HDR mentor profiles

Queen Aigbefo

Department: Accounting and Corporate Governance
Faculty: Macquarie Business School
Email: queen.aigbefo@hdr.mq.edu.au

I am a PhD student from Nigeria, studying at Macquarie Business School in the Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance. My research area: information security behaviour. The HDR Mentors community is a platform to engage with the research community on the HDR level; it is valuable for both the mentors and the mentees. It is an opportunity to enrich someone else’s life through shared experiences.

Fun facts: I love a pleasant walk or run; music is my go-to when working or relaxing; I am a foodie. I love travelling but yet to explore all of Australia. I am thankful for the opportunity to be at Macquarie University and I am learning to enjoy every moment of the journey.

Sandy Arief

Department: Accounting and Corporate Governance
Faculty: Macquarie Business School
Email: sandy.arief@hdr.mq.edu.au

I am Indonesian PhD student by International Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship (iMQRES) at the Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance. My current research project is to investigate the influence of technology adoption in the managerial decision-making process from multidimensional perspectives. I think the HDR Mentors is a well-rounded mentorship program to make an impact for both the mentors and the mentees. Not only will you be enriching someone else’s life, but you will also have the opportunity to unlock and challenge yourself on skills that you would like to develop. HDR mentors provides a great platform to gain a new or different perspective on study or social lives, receive encouragement and support, and expand our networks to improve professional and personal development. I believe by participating this program, it creates meaningful learning experiences during our HDR journey.

These are my links:

Macquarie University profile page: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/sandy-arief
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/sandy-arief-716b8940

Samia Amin

Department: Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Faculty: Medicine, Health and Human Science
Email: samia.amin@students.mq.edu.au

Saba Akbar

Department: Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Faculty: Medicine, Health and Human Science
Email: saba.akbar@students.mq.edu.au

Hi! I am Saba. I was born and brought up in Karachi, Pakistan, but now I am settled here in Sydney. I started my PhD with the Australian Institute of Health Innovation in 2019. My research looks at ways to integrate artificial intelligence within decision support systems for nurses to help their work of risk assessment. I was pretty new to the country when I started PhD and had no friends as such. Plus you know how they say PhD can be an isolating journey. But I am glad I found HDR mentors at the very start of my program and honestly, joining their friendly team was the best decision I made. I regularly attend sessions offered by mentors and try my best to help organizing events. It is all so much fun! When I am not PhD-ing, I like to read books, Netflix and chill, cook/bake and take up small DIY projects around the house.

Bhavana Penmetcha

Department: Biological Sciences
Faculty: Science & Engineering
Email: bhavana.penmetcha@hdr.mq.edu.au

I am a PhD student interested in visual navigation in bull-ants. These species of ants are found only in Australia and can often grow as large as 40mm in length. They are highly visual navigators that forage individually for food using visual cues such as visual landmarks (tree canopies) and celestial cues (Sun, Moon, polarization pattern). I am interested in investigating the visual navigational strategies these ants use to reach their goal. Apart from doing research, I enjoy going on bushwalks, painting, attending concerts, playing board games and binging on tv shows. I am always looking for company to attend local indie gigs in the city, take a break from your research and come join me if you are interested!

Shubham Chhajed

Department: Biological Sciences
Faculty: Science & Engineering
Email: shubham-sohanlal.chhajed@hdr.mq.edu.au

I am interested in predicting how our future forests will look like. I do this by exploring how plants manage their water budgets. This will help us understand different plant strategies in response to various rainfall, temperature, and soil nutrient regimes. I also into baking, reading, playing badminton, and bingeing on tv shows. Perhaps you have suggestions for me or would like to join me in these activities. A grad journey could be taxing. Through HDR Mentors, let’s learn from each other’s experiences and make this ride a joyous one.

