From childhood dreams to professional passion: Meet Australia’s Dr. Steph Gardner
By Grace Barbara
When asking children “what do you want to be when you grow up” you usually receive a flurry of answers that change over time until they settle on a profession in their adult life. For Dr. Steph Gardner, though, her dreams of being a marine biologist started when she was just 7 years old and since then, she has done everything in her power to chase them. When she turned 16, she became SCUBA certified and she distinctly remembers taking her first breath underwater, it was then that she reaffirmed that she would dedicate the rest of her life to understanding the ocean.
Photo Credit: Matthew Nitschke
Being from Australia, Dr. Gardner did not have to go far to find programs in marine sciences and to spend time in the field. During her undergraduate career she traveled to Heron Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef which first exposed her to working with corals. After this trip piqued her interest in coral biology, she went on to gain an Honours and PhD in coral physiology and biochemistry, understanding the chemical processes occurring in corals under environmental stressors like increased seawater temperatures. Dr. Gardner works in the field of microbial ecology, understanding larger ecological processes and interactions from a microscopic scale. Now she is exploring the role of bacteria in marine organisms like corals, fish gastrointestinal tracts, and turfing algae and how these microbes can influence host health and function across both tropical and temperate reef ecosystems.
Photo Credit: Matthew Nitschke
While Dr. Gardner shares that she been fortunate enough to have successful, inspiring, and well-rounded female and male supervisors throughout her education and career, she has still felt out of place at times, suffering from imposter syndrome – thinking she is not “smart enough” or “qualified enough” to pursue her passions. She shares an experience from 2018 here:
“I was in a room with 90 women with STEM backgrounds as part of the global leadership program, Homeward Bound. I was in awe of the calibre of scientists in the room, all of which were inspiring, hugely successful role models. The lead facilitator asked all of us in the room to stand up if we had ever felt like we weren’t good enough, or that we hadn’t deserved our ‘title’ and felt uncomfortable with recognition of our accomplishments. Every woman in that room stood up. I was honestly shocked…I learnt that no matter what your role or accomplishments, we all shared the belief that we weren’t enough.”
After speaking with girls who attend her past high school, Dr. Gardner was surprised that so many girls were passionate about STEM, but felt as though they could not purse STEM related careers. She hopes to inspire young women to continue in STEM through her outreach and education and ensure that young women in Australia know that careers in STEM are career options for them, and that they are enough; all that they truly need is a passion, perseverance, and determination. Dr. Gardner believes that we need to improve gender equity and bias and tackle these important issues to encourage more women to enter and stay in science, especially because we do not want girls growing up thinking their choices and options are limited. Dr. Gardner writes: “It’s one thing to be able to communicate your work, but a lasting and equally important impact is to show young women and girls that they too can have a successful career in STEM.”
Photo Credit: Matthew Nitschke
With corals under immense anthropogenic stressors, Dr. Gardner’s work is critically important now more than ever. The issues surrounding corals are not just for scientists, but must engage the public, as well. One of Dr. Gardner’s favourite quotes is by Baba Dioum which states: “We will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.” To her, this summarises why communicating her research to the public is so important. “Emotion and connection to an organism or ecosystem improves people’s perception of its value which has a higher chance of leading to impact and towards action,” she shares, “science and communication are not separate, I see them as a package, and one without the other does not hold the value or impact of them both combined.”
Dr. Gardner hopes that her research will make a difference in the “real-world” – driving significant changes to policy and decision making. With her research, and other research in the field of marine science, there is greater information and knowledge surrounding marine related issues, and policy makers are better equipped to make decisions towards a more sustainable future. Dr. Gardner takes inspiration from her past educators who have aided in paving the way for her successful career, but also credits Sir David Attenborough, one of the most effective environmental communicators of our time. “[David Attenborough] articulates the importance of our animals, ecosystems and biodiversity, and engages viewers to connect with these organisms/systems that they may never have the chance to [experience] themselves,” Dr. Gardner shares.
Photo Credit: Matthew Nitschke
Dr. Gardner aims to aid in closing the gender gap in academia to create a more level playing field for women in STEM and wants to help normalise the celebration of women’s accomplishments, because she believes that women tend to find it difficult celebrating themselves. Dr. Gardner writes: “We need to shine a light on those who have been successful so that future generations of women will have inspirational leads to follow.”
With her own passion, perseverance, and drive, Dr. Steph Gardner has followed her dreams of becoming a marine biologist and hopes to support girls and young women who have similar goals. Dr. Gardner’s next steps will be taking her from Australia to the Antarctic where she will be trading in her wetsuit for thermals, but she is excited for a new challenge and new environment to explore. “Never pass up an opportunity,” Dr. Gardner says, “you never know where it will lead. Even if you may be out of your comfort zone, just say yes. That’s where you will learn and grow the most.”