Melbourne School of Engineering advertises academic roles for women

The University of Melbourne’s School of Engineering is seeking women of exceptional calibre to fill five lecturer positions across all engineering and computer science disciplines.

At present, women represent 22 per cent of the current engineering academic staff. To drive systemic change towards gender equity and provide an inclusive working environment, Melbourne School of Engineering is working to lift the representation of female academics to at least 30 per cent by 2022.

Melbourne School of Engineering Dean Graham Schaffer said engineering is a traditionally male-dominated field that needs to be much more balanced to reflect modern society.

“In the University where the exploration of ideas, thought leadership and curiosity is fundamental to our teaching and research performance, improving the representation of women is clearly necessary to further develop the School as a world leading centre of excellence for teaching and research in engineering and computing,” Professor Schaffer said.

“We are committed to remedying this gender imbalance and providing a supportive environment where women in academic roles are empowered to achieve their aspirations.”

Melbourne School of Engineering currently has several gender equity initiatives, including International Research Fellowships, Visiting Fellowships, family assistance grants, and a dedicated mentoring program to support the growth of women in academia.

Melbourne School of Engineering PhD student Jess Vovers said it’s fantastic to hear that the School is taking steps to address these issues of inequity in STEM.

“It's so important for young people to have a variety of role models, and I think improving gender representation is a great start,” Ms Vovers said.

“I hope that this allows us to begin to create a community where people of all backgrounds and intersections of identity feel that they belong and are empowered to do their best.”

University of Melbourne Provost Mark Considine said that the University is committed to remedying gender imbalance and fostering an inclusive environment across STEMM.

“Through its participation in the Athena SWAN initiative, the University also has an overarching strategy to boost the representation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine, including professoriate and senior leadership levels,” Professor Considine said.

For more information about the positions or to apply, visit jobs.unimelb.edu.au.