Diana Temple
The Australian Institute of Physics prize for post-graduate excellence has been awarded to Julia Bryant, a PhD student at Sydney University. Studying the radio galaxy Centaurus A, our nearest active galaxy, she has discovered the presence of circumnuclear torus around the core of the galaxy. Source- University of Sydney News, 28/10/99.
Dr Mariapia Degli-Esposti, a researcher at the University of Western Australia's Department of Microbiology, has won an AMRAD Post-Doctoral Award for her work on viral molecules involved in immune response and cell death. Source- LabNews, Oct/Nov 1999.
Dr Susan Buchanan's appointment as director of NSW's chief Dental Hospital is a first for a women dentist. She is United Dental Hospital Director and Central Sydney Area Health Service Dental Services Clinical Director. Source- Western Courier, Sydney.
Monash University has in 2000 made two new senior appointments of women. Alison Crook, a former Business Woman of the Year and a believer in technological change, is Deputy Vice-Chancellor-Resources. Susan Wills has been appointed Dean of Education, moving form a similar position at Murdoch University. Source- The Australian.
Wisenet member Ann Sefton was named in the New Year Honours list as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her services to medical education and to neurological research. Ann, who is Associate Dean of the Medical Faculty at Sydney University, was largely responsible for the development of the new curriculum in which medicine is studied as a post-graduate course.
Julie Hammer's promotion in Canberra to Air Commodore made her the highest ranking woman officer in any of the armed services in Australian history. She is the RAAF equivalent of an Army Brigadier or a Navy Commodore, with the status of a one star general. She is a specialist in electronic engineering, computers, intelligence and communications.
Therese Flapper has received a National Engineering Excellence Award for the Advancement of Women in Engineering from the Institution of Engineers for her work with Women in Water (WIW). Therese is the National Convenor of WIW and has been a dynamic force promoting women in the water industry. An environmental scientist with her own consulting company, Alchemy Sciences, Therese is studying her PhD at the University of NSW. She is also Vice-President of AWA (Australian Water Association) NSW Branch.
Women in Water is an National Special Interest Group of the Australian Water Association. Its goals include:
increasing the proportion of active women in the water industry
encouraging women to pursue careers in the industry
increasing the acceptance of women in technical and managerial positions in the water industry.
WIW initiatives include mentoring and skills workshops. Passionate about improving opportunities and acceptance of women in the water industry, Therese works tirelessly with WIW to achieve its goals. "Women are now joining the AWA specifically to participate in WIW," said Therese
Conditions for women are improving in the water industry, both directly and indirectly through Therese and WIW’s efforts. The poor representation of women in the workplace is being addressed, resulting in increased opportunities for women to speak, present or publish and hold managerial positions. Networking is overcoming isolation in a largely male dominated industry. "It is believed, but not quantifiable, that this has enhanced retention of women in the industry", said Therese.
Women have also performed well in recent AWA awards. The last two winners of the AWA Sydney Water Gold Medal have been women and in 1999 women also won the Michael Flynn Award and the Young Scientist of the Year Award. Whilst this obviously reflects the quality of their work, it also shows old prejudices are changing, giving women new opportunities and recognition of their skills.