About

Previously she was CEO of Obesity Australia and for nine years before that was CEO of the Bio21 Cluster, Victoria’s leading health sciences/biotechnology research cluster. This was preceded by senior management roles at the School of Graduate Studies, University of Melbourne and the Baker Heart Research Institute.

After gaining a PhD from the University of Melbourne in 1984, Stella spent three years as a CJ Martin Fellow at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London before returning to a research career in Australia. Her career as a biomedical research scientist in the area of diabetes was recognised in 2014 when she was listed on the NHMRC website “High Achievers in Australian Health and Medical Research”. In 1994, Stella helped establish the Premier’s Award for Medical Research in Victoria, which recognises outstanding talent amongst young Victorian medical researchers.

Stella is currently on the Boards of The Bionics Institute, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function and The Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation. Since 2012 Stella has been an Honorary Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne. In 2013 she was awarded a Certificate of Merit upon graduation from the AICD Company Director’s Course and in 2018 became an Honorary Life Member of the BioMelbourne Network. Stella was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Photo: Stella with the ASI alumni selected to represent Australia at the 2025 Asian Science Camp, held in Thailand.

Michelle is currently consulting to various organisations, including startups and organisations working within the circular economy. Her experience in building large teams and driving growth is helping organisations bring their products and services to market effectively and attracting customers at scale. Michelle spent ten years at Microsoft in various roles and most recently as the Australian Services Director, leading a team of 240 computer scientists, business analysts and developers. Her team was responsible for delivering multi-year projects for large enterprises in Australia and New Zealand. During that time, Michelle introduced a Digital Transformation practice, which has subsequently been adopted by the global organisation. Michelle has a keen interest in encouraging our youth to study science and especially young girls to pursue science and maths as part of their chosen subjects.

Photo: Michelle with Vanessa Kates, Executive Director, Australian Science Innovations, at the Australian team announcement ceremony for the 2025 International Junior Science Olympiad.

She has been a contributing writer for several of the National Science Week Resource books developed by ASTA and was the convenor of CONASTA 61, the Conference of the Australian Science Teachers Association. Anna was involved with the development of the Australian Curriculum—Science. She has also authored a number of science resources for Nelson Cengage, including “iScience for the Australian Curriculum”—both national and NSW editions and Nelson Chemistry for the Australian Curriculum.

Anna is a Past President of the Australian Science Teachers’ Association (ASTA) and is both a Life Member and Past President of the Science Teachers’ Association of New South Wales (STANSW). Anna has extensive experience presenting professional learning events for science teachers throughout NSW in programming and assessment. In 2006, Anna was awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools.

He is an alumnus of the Australian Science Olympiads, having attended the 1990 Physics Summer School and the 1990 Chemistry Summer School, before winning a bronze medal at the 1990 International Chemistry Olympiad in Paris. Ben taught at a number of Australian Chemistry Olympiad Summer Schools, and was co-team leader at the 1995 International Chemistry Olympiad in Beijing.

Prior to coming to the bar in 2006, he was a senior associate at a major national law firm, and before that was associate to Justice Gummow of the High Court of Australia. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Oxford, and Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Sydney. During his studies at the University of Sydney he was awarded the University Medal in Law, the University Medal in Organic Chemistry and the 1995 Convocation Medal.

Photo: Ben congratulates Max Etherington on his selection to the team representing Australia at the 2019 International Earth Science Olympiad.

Passionate about improving health for people with challenging medical conditions, Jo trained as a nurse in London before undertaking postgraduate qualifications in marketing and has more recently moved into the field of fundraising.

Since settling in Melbourne in 2006, Jo has volunteered for a number of community organisations, including Cancer Council’s Hawthorn Relay for Life committee and as a Board member of the Kew Neighbourhood Learning Centre.

He currently runs two investment funds focused on technology and the life sciences. He has a Master of Finance from the London School of Economics and was a member of the 2006 Australian Chemistry Olympiad team.

He is an alumnus of the Australian Science Olympiads, having attended the 1990 Physics Summer School and the 1990 Chemistry Summer School, before winning a bronze medal at the 1990 International Chemistry Olympiad in Paris. Ben taught at a number of Australian Chemistry Olympiad Summer Schools, and was co-team leader at the 1995 International Chemistry Olympiad in Beijing.

Prior to coming to the bar in 2006, he was a senior associate at a major national law firm, and before that was associate to Justice Gummow of the High Court of Australia. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Oxford, and Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Sydney. During his studies at the University of Sydney he was awarded the University Medal in Law, the University Medal in Organic Chemistry and the 1995 Convocation Medal.

She specialises in strategic communication for government science organisations, currently with the Bureau of Meteorology and previously with Geoscience Australia.

Prior to moving into communications, Tegan worked as a research scientist, including as a biostratigrapher with Geoscience Australia.

She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tasmania, as well as honours in earth science and a geoarchaeology PhD from the Australian National University (ANU).

Tegan sat on Geoscience Australia’s Advisory Board for two years and has previously served on the committees of science-related societies including the Canberra Archaeological Society and the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia. She also sat on the ANU’s University Council, during her tenure as President of the ANU’s Postgraduate and Research Students’ Association.

Anita has also worked as a high school teacher and was recognised by awards including School Science Educator of the Year—SA Science Excellence Awards, Eureka Prize for Science and Mathematics Teaching, and the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science Teaching in Secondary Schools.

Anita is a member of The South Australian Science Teachers Association (SASTA) and an advocate for the SASTA Oliphant Science Awards in South Australia. Anita is passionate about enhancing opportunities for all students to be involved in science and is eager to promote science opportunities offered through Australian Science Innovations’ programs.

Commencing in the energy sector over 25 years ago as a freshly minted electrical engineer she has worked in applying science and engineering to societal needs. Fiona has led utilities and government through transformational change, playing a variety of technical, strategic, policy and leadership roles in navigating, orchestrating and creating our new systems and policies – in this era of unprecedented change driven by climate action, the changing energy mix, technology and our behaviours.

Fiona is currently leading the Climate Change and Energy Division of the ACT Government. In this role, she looks after a range of policies and programs to ensure the ACT meets its emission reduction goals while improving the environment and helping all citizens make the transition to a net zero emissions future. Prior to this, Fiona worked as a senior executive in the Federal Government supporting the sustainable management and productive use of Australia’s water resources, and for more than 25 years worked in energy utilities, managing electricity and gas distribution, and large infrastructure projects.

As a first hand participant and observer of the minority status of women in engineering, women in stem, and the lack of any reasonable improvement in these statistics over the last 25 years, Fiona has a passion and interest in encouraging girls and young women to pursue engineering careers through study of science and maths at the high school and university level.

His research primarily focuses on accounting, auditing and finance issues, but he is also actively involved in research examining the technical and economic feasibility of resource utilisation in space. He has published widely in international and local journals and is a co-author on the leading financial statement analysis textbook for Australia and New Zealand universities.

He holds a PhD from UNSW and a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney.