2024 submissions showcase

Ankit Agarwal

Celebrating Multicultural Learning and Connection: A Sweet Moment in the Classroom

This photograph1 beautifully captures a cherished moment with my diverse group of honours students during an interactive class at the University of Adelaide. In my hands is a cake, lovingly baked by my students—a heartfelt gesture that symbolises the strong bonds we have forged throughout the course. This experience transcends academic learning; it embodies the essence of my teaching philosophy: fostering a sense of community where students from all backgrounds feel connected, supported and empowered to engage deeply with the course content.

In this vibrant multicultural classroom, students unite from various cultural perspectives, enriching our learning environment and celebrating diversity. Whether delving into complex theories or collaborating on projects, my students are encouraged to challenge their thinking, share insights and learn from one another. The cake in this image serves as a powerful metaphor for the success of this approach—an outcome of shared effort, creativity and a nurturing atmosphere that bridges cultural differences.

This photo represents not just a moment of learning but also the personal connections and solidarity that define the transformative experiences within my classroom. It stands as a testament to the lasting relationships and shared achievements that make teaching an incredibly rewarding journey.

Alexandra Bloch-Atefi

Hands-on experiential learning through creative therapeutic practice

During their Winter School elective PUB HLTH 7019 - Expressive Therapies: Creative Arts in Counselling, our Masters of Counselling and Psychotherapy students experimented with different materials and modalities to learn how to support clients expressing complex emotional issues and in turn foster healing and wellbeing. The picture represents the hands-on experience of what it is like to use Art Therapy with clients.

Jennifer Brennan

Drumming it into you 

The University of Adelaide has a long history in teaching music complemented with a well-equipped music department. As a university student, I am lucky to have full access to a recording studio and relevant studio equipment. In each class, we learnt techniques for recording different instruments. As a class, we would set-up microphones to record a different instrument each week, and the teacher would show us how to use different devices in the studio to get the best recording results. Each lesson we would swap up microphones and equipment to compare how the audio sounded with different changes.

To further put into practice what was learnt in class we were tasked with recording specific instruments in our own time using the techniques we learnt. This gave us extra time to solidify what was learnt in class. It also meant that we had the opportunity to practice using the equipment to record our own songs.

In the image I captured, we set up a drum kit to record. Different microphones were used to capture individual parts of the kit. In the background some baffles were positioned off to the side of the drum kit to reduce the amount of room reverb captured by the microphones. On the projector in the image is a list of the different recording techniques and microphones we tested that day.

Mandi Carr

What are ewe looking at?

Water is an essential nutrient needed for sustaining life. Livestock require the proper balance of water, carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals for optimal levels of performance. Out of these nutrients, water is the most critical for all classes of livestock, constituting about 70-80% at birth and 65- 70% of adult live weight (Lardner et al., 2005). Water is necessary for maintaining body fluids and proper ion balance, for digesting, absorbing and metabolizing nutrients, eliminating waste material, lactation, thermoregulation and for transporting nutrients to and from body tissues (Beede, DK. 2009, Wakchaure et al., 2015). Although cattle can survive for days without food, a supply of clean, fresh water is essential to keep animals alive and to prevent digestive problems.

Diet affects the amount of additional water an animal will need every day. Sheep grazing lush grass that contains 75 percent water need much less additional water than sheep fed dry feeds or hay containing only 10 percent water. Sheep cannot adapt to water restriction and feed intake greatly decreases if water is restricted.

Students learn about technologies that help quantify the water quality and intake required to optimise livestock performance.

Jiaxuan Chang

Through Death, We Learn to Live

I took this photo at the 2023 Annual Memorial and Dedication Service.

It was a special lesson that introduced us to our first patients, our silent teachers. Their sacrifice forms the foundation upon which all our medical knowledge is built, and with that gift comes a deep sense of gratitude and responsibility that I will carry with me throughout my career.

