Read Careers with STEM: Maths & Data 2021 by Refraction Media

CAREERS

TERM 2, 2021

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maths+data Risk experts

What maths do you need for trades? p21

Two risk experts count the cost of climate change p19

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YouTuber unpacks the maths behind growing your followers p34

>CREATIVITY >CULTURE+< TRADES >EDUCATION + SECURITY < >WELLBEING + SOCIETY < >WELLBEING + AGRICULTURE < >SPACE+< EDUCATION >BUSINESS< HEALTH + < BUSINESS

CRICOS Code: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046

Understand the world – one data set at a time Ready to work with your favourite AFL club or a global tech company while gaining practical skills in maths and data? RMIT’s industry-connected degrees will help you launch an exciting career in numbers.

Did you know the number of people working as Mathematicians, Actuaries and Statisticians grew very strongly from 4,400 in 2014 to 7,200 in 2019? 1 In RMIT’s maths and data degrees, gaining sought-after problem-solving skills isn’t all about equations on a whiteboard. It’s about applying classroom theory to real-world scenarios, like industry-sponsored projects and placements with Microsoft, ANZ, AFL clubs, Deloitte, Police Victoria and Amazon Web Services 2 - just to name a few. Get ahead of what’s next in maths and data at RMIT.

Learn more: rmit.edu.au/maths 1

https://joboutlook.gov.au/occupations/actuaries-mathematicians-and-statisticians?occupationCode=2241

Applied Maths and Stats: rmit.edu.au/bp083 Data Science: rmit.edu.au/data-science-from-job-growth-to-industry-opportunities

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

FOREWORD

Maths is everywhere! and data are a driving In today’s digital society, maths onomy globally force for the growing digital ec

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technology. aths has superpowered singly bursting As technology is increa oming hugely into our world, data is bec trestage. cen ing relevant and maths is tak l tools for solving rfu we po Maths and data are also putation which greatly problems in digita l com ate every day. affect how we communic ic has changed the world em nd The COVID-19 pa r. Thanks to the immensely, possibly foreve l and data analysis sophistication of statistica assess how previous techniques, we can now ts. d understand their impac pandemics played out an st mo , I found science the When I was growing up ius Jul I loved watching fun thing to learn about. w, Why is it so? sho ce Sumner Miller’s scien blems in physics and Each week, he’d solve pro hing involved maths! chemistr y. Almost everyt : Maths + Data 2021 This Careers with STEM ource. I wish I had magazine is a brilliant res pire and guide me when something similar to ins s ly does it open your eye I was growing up. Not on s ase wc used, but it also sho to all the ways maths is of as are the d career paths in inspiring role models an re. mo d an y iet , security, soc hea lth, business, trades ng doing in your life, learni are you at No matter wh es vid pro It us. of gift to all fundamenta l maths is a ls to ma ke decisions and too y sar ces ne the you with p of your career. find solutions in each ste allenges and maths is ch This is a time of great l tools we need to face one of the most powerfu

professor cheryl E praeger

No matter what you are doing in your life, learning fundamental maths is a gift” the fut ure. Finding our way through these chall enges such as pandemics, climate chan ge, waste management, recycling, sustainable agricu lture, cybersecurity threats – an d solving these problems – will be extremely exciting. Australia needs you as up-and-coming STEM pro fessiona ls, creating the best possible environment and societ y for us today and ma king the world a safer and better place for the fut ure. Professor Cheryl E Praege r AC, Senior Honorary Re search Fellow, University of Western Au stralia and supporter of Wo men in STEM.

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MATHS + DATA

CONTENTS

What’s inside? P16

P5 Seven highly paid jobs P6 Everyday maths P8 Closing the maths and data science skills gap P9 Ask a student P10 The information superhighway P32 Fun stuff

STEM +wXays=to combine

P6 P14 Your heart beats about

100,000 times a day

P20

Looking for maths (STEM) with your passion (X)? Start here! Maths + … P12 Health P18 Business

P24

P20 Trades P22 Security P24 Society P26 Agriculture P28 Education I found maths ry im portant for what I am doing ve no w not the type of maths , but it’s need to memorise” Stef that you Apostolidis

Why maths+Data?

he National Skills Co mmission has put job s in data science at the of its “emerging occu top pations” list. That me ans graduates with da analy tics know-how ta will find their skills list ed in Australian job ad any other skills. Maths s over , specifically, is critic al to not only fast-grow STEM jobs but also ca ing reers in insurance, he alth, trades, securit y, agriculture and more. Of all the STEM eleme nts (Science, Techno Engineering and Maths log y, ) students have the mo st trouble imagining a career in maths migh what t look like so we’re he re to help.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

