Wattle Fellowship

Wattle Fellows 2021–2022

• Emily Andolfatto

  

  Master of Environment

  Emily is studying a Master of Environment and is passionate about communicating the centrality of sustainability and climate change within corporate and community spheres. She is interested in environmental policy and urban sustainability, especially how city landscapes can coexist with environmental conservation efforts. She has a passion for green roofs, sustainable infrastructure, coastal streetscapes; and is starting to explore sustainability approaches within her work at an environmental engineering firm.

  Outside of work and study, Emily is a student-athlete and has previously studied in the USA whilst on a rowing scholarship. She loves spending time by the beach, challenging herself with hikes in beautiful natural environments and admits to getting way too intense about the footy.

• Emma Bowman

  

  Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

  Emma is a zoology and chemistry graduate, now studying for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. She has an interest in scientific research, animal health, and environmental conservation and is determined to put a spotlight on the three pillars of sustainability: planet, people, and profit. Through the Wattle Fellowship, Emma is eager to explore how the concepts of sustainability can influence values and practices within the veterinary industry.

  Emma is passionate about protecting and connecting with the natural environment, and this greatly influences her actions in everyday life. Her favourite place in the world is an island part of the Great Barrier Reef where she learnt to scuba dive, and where her love of marine ecosystems and passion for conservation was inspired. She loves bird watching, spending time doing arts and crafts, and exuding individuality in every facet of her life and work.

• Helen Shen

  

  Master of Music (Research)

  Helen is studying a Master of Music (Research) which involves a performance piece. She started playing the violin from a young age and enjoys the creativity that playing music brings to her life. As an aspiring professional musician and educator, Helen hopes to be able to use her craft to encourage others to reflect on their relationship with nature and encourage them to make sustainable choices every day.

  Helen is a recipient of the Leaders in Communities Award and the Kate Flowers Memorial Scholarship. She enjoys volunteering her time in a range of programs assisting other students and writes and hosts a podcast on University of Melbourne’s Radio Fodder called “What’s All This?”.

  “It matters to me that we start seeing ourselves as part of nature. If we become aware of this connection, we can more readily shift our perspectives to the new and creative.”

• Imogen Senior

  

  Bachelor of Arts

  Imogen is studying politics and criminology as part of a Bachelor of Arts. Hailing from rural NSW, she is passionate about the role of regional communities in addressing the climate crisis.

  She is interested in environmental activism, the intersection of climate and gender justice and is committed to ensuring that politics and policy making centres marginal voices. Imogen believes we need to seek transformative structural change rather than just individual behaviour change. She is looking to gain experience within institutional settings to push for policy change on climate related issues.

  Imogen has completed a Community Campaigning Fellowship with the Greens and is the President of the Greens Club on campus. In 2020, she was a member of Plan International Australia’s Youth Activist Series where she led global research into girls’ visions for a world transformed by the global pandemic. The final report she prepared was presented at the United Nations General Assembly.

• Jamieson Lowe

  

  Bachelor of Agriculture

  Jamieson is studying a Bachelor of Agriculture majoring in plant and soil science.

  Growing up on a fifth-generation livestock and cropping farm on the Victorian-NSW border has fostered a love of being outdoors and a deep appreciation for nature. She has a lived, ingrained interest in the intersection of sustainability and agriculture including alternative technologies and regenerative farming techniques. She is also interested in exploring small-scale urban gardening, garden compost systems and finding ways to help others live a more sustainable lifestyle.

  In her spare time Jamieson has been involved in setting up nesting boxes for squirrel gliders and has organised native tree planting days to promote ecological sustainability. She enjoys hiking and climbing in national parks and exploring new places.

• Jarred Abrahams

  

  Master of Environment

  Jarred is studying a Master of Environment. He is passionate about people and the role they can play in addressing sustainability as well as creating a more just and fair society.

