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CSIRO Education enquiries: Program enquiries: | IT, communications and related areasKelsey Brookes, Digital Media Journalist - Digital Technology Episode
In 2001 Kelsey started writing for Digital Media World, a magazine specialising in special effects, game production and other technology. Kelsey has interviewed some of the biggest names in the movie business, including the producers and directors responsible for the latest Star Wars, X-Men, Spiderman, Terminator and Matrix films. Today, Kelsey continues to write for DMW magazine, teaches Film Production at Melbourne's SAE Institute and is a partner in the Melbourne-based design firm, thinksync. The thing that Kelsey enjoys most about his work is that it's always different. "I never stop learning and I'm always trying something new, something different. But the best part is that no matter what I do, it's always creative." ^TOP Dominique Burgess, Education Executive - Theme Park Science Episode 
Dominique is the Education Officer at the Dreamworld Theme Park on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Her job involves presenting educational programs to visiting school classes – from theme park physics and wildlife talks to tourism and business studies. She also spends a lot of time on the phone, helping teachers to organise their visit to Dreamworld and setting up suitable programs for them. Dominique studied environmental science at university, then did a Graduate Diploma of Science Communication at ANU in Canberra. Her first job was with Brisbane’s Sciencentre. Her current job is similar but in a different setting and covering a broader range of topics, not just science. Dominique says that one of the benefits of her job is the huge range of people she works with at Dreamworld each day – from engineers to animal keepers. She also loves to see the reactions of the students who are visiting. "Everyone loves visiting a theme park – it’s magical." ^TOP Peter Christie, Audiovisual Technician - Digital Technology Episode
Peter has always enjoyed art and drawing; he even made his own horror films at home when he was a kid! He studied Screen Production at Griffith University and worked for two years in community television before he started at Ten. Peter's job is to cut and combine the 'vision', following the script, working out the best way to interpret the vision to tell the story. Then he adds music and graphics and tweaks the colours of the vision to make the story look great. His favourite Digital Technology story was the one about creating the animated SCOPE opening sequence, but he's also enjoying working on upcoming episodes about insects, robots and extreme sport! ^TOP Steve Cooper, Digital Editor - Digital Technology Episode
In fact, Steve believes that editing is the most creative part of the filmmaking process. "It's like being given pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that can be put together in many different ways. There is really only one way of putting it together that is absolutely perfect". ^TOP
John Cox, Animatronics Expert - Special Effects 
At age 14, having just watched the original King Kong on late night television, John Cox decided that he was going to make creatures for the movies. He spent every afternoon after school and every weekend sequestered in his parents' garage drawing, sculpting and experimenting with materials, determined to learn the craft of making creatures. Nineteen years later John won a 1995 Academy Award for Visual Effects for the movie 'Babe'. With passion, determination and a belief in his abilities, John carved out a career that now sees him as a leader in his chosen field, not only within Australia, but on the world stage. He has even been appointed a voting member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (Academy Awards T). Look out for John and his crew listed in the credits of feature films such as Peter Pan, Scooby Doo, Pitch Black, George of the Jungle 2, Inspector Gadget 2 and Racing Stripes. ^TOP Dr Phil Dooley, Science Communicator, School of Physics, University of Sydney - Light Episode 
Phil always wanted to be an astronomer, but after doing a PhD in Physics but he realised that, although he liked the science he wasn't cut out for research. So he worked overseas as volunteer for a bit (looking after the computers in a small bank) then began trying to work as a freelance science communicator - writing for magazines, volunteer radio stuff, developing a website, had voice lessons - anything really. Then a job at the School of Physics appeared, probably the only job of its type in Australia , the perfect job he couldn't believe his luck. Basically the job is to try and make all the latest science easier to understand. He visits high schools, gives public talks and liaises with the press, but there is still time to go to the beach, play sport and work on his music. ^TOP Wendie Fox, Community Education Coordinator - Fire Science Episode
At high school, Wendie's favourite subjects were art and history and she wanted to be a primary school art teacher. However six months work with the Forest Commission of Victoria after she finished school changed all that. She discovered that she loved working outdoors and working with environmental issues, so after some time travelling overseas she found a job with the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment. While there, she completed a Diploma of Applied Science in Natural Resource Management through TAFE, and eventually moved to her current role with the CFA. "I get to work with a whole range of amazing people," Wendie says, "and it's great that my work will help people know what to do in a fire emergency." ^TOP Lish Hogge, Questacon Scientist - Grossology Episode
^TOP Sally Kirkpatrick - CoastEd Coordinator, Griffith University - Summer Science Episode
^TOP Zenon Kohler, 3D Artist - Digital Technology Episode
Zenon cites Andy Warhol, Saul Bass and pop culture in general as his main creative influences. ^TOP
Chris Krishna-Pillay, CSIRO - Theme Park Science Episode 
Chris has found a way to combine two areas that might sound like complete opposites - science and theatre. He is the manager of the CSIRO Science Education Centre in Victoria and creates and performs science theatre shows such as the Great Big Science Gig and Our Place in Space. He has performed all over Australia and overseas. At university Chris studied science, and in his spare time became heavily involved in theatre - everything from stand-up comedy and musical theatre to drama and radio. He says he hadn't imagined a job that would combine the two, but one day saw a job ad looking for exactly that - as a presenter with the CSIRO Science Education Centre. After several years as a casual then full-time presenter (and a teaching degree), Chris is now the manager. Chris gets a buzz out of his work. "I find the idea of science and scientific thinking really interesting, and I love helping others to understand it. Plus I get to work with passionate and positive science communicators and educators." ^TOP Andrew Lampert, CSIRO Research Software Engineer - Digital Technology Episode
