Staff take part in Doctoral Qualification Scheme
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USQ supports and encourages staff
to increase their qualification levels |
Five USQ academics have been selected to take part in this year’s Staff Doctoral Qualification Scheme (SDQS).
Established in a bid to increase the qualification levels of University staff, the scheme provides financial assistance and time support for the three years of a staff member’s doctorate program.
Catherine Arden, Shelly Grist, Sharon Louth, Bernadette Pryde and Cheryl Ross-Walker will commence their doctorate degree this semester thanks to the Scheme.
Bernadette Pryde works in the Faculty of Arts and said the scheme has motivated her to reach her goals.
'Firstly, I feel very honoured to have been selected. It gives me the confidence to believe that my university believes in the work that I’m doing,’ Ms Pryde said.
Bernadette’s doctorate will look at the terminology used in Australian actor training. This study will determine if a distinctly Australian language of acting has emerged.
'This project is affiliated with the Faculty of Arts Public Memory Research Centre. It is in keeping with the Centre's mission to investigate the ways in which the past is utilised in contemporary culture. This project is particularly relevant to the Public Memory's Theatre Performance: Creation to Consumption research cluster. It can be argued that an understanding of Australian actor training practices in the twenty-first century provides a unique insight into the ways in which we create and consume theatrical performance.'
Lecturer in Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Education, Catherine Arden, was also awarded a spot in the scheme for her project An inquiry into learning in Community Informatics: Understanding, facilitating and accounting for learning in the GraniteNet project.
'Receiving this scholarship has been a real boon and highly motivating for a number of reasons,' Catherine said.
'Firstly, and most importantly, it will help to reduce my teaching load and enable me to focus more of my attention on my research. The benefits of this cannot be overstated. Secondly, it is encouraging to think that the University sees value in my study, and this will serve to motivate me to continue in the face of various challenges and obstacles that I will continue to face along the way.
'Knowing that the University is making this investment - and one that is substantial and not just a token - to support me and other doctoral students to complete their studies, motivates me to want to give my best efforts.'
Faculty of Business lecturer in Information Systems, Shelly Grist, will also take part in the scheme.
'As a student when you select a PhD topic area and start on that journey, to you, personally, your research area is very important. You are willing to dedicate several years of your life to pursue it because you believe that your labour will result in a valuable contribution to knowledge,' Shelly said.
'Receiving the scholarship means to me that others have also seen the promise in my research and are willing to support it. I am very honoured to receive this scholarship.
'This research will play an important role in the development of more sustainable rural industry supply chains and the framework will be transferable to other industry supply chain LCA processes.
'This research will also be of value to managers dealing with the compliance issues that will unfold across industry supply chains as we begin to see increased greenhouse emissions regulation and reporting requirements.'
Faculty of Education lecturer Sharon Louth will also take part in the Scheme and will investigate the impact of traditional Indigenous games on primary school students and their teachers.
'This scholarship means that the University acknowledges the importance of my study, not just to the university community, but the impact it can have on schools and curriculum in Queensland, and Australia. My work can make a difference and the University recognise this,' she said.
'I believe this research will help USQ to be seen as leading the way in developing and embedding Indigenous perspectives within schools and supporting teachers to implement effective strategies to enhance the physical, cognitive and emotional components of students’ well being.'
Cheryl Ross-Walker from the Faculty of Sciences was also awarded a spot in the scheme and will look at the workloads and the impact of cultural and climatic factors on nurses.
'I feel very honoured and fortunate to have received this scholarship. It means I can concentrate on a subject I am passionate about, without having to swivel my brain between teaching and research. Seeing as it is an ethnographic methodology, I need to be able to immerse myself in field work, without other distractions,' Cheryl said.
'My research will look at nursing workloads and the impact of cultural and climatic factors. Not so much as the ‘looking after the patient’, but more of the other ‘stuff’ that nurses do – which is largely unrecognised. International, national, professional, industrial and employer forums are particularly interested in this ‘problem’, not to mention the nurses themselves.
'The research also reinforces and showcases to the community that there is USQ collaboration and cooperation to undertake applied research. The knowledge and expertise gained will be an advantage for teaching, conferences, further research and put USQ in the international and national nursing spotlight.'
Contact Details:Connie-Louise Rego,
USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2977, 0423 166 307