Fulbright, David will spend five months at the University of California, Berkeley in California, extending his current research into materials that may possibly be used in the future to help damaged brain and spinal cord tissues to regenerate.

“My project aims to move closer towards a successful treatment for CNS injury and disease, specifically in the brain,” David said. David and his mentor, Associate Professor John Forsythe, have developed a unique way to encourage stem cells to repair damaged tissue by creating an environment that provides physical and chemical cues that effectively “teach” them how to develop. His method involves using polymer nanofibres, which are ultrafine fibres made from a synthetic material, as a scaffold to assist stem cells to repair damaged tissues.

Over the duration of the Fulbright Scholarship, Dr Nisbet will work with Professor Kevin Healy at the University of California, Berkeley, learning additional methods of how the scaffolding can be built and applied, which will augment his current work.David has a BEng and a PhD in Engineering from Monash University. In addition he has been awarded the Mollie Holman Medal for best Monash PhD thesis and the Kenneth Hunt Medal for best Engineering PhD thesis. He has also been published in key journals and books and currently supervises PhD students. In his spare time he enjoys cycling, both road and mountain bikes.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. David is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Steven Tong Postdoctoral Scholars

“Staphylococcus aureus (golden staph) is a major cause of severe community and hospital acquired infections.”

Dr Steven Tong, a Consultant Physician at Royal Darwin Hospital and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Menzies School of Health Research is the winner of the inaugural Fulbright Northern Territory Scholarship, supported by the Northern Territory Government, Charles Darwin University and corporate sponsor Blackboard Asia Pacific. The first project will examine the relationship between the bacterium and infection of the lining of the heart muscle. The second will build on Dr Tong’s existing work on a certain strain of the bacterium to assess its virulence and assist with management of infections. The projects will have benefits both for the medical profession generally and for the Top End in particular.

“The Menzies School of Health Research is establishing an internationally and nationally recognized role in staphylococcal research. This project will further enhance this reputation and establish an ongoing collaborative link with one of the world’s leading centres for staphylococcal research,” Steven said. Steven has an MBBS with honours from the University of Melbourne, is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and has a PhD in Biomedicine from Charles Darwin University.  He has received various awards and prizes including the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases travel award: best advanced training project, American Society of Microbiology Student and Post Doctoral Fellows Travel Grant, and the Australian Society for Antimicrobials travel award, and he has also published extensively.

In his spare time he enjoys reading, bike riding and assuming the role of the prince in various games with his two young daughters. 

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Steven is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Natasha Wiggins Postdoctoral Scholars

“Sustainable wildlife management strategies in Tasmania need to be based on ecological and behavioural data regarding the interactive processes that involve priority species. This will help us to understand the likely responses of individuals and groups to management efforts.”

Dr Natasha Wiggins, a postdoctoral researcher with the University of Tasmania, is the winner of the 2011 Fulbright Tasmania Scholarship. This scholarship is sponsored by the Tasmanian government and the University of Tasmania and is awarded to an applicant to undertake research in the United States on a topic or issue of importance to the state.

Through her Fulbright, Natasha will investigate the relationship between the pygmy rabbit and its key food source, sagebrush. Her research aims to advance our understanding of how mammalian herbivores, such as the pygmy rabbit, select their food.

“The proposed research will offer crucial insights into the eucalypt herbivore systems in Australia and expand our knowledge of what factors drive herbivore feeding decisions,” Natasha said. “This information is of particular importance in areas where herbivores and humans are directly competing for the same resources.” “Diet availability is considered the overarching driver of herbivore foraging decisions, but recent advances in plant-herbivore ecology suggest that diet quality should also be factored into foraging decisions.”

Natasha will investigate the influence of diet quality, availability and temperature-dependent tolerance to plant chemistry between pygmy rabbits and sagebrush. Her research will provide important insights into how herbivores respond to seasonal differences in diet quality and availability, and the influence that temperature may play in altering herbivore responses to plant chemistry. Natasha’s research will provide a greater insight into eucalypt-herbivore systems in Australia.

Natasha has a BSc and a PhD (Biological Sciences) from the University of Tasmania. She has also received awards and funding including the Winifred Violet Scott Trust; Research funding for sustainable wildlife management from the TCFA: Alternatives to 1080 Program; and the Claudio Alcorso Foundation Environment Prize. In her spare time she enjoys bush walking and hiking, and community involvement in programs which promote wildlife education.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Natasha is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Marvin Alfaro Postgraduate Students

“The interaction between the earth’s atmosphere and oceans is crucial to what happens to the earth’s climate, and we need to increase our understanding of these key systems.”

Mr Marvin Alfaro, who has just completed a BS in meteorology and mathematics at the University of Miami, is the 2011 winner of the Fulbright CSIRO Postgraduate Scholarship. Through his Fulbright Marvin will come to Australia for a year to study the impacts and implications of a particular ocean boundary within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the Antarctic Polar Front, on global climate change.

Marvin will work with the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales and the CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship.

“The atmosphere of the Southern Hemisphere, which generally has an average atmospheric circulation dominated by westerly winds that extend from Earth’s surface to the stratosphere, has undergone pronounced southward movement over the past few decades,” Marvin said.

“Remote sensing and observational analyses have demonstrated that these trends are dominated by the development of the stratospheric Antarctic ozone hole, with smaller but important contributions from increases in greenhouse gases. These observations suggest that human activity has demonstrably affected the climate of the Southern Hemisphere.”

Marvin will use satellite sea surface temperature measurements and take a scientific research cruise into the Southern Ocean to examine a possible shift of the Antarctic Polar Front over the past few decades and its relationship with changes in Southern Hemisphere westerly winds.

Marvin has recently graduated with a BS from the University of Miami. He has won various awards and prizes including an Honorary Certificate-University of Miami; a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, to study in the United Kingdom; and a National Science Foundation Computer Science and Mathematics for Scientist Scholarship. In addition to his studies, Marvin has participated in a Study Abroad Peer Mentor program at his university and is active in the Methodist church.

Nicholas Apollo Postgraduate Students

“There is currently no cure for the blindness caused by retinitis pigmentosa. The engineers and clinicians at Bionic Vision Australia are working to develop an implantable retinal prosthetic device which could help people with degenerative retinal conditions to increase their perception of the physical environment.”