This service also reminded me that medicine is not just science; it is deeply human. It was a powerful, moving experience that will stay with me as my first true lesson in medical school: one that teaches me the value of knowledge and the respect and gratitude for those who make it possible.

William Chau

Timeless pages

Captured in this photograph showcases my passion for photography, pursuing creativity in everything that I do even in studying a STEM degree where there is a larger focus on academia. I love seeing creativity in every angle of life, giving me another perspective to see the beauty in the simple things especially when I’m studying at the North Terrace Campus at the University itself. I believe that the atmosphere of the Barr Smith library captured in this photo speaks the prestigious nature of studying at the university. 

This photograph was captured in the hall of the Barr Smith Library during sunset where the sunlight fills and brightens the room bringing in a whole new atmosphere as it shines on the history-rich books and the individual sitting down. I chose this location as it highlights the rich history of the university at a glance and had one of my friend who is born as a Generation-Z reading a historical book to bring in the modern feel of the 21st century as each generation gets more digital. 

The chosen title for the image captured is “Timeless Pages”. Like how the saying goes that “A photo tells a thousand stories”, looking at this photo you walk through the halls of the Barr Smith Library containing books that tell a thousand stories inside.  

The young man born into Generation-Z, symbolises a new generation where their world is always dominated by digital screens but instead, he is sitting there, immersed in the pages of an endless pursuit of knowledge. I believe this contrasts modern reliance on technology with his choice to explore timeless knowledge through books in Barr Smith Library. I wanted to show how this image bridges between generations, where the wisdom of the past meets the curiosity of today’s youth! 

The image itself further emphasizes the value of traditional learning in a prestigious institution, that while this generation is being shaped by the digital age - there is always a need to seek out the written pages of a book itself. It shows a sense of continuity, where tradition and learning remain powerful amidst rapid change - therefore emphasising “Timeless Pages” inspiring me in my endless pursuit of finding creativity even in my studies in a modern generation.

Megan Colbert

Lights, Camera, Action! Behind the Scenes of Learning and Teaching

This image captures a pivotal moment in the Department of Education micro-credential project, highlighting our commitment to revolutionising professional development for Australian educators.

The behind-the-scenes shot illustrates the meticulous effort that goes into creating high-quality educational content. It reflects and celebrates the University’s initiative, which involves visiting schools across Australia, interviewing teachers and school leaders, and filming their classroom strategies to showcase best practices in education. By capturing these authentic teaching moments, we aim to create a rich source of knowledge and strategies that can be shared widely. This not only enhances the professional development of our educators but also ensures that students benefit from the most effective teaching methods.

The importance of this work lies in its ability to provide teachers with practical, real-world examples of successful teaching strategies. Through these interviews and classroom footage, we can highlight diverse approaches to education, catering to different learning styles and environments. This, in turn, empowers teachers to innovate and adapt their teaching methods to better meet the needs of their students.

This image symbolises our dedication to improving education through practical, peer-shared knowledge. The micro-credential project leverages these visual and narrative insights to foster a collaborative learning community among educators, ultimately aiming to elevate the quality of education across Australian schools. It showcases the innovative efforts within the Learning Enhancement and Innovation team, working with the federal Department of Education to support and empower teachers across the country

Emma George

Rolling with consumers and lived experience in occupational therapy

What could be more fun than wheelchair basketball with Paralympians and a cohort of occupational therapy students?! In this learning activity, people with lived experience of disability share their stories, strengths and struggles with small groups of occupational therapy students. Students learn about how people cope with traumatic injury, chronic conditions, stigma, and how to overcome challenges. Students take their knowledge of wheelchairs, prosthetics, manual handling, accessing bathrooms and modified vehicles into practice as they see what this looks like in the real world. Students identified one of the key learnings for them was the importance of listening to their clients and understanding that people are experts in their own lives. They reflected that it is one thing to know about the importance of person-centered care, but then to directly learn from people with lived experience emphasized why occupational therapists need to advocate with their clients and partner with people in their therapy journey.

