C294/08
11 November 2008
Curtin University of Technology continues to attract top research students with the latest arrival of Fulbright Postgraduate Scholar, Laura Merwin at the Muresk Institute’s Department of Environmental Biology.
Laura, from California’s Pepperdine University in the United States, selected Curtin for the chance to work with plant ecologist, Professor Byron Lamont, of Muresk.
She has completed her Bachelor of Science degree and has applied to do her PhD in the US.
“This year will be a valuable experience for me and hopefully contribute to my knowledge of the WA flora and the ecology research community in general,” she said.
“Professor Lamont has a lifetime of experience and his work analysing the molecular structure of populations in the Australia flora contributes to long-term conservation efforts.”
Laura will be in WA for 12 months and will study the genetics of banksias as a clue to their long-distance dispersal potential in the face of climate change.
The Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by US Senator J. William Fulbright and the US Government in 1946. It aims to promote mutual understanding through educational exchange and has operations in America and 150 countries.
Modified: 11 November 2008
