Macquarie’s Associate Professor Ronika Power (fifth from right) – one of the inaugural Superstars of STEM – with ex-Prime Minister the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, other honourable guests and fellow Superstars of STEM at an International Women’s Day event in March.

Applications are now open for Science and Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM program, which aims to smash society’s gender assumptions about scientists and increase the public visibility of women in STEM.

STA created Superstars of STEM to increase the profile of Australian female scientists and technologists – role models for young women and girls – and to work towards equal representation in the media of women and men working in all fields in STEM.

Associate Professor of Bioarchaeology from the Department of Ancient History Ronika Power was one of the first 30 Superstars of STEM selected to participate in the program last year and was thrilled with the experience.

“Science and Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM program has made a staggering difference in my life over the past 12 months. I have received bespoke training, development and mentorship opportunities that have extended and enhanced my skillsets, attributes and networks, leading to exponential growth in my professional and public profiles,” Ronika explains

“To cite only a few examples, I have built a strong social media presence from nothing; been invited to give a TED talk and innumerable public lectures; and am receiving invitations to serve on national and international advisory boards at high-profile institutions ­– all directly due to my participation in the Superstars program.”

Ronika also emphasised the benefits of the relationships she’s built with other female scientists through the program and how they can help inspire future generations.

“Perhaps most importantly, the program connected me with 29 of Australia’s best and brightest female scientists from a wide array of disciplines, backgrounds and career stages. We have formed an unshakable bond and been an incredible source of support and encouragement to each other through the course of the program. I have no doubt that this network of science sisterhood will endure well beyond our formal enrolment,” Ronika says.

“Extending from this, the beauty and significance of the program is not only that its outcomes will continue to bear fruit in my life for many years to come (and indeed those of all 30 Superstars), it will also do so for the countless thousands of young women and girls with whom we interact and influence across Australia and the world.”

For more information on what the Superstars achieved last year, click here.

If you would like to learn more about the program or are interested in applying, you can find information on the process here; or feel free to contact Ronika directly for more details.