P26

UPFRONT

? h t r o w t i s i How much Chief Financial Officer

$157K per year

Senior Data Scientist

$141K per year

Senior Finance Manager

$130K per year

Senior Data Engineer

$134K per year

#5 Senior Financial Analyst

$106K per year

#7 Senior Data Analyst

Senior Actuarial Analyst

$99K per year

$99K per year 5

SOURCE: SALARIES ARE AVERAGE INCOME AND ACCORDING TO PAYSCALE.COM / SHUTTERSTOCK

If you’re interested in a career that involves numbers and have ever wondered what your salary might look like per year, check out these seven maths-related jobs to see how much you can get paid to be an expert!

MATHS + DATA

UPFRONT

y t i c e h t d n a s Math de the classroom Proof that maths is used outsi

Unit conversion

's rays Solar panels collect the sun rays The . rgy ene into m and turn the es tak ch whi , rter inve an to get sent and the DC (direct current) energy rent) turns it into AC (alternate cur and ses energy – this is what hou lves. mse the er buildings use to pow

Trigonometry

Construction workers use trig to calculate the best way to build projects that are safe and stable. They need it for ls everything from making wal to r ula dic parallel and perpen t. get ting roof inclination righ

Ratios

o) measures the The VCR (volume capacity rati d based on traf fic level of congestion on a roa s helps transport volume and road capacit y. Thi ed limits, as well authorities figure out ideal spe con e gestion. as make adjustments to eas

Biometrics

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e If you unlock your smartphon g usin ’re you e, fac r using you maths! Facial recognition relies on biometrics – body s measurements and calculation s stic teri rac related to human cha y. – to verify identit

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Probability

ut probability, Weather forecasting is all abo rain. The especially when it comes to chance of (the ion itat cip pre of ility probab duc pro t of two rain) is calculated from the area affected. variables – confidence and

Geometry

Pilots use geometry to calculate angles for taking off and landing. They need to get this right to avoid damage to the plane and, well, crashing!

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Supply chain management (the management of the flow of goods and services) uses AI to help with capacity planning, route optimisation and data analysis. This saves businesses time and money.

Logarithms

Loved by few, used by many! Logarithms are used to measure the pH levels of different bodies of water to see how acidic they are.

Algorithms

Ever wondered how your tab let or device just so happens to select the most relevant ads and news for you? That’s the work of algorithms, based on what you ’ve been clicking on and where you’re located. The movement of an elevato r is also determined by a simple algo rithm. The algorithm decides when the elevator should stop, travel in the same dire ction, or change direction according to reques ts (AK A people pressing but tons). – Louise Meers

MATHS + DATA

UPFRONT

CLOSING THE GAP! Australia needs mathematicia ns and data scientists in the workforce to compete in the global digital economy

lillian ajuria law partner Global competition A Data Skills and Capability in the Australian Public Service report notes that Australia’s ability to remain competitive in the digital economy is reliant upon harnessing the value of data: “Australia needs to be supported by a workforce that has the skills and capability to analyse and extract the most value out of the data. And therefore, the biggest skills gap that currently exists is in data analysis.” Lillian says the Australian Government’s Global Talent Visa Program is “attracting a lot of interest from individuals all over the world with backgrounds in data and maths”. Which can only be a good thing. “More companies are looking to connect with these individuals and there is certainly a strong feeling that opportunities for new graduates and those with experience in these fields will be in high demand for some time,” she says.

in big demand in ata and maths skills are graduates with these industry, but not enough . One way to fill that skills are coming through Each year the Australian gap is skilled migration. ces to people looking to Government allocates pla d stream”, so temporar y live here under a “Skille nent residents can visa holders and perma to the workforce. Postcontribute specific skills . for these skills is growing COVID-19, the demand ing see are we ic, em nd pa “As we emerge from the from companies s irie qu en in se rea a rea l inc scientists and those a wanting to hire skilled dat thematics,” says Lillian with a background in ma lises ria Lawyers who specia Ajuria, at partner at Aju y arl cle is a n. “Australi in cor porate immigratio stern countries for this we er oth th competing wi skills shortage.” talent as we dea l with a

