Join our Team!
We are looking to expand the organising committee in 2023! If you are working in STEM and want to help organise Soapbox Science Adelaide events, contact us now!
Lead Organizer
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Dr Margaret ShanaField
Lead Organizer Soapbox Science Adelaide, Senior Lecturer/Senior Researcher, Flinders University & Scientific Officer at the Environmental Defender’s Office
About meI study how water moves through the environment to understand how much of the rain that hits the ground ends up in our rivers and makes it from there into the ground to replenish the groundwater we rely upon. I love how dynamic rivers are, and have a special interest in understanding what makes our seasonal and ephemeral rivers flow after dry periods. Science communication is so important; without it, we are doing our research in a vacuum, where only our colleagues see it and we have little impact on the world. But I want our rivers to be healthy and vibrant for the next generation! Seems like the best way for that to happen is to go out and show everyone how amazing and important our rivers are. In general, I want to live in a culture where we value science and let our current scientific understanding guide our future. I think Soapbox Science is a great way to further this cause, and I’m excited to bring together and showcase awesome scientists from a variety of disciplines and institutions across Adelaide.
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Organizing Team
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Dr Yee Lian ChewSenior Research Fellow, Flinders University
About meI am a worm-wrangler, geneticist and neuroscientist. I am excited about how connections between brain cells change during learning and how they encode memories! I love Soapbox Science because the idea of standing in front of a crowd of people who didn’t sign up for a science outreach event and just yelling about the cool research we do, is just awesome. I also love that Soapbox Science attracts a really diverse group of speakers to demonstrate to people that STEMMists come from many different shapes and sizes. I am definitely excited about the reactions we will get during the event – in my experience doing outreach in Adelaide, there is a huge interest in science and I think people will find the whole event lots of fun. I look forward to meeting lots of great STEMMists speaking, volunteering or just keen to engage with Soapbox Science Adelaide!
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Dr Samantha MunroePostdoctoral Researcher at University of Adelaide, Research Infrastructure Development Scientist with TERN
About meMy work examines the distribution of plants and animals, and I have studied everything from sharks, to shrimps, to shrubs. I love what I do because if we can understand where living things make their home and what they need to survive, we can help protect them from environmental change and safeguard the natural world for the future. I believe that scientists need to do everything that they can to reach out to the public and cut through misinformation. Soapbox Science is an important way we can speak to people directly without a filter. This event can also help us challenge preconceived notions about what a scientist looks like, and inspire greater diversity in STEM. I hope the 2022 Soapbox Science Adelaide is the first of many.
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Dr Julie-Anne PoppleSA State Outreach Officer at the Australian institute of Policy and Science Working on the Tall Poppy Campaign and Space Communicator at the Australian Space Discovery Centre
About meI am a science communicator, so it is my job to inspire people to be interested in science research and even pursue STEM careers. I organise opportunities engaging researchers who are winners of Tall Poppy science awards to talk to students and the public as part of the Tall Poppy campaign. I feel it is so important to have as many diverse voices in science to be heard and celebrated, particularly those of women and non-binary individuals. It is just as important for new diverse audiences to be introduced to and engaged with science and Soapbox science is a great platform to allow this to happen. It’s exciting to get started and I think we will gain momentum in the coming months and hopefully years ahead.
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