By Mr Mitchell Joyce-Griggs, Science Teacher

Earlier this term, Dr Tyson Peppler and I, along with several students, parents and caregivers, attended the annual SEAACT Science and Engineering Fair Awards ceremony hosted by the University of Canberra (UC).

We were treated to a tour of UC’s world-class science facilities, including their so-called ‘mega lab’ – a large teaching laboratory – and their environmental sciences lab, featuring fascinating fish, frogs and geological samples. We also attended a presentation about the various degree pathways and activities offered by the Faculty of Science and Technology, giving students the opportunity to experience first-hand what tertiary study in science entails.

The presentation was hosted by Mrs Paula Taylor, President-Elect of the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA) and ACT winner of the 2025 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools, and Mr Lachlan McGinness, President of SEAACT.

We also heard a keynote speech from ACT's Emerging Scientist of the Year, Dr Samantha McGaughey, who spoke about the nature of science as ‘curiosity, creativity, problem-solving and teamwork’ and shared her ongoing work in plant science and biomimicry to develop solutions to real-world problems.

Radford Year 10 students and Infinity Science Club members Nicholas, Charli and Jeexin were awarded a Highly Commended certificate for their project Neutralisation of Lithium Batteries in the Human Oesophagus Following Battery Ingestion. The project took several weeks to complete and was carried out with the support of our Senior Science Laboratory Technician, Mr Graeme Poleweski.

We were also thrilled to see Year 3 student Rhys win first place for his entry Reflectivity of Road Surface Coverings. Warm congratulations to all our student entrants and award recipients for their remarkable achievements and ingenuity.

We look forward to your continuing success in the field of science.