Speaker:  Dr Melanie Finch, Lecturer, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University

Abstract:  Women are lost from geoscience for many reasons, starting with adverse experiences and discrimination when they are students at university, followed by inequality in parental leave policies, and bias against them in processes around hiring, awards and recognition. Despite a recent surge in concern over this problem, numbers of women in Australian geoscience do not seem to be increasing. This seminar will look at the research that tells us why women are lost from geoscience and outline some steps to begin the process of change.

Bio:  Dr Melanie Finch is a structural and metamorphic geologist at the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University. She completed her PhD at Monash University in 2016 and then went on to an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Tuebingen, Germany before returning to Australia in 2019 in her current role. Her research focus is on links between deformation and metasomatism in shear zones, focussing on shear zones related to critical mineral deposits. Melanie is a 2021-2022 ‘Superstar of STEM’ and runs the WOMEESA seminar series, which features monthly seminars from women Earth and Environmental Scientists. As of January 2022, Melanie will become a Queenslander, joining JCU as a lecturer.

About JKMRC Friday Seminars 2021

Welcome to the 2021 Series of the JKMRC Friday Seminars.  The list of presentations will aim to cover a range of topics related to the minerals sector from decision making in exploration, new mineral processing technologies, social licence to operate and mine closure.

The JKMRC Friday Seminars will be presented both in person, at the Indooroopilly Mine Site Lecture Theatre, and also as webinar.  Registration for the webinar is required and can be made via the registration link in each seminar overview.

A large number of past webinars can be accessed on the SMI website: https://smi.uq.edu.au/webinars

Previous seminars have been uploaded to YouTube via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/user/smiuq

The final seminar in the 2021 series will be held on Friday 22 October.

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