Remote wilderness management, 'lab-on-a-chip' portable analytical chemistry developments and technology law and policy are on the research agenda for some of Tasmania's most outstanding scholars.
Three University of Tasmania researchers have been named the 2023 Fulbright scholars and will soon travel to the US as part of the prestigious academic and cultural exchange program.
The 2023 Fulbright Scholarship recipients from the University of Tasmania include:
Professor Michael Breadmore, Fulbright Future Scholarship – Analytical Chemistry
An ARC Future Fellow and globally recognised separation scientist, Professor Breadmore will travel to Stanford University to further advance a new analytical material, developed by his team at The University of Tasmania. He will use the time to understand how molecules move through this material, in order to use it in applications like portable environmental monitoring and personalised medicine.
"COVID 19 has illustrated really elegantly the power of what I do – that is the ability to make a (bio)chemical measurement at home and to use the outcome of that test to make a decision. But not all the things we want to measure can be done in the simple, portable, instant way that COVID tests can be done," Professor Breadmore said.
"My research over the past 20 years has focused on creating new ways to measure things – so far, we have managed to do this with explosive detection and in-situ water monitoring, with more to come.
"I feel incredibly honoured to have been awarded a Fulbright Future Scholarship. As someone who was born in Tasmania, educated here, and works here, it's a tad daunting and just a little scary to know I will be going to work with some of the brightest and smartest people in the world! But it's also exciting.
"It is the links and relationships we can forge on cultural exchanges like this one that help to break down barriers and boundaries, and that lead to a richer and more rewarding world in which we live."
Daniel Hackett, Fulbright Tasmania Scholarship – Management of Wilderness and Wild Places
An environmental studies PhD student and veteran of the Tasmanian tourism industry, Mr Hackett will travel to Pennsylvania State University to be part of a multi-national team researching wilderness soundscapes and perceptions of remoteness among recreational wilderness users.
"In the US, I will conduct on-the-ground research in some amazing areas, including the glaciers and mountains of Denali National Park, Alaska," Mr Hackett said.
"The sounds and feelings associated with being in remote and wild places are an important and protected element of land managed as wilderness, from Tasmania's World Heritage Area right through to the hundreds of millions of acres managed as wilderness in the USA.
"Despite its importance, there is very little scientific data published on this topic, so our research in the US will be used to further inform management of the wilderness network there, but will also be equally valuable here at home in Tasmania.
"To have my work recognised and elevated into an international research program is an amazing opportunity and I'm still pinching myself. Programs like this ensure our innovative island-borne ideas in Tasmania mature with global relevance and input – it's a win-win for the state."
Ella Hilder, Fulbright Tasmania Scholarship – International and Technology Law
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The University of Tasmania will also host two outstanding US Fulbright Scholars in 2023:
- Dr Travis Young from The Pennsylvania State University, Fulbright Future Scholarship (Postdoctoral) – Geography
- Cade N. Kane from Purdue University, Fulbright Future Scholarship (Postgraduate) – Botany
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