Our Students
We mentor and train early-career scholars by actively supporting their proposed projects and involving them in ongoing research
Current students
Carolle Varughese
Carolle is a PhD student at the University of Auckland researching perceptions of risk related to space activities in New Zealand. She completed her Masters in Public Policy in 2022. Read More
Supervisors: Sarah Bickerton, Priyanka Dhopade, Kim Dirks
James Gray
James is a Masters of Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Auckland, researching global re-entry footprints of uncontrolled space debris. He completed his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering in 2025.
Supervisors: Priyanka Dhopade, Nick Rattenbury
Postgraduate alumni
Stevie Katavich-Barton
(Ngāi Tahu)
Stevie completed a Master of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Auckland in 2025, researching the societal impact of satellite data. Read her thesis
Supervisor: Priyanka Dhopade
Ronda Geise
Ronda completed a Master of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Auckland in 2025, analysing national space priorities across the globe. She is currently a Graduate Trainee in Operations at Schaeffler in Germany.
Supervisor: Priyanka Dhopade
Darcy Foo
Darcy completed a Master of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Auckland in 2024, mapping environmental impacts of space activities to the planetary boundaries framework. He is currently a pilot in the Royal NZ Air Force and a Space Operations Analyst with the NZ Defence Force Space Program. Read his thesis
Supervisors: Cody Mankelow, Tom Dowling