HDR Supervisor of the Month

Professor Daniel MacDonald
HDR Convenor
School of Engineering
ANU College of Systems and Society

Daniel's supervisory approach:
"My approach to PhD supervision is to provide an encouraging and supportive environment in which students can explore and learn for themselves, and not be afraid to make some mistakes. This should be supported by timely technical advice and suggestions when needed, and helping the students to see the bigger picture in which their project sits, as well as keeping an eye on their life after the PhD."

Find out more about Daniel's work by visiting Daniel's profile on the Research Portal webpage.

Dr Janith Adikaram
School of Engineering
ANU College of Systems and Society

Janith's supervisory approach:
"My approach to supervision centres on constant communication, hands on skill development alongside the candidate, and joint problem solving. Rather than handing candidates a ready made answer, I try to draw the solution out of them through guided discussion, helping them reason through the problem in a way that builds genuine independence. I find that working shoulder to shoulder in the lab, particularly in the early stages of a project, accelerates technical skill development and builds the trust needed for candidates to bring problems to me openly. My aim is to develop researchers who are technically capable, confident in their own judgement, and comfortable navigating the inevitable setbacks that come with original research."

Find out more about Janith's work by visiting Janith's profile on the Research Portal webpage.