Monash PhD student wins prestigious Wentworth scholarship

Congratulations to Amber Clarke on being awarded a Wentworth Group Science Program Scholarship. The scholarship includes funds for Amber to present her paper at the 93rd Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting in Wisconsin in August 2008 plus access to master classes and mentoring by some of Australia's most eminent scientists and thinkers.

Amber says, 'Winning a Wentworth Science Program Scholarship has provided me with a fantastic opportunity to be mentored by some of the nations best minds currently working at the intersection between science and policy. I always thought that I may have to choose between a career in research and a career in policy, however I believe this scholarship will provide me with some insight on how I might build a career that combines these two critical aspects to work towards the sustainable management of the Australia's water resources'.

Amber's research will determine the spatial scales which are most important for the conservation of aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity in headwater streams. The outcomes of this research may be used to guide conservation planning and reserve design, as well as providing much needed information on the importance of headwater streams to biodiversity at the landscape scale.

Supervised by Prof Sam Lake, Prof Ralph Mac Nally and Dr Nick Bond, Amber is a DSE 'Our Water our Future' Scholar.