Monash Passport: Investigate video text version

Caption: Adam Shoemaker-Deputy Vice Chancellor(Education)

Adam Shoemaker: "Monash is well known as one of Australia's top research universities. The beauty of that is that same experience is open to any undergraduate student as well. We aim to make it possible for a research inspired educational experience for everyone, in every campus, in every course, in every degree. That's what we call the Monash Honours Program"

Description/logo: Monash Passport Investigate Theme

Description: Time lapse animation of night sky with many stars

Narration: Throughout history humans have looked up to the heavens in wonderment.

But for physics student David Palamara that wonder has become a passion.

Caption: David Palamara

David Palamara: "The thrill of trying to find something that no one's found before is very enticing. In your life you try to learn as much as possible, you want to know as much as you can and to be able to know just that little bit more for a little while, than everybody is exciting."

Description: Photos of galaxies and David on the computer at desk

Narration: For his thesis David is investigating how galaxies cluster together to better understand their evolution.

Complex and complicated data is fed into his computer and often there is joy to be found in the unexpected.

David Palamara: "In my case I write computer programs to do all my calculations and read through all my data and when that gives you out your result and that final plot which actually shows something that you had an idea, the idea was meant to come out like that and it comes out like that, it's exciting. What's more exciting when it doesn't come out like you expect it to and you've found something against the grain.

Narration: David has had an interesting evolution himself. He started his career as a qualified motor mechanic so he has gone from tinkering with car engines to exploring the universe.

David Palamara: "Originally wanted to be an engineer and so with the idea that I didn't want to stay in school. So I left school and became a motor mechanic because I though that was close to being an engineer. I'm here now doing research, trying to discover things that people haven't discovered before, to understand the universe and how it works."

Description: David teaching first year physics students

Narration: Many honours student at Monash take on extra responsibility by teaching first year students and David is no exception. It's a rewarding experience spending time with these physics students.

David Palamara(talking to students): " Make a note of it. A good part of being a scientist is you note down what goes wrong in your experiments as well"

David Palamara: "It's great when a student, you can actually see them grow in their understanding and to know that you have actually given them that understanding is a real important thing and it's an exciting thing as well"

Description: David with first year physics students

Narration: With its emphasis on innovation and discovery, the honours program is a major focus of the Monash Passport Experience.

Description: Monash Passport Investigate Theme

[End of video]