iPREPWAResearch Engagement ProgramIndustry and PhD

Graduate Participants

Fortescue Metals GroupProject: Optimal Scheduling in a Noisy Environment

Fortescue undertakes a range of dynamic modeling to analyze the effect of different infrastructure configurations and operating philosophies. Fortescues dynamic simulations incorporate random failures and events that limit the look-ahead time allowable to any static optimization. This project will examine different areas of the Fortescue supply chain, with a focus on:• Most effective local objective functions• Optimal value of the look-ahead time

Students: Honey, Patrick and Steve. Industry Mentor: Tom Hanna

Honey BadrzadehCurtin University

Honey is a senior civil engineer with over 12 years experience as a hydrologist, integrated water resources engineer, computational modelling specialist and researcher. She gained her BSc. in civil engineering (Fist class honours, 2001) and MSc. in civil engineering – water resources management (with distinction, 2004) from top ranked universities in Iran. During her career in the water industry, she has worked on many large scale engineering projects, mainly in multidisciplinary environments. Since 2011, she has been a PhD research scholar at Curtin University, Perth, Australia. She has recently submitted her thesis titled ” River flow forecasting using an integrated approach of wavelet multi-resolution analysis and computational intelligence techniques”. Her research work has resulted in a number of high quality journal and conference publications.

Patrick FritzCurtin University

I completed a Bachelor of Science (Hons) (Forensic and Analytical Chemistry) at Curtin University in 2010. I then continued my studies on to a PhD in Chemistry, which I have just submitted. The focus for my thesis was developing new ways of detecting and analysing fingerprints. This work has given me a keen understanding of the analytical and forensic sciences, which has been further augmented by teaching in undergraduate university classes. In my free time I enjoy reading and listening to music. I also love travelling and am a passionate motorcycle rider, which led me to undertake a 6 month motorcycle tour of Europe prior to commencement of my PhD, which was a truly memorable experience.

Steve SupitCurtin University

Steve Wilben Macquarie Supit is currently a Phd student at Curtin University, Perth, WA, majoring in Civil Engineering. He has recently completed research on durability properties of high volume fly ash concretes containing nano particles and has already published some of the findings. At the moment, he serves as a sessional academic staff at Curtin University. He has held lecturing positions at some universities in Manado, Indonesia, for several years and served as a research associate in Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, with a focus on advanced concrete technology for applications in civil engineering.

He received his bachelor of engineering degree from Sam Ratulangi University, Manado in Indonesia and awarded econd place on the best achievement student competition in Faculty of Engineering. He was awarded Newmont mining corporation scholarship and AIT fellowship to pursue Master’s program. He was the recipient of the Indonesian government DIKTI scholarship to pursue doctoral study at Curtin University. Outside of his study, he is one of the certificate holders in Asia on Tsunami Science and Preparedness.

CingleVue International Project: Identify opportunities for data-driven software applications within the health sector

CingleVue International would like to identify specific and unique problems or ongoing issues within the health sector which could be solved using Information Technology – specifically data-driven software applications. Students would need to identify a market niche, clearly articulate the nature of the problem or issue and why it exists, and specify how a data-driven solution built upon open source software according to an agile methodology could be of value or benefit.

Students: Michael, Daniel, Paul and YunIndustry Mentor: Michael Garrett

Michael Challenor University of Western Australia

I studied my Bachelor of Science in Nanotechnology at Curtin University of Technology, where I specialised in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. After 3 years, I transferred to UWA to complete my honours in the school of Chemistry and Biochemistry. I then stayed on to do my PhD project which involved combining elements of chemistry, materials science, optics and neuroscience. My PhD resulted in several first author publications and I presented my work at international conferences in Perth,Victoria, Auckland and in Belgium. The interface between man-made materials and the world of biology has always been fascinating to me and I am very excited to direct my career towards the development of new technology which can be applied for real-world

Daniel Lombardo Curtin University

I am an extremely enthusiastic and highly motivated individual who loves challenges. My main goal is to improve the quality of a person’s health by utilising my chemistry skill set. My post-graduate studies were in the field of medicinal chemistry, from which I have successfully synthesised two anti-inflammatory compounds during this time. Outside of university, I like to challenge myself physically and mentally by training at the gym and immersing in novels written by philanthropists. Another of my other passions is personal development. Through motivational seminars, I wish to education and empower people to take charge of their own health and live longer, more fulfilled lives.

Paul JanszEdith Cowan University

Paul embarked on his present career by completing a BSc (Maths and Physical Science) at ECU, followed by a BSc (Physical Science) honors 1st Class in solid state physics. He is currently completing a PhD in biomedical imaging physics associated with low coherence interferometry (LCI) as he is interested in assisting medical professionals to deliver positive health outcomes for patients in the health system globally. His interests include developing and using simulations to characterize optical coherence tomography (OCT) and its applications, as well as stationary optical delay lines and light sources for time domain OCT that impact on developing portable affordable OCT. His parallel interests in solid state physics include solid state device modeling for imaging and photonics applications.

