TUSA Women’s Career Q&A (Hobart)

Dr Lila Landowski is a neuroscientist with the School of Medicine, as well as a science communicator and science advocate.

Lila is the 2015 Premier’s Young Achiever of the Year, a Tasmanian finalist for Young Australian of the Year in 2016, and a winner of the Australian Institute of Policy and Science Young Tall Poppy award in 2018. Her honorary titles include being named one of Chief Scientist of Australia’s “science superheroes,” the inaugural Patron of National Science Week for Elizabeth College, and an ambassador for public education in Tasmania for the Department of Education. Lila is a Director of the Australian Medical Research Society and Epilepsy Tasmania.

Lila regularly engages with the community as a science expert on ABC radio, through a science segment on Hit100.9 radio, at public talks, and in print and digital media. She is also the director of communications for the Australian Medical Research Society, and manages social media for the Australasian Neuroscience Society as well as her own page The Rock-at Scientist. Lila was named one of the ABC Top 5 Science Scholars in 2019.

Lila has taught into courses at the University of Tasmania for eight years, working across various subjects for Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Medical Research, Biotechnology, Pharmacy and Science students; as well as coordinating units in the Bachelor of Dementia Care. She has been awarded two of the university’s highest honours; a Vice Chancellors citation for early career teaching and a Vice Chancellors citation for community engagement.

Benita Husband is Director of Strategy at Norman Disney & Young (NDY), a Tetra Tech Company, and a member of NDY’s Group Executive.

Benita is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, and a committee member for the Victorian Division of Engineers Australia. She enjoys being involved in the industry and is a member of the Building Regulation Advisory Committee and a Science Ambassador for Museum Victoria’s Scienceworks.

Benita is passionate about encouraging more women and girls to consider STEM career options, often speaking at schools. She has been the recipient of two National Association of Women in Construction awards, and in 2017 participated in the international #Celebratingwomen campaign.

Since finishing her Bachelor degree Benita has continued to study. She completed Lighting Engineering at RMIT University in 2002, became a Registered Communications Distribution Designer in 2004, completed an Executive MBA in 2016 and Graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2017.

Louise Owen is a Sexual Health Physician who has been working in the area of sexual health for many years. She is currently the Director of the Statewide Sexual Health Service in Tasmania, based in Hobart. Her interest in sexual health and HIV began during her general practice roles at The Prahran Market Clinic and the Middle Park Clinic with Dr Peter Meese.

Louise is raising the profile of Sexual Health in Tasmania managing the service and encouraging GPs to be involved in HIV shared care. Louise lectures to Tertiary, Post Graduate and undergraduates around HIV, sexual health and related topics. She writes regularly for the gay press and sits on a number of steering committees covering matters such as nPEP, Syphilis and HIV.

Rikki graduated from the University of Tasmania with a combined Arts and Law degree with Honours in Law in 2008. She has a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and was admitted as a Legal Practitioner in the Supreme Court of Tasmania in 2009.

While working as an Adviser in the Federal Parliament, the Senate and the Tasmanian Parliament from 2010 – 2014 Rikki completed her Masters in Conflict and Dispute Resolution at James Cook University in 2012 and was a Graduate of the 2013 Tasmanian Leaders Program.

Rikki spent a significant part of her undergraduate student life at UTAS as President of the Tasmanian University Student Association Inc. (TUSA) and also worked for the University in the Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT).

Rikki was a key contributor to Professor Sally Kift’s 2007 Australian Learning and Teaching Council Senior Fellowship and in 2008 was awarded an Australian Learning and Teaching Council National Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. She also received a 2008 UTAS Citation Winner for the Vice-Chancellors Awards for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.

She returned to the University in 2015 to work with the Tasmania Law Reform Institute and Lecture in the Faculty of Law. Rikki also recently returned to the TUSA as a board member.

Jane is the CEO of Ten Days on the Island, a festival that celebrates the arts and unique culture of Tasmania as an island. She studied an Advanced Diploma of Education (1970 – 1973) at, what was then, the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education. She specialised in English, Speech & Drama. (TCAE was later renamed the Tasmanian State Institute of Technology and became part of the University of Tasmania in 1991). She converted her Advanced Diploma to a Bachelor of Education in 1989.

Jane became an education officer with the Salamanca Theatre in Education Company before moving to Sydney and Brisbane to work for theatre companies and arts funding organisations. She moved to Melbourne as the CEO of the Australia Arts Business Foundation. She became involved with Ten Days on the Island following an invitation to review the organisation which led to her being hired to implement her recommendations.

Indi has degrees in policy, law, and Antarctic studies, and a PhD in international law. Indi previously worked in maritime security roles, including the Australian Customs Southern Ocean Maritime Patrol and Response Unit, on commercial maritime vessels, and as a legal advisor.

Indi is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Tasmania, has lectured in torts law, environmental law, international law, data law and policy, science communication, political science, and Antarctic, Southern Ocean and fisheries law and policy. She has also acted in strategic communications roles, and as a rapporteur for the Antarctic Treaty and Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources Secretariats.