It’s never too late: Elevate scholar turns a decades-old dream into a water-saving solution

More than a decade after first being offered a place to study for a PhD, the UNSW Sydney researcher is now investigating whether productive green walls could help cities treat and reuse wastewater while growing food.

Her journey to a PhD has not been straightforward.

Sara was first offered a PhD place at James Cook University in 2014, shortly after arriving in Australia. But becoming a mother meant putting her academic ambitions on hold.

A second opportunity at Deakin University came in 2017, but the project would have required her to move to Warrnambool, away from her family and employment in Sydney.

After gaining research experience and completing an MPhil at Macquarie University, Sara finally returned to her PhD journey at UNSW Sydney with the support of an ATSE Elevate scholarship.

“A delayed dream is not necessarily a lost dream,” Sara said.

Those strengths are now being put to work on a problem facing cities around the world: how to use water more sustainably.

Sara’s research is investigating whether green walls can treat greywater, water from showers, sinks and laundries, while supporting the growth of edible plants such as lettuce and tomatoes. But there is a catch.

Her research is looking beyond whether contaminants simply disappear from wastewater. She is investigating where microplastics and antimicrobial compounds actually end up, including whether they are retained in treatment media, accumulate in plants or could eventually be released again.

That distinction could be critical if green walls are to safely combine wastewater treatment with urban food production.

“We are not just asking whether a green wall can clean water; we are trying to understand where the contaminants go, how long the treatment remains effective, and whether the treated water can ultimately be reused safely,” Sara said.

The potential payoff is significant: a system that could combine water treatment, water reuse and food production in a small footprint.

For Sara, the research also reflects a broader lesson about who gets to participate in STEM.

She said women can face career interruptions and responsibilities that are not visible on a CV, but that do not have to determine what they achieve later.

The Elevate scholarship provided Sara with more than financial assistance. After several attempts to pursue a PhD, it gave her the confidence to take another step towards a goal she had held for years.

“It felt like recognition that women can enter or re-enter advanced STEM education at different stages of their lives and still make an important contribution.”

Sara was recently nominated as a finalist for the 2026 UNSW Women in Engineering Inspiring Student Award.

She hopes her story can challenge the idea that there is a single pathway or timeline into engineering.

“Engineering is about solving problems that affect people's everyday lives such as clean water, sustainable cities, climate resilience, health, infrastructure, energy and food security,” she said.

“If young girls can see those connections earlier, and see women actively working on these problems, engineering may feel much more relevant and accessible.”

For Yazdanparast, the lesson from her own journey is simple.