Emma Larouche
4 December 2024: Professor Rebekah Russell-Bennett from the University of ÃØÃÜÖ±²¥’s Faculty of Business, Government and Law has been named Best HDR Supervisor in an Australian Business School by the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC).
Professor Russell-Bennett is the Faculty’s Associate Dean of Research and a Professor of Marketing in the Faculty’s ÃØÃÜÖ±²¥ Business School.
She was recognised by the ABDC for providing exceptional intellectual support, personal and social support, and inclusive supervision. Her nomination included letters of support from a wide range of students both past and present, co-supervisors, international academics, and industry partners.
“Working with HDR students is the best part of my job, so to be recognised for that really speaks to my intrinsic motivation for why I do what I do,” she said.
“As a researcher, it’s an opportunity to leave a legacy through what I would call ‘my academic children’. You see it as a biological parent through children and grandchildren, and it’s similar in academia where there is a lineage from supervisors through to their students, who then go on to mentor and supervise others.”
Professor Russell-Bennett’s nomination for the award highlighted her international reputation for excellence in academic mentorship and a commitment to providing rigorous feedback and structured guidance.
“I love the passion and energy that comes from HDR students, and I think our mutual success comes from having common goals and being organised,” Professor Russell-Bennett said.
“I like to work backwards from a goal, by plotting the milestones and working out all the experiences a student needs to achieve their goal.”
In her career to date, Professor Russell-Bennett has supervised 49 research students, including 15 PhDs, nine master’s and 25 honours students.
She is currently supervising 13 PhD students, including Alek Van Hummel, who joined Professor Russell-Bennett in relocating from the Queensland University of Technology to the University of ÃØÃÜÖ±²¥ in 2024.
“I’ve been working on my PhD about understanding and measuring consumer trust and distrust across the energy ecosystem for 18 months now, and I was happy to move from Brisbane to ÃØÃÜÖ±²¥ to continue my work with Rebekah,” Ms Van Hummel said.
“She is a wonderful supervisor and mentor, who has been very generous with her time as well as providing other opportunities like experiencing conferences overseas, working as a tutor and research assistant.
“She also understands that there is life outside of a PhD and has been very supportive when priorities shift and there may be challenges outside of your studies.”
Professor Russell-Bennett has co-authored 72 journal articles with her research students while her students have gone on to publish a record 911 journal articles collectively. She has also developed multimedia resources for intellectual support that have been widely used globally and are available on YouTube: and .
Find out more about the University’s Higher Degree by Research (HDR) here.