Balancing the scales: Women shaping the future of STEM
Celebrate the pivotal role women play in STEM this International Women’s Day in our first Shape Your Future webinar for 2026.
Balancing the scales: Women shaping the future of STEM
🗓️ Thursday 5 March 2026
🕑 11:45AM – 12:30PM AEDT (Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne time)
Celebrate the pivotal role women play in STEM this International Women’s Day in our first Shape Your Future webinar for 2026. This session will explore how women continue to break through barriers and help pave the way for the next generation.
Proudly presented by STELR, a national education initiative from ATSE – the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
🔍 Why should you attend?
Women’s participation in STEM fields is critical to fostering innovation, driving progress and meeting the growing workforce needs across construction, mining, energy, defence, AI and other STEM-powered industries. This engaging discussion will showcase the achievements of female leaders in STEM and the importance of increasing participation of people from diverse backgrounds, while highlighting ongoing challenges and opportunities for the next generation.
🌟 What will you learn?
- Insights from female leaders: Listen to empowering stories from women making significant contributions in various STEM fields.
- Career pathways and opportunities: Explore the diverse career trajectories available within STEM and how women are breaking barriers and setting new standards.
- Skill development: Understand the skills and experiences essential for pursuing a successful career in STEM.
Join ATSE Fellow, cross-disciplinary trailblazer and Australian space industry advocate Dr Sarah Pearce FTSE of the SKA Observatory as she explores the career journeys of our amazing panel of women in STEM. Practical and inspiring, this webinar is designed for students, educators and professionals interested in understanding the importance of diversity and inclusion in STEM.
Join us to celebrate women's achievements, envision a more inclusive future and discover how you can be a part of the movement toward gender parity in STEM!
FREE CAREERS IN STEM WEBINARS — Brought to you by STELR
Shape Your Future webinars show students the different pathways that Australian scientists, engineers & technologists have taken in their careers. To watch previous sessions, visit Shape Your Future webinars
STELR
ATSE’s STEM in schools' education initiative — STELR (Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance) — modules include equipment, curriculum resources for classrooms, and teacher support. Teachers can access professional learning sessions as well as online and telephone support.
Host
Professor Kylie Walker
AM
Chief Executive Officer, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
Chief Executive Officer, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
Speakers
Director, SKA-Low Telescope, SKAO
Dr Sarah Pearce joined SKAO in July 2021 as Director of the SKA-Low Telescope. There she leads a growing team in Australia preparing for deployment, commissioning, and operations of the world's largest low frequency telescope, to be built at CSIRO’s Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in Western Australia, on Wajarri Yamaji country.
Before joining SKAO, Dr Pearce was with CSIRO for 10 years as the Deputy Director of CSIRO Space & Astronomy and was Acting CSIRO Chief Scientist from January 2021 until her move to SKAO. Dr Pearce led CSIRO’s engagement in the SKA and was Australia’s science representative on the negotiating team for the SKA Treaty. She also established CSIRO’s Space research program, as well as the cross-organisational Centre for Earth Observation.
Before joining SKAO, Dr Pearce was with CSIRO for 10 years as the Deputy Director of CSIRO Space & Astronomy and was Acting CSIRO Chief Scientist from January 2021 until her move to SKAO. Dr Pearce led CSIRO’s engagement in the SKA and was Australia’s science representative on the negotiating team for the SKA Treaty. She also established CSIRO’s Space research program, as well as the cross-organisational Centre for Earth Observation.
Maria Reyes
Property Lead, Orica
Property Lead, Orica
Maria is originally from Colombia, where she got her degree as a Civil Engineer in 2010 followed by a post-graduate degree in Urban Development Constructions and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) to gain a bigger vision and perspective of the processes within organisations. She worked for 9 years in one of Colombia’s largest property development and construction companies, starting as an intern and going through different roles including Site engineer, Compliance Manager, Procurement and Contracts Manager, Innovation and Strategy manager and PMO coordinator.
Maria moved to Australia in 2019, spending 4 years to develop her confidence in English as her second language before starting her professional pathway with Orica in 2023. Starting in procurement for the AUSPAC region, and after changing country, career and language, Maria is now a Property Lead in Orica’s Global team managing a portfolio of over 90 different properties around Australia and ensuring compliance on international regulations, environmental, Health & Safety and security requirements.
Maria moved to Australia in 2019, spending 4 years to develop her confidence in English as her second language before starting her professional pathway with Orica in 2023. Starting in procurement for the AUSPAC region, and after changing country, career and language, Maria is now a Property Lead in Orica’s Global team managing a portfolio of over 90 different properties around Australia and ensuring compliance on international regulations, environmental, Health & Safety and security requirements.
Cynthia Feng
Elevate Post-Graduate Scholar
Elevate Post-Graduate Scholar
Cynthia is a PhD student in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney, researching 'brain rot' (social media's potential impact on memory). Before starting her PhD, she was a data analyst in various government agencies and not-for-profits across NSW, VIC and the ACT. As a psychology and history graduate and queer researcher, she loves seeing people getting ambitious and creative about what their future can look like, particularly in STEM.
