FLEET is committed to developing Australia’s next generation of science leaders, and to improving on the current imbalance of women in higher positions in STEM.
Career support for women in FLEET works towards each of these two goals, providing an environment in which early-career women can thrive and progress, growing into capable and confident leaders.
Four FLEET women were successful in securing scholarships enabling participation in the Leading Edge program offered by Women and Leadership Australia. The scholarships are part of a national initiative supporting the increased presence of women in leadership roles across key industries. They are highly competitive, and only a limited number of applicants from each organisation is eligible to apply.
Congratulations to the following FLEET members:
- Peggy Schoenherr (UNSW)
- Maria Javaid (RMIT)
- Chi Xuan Trang (Monash)
- Cecilia Bloise (UNSW)
The Leading Edge program provides practical management and leadership training, with a holistic approach to building leadership skills and mindset. This program will enable women in FLEET to increase resilience, and develop invaluable peer-support networks.
Dr Peggy Schoenherr, Research Fellow, UNSW
Peggy Schoenherr (right, UNSW) “I want to develop skills to support taking on more responsibilities for the lab, and supervising students. I see interpersonal communication skills as a cornerstone to a successful working culture and my career, particularly working in a male-dominated environment where it’s sometimes hard to be heard and to convey confidence.”
Maria Javaid (RMIT) “WLA is an opportunity for me to learn new skills and behaviours, building my capabilities in leadership, including how to engage and communicate effectively, how to respond to challenges and how to lead effectively. These skills will not only help me in my current postdoc position—which entails supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students and collaborating with experimental researchers—but also into my future career.”
Chi Xuan Trang (right, Monash) “I’m seeking to improve my skills in effectively managing projects, including effective communication with team members, and other co-workers. WLA will help me improve my leadership mindset, finding strategies to engage more effectively with team members, and providing more confidence. I believe these skills and confidence will set me up for success in my future career.”
Cecilia Bloise (left, UNSW) “I want to refine my communication skills, and explore strategies to engage effectively with my team, building on confidence grown by recently leading varied node/Centre projects, with encouragement and support from FLEET and my supervisor. In the next step in my career progression, I’m seeking to build on the new skills I’ve developed in this process, to support future projects that also allow me to work with people, gathering teams, inspiring them, and initiating change. The WLA course will allow me to continue to build skills while on maternity leave, and by allowing me to continue to support the collective growth of my team and the Centre will alleviate concerns about remaining relevant, or suffering a halt to career progression, while on maternity leave.”
To enable these talented members to take advantage of this opportunity, FLEET has topped up the WLA partial-scholarship amounts to cover the full cost of the program.