Dominique is a PhD candidate at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) and is a determined and creative systems thinker with a passion for enabling climate and environmental impact mitigation whilst aligning opportunities with farming realities. Her work focuses on advancing ecologically-smart and socially compassionate agricultural futures.
Growing up in Tasmanian perennial horticulture, completing a Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Biosciences with Agricultural Honours at La Trobe University, and currently operating a small beef farm has shaped her commitment to ethical and environmentally sensitive production.
What are you working on at the moment?
My PhD is focused on livestock greenhouse gas emissions and socio-ecological impacts from mitigation. With the support of the Meat and Livestock Australia, I have profiled beef cattle and sheep greenhouse gas emissions accounts across Australia’s regions exploring advancements in methodology and the role of private forests.
My first publication was released in 2024: Advancing quantification of Australia's beef cattle and sheep emissions accounts - Carbon sinks and emissions hot spots battle it out en route to net zero.
I am exploring farmers' perceptions of mitigating practices implemented amongst their beef and sheep systems. Drawing on social research methods, this work seeks in-depth, contextual insights into the co-benefits and trade-offs associated with mitigating practices.
This work will contribute to our understanding of mitigation adoptability and how these practices can be integrated more broadly across the industry.
What excites you the most about your PhD?
I am determined to grow my capacity to support ecologically-smart and socially compassionate agricultural futures. This PhD leverages my experience in animal science, environmental consulting and innovation research whilst extending my understanding of the multidimensional complexities of agriculture and food systems.
I get very excited about the opportunities to extend my knowledge and develop my academic skillset as well as the personal and professional learnings that come in many forms.
Can you name a highlight from your studies so far?
There have been so many highlights that have kept me going, here are a few that I have particularly appreciated and enjoyed:
- Testing my hand at student engagement and practical demonstration support, cumulating in leading a three-hour dissection practical. Developing effectiveness as science educator and communicator was on my personal PhD bucket list;
- Developing my paper through the international peer-review process. The first round of peer review was brutal, yet the reviewers had invested so much energy in tearing the narrative to shreds that I was given everything I needed to round it out produce a much stronger paper;
- Receiving a scholarship from Tasmanian Women in Agriculture to participate in the 2024 ENABLE Leadership Program.
- Participating in the elective unit Food Fights - the political economy of sustainable food systems with Professor Fred Gale from the School of Social Sciences as part of my Graduate Certificate of Research. This unit has bolstered key skills and has been a huge compliment to my PhD research that requires a multidimensional lens.
Why did you choose to study agricultural science?
I grew up in with my hands in the soil and the wind in my hair, I know what it is to love working on the land. As I furthered my education, I developed an appreciation for ecology, sustainable practices and animal welfare.
As a mother, I desire a safe and sustainable future. All these elements have combined to form a path towards sustainable agriculture.
When you’re not studying, what types of activities keep you busy?
I am a mum, running a small beef farm whilst doing a PhD, enough said. My downtime is spent fixing fences and growing food, whilst walks on the beach provide much needed rejuvenation.
My children are a major part of my work as they inspired me to consider doing a climate-ag focused PhD, as their future climate, food security and wellbeing is a huge motivator for me. They have had to invest heavily in my PhD journey, their access to my attention and presence has been vastly impacted by amount of time and energy a PhD requires. However, to counter this, I have tried to get them involved wherever possible, taking them to science and ag events (e.g. my daughter helped kids make seed bombs with me the Festival of Bright Ideas), they have accompanied a number of my field research trips, and have met a multitude of farmers, joined farm tours, and were invited by first nations elders to walk with them on sacred country.
They get to hear and see so many stories about working with and stewarding the land. They also witness their Mum working really hard to grow her capacity to contribute to a cause much greater than herself and them. Whilst this can be really hard, there is no doubt all of this will positively influence how they will grow into and perceive their worlds.
