Imagine a world with invisible mining operations - no expansive open-cut holes in the ground, no tailings dumps and slimes dams, no dust and no dangers posed to underground miners.

Dr Laura Kuhar is working towards this vision with her research into in-situ recovery (ISR) processing at the CSIRO, where she is a research team leader. ISR is like keyhole surgery for mining; it involves the injection of solution underground, the leaching of value metal and its recovery at the surface for further processing, without mining and costly rock processing.

Laura is passionate about enthusing children about science and believes that their interest has to be peaked at a young age to keep them involved. She volunteers and runs science shows during national science week at the Canning River Eco-Education Centre and she runs a kids’ science club where her biggest reward is squeals of excitement from creating engaging activities.

Laura has a chemical engineering degree and holds a PhD in chemistry. She has won awards for science communications from the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and she has produced almost 50 publications.

Dr Laura Kuhar is a Superstar of STEM.