Sign me up

If you’re an on-shore int ernational student study ing maths or data science, the re are opportunities in the Federa l Government's mi gration program strategy. Migration program plann ing levels are set by the Department of Home Af fairs and they’re divided into state and federa l-base d occupation skills lists. According to Ashish Set hi, principa l solicitor at Migration Law Firm, som e of the most sought aft er maths and data occupati ons in the GSM (general skilled migration) and EN S (employer nomination scheme) programs are: • Mathematicians • Accountants • Statisticians and Econ omists • Data Scientists “Australia is a countr y of innovators,” says Ashish. “The Federa l Go vernment continues to encourage and promote immigration pat hways for students and applica nts from STEM backgrounds, including maths and data science. ” – Astha Singh

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ashish sethi principal solicitor

Australia is a ” country of innovators

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

ent! dney Ask a sSetleuctd ive High School in sy

ith Raina Jain from Penr ll back up her future career plans tells us why maths wi

CwS: Hey Raina, can you tell us about yourself? Raina: My name is Raina Jain , I’m a year 11 student at Penrith Selective High Sch ool and a couple of important subjects I have tak en this year are extension maths and econom ics. CwS: What year 10 subjects encouraged you to take extension maths and econom ics in year 11? Raina: Science (physics, che mistry) and economics. I also want to have a greate r understanding of data and I thought these would be helpful. CwS: What are you hoping to study in maths extension? Raina: I’m really looking forw ard to studying graphs and I want to know more abo ut trends analysis that will help me in economics. Mo st importantly, what interests me is how number s can play out in real life. CwS: And what are you lookin g forward to in economics? Raina: I want to know how the government spends money and how money moves around the world. I’m interested in how money is controlled by the government, businesses, ind ividuals and how it plays a massive role in our lives. CwS: Have any teachers hel ped you along the way? Raina: My maths teacher from last year was Mr Tan. It was lucky we had him. He was ver y engaging and taught most topics to us in creative ways. He showed us videos to explain basic con cepts and that gave us a visual understanding of wha t was really happening. He was funny as well.

solving problems? CwS: What do you like about d a concept and then Raina: When you understan m to solve, you get to when you are given a proble solve it. That has been choose your own method to par t for me. the most fun and satisfying ’t solve it first go? don CwS: What happens if you il I got the correct unt in aga Raina: I’d try again and wer. method and the accurate ans you’ve had at school, fun st mo CwS: What was the ls? using your maths and data skil renovating a block t jec pro M STE a did Raina: We to create a design to of this old building. We had gs such as the height of renovate it and consider thin space and costs. It was it, the structure, trees around four weeks from start to hands-on and it took about l learning experience. finish. That was a really coo career pathway? CwS: What’s your ultimate nce. I am interested in Raina: I want to take up fina ired by my dad – he investment banking. I get insp keen to understand buys shares and stocks so I’m I also like the idea of g. that bit of investment bankin . working for Google one day t’s your dream job? CwS: In a per fect world, wha senter – just present Raina: I would like to be a pre ces. Maybe a finance stuff to large groups of audien x talks. – Astha Singh news person or present TED

What interests n me is how numbers ca ” play out in real life 9

MATHS + DATA

UPFRONT

Join the information superhighway Wherever there is data (um, everywhere) there’s a need for data experts. Match your skills with the data jobs of today and tomorrow

Today's Jobs

SKILLS Science/Maths /Languages JOB Data scientist WHAT YOU’LL DO

ations

Make hypotheses and evalua te them using scientific principles. Data scientists com e up with their own questions (hypotheses) and create computer algorithms to make predictions based on data.

nic SKILLS Maths/Commu iness analyst/ JOB Data analyst/bus market research analyst WHAT YOU’LL DO

THE FUTURE OF WORK REPORT, DELOITTE 2018 / DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT / “HOW TO BECOME A DATA SCIENTIST”, SEEK / CAREERS WITH STEM: DATA SCIENCE 2019

pelling stories people can Turn boring numbers into com the tools of data engineers engage with. Data analysts use what they find – identifying to analyse data and report on a. al representations of the dat trends, creating charts and visu

SKILLS Computer

science/Maths JOB Data engineer WHAT YOU’LL DO

Deal with millions of data points and manage the storage of data. Data engineers design, build and maintain the infrastructure needed for data generation, including tidying up raw data to make it readable and useful.