Twitter: @ShubhamSChhajed

Aringsun Cinantya (Cinantya)

Department: Biological Sciences
Faculty: Science & Engineering
Email: ariningsun.cinantya@students.mq.edu.au

Hi! My name is Cinantya and I'm a PhD Candidate in Biology. I love working with plants. I originally came from Indonesia, but I've been moving around for the last decade. Moving to a new place is not easy, and if you need help adjusting with the new place, just let me know :). Studying PhD (and Masters) is not easy too. To ace it (or maybe survive it? :D), you have us, HDR Mentors, to help you. Trust me, it'll easier with friends supporting you.

When I am not drowned in piles of paper and data to sort, I knit, I crochet, I spin fiber, I dance, I watch movies, I read fantasy books, I got lost in the city, I travel, or just being nerdy and watch documentaries.

Ehsan Kachooei

Department: Chemistry & Molecular Science
Faculty: Science & Engineering
Email: ehsan.kachooei@students.mq.edu.au

I started my PhD career at Department of Molecular Science form November 2016. My field of study is structural biology and Biophysics. I am studying the dynamics of a significant cardiac protein known as Troponin; in other words, my question is how

Troponin controls the function of heart muscle when you are stressed. The majority of my PhD life is spent inside the laboratory, preparing protein samples, working with sophisticated instruments, and almost alone. I am also passionate about cinema and music, I follow soccer, and I love to read literature (if the PhD stuffs let me!)

HDR mentor for me is a window to social student life and escaping from isolation, an environment to share personal experiences during the postgraduate journey with my/your peers, and a community to have fun with friends. My personal advice is “HDR mentors program is fantastic. Follow the events or be part of it. At the end of the day, you will find yourself in a network of nice various people. Do not miss it, it’s euphoric.”

Susan Caldis

Department: Education
Faculty: Human Sciences
Email: susan.caldis@hdr.mq.edu.au

Susan Caldis completed a Master of Education and a Master of Research at Macquarie University. Now she is a full time PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Educational Studies.

Before commencing her PhD, Susan taught Geography in secondary schools. Now she teaches across several curriculum and pedagogy focused courses in the Initial Teacher Education Program. Susan’s research is qualitative and longitudinal, using the lens of reflexivity theory to understand the influences on and transformation of pedagogical practice in the Geography classroom amongst pre-service teachers as they transition in to the teaching profession.

Chutiyami Muhammad (Chuty)

Department: Educational Studies
Faculty: Arts
Email: muhammad.chutiyami@hdr.mq.edu.au

I am a nurse-midwife by profession, with a master in public health and major research background in maternal and child health. I am an academic editor for ‘International Journal of Tropical Disease & Health’ and a peer reviewer in biomedical journals. My PhD study combines public health & education. I adopt four research methods (Systematic review & meta-analysis, Community-based survey, Retrospective chart review and Data linkage) to examine use/usefulness of child health home-based record in monitoring children health and development from birth to 4 years of life. I work under the supervision of Dr Shirley Wyber (Department of Educational studies) and Professor Janaki Amin (Department of Health Systems and Populations).

Loneliness associated with PhD journey motivated me to join HDR mentoring 2 months after my PhD commencement. So far, the journey has been very exciting and influential in my HDR journey and career. I look forward toward building more research networks with different professionals, especially those from health sciences background. 😊

Rafael Da Silva Chaves

School: Engineering
Faculty: Science & Engineering
Email: rafael.da-silva-chaves@hdr.mq.edu.au

Hello, everyone! My name is Rafael and I'm from Brazil. I joined Macquarie University in March 2019, and I'm here doing my cotutelle Ph.D. in electrical engineering. My research is related to the new technologies to be used in 5G systems and future wireless network systems. Right now, my primary focus is in massive MIMO systems. In my free time, I like to read books, mainly fantasy books, and binge Netflix TV Shows. I also follow the NFL, NBA, and soccer leagues. I can spend some time talking about those subjects. 🙂

I think HDR Mentors is an excellent program, and I was delighted by this since the first time I heard about it. I saw in HDR Mentors an opportunity to meet new people and share my experiences to help other students avoid some bad situations that happened to me in my academic life. During my master degree in Brazil, I had some bad moments, where I felt unmotivated, lost, and without positive feedback from my supervisor. Nowadays, I know this kind of situation is quite common in the postgraduate students' life. However, we don't need going through that alone, and this is where HDR Mentors can be helpful. Moreover, based on what I saw so far, HDR Mentors seems to be a family that celebrates the awards of their members and stands to them in the hard moments.

