Before choosing a UTS PhD supervisor, check PI Review
Before choosing a PhD supervisor, please do more than read their university profile.
A supervisor can be the difference between a great few years and academic career or an awful time. These experiences should not stay hidden just because students are scared to speak up.
In an attempt to stop others from having to endure what I did, I found a website where we can actually review our supervisors. Unfortunately, there aren't many Australian reviews on PI Review. I really encourage people to check it before joining a lab and to share their experiences so that future students can make more informed decisions. If this were available to me, I would surely not have gone ahead with my supervisor.
For any current PhD students having trouble with supervision, you can push for a change of supervisor. I only found out this was possible near the end of my candidature, unfortunately. Be careful about relying only on HDR faculty guidance; consider going directly to the Student Complaints Resolution Office. Students need to be aware that faculty members may have competing interests in these situations. A student changing supervisors or escalating concerns can reflect poorly on a supervisor’s record and internal metrics, including things like “successfully supervising X PhD students through to completion”. Because of that, I don’t think students should assume HDR staff advice will always be fully independent or solely in the student’s best interests, especially where staff are also friendly with the supervisor involved.
Currently, there is only one review up for UTS - Benjamin Halkon at the Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration (CAAV). Have your voice heard and grow this number!