Doctoral scholars

Below are the recipients of our Doctoral Scholarships for 2023 and 2024. If you are interested in applying for a PhD scholarship please see here.

2025

Sue Ira

Title: Beyond Water: A Holistic Decision Support Framework for Evaluating Nature-Based Urban Stormwater Solutions.

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) provide a sustainable approach to urban stormwater management, yet their full economic benefits are often overlooked in decision-making. Traditional cost assessments frequently ignore broader social and environmental advantages, leading to suboptimal outcomes. To address this gap, my research will use neural networks to explore economic sustainability indicators of NBS to maximize benefits and minimize long-term costs. By integrating economic valuation techniques and stakeholder insights with neural network outputs, the full economic value of NBS can be captured, thereby facilitating the development of a dynamic, evidence-based decision framework
for policymakers, engineers, and planners to enhance sustainable stormwater management in Aotearoa. As part of this work I will also be engaging with Professor Briony Rogers from the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (Monash University, Australia) to seek guidance and insights relevant to my research.

Supervisors:

Main supervisor – Dr Iresh Jayawardena, Lecturer Architecture and Planning
Other supervisors – Dr Elizabeth Aitken Rose, Senior Lecturer Architecture and Planning
Professor Basil Sharp, Emeritus Professor Economics
Professor Briony Rogers (Monash University)

PhD start date: June 2025

Chenyang Yuan

Title: How does biodiversity influence people’s perception of cultural ecosystem services in pocket parks in Auckland?

This project will delve into the intricate relationship between biodiversity and Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) in pocket parks—small but vital urban green spaces (<5000 m²) that serve as oases of nature within densely built environments. As cities become more compact, these parks offer a sanctuary for people and wildlife, providing residents with immersive natural experiences while fostering urban biodiversity.

The study aims to identify biodiversity features in pocket parks, build a biodiversity database, and analyze how biodiversity influences CES perceptions across different demographic groups. A systematic literature review will inform biodiversity assessments, followed by ecological surveys (e.g., vegetation and bird counts). The project will also employ online questionnaires and interviews to capture residents’ CES perceptions, emphasizing diverse cultural backgrounds beyond predominantly European-focused studies.

By bridging the gap between biodiversity conservation and human well-being, this research will provide insights into designing inclusive and ecologically rich urban green spaces that cater to diverse communities.

Supervisors:

Prof. Margaret Stanley School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science

Dr. Karly Burch School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts

PhD start date: June 2025

2024

Abishikta Maria Susheel

Title: Pollutant detection and community action in the coastal environment of Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana

The research will demonstrate a multi-sensor multi-temporal remote sensing approach to assess several parameters including sea surface roughness, temperature and spectral signature in aid of pollution (plastic and sewage) detection. We will combine optical, thermal and radar technologies to detect and track sewage plumes and plastic concentrations over the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana in New Zealand. The work has great potential for improving water resource management, assessing ecological damage and also to monitor public health (as part of the SafeSwim initiative). The project will fuse data from differing sources, from drones to satellites, and there will be an emphasis on community engagement – citizen science and capacity building.

Supervisors: Dr Thomas Dowling, Lecturer Environment
Dr Wei-Qin Zhuangm Senior Lecturer Civil and Environmental Engineering
Associate Professor Murray Ford, Environment
PhD start date: December 2024

2023

Toni Myers

Title: Investigating a local authority’s climate justice goals: What is the community’s response?

In 2021 Waiheke Island’s local board confirmed an ambitious Climate Action Plan, aiming to become “a world leader in climate change response”. This research is looking at the island community’s climate related challenges and responses through a climate justice lens. This social justice approach considers that those who are at most risk from climate change are those least able to cope with the challenges. And we know from the natural disasters occurring around the globe and here in Aotearoa that strong, connected, resilient communities have the best chance of withstanding and recovering from climate-related events. Waiheke has many of the challenges facing communities around the motu including: infrastructure funding, housing supply, public transport, water supply, coastal erosion, great wealth and income disparity, a biodiversity crisis in the sea and on the land. lt is hoped that investigating how this community responds to climate challenges might provide lessons for other communities grappling with many of the same issues.

Primary supervisor: Dr Niki Harré, Head of the School of Psychology
Co-supervisor: Dr Manuel Vallee, Senior Lecturer, Sociology
PhD Start date: 01 December 2023

William Sheard

Title: Understanding and Improving the Adsorption of Heavy Metals by Polysulfides in a Flow System

Research summary: Electronic waste, or e-waste, is the fastest growing stream of domestic waste, and mining metals to make new electronics is environmentally damaging. Most of the precious and rare metals in e-waste are difficult to recycle and are lost when the electronics are disposed of. My research focuses on using sulfur, itself a petrochemical waste product, to make materials that can adsorb these metals. This would allow us to recycle more of the metals in e- waste and reduce our reliance on new mining projects!

Supervisors: Dr Erin Leitao, Senior Lecturer Chemical Sciences
Assoc Prof Lokesh Padhye, Associate Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering

PhD start date: 1 Jun 2023