Westpac Scholars to fight disease and support veterans

Four University of Adelaide students have been awarded 2024 Westpac Scholarships to help them in their quest to solve major challenges, including fighting superbugs and building more inclusive communities for veterans.

Harriet Cooling, who is undertaking a PhD in Surgical Specialties, and Taylor Cowell, who is studying an Executive Master of Business Administration, were both selected to receive Future Leaders scholarships.

This is a prestigious scholarship for outstanding students from nine partner universities around Australia, which provides up to $120,000 over 2–3 years to each scholar.

The funds support students to undertake postgraduate study or research, and to travel within Australia to strengthen their experience. Scholarship winners also take part in a nine-month tailored leadership program culminating in a seven-day residential workshop in Sydney.

Very grateful to receive this scholarship, Harriet says she is excited about working to fight the rise of antibiotic resistant superbugs.

“It is a huge challenge - every year millions of people die because of antibiotic resistant pathogens. I’m on a quest to combine microbiology and physics to see if we can identify bacteria by how they absorb light. Like a unique ‘fingerprint’, this would help us understand what makes them thrive or fail.

“With superbugs it is important to explore which approaches work – what holds one bug in check may not work with another, so this multidisciplinary research approach is important,” she says.

Working at the Richter Lab in the University of Adelaide’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, Harriet’s focus is on Far-UV radiation, biofilms, antimicrobial resistance and treatments.

“Curiosity about science and how things work contributes to a better world, so I’m also dedicated to scientific education and communication,” she says.

Communication is an important factor for MBA student, Taylor Cowell, who was awarded the scholarship to further his study of leadership and building resilient communities, specifically in the veteran community.

"This scholarship is an incredible opportunity to support my aspiration of helping to build a more inclusive and resilient veteran community with tangible pathways from defence to meaningful employment."Taylor Cowell, University of Adelaide student and Future Leaders scholarship recipient.

With a professional background that includes government, consulting, diplomatic operations, and the defence industry, Taylor is deeply interested in how stereotypes and perceptions impact individuals as they move through the working world.

“You can't be what you can't see is often used as a rallying cry for encouraging more visible diversity. This is one side of the coin. The other is testing societal perceptions that influence not only how we view ourselves but also those around us,” he says.

“As a contemporary veteran, I understand how perceptions impact defence members during the transition into civilian life.

“I want to change the narrative from the 'broken veteran' to the 'thriving veteran' by raising awareness and working to create a more inclusive ecosystem of partnerships.”

Now employed as an Associate Project Manager at Saab Australia, Taylor has previously served in the Australian Army within the Royal Australian Regiment and spent several years in Afghanistan. Today he is a Council Member of the South Australian Veterans' Advisory Committee, Deputy Chair of Saab Australia’s Veteran Advisory Council, and founder of a student veteran association.

"This scholarship is an incredible opportunity to support my aspiration of helping to build a more inclusive and resilient veteran community with tangible pathways from defence to meaningful employment,” he says.

“Veterans have a wealth of experience and skills – I want to raise awareness of the value veterans bring and remove barriers so that the Australian community can benefit from their valuable contributions."

In addition to the Future Leaders scholars, two University of Adelaide students, Matthew Larsson and Jordan Watt, were awarded the 2024 Westpac Asian Exchange Scholarship.

The Asian Exchange scholarship allows undergraduate students to undertake studies in a selected destination in Asia for up to two semesters, providing them with access to networking opportunities and a week-long Leadership Development Program.

Each year, Westpac Scholars Trust awards 100 new scholarships to university students with the passion and ambition to drive positive change.  

The University of Adelaide is one of 14 Westpac Scholars Trust university partners across Australia.

“The Westpac Bicentennial Scholarship Program was received with accolade when it was announced in 2014 and it has been an outstanding success with nationwide impact,” says Professor Peter Høj AC, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Adelaide.

“Since the inception of the University of Adelaide’s partnership with the Westpac Scholars Trust, we have successfully fostered a community of resilient and inclusive scholars who have benefitted from the program by helping them to cultivate the skills required to become future leaders.

“Through flagship programs like the Future Leaders and Asian Exchange scholarships more than forty University of Adelaide Westpac Scholars have been assisted with securing meaningful employment and achieving their true potential.”