National Science Week is always a big one for our Faculty - here's a wrap for 2024
Science week in 2024 kicked off with Macquarie University’s Open Day on 10 August, where the Faculty of Science and Engineering put on a big show with loads of hands-on activities for visitors, displays and tours of labs and facilities, followed by several on-campus events - and lots of outreach in the community. Here’s just a taste of what went on:
Science in the Scrub in Western Sydney on 11 August hosted several Macquarie stalls including the Applied Biosciences fall armyworm stand.
The National Indigenous Science Experience (NISEP) team headed by Professor Joanne Jamie hosted outreach programs celebrating Indigenous and Western science with interactive activities, with school events from 14-16 August where the team engaged with around 200 children including students from Darlington, Glebe and Plunkett Street Schools, Jarjum Redfern College, pre-schoolers from Only About Children, and home-schooled high school students from Western Sydney.
This was followed by NISEP’s Redfern Community day on 17 August which hosted more than 500 visitors, beginning with an Opening Ceremony, Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony by Uncle Brendan Kerin, and presentations from Professor Joanne Jamie (NISEP Co-Director) and included visiting Yaegl elders sharing medicinal and food plant knowledge.
Dr Vanessa Pirotta hosted our biggest-ever Discover Lecture on 14 August titled ‘Humpback Highway,’ exploring the lives and ecological importance of these amazing whales.
Not pictured:
At Glenbrook Primary School, Dr Caragh Threlfall worked with BirdLife Australia and the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to develop a program on the ecology and conservation of the glossy black cockatoo, a threatened bird in the urban landscape near the school. The team hosted 15 classes (370 students) in the school library.
Professor Deborah Richards and Dr Juan Esquivel Muelber joined a Spotlight on Science panel at Hornsby Library.
Dr Paige Erpf and colleagues hosted amicrobiology display for school and public visitors as part of the Australian Museum’s Sydney Science Trail from 12-17 August
Professor Culum Brown visited Barker College and PLC to talk to classes about fish intelligence.
MQ Staff & Students - Science in the Suburbs: Macquarie University’s Ubar hosted engaging science talks on 14 August by Annabell Klinke, Jasmine Williams, Sally Hurst, Kenny Chan, Daniel Terno, Wil Losereewanich, Melinda Blake, Elise McCaul, and Jack Foster.