Science News

Women in STEM Event

Last week, some girls from Year 9 and Year 10 attended the Women in STEM event at the Maritime Museum. The day was incredibly informative and fun – we all had an amazing time and left feeling so lucky to have been given this opportunity! Girls from all around Sydney came to the event and we all were fascinated with the depth of knowledge that everyone we heard from shared. We met palaeontologists, conservators, marine scientists, doctors and more, and each of the women had a different story to tell. Here’s an overview from our favourite parts of the day.

Our first activity was listening to speeches from several incredible women in STEM. This ranged from a wildlife scientist to an exercise physiologist.

It was inspiring to be able to listen to the stories they shared about going into a STEM career. First we heard from Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife scientist who started her career in dolphin training and is currently using advanced technology to help detect and stop animal smuggling. Then we heard from Cay-Leigh Bartnickle, an assistant curator at the Maritime Museum, who told us about the inner workings of the museum. We also heard from Sally Hurst, a palaeontologist who founded the app “Found a Fossil” and later participated in an archaeology dig in Ireland. Next Varsha Bubathi, a Cloud solution architect, talked to us about various projects she has been part of including one where she used AI to help farmers increase crop yields. We then heard from Eliza Macdonald, an Exercise Physiologist who specialises in exercise Oncology. We then heard from Agata Rostek-Robak, the head of conservation of objects at the Maritime Museum, who talked to us about conservation. Next, we heard from Suki Jaiswal, an optometrist who is studying the impacts of bush fire smoke on firefighter’s eyes. Finally, we listened to Kylie Russel, who works in fisheries studying Coastal Wetland rehabilitation and also helps restore Oyster Reefs. A big thank you to all these brilliant speakers!

During our Women in STEM excursion, we were lucky to have the privilege of going to different offices, workshops, and storage areas to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes of the exhibitions and events that the Maritime Museum hosts. We were able to observe the warehouses that held artefacts that were not currently being used for exhibitions. Here we saw objects such as model vessels, cannons, underwater breathing apparatus and boat engines! We were also able to see the museum’s photography studio where Valerie Taylor’s camera was in the process of being photographed for an upcoming exhibition.

We also toured the offices where they preserve various artefacts that will be later used in their exhibitions. We were able to see and hear the story behind a model ship, cutlery from a shipwreck, and the original promotional graphic for the harbour bridge!

The third session involved a collection of hands-on activities. We had so much fun identifying zooplankton and phytoplankton under a microscope (our best friend was Garry, a wiggly worm!), and we also identified different types of plastic pulled from the ocean in a Seabin.

A Museum educator taught us about some ocean artefacts including a Port Jackson Shark Egg, and we tested boat hydrodynamics in water troughs. This was a super interesting part of the excursion and we were able to apply lots of the knowledge we had gained!

We also took part in an expo showcasing several different organisations and universities that promoted women in STEM. We were able to walk around, ask questions, and find out about all the different careers available in STEM. There were many different stalls, and we were able to meet representatives from ANSTO (Australia’s nuclear organisation), the ACS Foundation, UNSW and the University of Tasmania.

Thank you so much to the awesome science teachers (especially Mrs Sharma!!) for organising this event. We all had such a fantastic time and it would never have been possible without you. The whole day was incredible, and we were all left feeling empowered to pursue a career in STEM.

Zara Perkins, Natalie Assaad, Isabelle Rath-Mazzochi, Amelie Hewitt-Taylor and Georgia Cate Baker Wood
Year 9