Judy Wilyman is studying a PhD at the University of Wollongong. She is studying under the supervision of Professor Brian Martin. She is an anti-vaccination activist.
Wilyman has been bringing the University into disrepute for some time, with activities such as her callous remarks accusing a grieving family conducting their community immunisation advocacy of doing so in exchange for money: University stands by anti-vaccine student. From Rick Morton’s article:
Vice-chancellor Paul Wellings refused to comment on Ms Wilyman’s ongoing candidature, but a university spokesman said the institution stood by Ms Wilyman because her personal views did not inform her work…
Ms Wilyman has tried to speak to a NSW couple, Toni and Dave McCaffery, who lost their four-week-old daughter, Dana, in 2009 to whooping cough, which she was too young to be vaccinated against.
In June this year Mr McCaffery released a statement begging anti-vaccine movement leader Meryl Dorey and Ms Wilyman to stop using his daughter’s death for their own gain.
Ms Wilyman questioned whether the family had been paid to use their daughter’s death to promote vaccines.
The University has long held back from taking any meaningful action against Wilyman. She continues to use the McCafferys’ name against their wishes. The University is aware of this. Still, nothing.
Another thing Wilyman likes to do is cite the imprimatur of the University, in direct contrast to the statement above by a “university spokesman”.
On her website she directly cites her work at the University, and states that her extra-curricular activities form a part of her PhD:
This website is set up to present an academic debate and it contains arguments that will be presented for the completion of a PhD. Lobby groups have edited my comments on their websites and in media articles to discredit myself and my research. All of the arguments I am presenting are on this website and have been presented to academics at the university.
Remember that quote, above: “a university spokesman said the institution stood by Ms Wilyman because her personal views did not inform her work…” That was almost twelve months ago.
In late September 2012 Wilyman had a whine about my posts which addressed her callousness in regard to the McCaffery family. She states this of the University of Wollongong, and their support of her anti-vaccine claims:
This individual (who is hiding behind anonymity) has presented fabricated information about a researcher in an academic institution: a researcher that has the full support of the university to present these scientific arguments.
On May 22 2013 Wilyman sent out an email, again claiming that the University supports her anti-vaccine research:
Here is a link to the evidence for these statements and be assured that the university would not be supporting this research if it was not accurate.
Many people asked @UoWResearch what they thought of this. Here was their reply, in the form of a public statement, issued on May 24 2013:
One would think that such a public rebuke would guide Wilyman back to the realm of good fortune. It would seem that consistently citing the imprimatur of the University in your anti-vaccine work, where there is none, would be something to avoid. I mean, she got away with it, again. One would not tempt the fates, right? Alas. This is Wilyman World. Everything is possible.
Today we received another work of comedy gold from Wilyman. You really need to read it for yourself. Wilyman sent out an email in which she admits filing an unsuccessful complaint against Media Watch. That’s okay. Anyone can make complaints. We do it often, and successfully, when warranted by substance. Wilyman’s substance was, apparently, tickle-juice. You can read the copy of the ACMA findings, here.
In her email Wilyman makes some bizarre claims. Remember, she is researching at the university. She repeats the vaccines cause autism lie. She has some problems with the language of the host, Jonathan Holmes (ACMA didn’t). After that things disintegrate. The University of Wollongong PhD Candidate internet researcher states:
The Council for Media Integrity in Australia was set up by an organisation called the Skeptics in 1996. This organisation has many subscribers who are discrediting academic researchers and providing misinformation on vaccines to the public. This evidence is described here [her list of meaners].
See, now, here’s the thing. There is no “Council for Media Integrity in Australia”. It wasn’t set up by “an organisation called the Skeptics” (it is an educational outreach program in the US set up by CSICOP). And, I’m guessing this is what she is getting at, this has nothing to do with Australian Skeptics Inc. I mean, they all look the same, right? They all sound shadowy and suppressive.
But there is one more pertinent point I would like to highlight which is more in line with this post. In this email Wilyman again cites the University of Wollongong, this time in the same sentence as her vaccines cause autism lie:
The scientific literature provides overwhelming evidence that it is possible for the combination of childhood vaccines that are recommended by governments to be a cause of autism and other chronic illness in children. This is the reason why I have spent the last 5 years presenting you with this researched information from the university.
Oh really? Over to you, University of Wollongong. How long do your past, present, and future academics need to have their reputations sullied by the claims of an anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist who can’t even Google?
How much is enough disrepute?
Pingback: Judy Wilyman has no clothes | reasonablehank