Karlie Noon is a Kamilaroi woman and an astrophysicist. Since becoming the first Indigenous person in New South Wales to graduate with degrees in science and mathematics, she has worked to engage underrepresented communities in science.
Karlie has influenced government policy, appeared in television programs and shaped perceptions on Indigenous knowledge systems. Karlie is a researcher from Australia’s national science agency CSIRO. Karlie has been nominated for 3M Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science. Known as the ‘Oscars’ of Australian science, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are Australia’s leading science awards and offer a co-operative partnership between government, education and research institutions and private sector companies to recognise and support scientific excellence.
CSIRO’s Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Foley, said the CSIRO teams were unlocking a better future for everyone. “CSIRO’s purpose is to solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology, so it’s great to see world-class research contributing to a secure Australia and region,” she said “So much of CSIRO’s research draws on the great depth and breadth of our expertise, and collaboration is at the heart of these innovations. And at a time when fewer young women are studying science, role models like Karlie set an inspirational example for our curious and passionate scientists and leaders of the future.”
Karlie regularly mentors and tutor’s students in mathematics and science, focusing on low socio-economic and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. In addition to her master’s research, she researches and is an advocate for Indigenous scientific knowledge and the importance of multiple knowledge systems. Karlie has been a program manager for the Indigenous STEM Awards program at CSIRO, a research assistant for the Indigenous STEM Education Project’s monitoring and evaluation, a mentor for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in the ASSETS program and a research assistant to John Giacon in the production of a Gamilaraay language phrase book.
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