School of Natural Sciences, University of Western Sydney
PhD Student Profile

Student Name: Alison Hewitt

PhD Title: 'The reproductive biology and ecology of one rare and four common Sydney Basin Melaleuca species."

Friendly explanation of title: How do each of these Sydney Basin paperbarks move successfully from flowering to seed set, to seed shed and on to germination and establishment? What is their ‘fitness’ and what are the possible limitations to their successful completion of life stages, particularly for the rare species?

Summary of project:
Melaleuca deanei, Melaleuca styphelioides, Melaleuca decora, Melaleuca thymifolia and Melaleuca nodosa: floral morphologies, breeding systems, seed load and germination requirements, and - if I can scrape together some funding - genetic variability within the rare species to identify the extent of clonality and population structure and levels of inbreeding/ outbreeding in the field.

What study did you complete before starting your PhD?
When I left school I studied to be a physiotherapist and worked in the public hospital system for a number of years. I participated in research into health programs for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Over a number of years I did a B.Sc (Hons) by distance with the University of New England in Armidale. I took a range of subjects (many more than the minimum required for the degree!) because I enjoyed them all but particularly enjoyed Botany and Ecology. My honours project examined standing vegetation and soil borne seed banks of Grassy Woodland and Dry Sclerophyll Forests within Dharug National Park at sites of 4 and 11 years since fire.

Why did you choose to do your PhD at UWS School of Natural Sciences?
Alignment of interest, good supervisors and lab and glasshouse facilities closer to home than Armidale!
What’s the best thing about doing a PhD at UWS School of Natural Sciences? My supervisors have afforded me regular support and guidance whilst enabling me to explore numerous arms in honing a research program. What I had originally proposed for study my primary supervisor Dr Charles Morris gently suggested was ‘not significantly meaty nor novel enough for a PhD’ while of late his comments are more akin to ‘You probably can’t answer all of the pieces of the puzzle’, and ‘What you are proposing is a lifetime’s work!’ So we are still refining to a project that is substantial and yet achievable in the timeframes of a PhD.

What are the challenges in doing your PhD project?
Probably the same challenges we all face in a busy life of juggling family, study and paying the bills.

What has been the highlight of your PhD work?
The thrill of continuing to learn and the chance to meet and be encouraged by some of the great working botanists and plant ecologists in Sydney.

Who influenced or inspired you to study science? What experiences motivated you to study science at this level?
Coming from a home that did not particularly value education it was my teachers. I was one of those kids who loved almost every aspect of school but particularly enjoyed projects and excursions on science-related topics. I remember being very disappointed in year 10 that I could only elect 2 sciences for the senior years – I wanted to take all 4!
As a family we had lots of picnics and camping holidays and I loved the Australian environment. Actually that seems to have rubbed off on all of us – I have one sister who takes people camping, hiking and climbing for a living and one is a horticulture graduate of UWS and works for a large nursery supplier in Dural.

Alec Fisher