Doctoral student achievements , Ngā angitu o ngā tauira kairangi

Learn about our PhD and professional doctoral students’ achievements, including the Three Minute Thesis competition and the Dean’s list of exceptional theses.

At Massey we have a reputation for excellence in our doctoral programmes. Our PhD and professional doctorate students are high achievers and many of them earn awards and other recognition for their research.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition

In the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, doctoral candidates develop their presentation and communication skills by explaining their research in three minutes to a non-specialist audience.

Developed by The University of Queensland, the competition was first held in 2008, and now more than 900 universities in over 85 countries participate.

2022

Winner

Areef Shaik (College of Creative Arts)
Lifejacket design for Flood Events in India

Runner up

Manomita Das (Joint Centre of Disaster Research)
Communication, Community Action and Disaster Resilience

People's Choice Award

Haroon Jamshaid Qazi (SFAT)
The Food Maze

2021

2021 winner

Roxanne Hawi
From gimmick to game-changer: a study on the use of smartphones to expand access to higher education in sub-Saharan Africa

2021 runner-up

Morgan Heslop
Development of behavioural methods for the identification of boredom in animals

2021 people's choice

Huidan Niu
The professional role of teacher unions in NZ

2020

2020 winner and people’s choice

Muhammad Rehan

Capsule robot – engineering the gut

School of Food and Advanced Technology

2020 runner-up

Feng (Dennis) Yue

Leadership through a Chinese lens

School of Management

2020 judges’ commendation

Akisi Ravono

Nursing care for people living with diabetes in Fiji: An indigenous community context

School of Nursing

2020 judges’ commendation

Siobhán Healy-Cullen

‘Porn literacy’ as pedagogy?

School of Psychology

3MT competition 2023

Registrations are now open to eligible PhD and Professional Doctorate (Research) candidates. To access competition workshops and resources, register on the doctoral Stream site.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate (Research) candidates who have successfully passed their confirmation milestone (including candidates whose thesis is under submission) by the date of their first presentation are eligible to participate in 3MT competitions at all levels, including the Asia-Pacific 3MT competition. Graduates are not eligible.

Opportunities and prizes

Participating in the competition can help your academic, presentation and research communication skills. Talking about your research increases your confidence and enhances your public profile. Plus, there is prize money.

Prizes include $1000 for the Winner, $500 for the Runner-up and $250 for People's Choice.

Competition timeline

  • 7 to 10 August: 3MT peer review and practice sessions
  • 16 to 18 August: Record 3MT video in One Button Studio
  • Noon, Monday 21 August: Deadline for video submissions
  • 12.30 pm, Wednesday 13 September: 3MT final event – winners announced

Register for the 2023 3MT competition

Visualise Your Thesis competition

The Visualise Your Thesis competition asks doctoral students to present their research project in a one-minute digital presentation to a non-specialist audience.

The competition started at the University of Melbourne in 2016.

2022

This event was not held in 2022.

2021

2021 winner

Steph Coursey
Post-glacial geomorphic evolution of Lake Wakatipu basin and landslide-generated tsunami hazards

2021 runner-up

Aylin Sen
New functionalities from plant oil bodies for food applications

2020

2020 winner

Krutika Nanavati

The influence of a protein-rich dairy beverage fortified with curcumin on health and wellness in older adults

School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition

2020 runner-up

Hadas Wittenberg

Human-centred work design and work engagement

School of Management

Dean’s list of exceptional theses

The Dean’s list is for theses that show outstanding research, analytical content, communication and presentation. Candidates who make the Dean’s list are considered among the best in their fields.

