Scarlet Kong has studied an undergraduate, a postgraduate and continuing the PhD at school of Materials Science and Engineering. She is currently doing her PhD with A/Prof. John Daniels.
Scarlet has shared her journey at Materials Science and Engnieering. "I was always curious about materials and how they worked as a child. So, choosing to study Materials Science and Engineering was an easy decision. I had an amazing undergraduate experience at UNSW, where I learnt about materials and what makes them behave the way they do, got involved with the student community, went on exchange and made lifelong friends along the way. And after completing my honours thesis, I decided that I wasn’t done and wanted to continue doing research".
"I am currently completing my PhD in collaboration with Thales Underwater Systems and DMTC Ltd., on characterising the structure and electromechanical properties of textured piezoelectrics for underwater acoustic applications. As a PhD student in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, I was able to not only develop the skills I needed for research, such as coding and conducting experiments, but also improve my science communication and presentation skills".
"This has allowed me to travel around Australia and Europe to present my work, conduct experiments at international research facilities, learn from industry experts and receive awards for my achievements. Additionally, working on an industry partnered project showed me how university-based scientific research can be translated into industry and have an impact on the wider community".
"While studying and research is the focus while I complete my PhD, engaging with the wider UNSW community is also an important experience I wanted to have, to learn more about the world outside of academic research. So far, this has been an extremely rewarding experience. I’ve been able to represent higher degree research students at the Faculty of Science and Academic Board and share my passion for STEM with the general community as a student ambassador for the Faculty of Science"
"My PhD experience with the School of Materials Science and Engineering has been wonderful and I feel confident with the skills and knowledge I have gained, that I can tackle the next challenges after my PhD".