Kathryn Phillips

Department: International Studies
Faculty: Arts
Email: kathryn.phillips@hdr.mq.edu.au

I am a PhD student in the International Studies Department, examining K-pop cover dancing across Australia. I started my doctorate research in 2019, following the completion of my MRes, which focussed on K-pop’s impact on the Tokyo cityscape. The HDR Mentors have provided me with a tremendous amount of support and encouragement throughout my postgraduate studies, and this has made a big difference for my confidence in my work. As a mentor myself, I hope to share this same enthusiasm, advice and support with other HDR students. Outside of my PhD research, I enjoy K-pop cover dancing with my friends, playing DnD, cross-stitch and learning languages.

Adam Johnston

Department: Law
Faculty: Arts
Email: adam.johnston@hdr.mq.edu.au

I am a PhD candidate in the Law School. My field of interest is the new National Disability Insurance Scheme and why it was concluded with practically no debate, that government run care and support systems should be outsourced to the church and charitable sectors. What does this say about the status of some of the most vulnerable in society and their place as citizens?

Higher degree research can be a very insular and individual experience, if you make the mistake of letting it be that way. HDR Mentors gives you a community and a perspective. Everyone has similar frustrations, challenges, and questions. Usually, another mentor has experienced whatever you are facing now, so draw on collective knowledge and meet new people doing fascinating things.

Khedir Attaf Almoayid

Department: Linguistics
Faculty: Human Sciences
Email: khedir.almoayidi@students.mq.edu.au

My research is tackling the role of dictionaries in second language acquisition such as bilingual, monolingual as well as bilingualised dictionaries.

Livia Gerber

Department: Linguistics
Faculty: Human Sciences
Email: livia.gerber@hdr.mq.edu.au

Hi my name is Liv. I've been at Macquarie University since 2014. I transitioned from the two-year MRes program and started my PhD in February 2016. My MRes thesis explored parental discourses on bilingual child-rearing in an online parenting forum. In my PhD project, I aim to gain a deeper understanding of the language learning experiences of German-speaking backpackers in Australia. In my free time I like to hike, and play floorball and oztag. I also have a keen interest in speciality teas. As a mentor, I hope to share my experiences (the good, the bad, the frustrating, and the elating), develop my leadership skills, and contribute to strengthening our HDR community. Being a HDR student should not be an isolating experience – you are not alone, and we are here to help each other!

Anh T. Ton Nu

Department: Linguistics
Faculty: Human Sciences
Email: anh.ton-nu@students.mq.edu.au

I am Anh, from Vietnam. I am doing my PhD study about Pragmatics in English Language Teaching under the supervision of Dr. Jill Murray at the Department of Linguistics. I have been an HDR Mentor since I was doing my MRes Year 2 study in 2017.

Prior to coming to Macquarie University, I have studied at the University of Queensland for my Master’s degree, where I have a lot of interesting classmates to share all my ups and downs in study and in life. Doing research is totally different from doing a degree by coursework as there are no longer classes, and thus no longer classmates. My new journey of studying here would have been lonely and lost sometimes if I had not joined HDR Mentors.

Athira Bahuleyan

Department: Management
Faculty: Macquarie Business School
Email: athira.bahuleyan@students.mq.edu.au

I am Athira. I am doing my PhD with the Management Department at Macquarie University. I joined my PhD journey in March 2019. My research focus is on University Spin-offs. I look into the process of commercialising research outcomes of the university to an entrepreneurial firm.