With endorsement from the occupational therapy academic team, this learning activity was developed and hosted by Wheelchair Basketball SA and is a part of a sequence of learning activities. Tim Maloney OAM first meets the students in Year 1 when he challenges them to ask all the questions they can possibly think of about disability. Accompanied with lots of laughs, he plants the seed in their mind to be strengths focused in their work with people with disabilities and to be open to learning. When students then meet Tim on the basketball court in Year 3, they quickly realise that there is no way they can compete with him and the team when he has a basketball in hand and wheels in motion. For all students, it is a humbling, rewarding and deeply enriching learning experience, and a highlight of the occupational therapy program.

Emma Hale

The miracle of manikin medicine

A play on the ‘miracle of modern medicine’, a phrase used in medical research and application is exhibited through the anatomically accurate manikins in the Adelaide Health Simulation Lab. 

This image shows a 4th year student checking on her robotic manikin following the nerve-wracking insertion of a nasogastric tube as she participates in her Medical and Surgical Home Unit rotation. Demonstrating their theoretical knowledge in a practical setting, students are supervised by knowledgeable and attentive academic staff as they provide medical care to the responsive manikins.

William Hocking

Light at the end of the bunker

Studying at university can seem like a lot, and it in fact is. I found it difficult to stay motivated, especially last year. But I stuck with it and kept working. I have nearly finished my winemaking degree, and I’m in a good place now. As the adage goes: “there is light at the end of the tunnel”; the trick I guess is to keep your eyes on the light and ask for help if you can’t see it. 

Nikki Hodge

Unveiling the future of food: Where space meets plant science

Imagine a world where solutions to Earth's most pressing sustainability challenges are discovered beyond our atmosphere. This is the vision of the Plants for Space (P4S) Centre of Excellence and was the exciting focus of our presentation to a dynamic group of students at the Waite Campus. As part of our mission to re-imagine plant design and bio-resource production, these future innovators were invited to explore how space can spark groundbreaking advancements in food production and sustainability.

The presentation by our captivating Engagement Officer, Dr Lieke Van Der Hulst, on Future Food Production ignited curiosity, as we explored the transformative potential of space technology in reshaping how we grow and manage plants. With the ambition to enable off-earth habitation and revolutionise on-earth sustainability, P4S is at the forefront of pioneering research that merges space science with practical, Earth-bound solutions. The students were captivated by our vision of cultivating plants in extraterrestrial environments and the innovative techniques we are developing to make this possible.

This presentation was a glimpse into the future of how space can redefine our approach to food production and sustainability. As we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, the interest and engagement from these students promises a bright future for the intersection of space and plant science. We are excited to see how their passion and ideas will contribute to our mission of creating solutions for a sustainable future both on Earth and beyond.

Abby Hoffmann

Krefft's glider (Petaurus notatus)

This photograph was taken in July of 2024, and captures a Krefft’s glider (Petaurus notatus) observed during an honours project field survey conducted by Nicole Long.

I had the privilege of spending two weeks in the upper southeast of South Australia, learning from Nicole during her final two field surveys. Witnessing these remarkable marsupials climb through the trees and, at one point, even glide over my head, was an experience I will never forget.

Nicole’s project aims to assess the presence of gliders, in particular the endangered Squirrel Glider (P. norfolcensis), in South Australia, and identify the habitats that support their presence. 

Kristen Holden

Lion tracking in Botswana

In the Okavango Delta in Botswana at sunrise, on a One Health elective subject in final year Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Doing a health check on a lion we anaesthetised and collared the day before (lion silhouette in the grass walking in front of the ute).

Tracking collars are being used to facilitate GPS tracking of lions at risk of killing domestic cattle, so that alerts can be sent if they enter the farmland. The lions can then be scared away, opposed to being hunted by the farmers. A novel conservation effort, mitigating human-wildlife conflict, through lion research and the promotion and instigation of sustainable cattle farming practices. An innovation in learning and experience for us as students, whilst simultaneously being an innovation to local farmers and local wildlife in the Okavango Panhandle. The photo is a reflection of the amalgamation of solutions for the environment, the wildlife, the domestic animals, and the local community.