Yun Ren Edith Cowan University

Yun Ren is a PhD student working in the School of Business at Edith Cowan University. After completing Honors (first class), she started to do PhD in 2011, expected to complete in March 2015. Her research title is “corporate governance, conservatism and firm performance: evidence from China”. Her research is focused on Chinese listed companies and she is interested in the effect of corporate governance on conservatism and firm performance. During the PhD study, she has attended a number of conferences and has published three papers. She has also worked as an Accountant Assistant in Renaissance Clinics and tutor in Edith Cowan University.

Bombora Wave Project Pty LtdAssistance with Bombora Wave Power’s development of the pioneering, award winning Wave Energy Converter system. These include:

• Proof of concept testing using Fibre Bragg Grating as a membrane Structural Health Monitoring sensor.

• Geotechnical and civil design of field trial prototypes and early commercial project opportunities in the marina wave attenuation market.

• Reviewing the state of the art for electrical subsystem alternatives and souring software to implement models for integration into the total system model.

• Develop a business case framework for assessing numerous commercial development and demonstration opportunities.

Students: Gary, Anthony, Naser and Sanjiv Industry Mentor: Shawn Ryan

Gary Allwood Edith Cowan University

Gary Allwood was born in Southport, England, in 1982. He became a student member of IEEE in 2010. He received his Bachelor of Science, with majors in Physics and Mathematics, and a minor in engineering in 2007 from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. In 2010 he received first class honours in Physics, and commenced his PhD in Engineering in 2011 at Edith Cowan University.He worked for two years as a Control Systems Engineer, before returning to Edith Cowan University in 2010. His research interests include renewable energy systems, in particular photovoltaics, as well as sensor physics and theoretical physics. His current research is primarily focused on optical fiber sensing for process control and security applications.

Anthony BlakeUniversity of Western Australia

Anthony is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, University of Western Australia. He submitted his thesis in October 2014, which involved an experimental study to assess the geotechnical performance of Dynamically Installed PLate Anchors (DEPLAs) – a new deep water anchoring concept for the oil and gas industry. Prior to becoming a PhD candidate, Anthony completed a degree in Civil Engineering at the Institute of Technology Sligo, Ireland. He is the outgoing student liaison for the Society for Underwater (SUT) and a past member of the SUT Young Engineers and Scientists (YES!) committee.

Naser HashemniaCurtin University

Naser Hashemnia received BSc in electrical power engineering from Yazd University, Iran, in 2006 and Master of Electrical Utility Engineering from Curtin University in 2010. He received a scholarship from the Cooperative Research Centre for Infrastructure and Asset Management in August2011 to enable him to pursue his PhD study at Curtin University. His research interests include power transformer condition monitoring and application of artificial intelligence to power systems. Currently he is a casual Electrical Engineer at Peracon pty ltd in Perth working on some industrial project for mining companies.

Sanjiv Gungadeen Murdoch University

With a strong background in the academic field Sanjiv Gungadeen has completed a variety of studies. He has just completed his PhD in Commerce with Murdoch University, Western Australia and presented the findings of his research at the 14th international Conference on Knowledge, Culture and Change in Organisations, 4th -5th August 2014, Oxford University, UK. His thesis title is: “Change management practices in small island economies: A study of private sector organizations in Mauritius”. He has developed a change management model that can be applied to Organisations in Mauritius and other small island economies with similar properties.

Sanjiv has over 16 years’ experience working in the Mauritius Customs Department where he developed a very strong and diverse skill set. He was responsible for a variety of tasks including assisting managers at corporate level to design a HRD intervention model which improved employee performance. He conducted in-depth analysis of the problem by performing a needs assessment using organisational, task and people analysis, enforced customs laws and implemented industrial acts. Sanjiv intends to pursue his study in small island economies where his main focus will be on the multi-cultural aspects of these countries.

Advantage Air Project: “Anywhere is Possible”

Advantage Air are seeking to understand the purchasing process and home use experiences of existing MyAir ducted air conditioning system customers, along with their other latent and expressed needs around the home. Innovative thinking is required and the recommendations should not be limited in scope.

Students: Miik, Darren and PervaizIndustry Mentors: David Devoy and Darren Bee

Miik Green Curtin University

Miik Green is a full-time artist and researcher based at the School of Art and Design, Curtin University. His research interests include resistance, disequilibrium and interdisciplinary exchange with a specific focus on creative practices and the effect of constraint on creativity.

Key themes of his research might translate as;solutions that can emerge through/within resistive frameworksalternate data visible through the creative lensthe necessity of counter-forcemutual exchange and cultural currencyfuture-proofing and the technological present

Green is an associate editor of The International Journal of New Media, Technology, and the Arts and associate editor of The International Journal of Social, Political and Community Agendas in the Arts. In Western Australia he is represented by Linton & Kay Galleries and Flinders Lane Gallery in Victoria. He is a current Artsource board member with works represented in national and international collections. Darren Webb Edith Cowan University

Darren Webb is a PhD Candidate at Edith Cowan University, where his multi-disciplinary research focus is on preventative workplace health and the utilisation of computing technologies that enable it. As such, he has developed industry-partnered wellbeing programs to reduce sedentary behaviours among desk-bound employee populations. Darren’s industry research collaborations with HBF has led to the establishment of Webble Guys Pty Ltd, an enterprise created to support the ongoing development of “Webble Move!” as a commercial research output resulting from his work, which is continuing with additional industry partnerships and usage interest. Darren holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science, a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, a Graduate Certificate in Research Commercialisation and is a Certified Professional of the Australian Computer Society.

