STEM CORNER: Highlighting Successful Women in STEM
Our Maths Club initiative to connect students with women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-based careers continues again in our ‘STEM Corner’.
This edition features an interview from Jaimie Woo of Year 12 with Charlotte Stanwix (pictured below). Charlotte is a former student of Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich, graduating in 2018 and serving as a House Captain of Chanel. Since she left MSCW, she has been completing a double degree of Chemical Engineering and Commerce at the University of New South Wales. Charlotte has also been working at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) for a year and a half, as an Engineering Intern in the Minerals department. In this department, she conducts pilot plant scale metallurgy work with mining external companies, using engineering skills from her university studies. Charlotte was kind enough to share insight about her career journey and offer advice to MSCW students.
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JAIMIE: How do you balance studying a double degree with your work?
CHARLOTTE: I work 2-3 days a week at ANSTO Minerals in Lucas Heights. I schedule my uni days with tutorials and mandatory classes on two days later in the week so I have time to watch the lectures after work hours earlier in the week. I definitely have a busy schedule but it’s worth it to finish my degree with lots of industry experience. And I also love working at ANSTO.
JAIMIE: What does a typical day look like at ANSTO? Could you explain more about what you do when “conducting pilot plant scale metallurgy work”?
CHARLOTTE: At ANSTO I work on projects which run over many months. Metallurgical processing often involves many specific steps to get from ore to refined products to be sold. These products include lithium hydroxide or rare earth carbonates, which are used for batteries and magnets. At ANSTO Minerals we model these steps on a slightly smaller scale than a normal plant scale to determine which conditions provide the greatest amount of product at the desired purity.
As these processes are very specific and intricate lots of planning goes into setting up and executing these experiments. A typical day would involve constructing documentation such a process flow diagrams which shows the plan for the set-up. I would then consult with my supervisor to determine the correct methods for the set-up, before putting it all together. These experiments can involve process equipment such as tanks, columns, and furnaces. Every process is unique, which makes it lots of fun to learn.
JAIMIE: Does your work involve more theoretical work or practical testing? What do you enjoy most?
CHARLOTTE: My work is both technical and hands on, which I love. I enjoy figuring out the correct method before I set-up the process. Seeing it all come together from a piece of paper is great to see. I enjoy the technical side more as I get to apply my knowledge from my university work.
JAIMIE: Which subjects at school helped you the most with your career and tertiary education?
CHARLOTTE: Both Maths and Chemistry helped me at university in my degree in Chemical Engineering. I would also recommend taking Physics if you want to go into engineering.
JAIMIE: What is the best part about your profession and what would you like others to know about it?
CHARLOTTE: My job involves working in a diverse team towards a common goal. There are often people of diverse backgrounds such as engineers, chemists, interns and technicians. I do enjoy working in a team and it often challenges me to think outside the box and inspires me to think of other ways to complete a task. We are all able to play to our skills during the process and make a concept a reality in order to generate engineering data for the client.
JAIMIE: What do you plan to do once you have completed your studies?
CHARLOTTE: I plan on working as a process engineer in the mining industry. I love travel and experiencing new sites and processes. I feel my work at ANSTO has exposed me to many different processing techniques such as solvent extraction and furnace operation. I will be able to take my knowledge and apply it to larger scale processing.
JAIMIE: Has any experience discouraged you from pursuing this pathway, especially as a woman?
CHARLOTTE: The engineering field is moving the right way towards getting more women into mining, though they definitely have a long way to go. I’ve had to get used to being the only female in my team, which comes with lots of unique challenges. There have definitely been times I wish I hadn’t chosen my career path due to the comments and actions of the men but I love what I do. I believe in being the change you want to see, and hopefully I can help other women coming into the workforce.
JAIMIE: What advice would you give to those wanting to pursue a career in engineering?
CHARLOTTE: I would say that you need to be confident in your ability, and to not be afraid to speak up.
JAIMIE: What most inspired you to follow your career path? As such, is there anything you would recommend to get more MSCW students interested in pursuing a career in STEM?
CHARLOTTE: I think my parents are the ones who inspired me to do engineering. I loved maths and science and knew I wanted to get into a career that challenged me and would provide me with great opportunities for growth. For MSCW students thinking about a career in STEM, I would say you should go for it — there is so much out there for you to discover!
We were thrilled to speak with another alumna of our community. Thank you to Charlotte for generously providing your time and sharing your experiences with us. Well done to Jaimie for her excellent questions!
Miss Emma Pracey, Instructional Specialist
