Dr. Flavia Santamaria
B.Biol.(Hons), Grad.Dip.Edu., PhD (Science)Lecturer
School of Access Education
Building 32 - G 30
Dr Flavia Santamaria is a Lecturer in the School of Access Education (SAE) and is working on Koala research projects with the Koala Research-CQ at the School of Health, Medical & Applied Sciences.
Flavia is passionate about education in all of its facets, and enjoys teaching adult students because of their enthusiasm and commitment to their own future.
Flavia's PhD, carried out in Victoria at the former University of Ballarat (now Federation University), studied the impact of translocation on the health, food selection and movement of radio-tracked koalas relocated from French Island to forests around Ballarat.
Both in Victoria and Queensland, she has worked on projects that included GIS mapping, vegetation and koala surveys.
In addition to her teaching commitment in the SAE, Flavia's current and future research focus are on koalas' response to stress and koala ecology, and in particular:
- the impact of anthropogenic environmental changes on koala populations, including the potential pressure of environmental stress on the health of koalas (i.e. Chlamydia)
- detection and prevention of disease in koalas
- alternative koala survey techniques
- using the Koala as a flagship species in educating communities for sustainability.
Other interests
Flavia is actively involved with the Local Marine Advisory Committee (LMAC) for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).
Universities Studied At
PhD, University of Ballarat
Graduate Diplama of Education, Victoria University
Biological Sciences (Honours), Universita' della Sapienza, Rome, Italy
Universities Worked At
University of Ballarat: Outreach Program Officer.
Deliver a range of in-school and on campus programs to engage disadvantaged students of low socio-economic status as well as those from regional/rural schools. The aim of the program was to increase the aspiration of these students for further education.
University of Melbourne (Creswick Campus): Lecturer (sessional) in Forest Ecology.
Previous teaching
Consultancy Work
Accreditation
I am currently accredited for supervision in the following:
- Ecological Applications
- Environmental Science and Management
- Zoology
At the level of Associate Supervisor
Current Capacity
Physiology - Animal Physiology - Systems
Education Systems - Continuing and Community Education
Ecological Applications - Ecological Impacts of Climate Change
Environmental Science and Management - Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Science and Management - Wildlife and Habitat Management
