Team Haswell are a dedicated group of Biology undergraduates, Museum Studies Masters students, Museum Curators and Biologists. Together we are working to digitise the unique and invaluable University of Sydney Haswell Zoology Museum.
| Richard Dimon | Marion McCann | Brittany Mitchell | Ingred Cook | Rosalind Hinde | Kerry Grant | MoMo Newberry | Andrew Herman | Lindsey Gray (Project Manager)| Rosanne Quinnell (Project Lead) |Heather Sowden (Curator) | Jude Philp | Geoff Gray | Youseph Ibrahim |
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I am currently volunteering at Project Haswell with the digitising and updating of the collection. I am in my 3rd year studying a Bachelor of Science in Plant science and Biology at the University of Sydney. My roles in the project include the reclassification of taxonomic ranks of specimens found within the collection, digitising and updating the online database of the museum, and photographing and cataloguing samples. My interests include bushwalking, nature, wildlife, animals and plants. In particular, I have a large interest in orchids, being a member of 6 different orchid societies. This includes a large collection of several thousand plants, as well as breeding and propagation programs producing new hybrids. Other random interests I have include marine reef aquariums and athletic hammer throwing. I am also a keen photographer, particularly in macro and landscape photography and want to travel after my degree to further peruse this interest. I want to undertake postgraduate study, most likely with honours, eventually pursuing a career in biology and botany.
I am a Masters of Museum and Heritage Studies student intern working on the Haswell Project. I currently work for Sydney Living Museums at two of their historic houses, so working on digitising skeletal and wet specimens has been a change, but also an exciting new challenge. On the project I have been working with my fellow intern Ingrid to photograph, measure and note the condition of each specimen for the collection database. As someone with little to no zoological background it has been interesting to see and read up on William Haswell, his passion for teaching and the objects in the collection. In my free time I enjoy reading, the occasional cross-stitch project and taking an exorbitant amount of photos of my two cats
I’m currently completing my third year in a Bachelor of Science here at the University of Sydney, majoring in biology and immunology. I have an enormous love for frogs and you’ll often find me hunting for them late at night around the Sydney area. I don’t really have many hobbies but I do love the odd game of ten pin bowling. My role in the Haswell Project is to update and revise the taxonomic classifications of the various specimens within the collection, as well as aid in the photography of said specimens. In my ‘spare spare’ time, i.e when I’m not studying, catching frogs, or in Haswell, I volunteer in the cane toad lab investigating phenotypic plasticity and evolution of the cane toad. I plan to go onto honours and eventually complete my PhD. The big dream is to conduct research regarding chytrid fungus and engineer a vaccine against it for our fellow amphibians!
I am a student intern on project Haswell. I am currently undertaking my last semester of a Masters of Museum and Heritage Studies at Sydney University. My main interests lie in the field of classical archaeology, however I have discovered an interest in zoological material, and I am really enjoying the time I am spending with the mixture of objects in the Haswell collection, especially the brains. I am currently helping to digitise the Haswell collection by photographing the material and entering observations about their condition into the database that is being created. I also volunteer in the museum sector on weekends, and I am hoping to work full-time in the museum industry once I complete my Masters.
I am a massive fan of chocolate, and a total cat-lover with 1 cat and 2 kittens. I am attempting to get fit and I have a weakness for cute dresses.
My first contact with the Haswell collection was as an undergraduate, majoring in Zoology. Our labs were wonderfully enhanced by materials from the collection. As Head of the School of Biological Sciences in the noughties, I learned of the difficulties in caring for this valuable material. I am really glad, now, to be able to help give Haswell’s collection a sustainable future. My own research interests are in the physiology of symbioses between animals and microorganisms. My PhD was on the intracellular symbiotic bacteria of aphids; I also taught in Agricultural Entomology. As a post-doc in Oxford, I had a fascinating opportunity to work on the association between sea slugs and the chloroplasts of their food algae. The chloroplasts not only survive inside the animals’ digestive cells for several months, but photosynthesize and provide food to the animal cells they are “living” in. Back in Sydney I worked on symbiotic algae in corals and other cnidarians. I also worked on symbioses of sponges. I have now retired and spend a lot of time gardening and looking after our very old house, as well as reading (frivolously).
