Women in Science
At the Department for Environment and Water we have some highly successful and respected women in science working with us. They contribute to the state in a diversity of ways, whether in the office or out in the field, working across marine science, water, ecology and wildlife management.
Melissa White is a Freshwater Ecologist who studied freshwater turtles in the desert and now works in Water Policy. Mel visited Antarctica in 2018 as part of Homeward Bound where she was stimulated to consider questions such as: “What if men and women led our world in equal measure – would our world and the decisions we make on behalf of future generations be different?”
Jamie Hicks is a Marine Biologist who studied sharks at university, and worked as a dive master in Central America before eventually ending up at DEW where she is often driving the boat or the truck in the middle of nowhere, deploying Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS) or diving and counting fish underwater.
Angela Pestell is a Wildlife Ecologist who spent her honours year investigating the genetics, diet and nesting habits of western pygmy possums (Cercatetus concinnus) in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park. She’s recently been involved with a koala fertility control project, where DEW and Zoos SA have refined a hormone implant procedure for female koalas that can be performed at the base of the tree without the need for anaesthesia. As part of the project she has been trained in the implanting process and learning how to handle koalas.
Sophie Bass is an Ecologist who discovered 19 new species of trapdoor spiders during her PhD, and even had one species named after her. Sophie now works supporting volunteers who are doing amazing on ground work on conservation initiatives in our parks and reserves.
