A global leader in soil biology, an internationally trained health researcher and educator, an advocate for Aboriginal health and wellbeing, and a molecular cell biologist leading RNA research have been recognised as inspirational women whose work improves lives.
Sixteen women, four of whom are from The University of Western Australia, were inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame and four more women were acknowledged posthumously in the Roll of Honour during a ceremony at Government House Ballroom last night.
Emerita Professor Lynette Abbott, from UWA’s School of Agriculture and Environment was recognised for her outstanding contribution to the WA community in soil biota education, research and restoration.
The first female professor in agriculture at UWA, she is credited with promoting the term ‘soil biological fertility’ to highlight the important contribution of soil organisms for land management and climate change mitigation.
Professor Abbott became a leading science educator through ‘know your soil biology workshops’ and by developing internationally accessible resources including the SOILHEALTH app.
Dr Danuta Sampson, from UWA’s Medical School, is an internationally trained physicist based at the Lions Eye Institute and UWA. Her research focuses on ophthalmic imaging and data analysis methods to improve the way serious eye diseases are addressed in WA.
Beyond research, Dr Sampson champions science communication and inclusion through mentorship, the design and delivery of STEM outreach programs and the authoring of children’s books. Her leadership in optics and vision science has earned her several prestigious international awards.
Professor Roz Walker, from UWA’s School of Population and Global Health, has worked with Aboriginal people in education and research for 40 years addressing social and environmental determinants of Aboriginal health and wellbeing.
Director at the Coolamon Research and Advocacy Centre and Ngangk Yira Institute for Change, Professor Walker is committed to transformative strategies that empower Aboriginal communities and drive positive social change.
Along with Professors Pat Dudgeon and Helen Milroy, Professor Walker co‑authored Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing – Principles and Practice, a book for staff, students and health practitioners working in areas that support Indigenous mental health and wellbeing.
Professor Archa Fox, from UWA’s School of Human Sciences, has dedicated her life to science and is well-known for her 2002 discovery of small structures within the nucleus of our cells called paraspeckles.
Director of the Australian Centre for RNA Therapeutics in Cancer and The RNA Innovation Foundry based at UWA, Professor Fox specialises in the field of molecular cell biology, focusing on the role of RNA in cell behaviour.
Her extensive community outreach during the pandemic led to her appointment to the Prime Minister’s National Science & Technology Council in 2025.
Established in 2011 in recognition of the Centenary of International Women’s Day, the WA Women’s Hall of Fame has seen women from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, across different sectors in rural, regional and metropolitan WA, recognised for their contributions, achievements and commitment to the betterment of their communities and the State.
Image top: Professor Roz Walker, Dr Danuta Sampson, Professor Archa Fox and Emerita Professor Lynette Abbott.