The University of New England hosted the Science Experience last week. The students soon to commence Year 10 also got the complete UNE experience, staying in the residential college system. The annual program ran for three days.

The Science Experience is a program coordinated by the Science Schools Foundation during January at more than 30 universities and other tertiary institutions throughout Australia.
The program provides a university science experience. Professional scientists, university equipment and facilities helped to inspire, as the program sought to address a global need for science qualified people. Program participants engaged in an intensive series of talks and practical sessions in such areas as forensic science, physiology, chemistry, animal behaviour, and molecular and micro-biology. Talks and demonstrations included “The life of birds”, “Forensic handwriting analysis”, “The code of life”, “Forensic DNA evidence”, “Research on small mammals”, and “A chemist’s view of energy”.
Participants came from diverse backgrounds and areas. They travelled from northern NSW, and from as far afield as Parkes, Gol Gol (near Mildura), and from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in the north to gain hands-on science experience in UNE laboratories.
However, numbers were well down on the desired minimum, with just over 20 attending. With participants generally coming from rural and regional areas, UNE Science Experience Director, Associate Professor
Jim McFarlane, said the drought and economic conditions would have contributed to reduced numbers.
Dr McFarlane said that UNE needs to boost science student numbers, which will increase the funds available for research, and deliver more innovative outcomes for the local region. To meet that need, UNE has introduced new science courses that are tailored to niche market demands, such as sports science and forensic science. These new degrees are believed to be attracting strong interest.
“The Science Experience is important because it constructively works to show students going into Year 10 that science can be exciting,” said Dr McFarlane. “There’s been a serious, world-wide decline in the number of students preparing for careers in science, and we need to help young people understand the vital role that science plays – and the opportunities for science-based careers – in so many aspects of today’s society.” Those messages were well received by the program participants.
“It’s expanded my horizons,” said Marie Laurie from Sawtell. “I didn’t know anything about subjects such as criminology – but now I’m interested.”
“We’re country kids,” said Sophie Charalambous from Narrabri. “It’s a great experience for us because we don’t normally have access to a lot of this technology.”
Glen Luckett from Ashford said he was enjoying the experiments – and also the swimming and other sports activities available at Sport UNE of an evening. And staying at UNE’s Mary White College gave him an insight into student life at university, he said.

Story: Gary Fry