Environmental science wasn’t always on the cards for Lindsey Frost. In fact, when she finished high school, a life on the musical stage was firmly in her sights.
“When I first left high school, I studied to be a classical flautist,” she said, “However, it was a career I chose to forego in the end. After that, I spent some time working in finance, and then in human resources.”
It wasn’t until her late twenties that she found something that really made her tick.
“I’ve always had a curious mind, so I decided to enrol in a Bachelor of Environmental Science at UNE as an online student while working full-time in HR.
“I’m never happier than when I’m in a river, stream, lake or wetland, so once I realised I could do science in freshwater environments, there was no going back.”
With a partner and two young children at home, Lindsey’s undergraduate study was mostly done part-time while she was living in Stanthorpe, Queensland. With the undying support of her family paired with the flexibility offered by UNE, she eventually made it to the end of her Bachelor’s degree.
“The exceptional support and access to staff provided by UNE’s online model of learning has been integral to me being able to complete my studies. I simply could not have chosen to study if I had to attend in a full-time campus-based setting.”
After some time working in the industry, Lindsey’s curious mind got the better of her, catching the study bug once again.
“I thought, ‘I managed to do my undergraduate degree with the children – how much harder can a PhD be?’” she laughed, the naivety of that statement now clear to her. “So, I set myself a goal to have it completed by the time the kids start high school, and off I went.”
At the end of January this year, six years since making the pledge, she hit ‘submit’ on her thesis – just in time for her daughter to start Year 7.
“It was a long and difficult journey in many ways, but also extremely rewarding. I said I have a curious mind and, although the work can be hard and there can be plenty of setbacks, the freedom to ask a question deeply about a subject that I care about was really wonderful.”
Throughout her PhD, which focussed on understanding how food webs in wetlands respond to different inundation patterns, Lindsey worked part-time as a Junior Research Fellow with UNE’s Aquatic Ecology and Restoration Group. Now, she’s excited to continue working with the group on a full-time basis.
“We have some really exciting projects in the Murray-Darling Basin related to environmental water management so it is a dream job really. We’re a core group of like-minded people who have a passion for aquatic ecology and it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to pursue our passions together.”
Image: Lindsey Frost catching specimens in UNE's Lake Zot
As for what she’d say to others wanting to dip their toes into postgraduate study, she has a few pieces of advice.
“Ask yourself why you want to do this. It’s not a glamorous journey – have a good reason! For me personally, status is not that reason. Someone actually gave me the same advice early on and he said ‘Remember that it’s like a club. When you don’t have a PhD, it is really important to get one to join the club, but as soon as you’re in, everyone has one so you’re not special.’.
“Someone else very wisely told me, ‘You don’t have to be smart to do a PhD, you have to be stubborn.’ THAT was very true! So, have a good reason, be prepared to fail repeatedly – if this was easy someone else would already have done it, and pick something you love enough to stick with.”
You can read more about Lindsey’s research here.
