Meet the new ASC National Council!

A very warm welcome to our new Council as we head into 2025! These members were elected to Council at our recent AGM and have since chosen to fill a range of roles that support ASC’s strategic vision.

Please join us in welcoming the new team!

Council Roles

President: Phil Dooley
Vice President: Jen Martin (Chair of Awards Sub-committee)
Vice President: Kate Patterson (Chair of Strategy Subcommittee)
Treasurer: Jodie Haigh
Secretary: Camille Thomson (Chair of Conference & Events Subcommittee)

General Members:
Shanii Phillips (Chair of Policy Sub-committee)
Preeti Castle (Chair of Partnerships & International Engagement Sub-committee)
Jack Wang (Chair of Member Communications Sub-committee)
Jacque Stephens

Branch Representatives:
Jo Savill (S/E QLD)
Isabella Robinson (Canberra)
Angharad Thomas and Kate Holmes (Perth)

Public Officer: Jillian Matthews
(The Public Officer is not a position on Council, but an official position at ASC. Previously this role was held by Phil Dooley.)

Get to know our Council members more below!

Phil Dooley (President)

Dr Phil Dooley is a science entertainer, writer and trainer under the banner of Phil Up On Science.

He has served ASC as national vice president alongside three presidents, and as branch president of NSW and ACT. He has been involved with ASC for nearly 20 years, and is currently ASC Public Officer.

He’s written for Cosmos Magazine, New Scientist, the American Institute of Physics and more and has been selected for the Anthology of Best Australian Science Writing three times. He’s performed his own brand of science, music and comedy in science shows and festivals around the world including Glasgow, Sydney and London. He has run training courses, made videos, written for, and organised pub gigs for ARC Research Centres, Professional Organisations, NGOs, Industry and University Departments.

Part of the time he is manager of communications for ANU Physics. He’s also worked for ANU media office, USyd Physics and at JET nuclear fusion experiment in UK. He has a PhD in Laser Physics and Cert IV in Workplace Assessment and Training.

Jen Martin (Vice President)

Associate Professor Jen Martin spent many years working as a field ecologist until she decided the most useful thing she could contribute as a scientist was to teach other scientists how to be effective and engaging communicators. Jen founded and leads the University of Melbourne’s acclaimed Science Communication Teaching Program. She is deeply committed to helping scientists develop the skills they need to be visible, make connections and have impact.

Jen also practices what she preaches: for 18 years she’s been talking about science each week on 3RRR, Australia’s largest community radio station. She writes for a variety of publications, co-hosts the Let’s Talk SciComm podcast, MCs events, was named the 2019 Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication and received the 2020 University of Melbourne David White Award for Teaching Excellence. She is also a member of the Homeward Bound Teaching Faculty and a Board Member of the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance. When she’s not talking or writing about science, you can find Jen running marathons or singing with her choir.

Kate Patterson (Vice President)

I’m a transdisciplinary researcher, veterinarian, and education designer, leading teams to create innovative visualisations and education programs that deeply engage people in complex scientific concepts. Whether designing digital solutions or translating complex ideas into clear, compelling stories, I focus on making work that is human-centered and impactful.

My research explores how animation and visual storytelling can enhance education and scientific communication. I aim to make complex concepts more accessible and engaging in both education and healthcare settings.

I graduated from the University of Sydney’s Veterinary School in 2023, earned a PhD in molecular biology cancer research in 2009, and a Master’s in Media Arts from UNSW in 2021. Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked in the not-for-profit sector and been recognised for my work in scientific talks, posters, and biomedical animations. My transdisciplinary approach blends education, art, and science to solve real-world problems.

Jodie Haigh (Treasurer)

Jodie Haigh is a communications professional and trained scientist with a solid technical background and diverse experience across large scientific international organisations. She has led high-performing digital content and communications teams in complex organisational environments. As a purpose-driven leader, Jodie enjoys collaboration and transparent partnerships that engage and create impact.

Her career has been dedicated to research- and science-based communications roles, driven by her experience as a first-generation university student from a socioeconomic disadvantaged background. She believes effective communication ensures is key to advancing the public good. Jodie currently serves as the Communications Manager at Science & Technology Australia (STA), the nation’s peak body in science and technology, representing 235,000 scientists and technologists. Prior to this, she led EMBL’s social media strategy across 30 member and associate states and six sites, including Australia. Jodie has also worked as a scientific journal editor and in science news and video production roles.

