Careers and Graduate Profiles

Erin Dunkley BAnVetBioSc (2006)

ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY

After finishing school I saw a BAnVetBioSc as the perfect choice for me. Having grown up on a farm in Central Western NSW I had a great interest in agriculture, science and animal production. When I started I really didn’t know what direction I wanted to take. I have always been a country girl and seemed certain that I would stick with something in agriculture, but I got hooked on animal reproduction. I pursued this interest by completing my fourth year thesis in sheep reproduction where we tried to improve the efficiency of use of sex sorted sperm using embryo bisection and transfer. This gave me a range of research and laboratory experience that furthered my interest and ultimately led to my current career.

Since recently graduating I have started working as an embryologist in a human IVF laboratory for IVFAustralia. Many people are surprised that animal science provides graduates with the ability to work in human reproduction. I explain that animals provide a convenient model for humans. A number of my colleagues have graduated from the same degree and have enjoyed long and fruitful careers working in human IVF. I love my work. I use many of the skills I developed at university. It provides daily challenges and immense rewards. It is an area of science that is undergoing constant change and development.

The Faculty of Veterinary Science is a very social and supportive community. Students come from a range of backgrounds and experiences. Small class sizes mean you get to know everyone and by the end of fourth year you are guaranteed to have friends, study partners, and contacts for life.

Matthew Dwyer BScAgr (2006)

ANIMAL INDUSTRIES

Choosing to study animal production with the Veterinary Science Faculty through a BScAgr degree was a great starting point for my career in the agricultural industry. I chose this degree as I felt it provided a broad range of subjects with sound scientific principles. I chose to study animal production in final year, as I believed it would give me a strong foundation for working in the livestock industry. I chose to focus on reproduction and genetics, which led me on the path to my current employment.

Upon completing my degree I managed an artificial breeding centre at Jerilderie in the Riverina of NSW. This experience prepared me for my current position as LAMBPLAN Project Officer with Sheep Genetics Australia, a partnership between Meat and Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation, where I currently use genetic principles to provide Australian Sheep Breeding Values to breeders and producers to improve production within the industry.

I would recommend undertaking a BAnVetBioSc as it provides an environment where skills and knowledge for working in the agricultural and animal industries can be obtained. My advice while studying your degree would be to choose electives you enjoy, as this is when you will perform to your full potential. Most importantly enjoy the experience!

Jessica King BAnVetBioSc (2006) PhD Student

ANIMAL HEALTH AND DISEASE

For as long as I remember, I have always wanted to do something involved with animals, so when the Animal Science degree opened up in 2002 (BAnVetBioSc) combining my interests in agriculture, animals and wildlife, I realised it was perfect for me and I have had no regrets ever since. The degree provided a wide diversity of learning opportunities which were all relevant to the production, health and genetics of animals. One of the highlights of the degree was the large focus on professional and practical experience. This aspect aided greatly in applying knowledge learnt in lectures to the real world, and helped in the search for jobs. The hands on experience also made learning much more enjoyable.

After saying I would never go on to do a PhD, a project came up involving my two areas of interest, cattle and wildlife, and a large amount of field work. I am now doing a PhD in a disease called Neospora which causes abortion in cattle. I am testing the idea that wild canids including dingoes, domestic dog/dingo hybrids, foxes and possibly other wildlife could be transmitters of this disease. Through this project, I get to travel to beautiful areas of NSW and have met such a large diversity of people, forming networks that will help with my present project as well as possible future work for life after my PhD.

Claire Duggan BScAgr (2006)

QUARANTINE

I decided to undertake the animal production program as I have been interested in agriculture since early high school. The degree is very broad which I liked the sound of and the reputation of Sydney Uni is second to none, so I decided it was the best place to study.

What I liked most about the degree was fourth year at Camden, including all the social events! The small student to staff ratio meant that lecturers could interact with us more closely. The degree is very hands on and practical so you can really apply what you've learnt to the real world.

After graduating, I worked as a laboratory technician for an animal health company. I then took an exciting job interstate with a different animal health company in Melbourne. I got to travel, assisting vets with clinical trial work. I am now at the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service where I am on my first rotation at the International mail centre at Granville. There are never two days the same here! I am hoping to move into the learning and development unit one day and teach all things quarantine.