Andrew's work is all about using computers to help humans communicate. He teaches computers to 'read', 'listen' and 'talk' to us in our language so we don't have to translate our language into a computer language. Andrew says that the best parts of his job are the constant challenges and constant learning. "I never come to work knowing exactly what I'll be doing that day, and I never leave without learning something new." ^TOP Brian Lovell , Computer Scientist and Research Leader - Secret Agent Episode
When he graduated he was employed overseas and worked with some incredible measurement equipment including very high speed computers and even portable nuclear accelerators! Eventually he returned to Australia and is now working for National ICT Australia and the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at the University of Queensland. Brian enjoys working with students and following their careers when they graduate. His students have gone on to careers with Google and other top jobs overseas and within Australia. A typical day for Brian involves communicating with people all around the world. He puts a lot of effort into forming strong linkages between Australia and overseas institutions, which also involves plenty of travel - a great perk of his job! ^TOP Katrina Lyon, Education Program Manager, Murdoch University - Renewable Energy Episode
A combination of study and work experiences helped her get her first job in the renewable energy industry - coordinating schools and community education programs. This involves organising courses for people already working in renewable energy, teaching university students (particularly courses which focus on the role of energy in society, both historical energy use and options for the future), talking to school groups and writing project information and activities for them. Katrina has also been doing a science radio show in Perth for the last 10 years and she has built her own telescope, which means she can go stargazing without needing to go to an observatory. ^TOP Justen Marshall, Software Supervisor - Special Effects
Justen says he has always loved using computers. He got a start in the visual effects industry through his mum, who worked for a regional television station in Coffs Harbour, NSW. His first real paid job was to create a fully 3D TV commercial for their creative director. "I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and ended up having to beg, borrow and steal computer time from all over the place," Justen says. "But I had heaps of fun doing it. (And I DID get it done!)" What does he like most about his job today? "That's easy. Even after nearly ten years as a visual effects software developer, I'm still blown away every time I see an artist take a tool that I've built and not just create awesome visual effects with it, but often push it beyond what even I thought it was capable of!" ^TOP Glen Nagle, Education and Outreach Manager, Canberra Deep Space Communication Network (CDSCC) - Deep Space Episode
"It's great to see a spectacular new image from Mars or Saturn and know that we helped make a new discovery. Some of the best days are when there is a new spacecraft launching or when it's arriving at a planet and we get to see the very pictures arriving. We are directly linked with NASA/JPL Mission Control and we get to see those smiling faces on all the scientists when everything goes well." He also does regular media interviews and has a weekly TV program on ABC Digital - Skywatch. And he is responsible for their public website www.cdscc.nasa.gov . What a cool job.^TOP Dael Oates, Computer Image Designer - Special Effects
Dael is involved in many aspects of visual effects design and production. He has been a director and art director for music videos (such as 'Walking Away' by 67 Special), he has co-directed opening title sequences for TV shows (for example Margaret and David At the Movies (ABC TV) and White Collar Blue (Network Ten)), he has conceptualised and created broadcast designs for clients such as Channel V and he has designed sequences for computer games (such as the opening sequence for "Tengai Makyo"). In his spare time, Dael directs his own short films and is also a keen photographer. ^TOP Mahesh Prakash, Research Scientist, CSIRO - Special Effects
Applying this to animation was something that Mahesh never anticipated. His team mostly works on industrial applications, which have proved to be a good background for creating better animation techniques for fluids. Now Mahesh and his team solve the fluid dynamics problems and a Korean animation company uses the solutions to create realistic animations. Mahesh really enjoys applying fluid dynamics in different areas. He is exposed to a range of industries from animation and geophysics to mining and aerospace, which makes for a very 'dynamic' job! ^TOP Phillip Radford, Designer - Digital Technology Episode
At The Post Lounge, Phill uses the program After Effects to animate still images. A large project he's working on at the moment is creating visually enticing titles and maps for the Animal Planet show "New Breed Vets". ^TOP
Mim Smith, CSIRO - Theme Park Science Episode
Mim studied neuroscience at the University of New South Wales. She started out enrolled in molecular biology, but after three weeks she found she enjoyed her psychology subjects more and became fascinated by the way that the human brain worked. In the end she changed to neuroscience for its combination of psychology and physiology. After university, Mim spent some time as a university careers officer, then did a Graduate Diploma in Science Communication at the Australian National University in Canberra . She started work with CSIRO after the course and hasn't looked back. Mim loves the energy of the kids she presents to, but her favourite part of the job? "I get to blow stuff up and play with science toys all day!" ^TOP Tamika Tihema, Bureau of Meteorology - Water Episode
^TOP Dr Elizabeth Stark - Scienceworks - Magnets Episode
Her training has also made her a communicator. "To really use maths you need to be bi-lingual. You must speak both numbers and words. Being able to solve all the equations in the world is no good unless you can communicate the results to others". Now her work is describing science to others. She loves to communicate science to all sorts of people from all walks of life. To make science relevant and understandable to 4 year olds and adult science buffs is really challenging. And she still does some astronomy using her telescope to look at the stars and to take photos of astronomical things. ^TOP Paul Travers, Animator - Digital Technology Episode
Outside of work, Paul enjoys making short films with his friend and experimenting with his video camera.
