Meet
Simon Torok
Simon is co-Director and CEO of Scientell. He has worked in communication for 25 years, including as communication manager for CSIRO in Melbourne and Canberra, as the communication manager for the Tyndall Centre in England, and as editor of science magazines for young people in Australia.
He is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, on the Advisory Board of the Monash University TV Weather Presenters as Climate Communicators project and is on the Expert Advisory Committee of the Australian Institute of Performance Sciences.
Simon completed a PhD in climate change science at the University of Melbourne, and has a Graduate Diploma in Science Communication from the Australian National University. He has published more than 150 newspaper, magazine and scientific journal articles and, with Scientell’s co-Founder Paul Holper, he has co-authored 20 popular science and climate change books, several of which have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean and Hungarian.
Meet
Paul Holper
Paul is an experienced science communicator. He is the co-founder and co-Director of Scientell, a science and environment communication company established in 2015. The company specialises in distilling technical information into clear messages for non-technical audiences. Since inception, Scientell has successfully completed many projects for government, universities, private companies and NGOs, nationally and internationally.
From 2003 to 2014, Paul managed CSIRO’s involvement in the Australian Climate Change Science Program, the nation’s largest such research activity. He also managed a major CSIRO program developing Australia’s most comprehensive national climate change projections, released in early 2015. Paul convened the Australian climate change science GREENHOUSE conferences in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013, each attracting more than 300 Australian and international delegates.
He has an honours degree in chemistry and qualifications in science communication and education. He is a member of the Australian Science Communicators.
Meet
Alysha Huxley
Ms Alysha Huxley is a science communicator for Scientell. She has experience writing content for websites, media releases, brochures and local news articles about weather and climate. With Scientell, Alysha has worked on dozens of projects. Her work has included extensive writing, communication strategy development and client liaison. She regularly appears on ABC radio discussing science.
Alysha began working for Scientell at the start of 2020, having previously completed internships with the Latrobe Valley Express, the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub, the Conversation Media Group, and the Climate Media Centre in Melbourne. Alysha has had her work published in local Gippsland papers and through Monash’s Mojo News. She has a double degree from Monash, in Environmental Science and Journalism.
Meet
Sonia Bluhm
Ms Sonia Bluhm is a senior science communicator for Scientell. She is an experienced science communicator and knowledge broker, specialising in working with scientists and decision-makers to ensure research findings are communicated in a manner that can inform policies and management decisions.
Before starting with Scientell in August 2021, Sonia worked for the CSIRO Climate Science Centre as a knowledge broker and science communicator, interpreting complex scientific information on climate change science and communicating it to a range of audiences through webinars, factsheets, brochures, web content and reports.
Sonia also has a decade of experience working on climate change issues and policies for the Federal Government. She has experience in facilitating workshops and webinars, building strong and lasting relationships, and managing large research programs. Sonia has a double degree in Science and Arts from the Australian National University.
Meet
Kate Hodge
Hodge Environmental
Kate Hodge has been designing and developing science communication products for over 15 years. She began producing reports, newsletters and books for the communication of science as a scientific support officer with the South-East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership, and then with the University of Queensland and Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Having worked on numerous ecosystem health report cards, Kate has a wealth of experience in developing science communication products suitable for a wide audience. She established her own consultancy, Hodge Environmental, in 2010, through which she has accumulated a substantial portfolio with documents, websites, conceptual diagrams and infographics, etc. having designed countless graphics for a range of ecosystems, concepts and messages.
Meet
Lynette Smith
gramma communications
Lynette Smith has been writing and producing communications for nearly 20 years, starting as writer and editor of Museum, the magazine of the Museum of Victoria. Over her career, she has worked at Questacon, Scienceworks, Environment Protection Authority, RMIT University and the Bureau of Meteorology, before becoming an independent writer and communications specialist. Lynette established gramma communications in 2016 and is an associate of Scientell. She is experienced in managing communication campaigns, producing web, print and audio-visual publications, and writing technical reports, training guides, and media releases. More recently, Lynette has focussed on working with experts in science, technology and public policy to communicate what they do to their audiences.
Meet
Jerome Pelletier
Stepping Stone Films
Jerome Pelletier has over 30 years’ experience in the video film industry and in 1999 established Stepping Stone Films Pty Ltd. He uses documentaries as an authentic and powerful way to communicate stories. His passion for creating unique and beautiful images stems from his discovery of his father’s super 8 camera. Local and international clients entrust Jerome and his team to communicate their story beyond expectations, and the quality of his work as a Director of Photography has been acknowledged with over 20 awards from the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS)
Meet
Lea Walpole
Graphic Designer
Lea Walpole is a freelance graphic designer with more than 25 years of experience and five Printing Industry Craftmanship Awards under her belt. She originally trained as a finished artist, with Neville Jeffress Advertising, and continued in advertising as a graphic designer and finished artist. In 2000, she began working as a graphic designer at CSIRO, after which she moved to freelance graphic design. She designs magazines, promotional kits, and is most passionate about book design.
Meet
Rohan Hamden
CEO, XDI (Cross Dependency Initiative) and Director, Rohan Hamden and Associates
Rohan Hamden is a climate change policy and adaptation consultant with almost 20 years’ experience in sustainability and community engagement. As Director of Sustainability and Industry Partnerships in the South Australian Government he led the implementation of the state’s award-winning Climate Change Adaptation Framework. Rohan Hamden and Associates delivers integrated climate change solutions across industry, government, and the community, and Rohan has delivered multiple projects and climate adaptation advice in Australia and North America. Rohan is also co-founder and CEO of XDI Cross Dependency Initiative, which integrates climate risk analysis into corporate and government adaptation planning. This company provides infrastructure planning and investment advice to financial services and government clients in Australia, Europe, USA and Canada.
Meet
Anthony Boxshall
Science into Action
Dr Anthony Boxshall is the Founder and Principal of Science into Action, a science impact company whose mission is to improve the use, understanding and uptake of science and technology, especially to grow public value. Science into Action works with you to increase the return on your investment into science. From strategies and solutions, to capability building, to facilitation and moderation, we help you find the signal in the noise.
Anthony is a Melbourne Enterprise Fellow in the School of Biosciences at the University of Melbourne, and his most recent role in the public sector was to run the science part of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in Victoria. By trade, he is a marine biologist, and has worked in Australia and the USA across Government, academia and private industry. He is a qualified Board Director (AICD), the Inaugural Chair of the Victorian Marine & Coastal Council and has been on several innovation Boards, including the Victorian Centre for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing. He is also a former National President of the Australian Marine Sciences Association, Australia’s peak professional marine science body. As a hobby he help found, and presents on, the award-winning “Radio Marinara” on 3RRR-FM in Melbourne. His passion is to turn science into real action wherever he can.
Meet
Animate Your Science
Animate Your Science was founded by Dr Tullio Rossi to make a positive impact on society through science. His company empowers scientists to change the world by communicating in an effective and accessible way. They turn what the public sees as “obscure” science into compelling, beautifully designed, easy-to-understand animations and graphics.
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MosaicLab
MosaicLab works with government agencies, community groups, industry and commercial organisations seeking to invest in quality engagement processes. They specialise in high-influence and deliberative engagement processes. Their focus is on long term outcomes and tangible results. MosaicLab are a team of experienced engagement practitioners with processes that have been refined over thousands of hours of practice; they have more than 100 years of collective experience and have delivered more than 1350 community projects.