Postgraduate Papers
At the Centre for Professional Development, we are privileged to work with professionals who are deeply committed to improving their businesses, their industries and their own leadership capability. One of the most rewarding aspects of that journey is seeing students produce work that not only demonstrates academic excellence, but also contributes meaningfully to contemporary industry conversations.
The release of these post graduate papers provides an opportunity to showcase the calibre of work being undertaken by our Masters students and the important contribution they are making to contemporary industry conversations.
The papers featured in this series have all achieved a High Distinction or Distinction standard and reflect a student’s ability to critically analyse complex challenges, evaluate emerging trends, and develop practical, evidence-based insights.
What makes these papers particularly valuable is their relevance. The topics explored are current, forward-thinking and often address issues that are shaping the future of agriculture, agribusiness and rural industries. They challenge existing thinking, explore emerging trends and technologies, and offer insights that have practical application for industry leaders, businesses and communities.
We believe great learning should extend beyond the classroom. By sharing this work more broadly, we aim to recognise the achievements of our students while contributing to meaningful discussion across industry. We hope these papers inspire reflection, encourage new thinking, and highlight the value of postgraduate study in developing the leaders and decision-makers of tomorrow.
Laura Liston – 2025 Master of Agribusiness Graduate
Laura Liston has a background in agronomy, precision agriculture, and corporate farming, with over a decade of experience working across the Australian agriculture industry. Laura holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from Charles Sturt University and a Master of Agribusiness from Marcus Oldham College. She also farms with her husband and family in Carranballac, Victoria.
Laura is passionate about practical, on-farm solutions and improving how technology and data support better decision-making. Alongside her professional work, her interests focus on the long-term sustainability of farming families and rural communities.
Becoming a parent while living and working on-farm highlighted the childcare challenges many farming families face when returning to work. This experience led Laura to focus her recent research on the financial pressures created by limited access to childcare in rural areas, reflecting both her professional expertise and personal commitment to the future of agriculture.
You can connect with Laura on LinkedIn here.
Laura Liston - Reframing Childcare For Family Farm Financial Sustainability
Matthew Fealy – 2025 Master of Agribusiness Graduate
Matthew Fealy is an agribusiness executive, horticulturalist and multi-generational grower based in Far North Queensland. His work sits at the intersection of commercial horticulture, operational leadership and emerging technology, with a focus on improving farm productivity, resilience and long-term competitiveness.
A Nuffield Australia Scholar, supported by Woolworths, Matthew undertook extensive international study across leading horticultural, automation and advanced production regions. His industry work has focused on practical pathways for technology adoption in agriculture, particularly in automation, robotics, decision-support systems and energy-related innovation.
Matthew holds a Master of Agribusiness from Marcus Oldham College, where he graduated Dux. He serves on the advisory board of Farmable (Norway), the Strategic Investment Advisory Panel for Hort Innovation and Avocado Australia, and the selection board for Agritechnica Germany. He is also a regular presenter on farm productivity, technology adoption and agribusiness performance.
He has also been an active participant in the Bitcoin ecosystem for more than a decade, with a particular interest in the intersection of energy, decentralised systems and agricultural enterprise. He is the founder of ZeroBit Mining, a registered venture established to explore how agriculture, renewable energy and Bitcoin mining may combine to improve on-farm commercial viability and support agricultural decarbonisation.
You can connect with Matthew on LinkedIn here.