WOMEESA #PM Program
WOMEESA is launching a peer-mentoring program in which groups of 5 to 6 women at the same career stage and with similar interests meet once a month/bimonthly.
In this online launch event, we will have three outstanding WOMEESA members sharing their experiences in other mentoring and peer-mentoring programs. Clare Firth, Emily Finch, and Marissa Betts will talk about the challenges they have faced and the positive impacts the mentoring programs have had on their career and personal life. After this, each mentoring group will go into breakout rooms to meet each other, set up goals and organize the following sessions.
Fill out this form to be considered for the mentoring groups
Register here for this online event
Meet the panellists!
Clare Firth: Clare is an exploration geologist with experience in coal exploration and mining in eastern Australian and uranium exploration in Canada. Clare is passionate about the sustainability and longevity of the mining industry and an advocate for Women in Mining and STEM. She is currently working in the External Affairs team for BHP in Brisbane.
“Mentorships provide opportunity for great discussions and feedback from an alternative voice you might not otherwise hear. They have helped me gain confidence in my strengths and identify pathways to improvement”
Emily Finch: Dr Emily Finch shoots x-rays at stuff. Emily is a Beamline Scientist at the Australian Synchrotron and is part of a team building new machinery that will shoot a beam of x-rays at all kinds of things to learn about their structure and chemistry. Once this beamline is built, Emily will work with scientists from around the world to solve scientific problems like toxins in soil and how drugs are absorbed by the body. Emily is also a geologist, and researches ways to target critical minerals needed for technologies such as solar panels and electric cars, by studying how elements move around Earth’s crust. After completing her PhD in geosciences at Monash University, Emily worked in science policy at the Australian Council of Learned Academies and the Academy of Technology and Engineering, where she provided evidence-based policy advice to government. She was proud to work on the Women in STEM Decadal Plan – a project which ignited Emily’s passion for improving equity and inclusion for minority groups in STEM workplaces. Emily is a member of the Academy of Science’s EMCR Forum Executive and is a 2021-2022 Science and Technology Australia Superstar of STEM.
“Finding a great mentor took a bit of shopping around, but having someone who knows me, knows my aspirations, and is invested in my career has been invaluable for navigating tricky career situations.”
Marissa Betts: Marissa is a geologist, palaeontologist and Lecturer in Earth Science at the University of New England, Armidale. She leads research projects that focus on the Cambrian Period, ~538 - 485 million years ago. Marissa uses fossils of some of the earliest complex animals, in concert with other proxies, to build the geological timescale, interpret ancient palaeoenvironments and reconstruct palaeocontinents. She is also a Superstar of STEM (2021-2022), NSW Young Tall Poppy (2021), A.H. Voisey Medalist (2021) and ARC-funded researcher (DECRA22).
“Mentors are essential elements in a supportive community. Your community is what helps you succeed more than anything, so make sure to build a strong one around you.”
PLEASE FOLLOW BOTH LINKS ABOVE, so you can join the program and get to know your mentoring group at the launch