Marcus Butler
24 March 2015: An entertaining and thought provoking pitch on the glamorous face of bankruptcy which is put forward in the media, earned PhD candidate Gregory Mowle first prize at the Big Ideas - Pitch for Funds, part of the University of Canberra's 2015 Research Festival.
Inspired by the typically attractive people which appear in 'debt agreement advertising,' Mr Mowle, who is doing his PhD on financial literacy education, asked the question "why don't ugly people go bankrupt?"
Mr Mowle had previously spent six years working for Lifeline as a financial counsellor and the judges commented that this came through in his pitch.
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Gregory Mowle delivers his winning pitch during the 2015 Pitch for Funds at UC's Inspire Centre
In awarding the $4000 prize money, the judges said his research would have a real world impact on people and could deliver a better understanding of personal finance and how financial literacy education is delivered.
The Pitch for Funds was the most popular event of the University of Canberra's 2015 Research Festival. Every seat was filled as 12 University researchers and PhD candidates began explaining their work with a three minute time limit.
Topics spanned from illustrated chapter books for kids, to developing a new cell culture system to study the calicivirus and the ongoing water management of the Murray-Darling Basin.
The judging panel was chosen to represent intelligent lay-people and included the University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global) Simon Ridings, technology director at NICTA, Leif Hanlen and Canberra Times education journalist Emma Macdonald.
Second place was awarded to assistant professor of pharmacy Lynn Cheong, along with $2000 to be invested in her research. Dr Cheong presented on 'Combating obesity in patient networks: a pharmacist-led intervention.'
Dr Cheong's engaging style earned her points as she humourously encouraged the audience to blame obesity on their friends. Her pitch explained how her research has found obesity can spread through our social network.
The Pitch for Funds people's choice award went to clinical assistant professor of physiotherapy Bernie Bissett, who's selection by the audience earned her $1000.
Her pitch focused on the work which she is undertaking for her PhD and is studying the effects of high-intensity breathing exercises on intensive care patients.
The judges also made a special mention of the pitch by second year PhD candidate Beaux Guarini on how sensory experiences at museums are helping provide a more inclusive experience for vision impaired people.
The Pitch for Funds is held as part of the University's Research Festival and encourages all higher degree by research candidates and early career researchers to put their work into words and deliver a three minute pitch.
The prize money will be used by the winners towards their research.
