Science & Technology Australia has named its 10 inaugural STEM Ambassadors, who will work to build deeper understanding by federal parliamentarians of the impact of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Australia.
CEO of STA, Kylie Walker, said these women and men from 10 different federal electorates had been matched with passionate parliamentarians who expressed a desire to form stronger connections with STEM.
“Each Ambassador will meet regularly with their local Member of Parliament, to connect these decision-makers with the science and technology happening in their own back yards and celebrate the success of STEM in their local communities as well as in the broader Australian economy.”
The 10 Ambassadors include professionals from a range of disciplines and sectors. They are:
- Dr Robert Acres – Industry Support & Outreach Scientist at ANSTO
- Dr Bryony Horton – Senior Scientist at the Office of Environment and Heritage
- Sarah Chapman – Head of Department – Science at the Department of Education Queensland
- Candice Raeburn – Design Summit Officer at Engineers Without Borders
- Dr Kenneth Silburn – Head Teacher – Science at Casula High School, NSW Department of Education
- Dr Simon Mutch – Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne
- Dr Peter Howley – Associate Professor of Statistics in the Faculty of Science at the University of Newcastle
- Dr Shafique Pineda – Science Policy Officer at the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
- Dr Charity Mundava – Spatial Scientist at WaterNSW
- Professor Helen Blanchard – Professor in Structural Biology at Griffith University
The STEM Ambassador program is designed to build on the success of Science meets Parliament, Science & Technology Australia’s annual milestone event which has been connecting STEM professionals with parliamentarians for 20 years.
“Science meets Parliament every year brings science and politics together for positive and productive discussion, deepening mutual understanding and opening doors to greater potential for the sector and for Australia,” said Ms Walker.
“We look forward to building on two decades of success with the new STEM Ambassador program, and to forging connections between parliamentarians and the scientists, technologists, teachers and STEM professionals working to support their electorate.”
The pilot STEM Ambassador program will run for 12 months, with plans to expand to other electorates in 2019/2020.
