Science & Technology Australia is delighted to announce the appointments of remarkable science and research leaders to its sector-leading committees-the STEM Sector Policy Committee, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, and the Finance, Audit and Risk (FAR) Committee.
We're thrilled to welcome both our new committee members and extend our heartfelt congratulations to them and our returning committee members on their appointments.
"STA's leadership role for our nation's STEM sector is strengthened by the appointment of these exceptional leaders," said STA CEO Ryan Winn.
"These strategic committees are essential in shaping STA's policy advocacy, advancing our sector-leading work on equity, diversity, and inclusion, and ensuring organisation's financial health sustainability. The invaluable contributions of these outstanding leaders amplify STA's high impact advocacy."
"These committees represent the voice of the Australian STEM sector and leverage the diverse expertise and perspectives within STA's membership. We are excited to see such a varied group of accomplished leaders stepping up to serve our community."
We welcome one new and two returning STEM-sector policy experts, along with a new Friend of the Chair, to STA's Policy Committee. Dr Thom Dixon associated with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Synthetic Biology joins as a new committee member alongside re-appointed members Associate Professor Vanessa Wong from Soil Science Australia, and Associate Director - Research Grants and Contracts Kate McGeoch at UNSW. Additionally, Dr Martin Peeks from UNSW will fill the new Friend of the Chair position.
Four accomplished leaders in diversity and inclusion within the STEM sector have been appointed or re-appointed to STA's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, alongside one Friend of the Chair. STEM-sector leader and Chief Operating Officer of CSIRO, Space and Astronomy Kate Callaghan has been re-appointed to the committee. New committee members appointed are EDI-STEM champion Monash University's Dr Ayan Dasvarma; proud Kalkadoon woman and Executive Manager of CSIRO's Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy Kim Dyball; and experienced EDI committee/working group member Professor Marc Kvansakul of La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS). Additionally, Adrienne Gooden from the Australian Society for Fish Biology joins the committee as a Friend of the Chair.
We also welcome fiscal management expert and Sanofi Chief Financial Officer, Australia and New Zealand Yogita Nath to STA's Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.
For a full list of current committee members refer to our Executive and governance page.
STA sincerely thanks our outgoing committee members for their valuable contributions to STA's work. We thank Dr Miloš Tanurdžić of the Genetics Society of AustralAsia, Dr Corey Tutt of DeadlyScience, Dr Muneera Bano of CSIRO and the Computing Research and Education Association of Australasia, Professor Sumeet Walia of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Society, and Mark Bazzacco of Statistical Society of Australia. We are deeply grateful for the time, expertise, and skill they have invested in Science & Technology Australia and our members.
Meet the new Science & Technology Australia committee members
STA STEM-sector Policy Committee
Thom Dixon
Manager - National Security and Defence, Macquarie University
STA member organisation: The ARC Centre of Excellence for Synthetic Biology
Dr Thom Dixon is a member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Synthetic Biology and the Manager, National Security and Defence for Macquarie University. He is currently seconded part-time as the Research Framework Consultation Lead supporting the renewal of Macquarie University's Strategic Research Framework. From 2017-2024, Thom was the Vice President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs NSW. He is an alumnus of the 2017 EU-Australia Leadership Forum and the 2021 US-Australia Next-Generation Leadership Initiative. He was the first Australian to take part in Eurofusion's 'Writers for Fusion' program in 2016. Thom undertakes multidisciplinary research on the implications of synthetic biology, including technology forecasting and planning for risk management and benefit maximisation. In 2022, he was sponsored by the United Nations to present to the Science and Technology Preparatory Meeting in India ahead of the 9th Review of the Biological Weapons Convention. He is a founding member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Synthetic Biology's Government and Industry Liaison Working Group and has written widely on the opportunities of synthetic biology-enabled biomanufacturing as an advanced and sustainable manufacturing technology.