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Kelsey became interested in using digital technology for web design and film production when he was training students at Sydney's Computer Graphics College in web-based audio technology during the early years of the Internet.
Peter has been working at 
Steve commenced his career as a film editor 30 years ago. He owns a production company called 
Wendie works for the 
Lish is a wonderer and a wanderer. Having spent many years traipsing around the world working as a chef and scientist she has settled into a career as a science communicator, performer and program developer for science centres, festivals and events, nationally and internationally. She overacts, bakes too many cakes, makes science sociable and asks more questions than she has answers to. 
For some of Sally's job, her office is the beach! Her days are a mix between being in the office, organising projects as well as being outdoors with groups of students. Before all that, she studied a Bachelor of Applied Science with Honours in Coastal Management. During Uni she volunteered with the local National Parks and Wildlife Service as a Discovery Ranger and developed a passion for interpretation activities such as canoeing tours and rocky shore rambles. After this she ended up volunteering for Griffith University's Centre for Coastal Management on the Gold Coast, where she is now employed. Being part of the development of such a great program has been a very rewarding and enjoyable experience. 
As Art Director, Zenon leads the creative team at 
Andrew works at 
Brian always wanted to be an engineer. As a teenager he used to build electronic devices including amplifiers and photo equipment. It was natural for him enrol in electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Queensland.
Justen is a software supervisor at 
Glen loves working at a place that is at the forefront of space exploration. All of the missions across the Solar System and beyond send their information to Canberra and they help process that data and send it on to mission scientists. 
Dael is a designer with Animal Logic, a company that specialises in the design and production of visual effects for film, television and commercials.
Mahesh was studying chemical engineering in India when he became interested in fluid dynamics. This study of the way that fluids (gases and liquids) move is often used in engineering applications, such as designing aerodynamic vehicles. This can be done using wind tunnels, but it is quite expensive. Instead, Mahesh's team at CSIRO uses mathematics to describe the fluid flow so that the same experiments and testing can be done on a computer.
Phill's favourite subject in school was art and he attended Queensland School of Art to hone his skills. Whereas he used to draw and paint on paper, he now does the same thing using computers. As Phill says, "With computers you can easily manipulate images and create cool effects that would otherwise be impossible. You can also create completely virtual worlds where anything can happen!"
Mim is an education officer at CSIRO's Science Education Centre in New South Wales. She spends her days visiting schools and presenting science shows to kids from Kindergarten to year 12, and during the school holidays she runs holiday science programs.
Tamika did a degree in Physics ("ages ago!") and had a particular interest in earth science. After too many years at university, and searching for the 'right job', she joined the Bureau of Meteorology, and did the Weather Observer course. After a year of doing observations in the field, she joined the climate section in Queensland and has been there ever since. Her job is to talk to people about climate issues, ranging from people who just want to know what the climate is like in a particular area, to those who are involved with research projects, and need specialised data. Most people will call or email us these days, and a lot of information is now available on the internet, or in some electronic format. She also writes and distributes end of month media releases for Qld, and these can generate a lot of interest, especially if something significant has happened! 
Elizabeth is a Science Communicator, but ended up there in a round-about way. At school she was always good at science and maths, but didn't want to be a 'boring old scientist'. She tried out a couple of different things but wasn't until her second year at university that she discovered a love of mathematics and astronomy. 
Paul was born an artist, equally creative on paper as he is in filmmaking. Paul began at