Geography PhD Candidate Awarded a Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarship

Geography doctoral student, Paul Beere, was one of two University of Waikato students to receive a Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarship in 2009 for his research topic 'Negotiating Sound and Noise in the Home'.

Paul’s research focuses on the strategies people employ to deal with both the positive and negative aspects of sound as it is experienced in the home. In particular, Paul’s will explore the ways in which sound and noise influences identities, wellbeing and our relationships with the places we live. Whilst there is a lot of research from various disciplines that highlights the effects of sound and noise on health, it is Paul’s intention to imbed this work within an explicitly geographical framework. “Sound and noise can have a profound impact on how we perceive our environment. However, much of our aural experience is taken for granted. It is my intention to highlight the role that spatiality has on the ignored, as well as the acknowledged aspects of sound and noise”, he said.

Administered by the Tertiary Education Commission through the Bright Futures scheme, the Top Achievers Doctoral Scholarship provides funding for three years and covers living expenses, tuition fees and $3,000 per annum for conference attendance. Paul has been awarded a number of other scholarships since beginning his Bachelors in 2001, including a Graduate Research Study Award, the K M Bell Memorial Prize, a University of Waikato Masters Thesis Scholarship, a BRCSS Masters Thesis Scholarship, and the University of Waikato Doctoral Scholarship (no longer held).

“Receiving the TAD scholarship is the culmination of a lot of hard work, but credit must go to the awesome staff in the Department of Geography, Tourism and Environmental Planning. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without their support and the quality of the undergraduate program”, said Paul.

Paul is still seeking participants to interview for his research. If you are living in the Waikato District and would like to be involved, he can be contacted at pbeere@waikato.ac.nz. Paul is particularly interested in getting in touch with people who are flatting.