Dr Robert Faulconbridge is among 265 students who graduated from Charles Sturt in Albury-Wodonga on Tuesday 23 April.

Dr Faulconbridge from Canberra graduated from Charles Sturt in Albury-Wodonga with a Master of Environmental Management (Conservation).

Dr Faulconbridge is a professional engineer who has been involved in engineering complex, human-made systems for more than 30 years.  

He enrolled in postgraduate studies at Charles Sturt to gain a deeper and more complete appreciation of the relationship between those systems and the natural environment within which those systems operate.

“As a result of my studies, I feel more informed about the relationships between the natural world and the engineered systems that I work with,” he said.

“My studies have also helped me appreciate how traditional engineering thinking and processes may be applied in the quest to understand and address some of the environmental issues and challenges the world currently faces.”

Dr Faulconbridge completed his degree online through Charles Sturt in Albury-Wodonga while continuing to work full-time.

He said that he found it challenging to juggle study, work and family commitments and that attending graduation was an opportunity to celebrate the culmination of the hard work.

“Graduating gives me a sense of achievement, but I’m also excited that I now have some spare time on my hands,” he said.

“My studies have given me an insight into some of the complexities and challenges associated with the many environmental issues we are currently facing.

“To that end, graduation feels like an important milestone for me, but this certainly won't be the end of my learning journey.”

Dr Faulconbridge said Charles Sturt staff and academics were ‘outstanding’ during his studies and praised academics for being ‘generous with their time and passionate about imparting their knowledge and expertise’.

He said he particularly enjoyed the integration of real-world applications and field trips into the learning process.

“My experience as a student at Charles Sturt University was very positive,” he said.

At his graduation ceremony, Dr Faulconbridge received a Postgraduate Medal, which is awarded by the University to students who have completed the required coursework requirements and achieve a grade point average of 6.75 or higher.

He said he is proud of this accomplishment.

“I always tried to put a lot of effort into my study so being awarded the medal at the end of my degree was very satisfying,” he said.

To students continuing their higher education journey this year, Dr Faulconbridge said to take advantage of learning opportunities available to you.

“If you are struggling, ask for help,” he said.

“If you are enjoying a particular subject, develop a deeper interest in that subject and take the opportunities offered at Charles Sturt to develop that interest further.

“Above all, try to enjoy learning and keep going.”