Queensland’s 2021 Rhodes Scholar Justin Clarke is Oxford University-bound.
Mr Clarke graduates from University of Queensland in December with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Science (Mathematics, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) with a primary focus on computational fluid dynamics and hypersonics and a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics).
A former elite level professional sportsperson, Mr Clarke turned to pursuing a career combining two disciplines in which he excels – engineering and mathematics - after he was forced to retire from the Brisbane Lions in 2016 due to injury.
Mr Clarke’s research proposal for the DPhil in Engineering Science he plans to complete at Oxford’s Thermofluids Institute is to model hypersonic (speeds much greater than the speed of sound) pulse tunnels.
“After my football career ended on medical advice following a severe concussion, I began studying aerospace engineering, a discipline I am passionate about and in which I want to make a difference,” Mr Clarke said.
“Hypersonics is an area of active aerospace research which can radically change the way we travel around the world and improve access to space.”
He has been employed at Boeing Defence Australia as a student engineering intern since 2018 where he has had experience across the full systems engineering lifecycle from requirements analysis to validation in the communications/navigation subsystem.
A summer 2019-2020 placement with Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group gave Mr Clarke experience in researching active vehicle blast protection, which helped solidify his desire to pursue a research career.
As a professional footballer Mr Clarke played 56 senior AFL games and conducted football clinics and regularly interacted with junior clubs. He was identified for and participated in the emerging leaders’ program and undertook member, media and sponsorship engagement.
He is an assistant coach for the Western Magpies where he focusses on developing young key position players with their game knowledge and body positioning in aerial contests.
From 2016 he has been a Queensland Brain Institute Concussion ambassador, a role which includes media interviews promoting concussion awareness and recruitment of study participants as well as being a study participant himself.
Mr Clarke has been a consistently high achiever, receiving many Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence while at university and awards during his high school years.
In sport, he is a fast bowler for Surfers Paradise Cricket Club First XI and a Queensland State Rowing Championship winning Men’s 8 crew member in 2017.
Two candidates were chosen for the Australia at Large selection process – Jane Hall, who studied law at The University of Queensland and Kailin Graham a chemical engineering graduate from The University of Queensland.
Rhodes Scholarships:
Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards, started in 1903 under the will of the late Cecil John Rhodes, for outstanding all-round students to study at the University of Oxford.
More than100 scholars are selected each year from countries such as Australia, Bermuda, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica and the Commonwealth Caribbean, Kenya, New Zealand, Pakistan, Southern Africa (including South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland), United Arab Emirates, United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Media contact:
Niki Widdowson, QUT Media, 3138 2999 or n.widdowson@qut.edu.au
After hours, Rose Trapnell, 0407 585 901, media@qut.edu.au.
