The winners of the 2024 Tasmanian STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Excellence Awards were announced this week at a celebratory event at a ceremony at the University Club in Hobart.
This year Professor Brett Paull from the School of Natural Sciences was awarded the Premier’s Tasmanian STEM Researcher of the Year prize for his career achievements in analytical chemistry, improving industrial processes and practices nationally and internationally with clear societal and environmental impact.
Dr Chen Zhao from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies received the Tasmanian STEM Early Career Researcher of the Year award for advancing the understanding of ice sheet dynamics and global climate impacts, directly informing international climate policy and coastal adaptation strategies.
Dr Ben Arthur from the CSIRO Marine National Facility was awarded the Tasmanian STEM Communicator of the Year award for delivering creative STEM storytelling from the classroom to the boardroom to engage people across Australia on a wide range of marine issues.
Brett Mullins of Somerset Primary School received the Tasmanian STEM Primary Teacher of the Year for actively fostering student interest in STEM through hands-on experiences that extend learning and engaging the community.
Kathleen O’Leary of St Michael’s Collegiate School received the Secondary Teacher of the Year awards respectively, for bringing real-world science and mathematics into the classroom and helping students see the relevance of these subjects in their everyday lives.
The Minister’s STEM Innovation of the Year Award was awarded to the Southern Ocean Subsea Pty. Ltd Team for their specialised, integrated Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) net repair platform, known as the APAMA Net Repairer. Designed for the aquaculture industry, this novel technology can operate on-site 24/7 and may be utilised to proactively inspect the net and identify failure points at an early stage, avoiding more significant failures.
The Tasmanian STEM Excellence Awards highlight the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – STEM – in our economy and our community. The finalists acknowledged are leaders in their fields and their innovative achievements will inspire others and help chart the future for Tasmania. The Tasmanian Government’s STEM Excellence Awards have been presented since 2016 to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our foremost scientists, researchers, communicators, innovators and teachers.
The Tasmanian STEM Excellence Awards are supported by the Tasmanian Government, Inspiring Tasmania and the University of Tasmania.
