Dr Karina Luzia is a social geographer, academic developer, researcher and higher education project manager. She came to Macquarie University in 2005 for a 6-month part-time contract role in the Faculty of Science in the Department of Human Geography. Years later, she is still at Macquarie, currently based in the Learning Innovation Hub, after working in fixed-term contract and casual academic and professional roles across the University.

 Before working in universities, Karina worked in retail, market research, an insurance company, a museum, a mint, an observatory, two photo libraries, an urban planning consultancy, and a not-for-profit health services organisation.

 Karina's research and teaching interests are as diverse as her work experience, and include the cultural and social geographies of work, home and family; inclusion, equity and diversity; higher education; governance; and casualisation in higher education and other sectors.

The Slow Academic, Dr Agnes Bosanquet with Sally Purcell

Agnes shares her own experiences as a PhD candidate and her career journey since then - the highs and lows.

Agnes Bosanquet is Associate Dean (Curriculum Quality) in Human Sciences at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Her focus is qualitative research in critical university studies and changing academic roles and identities. With a background in Cultural Studies,  she uses critical theories and creative methodologies to explore questions concerning power relations, discourses and practices of inclusion and exclusion, locations of knowledge and constructions of subjectivity. Her current research incorporates three specific foci: (1)  experiences of early career academics; (2) graduate attributes; (3) academic writing.

In this first episode of the ResourcefulHDR podcast, Agnes speaks about her own PhD experiences and the personal challenges that she faced along the way, which lead to a leave of absence. Agnes also speaks about her experiences since completing the PhD, how her perspective on ‘career’ has shifted, as a result of her broadening personal and work experiences and, about her blog The Slow Academic on Wordpress

PVC HDR Training & Partnerships, Prof. Nick Mansfield with Sally Purcell

Prof Nick Mansfield talks about the changes in the research landscape and the value of PhDs in the 21st Century.

As the Dean HDR, Nick is the senior academic responsible for research training across all Faculties and departments, including the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Philosophy and Bachelor of Philosophy/Master of Research programs. The Dean’s role covers policy development, supervision quality, research scholarships, and the quality of examination outcomes.

The Dean's office is also the home of the HDR Support and Development Program, which covers the Supervision Enhancement Program, the HDR Learning Skills, Professional Skills and Industry Programs and the HDR Mentors. The Office has a strong commitment to provision of advice and pastoral care to research training candidates, and their supervisors.