Mandy Beasley - Southern Cross University

A place to belong: How Mandy’s built a career, right where she wants to be

As Technical and Laboratory Team Leader at our National Marine Science Centre, Dr Mandy Beasley’s role involves wearing many hats. Fortunately, Mandy has made it her life’s work to do just that! An experienced SCUBA diver, academic and former hydrographer, Mandy has always challenged herself to do more. And at SCU Coffs Harbour, she’s found a place where she can be more too.

A lifelong passion

Growing up in the laidback fishing village of Iluka, in north-eastern New South Wales, Dr Mandy Beasley’s childhood was spent exploring the endless beaches surrounding the town, fishing for flathead and snapper with her dad, and snorkelling to her heart’s content.

It’s not surprising then, that marine science became her lifelong passion. In the years since starting a marine science undergraduate degree, Mandy has worked in a plethora of roles across the sector - from aquarium guide to hydrographer, to lecturer in environmental mapping at SCU.

Now, her role involves leading a team of seven Technical and Laboratory Officers, who are tasked with everything from maintaining and coordinating the university science labs to keeping its fleet of research vessels operational.

As well as supporting post-graduate marine science students with their research, Mandy collaborates with academic and professional staff across the faculty to enhance processes and systems. Ultimately, Mandy notes, she’s there to make people’s jobs easier, and in doing so, she gets the job variety she craves.

“No day is ever the same, which is one of the most enjoyable things about the job. There are always new challenges and new projects to work on. I definitely like that aspect - it’s the joy of fitting all the puzzle pieces together!”

Reimagining herself on the path to leadership

After leaving high school at the end of year 10, Mandy didn’t think university was in her future. However, she enrolled in a marine sciences degree at SCU “just to see where it took her” and surprised herself by graduating with Honours. Challenge truly accepted, Mandy then started her doctorate in marine sciences.

Shortly after finalising her PhD, Mandy joined SCU’s National Marine Science Centre (NMSC) as an Academic Project Officer. This was just the very first step in her SCU career. She then accepted a casual Lecturer position before moving across into our professional team. Mandy has put in the hard work to grow her role, and in March 2024, she stepped into her current role as Team Leader for the Faculty of Science and Engineering, responsible for both the Lismore and Coffs Harbour campuses. She says she’s appreciated the support SCU has offered her to achieve this.

“I was new to management when I accepted this role, but the Organisational Development Team has provided some amazing courses, and I’ve been handpicked to attend workshops on leadership, too, which has been great too. It’s part of this forward-thinking approach where you can see a lot of effort going into building people up and growing their experience.”

What has Mandy valued most? The support to build confidence in herself as a leader.

“I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome quite a bit throughout my career, but I’ve grown into this role, and my biggest take-home has been to back yourself. At SCU, I’ve had a lot of professional development and I’ve been able to embed the leadership practices I’ve learnt. It’s definitely improved my confidence as a leader. Now, I’ve got big plans to keep building on my team’s achievements.”

An ideal place to live and work

While her day-to-day role is mainly in the office, Mandy, an experienced SCUBA diver, is still the first to volunteer if the tech teams need help gathering teaching materials - whether that’s hauling in seaweed samples, snorkelling for sea urchins or heading into Gondwana rainforest to collect terrestrial flora specimens. These experiences enable Mandy to stay connected to what she loves most about living and working in Coffs Harbour.

“We truly have the best of both worlds here. We’ve got an amazing marine park with this incredible biodiversity in a subtropical climate. But we’re close to the hills and mountain ranges as well. You can drive 20 minutes out of town and go freshwater kayaking and bass fishing. It’s pretty special.”

Her advice to anyone considering relocating to Coffs Harbour to join the SCU team:

“Just go for it. It’s a collegial environment with lots of interesting people. The perks here are great too. You get paid well and it’s such a beautiful location. People do care about your personal life here. We all need that work-life balance and I feel SCU really supports that.”