My advice to prospective students is to make the most of your 4 years at Uni because they are the most fun of your life!

Paul Sou BAnVetBioSc (2007)

MOLECULAR GENETICS AND MEDICAL RESEARCH

When I finished year 12, I wanted to do something that I liked, and I quite liked science, but I didn’t want to do just a science degree. I had also always had an interest in animals. At the time, researchers had also just cloned “Dolly” the sheep and I found this fascinating, but I didn’t want to limit myself to molecular biology alone. The Animal and Veterinary Bioscience degree allowed me to pursue my interest in molecular biology but at the same time allowed me to learn about other interests that I had which included animal conservation, animal breeding and animal nutrition. During the degree, I also began to develop a passion for other subjects such as animal structure and function.

For my honours year, my project looked at the effects of UV radiation on mice and this allowed me to get a feel for life as a researcher. As a result, I am now conducting medical research, investigating the roles of different genes which may be involved in skin cancer.

David McGill BScAgr (2006)

OVERSEAS AID PROJECT MANAGMENT

After finishing school I always wanted to work with animals and the environment and felt studying veterinary science was the only way to go. However, after failing to qualify for a veterinary degree and trying a year of environmental science I found myself majoring in animal science at the University of Sydney.

Although not being my first preference, this decision was ideal for me. The degree is a vast mix of subjects incorporating the environment and animals. This challenging degree helps students learn and develop skills that can be easily applied to any workplace situation. I found the professional work experience and excursions were some of the most fascinating, educational and fun parts of the course.

During the first three years you learn and develop strengths and interests and begin to see where the degree can take you. The fourth year, based at the Camden Campus, was easily the best year of my life so far. Although being a challenging year, completing a thesis and coursework, we always managed to find time to socialise. Throughout the year we regularly attended local trivia nights, barbeques, football competitions and various other events.

From the degree I have gained valuable knowledge and contacts which have taken me places I would never have dreamed of going. On graduation I worked for the NSW Department of Primary Industries in Tamworth for 6 months before returning to Sydney University to work in sheep research, both in the field and data analysis. I am now managing an Australian government aid project to improve dairy production in buffalo and cattle. This gives me the fantastic opportunity to live and work in Pakistan. The work is both very challenging and rewarding and will hopefully lead to similar work in other countries.

I would recommend the Animal and Veterinary Bioscience degree to anyone with an interest in animals and the environment. It is a fantastic course which teaches a holistic approach to animal production systems that can be applied to any animal science career.

Sally Isberg BScAgr (2000) PhD

"My favourite subject in High School was Agriculture. I really enjoyed learning about the biological aspects of production agriculture and decided that this should be my career path. The BScAgr degree was great, especially the last two years when I was able to specialise in Animal Science. The theoretical and practical aspects of the course were well balanced, and the lecturers were interesting and provided encouragement to their students.
Initially, I thought I wanted to work in the beef cattle industry. However, at the end of second year I completed professional experience with Professor Grahame Webb's research staff at his Darwin facility "Crocodylus Park" and I discovered crocodile production was where my real interest and future lay.

"In Third Year I completed a Biometry project which involved evaluating the differences in juvenile crocodile growth rates between parents. My Biometry project expanded into a Fourth Year thesis evaluating the same characteristic (juvenile growth rates to one year old) but using multiple years of data to create the beginnings of a selection index. The project has since developed into a PhD thesis to include evaluating reproductive characteristics of the parents and to create a progeny test to improve the efficiency of the farm in both the breeding and production sides.

I have recently submitted my PhD thesis. My project successfully achieved its desired outcome and a practical genetic improvement program can now be implemented on Australian crocodile farms. In addition, I was able to develop a parentage determination kit. This molecular genetic research has continued with a current Fourth Year student working on the first linkage map in crocodiles.

"What is 'not' fascinating about an animal that has remained virtually unchanged, evolutionarily speaking, for the last 250 million years? Crocodiles are just so uniquely adapted to their environment. It really is like working at "Jurassic Park" - the living version."