Dr Jo Newton

Board Member (Sabbatical)

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Dr Jo Newton is on a trajectory as an emerging leader in Australian agriculture. Her contributions to the translation of research outcomes into tangible benefits for farmers and advocacy and support of young people, especially women, in agriculture saw Jo named on the 2018 Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence List.

Jo currently works as a research scientist in genetics for the dairy industry with Agriculture Victoria. Her work focuses on the value of genetic and genomic tools on farm, spanning research in genetics, economics and social science. 2018/19 saw Jo undertake a Endeavour Postdoctoral Fellow at Teagasc Moorepark, Ireland. Jo's science communication skills were recognised in winning the Dairy Research Foundation's Emerging Scientists Award in 2017.

Jo has a history of active involvement across the wider agricultural sector. This includes her current role as Chair of the Youth Voices Leadership team and previous roles with the NSW Young Farmers Council. A big believer in paying it forward, Jo dedicates a considerable portion of her spare time to speaking at schools and events, mentoring students and junior scientists and volunteering at agricultural shows.

Jo's contributions to agriculture were recognized at the 2018 Victorian Young Achiever Awards where she won the Leadership category. More recently she was awarded the Royal Agriculture Society of Victoria's Emerging Leaders in Victorian Agriculture Award, and was a 2018 recipient of the University of New England's Young Distinguished Alumni Award.

To learn more about Jo, connect with her on LinkedIn.