b'Education matters Education mattersdoing research for a thesis during theSpecial congratulations to Tom Zhao of various lockdowns. Not only have theythe University of NSW. Tom was recipient had to cope with restrictions on travel,of an ASEG NSW Student Scholarship; laboratory usage and campus access, butthe aim of this scholarship programme is also with limited interaction betweento promote and encourage geophysics-students (and supervisors). In the upperrelated research and education in New levels of academia, geophysics like manySouth Wales. Tom has taken geophysical other branches of Science Technologymethodology into the sugar-cane fields Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)of Queensland in order to study the faces challenges for its survival inphysical properties of top-soil, and guide terms of both funding and enrolmentagricultural scientists in the development of students. Prof David Cohen of theof nutrient management guidelines. University of NSW provides a seriesRead about his MSc thesis below.of insights into the nature of these Michael Astenchallenges (see below). This year I complete five years in the Associate Editor for Educationrole of Previews Associate Editor for michael.asten@monash.edu This is also the season for the submissionEducation and I am delighted to be able of theses, and it is our pleasure to provideto welcome Marina Pervukhina as my the abstracts for five PhD, 15 MSc/MPhilsuccessor. Marina is based in the CSIRO and 12 BSc (Honours) theses based on,Division of Energy, Perth WA, and will A cloudy future for geophysics inor using, geophysical methods. Theseno doubt bring new perspectives on universities, but a great set of 2020theses represent educational outputseducation issues in geophysics, and how theses showing our potential from nine Australian universities. Ourthey relate to the critical requirements warmest congratulations to the 32of Australias energy future. Marina This has been a remarkable year for allcompleting students for their success in aintroduces herself in the last section of of us and, perhaps, especially for thosevery difficult year. this column.27 PREVIEW DECEMBER 2020'