Jane Kaczmarek
How long have you lived in Parkes? I moved to Parkes two months ago! It has been a big change from Sydney, where I’ve lived for the past six years — but I love it!
What do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I’m an astrophysicist at the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope. The telescope recently had a major upgrade to its receiver, which has the global astronomical community buzzing. Part of my job is to get the new receiver and system working in its full capacity. That is what I love so much about my job — not only do I get to study the intricacies of galaxies far, far away — but I get to help other astronomers carry out truly ground-breaking research and push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe!
What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time, I love camping and hiking. I’ve started to explore the local national parks. I also love pickling vegies!!
What are you really good at? Laughing at my own jokes!
What is your pet hate? Parsley, it tastes like soap!
If you could have a superpower what would it be? I would LOVE the ability to be in multiple places at once!
Tell us about your best holiday. After I completed my PhD thesis, my partner and I went camping in the South Island of New Zealand for four weeks. This was by far the longest vacation I have ever taken and it was wonderful to have the time to just enjoy the outdoors and relax. As an added bonus, I saw the aurora australis for the first time!