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Professor Tanya Monro, Australia’s Chief Defence Scientist, has won the 2019 South Australian Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership.
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The award, which is in its 15th year, highlights the contributions of women at a national, state and territory level who are advancing gender equality across Australia, with Professor Monro recognised for her abilities as a leading scientist and organisational leader.
"Defence is fortunate to have an exceptional leader in Professor Monro, who is responsible for delivering science and technology for national security," Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said.
"Professor Monro is a tireless advocate for women in science and was a founding sponsor of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) initiative, which is focused on increasing the proportion of women in senior roles in Australian universities. Under Professor Monro’s leadership, Defence Science and Technology Group has applied for Bronze accreditation with SAGE."
Formerly the deputy vice chancellor research and innovation and an ARC Georgina Sweet Laureate Fellow at the University of South Australia, Professor Monro commenced as Chief Defence Scientist in March this year.
At UniSA, Professor Monro personally funded a scheme, Research Momentum During Maternity Leave, to cover a range of ad hoc expenses to make it easier for women to manage their research commitments and the demands of a new baby.
Professor Monro was the inaugural director of the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) from 2008 to 2014 and was also the inaugural director for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Bio Photonics (CNBP) at the University of Adelaide.
Her research is in the field of photonics, with a focus on sensing, lasers and new classes of optical fibres.
The Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership also recognises Professor Monro as a role model for all women in the STEM environment and as an inspiration to others.
Professor Monro received her award on 1 August at the Leadership Symposium in Adelaide.
