Females interested in Chemistry and the Sciences? Where can the Sciences take me?

This year, as chemists celebrate the 100th anniversary of Marie Curie’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Chemists of Australia (through the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) are hosting the world-class researcher in radiochemistry Professor Lynn Francesconi on a lecture tour around Australia. The great news is that NSW was first stop on the tour.

In addition to the public lectures, we gathered a panel of females who enjoy a career that has sprung from their interest in Chemistry. The morning included a panel discussion about different career paths for women with a chemistry based education which was aimed at students in particular. Each panelist gave a brief rundown on what their career choices had evolved into and the opportunities they created, and ended off by answering questions from the floor.

Professor Lynn Francesconi from the Hunter College & Graduate Center of City University of New York was one participant at the discussion. Carolyn Toomey, the Business Unit Manager for Functional Chemicals and Product Manager Coatings for Inorganic Pigments at LANXESS Pty Ltd, also led the discussion. We heard from students at university, other female scientists from Government laboratories, and those working as researchers and in industry. The discussion concluded with a casual pizza lunch.

This event was proudly hosted by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, and sponsored by LANXESS. For more information on lecture tours conducted by RACI, click here.