The panel of experts explores the vital role of Earth's natural resources in meeting global challenges. From the food on our plates to the minerals in our technology, the discussion covers the diverse pathways into agriculture and mining, the importance of sustainability, and how a STEM background can lead to a global career that changes the world.

Host: Georgie Ovin (Program Delivery Coordinator at ATSE)

Moderator: Dr Angeline Achariya FTSE (CEO of Food Innovation Centre)

Guests:

• Ishmael Gottreux - Senior Manager of Global Marketing, Orica
• Associate Professor Kim Johnson - Research Fellow and Lecturer, La Trobe University

1. Non-linear career paths

• Angeline [08:42]
• Ishmael [15:46]
• Kim [25:02]

2. Innovation in Agriculture & Mining

• Understanding how we feed the future with increasing populations [36:54]
• Looking at how we will grow food in space for long-term human travel [24:31]
• Strategic marketing in technology and importance of engineering knowledge [19:53]

3. The future of resource management

• Learning from space travel to create "zero waste" agricultural systems on Earth [26:14].
• Understanding the complexity behind every meal and the drive toward quality, safety and innovation [08:00].

4. Advice for students & early career researchers [21:44]

• The power of field experience
• The "pause" rule to not rush into new qualifications
• Importance of building professional networks

"A scientist is not always in a lab coat. You can run a business, travel the world, and be an integral part of solving global challenges." - Dr. Angeline Achariya

"If you want to defend your ideas, you need arguments—and without field experience, that is much harder." - Ishmael Gottreux

"Plants are amazing. They take sun and a few resources and make us food. I've always wanted to understand how they work." - Kim Johnson

• Plants for Space: Information on the ARC Centre of Excellence – https://plants4space.com
• STELR Program (www.stelr.org.au): Hands-on curriculum resources for teachers and students.
• Elevate Scholarship (www.elevate.org.au): A leadership scholarship supporting women in STEM, which Vanessa currently holds.
• IMNIS Program (www.imnis.org.au): An industry mentoring network for PhD students.

Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppSq1liuW8w