Science Teachers Association of Victoria (STAV)

Scott Bumpstead Appointed Executive Director of STAV STAV is delighted to announce the appointment of Scott Bumpstead as its new Executive Director, commencing in January 2025. Scott brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and organisational transformation. His expertise in driving growth, implementing change management, and fostering high-performing teams will be instrumental in advancing STAV’s mission to champion science education in Victoria.

Meet Professor John Reece, keynote speaker at the 2025 STAV VCE Conference Series (Psychology). Join us for an enlightening keynote by Professor John Reece, a distinguished expert in Psychological Science at Australian College of Applied Professions. With extensive experience from La Trobe, RMIT, the University of Melbourne, and ACAP, Professor Reece is renowned for his innovative teaching and data analysis expertise. He has earned prestigious awards, including the Australian Psychological Society’s Distinguished Contribution to Education Award. As a passionate advocate for evidence-based teaching, he has significantly contributed to advancing educational practices. Don’t miss this chance to hear Professor Reece reflect on 40 years of teaching psychology, sharing his journey through the evolution and future of psychology education and research. For more information on the 2025 STAV VCE Conference Series go to https://zurl.co/zzXU

Meet Professor Tianyi Ma, keynote speaker at the 2025 STAV VCE Conference Series (Chemistry), a distinguished Professor at RMIT University and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow where he is a world leading scientist in the renewable energy field. He has earned prestigious awards like the 2024 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science and the AAS Le Févre Medal. As Director of the ARC Industrial Transformation Hub for Intelligent Energy Efficiency and Research Director of the Centre for Atomaterials and Nanomanufacturing, Professor Ma leads innovative projects that bridge science and practical applications, such as solar-to-hydrogen generators and high-energy density battery packs which change how society generates and consumes energy and chemicals. Don’t miss his keynote, “Nanomaterials Revolutionising Renewable Energy Solutions” for valuable insights and practical knowledge to inspire your teaching. For more information on this exciting conference pls go to https://zurl.co/2Dd0

Introducing Dr. Charis Teh, the 2025 STAV VCE Conference Series keynote speaker for Biology. Dr. Teh is a Victorian Cancer Agency Mid-Career Research Fellow and is revolutionising cancer treatment by identifying the ‘kill switch’ that makes blood cancer cells self-destruct. Her groundbreaking work has earned her the 2023 AIPS Victorian Tall Poppy Award and a spot among the 40 Under-40 Most Influential Asian-Australians in 2022. Beyond her lab achievements, Dr. Teh is passionate about mentoring and science communication, collaborating with local schools and hosting Scientific Discovery Tours. At the 2025 VCE Conference, she will explore the revolutionary world of mass cytometry, a game-changing technology providing profound insights into biological systems. Don’t miss this chance to hear from a leading expert and gain valuable knowledge to inspire your students. For more information go to https://zurl.co/V91n

Congratulations to all the schools and students who participated in the 2024 Science Talent Search! Your dedication and hard work have truly shone through. The Science Talent Search Awards are now featured on our website! Explore the incredible achievements and innovative Bursary Award winning projects of this year’s talented participants. Keep up the fantastic work, and continue to inspire others with your passion for science! View the awards link: https://zurl.co/fVt6

🌍✏️ Happy World Teachers' Day 2024! 🎉 Today, we celebrate the incredible educators who inspire, empower, and shape the future. Thank you for your dedication and passion in making a difference in our lives every day! 💖📚 #WorldTeachersDay #ThankATeacher #Inspiration

Join Michael Rosenbrock for the 'Worked examples for the win in Secondary Science' webinar where he will briefly unpack key implications from the evidence related to worked examples on Thur 24 Oct. Suitable for science teachers from 7-12. Register via: https://zurl.co/LQhO

🎉 Early bird tickets are available now! 🎉 Save 15% on your spot at the VCE Conference Series 2025. Whether you’re attending in person or online, you’ll gain valuable insights through expert-led sessions, VCAA updates, and interactive workshops in VCE Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Psychology. Don’t miss out—grab your discounted tickets today! 🔗 https://zurl.co/FtYv #VCE2025 #EarlyBird #STEMEducation #TeacherConference #ProfessionalDevelopment

There are still some places left in this webinar for next week. Sign up to secure your place here https://lnkd.in/g-d9ZhNA

This year has been a very successful year for STAV with us hosting the national conference (CONASTA71) in Melbourne in July. The three day conference showcased Victoria’s rich and innovative Science education landscape to both local and interstate colleagues. It was especially wonderful to see such high representation from Victoria’s teachers. The next event on STAV’s calendar is STAVCON, which is currently scheduled as an online event on 22 November 2024. We are of the understanding that schools have limited professional development budgets and time at present for their staff to attend external PD, and appreciate the efforts that are made to provide science educators the opportunity to attend STAV events. Due to these factors we have taken the decision, in this CONASTA hosting year, to postpone the 2024 STAVCON event. While this decision may be disappointing, we believe it is in the best interests of Victoria’s science teaching community. We apologise for any inconvenience caused but are keen to let you know that we are focussing our efforts on delivering an even bigger and better STAVCON in 2025! Please do keep an eye out for upcoming STAV events, services and supports: Science Talent Search Awards Exhibition from 7 November; STAV’s new online webinars and in-person workshops; and the all-important VCE Conference Series at The University of Melbourne. Early Bird tickets for the 2025 VCE Conference series are available now. Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support. All the best to your school communities in what is already a busy Term Four. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with the team at STAV HQ.