Continuing on … my academic life in Australia

So, in my last blog, I reintroduced myself and provided some of my background. I’ll pick up where I left off and talk a bit about what I have done since completing my PhD.

I emigrated from South Africa at the start of 2012 to take up a position as an associate lecturer at James Cook University (JCU; Fig. 1) in Cairns, Australia. The University campus is beautiful, nestled at the base of Saddle Mountain, which is comprised of complex notophyll vine forest, or in the vernacular, rainforest that has experienced a bit of disturbance from selective logging in the past. Cairns campus is small, only about 3000-4000 students or so, although JCU as a whole is quite large if you take into account Townsville campus, Singapore campus and the subsidiary study centres in places like Mount Isa and Mackay.

Fig. 1. Aerial view of James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia

I was employed as a first year coordinator, so one of my primary roles is facilitating the transition of students into University life. In addition, I also lecture and coordinate into first year Diversity of Life, which covers plants, animals and fundamental biological processes, and second year Evolutionary Biology. I coordinate all practical laboratories and tutorials for these subjects. I also taught into first year Introductory Ecology for 4 years, but did not teach this in 2016, as all staff in my group were semesterised for one year to allow us to focus on research or other activities. At the end of 2016, I also taught into a field-based course, Field Studies inthe Equatorial Tropics, which takes students to Danum Valley in Borneo (Fig. 2), home of orang-utan Pongo pygmaeus (Fig. 3), which was a really fantastic experience!

Fig. 2. Suspension bridge into the rainforest at Danum Valley

Fig. 3. Orangu-tan Pongo pygmaeus

Besides my teaching activities, I also provide service to the University in other ways. I am a member of the Undergraduate committee, as well as an animal ethics monitor. I am an Open Day coordinator, and am actively involved in engagement with prospective students at a variety of information evenings and days held by the University. I am an academic advisor for the Collegeof Science and Engineering, with one of my jobs in this role assisting students with study plans. I am also a part of the timetabling team. I am also an active member of one of JCU’s research centres, the Centre for Tropical Environmentaland Sustainability Sciences (TESS), which is directed by Distinguished Professor Bill Laurance (Fig. 4). I am the theme leader of Education, Training and Capacity Building of this group.

Fig. 4. Distinguished Professor Bill Laurance

But it doesn’t end there. Stay tuned for more about my research activities, some of which are featured in my publications on my blog. You can also find me on ResearchGate or the James Cook University website.