CQU research is #trending on socials
Research students from around the globe have recently put their projects to the test for this year’s International Visualise Your Thesis (VYT) competition.
CQUniversity Masters by Research student Christopher (Pher) Lowe took home the winning title for the overall prize for the University as awarded by an expert judging panel, as well as the CQU People’s Choice Award.
Garnering audience engagement through short-form videos that presented their research in accessible ways for a general audience to connect with on social media platforms, entrants showcased their innovative research across the areas of humanities, social sciences, performing arts, STEM, agriculture and medicine.
Videos in the People’s Choice category were put to popular vote in CQU’s online community, with Mr Lowe attracting the most attention with his research project Temporal Patterns in Fish Use of Restored Intertidal Estuarine Habitats.
Mr Lowe received $3,500 across the two awards.
Two years into his part-time Masters by Research degree, the 26-year-old is based at the Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC) in Gladstone, Queensland.
His keen interest in animal behaviour led to his discovery into terrestrial habitats, commencing his deep dive into research with semi-aquatic sea snakes.
“The opportunity for this particular project involved habitat monitoring of fish, which was in line with my previous research topics,” Mr Lowe explained.
“In overview, my project focuses on a group of newly restored intertidal habitats, and we are investigating how fish are using these habitats.
“We are specifically focusing on predation rates and population assemblages with seasonal changes also being monitored.”
Hoping to increase the knowledge-base around intertidal fish habitat usage, as well as promote a new method of passively monitoring predation rates within low visibility intertidal habitats, Mr Lowe said that winning the VYT competition was a big and important step in presenting his thesis concisely so that a wide range of audiences could understand it.
“Winning was completely unexpected, but I’m glad people were able to resonate with the research I’ve presented,” Mr Lowe said.
“It will now also allow me to purchase equipment for this project as well as providing some reimbursement to the volunteers that help with my fieldwork.
“I’d like to thank all of my friends and coworkers at CMERC for helping me get this far and for supporting my project.”
Mr Lowe will advance to the next stage of the competition, ‘Trending on VYT’, where contestants from each university will compete against each other for views from a global online audience. The winner will take home the coveted title along with a 12-month gold membership to the Research Impact Academy.
All VYT entries, including Mr Lowe’s winning presentation, can be viewed here.
