The theme for Science Week 2023 was Innovation: Powering future industries.  

This year’s theme could not be more relevant for our society, where innovation is essential for economic growth, sustainability, and progress.  

Science and innovation are the driving forces behind significant progress in various fields, including health, technology, and the environment. Within St Catherine’s Science Faculty, we aim to inspire and empower the next generation of innovators who will shape the world and drive future industries. 

Science Week at St Catherine’s commenced with an Astronomy Night with the President of the Melbourne Astronomical Society, Mr Cris Ellis, and Rowina Nathan, a PhD candidate in Astrophysics, focusing on neutron star pulse analysis in the search for nanohertz gravitational waves and multi-messenger astronomy. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, students enjoyed the information presented, especially Rowina’s experience as a female astrophysicist and her virtual reality tour of space. 

Science Week Assembly held this Monday, was an opportunity to showcase student successes. Olivia Hargrave and Georgia Hennessy presented on the ACTURA Oceans School. Olivia, Georgia, Millie McIntosh, and Jessica Paterson won the Innovation Award at the Challenge X portion of the trip. This is a culmination of two weeks of work to design an innovative solution to an ocean sustainability problem 

Jisu Yang and Tianqi (Jenny) Lu outlined the Melbourne University Electrical Engineering Competition SUPERHACK. The design theme was “automation and productivity at home.” Jiarun (Karen) Ai, Keyue (Karen) Deng, Katharine (Kate) Carter, Mia Krongold, and Tszki (Lily) Zhang received third place for their automatic plant waterer. Finally, Lucia Tabbagh, Matisse Stafford, Sienna Lonetti, and Sienna Rigg received second place for their auto clothes-folding machine. 

Our Year 8 students’ performances in the Big Science Competition were also acknowledged by Ms Clare Haysom, St Catherine’s Physics/Science teacher during the Science Assembly. The Big Science Competition tests students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills and science knowledge. A Distinction, or High Distinction, places students in the top 10% of the Competition. The following students received awards:      
    

The Keynote Speaker for our Science Week Assembly was Professor Sylvia Urban, one of Australia’s leading natural product chemists. With over 25 years’ experience in biodiscovery science, Professor Urban has led the isolation and evaluation of hundreds of natural products derived from the Australian and New Zealand environment.  

Professor Urban’s research group has made numerous discoveries across natural products science leading to multiple high impact publications. Sylvia has fostered transformative industry funded research and has an established international cross-disciplinary research profile. Her contributions to Australian science were recognised when she was made a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute in 2020. 

Over the last decade Sylvia has become an educational leader, acknowledged by her appointment as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2018, and awarded numerous teaching awards including an Australian Award for University Teaching. Responsible for the Bachelor of Science degree Professor Urban has transformed education in STEM to provide flexible student choice and connection across Science disciplines. She promotes better opportunities for women in STEM through her role as the Chair of the Women Researchers’ Network and is committed to embedding Indigenous knowledge into the Science curriculum through her STEM Reconciliation Facilitator role at RMIT University. 

St Catherine’s STEM Captain, Mia Krongold, also provided an update about the achievements of STEM Club this year during the Assembly. 

Across Science Week our Science students and staff participated in a range of activities. Our Year 9 students participated in The Bad Science Show, a 60-minute incursion that encourages students to think critically about who they can believe and what science they can trust. They also participated in the inaugural PPE Competition won by Tianqi (Jenny) Lu. The PPE competition tested students’ abilities to complete specific experimental tasks whilst changing into and out of their personal protective equipment, laboratory coat, safety glasses, and gloves. Students and staff also participated in the Science Week Quiz that tested their knowledge of Australian innovation.