For early career researchers, applying for jobs and fellowships can be a good opportunity to network, learn and develop new research directions with leaders in their field. There can be big benefits – even if the application is unsuccessful. As an ECR, I’ve applied for several fellowships, post-docs and academic positions, and certainly chalked up unsuccessful applications in … Continue reading
It was great to end 2014 with a Faculty of Science and Engineering Award for Excellence in Sessional Teaching from Macquarie University. These awards recognise the increasing contribution of casual academic staff. This followed winning Second Place in the inaugural Creativity and Contributions in Teaching Award (CACTA) with Matthew Bulbert in 2013 for “Identifying and Understanding Key Findings and Effectively … Continue reading
Together with Prof. Angela Moles, I’ve been working with a group of Year 7 students and their science teacher Nikki Zimmerman from Kambala to investigate how to make your Christmas tree last longer. As part of the brilliant Scientists in Schools program, Angela and I visited the students at least weekly over the last couple of months. … Continue reading
I was recently asked to answer a question for Ask Fuzzy about how carnivorous plants move to capture their prey (read all about how they do so here). I thoroughly enjoyed researching this piece and explaining the different mechanisms plants use to move. I became interested in carnivorous plants after writing a short paper about the gorgeous Western … Continue reading
Our paper, ‘Evidence for shifts to faster growth strategies in the new ranges of invasive alien plants’ is now available open-access in Journal of Ecology. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2745.12318/abstract. From the abstract: “We assessed leaf herbivory and leaf-level traits associated with growth strategy in the native and exotic ranges of 13 invasive plant species from 256 populations. Species … Continue reading
Firstly, thanks so much to the delightful Penny Morrison for sending this tour my way. What am I working on? I’m working on a picture book manuscript about Australian native orchids. Unlike popular horticultural orchid varieties, most Australian orchids are very small and hard to see, but when you do find them – WOW! – they are … Continue reading
Last weekend I spent a wonderful five days in Laurieton and Kendall on the mid north coast of New South Wales for the 2013 Watermark Biennial Muster. The Watemark Literary Society began in 2003 with the aim of bringing together Australian and international writers who write about nature and place. Ten years later, I was … Continue reading
Last week I spent a couple of days measuring eucalypt leaves from the Illawarra Fly. This attraction is a steel walkway about 500 metres long that hangs 25 metres up in the canopy. The Fly is right on the edge of the escarpment which affords amazing view towards Shellharbour. But it also provides wonderful access … Continue reading
A few months ago I was invited to host a Research Topic on plant silicon for the Frontiers in Plant Sciences (Nature Publishing Group). I’ve joined forces with Dr Jane DeGabriel to define and manage this Topic. Jane is the perfect partner as she has a strong interest in plant silicon following research on silicon in … Continue reading
Over the last semester, together with Matthew Bulbert, I have organised the lunchtime seminar series for the Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University. We have really enjoyed inviting and/or co-ordinating the visits and getting to know Dr Steven Hamblin, Dr Richard Frankham, Prof. Paul Ehrlich, Prof. Jenny Graves, Dr Brendan Choat, Prof. Peter Reich, Prof. Ute Roessner, … Continue reading
