We were lucky enough to serve with Janna as co-convenors of the Victorian Branch of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA). This was during the first couple of years of the COVID-19 pandemic that was at the end of her life. Together with her and former ASSA president professor Leon Mann, we jointly organised a Symposium to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of ASSA.
In view of the prevailing pandemic in September 2021, this Symposium had to be held virtually. It was a timely and successful event with three panels that discussed various contributions of the social sciences to pandemics based on the COVID experience. Afterwards, Janna volunteered to draft an excellent summary of the Symposium that astutely integrated a range of disparate contributions from the various distinguished speakers.
Janna was a conscientious and diligent colleague who delivered what she promised and in good time. She did not waste words; she got to the point efficiently and effectively.
Although philosophy was her field of expertise, she had much knowledge of a range of other fields. During the pandemic lockdown Janna wrote a detective novel Lockdown, Clan Destine Press, 2022. We and many others miss her.
Greg J Bamber and Dennis Trewin, co-convenors, Victorian branch of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
Robert Young was a long-term friend and colleague of Janna. We are grateful to him for summarizing below a longer obituary that he wrote for the Academy of the Humanities.....