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‘Nanogirl’ Michelle Dickinson named in Honours

‘Nanogirl’ Michelle Dickinson named in Queen’s Birthday honours

One of the country’s leading advocates for the communication of all things science has been named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.

One of the country’s leading advocates for the communication of all things science has been named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.

The honour caps a remarkable twelve months for ‘Nanogirl’ Michelle Dickinson, a senior lecturer in Chemical and Materials engineering at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Engineering.

In December she was awarded the Prime Minister’s Science Prize for Science Communication and a month earlier was named Science Communicator of the Year at the annual New Zealand Association of Scientists.

The MNZM recognises Dr Dickinson’s services to science.

Dr Dickinson has been involved in a wide range of projects aimed at making science accessible and fun for everyone. Her charitable work includes the OMGTech! project which exposes young people to leading-edge technologies and ideas and the “100 Days of Science” initiative which involved dozens of school children participating in science experiments and demonstrations.

“I want to help anyone, young or old, learn that science is not only fun, it’s a vital part of everyday life, whether we’re choosing a sunscreen or helping decide on a career.”

Dr Dickinson obtained her PhD from Rutgers University (USA) and her MEng from Manchester University (UK). Her research involves measuring the mechanical properties of materials from the nanoscale through to the macro scale and she has a special interest in biological material behaviour.

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She is a popular media science commentator, appearing regularly on TV3’s Paul Henry Show and Mark Sainsbury’s RadioLIVE Sunday morning programme. She is a social media enthusiast, tweeting under the ‘Nanogirl’ (@medickinson) twitter handle.

Dr Dickinson’s enthusiasm in science goes back to her earliest years when she learned soldering and computer coding by the time she was eight years old. She credits her father with encouraging her natural talents and interest.

“My dad was a huge influence when I was growing up, he was learning electrical engineering and I hung out with him, learning stuff that I guess most girls aren’t that interested in at that age,” she says.

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