4 minute read
Joy found in successful delivery of research
JOY FOUND IN SUCCESSFUL
DELIVERY OF RESEARCH
Words by Elaine Fisher
Miriam Hall is a business manager with Plant & Food Research Ltd
Enabling and empowering great science is Miriam Hall’s day job and it’s one she absolutely loves. With a Master of Science in plant physiology and a Master of Business Administration, Miriam has found the ideal role for her talents and interests as a business manager with Plant & Food Research Ltd.
“My current role is to work with customers to understand their needs and challenges and work with the science teams to help find solutions,” says Miriam, who is also a member of Women in Horticulture.
Miriam works with HortNZ and vegetable product groups including Potatoes New Zealand and Onions New Zealand. “It’s a really diverse job and I love that I get to work with science and scientists on projects initiated from talking with customers,” she says. Seeing growers apply the results of scientific research that make positive differences to their businesses is an aspect of Miriam’s job that she says she really enjoys. “I worked in research for eight years, which combined with my degree, gave me the grounding and understanding for the work I now do with scientists. However, I came to realise that doing the science was not what brought me joy and that I could add more value by helping with the successful delivery of research to those who needed it.” Miriam grew up in Auckland in a family with a tradition of growing plants. “My mum is a gardener and landscape designer and my grandparents loved gardening too, so taking a science degree at university and studying plants seemed logical to me.”
After graduating, Miriam worked for Crop and Food Research in a casual role until she was offered a research job at HortResearch looking at post-harvest issues, mainly in pipfruit, but also in kiwifruit and hops. “What I really loved was doing research which growers could adopt within weeks or months, and then in the following season see the positive results come through in the harvest. That is very satisfying.”
Not all research produces the results growers want. Miriam says in her current role, working with both scientists and growers, sometimes some difficult conversations need to be had.
“Science does not always say what people want it to say.” And sometimes it is Miriam who has to deliver that message, so diplomacy has become an important skill. “It helps if you can navigate relationships well and have empathy for all involved. Everyone has their own priorities and challenges, and part of my role is to present the customer’s perspective to scientists and the scientists’ perspective to the customers.” Miriam has also trained as a facilitator and designs and runs workshops internally for Plant & Food Research and externally as well. This combined with her management role, means in pre-Covid lockdown times she travelled frequently throughout New Zealand and offshore to meet customers and science teams and to run meetings and workshops.
Miriam has a strong interest in the legal side of commercial horticulture and this is something she wishes to grow her skills in and study further. Within horticulture, Miriam has found a career which matches her interests and aspirations and at Plant & Food Research, a workplace in which women make up around 50% of the staff.
“Working in the primary sector at all levels is fantastic. There are a diverse range of opportunities from practical hands-on to research, management and administrative roles,” Miriam says. “It is inspiring to see an increase in women in leadership positions across the primary industries. Seeing people like themselves in leadership roles will give young girls a line of sight to become leaders of the future.” Pursuing a career in horticulture, and science in particular, opens many doors, she says, including doors to “a future in which there will be careers that don’t even exist yet.”
To keep up to date with Women in Horticulture news and activities, join the membership database by emailing: info@women-in-hort.nz. Everyone is welcome. 09 238 0770 021 959 948 nevoda@hyper.net.nz 70 Tuakau Road PUKEKOHE
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