Kirsty Kuo (née Newton) was one of eight Australian citizens awarded the prestigious General Sir John Monash Award in 2007. This award is Australia’s equivalent of the Rhodes scholarship and the American Fulbright Program and is awarded for outstanding academic achievement, community consciousness, service and leadership potential in their field and the community. It comprises AUD150,000 over three years for postgraduate study at any of the world’s best universities overseas.

Kirsty elected to use her award towards PhD studies at Cambridge University. Her research is focussed on addressing problems of noise and vibration in mass transit systems, particularly rail, with the aim of making this a more practical, efficient and environmentally sustainable method of public transport.

Kirsty completed a double degree in Science and Mechanical Engineering (Honours) in June 2007. She thoroughly enjoyed the years she spent at UWA, and is particularly appreciative of the solid academic foundation she was given there. Kirsty said, “When I left UWA I had little idea of how much more there was to learn in Engineering – but everything I encounter is an extension of what I was taught as an undergraduate”.