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Dr Flavio Romero Macau awarded for global conversation on toilet paper panic buying

Friday, 26 June 2020

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  • ECU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Caroline Finch AO handing award to SBL Director of Academic Studies Dr Flavio Romero Macau

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In the earlier part of 2020, you might remember one of the more bizarre events during COVID-19. Making international headlines, people were panic buying and stocking up toilet paper to the extent supermarkets ran out for weeks and people were that desperate, packet limitations were to be introduced.

With a global audience following the events in slight disbelief, Australians and people around the world were asking, when’s the toilet paper coming back?

Our School of Business and Law expert, Dr Flavio Romero Macau, had an easy explanation – it was a supply chain issue. Dr Macau’s article on the supply chain issue and Australian’s panic buying was published in The Conversation on March 18, and it went viral.

With more than 700,000 reads in countries around the world, Dr Macau’s article is by far the most ever read article by an ECU author.

Flavio said the experience of seeing his work appear in news outlets around the world showed the impact his expertise could have in explaining the world to real people.

“It showed me as a researcher that the work I’m doing has the potential to explain important issues to the general public,’ he said.

“Supply chains are something that people don’t pay a lot of attention to, until they stop working  properly.”

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Caroline Finch said Flavio’s article were an excellent example of translating world class research and expertise for the general public.

“Now more than ever facts and evidence are vital to our existence and as researchers it’s important we can share our knowledge with the wider public,” she said.

Read the full article here: Desperately seeking toilet paper, pasta or hand sanitiser? Some relief is just weeks away

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