Nastaran Khazali

Nowruz celebration

This photograph pertains to the celebration of Nowruz (Persian New Year) held at the School of Chemical Engineering in March 2024. The event was organized by Persian students within the School of Chemical Engineering to introduce Persian culture and promote diversity.

Nowruz is the Persian New Year, celebrated on the first day of spring, marking the vernal equinox. It symbolizes renewal, rebirth, and the rejuvenation of nature. Rooted in Zoroastrian traditions, Nowruz is celebrated by various cultures in Iran, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and beyond.

Haft Sin is a central element of Nowruz, consisting of a table setting with seven symbolic items, each starting with the Persian letter "S" (Sin). These items represent different aspects of life and nature:

1. Sabzeh (wheat, barley, or lentil sprouts) – symbolizing rebirth and growth.
2. Sib (apple) – representing health and beauty.
3. Serkeh (vinegar) – signifying patience and aging.
4. Senjed (dried oleaster fruit) – symbolizing love.
5. Samanu (sweet pudding) – representing power and strength.
6. Seer (garlic) – symbolizing medicine and protection.
7. Somāq (sumac berries) – representing the sunrise and patience.

Additional items like a mirror, candles, painted eggs, and a goldfish are often included, adding further layers of symbolism related to light, life, and time. The Haft Sin table is a beautiful and meaningful tradition that reflects the values and hopes for the new year.

Seenying Lau Meaney

A year in the Henderson Room

I closed the door behind me, turned the key and made sure the door was locked. This was the last time I would close the door to The Henderson Room. It was Tuesday, 8th of March 2022.

The Henderson Room was named after George Cockburn Henderson, who was a professor in modern history at The University of Adelaide during the early 1900s. It contains part of Henderson's library, which lines the walls of the room and infuses the air with the sweet, earthy scent of old books. Tucked in the corner on the 4th floor of the Napier building, the room is like a little museum, safeguarding the things that once belonged to Henderson and immortalising his thoughts, his memory and his personality in the most tangible way.

Added to this history and the history of the occupants before me was the time I spent with my interlocutors in this room. For a year, it was one of my fieldsites where I conducted interviews as a PhD student in anthropology, delving into the subject of money at the intersection of age and aging. During these interviews, the thoughts and ideas of my interlocutors, and those of Henderson and the authors of those countless books that adorned the room, transformed the space into a lively palimpsest, where knowledge and personal biographies interweaved to form a rich tapestry that became the backdrop of my learning experience.

Beth Loveys

Learning about emu farming

This photograph was taken during a field tour which is part of the course, Agricultural Production, at the largest emu farm in South Australia, Southern Emu, at Moorook.

Andrea Miller, a first year Bachelor of Agricultural Science student was excited to get to hold an emu chick. The field tour gives students an opportunity to experience the diversity of possible career pathways that may be available to them after completing their degree

Tara McKenzie

The hunt continues

Pulling onto the cracking clay of a drying floodplain, the hunt for elusive Riverland brushtail possums continues. We use GPS tracking of these rare animals to allow students to experience working with wild animals and take part in conservation research to show how they can apply the skills they are learning to real-world situations.

Georgia Moloney

How dogs are lending their nose to help save big cats

The rivalry between dogs and cats is an age-old tale, but what if we could use the superior olfactory capabilities of dogs to help trace the illegal trade in big cat commodities? At the Detection Dog Centre at The University of Adelaide Roseworthy Campus, we are doing just that. We have been exploring the use of detection dogs to help uncover wildlife commodities hidden in shipping containers, which represent a highly exploited route for the illegal wildlife trade. Big cats, such as lions and tigers, are hunted and traded for their parts, including pelts, and without such innovations large shipments of these commodities are going unnoticed.