Having an insatiable curiosity for living things past and present, I gravitated towards the Haswell project to be immersed in zoological specimens and assist with digitising the collection. After gaining my Bachelor of Arts in London I worked in the financial sector which brought me to Sydney in 2010. This year I decided to take a break to explore other directions, including postgraduate study and knitting. Volunteering at Haswell has given me the opportunity to liaise with wonderful people, broaden my Biology knowledge, and work closely with a diversity of charming creatures. It would be impossible to choose favourites, though I do have a penchant for lobsters.
I’m a second year student at the University of Sydney, completing a Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology. My role in Project Haswell is to assist with the Collection Management and Curation of some of the incredible specimens we have here. I’m fascinated by most of the living world and will often drift off mid conversation to chase an insect or stare at some plants, so don’t take it too personally if this happens to you. I have a few animals at home; a cat (who I have taught to sit), a dog (who is well trained in eating others food), a phasmid and a python! Later in the year I’m hoping to add some Shingleback lizards to our cuddly family. As is plainly obvious, I love my animals and would love to do more study in the area of zoology, and hopefully do an honours project in this area in the future!
I am currently finishing my Master’s in Wildlife Health and Population Management at the University of Sydney. My main interest is wildlife conservation and the role of emergent infectious diseases in areas of high biodiversity that are experiencing encroachment pressures by human populations. There are a lot of species we are currently losing and with them the valuable knowledge they hold that may be lost forever. The Haswell museum is an important resource which allows students and the public to get exposure to the preservation of the past, and hopefully, imparts a lasting impression to why conserving our future is so important. My other interests include photography. One role I have on Team Haswell is helping to re-catalogue the expansive collection the museum holds; through photography. I find it an invaluable experience that helps me work towards developing many of my interests.
I am a biologist with a passion for science communication. My research interests are in the nutritional ecology, conservation management, and life-history evolution of birds and insects. My role in Project Haswell is to manage, supervise and motivate our amazing volunteer team and keep the project on track. This includes recruiting and training our volunteers in technical photography, specimen handling and records management. I’m also responsible for creating and maintaining the FileMaker Pro database of the Haswell collection, including updating antiquated taxonomy, identifying specimens, and managing digital records. This database will form the basis of an online and sharable virtual Haswell Museum database which Rosanne is currently working on. It is a real honour to be continuing Haswell’s legacy.
I am a biologist and I am fascinated by plants, which may seem a bit strange to find me as the Project Lead for the Haswell Digitisation Project Team Haswell. I am on this team as I am committed to offering undergraduate students opportunities to work as partners on eLearning projects. I have had considerable success with the approach on the CampusFlora project, which resulted in the development of App system to maps the plants on our university campus: webApp, iOS, googleplay. I view the Haswell project as the sister project to CampusFlora. @ah_cue, @CampusFloraOz
Hello, I am Geoffrey Gray. My “working life” seems to have ended after 54 years of accounting and auditing at Australian Iron and Steel Port Kembla, in Zambia Africa, for the coal industry in the Blue Mountains, and in a family owned business with my eldest son. I have always been inspired by my daughter’s career in science and when the opportunity arose to assist at the Haswell Museum it was meant to happen. It is a great opportunity to participate in a fascinating new experience. My current interests are re-writing a family history book, Australian and African history, touring the countryside, and photography.
Heather is the Haswell Museum curator. Heather is also a Senior Technical Officer for the School of Life and Environmental Sciences.
I’m the Senior Curator for the Macleay Museum, my background is cultural anthropology but I mostly work on 19th century history. I find the Haswell collection really interesting in relation to Macleay collections. As a professional scientist Haswell was part of a ‘new breed’ of University-based zoologists interested in evolution; while William John Macleay’s zoology was anchored in taxonomy and questions of classification. Although both collections were assembled for teaching at the University of Sydney, the ways that material is displayed, the choice of specimens and the geographical range you can see in both are really telling of the different periods of zoological history. Macleay mentored the young Haswell and I’m looking forward to finding out more about their work together as the Haswell project progresses.
I am a volunteer with team Haswell in charge of the microscopy aspect of this project. My role in this project is to capture images of the vast collection of microscope slides within the Haswell collection. I am a very keen first year Biology and Geology student and am very excited to get first hand Biology experience working here. I’ve grown up internationally, living in a lot of different countries, the majority of the time being spent in Slovenia and Jordan. I love the thrill of exploration in both physical and academic ways. I’m fascinated by the Earth and all the critters that wander it which is why I’m studying what I am.