Anne Marie Astin AM is an Australian

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

and forensic expert. She was added to the

Victorian Honour Roll of Women The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 to recognise the achievements of women from the Australian state of Victoria. It was launched by The Hon. Joan Kirner AC as a joint initiative of the Centenary of Federation Victoria Comm ...

in 2010 and received a Public Service Medal in the

2011 Queen's Birthday Honours (Australia) The Queen's Birthday Honours 2011 for Australia were announced on 13 June 2011. † indicates an award given posthumously. Order of Australia Companion (AC) General Division Officer (AO) General Division Member (AM) General Division Milit ...

. In 2020, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the dairy industry, and to food safety regulations. Astin is notable for her role in dairy development and regulation, and her advocacy work regarding food safety standards.

Education

Astin was born in

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city in north east England **County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham *Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States Durham may also refer to: Places ...

, England. She received a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

Biochemistry Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, a ...

in 1976, an Honors

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

in Biochemistry and a

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

and Biochemistry in 1973, all at the

University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

. She later received a certificate from

Griffith University Griffith University is a public university, public research university in South East Queensland on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of Australia. The university was founded in 1971, but was not officially opened until 1975. Griffith ...

(Queensland) for Public Sector Management.

Early career

Astin was encouraged to enter this field of work by her mother, who pushed her to pursue nontraditional female roles. She began her career teaching at

Monash University Monash University () is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Named after World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the ...

(Victoria). Afterwards, she became a forensic expert, focusing on police, and later joined the dairy industry. She became the

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the Dairy Food Safety Authority in the Government of Victoria.

Career

Astin is the president of the

Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology The Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology Incorporated (AIFST) is a national, not-for-profit industry body representing individuals from all sectors of the food science and technology industry. Originally established as an overseas ...

, the Chair of the William Angliss Institute Board and is the Chair of the Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Industry Reference Committee. Other service positions include: * Dairy Food Safety Victoria: Inaugural Chief Executive Officer, 2000–2011; Non-Executive Chairman, since 2017. * Sheep Producers Australia: Non-Executive Director, since 2018. * Food Agility CRC: Chair, Board of Directors, since 2017. * Food Beverage and Pharmaceutical Industry Reference Committee, Australian Industry Skills Committee: Chair, since 2017. * SafeFish Partnership: Chair, since 2015. * Audit and Risk Committee, Energy Safe Victoria: Member since 2011; Chair since 2017. * International Science Advisory Panel, Food Safety, Science and Research Centre, New Zealand: Member * Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation: Independent Director, since 2017. * Health Star Rating Advisory Committee: Deputy Chair, since 2014. * Land Registry, Land Victoria: Director, 1998–2000

Awards and recognition

* 2010: Outstanding Service Award, Australian Dairy Industry Council * 2010: Inducted into

* 2011: Public Service Medal * 2016: John Bryant Gold Medal, Dairy Industry Association of Australia * 2020: Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the dairy industry, and to food safety regulations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Astin, Anne Australian biochemists Australian forensic scientists Women biochemists Australian women chemists Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Australian women academics Academic staff of Monash University 21st-century Australian women scientists 21st-century Australian chemists Alumni of the University of Liverpool Members of the Order of Australia