  He has completed a Permaculture Design Certificate and has worked in both conventional and regenerative agriculture practices. Following his graduation from a Bachelor of Science, Jarred spent time working in Israel, designing programs with young people to connect them to social and environmental issues and solutions. He now focusses on community organising to achieve more ambitious climate targets for Australia.
  
  “I would like to see a more sustainable world in which people build meaningful relationships with others, living in communities, focusing more on fulfilment and less on wealth. A world such as this would be better for the planet and the human beings that inhabit it. Through my career, I endeavour to inspire others to focus on community driven solutions.”

• Jem Yumru

  

  Bachelor of Commerce

  Jem is a final year Bachelor of Commerce student majoring in management and finance. His keen interest in environmental sustainability and leadership has led to his involvement in projects lead by 180 Degrees Consultancy with CERES Community Environment Park and with the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation.

  Jem’s interest in environmental issues centre around climate change policy at a local and global level, marine conservation, indigenous land management and how sustainability is approached within the corporate sector. He is pursuing a career utilising his consulting skills and experience to advance genuine sustainable practices within organisations, both domestically and globally and will be undertaking an internship focussed on social impact with Ellis Jones alongside the Wattle Fellowship in 2021.

  Jem also enjoys several creative hobbies including nature and ocean photography, DJing and dance music production.

• Jessica Clarke

  

  Master of Public Health

  Jessica is a public health professional with over eight years’ experience working across different areas of health including policy, research, and physiotherapy. She is passionate about population health, public policy responses and recognises that climate change is one of the greatest threats to health and wellbeing. She is studying a Master of Public Health with a focus on environmental health.

  Through her involvement with the Climate and Health Alliance and the Victorian Branch Council of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, she has contributed to projects and sector-level discussion around the health impacts of climate change and the importance of sustainability.

  Jessica works at the Victorian Department of Health as a Senior Policy Officer. She has previously completed an internship with the World Health Organization in Fiji, worked as a Project Officer and Research Assistant with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and as a physiotherapist at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.

  In her spare time, she loves playing sports, being outdoors, travelling and spending quality time with family and friends.

• Joe Fulwood

  

  Master of International Relations, Diploma of Languages

  Joe moved from his family farm in central Queensland to Melbourne to complete a Master of International Relations and language studies in French. He is interested in pursuing a career in diplomacy, advocacy or policy within the sustainability sector; working in the international sphere to apply a sustainability lens to the work of governments and businesses and help instigate change from the inside out.

  Joe has a particular interest in challenging traditional economic mindsets such as ‘infinite growth’ and looking at ways to mainstream alternatives to ensure a more sustainable social and political model.

  “I want to reset the way we see the world and our relationship with it – not as masters of nature but as components of it. I would like to help drive a movement that taught us to live in harmony with our surroundings, to take only what we need, and share what we have equitably amongst ourselves and the rest of the planet.”

• Kate Melville-Rea

  

  Master of Environment

  Kate grew up in Japan, Costa Rica, and Abu Dhabi before starting a Master of Environment in Melbourne. Prior to starting her studies, Kate chaired her undergraduate university's sustainability committee and worked for a small environmental non-profit in Cairns.

  She is interested in the intersection of sustainability and financial literacy and would like to work on projects with a focus on ethical financial management.

  She “stumbled into sustainability” after offering to manage her school’s worm farm and is passionate about advocating for a happier, healthier, and fairer future. She believes that looking after our environment is a beneficial and necessary step to achieve this and hopes to work with people at all levels of society to frame sustainability issues and actions in a way that matches people’s values, personal interests, and sense of social responsibility.

  In her spare time, she volunteers as a mentor at a primary school, sings in the university choral society, and enjoys learning Auslan.

• Elizabeth Hu

  

  Doctor of Medicine

  Elizabeth is studying for a Doctor of Medicine whilst also completing a diploma of Sustainable Living. She hopes to use to engage the community in practical projects related to sustainability in their daily lives.

  As a medical student involved in healthcare environments every day, Elizabeth is passionate about working on the issue of climate change and its impact on individual and human population health.

