WISENET ACT comprises a group of highly professional and competent women scientists who offer expertise in a comprehensive range of scientific areas including research, policy, private enterprise, and communications.

Members are largely based in Canberra, but we welcome enquires from all those interested in the surrounding region and whose work takes them to Canberra on a regular basis.

We are active through lunchtime meetings, social functions, representation at political fora, submissions to government, responses to media, debates and conferences.  Our membership would be pleased to act as consultants or advisers on relevant issues.

 

Co-Convenors

Dr. Julie Christie

School Proteomics and Microarray Facility
Research School of Biological Sciences
Australian National University
Acton ACT 0200
Tel: 02 6125 5067
julie.christie@anu.edu.au

Ms Juliet Lloyd-Smith

Analyst - Program Performance
CSIRO Corporate Operations Group,
PO Box 225, Dickson ACT 2602
Tel: 02 6276 6593, Fax: 02 6276 6595
Juliet.Lloyd-Smith@csiro.au

 

News

Jennelle Kyd appointed head of the new National Centre for Forensic Studies.

Professor Jennelle Kyd (pictured), a member of ACT WISENET, has been appointed as the head of the new National Centre for Forensic Studies, to be based at the University of Canberra. The centre is the result of collaboration between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) and UC. Jennelle is the first woman to be appointed Chair of Forensics at an Australian university.

Professor Kyd said the centre's establishment formalises the cooperation that already exists between UC, CIT and the AFP in this area. The centre will coordinate activities by the three organisations in education, research and service to the forensic professions, catering for the needs of police and other law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, scientists, lawyers and other professions.

With immediate links to many government agencies and regulatory bodies, leading edge research, IT and accounting services, Canberra was the ideal location for a National Centre for Forensic Studies, Professor Kyd said.

(With thanks to Julie Lovell, UC press office). For a full press release, see http://www.canberra.edu.au/news_events/media_releases/media_16_5_03.html.

 

Activities planned for the year

The ACT Group aims to meet every six weeks for lunch.  The remaining lunch dates for 2003 are:

v     17th of July – this lunch will update and debrief members about AGM business

v     28th August

v     9th October

v     27th November

v     Christmas lunch/dinner – date to be advised

At present the location for these lunches is Vivaldi restaurant on the campus of the ANU. Their webpage and location on campus can be viewed at http://www.vivaldirestaurant.com.au/ 

We would like to invite some guest speakers to lunch. Your suggestions are welcome; please contact either Julie or Juliet via the contact details at the top of the page.

 

Activities in the past year

In 2002, WISENET ACT was convened by Gail Kelly.  We continued with our bi-monthly lunchtime meetings, which were well attended (different groups of 8 – 14 people) at the As You Like It Café.  A highlight of the year was lunch with guest, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja at Vivaldi’s restaurant in October with 22 women attending.  This event was described in J61 and our thanks go to Gail Kelly for initiating the meeting and to Anna Robinson for completing its organisation.

Other activities:

1.             Representation on the ACT Government’s Ministerial Advisory Council on Women (MACOW).  Through this forum, WISENET

·        Wrote the draft submission entitled Towards a Sustainable ACT: A Discussion Paper that was presented to Council, amended and then submitted to the Government.  (Gail Kelly, Juliet Lloyd-Smith, Anna Robinson).

·        Contributed to the draft submission to the Valuing Parenthood Interim Paper. (Kim Blackmore).  Kim also attended the function associated with the submission and had the chance to meet with Pru Goward.

·        Attended the Beijing Cultural Festival Concert as special guests (Gail Kelly, Marian Heard, Anna Robinson)

·        Received a special invitation to sit on the ACT Radiation Council, which was seeking to increase women’s participation (no-one nominated for this position).

·        Invited to many of the MACOW assisted functions such as seminars on how to get on Boards.

2.               Attended various FASTS events – a launch of the FASTS Policy Document, presentation of Occasional Papers, Council Meetings, Press Club lunches (Hilary Cadman, Miriam Baltuck, Anna Robinson)

3.             Represented National WISENET at Science Meets Parliament Day (Juliet Lloyd-Smith, Jenny Graves) and the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes Dinner (Haley Jones, Janet Salisbury, Anna Robinson)

4.              Invited to participate in the Schools Engineering Workshop being held by the National Institution of Engineering and Information Sciences – convened by new member, Heather Slater, and accepted by Haley Jones.

 

More recently, WISENET ACT has represented national WISENET at the ALP Caucus Post-budget Breakfast (Julie Christie). For a report, see http://www.wisenet-australia.org/Notices/WiseNet&ALP.htm.

 

ACT Link-group Membership Listing as at 06/2003

 

 

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