Dr Kirstie Fryirs - Teaching
Undergraduate teaching
GEOS334 – Fluvial Geomorphology and River Management (new unit in 2008)
I convene this unit. This course has been developed to build directly on GEOS266 (our core second year unit). It examines the interaction of river forms and processes, river evolution, impacts of human disturbance to rivers, fluvial sedimentology and sediment budgets. This provides the baseline knowledge required to use the River Styles framework, and undertake analyses of river condition and recovery potential. Considerable emphasis is placed on river management processes and rehabilitation techniques within an Australian context.
GEOS117 – Biophysical Environments
This course aims to provide an introduction to the biophysical environment, examining atmospheric, land surface, riverine, coastal and geoecological processes within the Earth system. I teach the Water module which examines the interaction of water and sediment on the Earth’s surface. We examine soil erosion processes, river forms and processes, river health and discuss implication for natural resource management. This material provides the foundations for further study in rivers and their management in second and third year units.
GEOS862/ELS808 – Research Preparation
I am the Department’s Honours-Postgraduate Certificate convenor and teach research preparation as part of the coursework for these degrees. This unit prepares students for postgraduate and Honours study and involves workshops and discussion on how to undertake literature reviews, experimental design, conference presentations, scientific writing etc. Supervisors design research projects that are also undertaken as part of this unit.
Short Course Teaching
I am the co-developer and teacher of the week long River Styles® Short Course. This course runs annually or biannually depending on demand. The course is run over five days, 2.5 days of which are spent in the office undertaking lectures and pre- and post-field analyses, and 2.5 days are spent in the field demonstrating field techniques and undertaking fieldwork. An assessment task is undertaken, and individuals accredited according to their performance. The River Styles® accreditation procedure is administered by AccessMQ. The course is taught to a range of professionals including postgraduate students, state agency and industry personnel, consultants and scientists. For more information on the course visit www.riverstyles.com.
Honours and Postgraduate Supervision
I supervise students in the area of fluvial geomorphology, river management and geoecological interactions along rivers. Some of the topics my students have undertaken include:
Vanessa Gorecki |
Storage and retention rates of coarse particulate organic matter on different geomorphic surfaces along the upper Kangaroo River, NSW. |
Anne Ashworth |
Spatial variation in floodplain formation and reworking along Dart Brook, NSW, Australia. |
Alexandra Spink |
In interdisciplinary perspective of river rehabilitation and management activities in the upper Hunter catchment, New South Wales, Australia. |
Joanna Hoyle |
Morphodynamcs of sediment storage and gravel organisation along the Upper Hunter River, with implications for practical river management. |
Deirdre Wilcock |
Developing interdisciplinary and indigenous participatory approaches to adaptive river management. |
| Nicola Smith (MPhil) |
The impacts of future climate change on fluvial dynamics of the Macquarie Marshes, NSW. |