Dr Kelsey M Lowe – Archaeologist

Background

• Name: Kelsey M Lowe
• Nationality: American
• Family members: No family members here in Australia
• Location: Brisbane
• Occupation: Research Fellow/Archaeologist

First steps and experiences in building a new life

Q: Why did you choose Queensland?

A: I chose Queensland specifically because of the University of Queensland, which is in the top 50 best universities in the world. It was also a great school for studying Indigenous archaeology and the first people of Australia.

Q: When did you first arrive?

A: I first arrived in Australia in the summer of 2011 (February). I have now been here for over nine and half years.

Q: What were the biggest challenges?

A: I think the biggest challenge for me was being so far away from my family (parents and brother). My husband at the time joined me and I was grateful for that yet, being so far from close family members even today, is challenging and difficult.

Q: What were the greatest successes?

A: Since arriving in Queensland, I have had several successes. The first involved getting my PhD in archaeology at UQ in 2014, followed by traveling abroad to many places such as Myanmar, Europe, Indonesia and Africa.

I have established a lot of collaborative research projects with industry partners and universities that allow me to work all over Australia.

My latest success is being employed at the University of Queensland and continuing to do research and teaching within my field (archaeology and anthropology).

Migration Queensland nomination process

Q: How did you find out about Queensland nomination and why did you choose a state-nominated business visa?

A: I found out about State Nomination visa through a friend of mine who went through the same process. He recommended this as another alternative to obtain permanent residency in Queensland.

Q: What was your experience with the application process? Do you have advice for prospective applicants?

A: As a Queensland resident, I was happy for the state to support me and found the process to be very good and the staff at Migration Queensland to be very helpful. My advice would be to start thinking about permanent residency early in your journey and work on getting the necessary paperwork prepared to assist in the application process.

Current situation

Q: What are you doing now?

A: Currently, I am working at UQ lecturing and teaching. When I am not at university, I spend time conducting fieldwork in remote locations throughout Australia and overseas.

Future plans

Q: What are your next steps?

A: My next step is to become an Australian citizen. I applied in June 2020 and am hoping to be granted citizenship in the foreseeable future.