Astronomer Lisa Kewley laid the foundations of her galactic inquiry during PhD research at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics on Mt Stromlo. Since then, shes journeyed to the University of Hawaii to use some of the largest telescopes in the world. For her work studying the formation of the Milky Way, Dr Kewley was awarded the 2006 Annie Jump Cannon Award by the American Astronomical Society. Each year, this prize honours an outstanding woman who has made a major contribution to the field of astronomy early in her research career.