This week, our Senior School concluded our week long celebration of National Science Week with a Keynote Address from Professor Sylvia Urban from the School of Science (Applied Chemistry & Environmental Science) at RMIT.  

Professor Urban is recognised as one of Australia’s leading natural product chemists, with a career spanning 25 years in biodiscovery science which leads the evaluation of hundreds of natural products derived from the Australian and New Zealand natural environment.  

Professor Urban is a staunch advocate of promoting better opportunities for women in STEM through her role as the Chair of the Women Researchers’ Network at RMIT. With only 27% of STEM jobs filled by females in Australia today, there is a need to maintain a strong focus on educating and encouraging girls into this field of work.  

In the 1970s, just 7% of STEM roles were filled by women. This number tripled in 20 years with a reported 23% noted in the 1990s. However, the figure has almost stagnated since this time, increasing by only 4% in the past 20 years. Clearly, this needs to change.  

Australia (and the rest of the Western world) can ill afford to lose another generation of girls from this industry. If we want to attract the best and brightest minds into STEM fields, we must look to the entire population.  

Professor Sylvia Urban is a staunch advocate for opportunities for women in STEM

In our Senior School Assembly on Monday, Professor Urban encouraged the girls to imagine a world without science. She went on to share the work of Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin OM FRS HonFRSC who discovered the structure of penicillin during World War II, allowing over 100,000 soldiers to ‘come home’ from the war. Hodgkin also discovered the structure of insulin in 1969, using X-ray crystallography and in effect, completely altering the management of diabetes, which previously had only a five-year life expectancy from the point of diagnosis. Hodgkin became the third woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1964.  

Olivia Hargrave and Georgia Hennessy

Our Science Assembly also included Georgia Hennessy and Olivia Hargrave who were excited to share their opportunity with CASE Ocean School, working in a holiday program across Sydney, Cairns and Townsville researching innovative solutions to ocean sustainability and coastal protection. Lucia Tabbagh shared her experience attending the National Youth Science Forum, held partially online and at Melbourne University and the Doherty Institute, where they explored the development of vaccinations. Tianqi (Jenny) Lu and Jisu Yang then shared their participation in the annual Engineering SUPERHACK hosted by Melbourne University Electrical Engineering Club, with time spent solving engineering design challenges around the theme ‘automation and productivity at home.’ Further details of our Science Assembly are detailed in our Head of Science article here. 

I also enjoyed catching up with Katharine Soutter (Year 11) this week to hear about her two-week Oxbridge Academic Program undertaken over the mid-year break. Katharine completed an Astronomy and Astrophysics Program at Jesus College, Cambridge University, UK. The Astrophysics Program addressed topics such as The Big Bang theory, galaxy formation, orbital mechanics, and string theory. The opportunity to study alongside students from across the globe was inspiring and cemented her thinking about her post-school pathways. 

Katharine Soutter (Year 11) during her two-week Oxbridge Academic Program at Jesus College, Cambridge University, UK

Our Science Faculty, led by Ms Vanessa Jackson-McRae, remain proud of St Catherine’s STEM story with 30% of each graduating class over the past six years transitioning into STEM-related tertiary courses. The opportunity to explore programs beyond School remains a highlight for many students and works to inspire students to explore the industry beyond school. 

Father’s Day

On Thursday morning, I enjoyed attending the PFA hosted Father’s Day Breakfast at Royal South Yarra Tennis Club with over 150 people attending. I am confident that every dad attending cherished the opportunity to take their daughter/s out for breakfast.  

Gabrielle Seymour was our special guest at yesterday’s PFA Father’s Day Breakfast

We enjoyed the presentation by AFLW player, Gabrielle Seymour, who is about to commence her season with Richmond. Gabrielle juggles her sporting pursuits with a career as a physiotherapist, an Ambassador for Change Our Game, a program through the Office for Women and Girls in Sport and Recreation, in addition to her role as a Director of Women’s Football at Old Xavier Football Club.  

It was clear from the outset of her presentation that Gabrielle has a large capacity to shape her life through an unwavering commitment to train, study, work, and embrace her passion for advancing the women’s game toward full-time professionalism. Her enthusiasm for life was evident for all and she proved to be a wonderful motivating force for all in the room. We look forward to watching her success as a player with the commencement of the AFLW season this weekend.  

I am looking forward to lunch with my Dad on Saturday and cherish each opportunity I have to spend time with my parents. I encourage all families to enjoy Father’s Day this weekend and to embrace the family moments that demonstrate to our children that time together is to be valued and prioritised within the busyness of our lives. 

A full gallery of images from our PFA Father’s Day Breakfast is available here.