Anything but a Grey and Cold Climate
Susanne Schmidt
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Senior Lecturer, Department of Botany, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland |
Susanne has been working in her field since Honours (1991) and became interested in plants (especially tropical ones) while growing up in a grey and cold climate.
My work takes me all over Australia from subantarctic islands to central Australia. Savannas, woodlands, heathlands and island ecosystems are my favourites.
One of my current projects involves mixed species rainforests for plantation or restoration purposes. A lot of people are interested in growing trees, but little research has been carried out to understand how trees are interacting with each other, yet such knowledge would help to devise stable mixtures for many reasons.
I really enjoy my work and am proud that I have been able to stick to my long-time wish of working on tropical plants, and combining career and family.
Some of my main goals are to be a good researcher, teacher, communicator and enjoying life outside work. My life outside work includes spending time with my kids because they are fun, Pilates classes because body not mind is the focus and house renovations because of tangible results. I start new renovation projects secretly because they always turn out bigger than Ben Hur and my partner needs to come to the rescue, which he does not enjoy.
When asked about a childhood story that may have involved science Susanne recalled… Making my little sister eat horrible concoctions after forcing her nose upwards: “eating this will make sure that your nose won’t become a piggy nose” (her worst nightmare).
We asked Susanne about someone who has inspired her in her research and why:
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Susanne Schmidt’s students investigating plant water relations |
Close to home: Christa Critchley and David Doley at University of Queensland in the Botany Department because both are academics with a focus on issues that matter.
More generally, Albert Camus and Bruce Chatwin for their literature.
Books or reading material Susanne recommends on her area of research:
Scientific publications on plants/soil/nitrogen (see databases such as Biological Abstracts).
For information, Susanne co-authored a chapter in the book “Physiological Plant Ecology” (Editors M. Press et al.), Blackwell.
