West Footscray educator Catriona Nguyen-Robertson recently won a 7NEWS Young Achiever award, and she shared her story with Anne Parisianne.
What is your connection to Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay?
I’ve lived in West Footscray since I was three years old. I did move away for a year …but my heart is here and I moved back. I have been involved with the Vietnamese Community of Australia Victorian Chapter, helping with the organisation of – and even performing at – local celebrations. During the pandemic, my family and I were part of an effort to translate health information for the Vietnamese Association in Hobsons Bay. As a kid (and also as a bigger kid), I spent a lot of time at Scienceworks, and so it’s wonderful to now present shows there for the next generation of curious kids.
What do you like about where you live?
I love the community vibe and the ever-changing neighbourhood. West side is the best side! We are such a diverse and vibrant community, and we also look out for each other (e.g. through local volunteering groups, food pantries, the community bike shed, and more).
What are some of your favourite places to visit or favourite things to do in the area?
I enjoy going for a walk, run or cycle along the Maribyrnong River and Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail. I also appreciate that we are spoilt for choice when it comes to food, from Vietnamese and Indian to Ethiopian.
How has the place where you live influenced your work?
Maribyrnong is home to a mix of cultures, identities, and histories – and I see myself as being quite similar. I am literally a mix of cultures (a first-generation Australian with Vietnamese and Scottish parents), a mix of scientist and artist, and a mix of all the different things I do.
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you.
I genuinely love all the things that I do now for work, but I didn’t get into my first or second preference of university course out of high school. I wanted to study medicine, but my scores weren’t high enough to even apply and my ATAR was 0.05 out from the cut-off for a bachelor of biomedicine. It worked out well in the end, because doing a bachelor of science instead enabled me the flexibility of studying a diploma of languages and working in a research laboratory at the same time. I worked hard and did end up getting an offer to study postgraduate medicine – so if you are determined to pursue something, there’s always a way! – but in the end I realised that enjoyed research and took up the offer of a scholarship to do my PhD instead. And here I am, a different kind of Dr.
Can you tell us about your work?
I am a researcher-turned-educator. I researched infectious diseases and skin allergies, but then realised that I enjoy sharing science with others much more. You can catch me singing and dancing around Scienceworks, talking on radio and podcasts as Dr Cat, teaching at the University of Melbourne, or writing about science and organising science outreach activities with the Royal Society of Victoria.
Tell us about your most recent achievement and what you have done to achieve it.
I was awarded the Strategic Alliance Network Career Achievement Award as part of the 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards. I’m passionate about making science accessible and inclusive. I foster the next generation of scientists by inspiring audiences of all ages at Scienceworks and with my involvement in the Inspiring Victoria program, and teaching the next generation of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) researchers how to communicate science to different audiences at the University of Melbourne. I also write songs about science to engage people with science in a creative way.
I am an advocate for accessibility and inclusion in STEM. For example, I am on the committee of Queers in Science, I shine a spotlight on LGBTQIA+ people in STEM on Science Queeries, my radio show on JOY 94.9, and I am a STEM Sisters Ambassador to empower women of colour in STEM.
