Lecturer and Researcher
I studied Agricultural Science at the University of WA and decided to ‘roll on’ with postgraduate study in Animal Science to complete my PhD. This meant I was at university for a total of nearly 8 years! It wasn’t as bad as it sounds, as the 4 years of the Agricultural Science degree were generally fun (excluding exams), and I still have a lot to do with many of other people who studied with me. I bump into many of now on a professional basis.

My postgraduate study was, in many ways, more like a job, and created a number of opportunities. Since that time, I’ve worked in three countries – Australia (WA and SA), Scotland (at a research institute), and New Zealand (at a university). I’ve also been lucky enough to travel to the USA and South Africa as part of the work I do.

What do I do? Well, no two days are the same. My activities include teaching, conducting research, managing research projects (which includes financial and human resource management), and participation in professional societies (including things like running conferences, which is really ‘events management’). Some days are completely in the office in front of the computer, whilst other days are spent in the laboratory or in the field. Most activities are done as part of a team – involving colleagues, students, scientists from other institutions, farmers, and/or consultants - so it’s important to enjoy working with other people.