Inspiring the next gen of AuScope ‘gems’
Recently, school students participated in a hands-on geoscience workshop at the ANU. Here we see students discovering how seismologists record earthquakes and research earthquake hazards using an AuScope seismometer. Image: Larisa Medenis.
Investigating life on Earth, ocean currents, fossils and earthquakes is all in a day’s work for our outreach team at the Australian National University (ANU). Recently they illuminated young minds in a full day workshop during the university’s Girls into Earth and Marine Sciences (GEMS) holiday program, sharing some of the fascinating and diverse career opportunities that are available across these natural sciences.
Across the day, 25 year 9 and 10 students joined postgraduate students and researchers from ANU to discover how geologists record earthquakes, research earthquake hazards, explore the Earth’s timeline, make experiments to understand the dynamics of the Earth, study fossils and more.
Inspecting foraminifera fossils underneath the microscope (left), which might have looked something like this (right). Image: Larisa Medenis and Psammophile.
This event proved successful for the second year running. AuScope Seismometers In Schools and Earth Imaging project coordinator, Dr Michelle Salmon reflects on the workshop beginnings:
“I am grateful to two exceptional PhD students — Hannah James and Bethany Ellis — who came up with the idea for this workshop, and together with As Prof Meghan Miller, and gained funding for GEMS from Science Week ACT. Together our team continues to show true passion for sharing their experiences in Earth Sciences.”
Students discover how gravity currents work in the Climate and Fluids lab. Image: Larisa Medenis.
Michelle is also pleased that the workshop helps to address gender imbalance in STEM as highlighted in the recent Women In STEM Decadal Plan that was produced by the Australian Academy of Science:
“By bringing women to the front — both students and researchers — GEMS aims to encourage females to consider Earth Sciences as a career option.
It is great to see all the women students, researchers and staff get on board with this program so the girls can see how they could fit into Earth Sciences.”
The Australian Academy of Science provides independent, authoritative and influential scientific advice, promotes international scientific engagement, builds public awareness and understanding of science, and champions, celebrates and supports excellence in Australian science: science.org.au
MORE INFO
If you would like to know more about future events with the ANU team, please get in touch with Dr Michelle Salmon or As Prof Meghan Miller.
If you have an idea for a future STEM event that is facilitated by AuScope, please get in touch with Jo Condon.