Research spotlight: Mariel Lombard
Ms Mariel Lombard, Head of Year (Middle School) and French teacher at Pymble, is currently completing a PhD at Western Sydney University, on the subject of compassion fatigue for wellbeing leaders. In September 2021, nearing the end of the COVID-19 lockdown, she decided to embark upon this project, having been interested in the topic for some time.
When posed the obvious question, why she chose that particular topic, Ms Lombard stated that she was interested in the topic and believed there was a need for research in the area. She noticed that there was very little research that existed on the topic in Australia.
She also expressed that completing a PhD in addition to teaching is stressful at times and requires consciously factoring in downtime, along with good time management skills. Through the ongoing process, she has found that critical thinking is the most valuable academic skill she has learnt. Receiving feedback, a crucial aspect of PhDs, involves giving drafts every month to a panel of supervisors, who provide feedback and suggest revisions on the work. It is often difficult, as a lot of effort has gone into each draft, but the good advice given often outweighs the negativity. A PhD is a long, complex process, but Ms Lombard states that it is worth the effort and her favourite part is knowing that she is able to provide new knowledge on a topic that will impact on future generations of educators, and ultimately students.
Through completing her PhD, Ms Lombard hopes to shed more light on an underrepresented topic. Ms Lombard hopes to provide new learning which can assist wellbeing leaders and educators around the world. She hopes that her research will raise awareness of an important topic and provide schools with recommendations for the future.
Pymble Ladies’ College celebrates Ms Lombard’s win of the New South Wales Teachers Guild Research Award, 2022, and wishes her well for her research.
