Science Communication: A voice for STEM in an age of misinformation

In a world where facts and information are so easily confused and twisted, it helps to be able to unscramble the noise and figure out what is really going on. For students learning how to think and communicate critically, they need to be aware not just of what they are hearing but of how it is coming to them. What platforms and speakers are they hearing from? How are messages being crafted to appeal to them? How are they themselves able to build the skills to communicate clearly and effectively? Science communication helps students make sense of the cacophony of influences, recommendations and messages they are hearing every day, while also giving them the tools to make themselves heard.

Join us as we celebrate International Literacy Day with our free webinar titled "Science Communication: A voice for STEM in an age of misinformation", which brings together some of Australia’s experts and emerging leaders in Science Communication, including ATSE Fellow Susannah Eliott, CEO of the Australian Science Media Centre, to understand the opportunities for careers in science communication and the vital importance of scientific literacy to everyday Australians.

This webinar is the latest in our 2024 Shape Your Future series, an educational initiative from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), which brings experts in science, technology and engineering into Australian classrooms for a virtual chat with students on the things that matter to them.

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.

Speakers

Dr Susannah Eliott

FTSE

CEO, Australian Science Media Centre

As CEO of the Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC), Dr Susannah Eliott has been a driving force in improving Australian’s access to trusted information about science and technology.

Following an early career in cell biology, Susannah turned her interest to science communication, managing the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Centre for Science Communication, and later establishing the AusSMC. She has more than 25 years of practical experience in science communication with the interface between science and the media being her primary focus. She has an honorary doctorate in Science Communication from the University of Adelaide and is a Board member of the Environment Institute at the University of Adelaide, a member of the Inspiring South Australia Steering Group, a judge for the Banksia Sustainability Eureka and Walkley Awards for science journalism and occasional media commentator a regular contributor to ABC Radio National’s Drive program with Patricia Karvelas.

The AusSMC works with around 2,400 journalists and more than 6,000 qualified experts to support the accurate reporting of science and technology in the media for the benefit of the Australian public. Susannah has supported the work of science media centres in other parts of the world, including New Zealand, Taiwan, Germany, Spain, the UK and Kenya.

Susannah is passionate about increasing the amount, accessibility and visibility of Australian research in the media.

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Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson

ATSE Emerging Leader (Education) and Alumni of the IMNIS Catalyst Program

Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson (she/her) is a singing scientist: she sings in the laboratory and contemplates immunology in the shower. She trained as an immunologist at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, studying infectious diseases and skin allergies.

Catriona is an enthusiastic science communicator and educator. She writes songs that explain science, and you can often catch her singing and dancing around Museums Victoria as a Learning Facilitator. As Senior Tutor in Science Communication at The University of Melbourne, she teaches the next generation of scientific researchers how to convey complex information. She is also the Science Communications Officer for the Royal Society of Victoria and Convergence Science Network.

Catriona regularly engages with science mentoring and outreach programs, such as Skype a Scientist, Pint of Science, In2science, BrainSTEM, and National Science Week – sharing science online, on radio, and in schools across Australia and beyond.

In addition to her work, Catriona is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM. She is Secretary of the Pride in Action Network at The University of Melbourne and a committee member of Queers in Science, and was listed among Out for Australia’s 30 Under 30 in 2022. She is passionate about lifting up women in STEM and also regularly supports the Vietnamese Community in Australia Victoria Chapter, especially translating important health information during the pandemic. She continues to share the joys of science with everyone – because science is for everyone.

Adam Huttner-Koros is a science communicator from Canberra. He has worked in areas as diverse as supercomputing, climate modelling, seed banking and artificial intelligence. With interests spanning across science and linguistics, his broad experience in languages and science writing often comes in handy for cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary communication. His career has focused on learning from technologists and scientists of all different kinds in order to learn and write about the most varied range of topics possible.

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Science Communication: A voice for STEM in an age of misinformation

Speakers