Local Doctoral Student Wins Prized International Award

Justin Brooks (Gus) was awarded the prestigious Best Poster title out of over 800 posters, presented by leading Scientists at the International Conference on Magnet Technology. The first-year doctoral student, based in Lower Hutt, presented his poster in Vancouver, Canada last week. The prize-winning poster communicated modelling and measurement of loss in superconducting cables, which are critical for fusion reactors, electric aircraft and in renewable energy applications.

Gus, affiliated with Āti Hau and Ngāti Kahungunu, completed his undergraduate degree with Victoria University of Wellington in 2017. He was awarded a Māori Victoria Doctoral Scholarship at Robinson Research Institute (Lower Hutt) in 2018, joint-funded between Victoria University of Wellington, Te Āti Hau, and Robinson Research Institute. Only one year into his PhD thesis, Gus has three papers published in international journals and has submitted a further two first-author articles for peer review prior to publication.

A scientific poster is a visual presentation of a concept or piece of research and is designed to communicate the idea and intention of the presenter. A good poster engages an audience through attractive design and superior technical content, though it is the enthusiasm and attitude displayed by the presenter that are essential for a successful poster presentation. Gus believes his poster caught the MT26 judging panels attention due to his engaging conversational approach with conference attendees.

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