Karen Eccleston
Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) and Bachelor of Science (Honours) graduate
A family background in strawberry farming, combined with a science degree, has led one USC graduate to an exciting career in research.
Karen Eccleston, a Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) and Bachelor of Science (Honours) graduate, is a Technical Officer at the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) Maroochy Research Station, where she is part of the Applied Plant Biotechnology team in the Molecular Biosciences Technologies Unit.
Karen says she chose her USC program because it covered the bases necessary to begin her career.
“USC offered the course I was most interested in, and its location on the Sunshine Coast was also an important factor,” Karen says.
“The University is an expanding campus, but it continues to keep a community feel and you are able to have close contact with academic staff.”
Karen is currently working on a project entitled ‘Plant Tissue Culture: Providing strategic support for the banana industry’.
Her tasks include conducting experiments aimed at improving the growth and multiplication of plants; helping to maintain one of the largest banana tissue culture collections in the world; and facilitating the safe entry of new banana varieties into Australia.