Awards support the future of agricultural science

Dr Matt Cahill, Dow AgroSciences Research and Development Leader for Australia and New Zealand, and the Hon Sid Sidebottom, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, have presented the 2012 Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE)/Dow AgroSciences Travelling Scholarship Award and the PICSE/Dow AgroSciences Science Education Officer Professional Development Award in recognition of the work of promising students and inspirational teachers in the primary industries sector.

The awards, now in their second year, are available to outstanding students who have participated in PICSE scholarship programs and to PICSE Science Education Officers who help provide support and resources to science teachers.

“We understand that attracting and engaging our best and brightest students is a vital factor in the industry’s future,” said Dr Cahill, who presented the awards while in Canberra during a two-day roundtable event to help generate solutions to the ag industry skills shortage crisis. The event, Rebuilding the Ag Workforce, was coordinated by PICSE and brought together industry, education and government representatives.

The PICSE/Dow AgroSciences Travelling Scholarship Award includes an all-expenses-paid placement at the Dow AgroSciences Global Discovery Research Station in Waireka, New Zealand.

The 2012 winner is Alana Johnson, from Tamworth. Alana, who turns 18 next week, is thinking about a career as an agronomist.

“I’m really excited about winning this award,” she said. “At the moment I am thinking about agronomy, but this travel prize will really help me see what the options are.”

Alana completed a number of PICSE placements before winning her award, including a placement with the Australian Cotton Research Institute at Narrabri.

“That experience was amazing,” she said. “I got to assist researchers and students with their trials. PICSE has opened my eyes to the science that underpins the agriculture sector. I can see there are great opportunities and many diverse career options in agriculture.”

The PICSE/Dow AgroSciences Science Education Officer Professional Development Award went to Susanna Greig, who is based at the University of New England, Armidale. Susanna has worked with PICSE for seven years and said she was honoured to have been recognised.

“I’m really thrilled to receive this award,” she said. “I’m really committed to supporting teachers to promote the science supporting agriculture to their students.”

While Susanna has yet to decide on the focus of her professional development prize, she said she was interested in learning more about the new national science curriculum for high school students. “I’d like to know more about how, within the new curriculum, the science supporting agriculture will be incorporated into the science classroom.”

Dr Cahill said it was essential for industry to get behind initiatives like PICSE, which is focused on ensuring the next generation of agribusiness leaders is ready to step up to the challenges awaiting them.

“We need to attract the very best scientists both now and into the future to ensure we can continue to develop solutions to critical issues,” he said.

Dr Cahill offered his congratulations to both award winners and said the company was looking forward to supporting other agricultural science students and educators through its association with PICSE. Dow AgroSciences entered into a three-year sponsorship agreement with PICSE last year, including sponsorship of the awards.

“The Primary Industry Centre for Science Education program fulfils an extremely valuable function by identifying and encouraging bright young people to pursue careers in agricultural science. This is essential not only for the future of our business but to guarantee Australia’s food and fibre security,” Dr Cahill said.

As well as sponsoring the student and science education officer awards and various science workshops, Dow AgroSciences has also teamed with PICSE to present the annual Science for Growth Awards, which are open to all NSW and Queensland students in years nine and 10 and invite students to conduct experiments on any topic they like.

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