Ruth Williams' women in mathematics and statistics lunch

Professor Madhu Bhaskaran is an Australian Research Council Fellow and Associate Dean for Higher Degrees by Research in the School of Engineering at RMIT University. Her work seeks to transform conventional hard electronics into soft and unbreakable products, thin enough to create electronic skin. She has been named as one of Top 10 Innovators under 35 for Asia (MIT Technology Review 2016). She has also been recognised with a 2017 Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher, 2018 Batterham Medal, and 2018 APEC Aspire Prize.

A staunch advocate for women in science, Madhu is a co-founder of the Women Researchers’ Network at RMIT University and has served on the Board of Directors with Women in STEMM Australia since 2015. Madhu has also been part of the Expert Working Group to develop the Women in STEM Decadal Plan.

Janine Sprakel manages AMSI Schools. Janine leads a professional development and schools visit program for teachers across the country. Through clusters of schools supported by industry and government partners, Janine’s aim is to encourage more Australians to enjoy and study mathematics.

Janine is one of the authors of ICE-EM Mathematics, and has developed a suite of online and careers materials in her time at AMSI. Janine was one of the writers for the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics F – 10. She is an experienced primary teacher, who has worked as a lecturer in mathematics education at The University of Melbourne and serves on the Maths Challenge and AMOC Committees of the Australian Mathematics Trust.

Janine is responsible for the project management of Choose Maths, a program funded by BHP Billiton Foundation 2015 - 2020.

Professor Kate Smith-Miles is a Professor of Applied Mathematics in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at The University of Melbourne, and holds a five-year Laureate Fellowship from the Australian Research Council. She is a former President of the Australian Mathematical Society (2016-2018), and a member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts from 2017-2019. She has published two books on neural networks and data mining, and over 250 refereed journal and international conference papers in the areas of neural networks, optimisation, data mining, and various applied mathematics topics. She has been recognised with election as a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia (FIEAust), as a Fellow of the Australian Mathematical Society (FAustMS), and with award of the Australian Mathematical Society Medal and the EO Tuck Medal from ANZIAM.

In addition to her academic activities, she regularly acts as a consultant to industry in the areas of optimisation, data mining, and intelligent systems. She is also actively involved in mentoring, particularly with the aim of encouraging greater female participation in mathematics, and she is Chair of the Advisory Board for the AMSI Choose Maths program.

Dr Maaike Wienk has been involved with the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) since 2012. In her time at AMSI, she coordinated ACE Network activities and worked as Finance Officer. She also carries the responsibility for the AMSI University Survey and is the author of the Discipline Profile of the Mathematical Sciences. Maaike now works as Research and Policy Officer and in that capacity provides strategic support to AMSI's advocacy for the mathematical sciences.