MENTEE – Katrina Szetey

I am a PhD student in sustainability science working on a project which localises the Sustainable Development Goals in rural areas. My case study community is a town called Forrest in the Otways, in Victoria, and I work closely with them. My PhD project is multidisciplinary, with a strong participatory community engagement element, a heavy emphasis on social science disciplines such as human geography, balanced with a modelling component. My research is providing local, on-ground impact with the community, and I am currently in the process of co-writing a community building strategic plan. My undergraduate degree was in zoology and mathematics, and my honours project was in quantitative freshwater ecology. I undertook my undergraduate studies part-time while working part-time as a bookkeeper, and my principal employer was a women’s health service in metropolitan Melbourne. This experience in working in the community sector has been beneficial to my PhD work, and I maintain a strong interest in community-based work.

I am enthusiastic about promoting sustainability, as I believe holistic implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals will allow the world, as a global community, to meet the challenges of a changing climate and uncertain future.