IWD 2023 - Mary Whelan
This IWD, we talk to women in Bass Coast who have pursued a career in STEM.
Mary Whelan - Totally Renewable Phillip Island (TRPI)
BApp Sc Physiotherapy.
My career was in health, both public sector and private practice. I have retired from this work but maintain a connection with health serving as a Director on the Board of Bass Coast Health.
I am currently a member of Totally Renewable Phillip Island, which is a collective of individuals and organisations working for Phillip Island to become carbon neutral, and powered by renewable energy, by 2030.
When and why did you get interested in STEM?
At secondary school I was fascinated with biology. The school had a wonderful and inspiring science teacher, Mrs Prescott who brought science to life: exciting and new information which explained how the plant and animal world worked. Natural selection and photosynthesis were the first two amazing concepts I remember then being inspired by how all the organs in the body worked constantly to create a sustainable system for a human life.
What do you love about your job?
As a physio your job is to understand how the human body works and how the body is impacted if there is injury, trauma or disease. An important part of the work is to know how the body can mend, heal and adapt and this is vital to be able to explain to an injured person how this will happen, and the role of exercise in assisting this healing process.
For people who haven’t worked in health it sometimes seems it would be too sad or depressing to work with sick and injured people, but the opposite is often the case. As a physio you see the positives, the milestones, the improvements and don’t focus on the deficits but the gains. This also helps a person stay positive and inspired to work as hard as they can to get as well as possible.
Do you think it is important for more women to work in STEM?
Women just as much as men, can contribute to every facet of human endeavour. STEM careers offer challenge, opportunity for innovation and creativity, diverse and well-paid jobs. To not consider careers in STEM a person is significantly reducing their opportunity to excel, to be successful and to work in a rewarding and groundbreaking career.
What is one thing government/schools/organisations could do to increase the number of women working in STEM?
An increasing number of women are entering STEM careers but there are hurdles if/when a woman in science or research wishes to take leave to start a family. Women can be overlooked for promotion and lose their seniority. Working conditions need to be flexible to enable any parent to continue to work in some capacity and be able to care for their family.
This needs to be on show for young women choosing a STEM career path, to know in their future, family life is possible as well as a successful career.
Name a woman who inspires you, who has worked, or is working in the STEM field – and why do you admire her?
Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Professor Veena Sahajwalla is an internationally recognised materials scientist, engineer and inventor revolutionising recycling science. She is renowned for pioneering the high temperature transformation of waste in the production of a new generation of “green materials”. I met Professor Sahajwalla in 2006. She was a judge on The New Inventors (ABC) and I was one of the participants.
This year’s IWD theme is around innovation and new technology – what is one prediction you have for future technology and how it will impact our lives?
The future must include new materials which can all be totally recycled so there is no waste from packaging, containers, building materials, clothing, renewable energy solar panels and batteries.
What advice would you give to your 12-year-old self in terms of pursuing a career in technology and science?
Get your mum and dad to take you to every Open Day at every university and tertiary institute that you can, in your early secondary school years. This is to see the wide range of jobs and careers and to understand that with effort and support that you can do any job you choose. Don’t be limited by what you know your family and their friends do for jobs, or think that you are not smart enough. You are and you can get there.
