Excellence rewarded at the 2025 School of Agriculture, Food and Wine HDR Symposium
For the first two days of October, the Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students enjoyed the opportunity to network and present their work at the School’s annual HDR Symposium. Over 40 students presented long format talks, three-minute thesis style talks (elevator pitch) or posters. The audience were treated to a wide range of interesting topics including (but not limited to):
- Improving soil structural stability and soil carbon sequestration
- Vegetable-based meat products
- Identifying semi-dwarf genes in barley
- Gene editing of plants
- Interactions with insects in apple production systems
- Using microorganisms from native plants for fermentation
- Measuring various compounds in wine
- Development of new herbicides
- Duckweed for space and faba bean milk production.
Professor Jason Able, Dean of School, commented, ““The student research symposium demonstrates the breadth of activity within our school and provides insight into the agronomists, food technologists, plant breeders, and wine makers (as examples), of the future. Our HDR students are part of the ‘bedrock’ of our research success, and as such, we will continue to support and nurture this talent to enable us to keep delivering innovative solutions which contribute to solving real-world challenges within the agriculture, food and wine sectors.”
In addition to HDR student presentations, Dr Steven Hussey, Senior Mortlock Fellow provided sage advice to students about their future journey or careers after their PhD. The networking poster sessions were also well attended with much discussion.
The Postgraduate Association of Waite Students (PAWS) oversaw the People’s Choice competition with President Alex Seward presenting them to the winners. Professor Nikki Stanford (Pro Vice Chancellor College of Science) and Professor Jason Able presented the awards to each winner of the awards which were judged by the School HDR committee. Some of the sponsors also were on hand to present awards. Congratulations to all the award winners, with special thanks to the award sponsors as follows (with pictures below):
PAWS People Choice Poster
Sponsored by PAWS and ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development
Alex Seward
PAWS People Choice 3MT
Sponsored by PAWS and Australian Grain Technologies
Jia En Sit
PAWS People Choice Long Presentation Runner-Up
Sponsored by PAWS and ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development
Zeinab Ghasemzadeh
PAWS People Choice Long Presentation
Sponsored by PAWS, the Waite Research Institute and the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
Nick Kuhlman
Best Overall Presentation
Sponsored by the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
Kirsty Harkness
Highly Commended Presentation
Sponsored by the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
Benjamin Pike
Best Elevator Pitch
Sponsored by the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
Rebecca Stevens
Highly Commended Elevator Pitch
Sponsored by the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
Mirrin McKay
Jia En Sit
Best poster
Sponsored by Plants for Space ARC Centre of Excellence
Chigozie Ofoedu
Australasian Plant Pathology Society Award
Sponsored by Australasian Plant Pathology
Virajinee Bulathsinhalage
Best long presentation: Plant Improvement
Sponsored by Australian Grain Technologies
Hien Minh Vu
Best long presentation: Plants
Sponsored by the ARC Training Centre for Future Crop Development
Zhale Hekmati
Best long presentation: Soils - Sally and Andrew Smith Prize
Sponsored by Soil Science Australia
Zeinab Ghasemzadeh
Best long presentation: Food Science
Sponsored by the Waite Research Institute
Adam Douch
Best Long presentation: Wine Science
Sponsored by the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
Kirsty Harkness
Best questioner
Sponsored by the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
Jia En Sit
Images from the event can be found here.