Kate McGeoch
Associate Director - Research Grants and Contracts at UNSW
STA member organisation: UNSW
Kate has worked in research administration at UNSW, Monash University and The University of Melbourne since 2014, predominantly on Australian Research Council and government grant schemes. She has extensive experience in the administration of major publicly funded research projects, and since 2017, she has managed three major ARC initiatives, including an Industrial Transformation Research Project and two Centres of Excellence, in the role of Chief Operating Officer. She worked at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science from 2019 to 2023, and prior to that, also in the Faculty of Science at The University of Melbourne, with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers. Kate took up her current role as Associate Director of Research Grants and Contracts at UNSW in December 2023. Kate has a strong interest in government regulation, law and policy, particularly in the areas of energy and climate change. Kate has driven a number of initiatives to increase success in research commercialisation, and industry and stakeholder engagement at each of the research centres she has managed. Kate is focussed on leveraging industry and government relationships to work towards securing a sustainable energy future for Australia. Kate holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), a Master of Arts (Philosophy), a Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) from Monash University, and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the ANU. Before working in research administration, Kate taught subjects in ethics, applied ethics, and Human Rights at Monash University in the School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies.
Associate Professor Vanessa Wong
Associate Professor - School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University
STA member organisations: Soil Science Australia and Monash University
Dr Vanessa Wong is a soil scientist in the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University and professionally accredited as a Certified Professional Soil Scientist and Registered Soil Practitioner with an acid sulfate soil specialisation. She has extensive experience providing independent technical advice on natural resources management topics to multi-stakeholder groups. This includes being engaged by Barwon Water as an independent expert panel member on the Remediation Reference Group, appointment to the Alligator Rivers Region Technical Committee, and as a member of the Expert Advisory Panel on the Victorian Marine and Coastal Council. She has more than 90 publications, some of which have underpinned land and water management plans and strategies through engagement with land and water management organisations. She is the immediate past President of Soil Science Australia, the professional association for soil scientists, science facilitator in the Homeward Bound program, editor-in-chief of the journal Land Degradation and Development and Vice Chair of the Acid Sulfate Soil Working Group of the International Union of Soil Science.
Martin Peeks (Friend of the Chair)
Scientia Senior Lecturer and DECRA Fellow at The University of New South Wales (UNSW)
STA member organisation: UNSW
Dr Martin Peeks is a Scientia Senior Lecturer and DECRA Fellow at UNSW in the School of Chemistry. Born in the UK, Peeks completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford and then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at MIT and Oxford before starting his independent career at UNSW in 2019. In his research, Peeks studies the principles that underpin the design of advanced organic materials for optical and energy technologies (e.g., LEDs, solar, batteries). He and his research group aim to uncover the fundamental design principles that can be used to create molecules with desired functions and use these to develop next-generation technologies with tuneable properties and reduced reliance on critical minerals. Peeks is a keen advocate for the role of research training in the Australian education system and serves as a postgraduate coordinator at UNSW. He has also worked heavily in the sustainability space, introducing the 'LEAF' (Laboratory Environmental Assessment Framework) accreditation program to UNSW in 2020. The program aims to encourage and recognise sustainable research practices.
STA STEM-sector Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Kate Callaghan
Chief Operating Officer - Space & Astronomy, CSIRO
STA member organisation: CSIRO
Kate is a Steering Committee Member of the Inclusion Diversity, Equity in Astronomy Chapter of the Astronomical Society of Australia, and the Chief Operating Officer of Space and Astronomy at CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, where she is an active member of its Diversity and Inclusion Committee. For more than two decades she has worked across multiple industries spanning health, education, services, and science. In her current role, Kate works across the national and international astronomy and space sectors. As COO she oversees CSIRO's work in four main areas: operating large spacecraft tracking contracts with NASA and the European Space Agency; managing the Australia Telescope National Facility; growing CSIRO's Earth observation and space program; and partnering with the SKA Observatory to build and operate one of the world's largest radio telescopes.
Ayan Dasvarma
School and Institute Manager - Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute
STA member organisation: Monash University
Dr Ayan Dasvarma leads and coordinates teams across multiple corporate and operational service functions at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute to enable its research, education, and engagement success in his roles as School and Institute Manager. As a proud gay man, a second-generation migrant and a person of colour, Ayan has a deep passion for equity, diversity and inclusion and understands how active investment in EDI leads to greater success through the recognition and respect of wide-ranging views and experiences, enabling innovation in research for advancing society's progress across technology, healthcare, education and social spheres. At Monash University, Ayan is the Chair of the Anti-Racism Project Group, which reports to the Monash University EDI Committee, a member of the Diverse Genders, Sexes and Sexualities Advisory Group, the Monash EDI Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Ayan is also a Director at Pride Foundation Australia, and a member of Member, Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes. In the past, Ayan has held other positions on committees and boards across Australian in the EDI space.
