The Academy was very active during National Science Week from 13 to 21 August.
Australian science is made possible by thousands of support and technical staff working around the country to keep our research moving. Seven of these inspiring people were selected to feature in a series of videos in our On the Job! project; chosen by public vote, the winner was Ms Patricia Gadd.
Ms Gadd is based at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in Sydney and works in environmental science. She established Australia’s first micro X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) scanning facility and runs it to aid the study of sediment cores, the shells of razor clams and giant clams, and other samples to measure pollution and other trace elements. She is passionate about her contribution to environmental science and has been a collaborative part of more than 25 publications.
As the winner, Patricia will travel to meet an inspirational scientist of her choice.
Congratulations to all the finalists, who each won a $500 contribution to professional development activities.
Two of the finalists were interviewed on Radio National.
The Academy produced On the Job! in partnership with the Australian Science Channel. The project was supported by the Australian Government’s Inspiring Australia initiative.
Dr Ingrid Appelqvist gave a gripping talk at the Shine Dome in Canberra, when she spoke about the challenges of food-related issues such as malnutrition and obesity.
Dr Appelqvist explained how new research may hold the key for us to design food that tastes better and is better for us. She is particularly interested in food designed for people at specific times of their life, for instance food that is easy to chew, is high in nutrients, and gentle on the stomach, which would greatly benefit older generations who find eating well a challenge.
In Her Own Words celebrates the achievements and contributions of six female Australian scientists, who all had a significant impact not only in their field, but in the role of females in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
During Science Week the Academy used social media to tell these inspiring women’s stories to a broader audience. This was done using their own words—taken from notebooks, interviews and publications, and from those who worked closely with them or were inspired to work in the sciences thanks to them.
Once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop. You can follow their stories by liking their pages on Facebook:
The team from the Academy’s science explainer website, Nova, spent two days at one of Canberra’s major science week events, Science in ACTion. The team talked to many of the thousands of teachers, students, parents and children who came to find out more about science and science careers, encouraging them to check out the website and Nova social media, and share them with their friends.
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