Karlie Alinta Noon is the first Indigenous woman in Australia to graduate with a double degree in maths and physics, [1] an astronomer, of the Gamilaraay people, multiple award winner, 2019 Eureka Prize nominee, and one of the 2017 BBC's 100 Women. [2] She is researching astronomy and astrophysics at the Australian National University, Australia. [3]
Noon was raised in Coledale, a suburb of Tamworth, the country music centre of Australia, with a significant disparity between people of different economic classes. [4] She describes herself as being "a poor, Aboriginal kid; this definitely influenced my experience of the education system and just not being seen in it." She describes her "terrible attendance rate" at high school, and succeeding in science due to tutoring and the help of a mentor. [5] Support and encouragement from her close family, and in particular her grandmother, allowed her to have the confidence to seek a career in science. [6]
Noon found traditional schooling and education in high school to be not suited to her, and received much of her early maths training from a mentor who came to her house. She then obtained her double degree from the University of Newcastle and then moved to studying at ANU, Canberra. [7] [8] Noon then worked for CSIRO’s Indigenous STEM program. [9] [10] Her research has involved understanding the sophisticated astronomic knowledge deeply embedded within Indigenous culture as well as sifting through European and Indigenous accounts of moon haloes. [11]
Noon has a history of science communication, hoping to open the door to STEM for people from minorities. [4] [6] She was reported in the Northern Daily Leader as saying "I want to push the idea that anybody can achieve a career in STEM, everyone has the right to equal opportunities, including young women, including young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people". [6] Noon has worked with the CSIRO to find candidates for the Indigenous STEM awards. [18] Noon has worked to inspire other young children to engage in STEM, including Indigenous people and people from lower socioeconomic groups. [1] She has also advocated that women and girls are capable in science and encourages diversity in STEM. "Girls can absolutely do it and they can smash it just as well as any other person can." [1] Noon's work has involved encouraging Indigenous people to study and work in STEM careers. [19]
In August 2020 the Sydney Observatory appointed Noon their inaugural astronomy ambassador. [20]
Christine Anu is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She gained popularity with the cover song release of the Warumpi Band's song "My Island Home". Anu has been nominated for 17 ARIA Awards.
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The Eureka Prizes are awarded annually by the Australian Museum, Sydney, to recognise individuals and organizations who have contributed to science and the understanding of science in Australia. They were founded in 1990 following a suggestion by science journalist Robyn Williams.
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Penny Diane Sackett is an American-born Australian astronomer and former director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA) at the Australian National University (ANU). Professor Sackett was the Chief Scientist of Australia from November 2008 until March 2011.
The National Computational Infrastructure is a high-performance computing and data services facility, located at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The NCI is supported by the Australian Government's National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), with operational funding provided through a formal collaboration incorporating CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian National University, Geoscience Australia, the Australian Research Council, and a number of research intensive universities and medical research institutes.
Ray Norris is an astrophysicist and science communicator, based at the CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility, and Western Sydney University, and conducts research in astrophysics and Aboriginal Astronomy.
Lisa Harvey-Smith is a British-Australian astrophysicist, Australia's Women in STEM Ambassador and a Professor of Practice in Science Communication at the University of NSW. Her research interests include the origin and evolution of cosmic magnetism, supernova remnants, the interstellar medium, massive star formation and astrophysical masers. For almost a decade Harvey-Smith was a research scientist at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), including several years as the Project Scientist for the Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder and later Project Scientist for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) Telescope.
Thomas Edwin Calma,, is an Aboriginal Australian human rights and social justice campaigner, and 2023 senior Australian of the Year. He is the sixth chancellor of the University of Canberra, a post held since January 2014, after two years as deputy chancellor. Calma is the second Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person to hold the position of chancellor of any Australian university.
Kate J. Brooks is an astronomer at the CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility, where she works as a Research Scientist. With over 40 refereed publications to her name, she has developed a strong reputation in the field of galactic star-forming regions.
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Lee Constable is a science communicator, television presenter, children's author, and biologist who lives and works in Australia. She is best known for her work as a presenter on Scope between 2016 and 2020, Network Ten's science show aimed at children aged 7–13.
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Kirsten Alexandra Banks is an Indigenous Australian astrophysicist and science communicator of the Wiradjuri people, known for her work in promoting mainstream and Aboriginal astronomy. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of New South Wales in 2018, and worked at the Sydney Observatory.
Terri Janke is an Indigenous Australian lawyer of Wuthathi/Meriam heritage. She is considered a leading international authority on Indigenous cultural and intellectual property (ICIP), and is the Solicitor Director of Terri Janke and Company.
Corey Aden Tutt is an Aboriginal Australian STEM professional, author, social entrepreneur and the founder of DeadlyScience, an initiative that provides STEM resources to remote schools throughout Australia. In 2020 he was named the NSW Young Australian of the Year.
Stacy Lyall Mader is an Australian astronomer. He is a Senior Experimental Scientist at CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, and was the first Aboriginal Australian to obtain a PhD in astronomy.
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