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Ruth Cooper

Journalist, editor and content creator with a decade's worth of experience across print, digital and social.

Avid reader, writer and podcast streamer. Decent plant mum.

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Create •

From a radio pioneer to an aeronautical expert, these engineers were some of the first

To celebrate International Women’s Day, create maps the careers of three trailblazing engineers who forged a path in the profession.

Australia is home to many influential female engineers, from recycling revolutionary Veena Sahajwalla HonFIEAust CPEng to biomedical innovator Professor Hala Zreiqat and Engineers Australia’s own Dr Bronwyn Evans AM HonFIEAust CPEng and Jane MacMaster FIEAust CPEng.

But this wasn’t always the case. It took the courage and conviction of engineers like those below
Australian Pharmacist •

Breaking barriers to emergency contraception

Almost two decades after the emergency contraceptive pill was listed as a Schedule 3 medicine, women still face myriad barriers to access. Pharmacists can help break down these barriers and empower women when it comes to their reproductive health.

Sexual health physician Dr Terri Foran has worked in women’s health for almost four decades, most recently as a lecturer at the University of New South Wales School of Women’s and Children’s Health and as a medical officer in the Research Unit at Sydn
Create •

Meet our International Women in Engineering Day heroes

“Engineering Heroes” is the theme for International Women in Engineering Day 2021.

Held on 23 June, the day is an opportunity to celebrate the “heroics” — both exceptional and everyday — of women in engineering. They not only tackle complex challenges but do so while being in a professional minority, which brings extra challenges.

In this special feature of create, you’ll meet four of the 45,000 women qualified as engineers in Australia — 13.6 per cent of the total — of which 25,000 work in th
Australian Pharmacist •

Linda Badewitz-Dodd MPS is PSA's 2021 Pharmacist of the Year

From producing the world’s first comprehensive guide to drugs in sport to supporting her community through bushfires, and now the pandemic, Linda Badewitz-Dodd MPS is always willing to step up to the challenge.

A coal-face pharmacist who practices what she preaches. A pioneer. A community leader. These are just a few of the ways Ms Badewitz-Dodd’s peers describe her, and it’s easy to see why.

Her pharmacy in Merimbula on the New South Wales south coast, which she co-owns with business partner
Australian Pharmacist •

A sporting approach to pharmacy

For former athletics star Emily Shears MPS, combining sport and pharmacy set her on track to help other female athletes reach peak performance.

What led you to pharmacy?

I fell into it. I commenced my tertiary education with medical science, and after completing the first year, I knew I needed a change. I chose a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney and was offered a sports scholarship. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Could you describe your career path?

In a word: atyp
Australian Pharmacist •

Former CMO Brendan Murphy on leading through a pandemic

Dealing with challenging situations and weighing up the best available evidence is a familiar scenario for medical professionals. But for Secretary of the federal Department of Health Professor Brendan Murphy, who led the health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the scope of the challenge – and the evidence – changed constantly.

As Australia’s top COVID-19 spokesperson and Chief Medical Officer, Prof Murphy became a familiar face, fronting daily press conferences to relay the latest informatio
Australian Pharmacist •

R U (really) OK? Tips for checking in

With reports of pharmacists experiencing high rates of burnout following an incredibly stressful 18 months, checking in with each other is more important than ever. Australian Pharmacist got some expert advice from the R U OK? Day team about staying connected.

Held each year on the second Thursday of September, R U OK? Day is a national day of action that promotes the importance of starting conversations with friends, family and colleagues about how they are faring.

The theme for 2021 is ‘Are
Create •

Watch: Australian engineers make history at ‘robot Olympics’

An Australian team of robotics experts took out second place at the world’s leading robotics competition last month.

Organised by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the competition is about pushing the boundaries of autonomous robotic technology.

This year, six teams were tasked with running their robots through a series of underground caves, simulating real-world scenarios such as locating injured people or lost items. The robots also had to navigate variable conditions
Australian Pharmacist •

Improving your professional brand as a pharmacist

Now is the time to show your working self on social media.

It’s the holiday period and perhaps time to think about career moves. Are there some opportunities in your current role you could explore? What about developing your skills or building your professional networks? Social media can be the place to help drive your career.

As someone who ‘wears many hats’, the owner of TerryWhite Chemmart Arana Hills, in Queensland, Karen Brown MPS is passionate about the power of social media in building