Qld science teacher wins excellence in science teaching in primary schools award in Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science

A Queensland science teacher has won a $50,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science for her groundbreaking work fostering a love of science among her students.

A QUEENSLAND science teacher has been lauded alongside the country’s most eminent scientific minds in this year’s Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science.

Mudgeeraba Creek State School teacher Megan Hayes was awarded the $50,000 prize for excellence in science teaching in primary schools by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday night, for her innovative work in fostering a love of science among her students.

Mrs Hayes, who has been an educator for more than 30 years, has been a driving force of a high-profile STEM program at the school.

This year she planned a “Sistas in STEM” conference in a bid to promote more girls to take up science, with students from seven Gold Coast schools taking part.

“I think the children at Mudgeeraba Creek State School think about science very differently now,” Mrs Hayes said.

“Science isn’t about textbooks anymore.

“It’s about taking risks, trial and error and having lots of fun.

“Science has become almost a language at the school – it forms the fabric of our school culture.”

Mudgeeraba Creek State School teacher Megan Hayes.

University of Sydney evolutionary biologist and virologist Professor Edward C. Holmes received the $250,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science for almost 30 years of pioneering research on genome sequencing data.

Last year, Professor Holmes was the first person in the world to crack the Covid-19 virus genome sequence, which resulted in scientist begin their work on a vaccine.

Mr Morrison said Professor Holmes’ research had played a critical role in Australia’s response to Covid-19.

“Science has been at the forefront of our minds for the last 18 months, and Professor Holmes’ contribution to accelerating the development of the COVID-19 vaccine – doses of hope, as I call them – saved countless lives,” he said.

University of Sydney’s Professor Anthony Weiss was awarded the $250,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation for his trailblazing research into accelerating and improving the repair of human tissue.