Mr. Nicholas Apollo, a recent graduate from University of Pittsburgh, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to spend time with Bionic Vision Australia (BVA) in Melbourne working on ways to improve life for blind people. BVA is a national consortium of research institutes at the forefront of retinal disease and prosthesis research.

“I will work with Bionic Vision Australia to perform physiological and psychophysical tests that will help to determine which blind patients will be excellent candidates for the Bionic Eye implant device,” Nicholas said.

Nicholas will work with Dr. Chi Luu and Dr. Lauren Ayton at the Centre for Eye Research Australia, one of BVA’s members, to examine the structure of an implant patient’s retina and measure the thicknesses of the different retinal layers using state-of-the-art optical imaging equipment and techniques. Previous work suggests that a patient with thicker retinal layers will have more success with the device.

Additionally, he will utilize his connections at Bionic Vision Australia to study how accessible and safe the city of Melbourne, and surrounding areas, are for the blind community.

“I will question patients about the current accessibility and safety of Melbourne, playing a key role in gathering data that will contribute to future devices and processes that will increase public safety,” Nicholas said

“It is my hope that I will gain valuable ideas and experiences in Australia, both of which will be directly applicable to my future career as an innovative medical practitioner and engineer. Additionally, I am eager to exchange ideas and interact directly with vision impaired patients, research scientists, and engineers in Australia to work toward improving the safety, quality of life, and overall well-being of the blind members of society.”

Nicholas has a BS in Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to his academic work, Nicholas has a strong interest in music, and volunteers in the hospital and with Habitat for Humanity, an organisation that remodels schools, churches, and homes in low income neighborhoods.

Stephen Aro Postgraduate Students

“At the University of Western Australia, I will be able to expand my horizons and improve as a scientist to complete a project which has the potential to enhance the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a diagnostic tool.”

Mr Stephen Aro, a recent science graduate from Carnegie Mellon University, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to spend a year at the University of Western Australia.

Through his Fulbright, Stephen will work with world-leading biomagnetism expert, UWA’s Professor Tim St. Pierre to expand his research in the U.S., with Prof. Sara Majetich at Carnegie Mellon.

In the U.S. Stephen has been working with Professor Majetich on developing magentised nano-particles to be used with optical microscopes as well as in magnetic data storage materials. In WA he aims to develop similar particles that can be used for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

“MRI machines work by detecting the molecular-scale magnetic fields of the hydrogen atoms in water molecules throughout our bodies. Larger particles are theoretically better MRI contrast agents because they are easier for the machines to pick up. However, the practical problem that arises in using larger particles is that they can be attracted to each other which could have serious consequences in the human body,” Stephen said.

The particles that Stephen will develop are iron oxide particles with a silica coating.

“The potential advantage of the covered particles I will test lies in the silica coating, which should prevent them from aggregating without weakening them, making them far more effective than current methods at improving MRI signal resolution,” Stephen said.

By creating larger magnetic particles, their uses in biomagnetic application will be drastically increased,” Stephen said.

Stephen has a BS in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon. He has received various awards and prizes including an interdisciplinary program in nanotechnology (IUPN) fellowship through Carnegie Mellon and the National Science Foundation; and has been on the Mellon College of Science Dean’s List High Honors. In his spare time he tutors elementary school children as a volunteer.

Emily Baldock Postgraduate Students

“Over the last decade the accounting profession has undergone immense scrutiny and consequent change. Governmental intervention and supervision has increased substantially in an international attempt to regulate more rigorously and standardize the accounting profession.”

Ms Emily Baldock, a recent graduate from the University of Louisville, has won the 2011 Fulbright ANU College of Business and Economics Postgraduate Scholarship.

Through her Fulbright, Emily will attend the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia for a year to undertake a comparative analysis of the methods used in Australia and the United States to detect and prevent fraud in each country’s public companies.

“Currently there are two different international standards used for accounting and auditing. The current auditing standards used in the U.S. are enforced through the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board,” Emily said.

“Virtually every other industrialized country, on the other hand, including Australia, uses another set of accounting and auditing standards, which are issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB).”

“These two distinct sets of standards concentrate on different priorities and goals. While the PCAOB focuses on oversight, the IAASB concentrates on developing and enhancing audit standards. A tension has developed among industrialized countries over which set of standards should be utilized.”

Emily’s work aims to shed light on the similarities and differences between the standards, which are more stringent and find out whether there are more incidents in the U.S. or the U.S. method is better at detecting them.

When she returns to the U.S., Emily plans to attend the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law and to maintain her interest in a forensic accounting career.

Emily recently graduated from the University of Louisville with a BSBA in accounting and international business. She has won various awards and prizes including the David Calzi Ernst & Young Scholarship, the KYCPA Scholarship, the Institute of Management Accountants’ Scholarship 2009, the William F. Mayer Scholarship 2009, a Study Abroad Scholarship 2009, and the 2011 University of Louisville – College of Business Outstanding Graduate. In her spare time, she is active in university groups and enjoys exercising outdoors, playing sports, and reading.

Lashi Bandara Postgraduate Students

“Differential geometry – the study of objects of arbitrary dimensions with curvature – has emerged as a fundamental tool in understanding many phenomena including econometrics, computer vision and even the universe itself. The coupling of tools from two other mathematical areas known as harmonic analysis and operator theory into geometry will further enhance and broaden the scope of its applications.”

Lashi Bandara, a PhD candidate at the Australian National University in Canberra will have the opportunity to spend twelve months at Stanford and the University of Missouri through a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship. In the U.S., Lashi will further his current PhD studies in mathematics combining differential geometry and harmonic analysis. Lashi’s PhD research involves generalising the Kato Square Root problem to a new setting. The classical Kato Square Root problem was first conjectured by Tosio Kato from UC Berkeley in the 1960s. The problem was resolved in 2002. Lashi’s PhD supervisor, Alan McIntosh, was one of the six mathematicians to resolve the problem.

The combination of ideas from experts at the two host universities will help Lashi to develop new insights into his PhD research—Stanford University contains a large research group in geometric analysis and the University of Missouri has a prominent group of specialists in harmonic analysis.
This will also facilitate his contribution to the field of mathematics through the introduction of ideas from each of these institutions to each other.

