CRC for Plant Biosecurity - education. training

Education and Training: An update

VANMEURSA — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:49:43 +0000

Our PhD candidates are currently working hard to meet their completion deadlines, with twelve due to submit their theses by April 2011. Alistair McTaggart is on track to achieve this, having delivered his final seminar at Queensland University of Technology on Thursday 2 December. Alistair has been located with Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation throughout his PhD, mainly at the Indooroopilly site and more recently at the new Boggo Road site, which Alistair affectionately refers to as ‘The Bog’. His project has looked at the smut fungi, and has involved a revision of the Ustilago, Sporisorium and Macalpinomyces complex using traditional and molecular methods. We wish Alistair the best of luck during his final stages of writing and submission. For further information on Alistair’s project, see The fastest and smuttiest CRC PhD project

CRC PhD scholarships offer more than just a stipend, we also offer our students support and professional development over the term of their PhD. Since the inception of the CRC we have brought our PhD candidates together annually, to provide training in biosecurity and career-related skills. It is expected that students will attend at least three workshops over the course of their PhD. Workshops that have been held to date include Presenting for Success, Scientific Writing, Networking Skills, Biosecurity Awareness, Project and Intellectual Property Management, Scientific Communication and Statistics. Meeting annually also gives students the opportunity to network and discuss successes/problems they may be experiencing with their PhD projects.

Earlier this year, PhD students went on a site visit to the Queensland government quarantine facility in Brisbane where they were able to view the quarantine glasshouses and plant tissue culture facilities and also met the quarantine dogs that work at the airport. In addition, we have run Q&A sessions with industry and government representatives, so that candidates have a better understanding of what employers expect and the sorts of roles that will be available on completion of their projects. The feedback from students following these workshops is consistently positive. Our next workshop is being held in the two days prior to the Science Exchange in February and will include another site visit to see plant biosecurity in action: protecting our valuable viticulture industry.

To provide our PhD candidates with the knowledge and skills sought after by employees a number of our students are embedded with our government and industry participants, rather than being based at a university. This gives students an insight into the day to day operations of plant biosecurity. Furthermore, all of our students have an academic supervisor and at least one non-university supervisor, again to expose them to real life research. Five of our students have received direct support from industry, including the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Horticulture Australia, and the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation, indicating the value of their projects to Australian plant industries.

Photo caption: PhD workshop held prior to the 2009 Science exchange

Photo acknowledgement: Di Harris Photographic

Article written by: Dr Kirsty Bayliss

Education and Training: An update

K.Scott — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 23:49:25 +0000

It is with much pleasure that we congratulate Mr Mark Stanaway on the submission of his PhD thesis Hierarchical Bayesian Models for Estimating the Extent of Plant Pest Invasions for examination. Mark was granted leave from his employer, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, to undertake his PhD with the CRC, commencing in late 2006. All four of his supervisors, Professor Kerrie Mengersen, and Drs Rob Reeves, Grant Hamilton and Peter Whittle were based at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Mark’s thesis investigated the use of hierarchical Bayesian models as decision-making tools for plant biosecurity surveillance activities. He used case studies of the spiralling whitefly (Aleurodicus disperses) and the red-banded mango caterpillar (Deanolis sublimbalis) to examine how pests can spread, incorporating human-assisted movement, ecological factors, and uncertainty. The tools developed in his study may assist future assessment of area freedom and effective management of incursion response programs. Mark has published one paper from his PhD and is currently preparing two further papers. We congratulate Mark on his submission and eagerly await the outcome of the examination period.

Close on the heels of Mark was Nichole Hammond who submitted her thesis on October 27. Nichole was also granted leave from her employer, the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) commencing her PhD in early 2007. Nichole enrolled at Murdoch University and was supervised by Dr Simon Reid, with input from Dr Darryl Hardie and Dr Tony Martin (DAFWA), Dr Grant Hamilton (QUT) and Dr Cindy Hauser (Australian Centre of Excellence for Risk Analysis). In a similar vein to Mark, Nichole examined decision-making tools for surveillance, using Karnal bunt (Tilletia indica) as her case study. Nichole also conducted a survey of growers to examine the level of detecting and reporting of high priority pests in the grains industry. We wish Nichole the best of luck during the examination process.

With a number of students nearing the end of their PhD studies it was considered timely to conduct a survey of their post-PhD plans.

A total of 32 of our students responded with the results indicating that following submission, 47% of students will be seeking a postdoctoral position within Australia, 19% will be returning to their employer (as they were granted study leave to complete their PhD), 14% will be seeking positions overseas, and the remainder are happy to work anywhere. Of the respondents, 60% indicated they would prefer a career in plant biosecurity, with 40% happy to work in the broader biosecurity arena. Thankfully none of the students said they were not interested in a career in biosecurity of any sort! This bodes well for the CRC’s goal to increase Australia’s capacity in plant biosecurity.

Enrolments in the 2011 enrolments for a postgraduate Certificate, Diploma or Masters in Plant Biosecurity are now open. This postgraduate study in plant biosecurity has been developed specifically for those working in the plant biosecurity sector or for people who wish to pursue a career in plant biosecurity. The courses are delivered entirely online so students are able to fit study around their busy lifestyles at a time and place that is convenient for them.The courses are also offered asindividual units which means they can be studied by people with an interest in a specific topic or those who are not sure they want to commit to a full certificate, diploma or masters. If you are currently enrolled in another postgraduate course you may be able to complete units from the plant biosecurity program and have them count towards your qualification. The cost of each unit, with the exception of the Masters Dissertation, is from AUD$2,500 for 2011 (depending on where you enrol). If you require any further information please refer to the Plant Biosecurity Program website or contact Dr Kirsty Bayliss.

Article written by: Dr Kirsty Bayliss

Plant biosecurity education and training in Australia

K.Scott — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:14:00 +0000