▁in ▁Water ▁Resources ▁Engineering ▁from ▁the ▁Asian ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology ▁( A IT ), ▁Bang k ok ▁and ▁then ▁was ▁employed ▁as ▁a ▁research ▁assistant ▁at ▁A IT ▁for ▁ 3 ▁years . ▁Th ay al ak um aran ' s ▁family ▁migr ated ▁to ▁New ▁Zealand ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁where ▁she ▁completed ▁a ▁Ph D ▁at ▁the ▁M asse y ▁University ▁with ▁FR ST ▁scholar ship ▁from ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Government ▁while ▁based ▁at ▁H ort Res earch , ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁Later ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁her ▁family ▁migr ated ▁to ▁Australia ▁and ▁she ▁worked ▁with ▁C SI RO ▁as ▁a ▁research ▁scient ist ▁in ▁Land ▁and ▁Water ▁division ▁in ▁Town sv ille . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Th ay al ak um aran ▁joined ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Primary ▁Indust ries ▁in ▁Victoria , ▁Australia . ▁ ▁Current ▁work ▁ ▁Dr ▁Th ay al ak um aran ▁currently ▁works ▁in ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Environment ▁and ▁Primary ▁Indust ries ▁as ▁a ▁senior ▁research ▁scient ist ▁in ▁H ydro log y . ▁Her ▁research ▁concentr ates ▁on ▁developing ▁approaches ▁to ▁measure ▁whole - of - f arm ▁water ▁management ▁in ▁da iry ▁far ms ▁to ▁improve ▁farm ▁water ▁performance ▁and ▁associated ▁natural ▁resource ▁impact s . ▁Her ▁research ▁also ▁focus es ▁on ▁developing ▁phys ically ▁based ▁approaches ▁for ▁estim ating ▁root ▁zone ▁soil ▁mo ist ure ▁maps ▁from ▁rem ot ely ▁sens ed ▁surface ▁measurements ▁in ▁South ▁West ▁Victoria ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁character