 | Francesca Calati Development Officer La Trobe University (Australia) |
Ms Francesca Calati is an Outreach and Curriculum Development Officer with the Department of Biochemistry, La Trobe University. Previously Francesca was the Program Manager of Accelerated Curricula and Nanotechnology at St Helena Secondary College. Francesca is a highly experienced teacher who has taught chemistry, general science, maths, and information technology. Recently she has gone back to study part time and is in the last year of a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science (Formulation Science) at Pharmacy College Parkville.
In 2005, Francesca devised the idea of developing a curriculum in Nanotechnology for secondary school students and it is through her inspiration and innovation that the SHINE Project (St Helena Innovative Nanotechnology Education) evolved. In 2007, Francesca was the recipient of the Prime Minister's Prize for Science Teaching in 2007, and was also listed in The Age as one of "Victoria's 100 most influential people in education."
Francesca exudes a genuine passion for teaching and making the science world relevant to young people. Her latest project amongst many other outreach programs being piloted at La Trobe University is working with a group of students from a number of local schools to develop a documentary video which will communicate to the wider community in simple language, the relevance and importance of the cutting edge science research. When Francesca is not dabbling in things scientific c she spends quality time with her husband and three children; bringing harmony to her chaotic household, being creative in the garden and the kitchen, travelling and renovating houses.
COMS2009 Contributed Lecture Title: AccessNano: A Distinctive and Accessible Nanotechnology Resource for Australian Schools |