Geoscience Australia's Graduate Recruitment Program

Alanna's Story

I joined Geoscience Australia as a graduate in 2007 after completing a PhD that was dedicated to understanding magmatic processes at volcanoes. My PhD had left me quite specialised and I thought it unlikely that a position requiring my specialised knowledge and skills would be advertised at Geoscience Australia in the near future. The graduate program provided me with an ideal opportunity to demonstrate that my skills and knowledge were much broader than my PhD specialisation and that I was willing to move into new fields and develop new skills - in short, I saw the graduate program as an ideal avenue to demonstrate my scientific flexibility.

My first rotation was in the Natural Hazard Impacts Project where I was tasked with assessing volcanic hazard and risk across the entire Asia-Pacific region - a project commissioned by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The project goal was not only ambitious but it also challenged me to the think about the consequences of volcanic eruptions - an above-ground perspective of volcanoes rather the below-ground view that I was familiar with. To achieve the goal, I had to develop a new methodology for assessing volcanic hazard and risk at a regional scale. I presented this research at the Cities on Volcanoes conference in Japan in November 2007.

I joined the CO2 sequestration project for my second rotation. Together with another graduate we were tasked with assessing the potential of the Tertiary sandstones and carbonates in the Browse Basin, Western Australia, for a CO2 reservoir and seal, respectively. This project required that I learn new skills from scratch - such as well-log and seismic interpretation - and I was fully supported to do this. In particular, this project gave me an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that I was willing and capable of moving into new fields of science.

My final rotation took me to another Commonwealth government department where I had the opportunity to see how scientific information is used in the 'real world'. I spent three months at AusAID working in the Humanitarian and Emergencies Section. This rotation opened my eyes to the complex nature of decisions and planning once you have to take into account the 'human factor' - by comparison the study of rocks is remarkably straightforward. I also had the chance to witness the impact of a disaster in a developing country (cyclone-induced flooding in Papua New Guinea) and the incredible challenges that come with a humanitarian response. My time at AusAID really emphasised to me the importance of successfully communicating hazard information to those at the coalface of disaster preparedness and response.

A particular highlight of my year was the combined graduate project on tsunami risk in north-western Western Australia. This project saw us conducting GPS surveys on warm, sun-drenched beaches in June and discussing historical tsunami events with locals. Certainly a strong theme in our graduate rotations and graduate project was the importance of making science relevant and I have enjoyed contributing to science that is driven by a real need or application.

I have no reservations about recommending Geoscience Australia as a great place to work and I highly recommend the graduate program as a great entry into the organisation. Even after a year I continue to be impressed by the scientists and the great and varied research conducted. Throughout my graduate year I have been privileged to work with a diverse group of people. From senior scientific staff and a retired volcanologist, to non-scientists at AusAID, the opportunity to work with a range of different people has been rewarding.

I am now working on the Natural Hazard Impacts Project, Geospatial and Earth Monitoring Division. I am undertaking volcanic hazard research that will contribute to reducing natural disaster risk in developing countries.