I’m a senior scientist in ecological modelling at the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, and an honorary senior fellow at the University of Melbourne.
In my research, I aim to engage directly with the environmental management challenges faced by practitioners and agencies. My work is informed by decision science, and I draw broadly from mathematics, statistics and programming to develop a deeper understanding of the problems we face and propose workable solutions.
Through my roles at universities and now at DELWP, I have partnered with government agencies, NGOs and community groups on issues of threatened species conservation, invasive species control and sustainable natural resource management. I love to collaborate – with ecologists and other environmental specialists, with practitioners with local ecosystem and operational knowledge, with economists, and with fellow mathematicians and statisticians.
Projects I’m currently working on include:
- Maximising the benefit of emerging technologies for ecological survey with Jos Moore, Sandy Liebhold, Andrew Robinson, Emma Bennett, John Weiss, Gurutzeta Guillera-Arroita, Agriculture Victoria, Parks Victoria, the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage, NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and the Plant Biosecurity CRC
- Improved methods for biological control decision-making with Greg Lefoe, Libby Rumpff and Agriculture Victoria
- Optimally incorporating periodic reassessment into conservation investment with Chung-Huey Wu & Mick McCarthy
- Investigating gendered patterns in promotion and retention of ecologists at Australian universities with numerous co-authors listed here
Hi, I’ve just read your paper on authorship gender gaps after it was referenced in a recent editorial gender inequity in academic promotions. First I’d like to thank you for the research and publication of your findings in publications. The reason I’m reaching out is I haven’t found many women that are actively doing research in their field while also conducting research in diversity, equity and inclusion(DEI) in STEM fields.. How did you get to this point in your career where your thoughts/findings in your area of expertise are valued and published, but do not hinder you from conducting DEI research? I am currently a masters chemistry student conducting research in a medicinal chemistry lab, but have an interest and passion for DEI research in STEMed and STEM careers. I have been criticized for placing too much importance in my TAship or for caring too much about non lab related research, but teaching and education are just as important to me as my work at the bench. I fear assigning importance to my passions in education will hinder me from excelling in organic synthetic chemistry because it will automatically reprioritize my chemistry research endeavors in the eyes of my future evaluators (eg. competitive, research intensive PhD program application reviewers). Any thoughts or advice would be tremendously appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jayce
Hi Jayce,
Thanks for your note! I feel somewhat unequipped to respond in a satisfying way. First, I gather that you might be based in the USA, where the structure and expectations of graduate studies and academic research differ from my experience in Australia. Second, I’m no longer employed within the university sector myself.
I got involved in DEI service work and research ‘side projects’ foremost because I cared about them, as you do. After a few years, a subset of those activities developed into tangible academic ‘service’ I could list on my CV, though I suspect my CV might look more competitive if I’d put that time into my primary research discipline.
A lot of the academic advice/mentoring I received was focused on what I needed to do to be an optimised, competitive academic and I have had to temper that with my own goals and values for my career (which my mentors didn’t always understand), and my own goals and values for how my career fit into the rest of my life. Mentors that can hear and reflect on all of these dimensions are rare and special!
If you can figure out ways to describe your DEI efforts in terms that the academic system values, that will help. Even if that’s not possible, I hope you’ll weigh up their importance in your life and make space for them. Unfortunately, the current academic system doesn’t consistently reward/promote all the combinations of research, teaching and service that people want to do. I think this tends to perpetuate existing inequities, and it may influence your future opportunities in ways that are difficult for you and I to predict. It’s tough to figure out how to do the best by both your current and future selves, and I wish you the best as you tend to both.
Wow, THANK YOU for the thoughtful response and good advice. Yes, I am based in the USA. It is encouraging to hear finding a balance of passions for different research projects may difficult, but not an unrealistic goal.
Hopefully as DEI service projects among basic science researchers and academics become more important in providing information from the inside of STEM fields, conducting side projections will too become more valued and even rewarded. Issues that arise from lack of diversity, equity and inclusion in education and especially senior level positions post grad are charging the environment in STEM so it can only be a matter of time before major change is sparked and everyone will sort of be forced to bring their attention to the issues within their own discipline.
I appreciate your time and am beyond grateful for the path you are helping to carve for future scientists with a flare for service projects.