This photo features PhD Candidate Georgia Moloney running a trial with Stan the labrador. Stan is a fantastic detection dog who has previously offered his nose to other university projects including the COVID detection dog trial. The lessons learned from these previous projects are being put into action in the current study. Here Stan is waiting for his cue to commence a blinded trial, where he will sniff each of the samples lined up along the wall, including a series of blank samples and other non-target scents, to find the sample taken from the shipping container with hidden big cat pelts. The method has proven so successful that he was even able to detect big cat pelts hidden amongst 600 cardboard boxes in the shipping container! This innovation is crucial for border security to put an end to maritime wildlife trafficking.

Sophie Oerlemans

Dusk's Horizon: Illuminating the future of innovation

In the biomanufacturing teaching Labs at the University of Adelaide, where the artistry of science meets the precision of engineering, students and educators collaborate to push the boundaries of possibility. As the sun sets, its golden light dances upon the lab’s windows, symbolising the union of nature’s beauty with the exactitude of human innovation. These labs, nestled within the School of Chemical Engineering, are more than just places of learning—they are crucibles of creation, where the future of biopharmaceuticals is carefully crafted.

Guided by experienced mentors, students immerse themselves in the intricate world of biopharmaceutical and bioprocess engineering, mastering the alchemy of life-saving medicines. From protein therapeutics to the cutting-edge development of RNA lipid nanoparticles, these labs transform theoretical knowledge into tangible innovation. The sunset’s glow mirrors the enlightenment within, where each lesson and discovery fuels the dawn of bioprocess engineering innovation. Just as the sun dips below the horizon to rise anew, the expertise cultivated here promises to illuminate new pathways in global health, empowering students to shape a brighter tomorrow.

Tamara Page

Unlocking research skills using puzzles to enhance nursing education

Clinical practice relies on collaborative, team-based approaches to ensure safe quality care is provided by health care providers to those we care for. Pre-registration nursing students have commented that courses where research or the national safety standards are taught are ‘dry’; hence being able to engage students to enhance their learning experience whilst ensuring they fully understand the concepts being delivered necessitates non-traditional teaching. I have incorporated several innovative and practical ideas into these courses to aid the discovery process.  

In 2023, I included practical aspects of basic statistics with the use of student demographic data to personalise the quantitative analysis, and theming of the 20 United Nations flags and an assortment of diverse buttons to demonstrate people categorise objects in different ways to demonstrate qualitative analysis.  

In 2024, I added the inclusion of jigsaw puzzles to develop problem solving skills and to demonstrate the need for students to understand how in healthcare that they are just one piece of the puzzle; and to complete the picture it takes a team. These practical applications have successfully managed to inspire students with my favourite comment being, "I never really like the idea of research; Tammy has made the course interesting and applicable to so many aspects of my academic learning that now I am generally interested in the area."

An external reviewer of the session also said the students embraced the content and were enthusiastically engaged with activities building on each other. There was variation in learning addressing student diversity and the props and tools were an excellent way to explore research. 

Working as a healthcare practitioner and/or an academic teaching healthcare can be stressful; self-care and finding ways to be mindful can be beneficial to our health. Puzzles are a good way to practice mindfulness and pay conscious attention to the task in the moment. In what many staff describe as tenuous times with the impending merger, jigsaws have taken pride of place in our staff lunch area and can be seen here as a collaborative effort between two academics taking some time to facilitate their wellbeing. 

Xinqi Peng

Illuminating innovation capturing the essence of Protein Purification

This image, taken during the initial phase of our Immobilised Metal Affinity Chromatography (IMAC) experiment in the "Protein Purification: Principles and Practice" lab class, showcases the vivid moment of processing a lysate sample from an E. coli culture transformed with a fluorescent protein gene. By employing a method meticulously designed to purify either Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) or CHERRY-QseC_PDC protein, our practical session becomes a window into the sophisticated interplay of biology and chemistry that characterizes modern biotechnological education at the University of Adelaide. Each droplet represents not just a segment of our learning but a potential leap in biotechnological applications, emphasizing the beauty and precision of scientific inquiry in a learning environment. This photograph not only captures the methodical precision required in the purification process but also highlights the collaborative and innovative spirit of our biotechnology program. As we handle these colorful proteins, we not only follow a protocol but also contribute to a larger narrative of scientific exploration and educational excellence at the University. 

