Associate Professor Elena Prieto-Rodriguez

Elena Prieto Rodriguez
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STEM Education

Assoc. Prof. Elena Prieto-Rodriguez

University of Newcastle

EdTalk Video: Gender and STEM: One step forward with HunterWiSE
EdTalk Video Link

Video Synopsis:

In this EdTalk, Dr Elena Prieto will talk about HunterWiSE, an initiative designed to increase female participation in STEM. The initiative has been running since 2017, engaging more than 200 girls, 20 teachers and 200 STEM professionals in the Hunter region of NSW.

HunterWiSE features two key interlinked strategies. The first is a high school outreach program designed to inspire young women by giving them the chance to use STEM to work alongside industry professionals and University students to tackle issues in their local communities.

The second is a series of networking events for female STEM professionals across the Hunter to collaborate and share experiences. An alumni support program was also launched in December 2020. The project leverages financial and in-kind support from a broad range of key global and regional partners.

In her talk, Elena will explain the background of the initiative, elaborate on the successes and challenges encountered, and present the results of its evaluation.

Bio:

Dr Elena Prieto is an Associate Professor in Mathematics Education at the University of Newcastle. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a PhD in Theoretical Computer Science. From 2005, she has worked extensively in STEM education, including several Australia-wide research projects. She is currently engaged in several projects focused on gender equity in STEM and teacher professional development. She is a member of the University of Newcastle Teachers and Teaching Research Centre where she leads the STEM Education Group.