al rld and change it for Get scusetopmatkeic sense of the wo worse make it Data allows ed badly, it can also us s it’ if t Bu . er tt be the tive policing system that analysis of achine learning (automated azing data) can be used to make am use be d to amplif y discoveries, but it can also – such as artificial existing bias and prejudice t claim to pick tha s intelligence (AI) system systems are se The . the best people to hire previously has y pan com based on who the d men, hire stly mo y pan hired so if the com select for males. the system will specifically ults to feed back Plus, the system uses its res re men it hires, the into its behaviour so the mo ting the same. more likely it is to keep sug ges

linda mciver ta da science educator

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Predpol is a predic predict future uses past records of crime to But if the police ur. areas where crimes might occ ourhoods ghb nei force is focusing on certain there, live ht mig our because people of col policed vily hea re mo be it means the area will es. crim re mo find so they’ll look to to spot the bad We all need to be data literate dodgy results. takes, the flawed data and the ector Linda McIver Executive Dir cation Institute Edu Australian Data Science

adam benari data

Future Jobs

Data scientist, Hireup

scientist

SKILLS Maths/Law JOB Data ethicist WHAT YOU’LL DO

WHAT YOU’LL DO

sible algorithms Decipher near incomprehen rds will use phe she trained on data. “Data gram towards pro a e guid machine learning to t in the future,” being successful and correc l Assembly. says Greg Baker from Genera

SKILLS Maths/Eng Computer sciencelish/ JOB Data librarian

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Keep track of vast quantities of data and find relevant data sets to make pro grams work bet ter, tracking the provenanc e of data.

SKILLS Biology/Maths JOB Biostatistical

data specialist

Keep track of – and utilise – biological data. In the future we might have an Apple watch that can diagnose disease, or instant genetic sampling of species. “There’s a huge range of areas that can benefit from biological data in the future,” says Greg.

Show me the money : The average annual income for a data scientist is set to pass

$130K (*2021 Deloitte).

science to improve Adam benari uses data rvices disability support se as, with an the most in-demand job are areers with data are some of the nex t five ing dur 13% yment of almost anticipated growth in emplo varied. years. The roles are wide and guage processing computer vision, natural lan ts: par e thre has Data science different skill sets. each area suits people with and machine learning. And ry day – the exciting of tex t being generated eve “There are trillions of words ry leader and ust ind of this,” says data science par t is trying to make sense using tools such lve invo a Greg Baker. Careers in dat or cat edu bly em Ass l era Gen ise any pat terns to k through raw data and recogn loo to ths ma and re twa sof as help with a problem.

everyone benefits path to becoming a data scientist at Hireup, one

WHAT YOU’LL DO

within the next 12

helping connect t people with suppor

months

his For 24-year-old Adam Benari, an as a family affair. t providers in Australia, beg por sup y bilit disa g of the leadin m was growing up, Ada occupational therapist while His mum, who worked as an to give it a go, too. him k at Hireup, which inspired wor t por sup into way her found cial experience in the h disabilities and gained cru wit ple peo h wit ked wor m Ada re, he contacted the was studying at uni. From the admin department while he er of the team. soon found himself a memb head of data at Hireup and “It’s all about using ve. rati abo coll extremely The role of a data scientist is iness problems and help companies answer bus analytical skills and tools to st proud of is Hireup’s One of the projects he’s mo identif y trends,” says Adam. 20,000 profiles on the seeks to match data from the recommendations engine. It might be well suited. who ies people with disabilit and s ker wor t por sup up pair site to company, and the team at Hireup is to move the The goal for the data science n. forward in a positive directio disabilit y sector as a whole, uld “follow their sho eer car M rested in a STE Adam says young people inte ” – Hannah Diviney driver of everything you do. passion. That has to be the

Support worker, Hireup

Computer science JOB Data shepherd

Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)/Bachelor of Commerce (Business Information Systems), Macquarie University

SKILLS Machine learning

Data analyst, Hireup

Tell stories that are skewed or selectively focused on areas of bias, and make sure companies are compliant with data laws. Establish legislation that protects us from unauthorised use of our data such as facial recognition being used to track our movements.

