Alumni Profiles

Victoria A. Farrar-Myers Distinguished Chair

“The 21st Century world is rife with challenges ranging from globalization, a world fiscal crisis, and problems and issues that defy traditional boundaries. Further, as a world of nations, we are confronted with the necessity to cross-collaborate and create opportunities to foster innovation and growth.”

Professor Victoria A. Farrar-Myers, Professor in Political Science and Distinguished Teaching Professor with The University of Texas-Arlington is the 2013/14 Fulbright Flinders University Distinguished Chair. Through her Fulbright, Victoria will come to Flinders University in Adelaide to undertake research into executive foreign policymaking with a particular emphasis within the Pacific Rim.

“I will address the overall question of how do the constraints posed by past commitments, institutional structures, and current political dynamics dictating internal political contexts affect the development and pursuit of foreign policy by the respective heads of government within Australia and the United States, both as individuals and institutional actors,” Victoria said.

“My research project will contain several interrelated aspects. The primary theme of my research will be a comparative focus on the power, authority, and constraints of the U.S. president and Australian prime minister in foreign relations. I will explore this theme from both intra-state (i.e., within country) and inter-state (i.e., external relations) perspectives.”

“Perhaps most importantly, and an aspect about which I am most excited, this research will enable me to explore these issues within the context of U.S. and Australian policy with and involving China; thus, allowing me to take advantage of and contribute to Flinders University’s recently created Centre for United States and Asia Policy Studies.”

Victoria has a BS in Political Science and Public Administration from Russell Sage College; an MA in Political Science from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; and a PhD in Political Science from State University of New York at Albany. She has won awards and prizes including the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, The University of Texas System; being a National Finalist, Citizen Service Before Self Honors, The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation; and an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship. Her interests include the American presidency, executive politics and foreign policy, and institutional development.

Professor Bradford Burke Worrall MD, MSc Distinguished Chair

Brad is Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Virginia. During his research career, he has built cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional bridges focused on genetics to help understand risk and the underlying pathophysiology in stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases. He is a founding member of the International Stroke Genetics Consortium (ISGC). He has worked on harmonization of phenotyping focused on consistency, translation, and scalability.

Over the past twenty years, he has nurtured and built a framework for collaboration nationally and internationally in the era of collaborative science. One of his roles within his department, the American Academy of Neurology, and the ISGC is that of mentor and sponsor for junior investigators. As part of the diplomatic mission of the Fulbright program, he envisions continuing that role with scientists, clinician-investigators, and other researchers in Newcastle and Australia while learning through this academic and cultural exchange.

During his tenure in Newcastle, Brad will work to refine and improve the tools to know ‘what kind of stroke’ for both research and clinical purposes.

Professor Michael Breadmore, FTSE, FRACI Senior Scholars

Michael obtained his PhD in Analytical Chemistry in 2001 from the University of Tasmania (UTAS), and was awarded his DSc in 2017. He has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers, supported over the past 18 years at UTAS with over $22M of research funding. He has held three Australian Research Council fellowships, and received numerous prizes and recognition, including the 2019 Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science for Safeguarding Australia. Michael is a co-inventor on a number of patents, with four commercial products at market, and in 2022 was made a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).

Michael’s Fulbright research aims to develop a new dry, solid-state platform with which to measure important molecules for personalised medicine, environmental analysis, forensic science and industry process monitoring and control.

Dr Tristan Moss Senior Scholars

Tristan is a lecturer in history in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of New South Wales, Canberra. His research focus is on defence history in the Cold War and he has worked for the Australian Government on the Official Histories of Australian Operations in Afghanistan. He has published a book with Cambridge University Press and is the Deputy Regional Coordinator of the Society for Military History. 

For his Fulbright Scholarship, Tristan will investigate the development of the relationship between Australia and America in space exploration from the dawn of the space age to today. Tristan will be based in Washington DC, at George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute, where he will conduct research at the National Archives, at the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, and meet with space policy makers and scholars. With Australia taking a renewed interest in space, not least through the recent formation of an Australian Space Agency, an examination of the over fifty-year relationship between the U.S. and Australia in space exploration and observation, will assist in formulating new policy and strengthen the cooperation between the two nations in space. 

Peter Dean Professional Scholars

“This is a critical time in the [ANZUS] alliance; one of the most important in the Asia-Pacific Region since the announcement of the Nixon Doctrine in 1969.”

Peter Dean is currently Fellow and Director of Studies at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University. He will study at Georgetown University, Washington from August to November 2014, focusing on Australia-United States strategic relations, and how that strategic relationship has evolved and changed over time.

He will also visit the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, the leading global think tank for security and strategic issues. His studies examine how the ANZUS Alliance, formed in the early days of the Cold War in Asia, has endured for over 60 years.

“I am keen to ascertain US perspectives on the ANZUS alliance as part of the US ‘rebalance’ to the Asia-Pacific region as announced by President Obama during his visit to Canberra in 2011. This is a critical time in the alliance; one of the most important in the Asia-Pacific Region since the announcement of the Nixon Doctrine in 1969.”

Travis Britton Postdoctoral Scholars

Travis is a plant eco-physiologist researching how ecological interactions influence tree growth and survival. His work is largely focused on how ecological interactions among neighbouring plants modify the direct effects of environmental change in forest communities. He is particularly interested in whether integrating broad-scale climatic conditions with local-scale ecological interactions increases our ability to accurately predict tree performance.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Travis will seek to improve our understanding of how plant physiology and various ecological interactions determine drought-driven tree mortality. The outcomes of his Fulbright research will inform models predicting future drought impacts on forest ecosystems and assist in maximising the success of future conservation efforts.

Dr Vi Khanh Truong Postdoctoral Scholars

Khanh completed his PhD at Swinburne University of Technology in 2012. Following his PhD, he commenced a postdoctoral position working with the Cooperative Research Centre for Polymers, where his focus was on the development of novel biopolymers to assist with sustainable agricultural in Australia. His current fellowship (ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing) develops antifungal materials used for steel. His knowledge extends from the design of smart and functional materials to the understanding of cellular interactions with nanomaterials.

Microbial infections are a threat to human health. Microbes can rapidly develop resistance to common market-ready drugs, hence novel approaches are required to complement these drugs. This Fulbright Scholarship allows Khanh to work with Professor Michael Dickey at North Carolina State University, developing novel non-drug-based approaches using liquid metals. These materials are known to produce shape-transformable, microbiocidal properties.

Katja Bignall-Daly Postgraduate Students

Katja is a criminal defence lawyer at the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement servicing some of the most remote areas of South Australia. She is committed to exploration of the institutional power abuses which hinder the administration of justice and the protection of human rights, particularly through the lens of Aboriginal affairs within the Australian context. Her project seeks to research the potential for law reform to ensure Indigenous Australians, particularly residents in remote communities, will have culturally relevant access to the justice system and equal enjoyment of rights and self-determination.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Katja plans to study a Masters of Law at New York University. She looks forward to gaining knowledge through research in Native American Nation building for self-governance and expanded jurisdiction; and returning insights towards ensuring equitable access to justice and empowerment for Indigenous Australians.

Timothy Blomfield Postgraduate Students

Studying economics at the University of Sydney, Tim became fascinated with the complexity of our global economic system and the two things that make it so exciting – humans and technology. Tim set out to understand our economy better as a macroeconomic forecaster at the Australian Treasury, before his curiosity for human psychology and neuroscience led him to a role with the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA) at the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet.

Tim published BETA’s work with energy consumers in the Behavioral Economics Guide 2018 and his research nudging consumers to make smarter energy decisions has sparked a passion for combining behavioural science and technology to solve some of the biggest challenges facing our global society. As a Fulbright Future Scholar, Tim will study a combined Masters of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and Masters of Business Administration at MIT Sloan. Tim’s focus will be on how companies and governments can work together to leverage new tech and a solid understanding of human behaviour to deal with some of the biggest risks to Australia’s future, like how we adapt to climate change and future-proof our workforce in the age of artificial intelligence.

William Bruffey Postgraduate Students

William is a lawyer at the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. He holds a BA/LLB (Hons 1) from the University of New South Wales, where he was the President of the Student Representative Council. He was a Tipstaff in the Supreme Court of NSW, before working as a criminal defence lawyer at the Aboriginal Legal Service and Legal Aid in Western New South Wales.

As the Fulbright Sir John Carrick NSW Scholar, William will build on his prosecution and defence experience to undertake a Master of Laws, specialising in criminal justice. He will study the causes of and solutions to wrongful convictions and mass-incarceration, and how disadvantaged people can receive a fair trial when charged with serious crimes.

Lily van Eeden Postgraduate Students

Lily investigates the human dimensions of wildlife management. For her PhD research, she focuses on the conflict between livestock production and one of Australia’s largest predators, the dingo. The Australian agriculture industry invests millions of dollars annually in dingo control, despite little evidence that current management methods are effective at reducing livestock loss and limited understanding of the consequences of these practices for ecosystems. Lily seeks to discover what shapes our dingo management strategies and how they can be improved for the benefit of farmers and the environment.

For her Fulbright Scholarship, Lily will collaborate with researchers in the University of Washington’s Predator Ecology Lab. Her research there will compare the Australian and American contexts, providing an opportunity for Australia to learn from the experiences of ranchers who live alongside large predators including wolves, mountain lions, and bears.

Huw Jarvis Postgraduate Students

Huw is a PhD student at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University. He is passionate about translating research findings into improvements in health care practice and policy, and ultimately into better outcomes for people with psychiatric and neurological disease. Prior to his PhD, he completed studies in medical science (University of Tasmania) and public health (University of Melbourne), and worked in research translation at the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia’s leading expert body in health and medical research. He also completed policy internships at the Grattan Institute (Melbourne) and the World Health Organization (Geneva).

Huw’s Fulbright Future Scholarship at Yale University will enable him to develop mathematical models of mood and motivation in people experiencing depression. He will collect data remotely from participants using smartphones – a new approach that shows great promise for estimating individual differences related to brain functioning.