Register      Login
Pacific Conservation Biology Pacific Conservation Biology Society
A journal dedicated to conservation and wildlife management in the Pacific region.
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > PC > PC23033
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 30(1)

A biography of professor Jenny Davis: a scientist with a passion for freshwater ecology

Patricia L. Kennedy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2090-1821 A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Oregon State University, Union, OR 97883, USA. Email: pat.kennedy@oregonstate.edu

* Correspondence to: pat.kennedy@oregonstate.edu

Handling Editor: Graham Fulton

Pacific Conservation Biology 30, PC23033 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC23033
Submitted: 19 July 2023  Accepted: 12 November 2023  Published: 11 December 2023

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Jenny Davis was among the first small, but significant tranche of women field biologists in the Pacific Region. She was born in Tasmania and developed a fascination with freshwater systems at an early age. Despite the paucity of female role models, freshwater ecology evolved into her research career track at the University of Tasmania where she completed her Honours degree (Zoology; 1976) and PhD (Freshwater Ecology; 1981). Jenny started her first academic position as a Tutor at Murdoch University in 1985. She successfully moved through the academic hierarchy where women continue to be under-represented in the senior ranks. She recently (2021) retired from her administrative and teaching responsibilities at Charles Darwin University (CDU) and approaching 70, is currently a Professor of Freshwater Ecology at CDU. An over-arching theme of her research is to understand the factors influencing the persistence of groundwater and surface water ecosystems. She has worked on the impacts of multiple stressors on springs, wetlands and arid zone waterbodies. She serves as a compelling role model for young scientists struggling to have a satisfying work-life balance. Jenny single-parented a son while conducting field work, teaching, publishing, serving as an academic administrator and being a prolific and successful grant writer. Jenny was also an exceptional mentor to a diverse group of students and post-docs, many of whom have thriving careers in academia, government and industry across Australia. This paper is a biography of a woman who with talent and persistence successfully broke gender barriers in Australian freshwater ecology and academia.

Keywords: academia, aquatic invertebrates, arid waterbodies, biography, Sclerocyphon, freshwater ecology, water pennies, women in science.

References

Aspland T (2006) Changing patterns of teacher education in Australia. Education Research and Perspectives 33, 140-163.
| Google Scholar |

Boulton A, Brock M, Robson B, Ryder D, Chambers J, Davis J (2014) ‘Australian Freshwater Ecology: processes and management,’ 2nd edn. (Wiley Blackwell Chichester: West Sussex, United Kingdom)

Brim-Box J, Davis J, Strehlow K, McBurnie G, Duguid A, Brock C, McConnell K, Day C, Palmer C (2014) Persistence of central Australian aquatic invertebrate communities. Marine and Freshwater Research 65, 562-572.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Curtis W (1956) ‘The student’s flora of Tasmania. Part 1. Gymnospermae. Angiospermae: Ranunculaceae to Myrtaceae’. (Government Printer: Hobart, Australia)

Davis JA (1986a) Revision of the Australian Psephenidae (Coleoptera): systematics, phylogeny and historical biogeography. Australian Journal of Zoology 119(Supplement), 1 97.
| Google Scholar |

Davis JA (1986b) Boundary layers, flow microenvironments and stream benthos. In ‘Perspectives in Australian Limnology’, (Eds WD Williams, P DeDeckker) pp. 293–312. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne, Vic., Australia; Dr. W. Junk Publishers: The Hague, The Netherlands).

Davis JA (1996) Aquatic ecosystems in central Australia: comparison of recent records of fish and invertebrates with those of the Horn expedition. In ‘Exploring central Australia: society, the environment and the 1894 Horn Expedition,’ (Eds SR Morton, DJ Mulvaney) pp. 282–286. (Surrey Beatty and Sons: Chipping Norton, NSW, Australia).

Davis J (2018) From dragonflies to Facebook: digital disruption creates new opportunities for wetland science and conservation. Pacific Conservation Biology 24, 261-266.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Davis JA (2021) Ecological fieldwork and motherhood: the challenges, joys and an unexpected outcome. Ecological Society of Australia, Mother’s Day Blog. Available at https://www.ecolsoc.org.au/blog/happy-mothers-day-2021/ [accessed 6 March 2023]

Davis J (2022a) How much water does the environment need? Cosmos Magazine, Issue 4 November 2022. Available at https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/subterranean-water-davis/ [accessed 5 February 2023]

Davis J (2022b) ‘Watarrka Waterhole Wildlife’. (Waterpenny Press: Darwin, Australia). 125 pp.

Davis JA, Christidis F (1997) ‘A Guide to Wetland Invertebrates of Southwestern Australia’. (Western Australian Museum: Perth, Australia). 177 p.

