Published on the 06/05/2015 | Written by Clare Coulson
Dr Michelle Dickinson is continuing to lobby for girls to get involved in technology by joining Bright Sparks…
Bright Sparks, the organisation and awards programme which last year gave us Callum Riddington and his Kiwi Drones project, has appointed Dr Michelle Dickinson, aka NanoGirl, as its ambassador to help draw young women to science and technology-related careers.
Bright Sparks exists to nurture New Zealand’s future engineers, electricians and programmers. Dickinson is a natural choice as ambassador for the organisation given her commitment to promoting science, technology, engineering and maths as careers for women. She herself is a senior lecturer in materials engineering at Auckland University, head of the university’s Nanomechanical Testing Lab – the only one of its kind in New Zealand – and is a board member for Code Club Aotearoa. Increasingly she spends her time promoting the marvels of science and technology to children via television, radio, public appearances and in the media. She also spends time advocating against sexism in the industry and has recently begun publishing related commentary on LinkedIn’s Pulse.
Despite the issue of sexism, she says there are plenty of opportunities for young women to get involved in technology – New Zealand’s fastest growing and third largest export sector (exports have doubled over the past six years to more than $6 billion for 2014). “That means young women have a great opportunity to make their mark. Come on, girls: show us what you’ve got,” she said.
Dickinson added that she is delighted to be the Bright Sparks 2015 ambassador: “For 15 years, Bright Sparks has fostered the development of New Zealand’s brilliant young minds. I’m looking forward to seeing what emerges from this year’s crop of talented students.”
She encourages all young women with an interest in technology to enter the Bright Sparks programme.
“Girls can do just as well as the boys in this field. Bright Sparks has an award for Best Overall Female, and I’d love to see as many young women as possible developing and showcasing their skills,” she said.
The Bright Sparks 2015 Awards are now open, with new categories across software, science, engineering and the environment.
