Physicist puts science in spotlight to encourage the next generation
Quantum physicist Michelle Simmons hopes her award will encourage young people, especially girls, to seek a science career.
Leading quantum physicist Michelle Simmons is dedicating her Officer of the Order of Australia to women in her field, and hopes scientists can rival actors and athletes in the minds of school girls.
“It’s great for young people to see society values what scientists do,” Professor Simmons said at the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology at the University of NSW.
The 2018 Australian of the Year has slowly become accustomed to the spotlight — something she reluctantly accepts as an important step to encourage more girls to take an interest in science.
“I’m not someone who spends a lot of time on social media,” she said. “People wanted to take selfies with me, and showed me a part of the world I was unaware of.
“I’ve seen the benefit of giving media coverage to a field that people otherwise wouldn’t know about. It really changes the narrative in their eyes, so they don’t see life through one sort of entertainment or sports side of Australia, but the scientific and engineering side of Australia too.
“Young people should know that it’s a really exciting career to have but I do, in particular, want to encourage young girls to come through because it’s typically not a subject they look at.
“If you look at the long-term future for Australia it is always going to be steeped in technology.”
The London-born physicist says there is a “special honour” for her in receiving an honour in the name of the Queen.
“I think she’s wonderful … she’s someone who is a stalwart and works incredibly hard and cares about the community, and her country and this country too.
“I feel like im the luckiest person to be able to do what I do and Australia is a fantastic place to be as a researcher.”
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