The following staff are available to supervise honours and masters research in the Rural Innovation Research Group.
Professor Ruth Nettle
Professor Nettle's research focus includes: agricultural innovation systems, the social organization of farming and agricultural workforce change, the resilience of farming systems and agricultural advisory and extension policy and design.
Project topics:
- Agricultural workforce dynamics.
- Drought resilience - the implications for the extension and advisory system.
A/Prof Margaret Ayre
Associate Professor Ayre's research focus is applied social science in the context of: Indigenous land and sea management; climate change adaptation; social dimensions of digital transitions in agriculture; social-ecological resilience; international research for development; integrated water management; and agricultural advisory and extension systems.
Project topics:
- Digital transitions and extension and advisory practice and policy in agriculture.
- Indigenous land and sea management.
Nicole Reichelt
Nicole Reichelt is an applied social scientist working closely with industry and government to enhance agricultural innovation systems, farmer adoption and adaptation processes and agricultural advisory and extension systems. As a Research Fellow, Nicole has been working on collaborative and interdisciplinary projects in regional climate change adaptation, adoption of technological innovations (e.g. virtual herding technology), disaster resilience at the farm scale and rural land management practices. She uses mixed methods in her research practice. Nicole can supervise Honours and Masters projects.
Project topics:
- Climate change adaptation and support systems.
- Disaster resilience in farming systems.
- Agricultural innovation systems analysis.
- Landscape sociology.
Dr Catherine Waite
Dr Catherine Waite is an applied social scientist with expertise in youth sociology, rural studies, employment transitions, agriculture workforce, youth policy and digital lives. She uses mixed methods in her research practice.
Project topics:
- Young people and youth experience.
- Rural places and communities.
- Employment and education transitions - pathways into careers and education.
- Youth policy in the areas of education, employment and rural places.
Dr Michael Santhanam-Martin
Dr Michael Santhanam-Martin is an applied social scientist who works predominantly in the qualitative tradition. He has research interests in agricultural sustainability transitions, agroecological transitions, agricultural education and agricultural workforce change.
Project topics:
- Sustainability transitions and agroecological transitions.
- Agricultural education.
Dr Kaitlyn Height
Dr Kaitlyn Height has worked on Australian and international research projects exploring topics including social capital in land management, governance of advisory services, community resilience and agricultural adaptation. Her ongoing research interests are focused on using applied social science to improve land management policy and practice.
Project topics:
- Social science of weed management.
- Collective action in rural land management.
- Smallholder farmers' access to agricultural services.
Sean Kenny
Sean is a social scientist working in areas of innovation, systems change, institutional analysis, drought resilience and agricultural extension design and evaluation.
Project topics:
- Social and institutional dimensions of net-zero emissions in agriculture in Australia.
- Adoption of technology for enhanced resilience.
- Innovation systems analysis.
- Design and evaluation of ag extension.
Dr Gayathri Mekala
Dr Mekala is a gender-in-agriculture specialist and a social scientist. Her research focuses on social, gender, institutional, governance and public policy aspects of agricultural systems, water resources, urban agriculture and green infrastructure.
Project topics:
- Gender aspects of agricultural systems include institutional support, migration, climate resilience, access to resources & services, market access, and food security.
- Institutional and governance aspects of agricultural systems.
- Social aspects of land and water resource management.
- Urban agriculture and urban green infrastructure for community and climate resilience.
- Building social resilience and food security through sustainable agriculture.