UNEHDR

THIS FRIDAY the GRS Seminar Series is featuring two HDR candidates from the Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law.

Susantha Dissanayake - PhD Candidate, UNE Business School
Title: “Energy Poverty and Economic Growth: The Role of Energy Access, Income Inequality, and Fiscal Sustainability”

Daniel Reeves - PhD Candidate, School of Science and Technology
Title: “Australian university policy impact on ICT utilisation - survey design reflections”

Both presenters will be in person at the Lewis Lecture Theatre. Come along and show your support for our HDR candidates!

When: Friday, 31 July 2026, 10:00 - 11:00am
Where: Lewis Lecture Theatre and Online
(Meeting ID: 849 2639 3133, Password: 778553)

Congratulations to Dr Otto Henfling, who recently celebrated his graduation from the UNE Business School! Otto successfully completed his PhD journey under the supervision of Dr Simon Burgess and Dr Peter McClenaghan. He has kindly shared his graduate story, offering valuable advice and insights for our current HDR candidates.

This month the GRS Seminar Series is featuring two HDR candidates from the Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law.

When: Friday, 31 July 2026, 10:00 - 11:00am
Where: Lewis Lecture Theatre and Online (Meeting ID: 849 2639 3133, Password: 778553)

Daniel Reeves - PhD Candidate, School of Science and Technology
Title: “Australian university policy impact on ICT utilisation - survey design reflections”

Susantha Dissanayake - PhD Candidate, UNE Business School
Title: “Energy Poverty and Economic Growth: The Role of Energy Access, Income Inequality, and Fiscal Sustainability”

Research to Impact: NOT a Commercialisation Workshop is a free, practical two hour session for researchers and HDR students who want to think about how their work could reach the people who need it most. No patents, no startups required.

The session explores the gap between great research and real world impact, and gives participants practical tools for understanding who their research could benefit, how to connect with them, and how to co-create something useful from their discoveries.

UNESRI are running two identical sessions in Armidale in June so candidates can choose the time that suits them best:

Wednesday 17 June, 3:00pm to 5:00pm (supper included)
Wednesday 24 June, 10:00am to 12:00pm (lunch included)

Register your interest and select your preferred session here:
https://www.unesri.com.au/research-to-impact

These sessions are in person, however SRI are also hoping to run an online session in the coming months.

Networking at the Museum!

Join the Graduate Research School for the National Research Pathways Conference Networking Event.

🦖 Natural History Museum
📅 Wednesday, 14 October
🕒 4:30 pm
🥂 Drinks and nibbles provided!

Open to all HDR candidates and supervisors—even if you are not able to attend the conference. Come along and help us build a more connected research community!

GRS Seminar Series

This month featuring HDR candidates from the
Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education

When: Friday 29 May, 10:00 - 11:00am
Where: Lewis Lecturer Theatre and Online

Lynette Marlow - PhD Candidate (presenting in person)
Title: “Reframing Risk in First Nations Research: A Ngarabul-led Placemaking Case Study”.

Sayed Ahmed - PhD Candidate (presenting in person)
Title: “Third Space, Third Order of Simulacra and Second Religion: Fluidity of Sacred Symbols in Sylhet City, Bangladesh”.

This month the GRS Seminar Series is featuring two HDR candidates from the Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law.

Erlis Nurbani - PhD Candidate (presenting in person)
Title: "Empowering and strengthening small-scale and adat fishing communities through the right of self-determination in Blue Economy initiatives".

Michael McGuinness - PhD Candidate (presenting online)
Title: "Seeing the Invisible: Hidden Rules, Intelligence, and Authority in Contemporary Governance"

When: Friday 24 April, 10:00 - 11:00am
Where: Lewis Lecturer Theatre and Online

No need to register, just come along and support these candidates as they present their research. The Zoom link can be found at https://www.une.edu.au/research/graduate-research-school/research-training-and-events/workshop-series/

If you have any question please email [email protected].

What really happens to your career when you step away from work – for kids, caring, study, illness, or just to reset?

UNE Business School PhD candidate Anastasia Prikhodko is digging into how career breaks are perceived in the tech sector, why returning staff are still too often sidelined, and what managers and organisations can do to support genuine reintegration.

Her research broadens the conversation beyond maternity leave, highlighting that anyone in a technology role can be affected by outdated assumptions about “time out” from work.

“One of my main findings highlights the critical role managers play in someone’s re-entry — they can truly make or break the experience for a returning employee.”

Read how Anastasia is combining a full-time communications career with part-time PhD study at UNE, and why she believes normalising career breaks is essential for retention, equity and long-term workforce sustainability.

🔗 Full story in the comments.

PhD candidate in the School of Law, Allan Kimtai Ruto has been selected to participate in Translating Research into Impact program, following a competitive selection process. The program aims to provide participants researching agriculture, decarbonisation, or drought and climate, with valuable opportunity to improve confidence and skills in communicating their research, building their network, and planning an impactful research career.

The program is tailored for Early Career Researchers and includes a two-day intensive workshop which took place on 26 and 27 February 2026, at Southern Cross University at the Gold Coast with was fully funded. Thereafter there will be five interactive online sessions over three months and other research support resources.

Allan would like to express his gratitude to his supervisor Dr Andrew Lawson, he says this would not have been possible without his nomination and support.

Childhood curiosity grew into a career to help stop the spread of the malaria that continues to plague his homeland of Ethiopia. Now biologist Dr Solomon Birhanie is the Scientific Director for Disease Vector Control for the West Valley Health Region in San Bernadino County, near Los Angeles, and the newly appointed Chair of the American Committee for Medical Entomology. Back in the early 2010s, he undertook a PhD with UNE.

To read the full story visit

Bitten by the science bug Childhood curiosity grew into a career to help stop the spread of the malaria that continues to plague his homeland of Ethiopia. Now biologist Dr Solomon Birhanie is the Scientific Director for Disease Vector Control for the West Valley Health Region in San Bernadino County, near Los Angeles, and th...