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Dr Katherine Polain

Lecturer in Soil Science - School of Environmental and Rural Science

Phone: +61 6773 4384

Building: W081 Soil Science Offices

Biography

Katherine is a Lecturer in Agronomy & Soil Science, with research interests including agricultural and environmental microbiology, in addition to the scholarship of teaching and learning. Katherine is currently involved in projects exploring early student engagement at the University and increasing online student engagement with science units.

Katherine’s PhD explored subsoil microbial processes in Australian rotational cotton systems using a variety of methodologies including stable oxygen isotopes, high throughput sequencing, qPCR, spectrophotometry and respirometer experiments. Her honours research investigated the diversity and contribution of microbial communities to the acceleration of acid rock drainage (ARD) in affected mine sites in the Northern Territory.

The University of New England respects and acknowledges that its people, courses and facilities are built on land, and surrounded by a sense of belonging, both ancient and contemporary, of the world's oldest living culture. In doing so, UNE values and respects Indigenous knowledge systems as a vital part of the knowledge capital of Australia. We recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of the Aboriginal community and pay our respects to the Elders past, present and future.