Previous UNISS scholar profile: Melanie

The main driver for me applying for a UNISS scholarship was having an edge over other engineering graduates at the end of my degree. The UNISS program gave me an opportunity to perform a higher standard of work while on placement compared with friends who were employed part-time during Uni. The money also wasn't bad, but the experience was priceless.

My placement was with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the Resource Analysis Section. Our section was responsible for the scientific data that feeds into the decision making process when legislation is developed. My main project was to determine how dependent ecosystems above and within an aquifer system were on groundwater, so that when groundwater is allocated for extraction enough would be left to maintain healthy ecosystems. My placement involved developing a method for investigating these groundwater dependent ecosystems.