Date
13 February 2023
Topic
Visual Stories     
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DPI Biosecurity & Food Safety – celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science

NSW DPI is proud to celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This special day recognises the critical role women and girls play in science and technology.



NSW DPI is proud to celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This special day recognises the critical role women and girls play in science and technology.

Did you know that only 30% of researchers globally are women? And only 16% of the Australian science, technology, engineering and mathematics qualified workforce are women?

We are proud of our people at DPI – many of whom are highly-regarded women who have followed an exciting career path in STEM. Every day, their work continues to drive innovation, production in primary industries and supports and protects our farms and farmers.

We spoke to some of these women kicking goals in their field to understand what inspires them, the path that brought them to their career, and what they love about their job.

Here’s some of the things they shared with us.

Variety, breadth, diversity of role

Nerida DonovanA career in STEM can open you to a world of opportunities and new learnings.

Nerida Donovan, Citrus Pathologist, says the variety of what she does is something that keeps her constantly motivated.

“The diversity of my role is interesting and motivating; working across the spectrum from project inception to the dissemination of findings, or providing technical or diagnostic support to industry and government. It all serves to protect industry sustainability and contribute to food security”.

Petrea Wait, Senior Program and Project Officer – Animal Welfare Unit (Livestock), says the amazing variety of work she does is one of the most fulfilling things about her role.

“One day I may be providing advice about the welfare of wild horses, the next performing a literature review on stocking density of turkeys or trapping methods for feral deer, the next I could be presenting to livestock agents on how to reduce sheep mortality during transport. I also love that I am encouraged to research the most recent literature to be able to provide evidence-based information.”

People and learning opportunities

Thea KingThea King, Senior Food Safety Science Officer comments on the people and learning opportunities she has been able to benefit from during a career in the Food Safety team at DPI.

" I’m always astounded by the collective breadth of knowledge of our agency and our ability to work across such diverse industries. We work across the entire food supply chain, with stakeholders from the meat, egg, dairy, poultry, seafood and shellfish, plants, vulnerable populations and retail sectors. I enjoy being exposed to the wide scope of work our agency undertakes.”

Tarnya Cox, Senior Research Scientist also attributes conversations at work to generating new ideas.

“There is always an interesting, thought-provoking and ideas-generating conversation to be had. I quite often walk away from the tea-room table with yet another idea of how I might improve or build on what I'm doing, or how I can collaborate with a colleague to value-add to the data we collect and provide.”

Rewarding outcomes

Lynette Chave, Leader Animal Research, describes the ability to make a difference to animals as the most interesting thing about her role.

“Often the outcomes are from a long-term perspective, so not for those wanting to see quick fixes. Being able to apply the science of animal welfare to the development of policies and guidance material is a particular joy.”

Alliza Bartley - Policy and Project Officer Animal Biosecurity comments on the common good that comes from her work and how it keeps her inspired each day.

“Whilst we have our set projects and business as usual type work, we are often contributing to new findings and the improvement of something very important - a biosecure Australia. I love being able to work to protect our animals, but also the well-being of our Primary producers.”

Catherine Fraser, Epidemiology Intelligence Specialist also comments on how rewarding it is to contribute to something bigger.

“I love how you can make a difference, by providing advice on how diseases or pests are spreading, risks associated with it and how you can control or prevent this spread. Also, how the work I do can underpin continued market access or re-opening borders between states. It's very rewarding work and I get great job satisfaction from it.”

There you have it. A career in STEM has so much to offer – from educational and learning opportunities, variety and rewarding outcomes to the wide range of opportunities to change our world for the better. At DPI we are inspired by our women working in STEM and encourage the next generation of women to keep these incredible career opportunities in mind when considering their career path.