I started my PhD program at La Trobe University earlier this month. My PhD is in collaboration with Agriculture Victoria Research, so I get to have a fun official government email in addition to my student one. My desk is in AgriBio and the building is a step up from the security I’ve been accustom to at previous universities (I need a pass to get through 3 locked doors to reach my desk).
The video here is coming into the upper atrium through the first security checkpoint. I love how open and bright the office is.
The break areas are designed with a focus on agriculture and dairy so the carpet is patterned with grass and this kitchens are meant to pose as cows with certain areas designated as the head, stomachs, and udder.
The main floor also has a cafe and bar that is open daily and the building hosts a monthly happy hour!
My desk is on the second floor (which by US numbering systems would be the third floor) and has a great view of downtown Melbourne.
It has been a relatively slow start to my PhD since I have had a lot of things to do moving to a new country and all. It has mainly been meeting researchers and other graduate students, filling out paperwork, and attending orientations.
I would like to pretend I am a devoted student who is enthusiastic about all aspects of my program, but by the third orientation I was beginning to feel a little restless. Luckily, next week I will be meeting with my supervisor and co-supervisor to discuss my first research chapter and get access to data!
A little background on my PhD research – I am a student in the Applied Systems Biology department. My thesis is focused on developing better breeding values for heat tolerance in dairy cattle and utilizing sensor technology to measure novel phenotypes. Essentially, I would like to see if traits measured on farm by sensors that cows are wearing can be used to make better genetic predictions than the breeding models currently in use.
Until the next post (I promise it won’t be as long a delay).
The Daily Laura 
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