Student retreat

The inaugural Hudson Institute student retreat was 13-14 September at the Silverwater Resort in San Remo. We would like to give a special thank you to Prof. Liz Hartland, Madelene Rich and the HISS committee for organising this opportunity for students to showcase their work to their peers from across different centres of the institute and to allow networking amongst staff and students.

The two days were interjected with various activities including ice breakers and trivia night which allowed for students mingle and take part in a healthy competition. The first day of the retreat coincided with RUOK day which was complemented by Associate Prof Tim Moss's talk regarding the importance of healthy mind and supportive environment for students. The second day saw Dr Jaclyn Pearson's talk juxtaposed between being a rockstar and researcher which was refreshingly honest and encouraging. A high level of positive feedback was received from the attendees.
Pom Wijayaratne, HISS President (TRC)
Rama Ravinthiran, HISS Creative Officer (CRH)

Congratulations to the winners of the awards given for presentations, judged on content, knowledge, clarity and presentation skils:

Senior

1st - Lachlan McMillan

2nd - Catherine Cochrane and Mikee Inocencio

3rd - Charlotte Chen and Benjamin Amberg

People's Choice - Amy Wilson

Junior

1st - Madeleine Wemyss

2nd - Quinton Luong and Holly Ung.

3rd - Ziying Chen
People's Choice - Annie Cox

L-R: Amy Wilson, Catherine Cochrane, Charlotte Chen, Quinton Luong, Ziying Chen, Madeleine Wemyss, Mikee Incencio, Lachland McMillan

Dilanka Fernando, PhD Student (CCR)

Hudson Institute student retreat was just amazing!

Being a final year PhD student I was looking forward for a break from the lab, and of course this event provided me all the fun, relaxation and refreshment in mind I was looking for.

The venue was well-chosen for its breath-taking atmosphere and also for the hospitality of the staff at Silverwater Resort.

We made lots of new friends from other Centres and I look forward to communicating more with them in the future.

The student presentations gave the opportunity to understand the projects of the students and especially the methods and techniques they use in their labs.

The motivational talks delivered by Associate Prof Tim Moss and Dr Jaclyn Pearson were truly of great value to the journey throughout a PhD.

I am really grateful for the organisers behind this awesome event especially HISS and Professor Liz Hartland for making this event a success.

Leo Cooper, Honours Student (TRC)

At first, I was slightly apprehensive about the retreat with the honour thesis submission date fast approaching. However attending turned out to be an excellent decision.

Perched up high with panoramic views of the water below, the location of the resort was breathtaking, and it was refreshing to have a couple of days away from the hustle and bustle of the City.

I enjoyed getting to meet and acquaint myself with a range of colleagues and their research both through the formal talks and socialising. For someone like myself, who is interested in continuing on with a PhD, it was extremely useful to gain an insight into some of the skills and diversity of interests that interplay in the making of a research career through talks from Dr Jaclyn Pearson and the ever-inspiring Associate Prof Tim Moss.

On behalf of all the students that attended, thank you to those that made the retreat possible and I look forward to seeing all my new friends around Hudson Institute.

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