March 7, 2023

UOW expert commentary (7 March)

UOW academics provide expert comment, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing and breaking news stories

Interest rates

Dr Paul Mazzola is available for interviews about interest rates. Dr Mazzola is a Lecturer in banking and finance in the School of Business. He has more than 25 years’ banking and finance experience in the Australian, European and Asian Pacific markets. 

UN High Seas Treaty

Dr Sarah Lothian is an expert in Maritime Law and can discuss the UN High Seas Treaty. Dr Lothian is a Lecturer and Academic Barrister with the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) at UOW. Dr Lothian is also the author of Marine Conservation and International Law: Legal Instruments for Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction. She is a Barrister at the New South Wales Bar.

NSW election

Professor Greg Melleuish is an election analyst who can discuss the upcoming NSW state election. He is a lecturer and researcher with expertise in political theory, Australian politics, ancient history and world history. Professor Melleuish is from the School of Humanities and Social Inquiry.

Robodebt Royal Commission

Dr Mona Nikidehaghani is available for interviews about the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme. Dr Nikidehaghani is an expert in the relationship between accounting and public policy. She is a Lecturer in the School of Business, Faculty of Business and Law. Dr Nikidehaghani is particularly interested in the area of accounting, social welfare and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. 

Vanuatu cyclones and earthquake

Associate Professor Dirk Steenbergen can talk about the crisis in Vanuatu after cyclones and an earthquake battered the country last week. Associate Professor Steenbergen is an expert in community development and natural resource management. He is a Senior Research Fellow with the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) at UOW.

International Women’s Day 

Associate Professor Deirdre McGhee is a passionate advocate for breast health. Associate Professor McGhee, from UOW's School of Medicine, Indigenous and Health Sciences, is the Director of Breast Research Australia, where for the past 20 years, she has led research and education on breast pain and breast injuries among active women and female athletes.

Associate Professor McGhee’s latest project is a partnership between Breast Research Australia, Fairbreak Global and The Sports Bra Project to maximise the breast health and quality of life of all women. The project will disseminate breast health education and provide opportunity to access sports bras to women all around the world.

Associate Professor Theresa Larkin is an expert in anatomy and medical science. She is a Senior Lecturer in UOW’s Graduate School of Medicine. Associate Professor Larkin was recently named a Superstar of STEM by Science & Technology Australia. The program is funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources and aims to smash gender assumptions about who can and should work in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  

Ms Georgia Watson is a UOW-based research officer with Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), an Australian-led research endeavour funded by the Australian Research Council. She is working on a long-term moss monitoring project, exploring how moss health responds to changing environmental pressures. Ms Watson was recently named an Ambassador for the Antarctic Science Foundation (ASF). The organisation supports world-class scientific research that enhances the understanding and protection of the Antarctic, Southern Ocean and subantarctic natural environments.

UOW academics exercise academic freedom by providing expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing social issues and current affairs. This expert commentary reflects the views of those individual academics and does not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the University of Wollongong.