Faculty Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Supervision
2022 Ben Capuano
Ben has successfully supervised 23 PhD students to completion since commencing HDR supervision 18 years ago, including 11 completions in the last 5 years and is recognised for sustained excellence in postgraduate supervision.
Ben has co-supervised 19 Honours students (17 First Class Honours) which has proven to be a fruitful pipe-line for HDRs. He is the main or co-supervisor of 12 current graduate research students.
Postgraduate supervision philosophies include passion & motivation for research, leadership, mentorship & persistence; positive affirmation and inspiration; listening to student needs; establishing productive working relationships; asking the right questions and probing the right answers; patience and encouragement; genuine care; creating an enjoyable work environment; generosity with time; warm personality and a unique view to look at science...”whatever it takes”.
2021 Ben Boyd
Ben Boyd has been supervising PhD students for approximately 20 years. He has graduated more than 25 PhD students who have gone on to diverse successful careers across academia, industry and government. Until last year, he has served as HDR and Honours coordinator for the D4 theme for approximately ten years. Focussing on enabling students’ personal as well as scientific development he has introduced a number of innovations to his Postgraduate Supervision including funding enhanced international experiences, supporting group level team development and leadership training for students and introduction of novel planning tools including the Wagon Wheel and Quarterly Deadline. He has also worked with his students to establish the Mental Health for Postgrads initiative.
Ben has held an ARC Future Fellowship and was recently awarded a Novo Nordisk Laureate Research Fellowship. His research lies at the intersection of pharmaceutical science and colloid science, and his group are responsible for the development of novel synchrotron approaches to study pharmaceutical systems. He has held senior leadership positions in scientific societies across drug delivery and colloid science disciplines and is current President of the global Controlled Release Society.
2019 Phil Thompson
Phil Thompson is the main or co-supervisor of eleven current graduate research students, with eight students having completed since 2014 (21 completions in total).
His previous PhD supervisions have had excellent outcomes and his group’s alumni all are still active in science and have held or hold academic, research fellow and/or senior scientist positions at at Latrobe Uni, Melbourne Uni, the Florey, UQ, CRC-CTx, CSL, CSIRO, WEHI, Scripps, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins University, NIH, Uppsala and Tromsø.
As Associate Dean, Graduate Research from 2010 – April 2019, Phil has driven major progression in higher degree training in the Faculty. While we have seen increasing enrolments, and completions there has also been a commitment to continual review and redevelopment of our training program to develop the best possible training for our students.
2018 Joseph Nicolazzo
Joseph Nicolazzo is recognised for excellence in graduate research student supervision with seven PhD students and two Masters (by research) students graduating from his lab since 2008. Joe has been heavily involved in student support and enhancement programs, including involvement in: GPEN 2012 conference, AAPS Student Chapter Chair & PSWC 2014 Education Day.
Publications from his students include six reviews and 38 primary manuscripts (including in Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, Journal of Neuroscience, and Brain Behavior and Immunity).
Furthermore, graduates from his lab have gone on to obtain fellowships and academic positions in highly respected research organisations (e.g. Alzheimer’s Association, NIH Fogarty, Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, American Epilepsy Society).