03/11/2026
Last week we had the pleasure of hearing from Dr Rebecca Thistlethwaite (better known as Bec) and the postgraduate students under her care at the University of Sydney's Plant Breeding Institute.
Bec is a prominent agricultural scientist, plant breeder and research fellow. Beyond her research focus on developing climate-resilient, heat-tolerant wheat varieties at the Narrabri campus, Bec has an important role as a mentor and advocate for the growing and highly diverse postgraduate community.
The students each talked about their countries of origin and how the Narrabri Postgraduate Community initiative fosters connection, friendship, and peer support while they are navigating fieldwork and studies far from home. Studies include all regional cropping, including cotton.
Because many PhD and Master's students move to Narrabri prominently from overseas, Bec works to build social support structures to ease their transition, navigate cultural adjustments, and combat isolation. The network operates in partnership with local community organisations such as CUC North West and The Welcome Experience (Local Connector for the Narrabri Shire).
Recognised as one of Australia’s ‘Superstars of STEM’ by Science & Technology Australia, Bec works hard at bridging the gap between regional scientific research and the general public.
The wheat research facility handles over 40,000 irrigated field trial plots and spans thousands of hectares, offering students hands-on training in broadacre research, drone-based field phenotyping, and remote sensing technology.
