The Faculty of Science Education Awards category recognises exceptional contributions to teaching, learning, and student engagement across the Faculty. These awards also celebrate student achievements in leadership, science communication, and academic performance.
This Award recognises and celebrates outstanding contributions to the Faculty of Science teaching programs made by individuals or teams. Awardees have demonstrated outstanding approaches to teaching and/or the support of learning that influences, motivates, and inspires students, excellent development of curricula, resources, or services reflecting a command of the field, high-quality evaluation of practices that lead to improvements in teaching and learning, and influential innovation, leadership or scholarship that shifts the dial on teaching, learning, or the student experience.
The winner is:
Joash’s gamified approach to scientific communication has impacted his students' lives, granting them local and international recognition and improved employability as a direct result. He has shared his work at a conference, secured education grants, and won gold at an international innovation convention for his education innovation.
The winner(s) and nominees are:
The Innovation, Consumer Behaviour and Food Marketing unit is designed in concert with industry practices and authentic assessments involved in securing management approval to fund projects in food marketing and innovation firms. The high unit evaluation scores over six years reflect sustained student engagement and satisfaction, as well as the award-winning product designs from 'Expo-Day' final presentations.
This Award recognises outstanding innovation driven by technologies or curriculum that improve student engagement, teaching, learning, or assessment. Nomination is open to all academic staff, professional staff, and teaching associates of the Faculty of Science. Awardees have demonstrated outstanding approaches to teaching and learning through curriculum or technological innovation, development of curricular resources or services, evaluation practices that bring positive change and influential innovation, leadership, or scholarship that shifts the dial on teaching, learning, or the student experience.
The winner(s) and nominees are:
The use of crime-based cases in a second-year Chemistry unit empowers students as investigators, using forensic-inspired cases to drive collaboration and scientific thinking. Through real-world data interpretation and presentation, students deepen theoretical understanding and practical skills. The inclusive, high-impact model enhances engagement, confidence, and readiness to join the workforce, guiding students to become capable scientists through authentic inquiry.
Wee Sim is a leading researcher in functional foods, specialising in bioactive compounds, phytochemicals, probiotics, and natural pigments such as betalains and anthocyanins. Her work bridges food chemistry and health, with high-impact publications and editorial roles in top journals. She serves on the USP Food Ingredients Expert Committee (2025–2030) and was named among the World’s Top two per cent Scientists (Stanford, 2024), reflecting her global influence, research excellence, and commitment to advancing food science.
Through a gamified, group-based assessment in FST2810 Food Bioprocess Technology, Sin Yee enhanced student learning outcomes by reducing assessment anxiety and increasing motivation, engagement, and collaboration. Incorporating blind-box topic selection, reflective checkpoints, and interactive presentation, this inclusive, curriculum-based innovation empowered students to apply knowledge creatively and develop key communication and teamwork skills.
The winner is:
This collaboration between the Science and IT faculties developed an online platform allowing students to input lab-generated images of fruit flies, then compare their own phenotypic classifications with those provided by machine learning. The team then investigated whether students’ skills and perceptions of artificial intelligence were influenced by using the platform.
This award recognises outstanding contributions to honours supervision and celebrates exceptional contributions to the Faculty of Science.
The winner is:
In the past five years Anne has supervised 10 honours students with a 100% H1 rate. Her success in providing a rigorous and inspiring education in effective and ethical field research is evidenced by the high proportion of former students currently engaged in research, environmental consulting or further study.
This award recognises initiatives that make the learning environment more inclusive, or specifically include and teach diversity in the development of scientific knowledge.
The winner is:
Hendrika is an education-focused senior lecturer whose research investigates the use of inclusive language and practice surrounding sex and gender in science education.
The research project, ‘Investigating the use of inclusive language and practices regarding sex and gender in science education’ revealed that many LGBTQIA+ students felt unsafe in the classroom, prompting the creation of guidelines to improve inclusivity. The research findings and educator guidelines have been shared across Monash and beyond.
These Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of Science students in a wide range of areas, from academic performance through to service to the community.
Students may self-nominate, or be nominated by another student or staff member, around the broad category of leadership. This may include social inclusion, social justice, or enterprise efforts towards charitable or not-for-profit groups.
The winner(s) and nominees are:
An Asia-Pacific academic representative and influential youth voice in global policymaking, Paramjeet brings the student perspective to platforms including the UN, WHO, and FAO. Championing agrifood systems, youth leadership, and sustainability, he bridges science and diplomacy - amplifying Monash University’s vision on the world stage through academic excellence and international impact.
Over the past year, Chayli has been volunteering with the Friends of the Eltham Copper Butterfly and Friends of Biodiversity Hohnes Hill to enhance the habitat suitability for the Eltham Copper Butterfly and help create a corridor between colonies.
Students may self-nominate, or be nominated by another student or staff member, around the broad category of science communication. This may include: cultivating a science-based blog, impactful micro-blogging or social media science profile, vodcast, podcasts, or other website activities with broad readership/engagement, developing science communication workshops, events, resources, and/or communities of practice.
The winner(s) and nominees are:
Erfan is an emerging leader in science communication and education. Erfan is an author, speaker, advocate and educator with an outstanding track record of communicating environmental change issues to a broad range of audiences.
Brigitta, founder of 30×30 Indonesia and Diverseas, is an ocean-climate advocate who has engaged with over 15,000 people in 100+ locations through environmental education and marine conservation initiatives. She uses her platforms to communicate conservation science to diverse audiences using virtual reality films, workshops, and youth scholarship programs.
This award celebrates the achievements of our top students.
The awardees are:
| Akira Boxtel Abe | Anthony James Pisani |
| Charles Ma | Darcy Phillip Stenteford |
| Edward Wheaton | Florencia Stella |
| Ida Sonja Gaulke | Isabelle Barwick |
| Isabelle Lucy Dimos | Jade Alia Abidi |
| Liam Wood-Baker | Marko Charles Mrksa |
| Mason Chuen-Lai Lam | Max Guzenko |
| Michael Gitonobel | Neel Kaul |
| Preet Jignesh Patel | Pu Ti Dai |
| Raj Kaul | Tianchun Wu |