Stuart Roy

Students in the glasshouse

Providing students with hands-on experience is essential is all science-based programs. In this photo Callum, Stan and Amos (L-R), students in Foundations in Plant Science, have the opportunity to use state-of-the-art research equipment to measure photosynthesis. They were assessing if silicon in the soil improves stress tolerance. 

Jessica Ryall

Paediatric Newborn Life Support Simulation

Medical students in the Adelaide Rural Clinical School (ARCS) are offered a unique educational experience, participating in placements across rural South Australia and Broken Hill. As part of the year 5 longitudinal rural placement, students begin their journey with a weeklong orientation in the Adelaide Health Simulation center. This orientation not only familiarizes students with their rural teachers and ARCS staff but also prepares them for rural clinical practice through a series of specialized workshops and simulations.

In this image, Dr. Shirley Sthavan is leading a paediatric newborn life support simulation session. The session equips students with essential skills in neonatal resuscitation, blending theoretical knowledge with hands-on practice. The simulation employs manikins to replicate real-life scenarios, enabling students to practice vital skills such as airway management and chest compressions in a safe and supportive environment. Dr. Sthavan's guidance ensures that students not only master the technical aspects but also understand the importance of communication and decision-making in high-stakes situations. The session reflects the school’s commitment to producing well-rounded, capable healthcare professionals ready to make a significant impact in rural communities.

Kiran Singh

Best of both worlds: Traditional and modern

These days and for some time now cadaver dissection for teaching anatomy has become a rare opportunity.  It is considered the gold standard in anatomy learning and teaching and dissection techniques have been used from time immemorial dating back to centuries.

The Ray Last Anatomy Laboratories in the basement of Helen Mayo South, is a hidden gem equipped with both traditional and modern techniques of teaching gross anatomy.

Dental students are taught head and neck anatomy in the Ray Last lab in small groups with each allotted a tutor for the semester. Each group has its own head and neck cadaver for the semester and the weekly dissection synchronizes with the contents of previous class meetings conducted by the coordinators from the Adelaide Dental School.   Students take turns to dissect under supervision. Anatomical variations can be shared with other dissections groups using overhead projectors to display on screens (left side of the image).

Working at dissection as a group builds teamwork competency with the added shared exhilaration of unraveling theoretically introduced anatomical structures in the cadaver.  On the right side of the image is one of the two SECTRA screens, providing an interactive touch screen to aid understanding 3D anatomy in the lab. It can provide collaborative 3D virtual dissection opportunities with teams around the world. The lab also has in-built connectivity to lecture theatres operated by the touch screens shown in the central part of the image. Available advanced audio-visual technology also enables remote learning when academics and students are away for postings or conferences.

The dental school has been privileged to have had a visionary like Late Emeritus Professor Grant Townsville build a dental and science practice curriculum enabling vertical integration of learning.

The material and content developed by his brilliant mind, the various modern and traditional techniques at our disposal in the lab, and the enthusiasm of our students, tutors, coordinators and the Ray Last lab managers makes the lab a unique facility combining the best of both worlds.

Dr Kiran Singh
Adelaide Dental School

Peta Spyrou

From Classroom to Chamber: Igniting Passion for Law Through Experiential Learning 

This photograph captures a pivotal learning moment for my Introduction to Law students, reflecting my belief in the power of experiential learning. My passion for parliamentary process and procedure was ignited during my time as the Parliament’s Legal Research Officer, where I had the privilege of sitting in the chambers and observing legislative practice firsthand. This experience profoundly shaped my approach to teaching law, inspiring me to provide my students with similar opportunities to connect theory with practice. The image shows students exploring the House of Assembly, the people’s house, engaging directly with the spaces where laws are debated and made. This visit allows them to visualiae the law-making process in action, transforming abstract concepts into tangible realities.  

