Two of this year's recipients of the prestigious Westpac Future Leaders Scholarships are proud to call Tasmania home, finding inspiration on the island and at The University of Tasmania for their research in the field of sustainable futures.
Hannah Sheers and Hunter Forbes have received the sought-after scholarships, worth $120,000 each, to support them through their postgraduate degrees.
The Westpac scholarships were developed to enable, connect and build the confidence and leadership capability of the nation's best and brightest postgraduate students.
Hannah grew up in Tasmania, and says she always felt a deep connection to nature which in turn instilled in her a strong appreciation for sustainability.
Her PhD research, supervised by Associate Professor Stuart Thickett, Dr Melissa Stanfield and Professor Jason Smith from UTAS, builds on this foundation, exploring bio-derived alternatives to petroleum-based polymers.
"This work combines scientific innovation with the potential for real-world change, which I find really exciting," Hannah said.
"By utilising Tasmanian timber waste, I aim to develop innovative, nature-based solutions that are competitive with current market products while addressing the end-of-life use of these materials."
Hunter was inspired to move to Tasmania to study marine science after a pre-degree course at the University studying temperate marine science on Maria Island.
"I had the most incredible time and moved straight down to Hobart for my undergraduate degree, before continuing on with Honours.
"My love for and fascination with kelp forests and Australia's Great Southern Reef grew over the following years that I worked for the University at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies," he said.
Hunter is now a marine scientist studying seaweeds and the broader ecosystems they support, focusing on kelp forest ecology, climate change impacts, and habitat restoration.
His PhD research is supervised by Dr Scott Bennett and Professor Catriona Hurd at UTAS, as well as Professor Thomas Wernberg at the University of Western Australia.
"The most exciting thing about my research is the scale of it - the plan is to travel and dive all around Australia to study kelp forests, which will help us to better understand the processes playing out along this huge, interconnected reef system, and where the pressure points are."
Both Hannah and Hunter believe the opportunity to be Westpac Future Leaders Scholars will provide them with invaluable support to build their skills as researchers and leaders, and to stretch their thinking and collaborative research networks.
