PhD graduate Paula Petrini: From Brazil to Australia amidst COVID-19

When Australia was thrown into its first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Paula Petrini was trying to find her feet in a new country.

Having started her PhD journey in Brazil, Paula came to Australia after receiving a scholarship to complete an internship at RMIT.

As anyone who has moved away from home knows, it can be a challenging process to navigate, and lockdown restrictions provided several additional curveballs.

Paula's passion for her research drove her to persevere, along with the support of her dedicated supervisor Professor Gary Rosengarten, who is also RMIT’s Enabling Impact Platform Director for Sustainable Technologies and Systems.

“By the end of your degree you should be a world expert in the very specifics of your research,” he told her.

Paula’s research was focused on heat transfer, the process of thermal energy moving from one object or substance to another due to a temperature difference between them.

Understanding heat transfer is crucial in numerous applications, including keeping electronics cool enough to operate reliably, which was driver for Paula’s research.

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RMIT graduate Paula Petrini

With limited access to the labs during numerous lockdowns, Professor Rosengarten helped Paula use simulation software to help complete her research.

Although being thankful for the option of a simulation-based project, the shift from experimental work was still a major challenge.

Paula credits the efforts of Professor Rosengarten in ensuring this transition was smooth, including support with overcoming some language barriers.

Paula describes the feeling of graduating in May as an overwhelming feeling. She is excited to welcome her mum who is travelling to Melbourne from Brazil for the first time, to attend the ceremony.

“Coming from a modest background in Brazil, where opportunities for international travel and achievements of this magnitude are rare, this accomplishment feels like a dream that’s too big to grasp, highlighting a significant milestone in my life.”

Watch the graduation live stream here

07 May 2024

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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PhD graduate Paula Petrini: From Brazil to Australia amidst COVID-19