By bringing students into the core of our legal system, I aim to demystify the parliamentary process and ignite their passion for the subject, just as mine was. This photograph celebrates our commitment to innovative, hands-on learning that brings the classroom to life and empowers students to understand the law in its true context.

Tahlee Stevenson

Yalata Kidney Festival: Interdisciplinary, immersive learning

Imagine being known as the 'Kidney Mob'…It's not the typical name you'd give to a group of students, but that's what we’re welcomed as each year at the Yalata Kidney Health Festival. This trip provides students from health disciplines with the opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary, immersive learning experience. Facilitated by the Adelaide University Rural Health Alliance and the Aboriginal Kidney Care Together – Improving Outcomes NOW! (AKction) research team within the Nursing School; each year 12 students travel to Yalata, a remote Indigenous Community in the far west of South Australia, where they facilitate school and community-based health promotion and education activities while working in collaboration with the local Yalata Anangu School and Tullawon Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Clinic. In addition to these local stakeholders, the Country Health SA Mobile Dialysis Unit and the Royal Flying Doctors service also join us in community for the week.  

Pictured within the image are the 2024 trip participants. The photo was taken on the final day of the festival, prior to embarking upon the 975-kilometre drive home. It showcases the excitement and the energy within the group, that characterizes the trip.  Participation in this meaningful and authentic activity is a truly transformative learning experience for students, supporting them to enhance their understanding of cultural safety and an opportunity to put these skills into practice, all the while developing their passion to work in rural areas in the future.

Rachael Tindal

Making use of nature's extraordinary pigments!

If you were to picture “fruit and flower colour”, what might come to mind? Perhaps you would see beautiful shades of red (apples, cherries, strawberries, roses), purple (grape berries, plums, lavender) or blue (blueberries). While these coloured plants are highly common, vital for plant ecosystems, and beneficial for human health, little is known about how they are able to generate and maintain their colour. As a research PhD student, I get to make discoveries about these plant pigments and other unique phenomena that occur in nature – so much of which is still a mystery! I also use the information that I learn to help red winemakers and food producers control the colour and stability of their products! 

On a given day, I might conduct chemical experiments, run mathematical modelling simulations, create computer programs, analyse data sets, or write academic papers (with 3 accepted for publication so far!). This picture shows me working on a study conducted for red winemakers, where I am setting up computer software to analyse wine samples that I collected in the Barossa Valley. The machines behind me are chromatography instruments, which allow us to learn about wine by separating and quantifying its different chemical components, including those from grapes that provide important colours. 

My learning has been undoubtedly supported and strengthened by diverse collaborations with my supervisors, Dr. Richard Muhlack and Dr. David Jeffery in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, members of the red wine industry, and other students within the University community.

Yunpeng Wang

Precision in focus: Capturing the microscopic world

My journey into the world of environmental catalysis began in a laboratory, where the seemingly invisible became tangible under the lens of a transmission electron microscope (TEM). I vividly remember the first time I visualized nanoscale structures in 2023, realizing that I was observing something that had never been seen in such detail before. That moment ignited my passion for scientific discovery and set me on the path to becoming a researcher dedicated to exploring innovative nanomaterials for environmental sustainability. 

The photo captures a memorable moment during TEM training at Adelaide Microscopy. In this image, Dr. Ashley Slattery, the TEM Senior Microscopist, is carefully operating the controls of a TEM to capture and analyze materials at the nanoscale. My colleague and I were learning from him, taking notes and absorbing the intricate details of the process. This hands-on experience is integral to our teaching approach at the University of Adelaide, where students and researchers from diverse disciplines, such as chemical engineering, environmental engineering, collaborate to innovate in the field of nanomaterials. The TEM images provide researchers with specific information- such as configuration, element mapping and lattice distance, guiding us designing and modifying nanocatalysts for environmental applications.