Tessa R Smith

Research

CABAH Cadetship Program, TMAG (2024), University of Wollongong

Worked on various projects at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) including:

• Reboxing, labelling and database entry of a collection of Holocene Vertebrate Fossils from macquarie Island

• Reboxing and labelling a megafauna skeleton

• Cleaning extant vertebrate roadkill skeletons

Research Assistant (2017-2021, 2023), University of Tasmania

Worked on various projects for the Centre of Excellence in Australian Biodiversity and Heritage
(CABAH), including fieldwork collecting palaeoecological bone samples, lab work sorting and identification of subfossil bone samples, and office work doing budget management and team administration.

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Research Assistant (2015-2017), RMIT University

Performed lab work, including sorting and identification of insects collected with a sweep net, for The Little Things that Run the City project with Dr Luis Mata, in conjunction with the City of Melbourne.

You can find more info about the project here http://biodiversity.melbourne.vic.gov.au/insects/index.html

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Research Assistant (2017), The University of Melbourne

Performed lab work, including sorting and identification of light trap collected insects for Manisha Bharwaj PhD project.

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Intern (2016), University of Fribourg

Collecting data from field experiments in Switzerland, Italy and France. Managing data entry for collected data.

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Teaching

​Exam and assignment marking (2024), University of Tasmania

KPZ006: Backyard Biodiversity

Demonstrator (2020-2024), University of Tasmania

KPZ211: Population and Community Ecology (guest demonstrator)

KPZ314: Fauna of Tasmania (guest demonstrator)

​Demonstrator (2014-2016), Deakin University

SLE101: Techniques in Environmental Sciences

SLE102: Physical Geography

​Exam and assignment marking (2014-2016), Deakin University

SLE101: Techniques in Environmental Sciences

SLE136: History of Life

SLE201: Landscape Evolution

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Land Management

Parks Assistant (2010-2012), Parks Victoria

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Volunteer experience

Experience, including experience assisting PhD, Honours and Masters students with their work:

• 2022 Collections management, University of Hawai'i Manoa Insect Museum (University of Hawai'i Manoa). Photography of Noctuiidae moth collection and reorganisation of the pinned Coleoptera collection, including identifying unknown specimens to family.

• 2022 Moth collecting, Oʻahu Island, Hawai'i (University of Hawai'i Manoa)

• 2022 Tasmanian Devil trapping, Cradle Mountain (University of Tasmania)

• 2020 Camera trap installation and servicing, North-East Tasmania (University of Tasmania)

• 2019 Camera trap installation, Bruny Island (University of Tasmania)

• 2018 Bird surveys, Maria Island (University of Tasmania)

• 2017 Pollinator surveys, Huon Valley (University of Tasmania)

• 2017 Swan surveys, Albert Park Lake (University of Melbourne)

• 2013 Pitfall trapping for beetles, Dandenong Ranges National Park (Deakin University)

• 2012 Plant identification and vegetation descriptions of Alpine and Mountain Ash forest, Yarra Ranges National Park (Monash University)

• 2012 Snorkelling and collecting sea squirts, Port Phillip Bay (Monash University)

• 2012 Mangrove establishment surveys, Western Port Bay (Monash University)

• 2010 Bird identification by calls and ring tags, bird surveying methods. Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park. (Monash University)

• 2010 Installation of nestboxes for Turquoise Parrots(Neophema pulchella). GPS usage, nest box installation in trees and on star pickets, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park. (Monash University)

 

Organisational committees

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• 2024 Australian Entomological Society AGM and Annual Scientific Conference, organising committee member.

• 2018-2021 Science in the Pub Tasmania, organizing committee member. Organised monthly science communication events featuring three panelists speaking at a local pub.

• 2020-2021 Historical European Fighting Tasmania (HEFT), President/Treasurer. Tasmanian University Student Association affiliated club.

• 2020-2021 Postgraduate Society of Biological Sciences (PSBS), Vice President. Tasmanian University Student Association affiliated club.

• 2010-2013    Monash University Biological Society (BioSoc), Assistant Treasurer, Treasurer, Secretary. Monash University Student Association affiliated club.

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Science outreach

• 2024    National Science Week Tasmania, 'Vaginal Vignettes with Dr. Tiana Pirtle'. Paid speaker on the sex life of the Neotrogla cave booklouse.

• 2024    Future Science Talks: Comedy edition. Three week training course followed by an event where scientists presented standup comedy talks about their research.

• 2024    That's What I Call Science Podcast, recorded in 2023.

• 2019    Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, 'Girls Dig Dinosaurs!' event for International Women's Day. MCd the event and spoke about female Palaeontologist Mary Anning.

• 2019    That's What I Call Science radio show (thatsscience.org), guest co-host 'Episode 27: Biosecurity in Tasmania' interviewing Dr Ryan Wilkinson (Director- Biosecurity operations, Biosecurity Tasmania). In 2023 That's What I Call Science won a Eureaka Award- the  Department of Industry, Science and Resources Eureka Prize for STEM Inclusion (https://australian.museum/get-involved/eureka-prizes/2023-eureka-prize-winners/)

• 2018-2020    Woodford Folk Festival, Queensland. volunteering as a 'Roving Butterfly' providing information on local butterflies of the Woodford area, and the re vegetation activities going on at the festival site throughout the year.