I am from India and moved to Australia in 2018. I joined the HDR mentors in 2020 during the pandemic. My motivation to join the HDR mentors came after I attended the induction programs and the meditation workshop. Also, during my initial year my colleagues who were HDR mentors helped me to navigate through my research protocol process. The HDR mentors is a great community of people who share their experience of research journey to motivate and guide others through the difficult and good phase of research. As a mentor I aim to be part of this community to share and learn from each other’s experience and to make this journey a little less lonely.

Jennifer Macwan

Department: Management
Faculty: Macquarie Business School
Email: juhi-jennifer.macwan@students.mq.edu.au

Hi! My name is Jennifer! I joined Macquarie University in January 2018, I transitioned from MRES to PhD in March 2019. I am from India, but a global citizen because of studying/ traveling to parts of world. My research examines the link between post-merger integration and resilience on a multi-level analysis.

Since I had direct entry into MRES year 2, I didn’t know a lot, however, came across HDR mentors and since then I attended events that have been helpful throughout my MRES journey. My motivation to join HDR mentors’ team is to support and give back the good I received. It’s a great platform that brings all research candidates under a friendly nutshell. As a mentor I hope to share my experiences (ups and downs!), learn from others and contribute to develop the HDR mentor’s community. In free time I like to read books, watch movies or play a sport.

Simran Talwar

Department: Management
Faculty: Macquarie Business School
Email: simran.talwar@mq.edu.au

My doctoral research is a critical investigation into the role of Eco-industrial parks, industrial symbiosis and household/waste management strategies to facilitate circular economic development at a macro level, for fast industrialising nations like India. Through the adoption of case study methodology, I am examining the role of different actors – policy makers, federal/state government agencies, commercial enterprises and industry associations, as well as non-state actors who drive awareness and implementation at a council/city level. Prior to the PhD, I submitted my Master of Research thesis entitled "A macro investigation into the evidence for circular economy initiatives in India: National policy, key indicators and future implications", at Macquarie University Sydney. Read more about my research here.

HDR Mentors has been an integral part of my research journey at Macquarie since 2015, I have GAINED friends, support networks, knowledge, smart hacks, stress management strategies, Uni administrative know-how….the list is endless! Being an international student brings along unanticipated degrees of anxiety, uncertainty and responsibility, but it also opens up a world of OPPORTUNITY if one takes a leap of faith. That leap for me was becoming part of the HDR Community at Macquarie – a diverse, vibrant and young (at heart) milieu of peers who are happy to rejoice in your achievements and guide you in your low moments. If you are new to Sydney/Macquarie and would like to feel welcome or if you just want to grab a cup of coffee around campus, I will be happy to meet you. Connect on simran.talwar@mq.edu.au .

Sebastian Murk

Department: Physics & Astronomy
Faculty: Science & Engineering
Email: sebastian.murk@students.mq.edu.au

Vani Kakar

Department: Psychology
Faculty: Human Sciences
Email: vani.kakar@hdr.mq.edu.au

Hi, my name is Vani. I joined Macquarie University in August 2017 for my Ph.D. in Psychology. I am from New Delhi, India. My research explores beauty ideals in different cultures across the world and how it may be influenced by social media use in young girls. Australia, India, Iran, and China are some of the cultures I am studying.
I became an HDR Mentor soon after I moved to Sydney. My motivation to do so stemmed out of my organic need to help others as well as finding ways to normalise my own experience of living away from home and pursuing a research degree. Joining the HDR Mentor family has been a very integral part of my Ph.D. journey so far. I have found mentoring to be a very rewarding experience. It has instilled and reinforced in me a sense of belongingness, which can otherwise be an overwhelming and an extremely isolating experience. It's my family away from home and gives me so much to look forward too! I absolutely love organizing events with Kim and fellow HDR's. It is always such a refreshing change from the endless work we do on our computer screens.

I am a hardcore foodie and crave pizza and Chinese food at all times. To balance it out I lend myself to yoga, a couple of times a week! I am a self-proclaimed expert in taking pictures from my phone and almost forgot to mention my binge consumption of Netflix, dumplings and dark chocolate ice cream.