  She is the founder of two social impact start-ups – Folding Our Futures, a non-for-profit dedicated to educating high-school students about sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and working with them to implement the goals through youth-led social impact projects; and Chariteach, an education initiative which aims to address social connection and academic inequalities.

  She is extensively involved in community volunteering, is involved in numerous committees within the medical industry and education field, and is passionate about community engagement, youth empowerment and in the potential of young people to change the world.

• Meg Chatterton

  

  Master of Urban Horticulture

  Meg arrived at a Master of Urban Horticulture after taking a winding path through graphic design, administration, and disability support services. She is passionate about creating a greener future for all and wants to focus on ensuring appropriate access to green spaces and working with those on the margins to create healing, meaningful, biodiverse, food-producing spaces that feel like home.

  Meg would like to advocate for better transparency within horticulture so that it is clear how current practices contribute to global warming, loss of biodiversity and poor respiratory health in workers. She is interested in pursuing projects focussed on emissions reductions within this field.

  Through volunteer work with the Growing Friends Nursery at the Sydney Botanic Gardens, Meg realised that people at the margins of society are often excluded from the sustainability discourse and is interested in working on projects which create opportunities for cross-generational learning and connection, and which help keep oral traditions alive.

  “I value what people, plants and places on the margins of life can offer and seek to bridge gaps between humans and nature as a form of socioenvironmental justice.”

• Monyq San Tropez

  

  Master of Environment

  Monyq San Tropez is passionate about finding innovative solutions to social and environmental issues. She is studying the Master of Environment focusing on the circular economy and sustainable supply chains. Her dream is to build a social enterprise which enables the circular economy to become more inclusive, accessible, and more mainstream, particularly in rural areas and in developing countries.
  As a writer, researcher and strong advocate for environmental sustainability, Monyq directs her time and efforts towards greater awareness of environmentally sustainable solutions in the community by volunteering with the Hume Sustainability Taskforce. She regularly shares simple sustainability hacks on her Instagram account @sustainablemelbourne.
  
  She enjoys spending time tending to worm farms and growing fruits and vegetables. She is co-president of Net Impact, the Melbourne chapter of a global student club, which advocates for business as a force for good. She also volunteers with Sustainable Campus to provide innovative circular solutions for different waste streams at the new University of Melbourne student precinct.

• Paloma Bugedo

  

  Master of Urban Planning

  Paloma is a creative nomad from between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. She has studied architecture in Chile, printmaking in Argentina and is now completing the Master of Urban Planning in Melbourne. 
  
  As a visual translator, she loves working and playing alongside others to find inspiration and insights through different platforms, techniques and disciplines.

  Paloma has been involved in a range of projects linked to urbanism, placemaking, sustainable transport, community building storytelling and participatory design. She is interested in activating urban spaces through collaborative, creative and performance art, and has worked with diverse teams of collaborators in Guatemala, Honduras, Chile and Australia.

  “Nature is my source of inspiration, and its protection is the objective of all of my work and process. I believe in art as a tool of expression, coproduction, and revolution. I aim to use it to generate structural social change and strengthen community bonds for building just, resilient and sustainable societies.”

• Roma Bodycomb

  

  Master of Environmental Engineering

  Roma is studying a Master of Environmental Engineering and is passionate about sustainable engineering, design and its role in tackling global environmental and social issues.

  She has a deep love of the ocean and an interest in working on projects related to the restoration of coastal marine ecosystems, particularly through the application of ecological engineering principles to mitigate coastal hazards and enhance biodiversity.

  Her honours thesis explored how sustainably farmed seaweed could provide a fire resilient building material, simultaneously ameliorating the impacts of climate change and Victoria’s waste crisis. Roma has been involved in projects focussed on mangrove restoration in Western Port Bay. She is interested to continue researching and developing these projects further having previously participated in the Engineers Without Borders Humanitarian Design Summit and part of the team that analysed the impact of environmental impacts on Australian diets.

  “I aspire to pursue a career in environmental engineering, delivering innovative solutions to challenges in climate change, water resources, bushfire management and waste reduction, enabling positive social change for communities impacted by these problems.”

