I’m a Beamline Scientist at the Australian Synchrotron. I’m part of a team that is building a brand new Beamline that will shoot x-rays at all different kinds of samples to provide us with information about their chemistry, bond structure, and oxidation state. My background is in geoscience, so once the Beamline is built, I’ll be using it to research how metals move around the Earth’s crust.
What has your career path been like?
Geoscience was never on my radar in high school, but by chance I chose it as an elective in my first year of university and loved it so much I majored in it and then went on to do an Honours degree and PhD in geoscience at Monash University.
After my PhD, I did an internship in science policy at the Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), which led me to work in science policy for almost four years. I liked policy because I was using science to create evidence-based change at a national scale. My favourite project I worked on during this time was the Women in STEM Decadal Plan, which is a 10-year plan to attract, retain and progress women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers.
Policy work felt important and like I was having an impact, but I missed using my geological skills so decided to get back into geoscience. I then started a postdoctoral research position in a collaborative position between The University of South Australia and the Geological Survey of Western Australia, as part of the Mineral Exploration Cooperative Research Centre (MinEx CRC). In alignment with my PhD project, I was researching how metals move around Earth’s crust in fluids to eventually form ore deposits. These metals are crucial components of green technologies like wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles. It’s important to understand the processes that transport and deposit these metals so we can ensure their supply for the future.
The opportunity to work at the Synchrotron then came up, and as a Synchrotron fangirl from way back, I jumped at the chance to work with this very cool piece of scientific equipment.
What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?
No one is your competition but yourself.
What do you enjoy most about your job/research?
What I love most about geoscience is travelling anywhere in the world and being able to tell something about the geological history of that place just by what kinds of rocks are there. It’s like being able to look into the past!
“No one is your competition but yourself”
What does a typical day of work involve for you?
At the moment a typical day of work is trying to learn all things Synchrotron science. I’ve only just started this role and have no Synchrotron experience, so everything is new. It’s pretty intimidating, but most Beamline Scientists start on this level and then it’s just a whirlwind of learning lots of engineering, electronics, physics, and chemistry. It’s lucky I love a challenge!
What advice would you give someone starting out in the same field?
I highly recommend women surround themselves with a group or network of other supportive women. Celebrate each other’s wins and support each other through every challenge. These relationships will get you through anything your career throws at you. I think this is especially important for women in male-dominated fields.
Is there anything you find difficult/challenging? If so, how do you deal with this, is there any advice you have for someone in a similar position?
I find networking events horrible. There are many benefits to having a good network in your field, but achieving that through formal networking just isn’t something that I feel comfortable doing. My advice to anyone who feels the same is to buddy up at networking events, and the more you force yourself to attend these events the more comfortable you’ll be. Otherwise, there are other more organic ways to expand your network, like participating in associations in your field, attending conference field trips, joining workplace social groups, or even getting active in sharing your work on Twitter.
Where do you want your career to take you?
What I’ve loved about my career so far is that I haven’t had a proper plan and have just tried out things that interest me, so who knows where I’ll end up! Regardless of the field I’m in, I would like to one day lead a team so I can support others to achieve their career goals the way that some great mentors have supported me.
You can stay up to date with Emily’s work by following her on Twitter. Emily is also one of the current Superstars of STEM with Science and Technology Australia!