Faculty of Science

A day in the life of...

Daniel Schwartz - Research Glasshouse Technical Officer

Daniel SchwartzDaniel Schwartz, who has worked at UQ for 30 years, is the CGS Technical Officer. Daniel has previously worked in the Grounds Department as a gardener and as an arborist, specialising in ropes work off the ground. Daniel came to the CGS in November 2010 and has proven to be a valuable asset to the facility with a strong focus on client service, health and safety and teamwork.

The CGS Technical Officer’s responsibilities include:

  • Running inductions for all new glasshouse users;
  • Pest identification and control, using microscopes, reference books and online identification keys;
  • Liaising with researchers to understand their experimental needs and planning how to best implement experiments in terms of temperature and light requirements, space and other parameters, and then setting up benches and irrigation for new experiments;
  • On-call duties, which involves monitoring services and coordinating responses to any out of hours infrastructure emergencies which can put experiments in danger.

PlantA Technical Officer’s work can be demanding, but it is also rewarding to support clients in achieving their research goals. Some of Daniel’s favourite parts of the role are working in a highly supportive team where people laugh together often, the variety of the work and the challenge of constant reprioritisation to meet research needs. He takes pride in being able to use the knowledge he has acquired to help students and researchers in their endeavours, as he believes the research he supports is extremely important. He also loves that UQ’s plant science community is so multicultural, and says that working in his role at the St Lucia Glasshouses is like “travelling the world, speaking to people with a common interest”.

This type of work exists within universities and government agencies (CSIRO, DAF, DPI), many of which have plant research facilities. If you or someone you know might be interested in a similar role, keep an eye on UQ Jobs in early 2020, as the Central Glasshouse Services will be advertising an exciting new position!