Diversity in STEM Event
Join us over a relaxed evening of discussions at the University of Queensland to celebrate diversity in our STEM community.
This is a FREE in-person event aimed at tertiary students in the maths, stats and data sciences and related disciplines.
When: Wednesday 3 July
Time: 4.45pm, for a 5pm start
Where: Science Learning Centre, Priestley Building (67), UQ St Lucia campus – view campus map
Refreshments will be served at the event.
Panel Speakers
Morenikeji Deborah Akinlotan
Queensland University of Technology
About Morenikeji
Morenikeji is an applied mathematician who models complex biological and environmental systems. She is passionate about using mathematics to solve real world problems that directly influence environmental policies. Within SAEF, her work will focus on using mathematical decision science to explore the relationship between the collection of new data (and therefore reducing uncertainties) and the optimal management of Antarctic ecosystems (e.g., protected area planning, invasive species management, land or marine resource use, tourism, or new large terrestrial project evaluation). She aims to develop quantitative methods and tools that will be useful for efficient Antarctic biodiversity conservation planning.
Jie Yen Fan
Monash University
About Jie Yen
Jie Yen Fan is a lecturer in the School of Mathematics at Monash University. Her research interests lie in the general theory of stochastic processes, with applications in financial mathematics and population dynamics.
In addition to her work on the construction of new martingales with given marginal distributions, she also works with complex population structures through the use of measure-valued processes and studies their limiting behaviours.
She also serves as the treasurer of the Applied Probability Special Interest Group of the Australian Mathematical Society.
Mel Robertson-Dean
The University of Queensland
About Mel
Mel is a mathematical and applied statistician with interests in how scientists across all fields can maximise the insights that can be uncovered from their experiments. She enjoys dipping her toes into many different fields of science and learning how scientists are trying to solve modern problems. Additionally, Mel conducts research on the g-and-h distribution families, a class of flexible distributions defined through quantile functions. She completed her PhD in 2019 at QUT in Brisbane on g-and-h distributions.
Teaching is a passion of Mel’s, with a focus on first year university education, and helping students discover the critical importance of modelling and statistics in modern science. Mel strives to create learning environments for students that are inclusive and challenging, and confidence building.
Outside of work, Mel enjoys renovating old houses and caravans, gardening and has recently taken up leatherwork.
Christina Tang-Fujiwara
VivCourt Trading
About Christina
Christina graduated with a Bachelor of Mathematics/Commerce at the University of Queensland in 2023 and has gone onto work as an energy analyst at VivCourt Trading. Having majored in statistics at university, she finds herself working closely with data and probability in the National Energy Market (NEM) as well as other foreign power markets. Christina was a tutor for the UQ School of Mathematics and Physics during her studies and was also Treasurer for the UQ Mathematics Students Society in 2022. Outside of work, she enjoys pilates, yoga and running, and has recently taken up baking.
Liam Timms
The University of Melbourne
About Liam
Liam Timms is a PhD student at the University of Melbourne, working on distributed optimisation with applications to making road planning more environmentally friendly. They received a Bachelor of Mathematics (Honours) form the University of Queensland, working on using mathematics to prevent elephant poaching. Since 2022, Liam has been active in improving equity, inclusivity, and diversity in mathematics by educating staff and students on harassment and discrimination. In their spare time, Liam enjoys reading, long-distance running, and kung fu.
Meagan Carney
The University of Queensland
About Meagan
Meagan Carney has her Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Houston. She completed her post-doc at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden, Germany, in 2021. Currently she is a lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Her research interests include probability and statistics for extremes of chaotic systems.