Natural Hazards Research Australia’s Associate Scholarship program has expanded with four new associate students joining and contributing to the Centre’s research network.
- Zakria Qadir's project at Western Sydney University, UAV trajectory optimization for pre- and post-bushfire disaster assessment using artificial intelligence, is extending PhD research to improve implementation of a global-scale artificial intelligence model for analysing the impacts of bushfires, including detection in pre- and post-bushfire phases, tracking fires and sharing useful information with stakeholders to mitigate impacts.
- Anna Kennedy-Borissow's Creativity, recovery, and resilience: how the arts strengthen resilience in communities affected by disasters project at the University of Melbourne is analysing creative recovery projects to understand the extent to which arts participation contributes to recovery and builds resilience in disaster-affected communities.
- Michael Johnson's Community-led approaches to disaster resilience in Australia project at Monash University's Fire to Flourish is investigating the Australian practices of disaster resilience to understand how a community-led approach to disaster resilience can be operationalised within the sector.
- Atul Kumar Rai's Quantifying runoff in arid zone basins of central Australia project at the University of Wollongong is quantifying water runoff in arid zone basins of central Australia, focusing on Lake Eyre Basin as a case study, using machine learning and satellite data to improve flood preparedness.
Through the Associate Student program, the Centre provides opportunities for students undertaking postgraduate research in a relevant field to become part of the Australian natural hazards research community. As part of this network, Zakria, Anna, Michael and Atul join a network 17 other Centre-supported Associate Students who can participate in professional development activities, apply for short-term placements in partner organisations, apply for funding support and more.