UNIVERSITY of New England lecturer Emma Doyle is one of four finalists up for the prestigious 2017 NSW-ACT Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Rural Women’s Award.
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The $10,000 bursary prize, to be announced next month at NSW Parliament House, identifies and supports rural women who have the ambition, commitment and leadership potential to make a greater contribution to our regions.
The project Dr Doyle submitted for the prize is to develop a pilot mentoring network for female agriculture undergraduates, to help bridge the industry’s gender gap and increase its retention of women.
The other finalists for 2017 are Rebecca Barnes from Ballina, Sandra Ireson from Booligal and Hayley Purbrick from Deniliquin.
NSW Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair said the finalists had been “chosen for their ambition and energy to lead positive change”.
“Each applicant has submitted a project initiative which is innovative and serves to drive growth and prosperity in regional communities and the primary industries sector as a whole,” he said.
In Dr Doyle’s project, 10 final-year undergraduates at UNE will be formally mentored by women who have graduated from the university within the past 5-10 years.
It is hoped these undergraduates will then become mentors themselves, over time increasing the community of women in leadership roles in agriculture.
Apart from the bursary, the winner will also have the chance to undertake the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course.
She will also compete for the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award later this year at Parliament House, where the winner will be awarded another $10,000 bursary and the runner-up an additional $5000.
Mr Blair said the finalists joined an esteemed alumni group of more than 40 past award winners and finalists committed to making a difference to regional communities and primary industries.
The NSW-ACT Rural Women’s Award is co-ordinated by NSW Rural Women’s Network through the Department of Primary Industries, and supported by NSW Farmers, Office of Environment & Heritage and The Country Women’s Association of NSW.