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Indigenous Science Education Program (ISEP)

Staff and Structure

  • A/Prof Joanne Jamie (BSc Hons Univ. Qld; PhD ANU) is a Chemist and Deputy Head of the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences. She acts as the overall coordinator of ISEP. A/Prof Jamie has worked closely with the science teachers, Aboriginal Education Assistants and Local Aboriginal Land Councils, and directly with the students, since the establishment of this Program in 2005. She has been involved in tertiary teaching since 1994 and over this time has presented many chemistry and careers talks and coordinated school visits and hands-on science activities and Science Shows for High School students and the public. Her excellence and commitment to teaching has been recognised by the national chemistry body, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI), by the award of the 2002 RACI Centenary Federation of Teaching Award Tertiary and the 2001 RACI NSW Branch President's Award, which was provided for her contribution to chemical education and the broader chemical community. A/Prof Jamie has also been awarded a Macquarie University Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2008).

  • A/Prof Subramanyam Vemulpad (BSc Bangalore; MSc Madras; PhD Delhi Univ.) A/Prof Vemulpad is Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Chiropractic and teaches microbiology and research methods. He has many years of experience in demystifying science by conducting hands on science activities for school children in India and is an active contributor to the School science activities of ISEP. A/Prof Vemulpad’s role is in contributing to the science activities, related documents, helping with questionnaire design and data interpretation.

  • Dr Ian Jamie (BSc Hons, PhD, Univ. Qld; Postgraduate Certificate in Education Studies (Higher Education) MQ) is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences and is a Director of the Advancing Chemistry through Enhancing Laboratory Learning (ACELL) project, a multi-institutional, international program that has demonstrably improved learning and teaching practice in the chemistry community. Dr Jamie has also been involved in a number of other education research and implementation projects, as well as serving on Learning and Teaching committees and advisory boards. He is an Associate Editor of the Australian Journal of Education in Chemistry. Dr Jamie’s primary role is to run and expand the science and technology activities, design and implement the evaluation methods and analyse the results of the evaluations, and to advise on the pedagogical underpinnings of the methods used. Dr Jamie has been awarded a Macquarie University Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2007) and, along with fellow directors of ACELL, has received two National Carrick Institute Citations.

  • Mr Sam Altman is the Course Coordinator of the Bachelor in Community Management (for Indigenous mature age students) at Warawara Department of Indigenous Studies. This course covers management and governance, legal and accounting studies, research methods, Indigenous studies and academic and IT literacy. Mr Altman has qualifications in Mathematics, Special Education and a Master in Applied Social Theory. He has worked as a Maths and Special Education teacher for 12 years, including 7 years in High Schools and as an education officer and curriculum developer for the Department of Education and Training (DET) for 5, years with special emphasis on developing and implementing teaching programs with significant Indigenous perspectives in Mathematics, Science, Environmental Studies and Social Sciences. He has also coordinated Maths, Science and Art camps for senior (Years 10 to 12) Indigenous school students. At tertiary level (prior to MacquarieUniversity), Mr Altman has taught Aboriginal Education Assistants and provided adjunct courses in mathematics. Mr Altman has also managed "Online Professional Development for Indigenous Higher Education Workers" and has administered and managed effective access and equity programs in higher education. Mr Altman’s primary roles are to evaluate the cultural appropriateness of activities and resource materials provided to students and staff and to assist in the addressing of literacy and numeracy needs of student participants.

  • Mr David Harrington (MSc, MQ) is a Biologist and the Senior Research Assistant of ISEP. He has been working with Indigenous communities since 2001 and has been involved in co-coordination of all of the ISEP activities. His role includes liaising with Aboriginal communities and schools, conducting literature reviews, report writing, assistance in production of resource material and training of staff and students, and co-running the Science Shows and other activities.

Collaborators