On Friday, 8 March, Siena College is hosting a breakfast for International Women's Day from 7.30am to 8.30am.

We are excited to welcome alumna, Professor Dorota Gertig (Class of 1980) back to the College as our guest speaker for the event. Read more about her achievements below!

As in previous years we fundraise for Kopanang to support the women in the community and celebrate their courage, wisdom and joy, which is infused into the work they do, products they make, knowledge they share and resilience they have. Click here to learn more about the Kopanang Community here.

Guest Speaker: Professor Dorota Gertig (Class of 1980)

Since July 2016, Dorota has been the Medical Director of the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR), playing a key role in implementation and operations of the Register. She is a public health physician and epidemiologist who completed her medical training at Monash University and has a Doctorate in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. Professor Gertig was previously the Medical Director of the Victorian Cervical Cytology Registry and the inaugural Medical Director of the National HPV Vaccination Register.

She is a respected leader in cancer screening and a member of several key national and state committees on cervical screening, including the National Quality and Safety Monitoring Committee for the National Cervical Screening Program. Professor Gertig has an international profile in cancer research, including the epidemiology of cervical, breast and ovarian cancers. With more than 130 scientific publications, her primary research focus is on policy relevant research as well as improving participation in cancer screening.

Of her education at Siena, Dorota says "Because of the inclusive and encouraging environment at Siena College, it never occurred to me that, as a woman, I was limited in any way, nor that I couldn't achieve what i set out to achieve."