HDR Supervisor of the Month

HDR Supervisor of the Month – Nomination Form

To recognise good practice in ANU Higher Degree Research (HDR) supervision, we have introduced the HDR Supervisor of the Month Award.

All HDR supervisors, conveners, administrators, or anyone else who works to support HDR are eligible to be nominated.

The winner will receive ANU-wide recognition.

Nominations are welcome from all members of the ANU community. Nomination involves completion of the simple HDR Supervisor of the Month – Nomination Form.

Current HDR Supervisor of the Month awardees

February 2023

Associate Professor Shameem Black
Fellow
Department of Gender, Media and Cultural Studies
School of Culture, History and Language
ANU College of Asia & the Pacific

Shameem’s supervisory approach:
"A PhD often feels like an epic journey! A great joy of academic life is supporting such a quest. I see the most important part of supervision as helping PhD students consider who they are and who they want to become through the act of creating original knowledge. Developing that unique voice is often what can help to clarify the intellectual stakes of a thesis and serve as a guiding light when inevitably the journey meanders down dark paths. My job is also to anticipate the demons of critique and counterargument that my students might encounter down the road. I try to help them build the critical skills they’ll need to forge ahead with confidence. Finally, my goal is to remind students of all they have done and can do. Through these encounters, I’m grateful to my PhD students for sharing their journeys with me. They continually impress me with their creativity, perseverance, resilience, and bravery."

Find out more about Shameem’s work by visiting Shameem's profile webpage on the Researchers website.

Professor Pauline Ridge
ANU College of Law

Pauline’s supervisory approach:
"My supervisory practice involves project management; intellectual engagement; and preparing the student for life beyond the thesis. Each of these roles is infused with a concern for student wellbeing.

A PhD project’s size and duration can be very daunting. I believe in regular meetings where we break the project down into manageable chunks, set goals and interim deadlines and critique draft writing. ANU’s thesis milestones framework and fabulous training resources are also really useful in facilitating timely thesis progress.

Intellectual engagement is the most satisfying part of supervision. I try to provide a safe space for students to articulate their arguments and be challenged on them, plus it is great fun to discuss the law with a fellow enthusiast. My most recent supervision (of an inter-disciplinary project) involved a very experienced and engaged supervisory panel, from whom I learnt a great deal (about the topic as well as supervisory best practice).

I am also mindful of a student’s career path post-thesis and the need to build a portfolio of relevant skills and experience, for instance, through conference presentations and the like, but also by giving rigorous feedback on research and writing. Throughout the process I am responsive to and seek to promote a student’s wellbeing. Life interferes with most plans, so it’s important that I help students develop resilience, flexibility and resolve.

I feel privileged to have watched my current student turn her raw ideas and questions into polished work that will have a positive impact on law and society."

Find out more about Pauline’s work by visiting Pauline's profile webpage on the Researchers website.