To celebrate 2024 National Science Week, Matthew Flinders Anglican College is hosting its fourth Inspiring Women in Science and Health (I-WiSH) conference for girls from Years 10-12 with a passion for sciences from 12-14 August.
This year, the Flinders I-WiSH connects 10 world-class Australian researchers with 60 Flinders students and 34 students visiting from Pymble Ladies College in Sydney and St Catherine’s School in Melbourne.
The researchers will share their work on cutting-edge, world-class doctoral projects and discoveries in Health-Related Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (HeR-STEM) fields.
NOTE: To view a short two-minute video of last year’s I-WiSH 2023 highlights, click here.
College Principal Michelle Carroll said Flinders was committed to helping to address the under-representation of young women in the sciences in Australia.
“We are pleased that our Flinders I-WiSH conference is growing in size and impact each year,” Ms Carroll said.
“The aim is to help identify, empower and nurture a pipeline of talented girls in STEM fields.
“This is the first year Flinders will host students from other schools, giving more girls the opportunity to build skills and confidence and explore future pathways.
“We are looking forward to sharing this unique opportunity through I-WiSH to connect in person with leading researchers and be inspired by their work and potential.”
The conference also involves a three-hour Change Maker strategy where the students work in small groups with a researcher mentor and must advocate for one doctoral project to benefit the broader Australian community.
The student groups will present their proposed strategy in a modified 3MT presentation to the 2024 I-WiSH participants and judging panel.
The guest researchers include:
- Professor Lisa Nissen, Pharmacy & Health Workforce, UQ (Keynote Presentation)
- Dr Rosanna Ruggeri, Cosmic Physics, QUT;
- Dr Kelly Walton, Reproductive Biology, UQ;
- Ms Gillian Rowan, Environmental Science, UQ;
- Dr Naomi Fitzpatrick, Dietetics, La Trobe University;
- Ms Ashlee Caddell, Cosmic Physics, QUT;
- Ms Rebecca Fechner, Neuroscience of Pain, UTS;
- Ms Cassady Swinbourne, Water Systems Modeler, UQ;
- Dr Mia Schaumberg, Exercise Physiology, UniSC; and
- Ms Megan Deldot, Research Specialist, UQ and Pharmaceutical Consumer Partnerships.
The keynote will be provided by Professor Lisa Nissen who is the Director of the EvolveHealth Health Workforce Optimisation Program at The University of Queensland’s Centre for the Business and Economics of Health (CBEH), which aims to address some of the most pressing health and medical challenges of today.
Lisa provides stakeholders with deep industry and academic knowledge, previously working as the Head of the School of Clinical Sciences at Queensland University of Technology, as well as with Queensland Health in 2021 as Senior Expert Advisor for the COVID-19 Vaccination Taskforce.
Boosting Girls' Participation in STEM
Dr Louise McCuaig, the Director of the Flinders Discovery Institute said the conference was playing an important role in boosting girls’ participation in STEM.
“The recent ‘State of STEM Gender Equity’ report reveals that girls need more support in exploring science careers,” Dr McCuaig said.
The report reveals concerning data, that:
- girls’ confidence in STEM subjects is generally lower than boys and falls as they get older;
- women make up 37% of enrolments in university STEM courses, and just 17% of VET STEM enrolments; and
- only 15% of STEM-qualified jobs are held by women
There is also good news in the report:
- The number of women in STEM-qualified occupations increased by 68% from 2012 to 2022
- girls make up the majority of students in many Year 12 STEM subjects, including in the fields of biological sciences, earth sciences, chemical sciences and agricultural and environmental studies.
“We are excited for our girls at Flinders to share their passion for science with like-minded girls from Pymble Ladies College and St Catherine’s School,” she said.
“Students embrace the I-WiSH conference because it’s collaborative, interactive, empowering and authentic, and they appreciate the opportunity to meet talented women in real-world careers working on trail-blazing projects.
“This interactive approach helps to demystify and reveal the future pathways available in the sciences.
“The big-picture goal for I-WiSH is to equip young women with skills that promote their resilience and capacity to overcome barriers and thrive within HeR-STEM industries.
“We know that each year this event is held, the College is improving the outcomes for girls and women in STEM in Australia.”
The researchers will share a wide range of doctoral projects on topics including the mapping of dark energy, nutrition and paediatric wellbeing, the impact of toxins on germ cells, restoration of coastal ecosystems, countering blue screen impact on macular degeneration, and fighting dementia through exercise.
To learn more about Flinders, go to www.mfac.edu.au
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