• Sean McConnell

  

  Master of Ecosystems Management and Conservation

  Sean has been working environmental assessing for several years and is studying a Master of Ecosystem Management and Conservation. As an environmental planner, field worker, landscape photographer and environmental advocate, he has travelled extensively throughout Australia to experience and study alpine regions, outback wetlands and everything in between.

  Growing up in a rural NSW during drought has cemented a concern for the sustainability of rural and remote communities, regional food bowls and water security within Australia.

  Sean is pursuing a career pushing innovative and adaptive future practices within the fields of agriculture; community resilience and adaptive capacity; large-scale reforestation, rehabilitation, landscape restoration and rewilding projects; sustainable land management; land stewardship, indigenous knowledge systems and traditional land management practices.

  “I come from a lineage of farmers, and now look upon the barren, drought-ridden plains with remorse, but also hope. I believe sustainable food production and land management is needed for our ongoing survival and the wellbeing of our landscape, rural communities and ecosystems.”

• Shawn Ingle

  

  Master of Engineering

  Shawn is a student-athlete with a passion for rugby, engineering and sustainability. Studying a Master of Engineering (mechanical with business), he desires to make a meaningful impact through sustainable engineering solutions. He's passionate about sustainable transport systems, renewable energy and waste reduction innovation.

  Shawn is involved as a student ambassador for the Faculty of Engineering & IT, the treasurer for the Mechanical Engineering Student Society and an engineer for MUR Motorsports, the University’s student racing team. He was also awarded the prestigious Alan Mulally Leadership in Engineering Scholarship.

  A strong advocate for the power of sport, Shawn is a board member at Melbourne University Sport, he captains the UoM rugby team and is a UoM Elite Athlete Scholarship holder.

  Shawn is a voracious reader, dabbles in hobby robotics and adores the great outdoors, hiking and camping his way around Australia whenever he gets the chance.

  “I dream of making a positive impact on society. I would love to use my engineering background to innovate solutions to the climate crisis by accelerating the transition towards a circular economy powered by clean energy.”

• Thea Shields

  

  Juris Doctor

  Thea is a Juris Doctor student originally from the hills of Mullumbimby. She has an interest in strategic climate litigation and empowering young environmental activists to gain greater knowledge about their legal rights and capacity to influence political process. Thea is the co-coordinator for Extinction Rebellion Vic Legal where she assists in the legal representation for activists arrested for protesting political and social inaction on climate change.

  She is interested in innovative legal defences and the potential for the legal system to be utilised as a powerful tool for radical change. Thea envisions a path that involves working with both communities, government and the legal industry to incorporate elements of environmental policy reform.

  Thea enjoys DJing and music that spans genres from classical to hard trance. She loves spending time cultivating her urban veggie garden and drinking vast quantities of tea.

  “I am passionate about access to climate justice, particularly its inherent intersection with feminism and de-colonisation. The law, as a powerful and fundamental pillar to our society, has a critical role to play in solving the climate crisis, yet remains mystifying, inaccessible and often hostile to those who will need it most.”

• Verity Kowal

  

  Master of Development Studies

  Verity is studying Master of Development Studies and has over a decade of experience working in the not-for-profit sector in Southeast Asia, the Horn of Africa and in Australia, specialising in communications for development as well as child protection and child rights.

  Her passion for sustainability began whilst in Ethiopia working on disaster response, where many communities were facing food insecurity and displacement as a result of drought, insect plagues and soil erosion. Verity has worked as a project-based consultant on social sustainability in supply chains in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors and firmly believes that environmental, social, and economic sustainability must go hand in hand.

  Verity loves travelling and getting to learn about new cultures as well as drinking coffee and spending time with her dogs.

  “Through my work I hope to create better awareness and understanding of complex social issues that will result in people taking positive action – whether it is through a change in their own behaviour, volunteering, donating to a cause, or becoming an advocate and changing the mindset of others.”