She is passionate about mentoring junior colleagues and building high-performing teams in creative environments. Technically proficient across various digital tools, Jodie excels at managing user journeys and maintaining a cohesive brand identity. She is also dedicated to digital accessibility and inclusion.

Jodie is excited to support ASC’s strategic goals and collaborate with the membership over the next 12 months, uncovering valuable opportunities for the community.

Camille Thomson (Secretary)

Camille is a Science communicator and Educator who has worked closely with both schools and scientists for almost 20 years. She sees herself as more of a translator and facilitator, creating events and content with leading researchers nationally, linking them to audiences live and digitally. Her career has included time with the Australian Institute for Policy and Science, Geoscience Australia, the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and House of Kitch Communications. She has also volunteered with Pint of Science Australia and been on the committees of the Australian Science Communicators in NSW and the ACT.

She is always striving to communicate science topics and current research in a way that is engaging and accessible to all.

Shanii Phillips

I am a science communicator, researcher and passionate advocate for the role science communication can play in social equity. Like many people, I fell into the world of science communication through a series of fortunate events, and have called this space my home for just over a decade. My working hours are kept busy with a combination of managing audience research and evaluation at Scitech and collaborating with the Science Communication unit at the University of Western Australia as an Adjunct Research Fellow. 

My passion for research and social justice has led me to embark on a PhD in inclusive science communication at ANU. I hope to understand how informal science learning organisations can better reach audiences who aren’t currently represented amongst typical walk-in visitors, and the role museums and centres must play in enabling access to science communication. 

Prior to pivoting into evaluation, I worked as a science centre presenter (and performer) for 7 years, and will gladly take any opportunity to blow up a fiery hydrogen balloon or set off a fog bomb with liquid nitrogen (in the name of science communication)!

Preeti Castle

Preeti has extensive experience in building brand reputation through stakeholder engagement, partnership development, advocacy and strategic communication.

As the Strategic Engagement Director at The Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute (WABSI), Preeti has been instrumental in developing and sustaining the WABSI brand as a trusted collaboration mechanism. In the role, Preeti develops strategies to help build an engaged and informed stakeholder base to champion science-based decisions, and to make scientific knowledge accessible and understood by end users of biodiversity science.

Preeti has worked with several international and national organisations across financial services, science, technology and environment, and established a niche consulting firm that specialised in developing strategies to communicate scientific and technological concepts with clarity.

Preeti currently serves on the ASC National Council as the Secretary, International Engagement and is on the Board of the Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia. Preeti previously served as a Board Member and the Deputy Chair of the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation.

Preeti has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, an M.B.A. from The University of Western Australia and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Jack Wang

Associate Professor Jack Wang has applied his interdisciplinary research background in Microbiology, Bioinformatics, and Information Technology towards scalable models of online Science Education. He has made over 300 educational videos which have been seen by 2 million users from 80 countries, and his work has been recognized through national teaching awards. In 2020 he was named the AAUT Australian University Teacher of the Year, the Australian Society for Microbiology Teacher of the year, and his most recent work on science communication can be found on his podcast and YouTube channel Biolab Collective.

Jacque Stephens

Associate Professor Jacqueline Stephens is an early career researcher and epidemiologist who conducts research focused on improving access to healthcare for people living in rural and remote locations. Her research uses data linkage in a mixed methods approach by contextualising the empirical findings with community narratives to better understand the context of the epidemiological data. Her research addresses a range of child and women’s health conditions and incorporates understanding the impacts of climate change and disasters on public health. Her work integrates a focus on addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals by investigating ways to improve data usage and sharing across and between the public health, climate change, and disaster risk reduction sectors.

In addition to her research, she is an avid science communicator. She has worked and volunteered as a science communicator in school and community settings, has spoken about her science career at school and community events, has organised STEM events for young people, is the Chair of the South Australian National Science Week committee, and a member of the Australian Science Communicators National Council. She engages regularly with local and national radio, TV, and newspapers, as well as speaking at public events.

ASC AGM 2024 Summary

The Australian Science Communicators (ASC) Annual General Meeting (AGM) for 2024 was held on 12 December. It was a great chance to reconnect and share key updates on ASC’s activities, achievements, opportunities, and financial health – and to welcome a new President and national council.

