Jocelyn O'Neil
Convener of WISENET Melbourne
Diana Temple
Born and educated in Sydney, but based in Melbourne for most of her life, Jo O'Neil is a great example of a woman scientist of her generation who has successfully "done it all".
As Jocelyn
Pennefather, she started her scientific life at Sydney University with a BSc
in Pharmacology. While employed as a research assistant then research fellow
in the department, she progressed to Masters and PhD degrees under the
guidance of Professor Roland Thorp, who was, unlike some, supportive of young
women in science. She married John O'Neil, a computer-specialist, during this
period.
Jo did not drop out or succumb to the difficulties that sometimes seem to overwhelm young women early in their scientific careers. She had two children, Susan and Allan who have themselves been successful in Science-related careers.
Jo's academic career progressed through overseas post-doctoral positions at University of London and University of Minnesota then lectureship and senior lectureship, initially part-time, at Melbourne University and then Monash University. At Monash, she was promoted to Associate Professor in 1988 and was deputy Head of Department for much of the period before her “retirement.” She now is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Victorian College of Pharmacy and an Honorary Principal Fellow in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Melbourne University. During all this time, her research, concentrating on neuropharmacology of the genito-urinary system and the effects of hormones on this system, and was highly successful. She has been the recipient of research grants for much of the past twenty-five years and been involved in many collaborative projects with colleagues in other institutes; she has over a hundred refereed publications and many more published communications. She supervised about 60 honours and higher degree research students, many of whom have been women. She has coordinated and taught courses to medical and science students and done a huge amount on university administrative committees, as happens particularly to women in this era of political correctness.
Jo has been involved in Affirmative Action through the Coordinating Committee at Monash University, and throughout her working life has worked for improvements in women's position, including serving on the team that prepared an evaluation of women and EEO at Melbourne University in 1974. Her very busy life has included many overseas visits, speaking at conferences and working for periods in the laboratories of overseas collaborators.
She has woven, more effectively than most of us, the complex strands of her life: research, teaching, committees and family (now including grandchildren). She continues with research at the Royal Women’s Hospital, and with other interests, a significant one being work for WISENET.