3 Indian-origin women scientists among Australia’s “Superstars of STEM”
03-12-2022 : Among the 60 scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians have chosen as Australia’s Superstars of STEM are three women of Indian origin. This programme intends to dispel societal gender stereotypes regarding scientists and raise the profile of women and non-binary persons in the general public. Three women of Indian origin have been named Superstars of STEM this year: Neelima Kadiyala, Dr. Ana Baburamani, and Dr. Indrani Mukherjee.
Female scientists of Sri Lankan descent have also been chosen for distinction, in addition to Indians. Every year Science and Technology Australia (STA), which is the country’s peak body in the sector and represents more than 105,000 scientists and technologists, supports 60 Australian experts employed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to become highly visible media and public role models.
The government intends to scale up the program, according to Australia’s Minister of Industry and Science Ed Husic, who spoke at the event. The national STEM Program is currently being reviewed by the government, and it is intended to be scaled up even more Neelima Kadiyala
Ms. Kadiyala is an IT Program Manager at Challenger Limited and has over 15 years of experience delivering extensive transformation programmes across multiple industries, including Financial Services, Government, Telco, and FMCG. She moved to Australia in 2003 as an international student to pursue a Master of Business in Information Systems.
Ms. Baburamani is a scientific advisor in the Department of Defence – Science and Technology Group and has always been fascinated by how the brain grows and works. “As a biomedical researcher, she seeks to piece together the complex process of brain development and the mechanisms contributing to brain injury,”.
In addition to her research, Ms. Baburamani, who completed her Ph.D. at Monash University and has spent 10 years as a post-doctoral researcher in Europe, is dedicated to supporting and enabling early career researchers, making science accessible, and promoting wider participation in and uptake of STEM careers.
Ms. Mukherjee is a deep-time geologist at the University of Tasmania and focuses on what drove that biological transition. She has been working as a postdoctoral researcher in Tasmania alongside branching out into fields of public outreach, geoscience communication, and diversity initiatives.