Lashi has a BSc (First Class Honours) and BCompSc from Monash University in Victoria. He has received prizes and awards including the Pure Maths Prize: School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University, 2006, Honours Scholarship: School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University, 2006, and was on the Deans List Fellowship Award: Faculty of Science, Monash University, for three years. His other interests include deep sky astronomy, chasing solar eclipses, photographing wildlife, art, history and bushwalking.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Lashi is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Tarah Barzanji Postgraduate Students

“A number of social problems, prevalent in family homes, have historically received low priority in Australia and continue to impede happy and healthy childhood development”

Tarah Barzanji, currently working on bureaucratic performance in the US with consulting firm Monitor Group, will have the opportunity to spend two years undertaking a Master of Public Administration through a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship. Tarah will focus on non-profit management and social policy implementation. Her particular areas of interest are children’s and women’s welfare.

“With scarce resources, it is tempting for governments not to prioritise ‘low yielding’ social policy, where the investment does not produce immediately visible outcomes, but instead prioritise funding towards causes where results are tangible and rapid,” Tarah said. Tarah will team a postgraduate education in social policy and non-profit management with her experience working in the former Office of the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, to help the non-profit sector in Australia to better deliver social policy programs. “Working in the Prime Minister’s Office demonstrated to me the good that can be achieved through public funding of social policy,” Tarah said. “There is a real opportunity to elevate the profile of some social problems located in the family home, which is why I am looking to postgraduate study in a program specialising in social policy and the management of the non-profit sector.”

Tarah says that the US is the home of a thriving, large non-profit sector and a culture of philanthropy, which will provide her with exposure to best practice in non-profit management. Academically, the US is one of the few countries that offer postgraduate subjects specializing in non-profit management and will give her access to academics and practitioners in the field. Tarah has a BA and an LLB (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney. She entered the public service through the graduate program at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and subsequently worked as an advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office. She has previously received prizes including an Australia Day Achievement Award, the John D’Arcy Memorial Prize and the Federal Minister for Education Australian Student’s Prize. Her personal interests include writing, travel, dance and soccer.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Tarah is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Margit Bowler Postgraduate Students

“Although Warlpiri is one of the most widely spoken Australian Aboriginal languages it, like many Indigenous languages, is at a high risk of language extinction.”

Ms Margit Bowler, a recent graduate from Reed College, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to come to the Australian National University to study some aspects of Warlpiri, which is an Australian Indigenous language.

“Several unusual linguistic properties of Warlpiri pose challenges to traditionally accepted linguistic theories,” Margit said. “To date, there is still no agreement within the linguistic community on a single analysis of Warlpiri.”

Margit will research the syntax and semantics of sentences in Warlpiri with respect to quantifiers, which are words such as “each” and “all”.

“Warlpiri belongs to a very small subset of “non-configurational” languages that potentially do not possess a hierarchical internal structure,” Margit said.

“Furthermore, the words in a Warlpiri sentence can occur in almost any order. It is unclear what effect these features have on how quantifiers are interpreted in the language.”

Margit will supplement her research by attending courses at the Australian National University, through a mentorship under Dr. Jane Simpson at ANU and she will also conduct fieldwork in the Northern Territory within communities that have a significant Warlpiri speaking population.

Margit has a BA in linguistics from Reed College. She has won various awards and prizes including commendations in scholastic excellence from Reed, a National Science Foundation REU grant to complete an internship at the Oregon Health & Science University’s Center for Spoken Language Understanding in Beaverton, Oregon and a North Oregon Coast scholarship, and she has been a Rotary exchange student in Austria. She will enter a PhD program in linguistics at UCLA, with a Chancellor’s Fellowship, upon completion of her Fulbright. In her spare time she enjoys traditional Scandinavian dance and is a keen musician, playing the violin and Scottish and Cape Breton fiddle.

Benjamin Cheah Postgraduate Students

“Motor neurone disease (MND) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. It involves the progressive death of neurones in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary movement. Sufferers develop profound disability and typically die within three years from onset of muscle weakness.”

Benjamin Cheah, a PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales, is the winner of the 2011 Fulbright New South Wales Scholarship, supported by the NSW Government and NSW universities. Through his Fulbright fellowship, Benjamin will spend twelve months in the Department of Biostatistics, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland conducting statistical research with relevance to MND in the hope of furthering our understanding of this complex disease. “I plan to research MND from angles that are different from what constitutes current, mainstream practise in neuroscience, particularly in Australia,” Benjamin said.

Benjamin will use an emerging technique called functional data  analysis, which will enable scientists and statisticians to extract more information from high-dimensional neurophysiological data than methods currently available. Through this work he will combine his neuroscience background with complex statistics.“Functional data analysis will enable us to capture the complete ‘story’ behind our data.”

“With respect to motor neurone disease, this analysis will enable more information to be extracted from data we have collected in our lab, thereby demonstrating how the disease evolves over time and potentially helping to hasten the discovery of a cure.” “Neuroscience encompasses many different fields, from genetics, imaging, as well as my primary field of neurophysiology. As such, enormous amounts of data are arising from all these new technologies. We need innovative strategies for making sense of all this data.”

Benjamin hopes to establish a neurostatistics group at Neuroscience Research Australia upon returning to Australia. The group will comprise scientists from biomedical and mathematical streams collaborating to revolutionise our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and break down the barriers to those elusive cures.

Benjamin has a BA in Japanese and BSci (Medicine, First Class Honours) from the University of New South Wales and a Masters of Biostatistics from Macquarie University. He has won various awards and scholarships including a Brain Sciences UNSW PhD scholarship stipend and the 2010 Pfizer Biostatistics Collaboration of Australia Award for Excellence. In his spare time, Benjamin enjoys gardening, listening to music, swimming, jogging and rock-climbing. He is also a St. John’s ambulance first-aid volunteer. The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Benjamin is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Jennifer DeBerardinis Postgraduate Students

“For science to provide insight about the real world requires the belief that our best scientific theories capture the way nature actually operates.”

Ms Jennifer DeBerardinis, who has just graduated with a BA from Smith College, Massachusetts, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to go to the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne to further her research into philosophy of science.

Ms DeBerardinis will extend a philosophical model that was developed in Australia to answer questions she has about how we come to understand the world through science. Her work will focus on a philosophical area called dialetheism, which is a view that suggests contradictions can be true. Dialetheism holds the hope of helping to explain how scientists can maintain contradictory theories without believing that the world is full of real contradictions.

“While we commonly think of science as an “either-or” discipline, in which evidence in the form of data points to one conclusion or another, but data rarely point us in one conclusive direction, and conflicting theories abound,” Jennifer said.

