Emma Larouche
4 December 2024: Professor Rebekah Russell-Bennett from the 91直播’s Faculty of Business, Government and Law has been named Best HDR Supervisor in an Australian Business School by the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC).
Professor Russell-Bennett is the Faculty’s Associate Dean of Research and a Professor of Marketing in the Faculty’s 91直播 Business School.
She was recognised by the ABDC for providing exceptional intellectual support, personal and social support, and inclusive supervision. Her nomination included letters of support from a wide range of students both past and present, co-supervisors, international academics, and industry partners.
“Working with HDR students is the best part of my job, so to be recognised for that really speaks to my intrinsic motivation for why I do what I do,” she said.
“As a researcher, it’s an opportunity to leave a legacy through what I would call ‘my academic children’. You see it as a biological parent through children and grandchildren, and it’s similar in academia where there is a lineage from supervisors through to their students, who then go on to mentor and supervise others.”
Professor Russell-Bennett’s nomination for the award highlighted her international reputation for excellence in academic mentorship and a commitment to providing rigorous feedback and structured guidance.
“I love the passion and energy that comes from HDR students, and I think our mutual success comes from having common goals and being organised,” Professor Russell-Bennett said.
“I like to work backwards from a goal, by plotting the milestones and working out all the experiences a student needs to achieve their goal.”
In her career to date, Professor Russell-Bennett has supervised 49 research students, including 15 PhDs, nine master’s and 25 honours students.
She is currently supervising 13 PhD students, including Alek Van Hummel, who joined Professor Russell-Bennett in relocating from the Queensland University of Technology to the 91直播 in 2024.
“I’ve been working on my PhD about understanding and measuring consumer trust and distrust across the energy ecosystem for 18 months now, and I was happy to move from Brisbane to 91直播 to continue my work with Rebekah,” Ms Van Hummel said.
“She is a wonderful supervisor and mentor, who has been very generous with her time as well as providing other opportunities like experiencing conferences overseas, working as a tutor and research assistant.
“She also understands that there is life outside of a PhD and has been very supportive when priorities shift and there may be challenges outside of your studies.”
Professor Russell-Bennett has co-authored 72 journal articles with her research students while her students have gone on to publish a record 911 journal articles collectively. She has also developed multimedia resources for intellectual support that have been widely used globally and are available on YouTube: and .
Find out more about the University’s Higher Degree by Research (HDR) here.