Nadja Kunz completed a dual degree in Chemical Engineering with first class honours and Business Management at The University of Queensland, graduating in July 2007.

Nadja aspires to be involved in the management of Australia’s water resources within the mining sector.

She gained experience working part-time as a research assistant for UQ's Centre for Water in the Minerals Industry (CWiMI). Nadja assisted with a Centre for Sustainable Resource Processing (CSRP) water issues paper, which helped her to gain a better understanding of the water management issues the mining industry faces.

Nadja also worked for Rio Tinto during semester breaks, along with other companies, including Visy Paper, BP and Incitec Pivot.

Before her graduation, she was offered a position with Rio Tinto Aluminium at the Yarwun Alumina Refinery at Gladstone and has since started as a graduate on the Process Control Team.

“Ultimately, I'd like to use my degree to bring about positive change within the minerals industry and to inspire sustainability,” Nadja said.

“Throughout my career, I hope to be involved in solving many of the complex environmental and social issues that the industry is faced with, by maybe working up to management in the minerals industry or by returning to study and taking on further research."

She chose to study at UQ because "both the University and the Engineering Department have a very good reputation on an international scale".

"I found it very valuable to work with my peers on group assignments and I enjoyed applying engineering skills to real world problems," Nadja said.

"I was also impressed by the vast opportunities that the faculty offered to partake in vacation employment and thesis topics with engineering companies.

"The program has certainly helped me to decide which direction I would like to take with my engineering career. Through practical and theoretical assignments at UQ, I have learnt about the broad range of disciplines in which a chemical engineer can be employed. Combined with vacation work, these experiences have taught me that during my career as an engineer I will have many opportunities to inspire positive environmental and social changes within the engineering industry and beyond.

"Outside of my course work, the clubs and societies with which I have been involved in during my studies will be one of my fondest memories about UQ. Through these societies, I was able to interact with both lecturers and peers in a social, relaxed atmosphere.

"In particular, being a part of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has helped me to appreciate how engineering can help individuals in disadvantaged communities both in Australia and overseas. EWB has also offered a fantastic platform to discuss how we as engineers can help to solve global problems such as climate change and world poverty."