Research Team
Doctoral Students
We are currently accepting applications for qualified PhD candidates interested in topics relating to the Lab’s research themes. Please see our Student Opportunities page for more information.
Masters Students
Servani's research is focusing on modeling of safer shelter construction in post-disaster humanitarian response. She has previous worked for Worked for Sri Vathsa Homes Pvt Ltd and MNJ constructions. She is a member of the Indian Concrete Institute. Her research interests include structural design, bridge and offshore design, and humanitarian engineering.
Fiona's research is focusing on prioritising build back safer messages for post-disaster housing. Through her research, she is surveying experts on the importance of key messages to improve humanitarian shelter assistance and develop new policy.
Lab Leadership
Dr. Aaron Opdyke's research seeks to improve international humanitarian response to better assist developing communities to prepare for and recover in the aftermath of disaster and conflict, with a particular focus on safe and equitable shelter. His research also explores disaster risk reduction and resilience as well as poverty reduction and sustainable development at the the humanitarian-development nexus. Prior to entering academia, Aaron worked on international disaster risk reduction programmes and consulted on monitoring and evaluation.
Undergraduate Students
Ben's research focuses on flood risk reduction through improved stormwater management in the Philippines. Ben works for InSite Remediation, which performs remediation works, generally with large scale asbestos, hydrocarbons, heavy metal clean up in the local ground water or soil. He is passionate about sustainable engineering systems, which include environmental friendly systems with economic benefit, especially in humanitarian engineering where local infrastructure and resources are limited.
Luke's research focuses on flood risk reduction through improved stormwater management in the Philippines. He is also currently working for the Sutherland Shire Council as a Trainee Civil Design Engineer. Luke’s research interests include, the identification of flood affected areas to reduce risk in disasters, the investigation of possible links between deforestation and flooding and its effect on storm water runoff quality, as well as discovering different treatments of water runoff through appropriate and sustainable technologies and practices.
Ben's research focuses on mitigating infrastructure losses from disasters through asset management. He previously he worked as a roofer and a math tutor and now works at Downer EDI on the commercial solar team as an undergraduate engineer.
Jame's research focuses on mitigating infrastructure losses from disasters through asset management. He currently works part time on the Sydney Metro.
Elyssa's research focuses on mitigating infrastructure losses from disasters through asset management. Her humanitarian engineering interests lie in development of infrastructure and policy. She currently works for Costin Roe Consulting Pty Ltd as an undergraduate structural and remedial engineer.
Sheryn's research focuses on flood risk reduction through improved stormwater management in the Philippines. With a passion in protecting vulnerable communities and the natural environment, she seeks to identify the nature of changing hazards to cost-effectively strengthen community resilience as well as reduce flood-related damages in the age of climate change.
Vivien's research focuses on minimum standards and household motivations for safer and more sustainable humanitarian shelter.
Lucy's research focuses on minimum standards and household motivations for safer and more sustainable humanitarian shelter.
Janice's research focuses on minimum standards and household motivations for safer and more sustainable humanitarian shelter. Her interests include improving construction and engineering practice to assist disaster-prone countries.
Visiting Scholars
Eefje is a visiting scholar at the University of Sydney in the field of humanitarian assistance. She is currently a PhD candidate and Lecturer at the Eindhoven University of Technology and the Avans University of Applied Scienceis in the Netherlands where her research is being supported by The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. She has initiated classes related to her PhD topic, including a new multi-disciplinary minor program Disruptive Events - challenge or crisis, the graduation studio Borderless Engineering, and internships for bachelor and master students. At the Eindhoven University of Technology, she is a member of the daily board of Technology for Global Development.
Eefje holds two cum laude master's degrees: Architecture and Building Technology, with a focus on the development of community shelter in Haiti. In her PhD research she focuses on effective knowledge exchange to support safer self-recovery after disasters. Her most recent field study (2018) was a knowledge assessment on hazard-resistant construction principles in post-earthquake Nepal, guiding a team of volunteers, students and translators. She has conducted fieldwork on post-typhoon in the Philippines, post-hurricane reconstruction in Nicaragua, and post-flood shelter tests in Senegal as part of the community shelter and water tower development for Speedkits, as well as urban slum integration projects in Argentina. She has worked in partnership with NGO’s, such as the CRS, Cordaid, IFRC, MSF, Habitat for Humanity, EWB, Stichting Samenscholen, Bambu Social.
Research Assistants
Laura recently completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil - Environmental) at the University of Sydney where she researched the impacts of climate on decentralised wastewater treatment systems in informal settlements. Her current research looks at how different sources of knowledge inform hazard awareness in the Philippines. Laura currently works as an Assistant Project Manager in Sydney.
Alumni
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