Two members of the School of Public Health have been honoured by the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA).
In 2020, public health has never been more important; as a non-clinical field of health, public health practitioners work to prevent disease and injury, and improve health across populations.
Working as practitioners, researchers and educators, public health professionals are a vital part of our national and international approach to health and wellbeing.
Two members of the School of Public Health have been honoured at this year’s Annual General Meeting of the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) [opens external link].
Associate Dean (International), Professor Angela Dawson was elected as a Fellow of the Association, for her contribution to both the Public Health Association of Australia, and to the field of public health.
Head of the School of Public Health, Professor David Sibbritt was named Mentor of the Year, for his outstanding dedication to mentoring early-career professionals, practitioners and students.
Meet Professor Dawson and Professor Sibbritt, and learn more about their experiences in public health.
Professor Angela Dawson
Looking back on your career so far, what were some of the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?
One of the key challenges in public health is to translate evidence into policy and practice to reduce health inequity and save lives. Achieving this requires a strong team of committed and talented individuals and connections to decision makers at local, national and international levels. I have been lucky to be part of such a team who secured funding to effect change to improve reproductive health in humanitarian emergencies.
What is one change you would like to help create in the next few years?
I am a strong advocate for universal access to health care and ensuring comprehensive services across the continuum of care for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health. One thing I would like to see is co-ordinated investment in delivering evidence-based care especially for priority populations. I would love to be part of achieving this with researchers, health professionals, leaders and communities.
What advice do you have for those who are beginning their careers in public health?
Identify what area you are passionate about in public health, find a good mentor and develop some strategic relationships. Be bold and develop a “never give up” attitude.
Professor David Sibbritt
How can having a good mentor impact an individual’s approach to their career in public health?
Fundamentally, a good mentor can help you work to your best potential and give you the confidence you need to progress in your career path. A mentor does this by helping you manage the direction of your career through career and goal planning and by helping you acknowledge and overcome your strengths and weaknesses, which will promote a quicker learning process and professional development.
Has being a mentor to early-career professionals helped you become a better public health academic? If so, how?
Yes, it has. Typically, I have mentored younger mentees, which has given me the opportunity to better understand how younger generations see things – and new perspectives can often lead to fresh ideas. Being a mentor has helped me hone my communication and listening skills. Mentoring has also provided me with an opportunity for self-reflection, giving me deeper insights into my own learning path and achievements. I also think that being a mentor has helped me develop my leadership skills which in turn has helped prepare me for more advanced management roles.
What advice do you have for those who are beginning their careers in public health?
The key to a successful career is to find a good mentor. You need a trusted advisor who can provide you with support, share their experiences, challenging you, and help you develop a plan that will allow you to achieve your career goals. For your mentor to be able to do their role well, it is important that you set some meaningful career goals; both short-term and long-term goals. Through the process of setting and achieving career goals it also provides you with the added benefits of increased job satisfaction and higher self-esteem. Something else your mentor can help you with is to build your professional networks. A strong professional network can help you develop and improve your skill set, stay up-to-date with the latest advances in your profession, meet prospective partners/collaborators and gain access to the necessary resources that will foster your career development.
Congratulations to Professor Dawson and Professor Sibbritt on these incredible achievements.