Science Education News (SEN) Journal 2017 Volume 66 Number 4 December 2017 | Page 17

ASSOCIATION NEWS
2017 Young Scientist Awards (continued)
NESA Science Inspector – No. 1 Supporter
Kerry Sheehan, our No. 1 supporter, was emphatic with his
praise for both the Young Scientist Awards program and the
wonderful talent that was on display in the room.
Professor Anna Moore is the Director of the Advanced
Instrumentation and Technology Centre at Mount Stromlo.
Her speciality is designing state-of-the-art instruments for
telescopes in space and on the ground (including Antarctica).
Kerry told the audience about the latest developments from
NESA, saying how the Young Scientist Awards and the Science
Extension course to be implemented in 2019 fit together like a
hand and glove. He expressed his gratitude to Young Scientist
Committee members who have helped shape the new syllabus
documents. He also thanked a past winner of Young Scientist
of the Year, Jade Moxey, who met with the Syllabus Committee
two years ago and demonstrated how all of her project work was
done outside of class time. This inspired the Committee to create
a senior science course that devotes specific classroom time to
investigative work.
Sponsored Awards
The STANSW Young Scientist Awards could not operate if it
weren’t for our sponsors. We have made a deliberate policy to
have no entry fee so no student is discriminated against on the
basis of financial situation, so we rely entirely on sponsorship
money for our survival. During the Presentation Ceremony the
following sponsors were recognised:
• Splash Into ... Young Marine Scientist Award;
Keynote Address – Professor Anna Moore
• The National Measurement Institute presented six project
winners covering the different focus areas of science,
technology and mathematics;
Professor Anna Moore delivered a fascinating speech explaining
how she became a scientist, and provided a mouth-watering
travel guide to where her career in telescopic instrumentation
has taken her around the world. Her stories of her time at the
South Pole really enthralled the audience. Anna and her team
are now designing instruments for the Giant Magellan Telescope,
one of the next generation of extremely large optical telescopes.
Her current research is opening up a new observational window
into the infrared transient universe, helping to search for
astronomical events including hidden novae, supernovae, and
now gravitational wave events.
• The NSW Branch of the Australian Society of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology presented the ASBMB Awards for
Excellence in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology;
• The NSW Branch of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
presented the three RACI Chemistry Encouragement Awards;
• STEP Inc. presented the STEP Environment Award for the top
environmental project;
• Western Sydney University presented their Science Award to
a student from a school in Greater Western Sydney;
• AARNet presented their AARNet Electronic Communication
Awards to twelve project winners encompassing the different
focus areas of science, technology and mathematics;
17
SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 66 NO 4