2024 saw the ASC strengthen key partnerships nationally and internationally, including MOUs and collaborations with SJAA and STA, and raise the organisation’s profile as a respected voice in policy and media engagement. ASC hosted a profitable national conference with international delegates, launched four new science communication awards, and delivered a wide range of networking and professional development events.

ASC remains in a good financial position even as it continues the move towards a new membership management system designed with long-term sustainability in mind. At the AGM, it was decided that membership fees will rise by 2.8% to address inflation. The corporate membership fee will rise by 12.8% to address both inflation and discrepancies with the constitution. The date for these changes to come into effect is currently under discussion with Council.

Phil Dooley was elected unopposed as President for 2024, pledging to prioritise community building and connectivity. Eight Council members were appointed.

Planning for the 2025 conference is underway, and the ASC’s continued implementation of its Strategic Plan ensures a clear focus on future growth and impact.

The AGM minutes are currently being finalised. These will be circulated to all who attended the AGM and can be provided on request to any ASC member.

Australian Science Communicators elects Dr Phil Dooley as new President

The Australian Science Communicators (ASC) proudly announces its new President, Dr Phil Dooley, elected at the Annual General Meeting held earlier today.

Dr Dooley has been an active contributor to the ASC for nearly 20 years, serving as National Vice President alongside three Presidents, as Branch President of both NSW and ACT, and most recently as the ASC’s Public Officer. Throughout his extensive involvement, he has championed connection, collaboration, and growth within the science communication community, and has been a vibrant contributor to conferences and networking events.

The ASC has elected Dr Phil Dooley to be the new President of the association.

I’m deeply honoured to lead this organisation, filled with amazing people from all facets of science communication,” said Dr Dooley. “The amount of knowledge, skill, experience and most importantly enthusiasm in the ASC is astonishing. I’m looking forward to harnessing it all to keep building the community into a real powerhouse in the sector.

A science entertainer, writer, and trainer, Dr Dooley brings a creative approach to science engagement. His writing has been published in Cosmos Magazine, New Scientist, and the Anthology of Best Australian Science Writing, and he has performed his blend of science, music, and comedy at festivals around the world. Additionally, he has developed training, videos, and events for leading research centres, universities, and organisations.

Dr Dooley currently serves as the Communications Manager for ANU Physics and has held roles at the ANU media office, the University of Sydney’s School of Physics, and the Joint European Torus nuclear fusion experiment in the UK. He holds a PhD in Laser Physics and a Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and Training.

In a statement to the AGM, Dr Dooley emphasised the importance of building stronger connections both within and beyond the ASC community.

Connection is a major component of good mental health, but it’s a challenge for many in our community who work in isolated circumstances. By fostering these connections through fun, engaging activities, we can increase the wellbeing of our members while creating a stronger, more vibrant organisation.

This focus on connection will be a major theme for Dr Dooley and the incoming council in the coming year. He also aims to continue delivering on the ASC’s strategic vision, elevating the recognition of science communication professionals and researchers.

ASC members are still under-valued for their broad range of skills, backgrounds, and experience. We have a huge opportunity to grow by connecting with, empowering, and supporting each other better, and by sharing our organisation with all those who care about and engage with science communication.

Dr Dooley acknowledged the legacy of outgoing President Dr Tom Carruthers, expressing gratitude for his transformative leadership this year and in previous years alongside Jirana Craven.

Tom has left the ASC in a really stable financial situation, providing a strong foundation for future growth. Under his guidance, the ASC has solidified its role within the sector, enabling us to strive for even greater impact in Australia.

The ASC also acknowledges returning Council members reelected today: Preeti Castle, Jodie Haigh, Shanii Phillips, A/Prof Jen Martin, A/Prof Jacque Stephens, Camille Thomson; and welcomes newly elected Council members: Dr Kate Patterson and A/Prof Jack Wang. The organisation’s executive roles will be announced in coming weeks.

Contact: office@asc.asn.au
Reach the President at president@asc.asn.au

Australian Science Communication Awards 2024

For the first year, the ASC is now presenting multiple awards addressing a range of gaps in the current Australian merit landscape.

Nominations closed at 12 PM AEST on Thursday 16 May 2024. We look forward to announcing the award winners at the ASC Conference in Perth, 19 June 2024!

