Twenty young people celebrated their achievements as recipients of summer scholarships that enabled them to see and experience the exciting work of the scientists who support our primary industries.
The event, at the University of New England, marked the culmination of this summer’s Industry Placement Scholarship program for students who completed Year 11 or Year 12 in 2011. The scholarships, managed locally through UNE, are part of the national Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE) program.
The students travelled to last week’s “reporting back” event from their homes throughout north-western NSW. Each of them spoke briefly about their experiences at a week-long Science-to-Industry Camp in December that took them to agricultural industries – and the scientific laboratories supporting them – throughout the region, and a five-day placement in January at one or other of those locations.
Three girls – Kate Johnston from Moree, Alice Jarratt from Guyra and Briony Looker from Glen Innes – collaborated on an experiment in animal genetics at the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, UNE.
“We had scientists continuously surrounding us and helping us out,” Kate said.
And Alice called it “an inspirational experience”.
“It helped to assure me that my future is in agricultural industry,” Briony said, who added that she’s intending to undertake a Rural Science degree program at UNE after completing her Year 12 studies this year.
The National Director of the PICSE program, Associate Professor David Russell, travelled from his base at the University of Tasmania to attend last week’s event at UNE. He explained that the program addressed “a crisis of human capacity”.
“We need more young and enthusiastic people in science in agricultural industry,” he said.
Dr Russell emphasised the importance to students of “actually being there” when investigating opportunities for such careers.
