Professor Michelle Harvey (1995)
Solving crime with science (VIDEO STORY)
`I want my Year 12 self to know: It’s okay—don’t panic. Year 12 is not everything. There’s a long way to go.’
Michelle Harvey (1995) took the road less travelled to play a niche role in solving crime. And she's keen to tell other young women to take time to explore their passions, as she did, rather than rushing down expected career paths.
`I took the route that was guided by own passions and my own heart, and it led me somewhere that nobody could ever have designed for me,’ she says.
Michelle’s love of bugs propelled her into a high-profile career in forensic entomology, using insects to unlock key crime scene information and help prosecute offenders. Among other things, her research has decoded maggot DNA to help pinpoint the location of crimes using larvae found on bodies.
Completing her PhD and a Master of Forensic Science at the University of Western Australia, Michelle has studied at Tennessee's famous Anthropological Research Facility (nicknamed The Body Farm) and is passionate about empowering other women in STEM. She is currently Professor of Entomology and Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning at Deakin University.
Watch Michelle's story below.