Girls in Physics Breakfasts in 2023
Girls in Physics Breakfasts were held at venues in Melbourne and across regional Victoria.
At the breakfast students from Years 10 to 12 shared 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 had a chance to ask questions about their careers and what study at university is like. Students were seated with students from other schools.
At each breakfast there is an address by a prominent scientist, who talks about her area of interest at a level appropriate for the audience.
Wishing to share a table with students? register here to enter your details on line. There is no cost.
Making a school booking? Click the venue in the list below.
- 25th May, Central Melbourne Speaker: Prof Rachel Webster, Melbourne University, Topic: Black Holes: a window to another universe. Flyers
- 31st May, Mildura Speaker: Distinguished Professor Emeritus Frances Separovic AO, Melbourne University, Topic: MRI of Molecules where Biophysics meets Cell Chemistry. Flyers
- Fully booked. 21st July, Monash University Speaker: Dr Karen Livesey, AIP Women in Physics Lecturer for 2023. Topic: Nanomagnets: New materials to address biomedical and technological problems. Flyers
- Cancelled. 2nd August, Geelong Speaker: A/Prof Elizabeth Hinde, Melbourne University, Topic: Glow in the dark – Using fluorescence to observe DNA in a living cell. Flyers
- 11th August, Wodonga Speaker: Emma Dyce, Medical radiation physicist, Topic: Treating skin cancer with radiotherapy. Flyers
- 16th August, Traralgon Speaker: Prof Rachel Webster, Melbourne University, Topic: Geothermal: vast energy reserves beneath our feet Flyers
- 25th August, Ballarat Speaker: Dr Taissa Danilovich, Monash University, Topic: Molecules in space. Flyers
- 1st September, Bendigo Speaker: Dr Amanda Karakas, Monash University Topic: Stars as chemical element factories. Flyers
There are two Flyers for each event, one giving basic details and one with an abstract and bio. Flyers for Term 3 events are being prepared.
Times: The Breakfasts start at 7:30am and finish about 10:00am.
Closing dates: A week before the event.
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.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| First Teacher | No Charge |
| Second Teacher | $20 / $5* |
| per Student | $20 / $5* |
* A discount was available for schools with a low ICSEA rank. Discounts could be applied for by emailing Vicphysics with subject ‘Breakfast discount’.
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.
Program:
The Breakfasts in most instances start at 7:30am and finish about 10:00am. Check the link for any variation.
There is a 45 min talk, starting about 8:20am followed by questions. After this there are two activities on Careers in STEM i) Quiz and Job Roles Analysis and ii) Case Studies analysis. A Q&A with a panel of guests rounds out the event.
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 in being 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 to enter your details on line. There is no cost.
Interested in being a speaker at one of the breakfasts?
Vicphysics is seeking speakers for breakfasts in 2024.
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 Bank Australia, the Laby Foundation and the Victorian Branch of the Australian Institute of Physics. The program is also supported by the Royal Society of Victoria.
