When marine scientist Dr Prue Francis found out in 2022 she was going to become one of Science & Technology Australia’s Superstar of STEM she was thrilled at the opportunities it presented.
Not only did it allow the chance to increase the visibility of the important work she is involved with at Queenscliff Marine Centre, it also gave her a platform to serve as a role model for other women and girls in the STEM sector.
“When you look at the stats for women and non-binary people in the STEM workforce, it’s quite incredible,” she said.
“I’m lucky, in the aquatic science space it’s nearly a 50-50 split, but if you’re looking at engineering, it’s 85-15.
“One of the Superstars of STEM catchphrases is, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’. I’ve got two young girls, and they’re starting to see a much wider representation that certainly wasn’t around when I was their age.”
Dr Francis’ work focuses on kelp restoration, cultivating and growing kelp to help future-proof kelp diversity and repopulate areas where kelp has been lost to disturbances through overgrazing of urchins or the impacts of climate change.
But it’s not all “lab coats and glasses”; she spends just as much time in a wetsuit, collecting reproductive kelp to build and maintain the centre’s kelp seed bank.
She also spends a fair chunk of her time engaging with the community, speaking as a guest at events or schools or showcasing her restoration work.
As Science & Technology Australia begins the search for the next crop of Superstars, Dr Francis encouraged STEM professionals, especially women and non-binary people, to apply.
“For me, the program has been surprisingly transformative,” she said.
“I’ve always been in the community engaging in my own way, but I’ve been able to really focus on developing or enhancing my professional skills in the communication space. I can then have a more meaningful impact in the STEM field but also in the community and in the school visits that I do.
“I’m also now connected with 59 other superstars of our cohort. When you’re in a specific field you attend different conferences, you connect with other like-minded scientists in your field.
“What the Superstar of STEM has allowed me to do is connect with professionals in the STEM sector that I wouldn’t normally meet or connect with at a conference. And it’s been really refreshing to have their guidance, their opinion, their friendship to guide us in the last two years.”
Visit scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au to apply to become a Superstar of STEM or for more information.