2023

Gabrielle Deborah Amodeo

Life-drawing: trauma and intimacy in the essay qua drawing

Akshay Bisht

The tale of the shear-thickening mamaku polysaccharide, from forest to gut

Ellie Lynn Bradley

Identification and functional characterisation of glycoside hydrolases from the kauri dieback pathogen, Phytophthora agathidicida

Judith Beyer

Antigender fashion: the boundless possibilities of gender-fluid fashion design

Thao Thi Phuong Bui

Towards zero carbon refurbishment of existing buildings in Aotearoa New Zealand : a decision support framework

Rupsa Chakraborty

Mineral prospecting via biogeochemical signals and surface indicators using hyperspectral remote sensing

Bruce Mark Chilton

Studies towards thermodynamically stable G-quadruplexes embedded in canonical DNA duplexes

Jacques de Satgé

Mangrove-avifauna relationships in Aotearoa New Zealand: conservation insights from banded rail (Gallirallus philippensis) ecology

Alexandra Egan

Direct economic losses of oil spills in populated and remote locations within New Zealand 

Christine Elers

Theorising Māori health and wellbeing in a whakapapa paradigm: voices from the margins

Darya Fedchuk

"It's definitely been a roller coaster": an exploration of youth service users' understandings of personal recovery and experiences of intentional peer support

Mercedes Rocafort Ferrer

Unravelling the molecular basis of subcuticular host-colonization by the apple scab fungus, Venturia inaequalis

Lesley Ann Gray

Disaster risk reduction considerations for big bodied people in Aotearoa New Zealand

Sesimani Havea

Tongan indigenous approaches to family restoration and wellbeing

Jayawardana Mudiyanselage Dinesha Rajinee Jayawardana

Genetic parameters of fertility traits of cows milked once daily versus twice daily in New Zealand

Kylie Ann Legg

Physiological demands of jockeys in relation to injury risk, performance and career longevity

Junyan Liu

Resource allocations of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in response to socio-sexual environment during immature and adult stages

Tessa Ma'Auga

Movements from Pearl Rivers: Connections Flowing from Southern China to Aotearoa

Jayne Mary Mercier

What do we mean by good outcomes for youth?: an exploration of how young people and those who work with them in positive youth development contexts perceive outcomes

Huidan Niu

The politics of teacher professionalism in teacher unions: a case study of Aotearoa New Zealand

Muhammad Hammad Saleem

Deep learning-based approaches for plant disease and weed detection

Mariana Massoco Tarallo

Identification and characterization of effector proteins from pine needle pathogens

Madaleine Heulwen Trigg

From Dough to Wheat: A Postman Performance Practice with Companion Species.

Hien Thi Dieu Troung

Characterising honeys in situ by spectral methods

Vajisha Udayangi Wanniarachchi

Analysing underpinning patterns in social media posts that promote fat stigmatisation

Achini Shanika Weerasinghe

The impacts of occupant behaviours on energy consumption in New Zealand office buildings

Agampodi Nuwan Rumesh Weerawansha

Reproductive performance of a spider mite Tetranychus ludeni Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae) in response to social environments

Alvaro Sebastian Wehrle Martinez

Investigating the pathogenesis of catastrophic humeral fractures in dairy heifers in New Zealand

Benjamin Patrick Westberry

The disordered and ordered-state structures of κ-carrageenan: an X-ray scattering, molecular dynamics, and density-functional theory study

2022

Mukti Barua

Investigations into the impact of feed form and age on the standardised ileal amino acid digestibility of feed ingredients for broiler chickens

Hona Lambert Black

He kākano nō te taunuke o te hue

Samuel James Brooke

The defect modes of MoS₂: indirect double resonance Raman spectroscopy in transition metal dichalcogenides

Daniel Peter Carlisle

Using market research methodologies to advance public engagement with emerging climate technologies

Lirong Cheng

Physico-chemical properties and stability of lipid droplet-stabilised emulsions

Rose Moyra Collis

Metabolic characteristics and genomic epidemiology of Escherichia coli serogroup O145

Simone Giovanardi

The shape of penguins in four dimensions: assessing macroevolutionary shifts in a constructional morphology framework

Sara Ebony Zylka Harrison

Exploring the data needs and sources for severe weather impact forecasts and warnings

Rongyao Hu

Graph learning and its applications

Yiying Huang

Doctor of Philosophy

The sport formation and toxin production in biofilms of Bacillus cereus

Imran Ishrat

Doctor of Philosophy

Effect of Industry Changes on Quality and Sustainability in the Luxury Apparel Value Chains: The Case of Cashmere Industry in India