Pervaiz AhmadEdith Cowan University

Mr Pervaiz Ahmad is an Assistant Professor in Library and Information Science at Allama Iqbal Open University. He is currently on leave from this position while completing a PhD study on E-book Adoption in Australian Academic and Research Libraries at Edith Cowan University, sponsored by the Australian Government’s Endeavour scholarship and fellowship programme. His research interests include e-book user behaviour, data mining, library user studies, resource description & metadata, LIS education, and quantitative techniques. Pervaiz contributed more than ten papers to Pakistani and international journals including two published in Australian Academic and Research Libraries journal in 2012 and 2014.

Southern Cross Care (WA) Inc. Project 1: Exercise program for elderly clients.Develop an exercise/ movement/ balance program for elderly clients

Project 2: Literacy program for non- English speaking employeesDevelop a literacy program for non-English speaking employees

Project 3: Pilot evaluation of improvements to IT tools for vulnerable clients.Working with our Digital Marketing team, but supporting a very important project improving provision of services to our vulnerable clients with improvements to IT tools. We want this pilot evaluated.

Students: Beatriz, Dawon and ZebunnessaIndustry Mentor: Rosemary Hogan, Jane O’Halloran, Sarah Jones and Luke Bruijn

Beatriz ItoramosCurtin Uvrsity

My name is Beatriz IR de Oliveira and I am a PhD candidate at the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Sciences, Curtin University. My background is in sports physiotherapy, adapted physical activity, public health, and research. For the past four years I coordinated the Spinal Cord Injury and Physical Activity in the Community (SCIPA Com) health promotion initiative. This role was very stimulating as it provided me the opportunity to work with people from various industries nationally and internationally. I established and fostered industry partnerships with the health and fitness sectors, community councils, SCI networks, ethics committees and participating families. This program empowered individuals with disabilities through community engagement and ownership over their activities and health.

My responsibilities also comprised the organisation and delivery of courses and extensive hands-on assessments for approximately 85 people with spinal cord injury and 95 exercise professionals. Concomitantly, I have been working as a sessional academic for Curtin University in the units of Evidence Informed Health Practice, Foundations of Professional Health Practice, Physiotherapy Practice, and Manual Therapy.

Dawon Seo Edith Cowan University

I am finalising my PhD at Edith Cowan University. The study was undertaken as a case study of three native English speaking teachers of English conversation in a South Korean university. It aims to contribute to the field of English as a Foreign Language, especially for improving English speaking skills.

Having mastered both languages, I have a firm understanding of English and Korean Language/ Literature. I am also competent in all areas pertaining to the development, teaching, and assessment of academic English to those who are non-native English speakers

I have extensive work experience as an education research assistant at Edith Cowan University. My main responsibilities include data collection, management, entry, error correction and analysis (both qualitative and quantitative), pilot study, and draft report writing, depending on the stage of the project.

My technical skills include Xero Accounting system, NVivo, SPSS, Qualtrics, Excel, and Filemaker Pro. I am also skillful in formatting & referencing long documents. My business skills include business development for Korean companies, such as POSCO E&C, Samsung C&T, and Korea Gas Corporation, and general administration duties, such as payroll, bookkeeping, and employment contracts. I also completed the unit of ‘research project management’ through Harvard Management Excellence Program.

Zebunnessa Laizu Murdoch University

I am a citizen of Australia currently in the final stages of my PhD in Information Technology at Murdoch University. Having submitted the final thesis for examiners’ review, I am now keen to join the workforce in WA. I was born in Bangladesh. I achieved my BSc in Electrical and Electronic Eng in 1997. In the same year, I joined a public University in Bangladesh as a Lecturer. I received a full scholarship to study Masters in Telecommunication in Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. I joined the same department as a Laboratory Supervisor in 2004. In 2008 I moved to Perth and acquired MURS (Murdoch University Research Scholarship) for my PhD research.

I researched and investigated the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) such as mobile phones, the internet and computer on rural women’s empowerment in Bangladesh. To examine the impact, I followed scientific procedure for data collection, analysed them and found outcomes which gives researchers and policy makers to understand how information sharing through ICT services improve the lives of rural communities. I am a mother of 2 kids and my husband is an IT professional. I am a volunteer of Red Cross. I love cooking, photography and gardening.

iPREP WA Induction held at Fortescue Metals Group

For more information about iPREP WA and other WA Research initiatives visit: www.waresearch.com

AWAREAdvancing Western Australian

Research Education