Through her research into microbes known as ciliates in the U.S., Jennifer found herself with a problem. Ciliates defy traditional wisdom in the field of genetics by not conforming to the inheritance patterns commonly understood by geneticists. Spurred by this challenge to traditional scientific wisdom, Jennifer became very interested in contradictory scientific theories and how they relate to our intuitive conceptions of true and false

“Given that scientific theories aim to uncover the way the world actually operates and some theories are contradictory, we are left to believe that the universe is an inconsistent place: a disheartening conclusion. Thankfully, dialetheism may be able to help us explain inconsistent theories without believing in an inconsistent world,” Jennifer said.

Jennifer has a BA in Biology and Philosophy from Smith College, Massachusetts. She has won various awards and prizes including a student fellowship with the National Association of Science Writers, an Amgen Scholarship, University of California San Francisco and a STRIDE Scholarship, Smith College. She has conducted research in evolutionary biology (Smith College), molecular biology (University of California San Francisco), and bioengineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). In addition to her studies, she has experience as a science journalist. In this capacity, she has written press releases about science research for the University of Massachusetts News Office and press releases for Smith College News Office, as well as writing for local newspapers. In her spare time she enjoys drawing, reading, and travelling.

Kerry Drury Postgraduate Students

“In 2008, nearly 12.7 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed and 7.6 million cancer deaths were reported worldwide. More research into the treatment or prevention of uncontrolled cell division is badly needed.”

Ms Kerry Drury, who recently graduated with a BA from the College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to go to the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) in Melbourne for a year.

Kerry’s research aims to help discover more about the role played by specific molecules in the development of cancer, referred to as adhesion molecules, which let cells connect to other cells after they divide.

The specific molecules she will work on are called E-cadherin and ß-catenin. E-cadherin has been shown to exhibit tumor suppressor activity. It is suspected to do so by binding ß-catenin, a protein which plays a significant role in the so-called canonical Wnt signaling pathway, which controls cell production.

“These adhesion molecules impact the ability for cancer tumors to grow. Therefore understanding how these molecules function in cancer cells could lead to therapies that disrupt tumor growth,” Kerry said.

LICR is an international institute with leading investigators conducting innovative cancer research across the globe. Kerry will work with Professor Tony Burgess and Dr. Bruno Catimel at the Ludwig Institute, whose expertise is closely related to her current work.

Kerry has a BA in Biology, with concentrations in Biochemistry and Pre-medicine from the College of the Holy Cross. In addition to her studies she has helped manage a women’s shelter where she also maintained the volunteer schedule throughout the semester. She has also been an American Medical Students Association Executive Board Member, an Operation SmileCommittee chair , and a member of Cures for Kids, a group that organizes and attends birthday parties for terminally ill children. While in Australia Kerry hopes to become involved in the Australian community by volunteering in the oncology unit at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

Daniel Duke Postgraduate Students

“Sprays are everywhere, but very little is understood about how they work. Sprays result from the disintegration of a flowing liquid due to turbulent hydrodynamic and surface tension forces and as such are extremely complex. They may be one of the most challenging problems facing scientists today.”

Daniel Duke, PhD candidate at Monash University has won the inaugural Fulbright Scholarship in Nuclear Science and Technology sponsored by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). Through his Fulbright, Daniel will go to Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois to use pioneering Synchrotron X-ray techniques developed in the US in combination with the methods he has been developing during his PhD to attain a better understanding of the formation of sprays.

“As well as being an enticing intellectual challenge, I want to study sprays because they are important to so many areas. Sprays are employed to deliver drugs, coat surfaces with chemicals and paints, apply pesticides to crops, and to mix air and fuel in internal combustion engines and jet engines, to name just a few areas,” Daniel said. “Ever-increasing demands for efficiency in delivering the appropriate dose of a chemical via spray are pushing the limits of our understanding. Consider the delivery of pesticides to agricultural crops. Limited supply of expensive chemicals is a huge factor in the cost of food production. Yet a large portion of the pesticide never reaches the crop and is blown away because the applicators cannot deliver an optimum droplet size.”

“An improved understanding of sprays will allow us to make a seismic shift in thinking; from design by chance to design for a purpose. This will lead to world-changing innovations in so many areas. We can reduce pollution and greenhouse emissions through the development of cleaner diesel engines. Millions of people in developing nations will also benefit directly from more affordable and available food and medicine. More than ever we need to make this shift, and it is now within our grasp.” Daniel has a BE (Honours)/BTech (Aero) from Monash University, and is in his 3rd year of postgraduate study at the Laboratory for Turbulence Research in Aerospace & Combustion. He is a member of the Golden Key Academic Honour Society, and has won awards including Dux of School, School Captain of Music, an Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, and the Monash Prize. His interests include playing trumpet, writing jazz music, cooking, art and politics.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Daniel is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Molly Gabbard Postgraduate Students

“My materials and methods combine stone carving and mixed media, which result in a contemporary jewellery expression. Specifically, I am influenced by the unique characteristics in animals including; fur, scales, colouring, and even personalities.”

Molly Gabbard, a recent graduate from Indiana University, has won a Fulbright Scholarship to take a residency at Gray Street Workshop in Adelaide for a year. She will research the use of animals in Australian Indigenous art, endangered Australian wildlife, and study woodcarving with internationally renowned jeweller Catherine Truman, co-founder and current partner at Gray Street.

“I will initially utilize the Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute Inc. and the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery of the South Australian Museum to research the historical and current Indigenous use of animals in art,” Molly said.

She will also travel to Kangaroo Island in order to further observe and study the native wildlife in its natural habitat.

“Kangaroo Island retains more than half of its natural vegetation, is a declared conservation area, and sustains the thriving animal and bird populations such as the endangered Australian Sea Lion and the Glossy Black Cockatoo. Overall, I am intrigued by the colourings and textures of their feathers and fur coat, as well as traits for selecting a mate.”

Molly will combine her research of unique animal characteristics and indigenous art with woodcarving in order to expand on her ideas and methodology by creating a new body while a resident at Gray Street.

“Using wood as an alternative to stone will offer a range of possibilities for carving larger or delicate shapes that are either too difficult or impossible to create using marble or soapstones,” Molly said.

Molly has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design from Indiana University. She has won various awards and prizes including the Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design Area Award. Indiana University; The Dove Family Scholarship; Dean’s List Indiana University. In her spare time she enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, spending time outdoors, and traveling.

