Scientist wins communication award

Scientist wins communication award

30 November 2006

AgResearch scientist Dr Liz Carpenter’s passion for teaching and science has led to her winning a national Science Communicator Award.

An immunologist with the Dairy Science & Technology Section at AgResearch Ruakura, Liz received the award from the New Zealand Association of Scientists today.

The award is presented to practising scientists for excellence in communicating to the general public in any area of science or technology.

“I'm thrilled to receive recognition at this level, for the extension activities I've worked on since I have been at AgResearch.

“I’m really keen to dispel the myth that science is boring, or a difficult subject at school. My aim is to encourage more students to become scientifically literate,” she said.

Liz leads a group working on hyper-immune milk – milk containing added antibodies that can fight bacterial, viral and fungal infections that cause disease in humans. Presentations on this work have generated significant media interest during the past year. She has made numerous presentations to community groups, academic groups, primary and secondary school classes, and to several farmers’ groups that are end-users for the hyper-immune milk technology.

Liz frequently organises hands-on science laboratory visits and seminars for high school students and teachers to stimulate their interest in science and to give them practical examples of the theory they learn in class. Within AgResearch, she organises the monthly seminar series, Ruakura Research Revealed, and contributes regularly to the annual AgResearch Knowledge Week – an event that enables staff to share their knowledge through presentations and workshops.

She is actively involved with the Association for Women in the Sciences (AWIS), frequently judges at school science fairs and is always keen to advise school groups on how create good science fair projects.

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