The Research Students Association (RSA) at the Melbourne School of Design (MSD) is an independently run student group representing the Graduate Research cohort of the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning.
The Research Students Association aims to foster a cohesive and supportive research culture within the Graduate Research cohort of the faculty. We are affiliated with the Graduate Students Association (GSA), the centralised advocacy body for all graduate students at the University of Melbourne.
Our committee is divided across four areas of focus:
Executive
President: Lorenza Lazzati
Secretary: Simon Moore
Treasurer: Yuxin Hong
The Executive is responsible for the governance of the RSA and leads our interactions with professional and academic staff both within our faculty and across the University.
Advocacy Lead
Yujie Deng
The Advocacy lead spearheads the interface between the Graduate Research cohort and the faculty. They facilitate specific opportunities for graduate researchers to offer feedback, ask questions and raise concerns, in turn relaying these issues directly to the faculty and working to achieve resolutions.
Engagement Lead
Jesse Mentha
The chief aims of our Engagement lead are developing cohesion amongst the cohort and encouraging ownership of the Graduate Research experience. The lead facilitates social events and numerous other opportunities for collegial interaction in formats both formal and organic.
Research Lead
Nan Shao
The Research lead works closely with the Assistant Dean (Graduate Research) and the Research Office to facilitate ongoing research training, along with leading the publication of the Faculty’s Graduate Research journal, Oculus.
Members
Adrian Chu
Xiangting Jiang
Eka Kasuma
Longqi Lin
Michael Mack
Sam Neave
Yiyang Pan
Nan Shao
Miaochen Sun
A message from the President
Greetings from the President
Welcome to the RSA!
Our student association is here to support MSD graduate researchers to navigate the ups and downs of their candidature. Many describe the PhD and MPhil journey as a lonely experience. However, as fellow graduates, we encounter similar experiences, challenges, joys and concerns regarding our research journey. Our cohort is our community, where we can find like-minded individuals, share ideas, build our professional network and seek assistance.
The RSA exists to support fellow graduates' academic lives by helping bridge the gap between graduate researchers and faculty and by fostering interaction, welfare, and cohesion within the cohort. We strive to create a safe and welcoming place for graduate researchers where we can share our journeys, learn from and lean on each other, and nurture new research ideas and collaborations.
The 2026 RSA Committee comprises a diverse group of volunteers from the graduate research cohort. We are people who entered the PhD journey at different stages of our professional careers, bringing our insights, personal experiences, cultural background and aspirations into the mix. Our activities aim to facilitate opportunities for graduate researchers to enrich the daily lives of PhD /MPhil candidates—helping them to connect and form meaningful relationships across cohorts.
We are committed to serving the cohort to the best of our ability. If you would like to join our WhatsApp support chat (a group for all MSD Graduate Researchers), ask a question, voice a concern, or provide any feedback (major or minor), please reach out without hesitation: lorenzal@student.unimelb.edu.au.
Let’s have a meaningful and enriching journey together at the MSD!
Lorenza
MSD Research Students Association Facebook Group
MSD Research Students Association WhatsApp Group
MSD RSA Annual Reports
Read the RSA annual reports to learn more about what we do:
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025