This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we spoke with Dr Maiken Ueland on the responsibilities of being a woman who has climbed the ranks in science.
Dr Maiken Ueland knows more about death than most.
As a leader in the field of forensic taphonomy, she uses analytical, biochemical and spectroscopic techniques to conduct human post-mortem investigations.
In layman’s terms, she researches everything that happens to a human from the moment their heart stops beating to when they are found.
After completing a Bachelor of Science with Honours overseas, Maiken moved to Australia in 2012 to complete a PhD in Forensic Taphonomy at UTS. She studied under the supervision of Associate Professor Barbara Stuart and Professor Shari Forbes.
Now, she is the Director of The Australian Facility of Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER) and a Senior Lecturer at UTS.
‘I was really lucky with my PhD supervisors – I had two incredible women support me throughout my PhD project and beyond that,' said Maiken.
'I’ve been mentored by them throughout my whole career and I still work with them.'
Tuesday 11 February marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science – a day to recognise the existing gender gap and promote equal access and participation of women in science.
Whilst tremendous progress has been made toward increasing the representation of women in science, women are still under-represented, particularly in higher academic positions.
‘Even though we have a lot of women in roles ... if you get above a certain level, you start seeing a drop in the amount of women that are there,' Maiken said.
From early on in her PhD project, Maiken’s supervisors presented her with growth opportunities such as co-supervising students.
'I think one of the things they taught me is not only how to navigate academia as a woman, but also how to do it in a kind way and to make sure I’m lifting others up,' she said.
'I’m trying to do the same with my PhD candidates, honours and undergrad students to make sure they receive the same opportunities I had.'
Most recently, Maiken has been absorbed in disaster research following a multi-agency multi-jurisdictional training exercise hosted by AFTER late last year.
This exercise involved working through the scenario of a building destroyed with multiple fatalities, in a scene created to stimulate the aftermath of an explosion.
'AFTER is proud to be able to facilitate this type of research and training opportunities and we hope to continue to grow in this space,' she said.
AFTER Director Maiken Ueland. Picture by Grainger Film
Although Maiken works around a lot of death, she finds it a very positive experience.
‘For me, the focus is on how we’re improving what we’re doing and how we can help people get answers for loved ones and missing persons,’ she said.
‘If we can provide them answers, that’s absolutely fantastic.’
This means Maiken can go home after a long day at work and enjoy listening to a gruesome true crime podcast. If you’re wondering, Maiken’s favourite is ‘Crime Junkie’.
'It’s like the MAFS of true crime podcasts – it’s terrible and trashy but I love it,' she said.