Dr Hedda Ransan-Cooper
Senior Research Fellow
School of Engineering
ANU College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics

Hedda 's supervisory approach:
"As a relatively new PhD supervisor, I’ve considered my own practice very much a work in progress. I have as much to learn from my students, possibly more so, than they have to learn from me. My approach involves checking in with students about their needs, and what type of support from me can be most useful. I know that people have different work styles and different moments in the candidature that might feel daunting or induce feelings of vulnerability! I consider my students as colleagues, with the capability to add something fresh and compelling to the world. I look forward to our meetings, to hearing their ideas and what they’ve discovered through the research process. It’s exciting! I hope that my enthusiasm comes through to my students.

With so few academic jobs, I also encourage my students to continuously reflect on their post-PhD career, and to subsequently tailor their PhD to that end. What non-academic audiences might be interested in their research? What skills and professional networks might they want to cultivate throughout their candidature? How can I support them to explore this while also staying true to the rigour and independence that the PhD period affords them? It’s a precious opportunity, even though it can often feel overwhelming or never ending and I try to offer suggestions of mini opportunities to connect with others to help sustain motivation. I always feel so proud when my students present their work to different audiences. They are much braver than I was during my own PhD. I want their experience of the PhD to be rewarding and enriching and as painless as possible, so I try to support them with this goal in mind. I can’t wait to see what they do next!"

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