Girls in Physics in 2027
Girls in Physics events will be held at venues in Melbourne and across regional Victoria.
At these events students from Years 10 to 12 share a table with two or three women who are either in a career in physics or engineering, or are at university as an undergraduate or a postgraduate. The students have a chance to ask questions about their careers and what study at university is like. Students are seated with students from other schools.
At each event there is an address by a prominent scientist, who talks about her area of interest at a level appropriate for the audience.
| Want to share a table with students? | Want to book a group of students? See below | Want to be a speaker at a breakfast? |
Making a school booking?
The speakers and dates for 2027 will be announced by the end of 2026. Below are the 2026 events
| Location | Date | Speaker | Topic | Flyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mildura | 19th March | Saima Aijaz, Bureau of Meteorology | Weather & oceans at the Bureau of Meteorology: Cyclones – Predicting their path and their increasing impact and Mildura weather – with high tech radar | Download |
| Australian Synchrotron | 7th May | Dr Rachel Williamson, Australian Synchrotron | Behind the Beam: Health Discoveries Made Possible by the Australian Synchrotron. Dr Rachel Williamson is the Group Manager of the Crystallography Group at ANSTO’s Australian Synchrotron and is responsible for the operation, maintenance, development, scientific direction and management of the crystallography beamlines. | Download |
| Wodonga | 21st May | Dr Manisha Caleb, University of Sydney | The Curious Case of Fast Radio Bursts. Dr Manisha Caleb is a radio astronomer who studies some of the most mysterious signals in the Universe. She holds a Masters degree in spacecraft technology and satellite communications from University College London and a PhD in astronomy and astrophysics from the Australian National University. Her research focuses on radio transients — objects that “go bang” in the sky and are sometimes never to be seen again. These signals typically involve some of the most energetic processes in the Universe and are crucial for understanding the nature of matter and gravity. | Download |
| Kensington | 24th July | Dr Karelle Siellez, UTAS | Painting the Universe: A Visual and Musical Exploration of Space-Time Dr Karelle Siellez is the AIP Marie Curie lecturer for 2026. She is an astrophysicist and lecturer at the University of Tasmania, internationally recognised for her contributions to astrophysics. Her research investigates gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and gravitational waves. | Download |
| Geelong | 17th August | Natalie Clements, Medical Physicist | Treating Cancer with Radiology (Morning Tea event). Natalie Clements is a Medical Physicist at Genesis Care Victoria, where cancer patients get treated with radiation therapy. At the clinic in Frankston, Natalie does quality assurance testing of the radiotherapy machines, and she consults on complex patient cases and radiation safety concerns. | Download |
| Ballarat | 9th September | Dr Siobhan Tobin, ANSTO | Scatterbrained: how neutron scattering reveals patterns of atoms in designer materials. Dr Siobhan Tobin is a physicist specialising in the structures and dynamics of materials at the atomic scale, and how this leads to different electronic, magnetic and even quantum effects. Siobhan grew up in Ballarat and subsequently studied physics for her Bachelors degree and Honours year at the Australian National University in Canberra. In 2024 she finished her PhD in the physics of magnetic materials at the University of Oxford. She now works at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation in Sydney as a neutron scattering instrument scientist | Download |
| Bendigo | 1st September | Dr Elizabeth Hinde, University of Melbourne | Glow in the Dark: How Fluorescence Reveals Hidden Details from Art to Living Cells. Elizabeth Hinde is a cellular biophysicist with expertise in fluorescence microscopy. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne. Her research aims to quantify the architectural organisation of the cell nucleus by developing advanced microscopy methods based on fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy to understand how chromatin dynamics enable genome function in living cell. | Download |
| Morwell | 16th September | Dr Samantha Alloo, Monash University | Improving X-ray imaging with a piece of sandpaper and some new maths! Dr Samantha Jane Alloo is an imaging physicist in the X-ray Imaging Group at Monash University. She is interested in developing new ways to see inside materials and biological samples using X-rays, and in finding connections between different areas of physics and mathematics. Outside of research, Samantha has an equal passion for fitness. She works part-time as a fitness coach and regularly competes in challenging events, including HYROX competitions, where she has achieved several podium finishes. | Download |
There will be two Flyers for each event, one giving basic details and one with an abstract and bio.
Times: The Breakfasts start at 8:00am for Metropolitan venues and 8:30am for regional venues and go for 2 hours and 30 mins.
Closing dates: Two weeks before the event.
Program
The Breakfasts in most instances start at 8:00am and finish about 10:30am. Check the link for any variation.
- There is a 45 min talk, followed by questions.
- Two activities on Careers in STEM
- Quiz and Job Roles Analysis
- Case Studies analysis.
- Q&A with a panel of guests rounds out the event.
Events in 2025
| Location | Date | Speaker | Topic | Flyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bendigo | 20 March | Emma Dyce, Natalie Clements, Medical radiation physicists | Using radiotherapy to treat Skin Cancer | Download |
| Mildura | 25 March | Damaris Getanda, AusGen | The Fascinating World of Solar Energy! | Download |
| Ballarat | 26 March | Dr Nadia Zatsepin, La Trobe University | Making molecular movies with X-ray lasers. | Download |
| Wodonga | 7 May | Dr Renee Goreham, University of Newcastle, | Nanobiotechnology: Building the Future of Medicine and Beyond. | Download |
| Central Melbourne | 20 May | The AIP Women in Physics lecturer for 2025, Dr Danielle Holmes, UNSW | Wonders of the quantum world: From stars to quantum computers. | Download |
| Australian Synchrotron | 5 June | Drs Amelia Lui and Taïssa Danilovich Monash University | Shedding new light on glass and The dusty ends of Sun-like stars | Download |
| Geelong | 14 August | Negin Amini, Sirjana Adhikari, Deakin University, | How important are powders? Rethinking Waste: Engineering a Circular Future | Download |
| Traralgon | 27 August | A/Professor Nadia Zatsepin, Swinburne University, | Molecular Movies with X-ray lasers | TBC |
Fees
Schools can book by clicking a link for their chosen venue, by clicking on the link in the list above. Two methods to book are available,
- by credit card or
- by bank transfer, an email is generated with the details of the Vicphysics bank account.
The table below shows the fee structure. The fee includes GST.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| First Teacher | No Charge |
| Second Teacher | $25 / $10 * |
| per Student | $25 / $10 *, For regional $15 / 0 ** |
* A discount was available for schools with a low ICSEA rank. Discounts could be applied for by emailing Vicphysics with subject ‘Breakfast discount’.
There is also support available to low ICSEA Government and Catholic schools to assist with CRT and travel costs. ** The grant from the Invergowrie Foundation has enabled the student fee for regional schools to have a larger subsidy.
Max number of students per school: To enable more schools to participate, there was an initial maximum of six (6) students per school. For regional events up to 12 students could be accommodated.
Promoting the event to your students
The Flyer for each breakfast is two pages, one with basic information of date, speaker, topic, venue, etc. The other page with information about the speaker and her topic.
Interested getting involved
Be a guest at one or more breakfasts?
If you are a woman studying physics or engineering or working in these fields and would like to participate in this event, share a table with secondary students and meet with other women in your field, please contact Vicphysics or go here. There is no cost.
Be a speaker at one or more breakfasts?
Vicphysics is seeking speakers for breakfasts in 2026.
If you would like to be a speaker, click here for more details and the expression of interest form.
Sponsors and Supporters
The Girls in Physics Breakfasts are organised by the Vicphysics Teachers’ Network and supported by funding from the Invergowrie Foundation.
