Current Postgraduate Students
- ABDALLA, Ahmed
- AUGE, Amelie
- CHAMBERLAIN, Luke
- COLE, Theresa
- HAY, Geoff
- JOSEPH, Chris
- LEUNG, Elaine
- PRESKETT, Scott
- QUAY, Benjamin
- RECIO, Mariano
- RODDA, Judy
- SHEARER, David
- WAYUMBA, Robert
- WRIGHT, Joseph
Ahmed Abdalla
Email: abdah305[at]student.otago.ac.nz
Course: PhD
Supervisors: Robert Tenzer, John Hannah
Ahmed's research seeks to develop a high-resolution gravimetric geoid model for New Zealand by combining some heterogeneous datasets, e.g. land and marine gravity data, GPS-levelling data, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Global Gravitational Model (GGM). The objectives of his research are to compute an improved geoid model and then to develop a unified and well-defined vertical datum for New Zealand. This will consequently allow Global Positioning System (GPS) users to establish their vertical control survey in an optimum way.
Research areas: Physical Geodesy, Reference Systems, Theory of Errors
Amelie Auge
Email: augam928[at]student.otago.ac.nz
Course: PhD
Supervisors:Antoni Moore, Lloyd Davis (Zoology), Louise Chilvers (DoC), Chris Lalas (Zoology)
Amelie's research is on foraging ecology of the New Zealand sea lion. The aim is to increase the knowledge on marine habitat use and its relationship with population's health of pinnipeds, and provide information for the management of the recolonisation of the New Zealand mainland by this species.
Research areas: Spatial Ecology, Behavioural and Foraging Ecology, Wildlife Management
Luke Chamberlain
Email: lrchamberlain[at]internode.on.net
Course: Post Graduate Diploma of Science and Hydrographic Surveying
Luke has arrived from Adelaide to undertake his Post Graduate Diploma of Science and Hydrographic Surveying, Category A Studies in 2010. Over the past 14 years he has worked in the offshore seismic industry and lidar bathymetry fields. Luke’s research involves assessing multi-station tide interpolation techniques and whether they meet the requirements for IHO-Order 1 surveys within Otago Harbour.
Research areas: Tide Modeling
Theresa Cole
Email: colth306[at]student.otago.ac.nz
Course: Master of Science
Supervisors: John Hannah, Robert Tenzer
Theresa is investigating if there is a detectible acceleration in the rise in mean sea level. Her reserach uses sea level measurements extending back over one hundred years from four tide gauges around New Zealand. Theresa's research has received support from CPG New Zealand Ltd and the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors.
Listen to the radio programme Science Notes to learn more about Theresa's research.
Research area: Physical Oceanography
Chris Joseph
Email: chris.joseph[at]otago.ac.nz
Course: PhD
Supervisors: G. Brent Hall, David P. Goodwin
Chris's research seeks to address the conceptual and practical divide between land tenure reform and the process of human development. This will be achieved by assessing various rural land tenure regimes in Cambodia and modelling their relationship with human security.
His thesis draws upon a range of data, including those derived from secondary and primary sources. The latter includes field-based participatory data, which are combined using a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) to assess the relationship between human security and land tenure.
Research areas: Land Tenure, Human Development, Post-conflict Development, Human Security
Additional information: http://www.landtenure.ac.nz
Elaine Leung
Email: elaineswleung[at]gmail.com
Course: PhD
Supervisors: Antoni Moore, Bruce Robertson (Zoology), Louise Chilvers (DoC)
Elaine is studying the development of diving of juvenile threatened New Zealand sea lions and the potential overlap of juvenile foraging grounds with the squid trawl fishery in the subantarctic Auckland Islands. Her study will provide the necessary background to inform management decisions to mitigate juvenile sea lion-fishery interactions.
Research areas: Spatial Ecology, Conservation Biology, Behavioural and Foraging Ecology, Wildlife Management
Scott Preskett
Email: scott.preskett[at]otago.ac.nz
Course: PhD
Supervisors: Paul Denys, John Hannah
Scott's research investigates three dimensional motion sensing using multiple GPS antennas. Before coming to Otago, Scott was an officer in the Royal Australian Navy and is currently the coordinator for the IHO Category A Hydrographic Surveying Program in the School of Surveying.
Research areas: Hydrographic Surveying, Global Positioning Systems
Additional information: Scott's staff profile
Judy Rodda
Email: rodju951[at]student.otago.ac.nz
Course: PhD
Supervisors:Antoni Moore, Liz Slooten (Zoology)
Judy is conducting an analysis of the population of the endemic Hector's dolphin from the south coast at Te Waewae Bay using FilemakerPro as the basis for a GIS (Geographic Information System). Her thesis research looks for trends in both abundance and distribution using mark-recapture statistics and geographically weighted temporal regression which will result in new information to aid in management decisions.
Research areas: Spatial Temporal Modeling, Mark-ReCapture Statistics
Mariano Rodriguez Recio
Email: RODMA537[at]student.otago.ac.nz
Course: PhD
Supervisors: Phil Seddon (Zoology), Renaud Matthieu
Mariano's research investigates the spatial ecology of New Zealand's introduced predators, specifically feral cats and hedgehogs. His research seeks to quantify the fine-scale movements of these species using GPS telemetry and high-resolution satellite images (Quickbird) for habitat mapping in order to assist with efforts to control predator populations.
Research area: Spatial Ecology, Conservation Biology, Wildlife Management.
David Shearer
Email: sheda916[at]student.otago.ac.nz
Course: Master of Surveying
Supervisors: Mick Strack
David's research examines the role that the urban design concept 'shared spaces' could play in New Zealand urban development. The shared space approach to streetscape design aims to raise pedestrian priority, improve streetscape quality, and reduce accidents by removing traditional separations between pedestrians and vehicles; i.e. so that streets are shared.
David's research involves inspecting the current status of shared spaces in New Zealand in a political and physical sense. For example, local government development standards and design guidelines will be reviewed and an evaluation of overseas shared space research will be used to establish the applicability of the shared space concept in urban New Zealand.
Research areas: Urban Design, Planning, Traffic Management
Joseph Wright
Email: wrijo303[at]student.otago.ac.nz
Course: PhD
Supervisors: Greg Leonard, Antoni Moore
Joseph is developing GIS based Hydraulic and Hydrological models of urban drainage networks and evaluating whether the models are robust enough to contribute to understanding of anthropogenic effects on natural drainage systems. If accurate urban drainage models can be developed, design and maintenance of anthropogenic drainage networks could be optimised for cost, efficiency and sustainability.
Research Areas: Hydraulic and Hydrological Modelling, Surface Analysis, Urban Form and Development, GIS Decision Support