The Ipsos Climate Change Report 2022 has revealed that 83% of Australians are worried about climate change
If that’s you, don’t despair. There are so many brilliant STEM pros out there working on incredible, planet-saving things! And you can be one of them. To get you thinking about ways you can do your bit for Earth, we’ve rounded up five role models working in STEM + environment gigs that are having a big impact. Be inspired by their journeys and start planning your own pathway in this important field.
1. Environmental scientist
Professor Bill Leggat and his team of researchers are on a mission to understand – and reverse – damage to coral reefs.
His major goal? “We want to help make decisions to allow corals to overcome anthropogenic [human-caused] stresses and see how we can restore impacted sites.”
Bill’s pathway
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Marine Biology), James Cook University
- PhD (Marine Biology), James Cook University
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Queensland
- Lecturer, James Cook University
- Associate Professor, James Cook University
- Associate Professor, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle
Read his full profile here.
2. Solar energy engineer
Elnaz Hariri loved maths and physics in high school, and went on to study mechanical engineering in high school.
She now works at Sun Cable as a solar lead. Sun Cable is developing the world’s largest solar energy infrastructure network, making it possible to power whole cities with renewable energy.
Her role is to design experiments to help inform technology choices.
“No matter what your background, you can actively participate in renewable energy. You must have a passion to learn about the industry and build new skills.”
Elnaz’s pathway
- Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zanjan, Iran
- Master of Renewable Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Iran
- Mechanical engineer, Iran Exhaust
- Co-founder & project manager, Avesta
- Engineering laboratory manager, CPP Wind Engineering Consultants
- Solar lead, Sun Cable
Read her full profile here.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Renewable Energy Engineer Job Kit
3. Heatwave expert
Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick is one scientist you won’t find in a lab! Instead, Sarah’s research uses climate models to study heatwaves at the Climate Change Research Centre at UNSW.
A climate model is a computational tool for understanding the Earth’s climate. They not only help scientists understand what controls our climate, they can also make predictions on how our climate might change in the future.
Sarah’s pathway
- Bachelor of Science (Atmospheric Science), Macquarie University
- Postgraduate Certificate in Science, Macquarie University
- PhD (Climate Science), UNSW
- Postdoctoral researcher, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research division, Melbourne
- Postdoctoral researcher, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW
- Senior lecturer and Future Fellow, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW
Read her full profile here.
4. Climate informatics manager
Joanna Aldridge uses maths and data analytics to tackle climate change.
She’s analysed the risk of storms throughout eastern Australia and built complex risk models using historical weather charts from the Bureau of Meteorology as well as wind, wave and rainfall data.
Want to mix maths with the environment? Here’s Joanna’s advice…
“You should keep an eye on job ads to get to know the range of options available, and commit to always learning – you’ll need to to stay up-to-date with the exciting and fast-paced field.”
Joanna’s pathway
- Bachelor of Advanced Science (Mathematics and Physical geography), University of Wollongong
- Research Statistician PhD, Coastal Geomorphology, University of Sydney
- Environmental consultant
- Research Informatics Manager, University of Sydney
Read her full profile here.
FREE POSTER: 8 epic planet saving solutions
5. Carbon capture & storage analyst
Jess Godfrey works as a carbon capture and storage analyst at Origin Energy, which involves finding and assessing underground reservoirs that can be used to store carbon dioxide emitted by power stations and industrial facilities.
This means she gets to travel to some of Australia’s most beautiful locations to find clever ways to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
“This field of science literally has it all – every landscape and the ability to understand how it formed,” says Jess.
Jess’ pathway
- Bachelor of Science (Earth Science), QUT
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Geology), The University of Western Australia
- Graduate Geoscientist, Origin Energy
- Carbon Capture & Storage Analyst, Origin Energy
Read her full profile here.
Get more career inspo over on our STEM + environment careers hub. You can also find more environment role models here.
