Girls in Physics Breakfast at Kensington Town Hall
At the breakfast 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 studying in these fields. 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 breakfast there is an address by a prominent scientist, who talks about her area of interest at a level appropriate for the audience.
Date: 24th July. Venue: Kensington Town Hall, 30 – 34 Bellair St, Kensington. 100m from Newmarket Railway Station, 100 m from stop 26 on tram route 57. Times: 8:00am and finish about 10:30am. Speaker: AIP Marie Curie lecturer for 2026, Dr Karelle Siellez, UTAS
Closing Date: Friday, 17th July, 3pm.
Topic: Painting the Universe: A Visual and Musical Exploration of Space-Time Abstract: In 2017, the Universe spoke in waves and light—ushering in a new era of astronomy. In this lecture, Dr Karelle Siellez weaves together sound, art, and astrophysics to explore the story of gravitational waves and the collisions that create the elements we are made of. Through “multi-messenger” signals like kilonovae and gamma-ray bursts, we’ll uncover how the cosmos communicates its most violent events. Blending scientific insights with creative expression, this journey reveals how listening to the Universe—and protecting its silence—can connect science, nature, and humanity.
Bio: Dr Karelle Siellez is a French 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. As part of the LIGO and Fermi collaborations, she led the development of a pipeline to uncover faint gamma-ray bursts associated with gravitational waves—crucial to the first joint detection in August 2017, where we discover how gold was created in the Universe. She worked on LIGO data and coordinated over 80 telescopes, leading a landmark publication cited over 3000 times and was honoured with the 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.
Beyond research, Dr Siellez is a passionate science communicator known for blending physics with creativity. She is also an award-winning science communicator who integrates art, sound, and storytelling into her work, making complex astrophysics accessible and inspiring. Karelle has lived and worked in France, the USA, and now Tasmania—where she divides her time between telescopes, classrooms, and the wilderness of sea and forest.
Please note: Unaccompanied students are not accepted. Bookings must indicate the name and contact details of the adult, either teacher or parent, who will accompany the student(s).
Fees: The table below shows the fee structure. The fee includes GST.
Category
Cost
First Teacher
No Charge
Second Teacher
$25 / $5*
per Student
$25 / $5*
* A discount was available for schools with a low ICSEA rank. Discounts could be applied for by emailing Vicphysics with subject ‘Breakfast discount’.
Fees
Two methods to pay are available,
by credit card or
by bank transfer, an email is generated with the details of the Vicphysics bank account.
Max number of students per school: To enable more schools to participate, there is an initial maximum of twelve (12) students per school.
CRT coverage: VicPhysics will provide CRT coverage for the first teacher for low ICSEA schools. Please indicate if you want the coverage for the morning when you contact VicPhysics for your discount code. Booking:
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Program:
There is a 45 min talk, 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.
Sponsors and Supporters
The Girls in Physics Breakfasts are organised by the Vicphysics Teachers’ Network and supported by funding from the AIP Victorian Branch and the Invergowrie Foundation.
