Chances are if you’d been asked to imagine an engineer or a scientist 40 years ago, it’s highly likely you wouldn’t have pictured a woman. But times and stereotypes are changing. Today, Australian women working in science are making enormous achievements and this year’s National Science Week is aiming to inspire even more women and girls to get involved in science.
Taylah is a Gangalu woman from Gordonvale in northern Queensland, and as a member of the team implementing Boeing Defence Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) she’s a passionate advocate of expanding opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in STEM — and particularly in engineering with fewer than 1% of tertiary STEM students being Indigenous.
“I strongly believe that the best way to achieve reconciliation in Australia is through education,” said Taylah Griffin.
In 2018 Taylah Griffin became the first Indigenous person to graduate with an Honours degree in Electrical and Aerospace Engineering, and the first Indigenous female to graduate from any Engineering degree from QUT in Brisbane. She was also the first person in her family to graduate from uni.
“I strongly believe that the best way to achieve reconciliation in Australia is through education,” said Taylah Griffin, a Graduate Systems Engineer with Boeing Defence Australia.
Taylah was the recipient of the 2018 CSIRO Indigenous STEM Tertiary Achievement Award, and believes that now is the time to empower Indigenous Australians and really support pathways into STEM.
“IT’S NOT ONLY DIVERSE THINKING AND DIVERSE CULTURES, BUT ANY SORT OF DIVERSITY JUST LEADS TO POSITIVE IMPACT.” TAYLAH GRIFFIN
National Science Week is on now until Sunday August 21 and it’s easy to get involved in one of the hundreds of events that are happening right around the country. Just go to scienceweek.net.au for all the details and to find an event near you. www.scienceweek.net.au
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