2023 Playford Trust Scholarship recipients

Twenty-nine University of Adelaide students have received scholarships from the Playford Memorial Trust.

The Playford Memorial Trust supports high-achieving South Australian students working in areas of strategic importance to the State.

The Trust has provided $5.1 million in financial support to South Australian tertiary students since 2010, with more than 600 students supported over the past decade.

There are 35 industry, education and community partners, including the University of Adelaide.

Playford Trust Rural and Regional STEM Scholarship

• Matilda Cotton | Bachelor of Advanced Science. Matilda plans to eventually work at the forefront of new innovations within the business and science industry.
• Ryan Finlay | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical & Electronic). The Dux of St Mark’s College in Port Pirie last year, Ryan demonstrated an aptitude for complex problem solving and critical thinking.
• Edward Grover | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Engineering Pathway. Having completed Year 12 at Caritas College in Port Augusta last year, Edward intends to return to the country as an engineer.
• Tess Kenseley | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Engineering Pathway. Female School Captain at Mount Gambier’s Tenison Woods College last year, Tess aspires to work at either the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources or Boeing Defence.
• Reuben van Eyk | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical & Electronic). A graduate of Mount Gambier’s Tenison Woods College, Reuben hopes to work on innovative and transformative technologies that will improve the quality of life at the same time as protecting the environment.

 Playford Trust / The Andy Thomas Space Foundation Scholarship

• Sheida Afshar | Bachelor of Science (Space Science & Astrophysics). Equally inspired by technology and change, Sheida has strong credentials to start a career in the world of space science and astrophysics.
• William McConnel | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical) | Finance and Banking. William hopes to major in aerospace engineering before obtaining an internship and eventually a job at a large corporate such as Boeing or Lockheed Martin.
• Georgia McLeod | Bachelor of Computer Science (Advanced). Georgia aims to combine her technology skills with her passion for the environment to craft a career in the space industry.
• Luca Paull | Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) | Bachelor of Sciences. Luca’s ultimate aim is to make a significant contribution to South Australia’s booming space sector.
• Henrietta Sands | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical) | Bachelor of Sciences. Henrietta’s dream is to build a career researching more about the Universe and helping construct innovative solutions to space-related issues.
• Ethan Taljaard | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical). In 2019, Ethan placed third in the South Australian finals of the international F1 in Schools competition, which tests students’ design and manufacturing skills using CAD/CAM tools.

 Playford Trust Honours Scholarship

• James Easter | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Agriculture). Named the 2022 National Agricultural Student of the Year at the Farmer of the Year Awards in Canberra. Now working at Primary Producers SA, tackling cross-commodity issues at a state and national level.
• Simon Heinrich | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Geology). Studying environmental geoscience with a view to a career working at the intersection of climate and earth sciences.
• Kareem Raslan | Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Theoretical Physics). Wants to complete a PhD then build a career contributing towards the integration and development of quantum technologies.
• Rebecca Stevens | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Agriculture). Hopes to positively contribute to the development of sustainable and resilient future food systems through a career in research and extension education.
• William Grow | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil) | Bachelor of Finance. An aspiring civil engineer, William has received numerous university awards, including the Executive Dean’s Recognition of Academic Excellence (twice), the Dr. George Sved Prize for Civil Engineering and the Ian Cocks Memorial Trust Engineering Scholarship.

 Playford Trust / Aus IMM Minerals Industry Scholarship

• Lucas Ellis | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mining) | Bachelor of Science. Lucas is fascinated by the future of technology, software and information in the resource sector. Has developed an interest in data analytics and its role in optimising mining operations.

 Playford Trust / Codan Electronic Engineering Scholarship

• Brian Wang | Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Electronic) (Communications). Brian wants to contribute to South Australia’s need for advanced research and design. He’s pursuing a career in 5G communications with applications in space, defence and energy sectors.

 Playford Trust / Coopers Brewery Honours Scholarship

• Ethan Dight | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Plant Science). Ethan is keen to apply gene technology-derived solutions to some of the real-world challenges faced by the agricultural industry.

 Playford Trust / GSA Honours Scholarship

• Jarred Tilby | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Geology). Jarred’s Honour’s research is focusing on metal concentration mechanisms and fluid transport in the Whakaari (White Island) volcano in New Zealand.

 Playford Trust / Nyrstar Scholarship

• Finlay Twining | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Chemical) (Minerals Processing). Finlay wants to be able to solve the challenges faced by the resources industry. His particular areas of interest are the minimisation and better utilisation of waste to further unlock existing resources.

 Playford Trust / OZ Minerals Honours Scholarship

• Amelia Orchard | Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Geology). In her Honours project, Amelia will be reconstructing the changes in hydro-climate across the Southern Hemisphere over the past 50,000 to 35,000 years, using sediments from Lake Pupuke in New Zealand.

 Playford Trust / Peak Iron Mines Scholarship

• Alice McIntyre | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Geology). Alice’s Honours project is focused on the evolution of an ancient mountain belt in East Africa – research that aims to shed light on the continental processes in action at the close of the Neoproterozoic Era.

 Playford Trust / Chartwells / St Ann's College Residential Scholarship

• Sophie Glamuzina | Bachelor of Science. Sophie is embarking on an advanced Bachelor of Science and will transfer to a Bachelor of Space Science and Astrophysics next year to pursue a career in this exciting field.
• Jasper Harding | Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences (Advanced). A graduate of Loxton High School in 2021, Jasper achieved a perfect GPA in his first year at university in 2022. He also joined the double bass section of the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra.

 Playford Trust / St Ann's Foundation Residential Scholarship

• Hayden Schultz | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical). With interests in aviation and aerospace, Hayden’s career is likely to see him involved with the Australian Space Agency at Lot Fourteen, or at defence science and technology company Lockheed Martin’s Adelaide office.

 Playford Trust STEM Encouragement Scholarship

• Dana Hurrell | Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Chemistry & Mathematics). Dana, from Port Lincoln, wants to share her love for STEM subjects and make them accessible and enjoyable for the next generation of rural students.

 Playford Trust / WSP Scholarship

• Mitchell Jude | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil) | Bachelor of Finance. Mitchell’s goal is to be a lead engineer on big construction projects, specifically bridges, but he is also interested in traffic engineering.

 Playford Trust / Defence Science & Technology Group PhD Scholarship

• Michail Laoumtzis | Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine). Moved from the Greek island of Lemnos to Adelaide in 2016 to pursue his academic dreams. Michail is focused on advancing society’s understanding of the interplay between the immune and nervous systems.