Date: 2009-11-12
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A Brisbane ecologist has been awarded for her outstanding contribution to supporting and encouraging other women to build a sustainable future for Queensland.
(Media-Newswire.com) -
A Brisbane ecologist has been awarded for her outstanding contribution to supporting and encouraging other women to build a sustainable future for Queensland.
Minister for Women Karen Struthers presented the Our Women, Our State Awards during a ceremony in Brisbane.
Dr Yvonne Buckley, a senior lecturer in ecology from The University of Queensland, was named the winner of the Promoting Women in Green Initiatives Award.
“Award winners like Yvonne lead by example and inspire other women who might otherwise not have considered a non-traditional career such as environmental science,” Ms Struthers said.
“It is wonderful to see women with such a passion not only excelling in their own careers, but offering their time and energy to support others to get involved in environmental and sustainability initiatives in science.”
In 2007, women made up 44 per cent of employees in full-time science-based occupations in Queensland, up from 25 per cent a decade earlier.
“While this is encouraging, I urge other young women to explore the many different opportunities the science profession has to offer and the positive contribution they can make to our environment,” Ms Struthers said.
The Our Women, Our State Awards were presented across eight categories recognising and rewarding Queensland girls and women who have made positive contributions to advancing women in traditionally male-dominated industries.
Yvonne, who was selected from a highly competitive field of nominees and finalists from across the State, received $3000 in prize money, a trophy and certificate.
The Promoting Women in Green Initiatives Award was sponsored by Griffith University.
“I congratulate all nominees in this category for their time, energy and commitment to shaping the future of tomorrow’s Queensland by promoting the importance of sustainability in science, engineering and technology,” Ms Struthers said.
“Apart from providing a very public opportunity to say thank you, these awards promote the winners as role models to inspire other girls and women to pursue their ambitions, regardless of any pre-conceived stereotypes.
“They demonstrate how women can lead the way in making tomorrow’s Queensland a fairer and smarter State, by supporting more women to study and work in non-traditional careers.
“The awards also help to boost employer and industry awareness about the knowledge, skills and new perspectives women can bring to these industries.”
The Our Women, Our State Awards complement the Bligh Government’s Toward Q2 ambitions for a smarter Queensland by encouraging more women to attain trade, training or tertiary qualifications.
For more information about the Our Women, Our State Awards, visit the Office for Women’s website at www.women.qld.gov.au or phone Women’s Infolink on 1800 177 577.
Media Inquiries: Minister’s Office 3235 4286
WINNER PROFILE:
Promoting Women in Green Initiatives Award
Dr Yvonne Buckley of The University of Queensland (UQ), St Lucia
Yvonne is an Australian Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer at UQ’s School of Biological Sciences.
She is an ecologist whose main interest involves finding sustainable solutions for environmental problems. Yvonne’s work is renowned worldwide and she has published in excess of 35 papers in the last five years. But it’s her commitment to her students that is noteworthy.
Since 1999, Yvonne has supervised countless female research students, mentoring them to achieve their research, educational and personal aims.
She actively seeks out employment opportunities in environmental science for her students and encourages them to collaborate with other scientists and participate in industry partnerships through her network of national and international colleagues.
Recently, Yvonne has involved two of her female PhD students in an Australian Research Council Linkage grant project which involved trialling management strategies for several problematic weed species in the Murray Darling region.
The support and encouragement she provides to her female PhD and post-doctoral researchers to develop innovative solutions to managing invasive plans has resulted in 13 peer-reviewed journal or conference papers being published in the past five years.
Yvonne has also mentored a number of students who have been past recipients of a Queensland Government Smart Women, Smart State Award and other prestigious awards.
Yvonne can be contacted on 07 3365 7085 or 0432 621 669.