Dubbo Weekender | Friday 06.03.2015 to Sunday 08.03.2015
couraged my applications to studies in pursuit of career goals from a very young age. Their love and support was an incredibly important part of me getting on the pathway to the career I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy enormously. Other key individuals in that journey were my teachers including several at Dubbo High School. I make particular mention of Donald Bates, an incredible science teacher who has been teaching for some 50 years in the NSW public and private education systems. My interest in studies also extended into the languages where I was extraordinarily privileged to have such wonderful language teachers as Mrs Marjorie Riach for Latin and Mrs Mary Patch for French. These teachers were incredible role models and pro-
vided continuing support for my aspirations. My journey into leadership roles at a relatively young career stage after graduating from medical school and moving to the United States was stimulated by a series of incredible mentors, each of whom in their own right had a unique leadership style and provided me with marvellous examples and role models of leading increasingly complex parts of organisations, and ultimately whole organisations. Those individuals included my laboratory mentor Dr Harvey R Colten, Dean of the Washington School of Medicine Dr William A. Peck and the Chancellor of Washington University, Dr William H Danforth. Along with a double degree in Medicine and Surgery,
Q&A.
17
you have received numerous awards over the years for your work. Does anything stand out for you above all else? Far beyond any of the awards that have come my way as a part of my work, I find the most gratifying aspect of every part of my career has been working with people around me, particular the younger people who have gone on to achieve great things in their own professional lives. This is the most enduring and rewarding part of my professional life. With a background as a paediatrician, clinical geneticist, molecular biologist, researcher and academic, how have you managed to fit so many different professions into life? I have been very privileged to be able to morph Âť