Student Research Achievements and Awards
Exceptional Thesis awards 2012
Exceptional Thesis awards 2011
Exceptional Thesis awards 2010
Graduate research awards and achievements 2009
Exceptional Thesis awards 2009
Exceptional Thesis awards 2007 - 2008
Graduate research awards and Achievements 2008
Exceptional PhD Theses in the Division of Sciences
We like to celebrate excellence at every level, and we take great pleasure in announcing the following PhD candidates have presented a thesis of exceptional quality.
A thesis is of exceptional quality when all three examiners of a candidate's thesis agree that the thesis is of an exceptional standard in every respect – research content, originality, quality of expression and accuracy of presentation – and is amongst the top 10% of theses examined.
2012 Exceptional Theses:
- Pontus Lurcock, Department of Geology: “Palaeomagnetism of palaeogene strata from southern Zealandia: Implications for ice in the greenhouse” (Primary Supervisor: Professor Gary Wilson). For more information on Pontus’s work, please contact the Geology Department by email at geology@otago.ac.nz
- Rory Gamble, Department of Physics: “The 17-19 January 2005 atmospheric electron precipitation event” (Primary Supervisor: Associate Professor Craig Rodger). For more information on Rory’s work, please contact the Physics Department by email at physics@otago.ac.nz
- Louise Mainvil, Department of Human Nutrition: “Applying the transtheoretical model to fruit and vegetable consumption” (Primary Supervisor: Professor Rob Lawson). For more information on Louise’s work, please contact the Human Nutrition Department by email at human-nutrition@otago.ac.nz
- Damian Scarf, Department of Psychology: “Representation of serial order in pigeons (Columba livia)” (Primary Supervisor: Professor Mike Colombo). For more information on Damian’s work, please contact the Psychology Department by email at psychology@otago.ac.nz
- Anja Studer, Department of Zoology: “Parasitism in a changing world: The intertidal trematode Maritrema novazealandensis and its hosts” (Primary Supervisor: Professor Robert Poulin).
For more information on Anja’s work, please contact the Zoology Department by email at zoology@otago.ac.nz - Amy Wolff, Department of Psychology: “Brain and behaviour in an animal model of schizophrenia” (Primary Supervisor: Professor David Bilkey). For more information on Amy’s work, please contact the Psychology Department by email at psychology@otago.ac.nz
- Janine Wright, Department of Mathematics and Statistics: “Incorporating genotype uncertainty into mark-recapture-type models for estimating abundance using DNA samples” (Primary Supervisor: Professor Richard Barker). For more information on Janine’s work, please contact the Mathematics and Statistics Department by email at maths@otago.ac.nz
- Catherine Grueber, Department of Zoology: "Inbreeding, heterozygosity and fitness in bottlenecked populations: a case study of takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri).” (Primary Supervisor: Associate Professor Ian Jamieson). For more information on Catherine’s work, please contact the Department of Zoology by email on zoology@otago.ac.nz
- Enitan Ibisanmi, Department of Chemistry: "The biogeochemistry of iron-complexing ligands in the open ocean.” (Primary Supervisor: Professor Keith Hunter). For more information on Enitan’s work, please contact the Department of Chemistry by email at chemistry@otago.ac.nz
- Pascal Sirguey, School of Surveying: "Monitoring snow cover and modelling catchment discharge with remote sensing in the upper Waitaki basin, New Zealand." (Primary supervisor Dr Renaud Mathieu) For more information on Pascal's work, please contact the School of surveying by email at surveying@otago.ac.nz
- Hayden Walles, Department of Computer Science: "A perpetual basis for noun phrase syntax." (Primary supervisor Dr Alistair Knott). For more information on Hayden's work please contact the Computer Science Department by email on computer.science@otago.ac.nz
- Tod Wright, Department of Physics: "Dynamics of quantum vortices at finite temperature.” (Primary Supervisor: Professor Robert Ballagh).
For more information on Tod’s work, please contact the Department of Physics by email on physics@otago.ac.nz
Graduate Research Awards and Achievements 2009
Julian Peat (Molecular Biotechnology) and Naomi White (Psychology) have been awarded Rutherford Foundation Scholarships, and will be undertaking PhD studies at Cambridge University. Julian has just completed a BAppSc (Hons) in Molecular Biotechnology, while NAomi has completed a BSc (Hons) in Psychology. They are two of three scolarship recipients nationwide.
Craig Palmer (Physical Education)- winner of the ASB Otago Sports Coach of the Year award. Craig is coach and mentor to Alison Shanks, the current World Champion in the women’s 3000m cycling pursuit.
Rebekah Scott (Physical Education)- awarded an Elman Poole Travelling Scholarship to work in the Netherlands at the Donders Centre for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour: Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging (part of Radboud University Nijmegen).
Geoff Kohe (Physical Education)- one of 20 winners (from a pool of 1,600 submissions) in an essay competition organised as part of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) XIII Olympic Congress. Geoff’s article “Promoting Olympic Values: Lessons from the Birds Nest” has earned him a trip to Copenhagen in early October to partake in the XIII Olympic Congress.
Paula Haines-Bellamy (Clothing and Textile Sciences) - Museums Aotearoa Awards 2009
The Selecon Award for Exhibition Excellence was awarded to Nelson Museum for the exhibition "Unpicking the Past: Revealing our Dress Collection", an exhibition based on Haines-Bellamy's MCapSc research. Ms Haines-Bellamy curated the exhibition.
Ruma Ghosh (Chemistry) - 2009 Todd Foundation Award for Excellence.
Ruma is carrying out studies on the effects of organic contaminants on Antarctic fish.
Melanie Gault-Ringold(Chemistry) - Otago Institute's top Travel Award
Sam Lind (Chemistry) - a TEC Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarship
Sam's work is on the topic “Theoretically driven, rational design of photosensitive materials for energy capture”.
Richard Souness(Chemistry) - a TEC Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarship
Richard's work is on the topic "Spectroscopic and Computational Study of the Enzyme Cysteine Dioxygenase".
Lech Szymanski - NZCSRSC 09 Best Presentation award
This award is for best presentation at the NZ Computer Science Research Student Conference, which was held in April this year. Lech's presentation was entitled: "Building a Support Vector Machine with a Neural Network"
Ben Myles - Dr Jack Warcup Memorial Prize 2009
This prize is for best student presentation at the Australasian Mycological Society Annual Conference. Benʻs presentation was entitled "Molecular Phylogenetics and Species Boundaries of New Zealand’s “Holiest” Lichens (Menegazzia, Parmeliaceae)",
Andrew Haines - Woolf Fisher Scholarship 2009
Andrew Haines has been awarded a prestidgious Woolf Fischer scholarship to complete a PhD at Cambridge University. Andrew has just completed a double honours degree in Maths and Physics. He takes up his scholarship in August - September.
- Gary Ainge, Department of Chemistry: "The synthesis of phosphatidylinositol mannans and their analogues” (Primary Supervisor: Associate Professor David Larsen).
For more information on Gary’s work, please contact the Chemistry Department by email on chemistry@otago.ac.nz - Gareth Crutchley, Department of Geology: "Gas hydrates on New Zealand’s Hikurangi Margin: the importance of focused fluid flow for highly-concentrated deposits, methane seepage and sea floor erosion.” (Primary Supervisor: Dr Andrew Gorman).
For more information on Gareth’s work, please contact the Geology Department by email on geology@otago.ac.nz - Laura Haffert, Department of Geology: "Metalloid mobility at historic mine and industrial processing sites in the South Island of New Zealand” (Primary Supervisor: Professor David Craw). For more information on Laura’s work, please contact the Geology Department by email on geology@otago.ac.nz
- Jonathan Kitchen, Department of Chemistry : "Iron (II) complexes of 1,2,4-triazole ligand systems: control and prediction of spin crossover” For more information on Jonathan’s work, please contact the Chemistry Department at chemistry@otago.ac.nz
- Lee-Ann Sharp, School of Physical Education: "The role of sport psychology consultant effectiveness within the consulting relationship” (Primary Supervisor: Associate Professor Kenneth Hodge). For more information on Lee-Ann’s work, please contact the School of Physical Education by email at physical-education@otago.ac.nz
- Sebastian Suggate, Department of Psychology: "The role of age-related development in literacy acquisition and response to reading instruction.” (Primary Supervisor: Dr Elizabeth Schaughency).
For more information on Sebastian’s work, please contact the Psychology Department by email on psychology@otago.ac.nz