Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarships support:

• Current postgraduate students undertaking their Australian PhD to conduct research in the U.S. (4 to 10 months) OR
• Supports enrolment in a graduate degree program (dependent on award).

All applications are considered in the general Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship pool, however eligible applicants may elect to be considered for additional sponsored scholarship opportunities. For more information see the Fulbright website https://www.fulbright.org.au/

Please contact Rosie Wilkes from the Adelaide Graduate Research School to discuss your application.

View the South Australian Fulbright Scholarships Information Webinar held on 21 May 2021 for more information.

FULBRIGHT RECIPIENTS SET TO EXPAND RESEARCH HORIZONS

 Posted on Jun 1 2021 by Crispin Savage

From top, l-r: Tobin South, Yazan Arouri, Alison Gill, Dr Aaron Pereira and Dr Annabel Sorby-Adams

Five current researchers from the University of Adelaide have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships to continue their world-class research in the fields of data science, energy resources, plant science, semiconductor technology and stroke detection. Three of the University’s alumnae have also been awarded scholarships which will take all the recipients to US universities to continue their careers.

“I congratulate this year’s Fulbright Scholars, both those currently undertaking studies and research with the University of Adelaide and our alumnae for their research excellence,” says the University of Adelaide’s Professor Anton Middelberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).

“Work undertaken by our researchers places us in the top one per cent of universities world-wide.

“These people are destined to be leaders in their chosen fields. Their work, now and in the future, has a major impact on solving some of the toughest challenges facing society today.”

This year’s University of Adelaide Fulbright Scholars are:

Tobin South from the University’s School of Mathematical Sciences will undertake a PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he will develop the next generation of tools to analyse complex systems. He will apply these techniques to applications as diverse as information warfare, economic analysis and human mobility. Tobin develops computational tools to understand complex systems using big data. He spent the last several years researching the flow of misinformation in social media news as part of a Master of Philosophy following his graduation as Valediction of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Adelaide. Tobin will be championing an ongoing collaboration between the MIT Media Lab and the South Australian Government to add value to the state using local data.

Yazan Arouri is a current PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide’s Australian School of Petroleum and Energy Resources. Yazan, who is from the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, is passionate about improving human life through increasing access to affordable and sustainable energy resources. His research area focuses on developing and implementing optimisation techniques for the sustainable and economical field development of natural resources, including oil and natural gas. As a Fulbright Scholar, Yazan aims to provide the technological innovations needed to shape the future of the Australian resource industry.

Alison Gill from the University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine will continue her studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Alison’s PhD research focuses on the drought tolerance and water-use efficiency of industrial hemp. Research is needed to establish whether hemp has a place in low water use cropping systems, such as those in southern Australia and California. Through her Fulbright Scholarship, Alison hopes to gain valuable knowledge on hemp agronomy that will guide the industry in Australia. Her research will assist in understanding implications of water availability on hemp production and will investigate how agroecology approaches can address future challenges. This research has the potential to be a game-changer for the domestic agricultural industry as hemp is under-researched in Australia.

Dr Aaron Pereira is a research fellow with the millimetre wave and terahertz research group at University’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. His research investigates emerging semiconductor technologies for space applications. He has been collaborating with researchers from US and Europe to develop high efficiency sensors and communications systems for use in hostile environments. As a Fulbright scholar, Aaron will pursue research at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he will explore next generation of sensors to detect subsurface water on the Moon, Mars, and other planetary bodies.

Dr Annabel Sorby-Adams recently completed her PhD in the Adelaide Medical School and is a current Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge. In 2022, she will be continuing her work in the field of neuroscience at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. As a Fulbright Future Scholar, Annabel seeks to advance and validate ‘low-field’ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This innovative technology aims to provide an inexpensive, mobile and safe system to enhance the timely diagnosis of stroke – a devastating disease which affects more than 17 million people worldwide annually. To reduce death and disability, prompt diagnosis of stroke is imperative and MRI technology is a powerful way to do this. Unfortunately, however, conventional systems have limitations which significantly reduce the number of people who receive timely help. Annabel hopes to advance low field MRI technology and establish binational collaborations to help to improve the diagnosis and treatment of stroke.

The University would also like to congratulate alumnae who have received Fulbright Scholarships. PhD candidate Amy Mackenzie will continue her work to find the sources of genetic resistance to wheat rust diseases, Dr Louise Grimmer will study US retail marketing strategies in the face of COVID-19 and Dr Sara Polanco will continue her research into how and why rivers evolve through time and space.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship foreign exchange scholarship program of the US, aimed at increasing binational collaboration, cultural understanding, and the exchange of ideas.

Media Contact:

Crispin Savage, Senior Communications and Media Officer, The University of Adelaide. Mobile: +61 (0)481 912 465, Email: crispin.savage@adelaide.edu.au