12 minute read
Wilderness Women Leading the Way
Elsinore Meyer (Mann)
Class of 1999 President and Chair of the Australian Water Association’s (AWA) SA Branch Committee and Senior Engineer leading The Water Team, Tonkin
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I chose to study engineering as I enjoyed science and maths at school and had an interest in making things – it didn’t matter that it was clothes rather than cars! I also had a love for the natural environment.
I selected to focus on water and environmental subjects with the idea that I might apply my skills in the management of creeks and waterways. In my final year, I focused on hydraulics and modelling and it turns out my career took a more analytical, rather practical, hands-on path. In fact, it has taken me until my current role to be ‘on site’ as part of my job!
There are very few people who know where they are going and how they will get there, so don’t worry if you haven’t figured that out. Instead, spend time working out what motivates you. Say yes to opportunities that challenge you. Volunteer. I promise you’ll get back more than what you put in.
If I think of moments that have stuck with me, it is time spent understanding how others experience life and how circumstances impact people’s view of the world.
Being part of the inaugural Wilderness Nepal trip was one of those occasions. The assault on the senses when we arrived and walked out of the airport, the magical scenery and challenging terrain, the strength and good humour of our Sherpas, the smiles of the children we met along the way, and many other memories have stuck with me.
Being selected to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh International Gold Event in Hong Kong was another unique experience. We had representatives from 70 different countries. I am still in touch with many of them thanks to social media, which provides an international flavour and wide ranging perspectives in my Facebook feed. After I finished university, I took the opportunity to spend three months as a volunteer in Costa Rica. We helped build a community hall, a toilet for the local school and restored waking trails in the Parque Nacional Volcan Tenorio. Along with this work, it was the moments spent with the families that hosted us, sharing their food, learning recipes and exploring the forests that I remember most.
I have also been fortunate that my career has taken me around the world, as far as Qatar and China, as well as six years living and working in the US and time in the UK and New Zealand too.
Favourite professional memory/day?
It’s hard to pick a single event. There have been multiple milestone achievements along the way. I have successfully delivered a number of challenging projects and built memorable relationships with particular clients who have valued my input, which I’m proud of. My involvement with the Australian Water Association has also allowed me to take on the role of President in South Australia. Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the associated restrictions, this has been a really rewarding experience, which I hope to build upon as I continue my leadership journey.
Wilderness School is proud to be able to celebrate the success of all our past and present students and their many outstanding achievements. Leading the Way offers our community insight into our amazing old scholars’ lives, beyond the gates of Wilderness. These amazing women volunteered their time on our panel at the recent STEM Industry Forum.
Natalie Redmond
Class of 2008 Sciences Engineer, Mott MacDonald
I decided to study Mechanical Engineering at university because I felt it best combined my maths and art/ design interests. I think I held a narrow understanding of what engineering was when I made this choice. Engineering is so much more diverse than designing and building machinery or products. Every aspect of our day-to-day life is touched by engineering; the houses we live in, our water and electricity supply, the tools and appliances we use, our environment, the roads we travel on, and our buildings and cities. As engineering is so broad, university focuses heavily on the fundamental principles of maths and physics. I enjoyed my time at university, particularly my final year group honours project, but my passion for engineering really started once I began working in consulting. I’ve been very fortunate to work across a variety of diverse projects in numerous industries. Project work on schools, hospitals, roads and rail, stadiums and wind farms have been amongst some of those I have been involved in. I find fulfillment working on projects like these where I can clearly see I am contributing to positive outcomes for the community. Engineering is humanitarian; we are solving problems to achieve positive outcomes for people which is extremely fulfilling. I am grateful for the technical component of my job as I am always learning and facing challenging problems in my work. As society is ever changing and growing more complex, solutions are also constantly changing. This technical component provides you with an opportunity to broaden your skill set and deepen your knowledge. Both elements assist in any ability to specialise in a chosen area.
If you are considering your university and career pathway, and an ability to contribute to positive outcomes in society is important to you, an engineering pathway will deliver this. Reconsider biases around traditionally ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ careers and don’t let the outdated expectations of others hold you back from realising your potential. What have been some key defining moments in your career and life?
I am proud of achieving success in my career while also continuing to compete nationally and internationally in cycling. The balance and commitment to both have personally defined my last 10 years. At times, I have taken unpaid leave to travel overseas to compete and work flexibly with reduced hours if required. Competing internationally has enriched my life far more than solely focusing on working would have. My path doesn’t appeal to everyone, but I think everyone should protect their interests and hobbies outside of work. Your work can often take up as much space as you will give it, so keep protecting the things that are important to you.
“To solve problems that haven’t been solved before, we need to find solutions that haven’t been found before.”
Kathy Nicolson (Granger)
Class of 1994 Operations Manager at the Australian Institute of Machine Learning, University of Adelaide
I did not wake up one day and decide that I wanted to be Operations Manager for a Machine Learning Research Institute. Frankly, I had no idea my job even existed. My career has evolved constantly based on my interests and opportunities. I took on a science degree because I was interested in veterinary science, only to discover I didn’t like pathology but microbiology was fascinating. I completed a PhD in microbiology because it was easier than getting a job. I then took a postdoc (first academic job after your PhD) as I wanted to work overseas and it is the recommended academic career move.
