Science & Technology Australia is delighted to announce the appointment of exceptional leaders from across the STEM sector to its Policy and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committees.
This year, we're welcoming a new cohort of members, including participants joining through the new Friends of the Chair initiative. This pathway is designed to open the door for people with little or no committee experience to contribute to STA's work, offering a supported opportunity to engage with national science and technology leadership.
These appointments bring deep expertise and diverse perspectives to STA's strategic direction and leadership. They will help guide STA's policy advocacy, equity and sustainability mission.
We extend our thanks to the amazing departing committee members for their dedication, insights and valued contributions.
Policy Committee
We are proud to welcome outstanding STEM-sector policy experts to the STA Policy Committee, including our new early-career appointee through our Friends of the Chair initiative:
- Professor Melissa Brown (The University of Queensland) joins the committee as a new member. She is an accomplished scientist, university executive, and Immediate Past President of the Australian Council of Deans of Science. Her leadership has shaped national research strategies, cross-sector collaboration, and science policy development.
- Dr Hannah Jarman, Friend of the Chair (Deakin University) is an early-career research fellow with expertise in youth mental health, social media, and policy impact. She works closely with partners such as the Butterfly Foundation and Reset Australia, and leads national projects and policy advocacy at the intersection of psychology, public health, and technology.
They join continuing committee members Dr Kathy Nicholson (Chair, Australian Centre for Machine Learning), Professor Sharath Sriram (ex-officio, STA President; Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Society), STA CEO Ryan Winn, Kate McGeoch (University of Sydney), Associate Professor Vanessa Wong (Soil Science Australia), and Dr Thom Dixon (ARC Centre of Excellence for Synthetic Biology, from July 2024) - as well as reappointed members Professor Richard de Grijs (International Astronomical Union), Dr Melissa Humphreys (Australian Psychological Society), and Dr Kalinda Griffiths (Australasian Epidemiological Association) - in shaping STA's strategic policy leadership.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee
We are pleased to welcome four new voices to STA's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, representing a breadth of expertise and perspectives, with one new early-career appointee through our Friends of the Chair initiative.
- Dr Lakshmi Wijeyewickrema, Senior Lecturer and Laboratory Head at La Trobe University, brings extensive research and academic leadership experience. A committed advocate for women and underrepresented groups in STEM, she has led strategic initiatives to improve equity and access in graduate research, mentored culturally diverse students, and played a key role in anti-racism efforts across her institution.
- Dr Anna Shillabeer, from the Australasian Council of Deans of ICT, is a leader in health informatics and higher education with extensive expertise in equity in healthcare access, neurodiversity in tech, and cross-cultural education. Her work in Australia and Vietnam has focused on transformative, inclusive education systems grounded in community connection and capability-building.
- Tim Harte, a materials chemist and disability advocate, is a PhD Candidate at Deakin University and President of Physical Disability Australia. A strong voice for accessibility and inclusion in STEM, Tim brings deep lived experience and governance expertise and has authored policies across scientific and disability networks.
- Gavin Stanbrook, Friend of the Chair (Australian Research Data Commons) is a proud Gumbaynggirr man working at the intersection of Indigenous knowledge systems, research, and data governance. His career spans university and national roles supporting inclusive research environments and empowering Indigenous engagement in STEM.
Our new committee members join continuing members Professor Sharath Sriram (ex-officio, STA President), STA CEO Ryan Winn, Co-chair Dr Jiao Jiao Li (Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering), Dr Lila Landowski, (Australian Neuroscience Society) Co-chair Kate Callaghan (Astronomical Society of Australia), Dr Ayan Dasvarma (Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute), and Kim Dyball (CSIRO) in advancing the work of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
We're also pleased to acknowledge the reappointment of Co-chair Dr Morley Muse (Women in STEMM Australia) and Adrienne Gooden (Australian Society of Fish Biology), who previously served as a Friend of the Chair and has now been appointed as a committee member.
For a full list of current committee members, visit our Executive and Governance page.