Jonathan Gelber Postgraduate Students

“Cholera infects millions of people each year so learning more about this bacterium is critical to improving public health.”

Mr Jonathan Gelber, an Emergency Medical Technician with the Aspen Valley Hospital, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to spend a year at the University of New South Wales and the Sydney Institute of Marine Sciences to research the bacterium Vibrio cholerae (Vc), which causes the deadly illness, cholera.

In particular, Jonathan will research biofilms of Vc. Biofilms are aggregate formations of numerous bacteria, and recently the occurrence of cholera epidemics has been linked to the presence of Vc biofilms.

“Biofilms are important with regards to medicine and public health, as they constitute a refuge for numerous pathogenic bacteria. Biofilms allow bacteria to survive both environmental predation and human immune defense,” Jonathan said.

“Vc can exist as either a pathogenic free-living bacteria, or an even more virulent colony-like biofilm,” Jonathan said. “Though biofilms are abundant in marine habitats, relatively little work has been done to investigate their lifecycles and mechanisms of defense.”

The laboratories at UNSW and SIMS are among the world’s leading centres for biofilm research and Jonathan will work with Dr. Diane McDougald of UNSW and SIMS. SIMS
is one of the few institutions worldwide that has a PC2 aquarium, which Jonathan will use to study the factors that drive the Vc biofilm’s virulence and its resistance to immune systems. Results from his project may be used to predict and even prevent future cholera outbreaks.

Jonathan has a BA in Biology, Summa Cum Laude, from Pomona College in Southern California. He has been awarded various awards and prizes including a Phi Beta Kappa Award, a Sigma Xi Science Research Society award, and the Michael Rosen Outstanding Pre-medical Student Award. In addition to his academic work, Jonathan is a keen musician and has performed drums, guitar, and saxophone in a range of bands. He also volunteers at hospitals and plans to play music and assist in hospitals while in Sydney.

Matthew Hoffman Postgraduate Students

“Despite the fact that both Australia and the United States have immense solar resources, solar power has yet to make a significant contribution to the energy supply of either country.”

Matthew Hoffman, a recent graduate in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to spend a year at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

Through his Fulbright, Matthew plans to work with the school of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at UNSW to help develop a novel solar concentrator for solar energy applications. This research will improve the efficiency of a new concept for roof-mounted solar energy production.

Working with Dr. Gary Rosengarten in the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Matthew will focus on optimizing an experimental system’s thermal performance.

“One important concern for all solar collectors is minimizing heat loss that could otherwise be converted into useful energy. Another concern is temperature drop between the components that absorb sunlight and the fluid that is used to transfer the absorbed energy to useful systems,” Matthew said.

Matthew aims to address both of these concerns by using a combination of experimental and computational methods. This research will contribute to Matthew’s long-term plans, which are to use his expertise in thermal systems modeling and experimentation to contribute to the development of a technology that could change the way both Australia and the United States utilise their solar resources.

“Optimizing the heat transfer characteristics of hybrid roof-mounted collectors is an important step towards making solar energy a more efficient and cost-effective energy solution worldwide,” Matthew said.

Matthew has just completed a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States. In addition to his academic work, he enjoys wilderness trekking, exploring national parks, and endurance sports. He looks forward to becoming involved with Sydney’s multi-sport community so that he can continue to compete in triathlons and trail runs while away from the Unites States. He said that his passion for the great outdoors has been a driving force behind his interest in cleaner and more sustainable energy systems.

Angelina Hurley Postgraduate Students

“Humour of the marginalised is used to validate, humanise, normalise and celebrate a marginalised group or whatever the cultural distinctive is. Humour of the dominant culture often objectifies and dehumanises the marginalised ‘other’ to soften the sting of injustice.”

Angelina Hurley, a student undertaking a Doctorate of Creative Arts at the University of Technology Sydney, has won the 2011 Fulbright Indigenous Scholarship supported by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Through her Fulbright she plans to visit and undertake study and research at a couple of Institutes and organisations in Los Angeles and New York to gain further experience and skill in comedy writing for film and television. Her dream and goal is to write an Indigenous television series/sitcom which is also her Doctoral project.

“Professionally I would love to be a full-time writer. Through my research topic, ‘Blak Comedy and Indigenous Cultural Perspectives on Humour’, I am investigating the development of Australian Indigenous comedy,” Angelina said. “The genre of Indigenous comedy predominantly lives within the Indigenous community itself, unknown to mainstream Australia and is still to break through there.  It would be great to see more of it on mainstream television.”

“I intend for the final product of my studies to be something that appeals to all demographics. I hope it has the potential to reach international audiences.” Angelina said. Angelina has a BEd (Secondary Teaching Art), Kelvin Grove Teachers College; a BEd (Adult Education) from UTS; and an MAA (Arts Management) from University of New South Wales.  Angelina was awarded the Myer Indigenous Scholarship to study Script Writing and Directing with the Australian Film and Television School, Sydney in 2008. In her spare time she enjoys writing, swimming, yoga, the arts.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Angelina is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Kristen Lear Postgraduate Students

“The population size of the Southern Bent-wing Bat has declined dramatically in the last 50 years. Numerous threats have been proposed as potential factors in this decline. It is not known whether the breeding caves in Naracoorte have a role in the decline.”

Ms Kristen Lear, a recent graduate from Ohio Wesleyan University, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to come to Naracoorte Caves National Park for a year to study population trends and breeding success of the Southern Bent-wing Bat. Kristen will work with the University of Melbourne, South Australian Museum, the South Australian Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment on her project.

Through her Fulbright, Kristen aims to help fill in some of the knowledge gaps in the population trends of the Southern Bent-wing Bat through the development of an automated counting system to monitor the population.

“The Southern Bent-wing Bat is listed as Critically Endangered due to severe population declines and its dependence on only two breeding sites,” Kristen said.

“We need to know what is causing the decline, in order to recommend the most effective management actions.”

The new monitoring technique will use an innovative missile tracking system to provide invaluable information about the population trends and breeding success of the bat.

With Lindy Lumsden of the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, Cath Dickson of the SA Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Terry Reardon of the South Australian Museum and Steve Bourne of the Friends of Naracoorte Caves, Kristen will examine two key factors using the new technology. The first aims to accurately estimate the population size and population trends at the breeding site. The second is developing techniques to accurately estimate breeding success and survival rates.

