A Very Successful Women in Science Forum at Chinchilla State High School
Wednesday 19th August 2020 was a big day for members of the Zonta EClub of Queensland as they hosted their Young Women in Science event at Chinchilla State High School. The event was also “on-line” to enable students from other schools to participate including our own Z-Club School of Distance Education.
The event, sponsored by Origin Energy, commenced with a welcome from the Chinchilla High School Leadership team and the Acting Regional Director Deb Halls. Following an Acknowledgment of Country by Principal Ian Insley Zontian Kiara O’Gorman, a member of the Zonta EClub provided an overview of Zonta and why the Club supported the Women In Science Forum. 
Following the formalities the participants then heard from two guest speakers followed by a question and answer session. The first speaker Dr Joni Systma attended the University of Florida graduating with a Masters of Science in Aero-space Engineering. Her first job was working for the United States Air Force as an aircraft loads engineer. After becoming involved with hypersonic vehicle research, Joni was sent on a secondment to work with the Australia Defence Science and Technology group. After falling in love with Australia Joni was lucky to obtain a position at Gilmour Space Technologies where she is in charge of developing the Guidance Navigational Control system for Gilmour’s orbital launch system, Eris.
The next speaker, Dr Lucy Watt, is a Postdoctoral research fellow at Australia’s national research agency, CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation). Lucy has always had a passion for agriculture having grown up on a farm in the small country town in central west NSW. She holds a Bachelor of Animal Science and completed a PhD at Charles Sturt University on sheep production and novel pasture legumes before commencing work with the CSIRO where she now researches sustainable livestock forage systems. Lucy also volunteers as a STEM professional at local schools to encourage other young people to take up STEM careers.
After a break for morning tea the forum heard from three more great speakers – Jeannie Sawkam Gabriella Behr and Steph Usher.
Jeannie, after graduating high school in Adelaide, moved to Brisbane to complete a degree in mechanical engineering. Throughout her degree Jeannie cultivated her interest in energy and was able to join Origin Energy’s graduate program in APLNG (a coal seam gas project). Over the last five years she has worked in the Brisbane office and in the gas fields in Western Downs as a Drilling and Completions Engineer. She has recently moved to Miles after a maternity leave break and is enjoying being back on the rigs.
Gabriella is a Contracts Administrator at Newlands Group. As a member of the Commercial Construction Team she is working to make a difference in regional communities with infrastructure that improves lives. Since graduating from Assumption College, Warwick in 2016 and taking a gap year to work on the $40 million redevelopment of the Rose City Shoppingworld Gabriella has found her passion for construction and is currently studying a Bachelor of Construction Management through CQUniversity. In 2019 Gabriella was the inaugural award winner of the Zonta International District 22 (Qld) Young Woman in Technology Award (YWiT).
Steph Usher is a Chinchilla local and a former student of Chinchilla High School. After leaving school Steph commenced university studies in music. Following the completion of the first year of her degree, Steph decided that she enjoyed music more as a hobby and she wanted to have a more ‘hands on’ opportunity of learning through undertaking an apprenticeship . Currently Steph is completing her first year dual electrical and instrumentation apprenticeship with Origin Energy at their Condabri site.
After another interesting question and answer session Acting Regional Director Adam Myers closed the forum thanking all the speakers, the Zonta EClub, Origin Energy, Department of Education and all schools attending the event. The students then had tome to surround the presenters and the hall was a “buss” with lots of questions being asked.
Feedback form the event included an email stating “I just wanted to give you some exciting feedback about the WIS event – many of our Year 10 girls, who recently chose their senior subjects for next year, have changed their subjects so they are studying at least one science. I’ve also been inundated with inquiries around future pathways into STEM jobs by our Year 9 and 10 girls. I am absolutely thrilled around this!” and that Chinchilla State High School “is keen to host the event again for 2021 and is keen to include our Year 9 and 10 boys with the girls”