Isuri Achintha Jayawardana

Effect of Kiwifruit actinidin on the digestion of gluten proteins

Eloise Jillings

Doctor of Philosophy

Rapua te mea ngaro: exploring the access of Maori to veterinary education in Aotearoa New Zealand

Swati Jivanji

The genetic characterisation of coat colour and patterning traits in cattle

Made Diah Lestari

Multigenerational caregiving for older people in Bali : combining macro and micro perspectives to understand ageing, family, and caregiving

Michael McVeagh

Doctor of Philosophy

Efficient Markov bases for Z-polytope sampling

Philip Mecredy

Do older consumers purchase differently?: the effect of age on brand awareness, consideration, and purchase

Kevin Miles

Doctor of Philosophy

Along the waterline: cameraless photography and the haptic register of nocturnal seaborne activity

Margaret Ruth Moores

Miniatures of reality : an inter-photo-textual investigation of ekphrasis of photographs

Jabin Nesaraj

Doctor of Philosophy

Understanding the population genetic structure of bovine mastitis-causing Staphylococcus aureus in New Zealand to identify potential vaccine candidates using reverse vaccinology

Alex Thomas O'Neil

Development of a molecular toolbox for multifunctional lanthanide-based supramolecular materials

Sashikumar Ramamirtham

Structure-rheology relationships of protein-polysaccharide complexes at oil/water interfaces

Angelique Varnya Reweti

Mā te whiritahi, ka whakatutuki ai ngā pūmanawa ā tāngata = Together weaving the realisation of potential : exploring the social, cultural and health benefits of whānau-centred initiatives

Raphael Isaac Spiekermann

Quantifying the performance of silvopastoralism for landslide erosion and sediment control in New Zealand’s hill country

Kathryn Maree Tiplady

The role of Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectroscopy in improving the prediction of new and existing traits in New Zealand dairy cattle

Marketa Vlkova

Doctor of Philosophy

Natural variation in bacterial gene regulation

Karin van der Walt

Better lives for all?: prospects for empowerment through marine wildlife tourism in Gansbaai, South Africa

Mingrui Yang

Towards exact numerical solutions of quantum many-body problems in ultracold Bose gases

Jony Eko Yulianto

The everyday conduct of inter-ethnic marriages in Indonesia: participants navigating points of tension and cultivating harmony through adaptive socio-cultural practices

2021

Guanyu Ran

Doctor of Philosophy (Social Policy)

Family finds a way: experiences of multigenerational transnational new Chines immigrant families in New Zealand

Caroline Day

Doctor of Philosophy (Public Health)

Negotiating grandmothering, paid employment and regular childcare in urban Aotearoa New Zealand

Akinson Tumbure

Doctor of Philosophy (Soil Science)

The development and assessment of alternative techniques to improve the agronomic value of Dorowa phosphate rock (Zimbabwe)

Thi Thu Ha Nguyen

Doctor of Philosophy

Essays on dynamics of the housing market

Christopher Andrews

Doctor of Philosophy

Stress and reproduction in domestic cats (Felis catus) as a model for endangered felids

Malin Undin

Doctor of Philosophy

Studies of how to improve translocation outcomes of Apteryx mantelli focusing on breeding, hybrids, diversity, and telomeres

Anthony Mattson

Doctor of Philosophy

Be(com)ing men in another place: the migrant men of Gandhi Nivas and their violent stories

Branka Vasilic

Doctor of Philosophy

Supporting interprofessional collaborative practice through relational orientation

Laura David

Doctor of Philosophy

Studies on the measurement of calcium digestibility in raw materials for poultry and of digestible calcium requirement of broiler starters

2020

Mahina-A-Rangi Baker

Doctor of Philosophy

Te kete tua-ātea, Māori modelling of the future and the kaitiakitanga of water

Mudassar Hasan

Doctor of Philosophy

Essays on spillover effects of economic and geopolitical uncertainty

Kevin Lawrence

Doctor of Philosophy (Veterinary Clinical Sciences)

