A number of previous Bushfire CRC PhD students have recently received the good news that their theses have been accepted.
Steve Curnin researched multi-agency, emergency management coordination in his PhD studies. His work developed a conceptual framework to identify the core requirements of liaison officers working at state level control centres and analyse the problematic areas and constraints in state-level coordination.
Tarnya Kruger's(pictured above) PhD research explored how the organisation of volunteer support groups contribute to surge capacity in the ACT, Victoria and South Australia. Taryna examined the extent to which local knowledge can enhance or jeopardise the work of firefighters. Tarnya's thesis is open access, and can be found here.
The PhD work of Valerie Densmore explored how woody legumes, typified by wattles, can play a central role in restoring ecosystems following bushfires. She showed that when woody legume seeds are exposed to heat they germinate quickly, helping to stabilise soil and return nitrogen to the system. The knowledge gained from her research is important to predicting ecosystem resilience and fuel recovery following fire.
Kerryn McTaggart's(below) PhD investigated the uptake of methane in the soil of alpine ecosystems in the Bogong High Plains in Victoria.
Kerryn McTaggart
The Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC congratulates Steve, Tarnya, Valerie and Kerryn on their achievements. Like the Bushfire CRC before it, the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC's PhD program will provide a long-term research base that directly supports emergency services as they work to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters.