ICS 2024 Graduates begin their careers with impact!

ICS welcomes three new graduates this week, who may be new Doctors of Philosophy, but have already begun careers as Research Fellows, Podcasters and Sessional Academics. Congratulations to Dr. Gina Gatarin, Dr. Francesca Sidoti and Dr. Marina Khan!

Heather Horst (Institute Director), Malini Sur (Director HDR and Teaching), Tulika Dubey (Senior HDR Co-ordinator) with Gina Gatarin and family

Gina Gatarin is currently a Research Fellow in the ARC Linkage Project with Fiona Cameron, focusing on the carbon histories of the former Hawkesbury Agricultural College. This project aims to explore human and non-human roles in climate change mitigation. She is also engaged in research on global funding sources for infrastructure in growth areas, in partnership with the National Growth Areas Alliance, which will inform advocacy efforts for infrastructure in outer suburbs during the federal election. Additionally, Gina is part of a multi-disciplinary team at the Urban Transformations Research Centre studying electric vehicle policies in multi-residential buildings, funded by the James Martin Institute for Public Policy.

In recognition of her outstanding work, Gina was recently awarded the 2022 Paul Benneworth PhD Student Award from the Regional Studies Association in the UK for her chapter, “Designing Cities for Dignified Commuting: Watersheds of Hope in Metro Manila, Philippines’ Traffic Situation”. This piece appears in Place-based Sustainability: Research and Design of New Pathways for a Sustainable Social and Ecological Future, published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Francesca Sidoti is a scholar in cultural studies and cultural geography, specializing in place-oriented, qualitative research in both academic and applied contexts. Her expertise lies in sustainable regional communities and community connectedness, with a particular focus on young adult migration, retention, and attraction.

In 2023, she submitted her PhD thesis titled “Young Adults and the Disclosure of Choice” at the Institute for Culture and Society. This qualitative study examined young adult migration to and from Katoomba, NSW, with a view to improving the retention and attraction of young adults and improving support for young adults in all aspects of the migration experience, including those who stay.

Since 2017, Francesca has worked as a research consultant, leading and managing projects for government agencies, NGOs, and universities. Currently, she is pursuing postdoctoral studies at the University of Technology, Sydney, as part of the "Wikipedia and Our Nation's Story" ARC Discovery project. Additionally, she serves as a freelance researcher for the Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre, contributing to the “Resilience, Community, Connection and Wellbeing Hub” project funded by Resilience NSW.

Marina Khan’s PhD project titled “Mapping Migrancies” is an exploration of skilled migrants' encounters with migration processes, and how these interactions shape their migration experience in Australia and Canada. This is a mixed-methods study combining ethnographic approaches with big data techniques to obtain a holistic picture of how migration is experienced by people through physical and digital processes.

Since submitting her thesis, Marina has worked as Service Design Researcher for Digital Transformation Agency which is responsible for strategic and policy leadership on Whole-of-Government and shared information and communications technology (ICT) investments and digital service delivery. In addition to this role, she is currently a sessional academic for the Master of Research course ‘Writing Beyond the Academy,’ where she teaches Knowledge Translation and Public Audience Communication of complex academic research.

Beyond her academic and professional work, Marina hosts a research podcast called “Blabcoats” at Western Sydney University. She also serves as a postgraduate committee representative for The Australian Sociological Association (TASA), further contributing to the academic community.

As ICS 2024 graduates, Gina Gatarin, Francesca Sidoti, and Marina Khan are poised to make significant impacts in their fields. Their work on climate change, sustainable communities, and migration experiences reflects a commitment to creating positive change. Congratulations to all as they embark on this exciting new chapter!