Prestigious STEM Ambassador roles for Deakin experts

Professor Peeters will be the STEM Ambassador to Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson and Associate Professor Sutti will be the STEM Ambassador to Member for Fisher, Andrew Wallace.

They will meet regularly with their Parliamentarians to deepen ties between Parliament and the STEM sector and help politicians access expert advice on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Professor Peeters, who is Director of the Institute for Health Transformation (IHT) in Deakin's Faculty of Health, said it was a privilege to be selected as one of STA's new intake of STEM Ambassadors.

"I look forward to meeting with Senator Henderson to share my passion about the potential for high quality, partnership health research to drive improvements to the health of all Australians, and to the sustainability of our health system," Professor Peeters said.

Associate Professor Alessandra Sutti is a materials scientist at Deakin's Institute for Frontier Materials, based at the Waurn Ponds campus, where she leads a multi-disciplinary team researching advanced materials and processes for high-performance fibres and textiles.

"Evidence-based decision making is the key to ensuring our planet and community are well cared for," Associate Professor Sutti said.

"Being a STEM Ambassador is a fantastic opportunity to build relationships with policy makers, to provide key scientific insight, advocate for STEM-based decisions and education and bring the worlds of science and policy even closer."

Professor Peeters and Associate Professor Sutti are among a record-breaking 26 STEM Ambassadors appointed by Science & Technology Australia (STA) in 2023.

The prestigious program - which began in 2019 – creates opportunities for science experts to share their expertise to assist evidence-based policymaking.

The STEM Ambassadors come from STA’s member organisations and reflect a diverse range of academic backgrounds and interests.

STA Chief Executive Officer Misha Schubert congratulated Professor Peeters and Associate Professor Sutti on their selection.

"We're at a remarkable point in history where an explosion of complex science and technology advances are about to dramatically reshape our economy, our lives and our jobs," Ms Schubert said.

"What we're seeing in response is a strong surge in the need for expert advice as lawmakers seek to keep pace with those developments and learn more about new technologies and their implications.

"Through this unique program, we match MPs and Senators with their own STA STEM Ambassador to give them regular access to a powerful network of Australian STEM experts to inform policy development.

"We're delighted to welcome our new STEM Ambassadors and thank them in advance for sharing their expertise and developing a strong working relationship with their MPs and Senators," Ms Schubert said.