University lecturer
University of Western Australia
Phone: (08) 9380 2435
E-mail Address: sbarker@agric.uwa.edu.au
Age: 38
Qualifications:
B.Sc (major in Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry) Uni of Adelaide. B.Sc. (Hons) 2A (in Biochemistry) Uni of Adelaide. Ph.D. (GPA 4.0) (in Plant Molecular Biology) University of California at Los Angeles
School Science Subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Maths
Main Science Discipline: Biology (Molecular Biology)
A typical day at work:
A very varied job, comprising roughly equal load of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, and research and supervision of research, as well as a service component of committee work, career advice, course advice and publicity, including school talks. Typically there is no such thing as a typical day, which is one of the job benefits.
However, I might ride my bike (with child seat) to work, settle our younger child in to a day at childcare, and make my way to my office. During the day I might: prepare for and/or teach a class; mark an assessment; read or work on writing a scientific paper; prepare a talk or a research grant application; design or work on an experiment; talk to a post graduate student about their research; tutor an undergraduate student; attend one or more committee meetings; drink lots of tea and fit in a lunch break at my desk; check my Email and postal correspondence; communicate about research by Email with colleagues both in Australia and around the world; run to pick up my younger child before childcare closes; ride home. I might also work at home or return to work after the children are asleep if I did not finish something I needed for the next day. Some days I also have the older child to pick up after school -this and sick child care are shared with my partner, however he takes the larger load.
The best aspects of my work:
Opportunity for life long learning, contact with most age groups, flexible routine, excitement of scientific discovery, ability to use my brain.
Personal qualities required for my
job:
Persistence, initiative, intellect, good communication skills, stress tolerance, open mindedness, skill at multitasking, enquiring nature, independent and collaborative, truthful, low requirement for external positive feedback or reward.
How I got to be doing the job I am
doing:
My parents are both University trained with PhDs so I never considered any other career path until after I obtained my PhD, when my drive to continue in Science took a dive for about a year. However, a wonderful postdoctoral experience at UC Berkeley restored me and within 1 1/2 years of graduating I had a job as lecturer at the Waite Institute, University of Adelaide. I stayed there for nearly 6 years before moving to my current position where I am setting up a plant molecular biology lab in the Faculty of Agriculture.
My personal life:
My partner is a North American. We met in Alaska in 1990 after I had finished my PhD. He emigrated to Australia to join me in 1992 and we have two children, born in 1994 and 1996.
Role models:
My parents (Jenny and Shelley Barker), who in their separate ways guided me through my education and career development and who have always encouraged me to strive for excellence.
At high school: my Maths teacher Len Keane, who more than tolerated my questions about the truth of relativity.
Professors George Rogers (Adelaide), Peter Martin (Adelaide, now deceased), Bob Goldberg (UCLA), Elaine Tobin (UCLA), Brian Staskawicz (UC Berkeley), Harold Woolhouse (Adelaide, now deceased), Sally Smith (Adelaide) and Robin Graham (Adelaide) and recently Mike Ewing (UWA) who have all played significant mentoring roles at different stages of my university career.
My partner, Ben Murphey, who by his support and actions has enabled me to become a mother without halting (ending) my career and who critiques my self development as a best friend should.
Work ambitions:
To establish a fun working environment for a moderate sized research group (10-15 people); to be a role model and colleague for other women and for men who prefer networking to empire building. To validate social and ethical concerns about the role of biotechnology in research culture. To help correct the gender imbalance and to model alternative values and working practices to the traditional highly masculine current reality.
My other interests outside work:
My children, other family, craft and sewing, music, reading sci fi and historic novels, badminton, tennis, gardening and food preservation.
Being female and working in
science:
You will be judged on your abilities, not your appearance, at least for the first steps. However, current reality is that if you persist in academic science beyond post doctoral level the female attrition will mean that you stand out as unusual by virtue of your gender. It is harder to be a mother and continue work in research, than, say, being a GP, where you can practice from home. If you want to experience both continued work in science academia, and motherhood, you will need both an actively supportive family network and to accept a slower paced career than otherwise possible. Also, career paths are very limited so one can get discouraged. It is worth identifying people at every stage of your career from Year 10 in high school, who can advise you on how to attain the next step. Just remember that if you enjoy learning, this career offers you that opportunity for your whole life.