DR KAREN JOYCE
Senior Lecturer, James Cook University
How would you describe your work?
I believe there’s a science for everyone, you just need to know where to look! I share my experiences drawn from more than 20 years as a geospatial scientist in academia, military, industry, and small business to help people discover science beyond lab coats and test tubes. But I have an ulterior motive. I am passionate about how we can use drones and geospatial technology to watch over our environment and how it changes over time. So the more people I can inspire to join me, the faster we can put plans in place to help keep our environment healthy into the future.
What has your career path been like?
I definitely took the scenic route! After finishing my PhD in coral reef mapping at the University of Queensland, I transitioned to the Australian Army as a full time geomatic engineering officer. I later moved to New Zealand, working for the Department of Conservation (Te Papa Atawhai) to map recreation opportunities across the country, before joining GNS Science (Te Pū Ao) to integrate remote sensing into the disaster management cycle. When I started feeling a little too cold, I came home to Australia, taking an academic position at Charles Darwin University before coming full circle to work back on the Great Barrier Reef as a senior lecturer at James Cook University. I have also co-founded and work in two geospatial start-up companies – She Maps, and GeoNadir.
Do you have a funny/interesting story to share?
I worked various part time jobs as a student, one of which was as an Army Reserve soldier. I remember a particular time when a senior soldier sat me down in front of a topographic map to give me a job to do. He said to me ‘This is a map...' then proceeded to explain the north arrow, scale bar, etc. He finally asked what I did 'on civvi street' (i.e. as a civilian). I smiled 'I'm just finishing my PhD in remote sensing and mapping'. Sometimes it’s fun to be underestimated – he made sure no one ever did that again!
“Do what you love, the rest will come naturally. But if you really want to be in the geospatial industry, get comfortable with coding.”
What do you enjoy most about your job/research?
I love fieldwork and processing image data. It’s so cool to see the patterns in the land and sea country from above using a drone or satellite!
What does a typical day of work involve for you?
My days always start with exercise – this is so important for my mental and physical health. I’ll usually have at least one (though usually several) zoom meeting with students and collaborators – these can be at odd hours depending on the time zone differences as I work with people all over the world. Then I might have classes to teach, assignments to grade, data to process… so many different things!
What advice would you give someone starting out in the same field?
Do what you love, the rest will come naturally. But if you really want to be in the geospatial industry, get comfortable with coding.
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 it hard to balance the work that I want to do with that which I need to supervise. There’s so much stuff I’d like to do myself, but I just don’t have the time and I often find myself more in the role of a manager or supervisor. I often really miss the fun ‘dirty work’.
How has the field you work in changed (particularly regarding women) since you have started working?
I would say that the change is glacial. In 2020 I attended my first academic conference and was stunned to see how few women were there. In fact I did a head count in the opening plenary session, and observed 20%. I have continued that head count at every conference I attend and unfortunately, the dial isn’t shifting. I recently attended a conference where there were more Michaels, Johns, and Davids presenting than there were women. When I am in charge of a conference, workshop, or committee, I ensure we see balance (so it’s not impossible!), but getting the message to others can be a hard slog.
What do you see as the next steps forward in your field?
I’m most excited to work on my latest project – GeoNadir – which I believe exemplifies the next steps forward in my discipline. GeoNadir is an online drone data repository built under FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) where drone operators can collaborate with scientists to help protect our world’s most at-risk ecosystems. I know that we can achieve great things when we all work together and GeoNadir is a great way to facilitate that.
You can find out more about Karen’s work on her website: kejoyce.com or follow her on Twitter.