Staff profile: Cecilie Beatson
- Position title:
- Technical Officer
- Section:
- Herpetology Collection
- Branch:
- Natural Science Collections
- Division:
- Research & Collections
- Phone:
- +612 9320 6259
- Email:
- Contact Cecilie Beatson using the form below
Profile
A lifelong interest in natural history and a desire to work with animals led me to undertake a BSc (Zoology) at Sydney University from which I graduated in 1993. After university I found work in a number of medical research institutes as an animal attendant (NOT the kind I animal work I was hoping for!), and also as a research assistant investigating cancer therapeutics.
I later changed career paths and took on a role in border protection as an AQIS Quarantine Officer at Sydney Airport, which gave me a great insight into human behaviour if nothing else. Having considered at times the possibility of becoming a librarian, mortician or zookeeper, I was delighted to finally land a position in 2007 that embodied all three vocations - a technical officer in the Herpetology department of the Australian Museum! In this role I primarily assist the Collection Manager in maintaining, identifying and databasing reptile and amphibian specimens in the collection.
Likes:
Curation of museum reptile and amphibian specimens, particularly geckos and small elapids, fieldwork, wildlife illustration, coffee breaks
Dislikes:
Keying out small brown skinks and small brown frogs
Fieldwork:
Across the south-west and Nullabor, WA (2007)
Qualifications
BSc (Zoology) Sydney University 1993
Professional Memberships
Australian Society of Herpetologists (ASH)