Jenny Leong MP congratulated Redfern resident, Dr Sophie Calabretto who was a finalist for the 2019 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science.
"I draw the attention of this parliament to Dr Sophie Calabretto who is a resident of Redfern in the Newtown Electorate and who was a finalist for the 2019 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science. The Eureka prizes are an annual awards ceremony run by the Australian Museum to celebrate and reward excellence in the fields of research, innovation and science. Dr Calabretto is a mathematician who is passionate about changing the perception that maths is only for very smart people and to break down the stigma created from gender disparity to encourage mathematics as a field of study and employment for young women.
Dr Calabretto is a senior lecturer at Macquarie University and in 2017, she was awarded one of the ABC's 'Top 5 Under 40' researchers which has allowed her a larger platform to promote her ideas. Dr Calabretto believes in promoting mathematics because of its relevance to the world and the development of technology. As Dr Calabretto notes, 'we should care about maths because it's fundamental to our progress'. Congratulations to Dr Calabretto for her remarkable achievements and excellent work highlighting the critical place of mathematics in Australia's development."
