Kirrily Rule
Class of 1994

I graduated from Ivanhoe Girls’ in 1994. I’m thankful for the education I received at Ivanhoe Girls’. The School certainly provided me with a strong foundation in education coupled with a strong work ethic and a drive to achieve the best.

I am a research physicist and I work in the field of condensed matter physics. My main focus of research is looking at unusual and exotic magnetic materials to understand the interplay of interactions within them.

But how did I get from Ivanhoe to manipulating unconventional magnetic materials? I credit my love of Physics to my Year 12 physics teacher, Dr Jill de Araugo, who encouraged my passion and answered my countless questions! At Monash University, I completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Physics and a Bachelor of Arts. During my PhD at Monash I started learning about and performing neutron scattering experiments – it was very exciting to “discover” something brand new that no-one else in the world knew! Presenting this work through peer reviewed publications and at large international conferences was such a thrill.

Since my PhD I have lived and worked as a researcher in Canada and in Germany – performing experiments at many of the neutron scattering facilities around the world. After eight years away I moved back to Australia to work at ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation). I love travelling and attending conferences to present my work and I enjoy collaborating with other scientists from diverse backgrounds around the world.

If I were to offer advice to the next generation of Ivanhoe Girls’ graduates it would be to follow your passions and to keep working at STEM subjects. Careers no longer follow the traditional courses they once did – especially with technology evolving so quickly. New jobs and career pathways are being created every day,so keep your options open – and keep an open mind to the endless possibilities that are evolving.