Joshua Bickler

 

Following his undergraduate experience in his hometown of Auckland, New Zealand, Joshua Bickler felt the time was right to venture a little further afield for his postgraduate studies. Darwin couldn’t be much further from the familiar, but since he arrived here for his MPhil in 2022, it has felt like a home from home.

“I love New Zealand, but I wanted to get out and explore,” says the newly elected DCSA President for 2024-25. “Arriving here, even though I’d done my research, was so different to what I was expecting, but Darwin’s a very special place.”

Having completed his MPhil in Scientific Computing, Joshua began a PhD in Physics in 2023, researching through computational and numerical modelling the potential instabilities of fusion power devices.

“It’s a future green energy source that we really want to work,” he explains. “My research is about predicting how future devices will deal with the instabilities that will inevitably form.”

This commitment to a sustainable future was reflected early in his Darwin career, when he became DCSA Green Officer, and is central to his ambitions as President.

“I’m passionate about sustainability and really want to use the opportunity to promote green initiatives throughout the College.”

Joshua is also eager to engage PhD students further in College life, improving communications and events, and working with the College to provide clearer information on accommodation, as well as more consistent WiFi coverage.

“It feels like Darwin is unusually willing to listen to its students,” he says. “It’s a significant commitment, but I’m now at the end of the first year of my PhD, I’ve settled into the country and the College, and it feels like the right time to do it. It’s a big commitment but it’s worth it.”


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