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14th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference
Research in Science and Engineering
Our mission statement
The Conference aims to provide a supportive and fun experience for postgrads researching information technology, science and engineering and to engage and share each other’s research, develop confidence and communication skills.
RISE Conference key objectives
- Engage - RISE aims to involve as many students, academics and researchers to participate, in all the scheduled activities, throughout the conference.
- Share - RISE will foster all to share their research and/or research stories.
- Encourage - RISE will be a place for personal and professional development, encouraging supportive peer to peer constructive feedback.
- Connect - RISE will provide opportunities to make connections and friendships with colleagues from common and other research fields.
- Enjoy - RISE emphasises the importance of breaking up the pattern of postgrad life and will focus on fitting fun into the program.
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Attend and participate
Tuesday 21 October to Wednesday 22 October
- Anyone is welcome to attend and participate as part of the RISE conference audience.
- Postgraduate students are the main target audience and are encouraged to participate.
- Honours students are also welcome to submit entries.
- Undergraduates may also submit entries. However, limited numbers will be accepted.
- Registration is required for anyone wishing to attend the on-campus conference.
- Get in touch to find out more.
2025 RISE Conference Committee
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Banujan Kuhaneswaran
Chair
I'm a PhD candidate at Southern Cross University - Gold Coast Campus. I'm diving deep into the world of Long Lead Time Flood Prediction using cutting-edge Deep Learning techniques. My research aims to revolutionize how we forecast floods, potentially saving lives and resources.
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Evanna McGuinness
Co-Chair & Programme Coordinator
I’m a master's by thesis student here at Southern Cross. My research is taking a deeper dive into soil organic carbon in local grazing systems, studying the largely overlooked subsoil C pool to elucidate the factors controlling the accumulation of deeper carbon. My passion for research stems from a desire to see our productive landscapes managed in a way that sustains our natural resources.
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Ben Liu
Academic Advisor
I am a researcher, a lecturer, and a food and natural product chemist at SCU. I enjoy teaching and working with students. I have a service role as Deputy Director of Higher Degree Research in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. I help to look up the faculty enrolments of master and PhD students, and our popular RISE conference.
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Joanne Oakes
Academic Advisor
I’m an academic and Deputy Director of Higher Degree Research in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. My research is in biogeochemistry – the interaction of biological, geological, and chemical processes. I study the processing and fate of carbon and nitrogen in environments from the arctic to tropics, and from bare sediments to seagrass beds, mangrove forests, freshwater ecosystems, and soils.
James Padilla Montalvo
Financial Officer
I am a PhD candidate at Southern Cross University - Lismore Campus, where I research groundwater discharge across the terrestrial–coastal continuum. My work focuses on using radioisotope tracers (Radon and Radium) to quantify groundwater inputs and on assessing how groundwater geochemistry can influence surface water systems. I often collaborate with local and state resource managers, with the goal of informing more effective water management strategies.
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Pretty Londhe
Secretary
I am a PhD student working in the field of microalgae growth systems, focusing on optimising their cultivation and extracting valuable fatty acids, specifically omega fatty acids, from the biomass. My research supports sustainability by exploring how microalgae can serve as a renewable and eco-friendly source of essential nutrients. By improving growth efficiency and extraction techniques, my work contributes to developing sustainable alternatives for health and nutrition industries.
Stephen Siazon
Media Officer
I’m a student of Plant Science – Lismore. I’m focusing on discovering the genetic basis of traits in Cannabis, particularly those that can be agriculturally beneficial for industrial hemp. I hope my research can contribute to the early stages of hemp plant breeding efforts.
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Claire Budden
NMSC/Coffs Harbour Representative
I am a PhD candidate based at the National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour. My research is looking at how drones can be used for monitoring marine ecosystems (specifically rocky shores and coral bleaching) and ways to classify drone imagery using machine learning.
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Ravi Poudel
Gold Coast Representative
I am a Ph.D. student based at the Gold Coast campus. My research revolves around Building Information Modeling and HVAC systems. I will be looking into ways of optimizing the performance of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in retrofitted buildings, with strong emphasis on enhancing energy efficiency and thermal comfort. I am hopeful that my research will contribute to the sustainability of existing buildings and reduce their carbon footprint.
Sonia Weiss
Administrative Coordinator
I am one of two Administrative Coordinators (Research) in the Faculty of Science & Engineering. I have been involved with the RISE Conference since its inception back in 2016, but have been working at SCU for much longer than that. My role in RISE is supporting the Committee with general administration and helping out on the conference days.
Video presentations from previous RISE conferences
Former students Jacob, Gloria, Grace and PhD student Conor share fascinating insights into their research areas and experience with the Faculty of Science and Engineering.