While she is in Australia Kristen will also work with the community to help bring awareness and understanding of this bat species to members of the public, so that they develop a vested interest in its conservation.

Kristen has a BA in Pre-Professional Zoology from Ohio Wesleyan University. She has won awards and prizes including the Soroptimist International Virginia M. Wagner Educational Grant and the Ohio Wesleyan John N. Chase Scholarship for academic promise in the field of zoology. In her spare time she takes part in Campus Girl Scouts and volunteers to educate the community about bats.

Steven Lombardo Postgraduate Students

“Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illness in the U.S. and Australia. They are characterised by an overwhelming sense of worry and tension without an identifiable cause. They affect approximately 18 percent of the adult population in a given year.”

Steven Lombardo, a recent graduate from the University of Toledo, will spend a year at the University of Sydney through his Fulbright, evaluating novel flavonoids for the treatment of anxiety. Secondly he will work with the Black Dog Institute on the promotion of mental illness as an important health issue.

“Flavonoids are a class of naturally-occurring compounds synthesized by plants. They are consumed in the human diet through a number of food sources including fruits, vegetables, tea and red wine,” Steven said.

“Researchers are very interested in them because recently it has been shown that some flavonoids exhibit a range of health benefits. These include anti-anxiety effects through interaction with certain chemical receptors found in the human brain.”

In their natural state flavonoids are only partially effective. Steven will work with Associate Professor Mary Collins and her research team at the University of Sydney to modify flavonoids and enhance their effectiveness.

Steven will be conducting pharmacological experiments to help evaluate how well the new derivatives work. The aim of his project is to develop compounds that may proceed into human clinical trials.

While he is in Australia, Steven will also work on the public education side of mental illness through the Black Dog institute, an organisation that provides community outreach services for depression and bipolar disorder.

Steven graduated summa cum laude from the University of Toledo with a BSPS in Pharmacology/Toxicology and minors in Biology and Chemistry. He also received college and departmental honors in addition to being named valedictorian of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program. He has received various awards and prizes including the College of Pharmacy Centennial Scholarship, the Dr Gerald P. Sherman BSPS Scholarship, a Biomedical Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and a Phi Kappa Phi Award of Excellence. In addition to his academic work he has volunteered with St Paul’s Community Center, Habitat for Humanity, and the Toledo Hospital as an Inpatient Pharmacy Volunteer.

Julia Mansour Postgraduate Students

“Family violence remains one of the greatest barriers to gender equality in Australia – statistics have demonstrated that around one-quarter of women who had ever been married or in a de-facto relationship experienced violence by a partner at some time during that relationship.”

Julia Mansour, Associate to Justice Virginia Bell at the High Court of Australia, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to Columbia Law School to study human rights law. In particular, Julia will focus on domestic violence and women’s rights in the context of sustainable development.

“Family violence situations present challenges to traditional approaches in a range of different legal areas. In particular, they require a specialised approach in relation to police and prosecutorial services, treatment of expert witness testimony, victims of violence as criminal defendants, and child custody issues,” Julia said.

“A strong knowledge of each of these areas of law is essential training for me to in order to advocate for women’s rights in situations of violence.” Julia is also seeking further education and training on how best to combat public representations of culture as a justification for behaviours that are otherwise criminalised, such as violence against women and forced marriages. “However, I also need the opportunity to consider further how to reconcile my own views on women’s rights with those of women from cultural minority groups, insofar as our conceptions of equality may differ,” Julia said.

Post-graduate study in the United States will provide her with the ideal academic environment to consider and develop her knowledge and experience in these areas.

Julia has a BA in History and LLB (First Class Honours) from the University of New South Wales, where she was placed on the Deans List for academic excellence and won the Sir Anthony Mason Prize for First Place in Federal Constitutional Law. She has also worked as a Policy Officer at the Australian Human Rights Commission and as an Advisor at the Judicial System Monitoring Programme in East Timor. In her spare time she enjoys learning languages, literature, soccer, salsa dancing, cycling and playing the guitar.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Julia was one of 26 talented Australians recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Stephen McAnearney Postgraduate Students

“Innovation and entrepreneurial drive within technology organizations has helped shape the world we live in. With a strong history of innovation and a continued commitment to this focus, the United States provides a positive environment in which to explore the elements necessary for successful and meaningful innovation. I hope to build on this experience and contribute to Australia’s leadership as an innovator in the biotech and healthcare industries.”

Stephen McAnearney, a recent graduate of the University of Western Australia has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to go to Columbia University in New York. Stephen is planning to undertake a Master’s degree in Management Science and Engineering focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation in high tech organizations, specifically within the healthcare and biotech industries.

“The program is designed to be broad based with the option to take courses in various departments including the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Business School, the School of International and Public Affairs and the Law School. This emphasizes a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to healthcare and technology innovation” Stephen said. Stephen hopes to explore the interaction between the healthcare industry and the emerging Web 2.0 technologies such as social and digital media organizations, cloud computing and high-speed internet services and the potential of these new technologies in improving clinical outcomes.

“Australia already has a history of innovation within the biotech industry and is now prioritizing the opportunities provided by the internet and other technologies at the Federal level. It is a crucial time to investigate the interaction between the healthcare industry and these technologies within the entrepreneurial context. This would help develop new products, services and organizations which provide meaningful and lasting improvements to patient outcomes and the wider community” Stephen said. Stephen has recently completed a BSc and BEng with First Class Honours at the University of Western Australia. He received various awards and scholarships including the Engineers Australia Sir Russell Dumas Medal for the top ranked final year student in the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics and the Convocation, UWA Graduates Association Prize for the most significant contribution to the Faculty. He also undertook a semester abroad at University College London and an internship at Harvard Medical School. While at UWA, he co-founded a student volunteer group, Engineering Happiness, dedicated to providing fun, science based programs for children in hospital and primary school students around Western Australia.

Anna Rakoczy Postgraduate Students

“The Australian Employment Covenant (AEC) is the most ambitious Aboriginal employment initiative in Australia’s history. If successful, it has the capacity to break the cycles of unemployment, welfare dependency and disadvantage suffered by many Indigenous Australians. Businesses across Australia and the Government have shown tremendous support for the AEC by committing to provide jobs to Aboriginal people and funding for training, respectively. The major challenge now lies ahead in filling those available jobs with unemployed Aboriginal people.”

