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Engagement, diversity and interdisciplinarity to tackle future challenges


ENGAGEMENT, DIVERSITY AND INTERDISCIPLINARITY TO TACKLE FUTURE CHALLENGES

The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to attend this lecture by Dr Jess Melbourne-Thomas on Sunday March 7th, 2021 at 3 pm, at the Stanley Burbury Theatre, University of Tasmania. Dr Melbourne-Thomas was the Tasmanian Australian of the Year 2020.

The lecture follows the Annual General Meeting of the Society. Attendance in person is limited by current pandemic restrictions and it is necessary to register for this event.


REGISTRATION

Registration of RST members IS NOW OPEN at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/rst-agm-and-lecture-tickets-140054549929 The password is “RST”. The registration site will remain open until Friday 5th March 2021.

Registration of non-members WILL OPEN on 14th February at 1 am at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/rst-agm-and-lecture-tickets-140054549929 , and remain open until Friday 5th March 2021. The password is “RST”.

ADMISSION

Admission is free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania.

Charges for non-members:
– $6 general admission
– $4 for students and Friends of TMAG

ON THE DAY

Please print and bring your ticket on the day or else have it available for viewing on your mobile phone.

Please also arrive a few minutes early to facilitate entry to the lecture theatre and Covid-safe seating arrangements.


Dr Jess Melbourne-Thomas is a Transdisciplinary Researcher and Knowledge Broker with CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere. Her research background is in mathematical modelling and Antarctic climate change science and she was a Lead Author for the recent IPCC Special Report on the Oceans & Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. Jess co-founded the Homeward Bound project, which took the largest ever all female expedition on a leadership journey to Antarctica in 2016. She was one of Australia’s first 30 Superstars of STEM and was named Tasmania’s Young Tall Poppy of the Year in 2015 for her excellence in research, science communication and policy engagement. Jess was the 2020 Tasmanian Australian of the Year.

Abstract

The future of the Earth and its global population holds significant challenges, particularly with respect to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Indeed, in 2020 we experienced a taste of many of the impacts to come. Engaging people with science and tackling misinformation will be a key part of finding solutions to the challenges ahead.

In this presentation Jess will discuss approaches to engagement with policy-makers, industry and the general public, including increasing needs for co-design, translation, communication and interpretation of science to tackle complex problems. She will give examples of how inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches can support robust decision-making. She will also discuss the importance of increased diversity and equity in STEMM in designing novel solutions to address future challenges. Jess will also reflect on her own learnings about challenges and solutions through her year as 2020 Tasmanian Australian of the Year.


Last modified: March 18, 2021. Copyright © 2025 The Royal Society of Tasmania ABN 65 889 598 100