My Story - Helen Anderson
7 May 2024, 12pm - Zoom
My Story webinars, where you can hear New Zealand women in science speak about their roles, their personal highlights, and their tips for success in a STEM career.
Speaker: Helen Anderson
"My career so far has been a wonderful dance through the magical world of science, technology and research. I began as a geophysicist with DSIR and then went on to do my PhD at Cambridge University in seismology, followed by a Fulbright scholarship. Making sense of large earthquakes remains my passion even though I’m no longer an active researcher.
In my early 30s I was given wise advice to pick up leadership roles so that I could help create an environment in which other scientists might thrive, and that remains my purpose.
I have held a number of subsequent positions, including Chief Scientific Adviser and then Chief Executive of the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology. In those roles I needed to ensure that government policy (eg GE, cloning, SKA) was evidence-based, and I was able to tap into the expertise and insights of many researchers across many disciplines, including Mātauranga Māori. That was a huge privilege.
Since leaving government in 2010 I have been involved in governance (including chairing) in the science, technology and creative sectors, for instance the boards of Scion, NIWA, Antarctica NZ, BRANZ, DairyNZ and others. I was Patron of the NZ International Science Festival for several years and I still keep up with what’s going on through my former research colleagues in Cambridge and the US. Science and technology continue to light my fires every day."
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Thanks to support from Plant & Food Research
