Central Queensland University has hosted a special luncheon at Dreamtime Cultural Centre (Sept 24) to recognise its research higher degree graduates.

A record 18 research students have graduated from Masters and doctoral degrees and most were able to attend the luncheon.

Back row: Dr Kieren Jamieson, Dr Gregory Rowsell, Mr John Clarke, Dr Mitch Duncan, Dr Ben Dascombe; Front Row: Ms Michelle Pearce, Dr Taskinur Rahman, Dr Andrew Chiou, Dr Suzanne Coker, Dr Iain Waller, Mr Samuel Fesuk.

These researchers have been contributing across a wide range of endeavours including:

- the ecology and management of the squirrel glider (Tina Ball)

-  an intelligent expert advisory system for control and management of parthenium weed (Andrew Chiou)

- silica analysis of Weipa bauxite (Luke McArthur)

- ways to improve reading-accuracy instruction for Australian at-risk readers (Susan Galletly)

- habitat, microhabitat and calling in the critically endangered frog Taudactylus pleione Czechura (Anura:  Myobatrachidae) at Kroombit Tops (John Clarke)

- germination and storage of selected Australian tropical native grasses in relation to their ecology and use in land rehabilitation (Samuel Fesuk)

Tabassum Ferdous on the night

- time frequency analysis for railway wagon ride monitoring on a low power autonomous device (Steven Bleakley)

- railway operational benefits from bogie rotation friction management (Michelle Pearce)

Michelle Pearce on the night

-  using formal health education sessions to increase mammography use among women from non-English speaking backgrounds (Tabassum Ferdous)

-  pathways that influence psychological, physical, and social well-being in adulthood (Suzanne Coker)

- the environmental reasons why children do not walk to school (Mitchell Duncan);

- the effect of age on the oxygen consumption responses to exercise (Ben Dascombe)

- an investigation of how decision makers chose new information systems (Bruce Jamieson)

- evaluating the effectiveness of micro-credit to alleviate poverty and assist with the empowerment of women in Bangladesh (Taskinur Rahman)

- the relationships between electronic communication and regionality (Terrence Maybury).

- if pheromones can affect the product choices of consumers (Iain Waller).

Bruce Jamieson and supporters

CQU senior executives and research supervisors also attended the luncheon to have the chance to offer one-on-one congratulations.

Meanwhile, Prue Howard and Yvonne Toft both graduated with the Professional Doctorate (Transdisciplinary Studies) for studies into creating designs 'fit' for people. Prue Howard's thesis was on an ergonomics philosophy within the technical framework of the engineering design cycle, while Yvonne Toft's thesis was on a new methodology: the transdisciplinary collaborative design matrix.

 
Professor Jennelle Kyd (cream suit) congratulates the research graduates