Graduate Researcher Impact Statements

The following compilation is an amazing showcase of the breadth of new research undertaken at the University of Melbourne by doctoral researchers making a meaningful impact with their discoveries and ideas.

GR Impact Statements showcase the diversity of research at the University of Melbourne and why it matters. The graduate researchers have an opportunity to explain in simple, plain language what they found out during their PhD, and how the research and its outcomes benefit society.

Current graduate researchers can find key information and resources on how to craft their own research impact statements on Research Gateway. (University of Melbourne ID and logon required).

Read recent Graduate Researcher Impact Statements

Aerial shot of Lake Eyre water distribution

Land-atmosphere feedbacks of Lake Eyre, Australia and their contributions to the global water cycles –  Zhiyuan Yang

Could flooding Australia's desert make it rain? This question lies at the heart of the Bradfield Scheme, a controversial proposal from the 1930s to bring water to the arid interior. Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events so ideas like the Bradfield Scheme are getting a fresh look, as a way to manage resources and make Australia more resilient.

My research used a cutting-edge climate model to see what would happen if Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre (which dries up from time to time) was instead turned into a permanent lake. Turns out, it wouldn't change rainfall much. Only by flooding a third of the continent (impossible in reality!) did we see a noticeable effect.

This study shows that the relationship between landscape changes and rainfall is complex. We need sophisticated models to predict the outcomes of geo-engineering projects designed to manage water resources or fight climate change.

Supervisor: Professor Dongryeol Ryu
Photo: Lake Eyre, Unsplash

A river running through a deep channel

Modal analysis of shear flows - Jitong Ding

Have you seen irregular eddies swirling in waterfalls or chaotic smoke rising from a chimney? That is turbulence. This phenomenon is widely seen in nature and our lives. Yet it remains a mysterious puzzle, far from being fully understood because turbulence characteristics are described by the unsolved nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations.

I researched a specific piece of that puzzle: channel flow. Imagine a flowing river confined between two banks. My research tries to explore why turbulence exists, what flow structures look like, and how we can estimate the flow velocities inside this channel flow system. A comprehensive understanding of this simple system can be extended to more complex and practical configurations, like air between wind turbine blades and even large-scale cloud pattern formation in the Earth’s atmosphere. My research findings provide insights into improving computational simulations and building simple reliable mathematical models, which could further contribute towards technological advancements such as fuel-efficient aircraft design and more accurate weather prediction.

Supervisor: Dr Simon Illingworth
Photo: Reinhold Moller, Wikimedia Commons

children learning in an outdoor environment

Holistic learning in outdoor settings: educators’ practices, experiences, and integration of outdoor community learning in kindergarten curriculum - Siew Chin Ng


My research explores how early childhood educators in Singapore teach outdoors, and how new ideas on learning with the world and everyday encounters can improve their teaching practices. It introduced educators to new ways of thinking about the relationship between people and the world, including animals, plants, and the environment. This helped them develop their teaching skills by focusing on their own outdoor experiences and beliefs.

The study also explored how educators and researchers can work together to create outdoor learning experiences that encourage sustainability and holistic learning. This research will eventually support early childhood professionals improve their outdoor teaching and learning practices in new and exciting ways.


Supervisors: Professor Nicola Yelland, and Associate Professor Jeanne Marie Iorio
Photo: Pixabay

First published on 21 March 2024.

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