Jo Hume attended the NYSF in 1997. After completing Year 12 she joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1998 and studied a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA). In 2011 she completed a Masters in Engineering Science through University of New South Wales (UNSW) ADFA Campus.
Jo has completed over fifteen years in the Royal Australian Air Force and is currently posted to Canberra in the Defence Material Organisation as the Deputy Engineering Manager for the KC-30A acquisition project.
After graduation from her Bachelor degree, Jo has had a broad range of postings in the aerospace engineering field including sustainment, minor projects, major aircraft platform projects, operational maintenance engineering and training. She has worked with four aircraft platforms, F-111 strike and reconnaissance, PC-9/A training aircraft, F/A-18 hornet fighter and the Multi role tanker transport KC-30A (air-to-air refuelling aircraft). Her roles have developed skill sets in maintenance practices, software design, simulators, avionics systems (including navigation, communications, radar, oxygen, digital computers, instrumentation, etc), training, failure and safety analysis, design and testing programs, logistics and finance, contract management, leadership and management, training development, airworthiness regulations, WHS implementation and quality and auditing.
Jo says, “Attending the NYSF provided me with a fantastic opportunity to explore a range of careers in science - and particularly engineering - in an environment that fostered learning and pathways to success. The experiences and knowledge helped me to focus in my final year at school to achieve entry into the university courses I wanted, opening opportunities and leading into my chosen career.
The lessons I learned contributed to the foundations of my career and I have continually reflected on the valuable time I spent at NYSF and afterwards in the networks we developed.”
The Governor General, Sir William Deane, welcomed the students in 1997