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New Dean of the Sciences assumes post

February 15, 2005

margaretsedgley.jpgAttracting students back to science is a top priority for Professor Margaret Sedgley in her new role as Executive Dean of the Sciences at the University of New England.
If the national trend away from studying science were not addressed soon Australia would “miss out as a nation”, Professor Sedgley said.
“Enrolments are falling in science across the country, and indeed the whole globe. We need to work together with government and the community to see that there are credible career structures in science with adequate remuneration,” Professor Sedgley said.
“Young people need to receive more encouragement to do science from a very early stage. By the time they get to Year 12 they need to have done the right subjects or it is too late.”

Enthusing young people about science is just one area where Professor Sedgley hopes to bring her many years of experience to bear at UNE. Engaging with the community is another. Professor Sedgley said UNE was “getting it right” when it came to liaising and involving the community.
“What I really like about UNE is the relationship with the local community, which is found here far more than at the city universities. I feel it’s very important for universities to be involved with their local communities, instead of being something aside and overly-elite.”
Speaking as a rural scientist she said the benefits of community engagement were even more obvious in rural areas.
“As a rural scientist I’ve always found that when you’re working in rural areas your work is more valued that when you’re working in the city.”
Professor Sedgley said she was looking forward to “developing new directions” such as the Primary Industries Innovation Centre, launched last week.
“There’s something in it [the centre] for just about everybody, right across the whole faculty,” Professor Sedgley said. “I’m looking forward to working with all the staff of the faculty. I see it as very much a collaborative effort with everyone pulling in the same direction.”
Professor Sedgley was born in England and grew up in Manchester. She studied Agricultural Botany at the University of Leeds and completed her PhD at the University of St Andrews. She came to Australia in 1974 to take up a two-year, post-doctoral position with the CSIRO. Two years became 11 and she didn’t leave the CSIRO until 1985, when she joined the staff at Adelaide University. In 1995 she became the Head of the Department of Horticulture, Viticulture and Oenology and last year she took up a position as Dean of Graduate Studies.
Her research interests include the reproductive biology of higher plants, comprising microscopy and microanalysis, pistil-pollen interaction, outcrossing mechanisms and breeding methodology.
Professor Sedgley said her research straddled both fundamental and applied science.
“I love applied science because it results in positive outcomes for the community. I love fundamental science because I love the thrill of finding something new that nobody ever knew before.”
It was important to strike the right balance between fundamental and applied science, she said, because “today’s fundamental science is tomorrow’s applied science”. A good mix of both was a strength of UNE’s Science faculty, she said.

Posted by Leon Braun at February 15, 2005 11:49 AM