Previous recipients of the Unsung Hero award have been Lyndal Byford (2022), Jen Martin (2019), Kylie Andrews (2017), Geoff Crane (2016), Kylie Walker (2015), Frankie Lee (2014) and Craig Cormick (2013). The award was relaunched by the 2011 National Executive, realigned from the previous ‘Unsung Hero of Science’ award (read some background here).

The awards

There are now four awards available for members of the ASC to nominate people for. A fifth award (the President’s medal) is not available for members to nominate candidates; it is selected from award nominees or from the sector at the President’s discretion.

The awards are:

  • The Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication award
    • Many of our science communication heroes work behind the scenes. This award recognises those hard workers who are yet to be acknowledged for their impact.
  • The Science Communication Hero of Australia award
    • A career-level award recognising impact and achievement within the science communication sector in Australia.
      • Practice awards would be expected to have had many practical impacts and benefits brought to audiences and/or the sector, and to have been highly engaged in building the appreciation for expertise within the sector.
      • Research awards would be expected to have been an advocate for research and education, and conducted and led research that has been enabling or beneficial to the science communication community
  • The Inspiring Project in Science Communication award
    • For a research or practice project that is impactful and demonstrates innovative or a best-practice led approach.
  • The Scientist Communicator of the year award
    • An award for a researcher who communicates their work (or the work of their field) to audiences with clarity and excellence.
    • Crucially, the quality of the scientist’s science communication expertise is being recognised by this award. Having a large media presence does not necessarily equal success. 
  • The Australian Science Communicators President’s Medal
    • Awarded by the President of the ASC, this medal recognises significant contribution to the sector, the ASC, and Australia.
    • Nominations are not received for the President’s Medal, although the President may choose to award someone who has been nominated for another award.

Award Criteria

All Australian Science Communication Awards are assessed against the following criteria:

  1. Engagement with the Australian science communication sector
    • Nominees (an individual or group) must be currently residing in Australia and actively engaged in the Australian science communication sector.
  2. Impact in Australia
    • The work of the nominee must have had impact in Australia.
    • Impact internationally can be considered but is not weighted as highly as domestic efforts.
  3. The nominee’s contribution has been significant for… 
    • [Unsung Hero] a period of time (at least five years, but typically more) by which time that they should by now have been recognised.
    • [Hero of Aus] a long period of time (over a decade).
    • [Inspiring Project] a single definable project.
    • [Scientist communicator] at least three consecutive years in science communication activity in Australia.
  4. Special criteria
    • [Unsung Hero] Nominees should have not yet received significant recognition for their contributions to science or science communication.
    • [Scientist communicator] Additional to their science communication impact, the nomination must outline the significance of the nominee’s scientific contribution. This will be easier for those whose scientific work is publicly accessible (published in journals or industry reports).

General Notes

Engagement in the Australian science communication sector is interpreted broadly to include, but is not limited to, pursuits such as:

  • teaching or outreach (in science or science communication),
  • broadcasting or reporting on science,
  • script and book writing,
  • science promotion,
  • policy advice or program development in the sciences,
  • health or climate communication,
  • research into science communication, 
  • interpretation of science within cultural institutions, and
  • [for the scientist communicator award] research in STEM and then the dissemination of this research to audiences outside of the nominee’s field.

Awards may be made to a nominee whose work is across many fields, but the science communication component of their work must be highly significant. The Scientist Communicator’s primary work must be in STEM research that they then use science communication practice to engage the community.

Impact can be relevant to a range of areas, including but not limited to:

  • contributing to the public or decision-makers’ understanding of science, 
  • increasing the sector’s value or quality of science communication,
  • improving the practice of science communication, 
  • improving policy within the sector through advocacy or advice, or 
  • increasing the appreciation of decision makers for science communication expertise.

Nominators should give careful consideration to what counts as impact in science communication and demonstrate this in their nomination. For example:

  • A science communication professional working for a Government or Government-funded entity may score better if it is demonstrated that their strategic leadership led to positive change for the sector, e.g. changes in public or decision-maker attitudes or behaviours.
  • A prolific communication researcher may score better if it were demonstrated that they conducted outreach within the sector to facilitate the translation of their work into practice.
  • A scientist who communicates may score better if it were demonstrated that their contribution to science communication as a practice was significant and unrecognised.

For the purpose of the Unsung Hero award, an absence of prior recognition is a critical aspect of eligibility. This will intentionally rule out many popular science communicators, leaders and journalists. This will also mean the nominee may be largely unknown within the Australian Science Communicators membership.

