First PhD students graduate
La Trobe University’s Shepparton campus is a hugely valuable asset to the Goulburn Valley. The campus not only helps to facilitate new streams of education and jobs, but the local university is also assisting in keeping Shepparton filled with people, rather than locals needing to move to major cities for study.
Last week, La Trobe celebrated 102 of its students graduating during a special event held at Eastbank Centre in Shepparton. Family, friends and community members gathered to celebrate the wonderful achievements of the students.
At this year’s graduation ceremony, La Trobe Shepparton also celebrated a momentous achievement, with Claire Quilliam and Marg Hickey both graduating as the campus’ first two PhD graduates. This is a huge moment not only for the University, but also for Shepparton as a whole, with both graduates encouraging everyone interested in academia to consider studying locally.
Claire Quilliam graduated with a PhD in disabilities studies, completing an 80,000-page thesis on the importance of exploring better ways to design paperwork for group homes for people with disabilities.
Marg Hickey graduated with a PhD in literature and completed her research on the ways in which white writers in contemporary Australian literature depict the Australian landscape, and the ways this depiction has changed over time.
Honoured and emotional about her stellar achievement, Ms Hickey explained about the importance of being able to achieve higher education in regional areas.
“You are supported in a very different way at a rural campus as part of a super close team,” Ms Hickey said, “And La Trobe have set up a spectacular space for those wishing to gain a higher degree by research.
“There are lots of opportunities for academic work in regional areas. You are given much more time and care with your work and there are further chances for research.”
As cities become overcrowded, it makes sense that more students are turning to regional areas to gain extra education in their chosen field. Shepparton’s La Trobe University campus is perfectly poised to assist Shepparton in ensuring that education remains local, eventually assisting the entire community in the process.
Ms Quilliam said, “We are so proud to be the first in a long run of PhD graduates from La Trobe University Shepparton.”
