Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisors, Prof. Dianne Cook, Dr. Patricia Menéndez, Dr. Ursula Laa, and Dr. Nicolas Langrené. Thanks, Di, for first taking me as a summer research student, then as an honours student, and now as a PhD candidate. Your consistent optimism and unwavering support have made my journey a delightful experience, especially during challenging times. Looking back, I am amazed at how much you have influenced me academically and as a person. Thank you, Patricia, Ursula, and Nicolas, for always being there to help with mathematical notations and writing and it is my fortune to have had such a great supervision team!
I would also like to thank Weihao, Ze Yu, Cynthia, and recently Janith and Krisanat, for being my office mates all the way from Menzies to the Education building. I will miss complaining about coursework units, poking fun at our ugly plots, and going to lunch and snack breaks together. Thank you, Dr. Emi Tanaka, Dr. Jessica Leung, and Prof. Daniel Simpson for providing valuable feedback as my PhD panel members. Thank you, Prof. Catherine Forbes and Prof. Gael Martin, our PhD coordinator, for organising the book club, PhD meetings, and milestone events. Special thanks to the Monash NUMBATs group for organising the Hackathon trips to Abbotsford Convent and San Remo. Lastly, thank you, Dr. Ursula Laa, Prof. Catherine Hurley, and Prof. Dr. Edzer Pebesma for hosting me during my visit to Europe in 2023.
I would also like to thank my training buddies in the swimming squad, gym, climbing gym, and recently, squash team. Thank you Cynthia and Susanna for introducing me to climbing and always cheering me to conquer more challenging climbs on the wall – just as Hans does too.
Special thank goes to Mike for being a great companion. From grocery trips to holidays in Gold Coast, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney, I enjoyed the beaches, quokkas, wildlife, and sea life with you—even if it meant sharing half of my room with you over the past months.
Thank you mum and dad for always being there for me at all times. Even though I have been a great distance away from home for over seven years (approximately 8000 km!), knowing that you have maintained my room just the way I left it fills me with appreciation and a warm feeling of connection.
This research was possible by financial support from a CSIRO Data61 scholarship and the Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics.