Elizabeth-Rose Castagna (left) and Samantha Merline.

Elizabeth-Rose Castagna and Samantha Merline are part of the newly formed AccessMQ Contract Research Team within DVC-R, supporting Macquarie staff who are engaging in consulting and contract research work.

The team is on hand to assist staff with existing or new project enquiries – email amq.crt@mq.edu.au.

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1) In a nutshell, our job is to…
Manage AccessMQ (AMQ) projects from start to finish and liaise with clients and consultants to ensure satisfaction for all parties. We make it possible for Macquarie staff to make a career out of conducting research or consulting for companies.

2) The question I hear most often in my work is…
Elizabeth-Rose: “What is AMQ?” or “What do you do?”
Samantha: “How do I access my consultancy money?”

3) The thing I find most rewarding in my role is…
Elizabeth-Rose: Seeing the positive change within AMQ and its processes. Being a part of a project from the beginning and seeing it to the end.
Samantha: I enjoy providing a professional platform for consultants to pursue a career focused on their passion.

4) This year I want to…
Elizabeth-Rose: Establish a more permanent residency in Australia – I moved to Sydney (alone!) from the West Coast of the USA earlier this year. I’m really enjoying my time here and can’t wait to see what more of what life in Sydney has to offer.
Samantha: Win the lotto!

5) A place that’s special to me is…
Elizabeth-Rose: Doughnut Falls in Utah. I love hiking and this trail is amazing. I’ve hiked it every year since 2013 before I moved to Australia. Being at the summit and looking down at a massive rock formation you climbed is really rewarding. It’s just so peaceful in the canyon.
Samantha: Home.

6) My parents always told me….
Elizabeth-Rose: My mother always said didn’t have a favourite child but let’s be honest… she was just being nice.
Samantha: “At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, no regrets.”

7) My guilty pleasure is…
Elizabeth-Rose: The TLC song No Scrubs – that is an absolute tune.
Samantha: Watching The Bold and the Beautiful when my baby is asleep.

8) I’m scared of…
Elizabeth-Rose: Heights, water and sharks.
Samantha: Spiders and insects. 

9) My hidden talent is…
Elizabeth-Rose: I’m really good at sneaking movie or TV show quotes into conversation (most of the time people don’t notice!).
Samantha: Deliver lines and portray emotions (I can act!)

10) A moment I’ll always remember is…
Elizabeth-Rose: Graduating college – I worked on my degree for six years and I was the first in my family on either side to graduate.
Samantha: Giving birth to my son, Bronson.