We are pleased to recognise the career of Dr Ruth Keogh, a distinguished member of our community, who is set to retire in June 2025. Dr Keogh’s illustrious career has been characterised by her commitment to the contamination of land and groundwater sector. While her retirement marks the conclusion of an extraordinary chapter, her legacy will endure through the impactful work she has undertaken and the numerous professionals she has mentored throughout her career. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr Keogh for her remarkable contributions and wish her every joy as she enters an exciting next phase.
As Dr Keogh enters her final week of work, we asked her to reflect on her incredible career and share what she looks forward to most in this new chapter.
You are currently Senior Principal Environmental Scientist at Land and Water Consulting. What aspects of your role do you find most rewarding or engaging?
The aspects of my work that I have found to be the most rewarding have changed over the course of my career, as both my roles and experience have evolved (and as I have aged, and hopefully, matured). I still enjoy the technical aspects of my work, interpreting data and trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle (so to speak) but I also enjoy assisting and mentoring more junior practitioners and helping clients find pragmatic solutions to their contaminated land issues. Although I haven’t been involved in this so much of late, I have also enjoyed being a member of committees/working groups that were aimed at benefitting the industry in a broader sense, reviewing and providing input into the development of draft guidelines, developing (internal) template report documents and preparing/presenting various training sessions. However, working and developing relationships with a range of other great professionals within the industry would have to be one of the main highlights of my career.
Are there any particular projects or achievements that stand out as career highlights or that you are especially proud of?
There have been so many projects over the years, but I think that undertaking the initial assessments of the former Mitsubishi Tonsley Park and & Hills Industries (Edwardstown) sites stand out for me. Both of these were very large and complex industrial facilities located in suburban Adelaide that had multiple potential sources of contamination and required a multi-pronged approach to gaining an understanding of their histories, processes and possible contaminants. I hope that the detailed reports I produced/laboured over in the first instance have continued to assist others to understand the issues, even after all of the industrial infrastructure was removed during subsequent land developments.
Camping in the Vestfold Hills (Antarctica) in 1991
Skeleton Coast in Namibia in 1994
Reflecting on your career, what is the most interesting or unique location your work has taken you to?
During my time working in Contaminated Land, which also coincided with quite a domestic personal period of my life, it was a bit hard to travel anywhere too out of the way – I was lucky enough though to be involved in projects on the Cox Peninsula near Darwin which necessitated my attendance on occasion. During my earlier career (as a research geologist), I travelled more broadly, including several trips (with the Australian Antarctic Division) to Antarctica, one of which involved a stop-over at Heard Island – not only is Antarctica totally amazing, but the sub-Antarctic islands are probably the most stunningly beautiful and wildlife-rich places one could ever hope to see. In addition, my post-doctoral fellowship (also in geology) at the University of Cape Town provided me with a field area in Namibia….another beautiful and wild place where trudging through the bush with my trusty sledgehammer and a pack full of rocks as well as sleeping out under the stars of the African night were unforgettable experiences.
As you prepare to retire in 2025, what advice or wisdom would you offer to emerging environmental scientists aiming to make a meaningful impact in contaminated land management?
It’s easy to give advice as one gets older – if only I could go back in time and take heed of it myself!
To start with though, and given that my overall career has been so unplanned (registered nurse, research geologist and then environmental scientist), it’s probably a good idea for emerging professionals to take stock of where they are at now and where they would like to be in the future – i.e. what are their current aspirations and career goals (noting that these may well change over time), what would they like to experience during their working life and how could they set about planning to achieve their objectives. In other words, to be proactive, not just waiting around for things to happen.
I’d also advise them to:
- get involved in the industry as a whole (e.g. taking on volunteer roles in committees of professional organisations etc.) and get to know their cohort of fellow practitioners;
- spend time reading and understanding relevant legislation and guidelines (not just relying on more senior practitioners to fill in the knowledge gaps) – they will be the mentors of the future after all;
- get a wide variety of work experience – working for both large and small firms can offer up quite different experiences; and
- grab any opportunities that come their way, even if it takes them out of their comfort zone.
Finally, after an incredible career, what are your plans or aspirations for the next chapter post-retirement?
I have quite a lot of plans actually (including not sitting at a computer to write any more scientific reports!). In the short term, I have a couple of trips planned – first is Borneo (a place I’ve always wanted to visit) in July and then Mongolia (a place I had never really considered visiting but which I think will be so interesting to see) in August-September this year. Generally though, I plan to stay active and socially connected, get more involved in community/volunteer organisations, travel to other interesting places and take up creative writing – maybe I’ll even become a famous novelist one day (if only I could think of something to write about!!). Oh…and stay in touch with the lovely friends I’ve made over my 26 year career in the Contaminated Land industry!
ALGA thanks Dr Keogh for her valuable insights and reflections, and we hope you will remain connected with the ALGA community for many years to come.