Anna Rakoczy, a Senior Associate with leading Australian law firm, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, is the winner of the 2011 Fulbright Western Australia Scholarship. The W.A. scholarship is supported through a fund established by donations from the W.A. government, W.A. based universities, companies, foundations and individuals.

“The response to the AEC has been staggering with over 26,000 jobs committed by corporations across Australia since its launch.” Anna said,”The major challenge now lies in implementation of the AEC. That is, filling the committed jobs with Aboriginal people, recognising that some of those people may have been long term unemployed or be suffering from a range of social problems such as substance abuse.”

Anna’s objective is to use her Fulbright Scholarship and Masters in Law studies to prepare a thesis which explores options for adopting the principles of “social enterprise” in the future delivery of the AEC, including a detailed description of a proposed model and its possible benefits.

“Social enterprise means applying market-based principles to run an organization to achieve a social purpose. The benefits of social enterprises over the traditional charitable model include greater accountability, economic self-sustainability and, arguably, they are more suited for achieving social change.  Further, social enterprises have had proven success in achieving employment outcomes for disadvantaged and long-term unemployed groups. In making my thesis recommendations, I will research and draw upon existing social enterprises around the world which have had success in this area.”

Anna intends to disseminate her thesis directly to the AEC and relevant Government Departments and hopes that her recommendations will maximize the prospects of success of the AEC in reducing the social and economic disadvantage faced by Aboriginal people in Australia

Anna has an LLB (First Class Honours), and a BSc (Anthropology) from the University of Western Australia. She has won awards and honours including the Australian Young Lawyer of the Year, WA Young Lawyer of the Year  and the Philip Lionel Sharp Memorial Prize in Law. In her spare time she enjoys yoga, surfing, running, travel, reading and writing. The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Anna is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011

Gus Schrader Postgraduate Students

“The mathematical methods that give us insight into physical problems are valuable not only for their specific applications, but also because each opens into a deep and beautiful subject in its own right. Indeed, the insights gained from studying physics-inspired problems have had far-reaching consequences in many areas of pure mathematics.”

Gus Schrader, who is currently undertaking a Masters of Philosophy in Mathematics at the University of Melbourne, is one of two Australians to have won a the Fulbright International Science and Technology Award, which is among the most prestigious and valuable awards offered by the U.S. Government.  The IS&T Awards cover full tuition, stipend and living expenses for three years to undertake a PhD in the U.S. They are offered to only about 40 people worldwide. In fall 2011, Gus will begin a PhD in mathematical physics at the University of California – Berkeley.

“I would like to learn more about the mathematical structures that appear in mathematical physics, especially in relation to an area known as the Geometric Langlands program. The program encompasses a far-reaching set of conjectures that involve many major branches of mathematics such as number theory, representation theory and algebraic geometry,” Gus said.

Upon commencing his graduate studies, he will study advanced coursework subjects to provide the necessary background to begin research in this broad and deep field. “I hope to eventually pursue a career in mathematical research. My immediate goal, however, is to broaden and deepen my knowledge of mathematics. I believe that attending a leading graduate school in the US in the company of similarly motivated students from all over the world is the best way to do this. I look forward to interacting with senior mathematicians as well as fellow graduate students, and to being exposed to various ways of doing mathematics.”

Gus was awarded a BSc with First Class Honours from the University of Melbourne in 2009. He enjoys spending his spare time reading, listening to music and playing with his two border collies.
The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Gus is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Matthew Thompson Postgraduate Students

“Maintaining the highest possible standards of fingerprint evidence is important for making sure that innocent people are not wrongly accused.”

Matthew Thompson, a PhD candidate at The University of Queensland, is the winner of the prestigious 2011 Fulbright Queensland Scholarship, sponsored by the Queensland Government and Universities. “Everyday, law enforcement agencies identify thousands of fingerprint matches that can be used as evidence in convicting criminals,” Matthew said. ”Contrary to popular belief and TV shows like CSI, computers are not relied upon to match crime-scene fingerprints. Instead, human fingerprint experts decide whether a print belongs to a suspect or not.”

“But, despite its 100 year history, there have been few peer-reviewed studies directly examining the extent to which experts can correctly match fingerprints to one another. And mistakes made to date have resulted in innocent people being wrongly accused.” Matthew’s Fulbright Scholarship will allow him to further his research on assessing inaccuracies in fingerprint identification, and collaborate with US fingerprint experts from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

He will carry out his research at the University of California, Los Angeles to determine how accurate fingerprint experts are, explore the psychology that affects how well they match fingerprints, and maximise the reliability of fingerprint evidence in the criminal justice system. “I’ll work with fingerprint experts in the US to determine the factors—about the person and about the print—that will allow experts to make the most accurate matches,” Matthew said. “I believe the outcomes of my research will improve the welfare of Australians and Americans by upholding the process of law, and help to prevent wrongful convictions and promote rightful ones.”

Matthew has a BInfTech and a BSc (First Class Honours) in Psychology from The University of Queensland. He has won awards and prizes including the Queensland Government Smart Futures PhD Scholarship, the NICTA Research Project Award, and the ATSE Young Science Ambassador Award. Matthew is also a keen photographer, blogger and musician. The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Matthew is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Gar-Wing Truong Postgraduate Students

“Improved and more reliable data for global warming research are of significant benefit to society, as they help to better understand its causes and accurately evaluate the impact of policy decisions.”

Gar-Wing Truong, a PhD candidate from the University of Western Australia (UWA) is the winner of the 2011 Fulbright Postgraduate Alumni (WG Walker) Scholarship, which is funded through donations by Fulbright Alumni and awarded to the highest ranked Scholar. He is also the winner of the prestigious 2011 Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship in Technology and Communications sponsored by Telstra.

Gar-Wing’s research will further his PhD research in  high-sensitivity and accurate measurements of gas properties using a novel optical analysis technique based on laser spectroscopy  at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Maryland, U.S. “These fields of fundamental physics have led to deep insights into how our universe works at the finest levels by modeling the interaction between light waves and atoms or molecules. Modern technologies like the laser and the Global Positioning system are enabled by such fundamental research,” Gar-Wing said.

