| Issue 62 (WAIS 2) Contents
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Australian Women in Science:
Some Beacons in My Life
Angela Delves
Pro-Vice Chancellor and Vice President,
Enterprise and International
Southern Cross University
Thank
you for the opportunity to speak. I feel something of a fraud, as I am no
longer a scientist, rather like a lapsed person of some religious persuasion.
My only link with ‘real’ science now is that I still have two PhD students and
one Masters student, all women, two Australians and one of Chinese background,
both PhDs are in the area of plant molecular genetics and the Masters in
Traditional South American Medicine. I enjoy my science vicariously through
them.
I thought that this morning I might speak briefly on some of the Australian women who I have felt had made a significant contribution to science, who I have remembered and who have stuck in my mind for one or another reason. This is a personal and very limited view, but so is the time, and as the topic is so large, I needed a focus to give some shape to this brief talk.
Now however parochial or insignificant as you might at first think, let me start with the ISI list of the most highly cited scientists world wide. There are 17 from Australia, of which 3 are women; all in the area of plant and animal science (This category represented 7 out of the 17 scientists – 9 if you count Agricultural genetics). All 3 women are from Universities, Jan Anderson, Australian National University, Adrienne Clarke, University of Melbourne and Susanne van Coemmener from the Australian National University.
It is interesting that 3 from the 17 are women and that we in Australia have such a good reputation in this science field. The Minister might like to consider (in his priority setting) that we should support already well defined areas of strengths. So what did I find interesting and inspiring and memorable in the women I will speak about? Not always what you would imagine, but then I did say this was a personal view.
So 4 women:
Professor Adrienne Clarke – one the those 3 on the most highly cited list with a very distinguished career and Personal Chair in Botany at the University of Melbourne since 1985, Laureate Professor of the University of Melbourne since 1999, Ambassador for Biotechnology for Victoria from 2001. And very interestingly a Director of Companies such as Woolworths, AMRAD, AMP Ltd Alcoa of Australia, Chairman of CSIRO from 1991 – 1996, director of Plant Cell Biology Research Centre University of Melbourne from 1982 – 1999. A wide range of top level positions showing a remarkable breadth of ability and commitment to Australian science and business. Given recent figures on women participation in executive positions, this creates a particularly good role model. An impressive career, and that how I found Prof Clarke when I came in contact with her in the very first set of interview for CRCs, when she was part of the assessing panel for the CRC in Plant Science. We had practiced and drilled for this like a platoon of soldiers. It was years and years ago and I don’t remember any of the other people on the Panel, but I do still recall Prof Clarke’s questions for their ability to probe the weak spots in the arguments in regard to the Science Program. There were a couple of weak points, unsubstantiated claims which were OK if you said them quickly, but Prof Clarke spotted every one of them. No one else on that Panel was so insightful and sought real facts to support the claim we were making. It was an illuminating display of applied intellect and knowledge and to me a benchmark and I have not forgotten the impact that it had. We were successful!
The second person I wish to mention is Dr Liz Dennis – an easy passage from the first because as the memorable interview took place in CSIRO Plant Industry where my second beacon is. Liz is the Leader of the Gene Expression Program in CSIRO, PI, she is a Chief Research Scientist and has taught as an academic in the University of PNG and leads the largest dynamic and cutting edge team at CSIRO. I met Liz whilst an academic myself at ANU in BAMBIE (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc) - you might laugh but better than BOZO (Botany and Zoology) or PSYCHO (Psychology). I have worked with Liz on Committees, Programs and with students. I asked Liz what she felt were her main contributions to science, her response was two fold, understanding the molecular basis of plant processes such as the initiation of flowering and how a plant responds at the molecular level to situations such as water logging. The other aspect she singled out was that she leads, and has done for a considerable time, the biggest program at CSIRO plant industry, demonstrating that women are perfectly capable and comfortable to be in that leading role and that this is important (in a role model sense) for both women and men to realise so I think that her contribution of a long serving senior scientific leader in a fast moving and sometimes controversial field, very important.
Talking about controversial fields of science, the third women scientist is Professor Nancy Millis – one of the really interesting things I have done over the last six or so years was to be a member of GMAC which became a statutory body last year, Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. The chair of that Committee and the predecessors since 1981, was Professor Nancy Millis, Chancellor of La Trobe University, Emeritus Professor of University of Melbourne before she retired. She just about developed biotechnology as a subject, microbiologist extraordinaire and acknowledged legend (by Australia Post) along with persons such as Sir Gus Nossal. As you can imagine, making GMAC work, was a major undertaking, the whole area of genetically modified foods and crops is a very emotive one with much partial and misinformation in the media causing great public concern.
Nancy did an outstanding job in using scientific fact and logic, common sense and developing, together with the rest of the Committee, the right levels of risk assessment and appropriate protocol for all of the experimentation in controlled and monitored trials in Australia. We got through an enormous amount of work. She dealt with problems and gene escapes in the same manner, bringing to all the problems a unique blend of scientific rigour, practicality which could not have been surpassed, a great sense of humour and ongoing levels of tolerance to be admired. It was an illuminating and very worthwhile experience for me to see how well a committee of experts can work with an outstanding knowledgeable and competent Chair. Nancy is truly a legend, a person to model oneself on as a Chair.
Also, serving for a time on GMAC, my fourth woman scientist is Professor Sue Serjeantson. Now at the Academy of Science, Sue held a Chair at John Curtin School of medical Research, ANU, was Acting Director and DVC of the Institute of Advanced Studies and an internationally acknowledged leader in her field. Her studies in Human Genetics led to some fascinating work, which showed how peoples migrated across the Pacific, their route being traced by following their ethnic genetic makeup using some of the major immune system gene complex. Now allow me some licence. one of the discoveries was one island which showed a difference to the general pattern. I recall Sue being concerned that this may have blown the theory but on further discussions with the present day inhabitations it was revealed that a sailor had been shipwrecked a number of generations ago and had brought a new genetic injection. Could you just picture it, sailor washed up on the shore, new boy on the block; I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. I had the privilege of submitting material on Sue for her Clunies Ross Award which she received in 1992, notably for her contribution to Human Genetics, but also for her work in Schools to encourage students to take up Science. Her contribution to Science from Basic research in Management and as an Executive and her work in promoting science in Schools makes her a fitting beacon for this Conference.
These examples, few, but ones I have some personal experience of, show just how women have achieved in different ways in Science and related fields of management and business, they have shown versatility, persistence, balance, perspective and stamina in their chosen fields.
So to conclude, come on girls, let us have more of you, line up your doctoral students and post-docs, polish up and encourage their talents and lets follow the examples I have mentioned today and make a real and increasing difference in science and life in general.
Professor Angela Delves is the Vice-President and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise and International) at Southern Cross University in Lismore, NSW. Her varied past appointments include lecturer positions in genetics at the University of Edinburgh and ANU; Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO and a faculty science teacher at Hawker Secondary College. Her present leadership role at Southern Cross University includes inter-national program policy development, commercial relationships, strategic regional and community development and interaction, marketing and external relations, pro-motion of industry partnerships, alumni affairs and diversifying and increasing sources of income for the University.