Davis JA, Froend R (1999) Loss and degradation of wetlands in southwestern Australia: underlying causes, consequences and solutions. Wetlands Ecology and Management 7, 13-23.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Davis JA, Harrington SA, Friend JA (1991) Unique aquatic communities in the arid zone: how dependant are they on groundwater? Journal of Australian Geology and Geophysics 12, 273-274.
| Google Scholar |

Davis JA, Harrington SA, Friend JA (1993) Invertebrate communities of relict streams in the arid zone: the George Gill Range, central Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 44, 483-505.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Davis JA, Pavlova A, Thompson R, Sunnucks P (2013) Evolutionary refugia and ecological refuges: key concepts for conserving Australian arid zone freshwater biodiversity under climate change. Global Change Biology 19, 1970-1984.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Davis JA, Munksgaard N, Hodgetts J, Lambrinidis D (2021) Identifying groundwater-fed climate refugia in remote arid regions with citizen science and isotope hydrology. Freshwater Biology 66, 35-43.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Downes BJ, Lancaster J (2020) Celebrating women conducting research in freshwater ecolog.nd how the citation game is damaging them. Marine and Freshwater Research 71, 139-155.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Friend JSD, Kojevnikov F, Davis JA (2017) The Identifly App – a digital field guide to the dragonflies and damselflies of the Top End of northern Australia. Available from the App Store and Google Play.

Furlan EM, Davis JA, Duncan RP (2020) Identifying error and accurately interpreting environmental DNA metabarcoding results: a case study to detect vertebrates at arid zone waterbodies. Molecular Ecology Resources 20, 1259-1276.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Gopal B, Junk WJ, Davis JA (Eds) (2000) ‘Biodiversity in wetlands: assessment, function and conservation. Volume I.’ (Backhuys Publishers: Kerkwerve, The Netherlands) 354pp.

Growns JE, Davis JA, Cheal F, Schmidt L, Rosich R, Bradley JS (1992) Multivariate pattern analysis of wetland invertebrate communities and environmental variables in Western Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology 17, 275-288.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Harris C (2022) World’s largest freshwater citizen science project set to tap into groundwater quality. Australian Water Association Newsletter, 1 December 2022. Available at https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/worlds-largest-freshwater-citizen-science-project-set-to-tap-into-groundwater-quality [accessed 5 February 2023]

Kay WR, Smith MJ, Pinder AM, McRae JM, Davis JA, Halse SA (1999) Patterns of distribution of macroinvertebrate families in rivers of north-western Australia. Freshwater Biology 41, 299-316.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Kennedy PL (2020) Introduction – Female barrier breakers in Pacific region conservation. Pacific Conservation Biology 26, 1-9.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Kennedy PL (2021) Biography of Dr Penelope (Penny) Diane Olsen AM: renowned ornithologist and author of books on Australian ornithological art and ornithological history. Pacific Conservation Biology
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Lester RE, Rosten CM (2020) Women in freshwater science: challenges and solutions for achieving equity. Marine and Freshwater Research 71, i–v. 10.1071/MFv71n2_ED

Mackintosh TJ, Davis JA, Thompson RM (2016) Tracing metals through urban wetland food webs. Ecological Engineering 208, 221-232.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Mayer D (2014) Forty years of teacher education in Australia: 1974–2014. Journal of Education for Teaching 40, 461-473.
| Google Scholar |

Merrill EH, Kennedy PL, Skagen SK, Granillo K (2022) Personal and institutional barriers to success: challenges and solutions for women. In ‘Women in wildlife science: building a diverse future’. (Eds C Chambers, K Nicholson) pp. 82–112. (Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, MD, USA)

Sim LL, Davis JA, Strehlow K, McGuire M, Trayler KM, Wild S, Papas PJ, O’Connor J (2013) The influence of changing hydroregime on the invertebrate communities of temporary seasonal wetlands. Freshwater Science 32, 327-342.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Smith JA (1981) Two Tasmanian species of Sclerocyphon, Blackburn (Coleoptera: Psephenidae) with notes on their life history and distribution. Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 20, 277-288.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Smith JA, Dartnall AJ (1980) Boundary layer control by water pennies (Coleoptera: Psephenidae). Aquatic Insects 2, 65-72.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Sonnert G, Horton GJ (1995) ‘Who succeeds in science? The gender dimension’, (Rutgers University Press: New Brunswick, NJ, USA)

VanMeter-Adams A, Frankenfeld CL, Bases J, Espina V, Liotta LA (2014) Students who demonstrate strong talent and interest in STEM are initially attracted to STEM through extracurricular experiences. CBE-Life Sciences Education 13, 687-697.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |