Despite being a chemical engineer, with more than 10 years' experience in managing, design and installation of natural gas pipelines and networks for a broad range of clients in her home country of Romania, Iuliana Cismaru initially found it difficult to secure employment when she migrated to Australia around five years ago.

Not deterred, she has secured a Masters scholarship with CQUniversity, evaluating the best corrosion-resistant materials to use in a shale oil refinery proposed for the Gladstone region.

Masters candidate Iuliana Cismaru pictured at the CAMM Conference - Gladstone Campus

Iuliana has been examining the performance of stainless steels and similar alloys used for a technology demonstration plant established by Queensland Energy Resources Pty Ltd.

She recently presented a poster on her research during the Conference on Asset and Maintenance Management hosted by CQUniversity Gladstone. [The CAMM conference is associated with postgraduate qualifications offered by CQUniversity to hundreds of students all over Australia and South East Asia.]

LINK also to More than 130 delegates focus on asset performance in Gladstone

Iuliana lived through a turbulent time in the history of Romania. She was a young Quality Control Technician in 1989 when dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena were deposed and executed on live television on Christmas Day.

She says Romania may be more democratic nowadays but the economy is not fully recovered so she appreciates the opportunities that have come to her in Gladstone.