Paving the way for a science career
As a young girl searching for ladybeetles and butterflies around her suburban Darwin backyard, Rachel Meldrum was on her way to becoming a leading Australian plant biosecurity scientist.
Rachel, a CRCNPB PhD student recently won the prestigious title of the 2009 Northern Territory's Young Australian of the Year. In an arena where generally sporting celebrities and social workers are recognised, Rachel was anonymously nominated for her contribution to science in the Northern Territory.
Rachel's interest and enthusiasm in science began from an early age. She was inquisitive about nature, and how the pieces worked together to bring a complex, yet beautiful environment. In particular, Rachel wanted to investigate plants and how they grew and contributed to this intricate environment.
To learn more about science, Rachel became a member of CSIRO's Double Helix Club, becoming an avid reader of their newsletters as well as other books on science.Her self motivation to pursue science as a career is a reflection of her enthusiasm for discovering the unknown and challenging current theories. Throughout high school, Rachel excelled at all sciences including biology, physics, chemistry and also maths.
At Charles Darwin University she studied a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Biochemistry and Chemistry and First Class Honours in Plant Health. She was certainly on her way to a successful career. After graduation, Rachel began a two-year traineeship with the Northern Territory Government with placements in plant health and even a stint in fisheries where she managed her own research project.
This award is not Rachel's first award. She is highly decorated for a student of such a young age winning the 2007 Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Young People in Agriculture Award. In April 2008, Rachel also won Northern Territory Young Achievers Award in the Science and Engineering Category.
Rachel began her PhD with the CRCNPB in February this year and is researching how the exotic plant disease (Fusarium wilt) is spread in the banana industry, and will also develop alternative strategies to minimise the economic and social impact of possible incursions.
Perhaps the most poignant part of Rachel's research is her commitment and local passion for the place she grew up and calls home - the Northern Territory. Rachel hopes that her research will provide positive outcomes for the Northern Territory banana industry through impact management and improved on-farm practices.
Overall, Rachel's research is fundamental to sustaining Australia's healthy banana industry and we wish her the very best of luck in the Young Australian of the Year Awards Ceremony in January 2009.
More about Rachel's award
More about Rachel's research project
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