  • Minor awards or scholarships are not considered significant.
  • Recognition such as winning a Eureka awards, OAMs, honorary doctorates, fellowships, being published in collections such as the ‘Best Australian Science Writing’, being a Chief Executive of an organisation or being promoted to Professor level at a university, or having a large national public profile for their specialist topic would be considered exclusionary.

Selection Process

Selection is based primarily on the written information provided on the nomination form by the nominator. The committee may access the public record to verify claims or check whether a nominee is eligible (e.g. whether Unsung nominees have already been recognised by another award), but will not consider projects or impacts not included in the nomination form.

A selection committee of representatives convened by the Secretary (Awards) from the Australian Science Communicators will assess all nominations. In rare instances, the selection committee may request further information from nominators before making their final decision. After assessment, the committee will recommend award recipients via the Secretary to the Executive Committee for approval.

It would not be uncommon for an individual to be nominated by multiple nominators. In this case, the Secretary (Awards), at their discretion, may pool the nominations to consider together. The Secretary (Awards) may also direct the selection committee to consider a nominee for an award they have not been nominated for.

In years with high-quality applications, the award committee may award up to two project awards and up to two career awards for the year, one in scicomm practice, and one in scicomm research.

The Australian Science Communicators reserves the right to make no awards should the committee consider that the quality of candidates does not warrant awards, or should the nominated candidate(s) not satisfy the selection criteria.

The Australian Science Communicators’ Executive Committee decision is final. We welcome constructive feedback to improve future rounds of selections.

Membership requirement for Award Nomination

The nominator must be a current financial member of the Australian Science Communicators, but the nominee need not be a member. While not essential, the nominator should first consult with the nominee and any referees to ensure the nominee is aware of and gives consent to the application.

Each nomination must comprise a fully completed award nomination form. Incomplete forms may not be considered.


ASC Co-Presidents’ Message, Jirana Craven and Tom Carruthers

Welcome to 2024. For those lucky to have had a break, we hope it was a restful, safe and rejuvenating one.

Looking forward, we’re both really excited for the year ahead. After our first national committee meeting last month, we are very optimistic about what we will be able to collaboratively achieve this year.

Something we are sure that you’ve all been thinking about over the break is the conference in June (or maybe not…)! Lucky for you, abstract submissions are open for talks, workshops, panels and anything else you may like to run at the meeting. A big reminder and warning – the discounted ‘Hatchling’ rate will close on 1 Feb. If you are wanting to lock in this rate you must fill in the ticket request form before Emma logs in on that Thursday morning.

And yes – you’ll note we said form above, not via the new member portal. Progress is still underway here, and we’re working to ensure that we are building the logic in the back-end to not only support this year, but hopefully the next several years without needing serious updates. We hope to have more to share shortly. A reminder of our previous promise: while the member portal is being updated, no-one’s membership will expire. Brand new members are still able to join by following the links on the main website to another form.

Finally, one of our key focuses for the year will be building and strengthening relationships within the science communication and broader STEM community, both here in Australia and abroad. To that end, we do want to highlight an opportunity for ASC members and friends to attend an event hosted by the Science Journalists Association of Australia – more details here. We hope to bring members more and more opportunities like this to increase the breadth of events and interests covered by our activities.

We wish you the best of luck and good health for the year ahead.

ASC Co-Presidents’ Message, Jirana Craven and Tom Carruthers

It’s the end of another year. Thank you to all the members for your engagement – we are very excited by what we achieved this year and to see what’s possible moving forward.

We know this SCOPE newsletter is a bit more detailed, so we’ve opted to keep our note brief, letting the below posts provide detail. We do want to thank those who joined our AGM at the end of last month. We are humbled and grateful for our re-election as co-presidents, a role we both respect and are honoured to serve in. We will continue to work toward building the reputation of this office and the association within the community.

We also warmly welcome our 2024 Council members. Your enthusiasm is inspiring, and we’re excited for a productive year ahead. You can find a summary of the AGM’s key points here, including the brief on the strategic plan draft that we will be finalising in the next couple of months.

‘Hatchling’ prices for the June science communication conference tickets are still available, and abstract submissions are open.

Stay tuned for updates on events, online activities, website updates, and new ways to be involved with the ASC community in 2024. Until then, we wish all the membership a safe and happy next few weeks.