The first time I really had to stop and think about what to do next was when I realised that I didn’t want an academic science career but I wanted to be surrounded by scientific thinking and ideas. Over the past 20 years I’ve moved through roles in organisations where I have been responsible for organising scientific conferences, business development, and science communication and research management. I was able to combine these skills to move into management roles. I’ve always just followed my interests, grabbed opportunities and allowed my job to evolve.
Follow your interests. Be curious and learn how to learn, then find a job that allows you to grow. When a job gets too easy or comfortable, it is time to find the next challenge within your current role or elsewhere.
My personal life has influenced almost every stage in my career. A desire to live and work overseas found me working as a postdoctoral researcher in New York City. When I decided to leave academia, I wanted to stay in New York, so that limited the type of work I could apply for because I needed visa sponsorship. Volunteer work helped me get a role organising scientific conferences at the New York Academy of Sciences. A desire to move back to Australia meant I needed to find somewhere that would value my unique science, business and international experience. I returned to Australia to take up a role as Development Manager at science communication not-for-profit, RiAus. When my son was born, I wanted a more traditional nine-to-five job. This forced me to reflect on what I wanted from my career. I decided to join the University of Adelaide in a research management role, which allowed me to be intimately connected to research and surrounded by amazing passionate scientists.
Favourite professional memory/day?
It is hard to identify one thing, but broadly speaking, it is the experience of building a community to enable success. I spent six years with a research group called the CNBP and supported over 300 members based at five universities across Australia. My favourite memories include:
• Supporting, mentoring and watching
PhD students and early career researchers transform into accomplished professionals. Some remain in academia and others have moved on to amazing STEM careers. • A mothers’ group that I established converted into a beautiful comentoring community of accomplished, successful women.
• Establishing financial support and a culture that enabled parents to bring children and carers to our annual conferences. 13 children over five years, including my own nine-monthold daughter, attended the CNBP annual residential conference over three days.
“Better to ask a stupid question than make a stupid mistake.”
This was told to me by my first line manager in hospitality and is a philosophy that I encourage my team to live by.
Sarah Damin
Class of 2017 Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate, University of Adelaide and Undergraduate Engineer, Saab
I am currently in my fourth year of a double degree in Mechanical Engineering, majoring in Aerospace and Computer Science at the University of Adelaide. I am also President of the Mechanical Engineering Student Society and a Student Ambassador for Engineers Australia. I was good at maths and science throughout primary and high school and always knew that I would pursue a career in STEM. My interest in astrophysics and space didn’t begin until Year 9 when my friends and I made a video about time dilation and wormholes for the Oliphant Science Awards. From there, I decided that I wanted to be an astronaut in the future. Many of my male cousins and my brother studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide, so it was a bit of a family tradition, which I’ve now followed.
In my first year, I decided to pick up a double degree with Computer Science to broaden my knowledge and increase my employability. Throughout my studies, I’ve been able to see the range of fields in which mechanical engineers can work and my goal of becoming an astronaut has morphed into just wanting to work in the space sector. I’ve also completed two internships during my degree, one in Germany working at a medical plastic production factory and one at Saab completing software development for a Microsoft HoloLens XR headset. Both opportunities have allowed me to understand where I would like my career to head once I graduate and have furthered my passion for STEM.
Put in the hours and the effort to do well, but don’t sacrifice your personal time and needs. To be successful, it is important to understand the content and not leave everything to the last minute when studying. I am notorious for overcommitting and saying yes to every opportunity that comes my way and while it can be rewarding, I now see the importance of taking time for myself and relaxing. It’s also okay to ask for help when you need it! It can be daunting to admit that you don’t know everything or can’t do something independently, but it always works out better to ask for help early.
My internship in Germany was a very important moment as it showed me first-hand the work of a mechanical engineer and stretched me as I traveled and lived by myself in a country where I didn’t speak the language. A large amount of the work I did was hands on, using tools and machines for metal work or helping to wire machines. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and was pleased it confirmed mechanical engineering was the right choice for me. Living in a foreign country was challenging and confronting to begin with, but it only got better as I made friends and became accustomed to the local way of living.
Favourite professional memory/day?
In 2019, I attended the Aerospace Futures Conference in Sydney, which was run over four days and provided some amazing opportunities to hear from and network with incredible industry speakers and other students. The conference was run by the Australian Youth Aerospace Association, which meant it was catered towards student interests and needs perfectly. I couldn’t recommend going to this conference enough as a tertiary STEM student.
One of my friends said this to me in Year 12, when I was struggling with choosing a career path that would lead me to make an impact on the world. As someone who always thinks of the big picture and how I can make a meaningful contribution to everything I do, this has stuck with me ever since.
