Lumen Summer 2014 - Flipbook - Page 23
stories by I a n W illia m s
f
genetics
Removing barriers
to education
Quality education for everyone—no matter what their
background—has been a key motivator for Natasha
Stott Despoja for as long as she can remember.
I
George and Jean Mayo, Professor
Mayo9s uncle and aunt, were
long-standing members of the
Genetics Department.
Variously described as a 8polymath9
and 8Renaissance man9 by former
colleagues, Professor Mayo9s main
career achievements relate to
evolutionary population genetics.
Other credits include helping to
solve a long-standing controversy in
statistics leading to global advances
in the precision of ûeld trials for
plant breeding.
After retiring as Head of CSIRO
Animal Production in 2000, he has
remained active as an Honorary
Research Fellow at the CSIRO and
Adjunct Professor of Biometry at the
University of Adelaide. He is currently
Treasurer of the Australian Academy
of Science.
Above: Professor Oliver Mayo
Photo by Chris Tonkin
t9s a subject which ûred her initial foray
into politics at high school when she
co-founded the ûrst State Council of
Students, and as a young Bachelor of Arts
student at the University of Adelaide when
higher education charges and HECS fees
were being introduced.
Through her campaigning she became
President of the University9s Students9
Association—and has been ûghting for
just causes ever since.
At 26 she became the youngest woman
ever to enter the Australian Parliament
and was the longest serving Democrat
Senator in the party9s history before
leaving in 2008 after almost 13 years.