With Dr Joseph Hodges at NIST, Gar-Wing will extend a technique that can measure the temperature of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) in the atmosphere with high precision. The collaboration will combine methods of measuring accurate gas pressure and abundance using the apparatus available at NIST, with temperature measurement that is currently the subject of Gar-Wing’s PhD research. “This research is of particular significance to Australia if it is to take the lead in global warming abatement policy and research. Indeed, it is also highly relevant to the state of Western Australia, whose economy is strongly driven by oil, gas and mineral industries,” Gar-Wing said.

Gar-Wing has a BSc (physics, First Class Honours), University of Western Australia. He has won awards and prizes including the UWA Hackett Postgraduate Scholarship, Muriel and Colin Ramm Medal and Scholarship for Experimental Physics and the Digby Fitzhardinge Memorial Prize. His other interests include science communication, photography, tennis and soccer.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Gar-Wing is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Kelly Tsang Postgraduate Students

“Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine hold the key to revolutionising treatments of injuries and disabling illnesses.”

Kelly Tsang, a PhD candidate supported by the CRC for Polymers and working across Monash University and CSIRO has won the 2011 Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship in Science and Engineering sponsored by BHP Billiton. The Fulbright Scholarship in Science and Engineering was established with BHP Billiton in 2000.

Through his Fulbright, Kelly will spend twelve months at leading US institutes including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Wellman Centre for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.  He aims to extend his PhD research in the area of tissue engineering, which combines materials science and engineering with stem cell technology with the aim of reconstructing biological tissue.

“In this field I am developing a three dimensional, synthetic platform that can be used to build up complex tissues from individual cells,” Kelly said. His work will use a special material that he has devised, a gel like substance that is able to be broken down by light (photo-degradable). “Recent studies have demonstrated that a number of de-cellularised tissues can be re-seeded with stem cells, which then grow into functional tissue again after re-transplantation. These studies suggest that it is also possible to construct synthetic scaffold materials which display appropriate signals and which, after seeding with suitable cells, can yield functional tissues.”

The use of photodegradable polymers is expected in particular to address the need for materials that allow the precise spatial and temporal direction of cells in three dimensions. “The Fulbright scholarship will grant me access to top tier laboratories, expertise and facilities to help demonstrate that these sophisticated photo-degradable hydrogel systems can be used to guide and control cells.”  He hopes to return to Australia with increased knowledge, contacts and to build long term collaboration in the area.

Kelly has a BSc/BEng (First Class Honours) from Monash University. He has been awarded 1st Prize and People’s choice award, 3 Minute Thesis Speaking Competition, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University; CRC for Polymers Prize, for best Australian final year Engineering Research Thesis in the field of polymers; Dean’s List Fellowship, Faculty of Science for three years, the Rotary Youth Leadership Award and the Doug Smith Memorial Award.  In his spare time he enjoys music/choral/song composition and performance, and looks forward to Broadway visits which will help inspire new compositions in his own musical.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Kelly is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Laura Williams Postgraduate Students

“Land-use changes, invasion of exotic species and fragmentation have caused widespread degradation of ecosystems. Fortunately, this has triggered substantial efforts to mitigate damage and to manage and restore ecosystems. Effective ecological management and restoration depends on sound knowledge of community and ecosystem dynamics.”

Laura Williams, a research assistant at Monash University, is one of two Australians who have won International Fulbright Science and Technology Awards, which are the most prestigious and valuable awards offered by the U.S. Government.  The IS&T Awards cover full tuition, stipend and living expenses for three years to undertake a PhD in the U.S. They are offered to only about 40 people worldwide. Laura will undertake a graduate program in ecology at the University of Minnesota in the U.S. that will help achieve her objectives of developing ecological theory in the context of restoration. This program will combine research and coursework to advance her skills in plant ecology and ecological modelling, and include the capability to specialise in phylogenetic and trait-based community analyses.

“This will complement my current education—undergraduate Arts and Science degrees with Honours in ecology—and research experience—including monitoring the effects of riparian restoration in south-eastern Australia and testing theories of community assembly in tropical rain forest,” Laura said. Studying toward a PhD will help Laura to achieve her career goals by developing her skills in ecological research, teaching and communication. The skills that she will acquire in ecological fields have significant potential to be applied in Australia. Laura has completed a BA and BSc (Honours) at Monash University. She received several awards from Monash University during her studies, including the AR Wallace Prize for her Honours thesis, the Vice Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Scholarship, prizes for second and third year biology, Dean’s List Fellowship Awards and Academic Excellence Awards in Geography and Environmental Science.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Laura is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.

Daniel Wodak Postgraduate Students

“I am interested in how philosophy of language can be applied to meta-ethical debates, drawing from emerging methodologies like experimental philosophy, and the implications this has for morality and law.”

Daniel Wodak, who recently graduated in Arts and Law from The University of Sydney, has won a Fulbright Scholarship, which he will use to undertake a PhD in philosophy at in the United States, specialising in moral philosophy.

“My interests in moral philosophy are fairly broad, ranging from meta-ethical questions about how moral obligations provide reasons for action, to questions in normative ethics about what our moral obligations are, to debates in semantics (philosophy of language), jurisprudence (philosophy of law) and philosophy of happiness,” Daniel said.

“Moral philosophy is something people often engage in on a regular basis, because disagreement about important moral issues is everywhere. Philosophers just take these debates to greater and greater levels of abstraction. It’s important to keep in mind that however abstract you get – and many of the meta-ethical debates that I’m interested are pretty abstract – the arguments involved have serious real world implications. Daniel says that America has a strong tradition of making these implications apparent.

This is largely due to “a stronger culture of philosophers being engaged in political commentary and debate.” Also, “professors of philosophy are often involved in teaching and writing about law, and vice versa. This makes law students all the more likely to be critically engaged in philosophical debates about what law is, and what it ought to be.” Daniel’s interest in philosophy began when he enrolled in Mind and Morality, in his penultimate year of High School. He continued this study through his university years. Over the last two years he has lectured and tutored in philosophy at the University of Sydney while completing his Bachelor of Laws, with a particular focus on jurisprudence.

Daniel has a BA and LLB (First Class Honours) from The University of Sydney. He was awarded the University Medal and the John Anderson Prize for Best Thesis in Philosophy. In addition to Philosophy Daniel is interested in debating, swimming, cycling, reading, theatre, film and art. He has edited a range of student publications including Honi Soit, The Bull, The Sydney Globalist and Dissent, and interned at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency and the Refugee Advice and Casework Service.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and the U.S. Government in 1946. Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries. In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra. Daniel is one of 26 talented Australians to be recognised as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011.