Welcome to the Tasmanian Chapter of QueersInScience! We may be a small state, but what we lack in size we make up for in passion. If you are a queer Tasmanian either in STEM, or thinking of commencing a career in science, we would love you to join us on our journey. Sign up to our state social media links and find out more below.
The Tasmanian Chapter of QueersInScience launched in late 2019 and quickly grew to 50 members within its first year. We aim to provide support and networking opportunities to the sometimes isolated Tasmanian community of LGBTQIA+ scientists and their friends. Throughout the year we host a range of local events including drinks at the pub, colloquia, and trivia nights (join our Facebook Group). We also collaborate with other states to give access to national events and provide local members opportunities to make their mark in the broader QueersInScience organisation as part of committees and advocacy groups. Public outreach opportunities are also possible depending on member availability.
Studio Theatre 204, University Centre, near the Stanley Burbury Lecture Theatre, TAS
QueersInScience participated in its first Pride Parade in 2021, and despite the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions, had seven members take part on the day. We are proud that our presence at the parade was able to bust the stereotype that science is not for queers, a view seemingly entrenched even in a few of the LGBTQIA+ supportive spectators.
Queer Organisations:
University of Tasmania:
Pronouns: he/him
Lecturer in Physics at The University of Tasmania
Ross is an authentic inbred Tasmanian with family dating back far too many generations. He studies the physics of black holes, their role in the evolution of galaxies, and their use as standard rulers in cosmology. He also has research interests in computational earth sciences in Antarctica through his connection to The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.
Pronouns: they/he
PhD Candidate at School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania
Ink is a wildlife conservation ecologist, with passion to prevent extinction of animal species and the destruction of their habitats. Their Honours thesis was on establishing baseline information for a long-term wildlife monitoring program. The project informed possible trajectories for restoration plantings and emerging threats in temperate agricultural landscapes. For their PhD, Ink is studying the evolution of super-invasive alien species in Tasmania and how we can harness ecological processes, particularly interspecific competition, to control populations of black rats.
Pronouns: they/them
PhD Candidate in Mathematics
Arlie is a queer mathematician and physicist. They previously completed their bachelor’s in Maths and Physics with honours in Radio Astronomy, but decided to pursue their previously unexplored interest in biology through a PhD in phylogenetics (the mathematical study of evolutionary trees). In their project, Arlie is looking to develop methods utilising phylogenetic methods to identify the genes responsible for particular physical traits in plants, which they hope to be able to apply in the context improving resilience of plants to changing climatic conditions.