Kim Dyball
Executive Manager - Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy, CSIRO
STA member organisation: CSIRO
Kim Dyball is a dedicated advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, with nearly three decades of experience working in government to support Indigenous people, youth, and women in various education, training, and employment portfolios. As a proud Kalkadoon woman, Kim brings an
Indigenous perspective and a deep commitment to fostering supportive and inclusive environments.
Throughout her career, Kim has demonstrated an unwavering passion for advancing Indigenous women's representation in STEM fields. She has successfully led the Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy, engaging over 650 young Indigenous women in pursuing STEM careers.
Her work in this area has not only opened doors for many but has also paved the way for systemic change within the educational and professional landscapes. In addition to her work with the STEM Academy, Kim has played a crucial role in various government initiatives aimed at improving access to education and employment opportunities for diverse groups of people. Her strategic insights and collaborative approach have consistently driven impactful outcomes, ensuring that underrepresented groups have a voice and a seat at the table. Kim has an unwavering commitment to fostering inclusive environments and championing diversity.
Professor Marc Kvansakul
Professor - Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry at La Trobe University
STA member organisation: La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS)
Dr Marc Kvansakul is a culturally diverse STEM professional of Thai-German ethnicity. With a long-standing and deep interest in EDI matters, Marc has served on the La Trobe SAGE Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team (2015-2018), where he chaired the data analysis committee and drafted the data analysis section of the university submission for accreditation. Marc's significant skills in strategic planning and implementation in the EDI space have proven invaluable for my current involvement in the Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) work at the university. As part of the EDI CALD working group, where he currently serves as acting co-chair, he strives to drive major improvements in the way his university engages and supports CALD community members. As the representative of the CALD working group on the university's anti-racism taskforce and as a member of the anti-racism ideation group, Marc is developing his university strategy to overcome issues of systemic racism. Marc is the Treasurer of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Adrienne Gooden (Friend of the Chair)
PhD student - Southern Cross University
STA member organisation: Australian Society for Fish Biology
Adrienne Gooden is a queer, neurodivergent PhD candidate working on the drivers of white shark behaviour in her research. Adrienne is passionate about science communication and education, working with organisations such as Sharks4Kids and The Gills Club. In 2023, Adrienne was awarded an Out For Australia 30 Under 30 and Standout Student Award. Adrienne sits on the Australian Society for Fish Biology's Future of Our Society Committee, which focuses on EDI and advocacy.
Additionally, She has been a member of the Oceania Chondrichthyan Society (OCS) for three years, and is currently supporting the creation of EDI roles and initiatives within this society. Adrienne helps create a safe and supportive environment by organising queer meetups on her university campus.
STA Finance, Audit and Risk Committee
Yogita Nath
Chief Financial Officer Australia and New Zealand - Sanofi
STA member organisation: Sanofi
Yogita Nath's career spans more than 25 years with varied experience in financial management, mergers and acquisitions, finance transformation and business strategy. As Chief Financial Officer at Sanofi responsible for Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, Yogita is responsible for financial functions including Planning and Analysis, Commercial Decision Support, Accounting (lodgement of multiple financials with ASIC), Internal Controls, Tax and Treasury in South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
She has managed internal and external audits including external audits (EY), CAR and audits with the Australian Tax Office. She heads up the Accounts Committee at Sanofi and sits on the Ethics, Legal and Business Integrity committees for ANZ and South Korea.
Before joining Sanofi in 2019, she held Finance Director roles at Alexion and Janssen Cilag. Her industry and international experience spans beyond pharmaceuticals with various senior and mid-level positions in fast-moving consumer goods and Oil and Gas including Fosters Group. She is a Fellow Certified Practicing Accountant and earned a Bachelor of Business from the University of Ballarat.