The epidemiology of Theileria orientalis Ikeda type in New Zealand

Fiona McKergow

Doctor of Philosophy (History)

Colonial textile culture in mid-nineteenth century Aotearoa New Zealand

Emma Miller

Doctor of Clinical Psychology

An internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for clinical perfectionism

Muhammad Naeem

Doctor of Philosophy

Essays on commodity market uncertainties

Khanh Nguyen

Doctor of Philosophy

Representation of autism in Vietnamese online news media between 2006 and 2016

Thi Phuoc Van Nguyen

Doctor of Philosophy

The investigation of non-contact vital signs detection microwave theoretical model and smart sensing systems

Christian Offen

Doctor of Philosophy (Mathematics)

Analysis of Hamiltonian boundary value problems and symplectic integration

Callum Rees

Doctor of Philosophy (Earth Sciences)

The hydrogeology of the Pourewa sub-catchment, Rangitikei, New Zealand

Alexander Schnack

Doctor of Philosophy

Is it worthwhile going immersive? Evaluating the performance of virtual simulated stores for shopper research

Marion Lara Tan

Doctor of Philosophy

Usability of disaster apps: Understanding the perspectives of the public as end-users

Heather Thomas

Doctor of Education (Education)

Pedagogies of presence: Contemplative education across the disciplines in Aotearoa New Zealand

Danchen Yang

Doctor of Philosophy

Epidemiological studies of bovine digital dermatitis in pasture-based dairy system in New Zealand

Syeda Kanwal Zaidi

Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering)

Effective relaying mechanisms in future device to device communication

Hooman Alavizadeh

Doctor of Philosophy

Effective security analysis for combinations of MTD techniques on cloud computing

Susan Bisschoff

Doctor of Philosophy

Dynamic assessment as an early screening tool for identifying New Zealand children at risk of reading difficulty upon school entry”

Nikolai Kondratev

Doctor of Philosophy

Identification of mechanisms defining resistance and susceptibility of Camellia plants to necrotrophic petal blight disease

Istvan Hajdu

Doctor of Philosophy (Agriculture and Horticulture)

Soil water modelling in hill country, New Zealand

Ashleigh Rushton

Doctor of Philosophy

But what about the men?: storying rural men’s experiences and perspectives of the 2016 Kaikoura/Waiau Earthquake, Aotearoa New Zealand

Lynsey Ellis

Doctor of Philosophy (Social Work)

Sustainable social work: a response to the climate emergency from social work education and practice in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Jess Richards

Doctor of Philosophy (Fine Arts)

Illusions, transformations, and iterations: storytelling as fiction, image, artefact

Gabriele Frigerio Porta

Doctor of Philosophy (Statistics)

Statistical models for multihazards

Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholarships

The Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholarship is the most prestigious domestic scholarship at Massey. Our Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholars all have a record of exceptional academic achievement.

2021

Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholars – full-time

Cassie Andersen

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Amelia Barker

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Delwyn Blondell

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Stella Corkery

College of Creative Arts

Leda Farrow

College of Creative Arts

Morgan Heslop

College of Sciences

Brandon Jones

College of Sciences

Johanna Thomas-Maude

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Vice Chancellor’s Pacific doctoral scholars – full-time

Rachael Hall

College of Creative Arts

2020

Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholars – full-time

Mikaela Carter

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Yun-Seon Choi

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Kathryn Connolly

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Sophia Holdsworth

College of Sciences

Lin Lin

Massey Business School

Sarah Tapscott

College of Sciences

Annabel Wilson

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Vice Chancellor’s Māori doctoral scholars – full-time

Alisha Hobbs

College of Sciences

Rebecca MacKenzie

College of Health

Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholars – part-time

Hanna Brookie

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Jade Pope

College of Sciences

Estelle Pretorius

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Contact us

If you have any questions about doctoral study, contact us. Include your student ID number if you’re a current student.

Contact us