In Brisbane, The University of Queensland (UQ) hosted 12 visits across three days. Participants explored a range of fields, from environment and earth sciences to microscopy and nanotechnology.
Face-to-face with the greats
A highlight for many Queensland participants was connecting with UQ’s top researchers through their three ‘Meet the Researchers’ sessions.
On the first day, participants were welcomed by UQ Provost Professor Aiden Byrne, followed by lectures from Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Hugh Possingham FAA and UQ Astrophysicist Dr Tamara Davis AM.
Professor Possingham showed students how mathematics is important to nature conservation.
“I loved Tamara Davis and her talk on dark matter and dark energy,” said one participant.
“The physics and maths workshop was also a lot of fun!”
During the following sessions, participants were enthralled by Dr Tyler Neely, lead researcher at UQ Bose-Einstein Condensation Lab; Dr Candice Goodwin, Outreach Manager at the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis; and Justin Clarke, a former AFL player turned aerospace engineer.
A day in the life of…
Participants experienced a day-in-the-life of engineers, scientists, and researchers across a range of UQ labs and institutes.
A highlight was the UQ Centre for Advanced Imaging, a leading research centre in advanced imaging and the only facility of its type in Australia.
Participants heard from NYSF alumni and top experts in the field toured their impressive facilities.
They saw biomedical scanning activities up close, with advanced technology and nanomedicine virtual reality.
At the ARC Centre for Excellence in Engineered Quantum Systems, participants gained an insight into careers in STEM, followed by a workshop on unconscious bias.
Participants learnt about the influence of unconscious biases on how we handle certain situations by taking a hands-on look at the tricks our brains use to help us process the millions of decisions we make every day.
- These were only the beginning of STEM Visits at UQ. Program participants also:
- experienced electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, x-ray, and chemical elemental analysis with UQ Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis
- observed real human tissue specimens, comparing what is anatomically normal to what is abnormal with the Integrated Pathology Centre
- participated in a hologram workshop with UQ School of Mathematics and Physics
- discovered how and why the earth is organised into distinct layers with UQ Environmental and Earth Sciences
- became aerospace engineers and designed, constructed, and launched a solid fuel model rocket with UQ Engineering
- developed their entrepreneurial thinking with the Design Thinking Workshop.
Also in Brisbane, participants visited UQ researchers and others at the Ecosciences Precinct.
Housed close to Brisbane’s CBD, the Ecosciences Precinct hosts researchers from the Queensland Government, CSIRO, UQ, and other partner universities.
The visit included a building tour and a series of presentations from respected scientists across the many fields.