MATHS + DATA

MATHS+HEALTH

+ BUSINESS + TRADES + SECURITY + SOCIETY + AGRICULTURE + EDUCATION

e h t g n i o d w o H sums saves lives

Thinking of a career in health? Start by honing your maths skills

COURTESY OF JAMES MCCAW / COURTESY OF GOOGLE

g complex decisions that can help slo aths isn’t just about solvin w the spread. While lives. From ing sav ut abo o Jam als es says he has always lov it’s ns, equatio ed maths, it wasn’t to wearing a face until after he finished his deciding to stay at home Ph D in physics that he , maths has helped discovered how it could be mask on public transport app lied to health. e kept us safe Now he works alongside us make decisions that hav hea lth professionals, demic. doctors and clinical scient during the COVID-19 pan ists on Australia’s response strategy to COVID “Mathematics, statistics and -19. be to ven pro all “We all rely on mathema computing have tics to do our VID-19 job helping to reduce the critical in managing the CO spr ead and keep Caw, Australians safe,” says Jam pandemic,” says James Mc es. y log l bio – Gemma Conroy professor of mathematica e. urn lbo Me of y rsit ive Un e at Th basic One example is the famous R0 or reproduction number, ich tells us (pronounced R-naught), wh START YOUR CAREER HE who will ple peo of er RE the average numb Ja me s son mc per caw infected catch COVID-19 from one professor of maths+health Study to our behaviour, if we don’t make changes ma th Bac em helo at r of Data Science, Queensland g. ica cin l biology distan University of Technology such as practising social to er mb nu s thi Graduate Certificate in Hea use es Jam like s an tici lth Economics, ma the Ma Management and Policy, Univ ersity of Newcastle eases such as COVID-19 dis ly ick qu how ate im est Bachelor of Science (Health @j_mccaw population. This helps Data Science), UNSW could move throughout the big ke ma ls icia off lth hea blic pu governments and

maths+health Jobs

We all rely on mathematics to do our job helping to reduce the spread of diseases and keeping Australians safe”

Epidemiologist: $68K-$144K Biostatistician: $75K-$117K Data scientist: $63K-$137K Healthcare consultant: $53 K-$147K* *Source: salary according to payscale.com

Diagnosing the data Cathy Yuen Yi Lee has applied her statistical expertise to roles in public health all over the world

A cathy yuen yi lee data scientist

lthough she is now based in Zurich, Switzerland, as a data scientist at Google, Cathy Yuen Yi Lee spent a large chunk of her career as a biostatistician tackling public health challenges. “In very simple terms it’s applying statistics to medical and health problems,” says Cathy. “It can really make a difference to public health policy.” This was the case when she analysed risk factors for a NSW State Health Plan around premature babies.

Bachelor of Mathematics (Advanced Honours), University of Wollongong Healthcare Analyst, New South Wales Agency for Clinical Innovation

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

While she has landed some spectacular jobs, from Harvard University to Google, Cathy says she didn’t start out with a detailed set of goals. “My university training helped me discover what I wanted my career to be like,” she says. And from mathematics to critical analysis, Cathy is still applying those skills today. “I met a lot of amazing and inspiring people to help me grow. It was worth all the years of study,” she says. – Gemma Conroy

Master of Biostatistics, University of Sydney Public Health Research Fellow, Harvard University, US

PhD (Mathematics), University of Technology, Sydney Data Scientist, Google, Zurich, Switzerland

MATHS+RMIT

W hat’s next...

Make it RMIT: er rmit.edu.au/school-leav

Skills that add up Tackling infectious diseases is just one of the challenges you can solve with a maths degree

hen Jess Liebig was studyin g maths at uni, she never thought her skills wou ld come in handy during a pandemic. Now, Jess and her team at the CSIRO are using massive data sets to mo del and predict the spread of infectious diseases from overseas in Australia. They're working on everyth ing from COVID-19 to the mozzie-borne dengue fever.

ig Jess lieb ientist

research sc

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Changing things up

“I did my PhD in net work scie nce, which is often used to model disease spread, how ever that wasn’t the focus of my work,” says Jes s. But when she stumbled acr oss a postdoc position (which you go into after a PhD ) at the CSIRO focused on modelling the spread of den gue fever, she realised she could use her mathema tical expertise to solve big problems in health. A big par t of her work involves analysing air travel records and disease incidence rates to forecast the likelihood of a disease spread ing in Australia. Governments and public hea lth organisations can use this information to develop plans to stop the spread ahead of time. Jess is also app lying her maths know-how to explore how international travel restrictions have affected the spread of COV ID-19. “I thought it was really cool that I could apply all the skills I learnt previously to a new area and do something useful,” she says. Jess did her undergraduate degree, honours and PhD in mathematics at RMIT, which gave her a solid grounding in statistics, probab ility and modelling. d RMIT mathematics an statistics alum

we're more aware of how (maths) can be applied in the health sector” mathematics and Students enrolled in RMIT’s ortunity to par ticipate in opp the e statistics degrees hav s in their third and fourth exciting industry placement h as Deloitte Australia, NAB year with organisations suc take on par ticular and Police Victoria. Those who nity to apply for the subjects also have the opportu to m learn how to use SAS Joint Cer tificate Progra and with statisticians jobs business analytics sof tware, , it's wor th knowing. set to grow by more than 9% ," says Jess. "We’re tion nda fou “Maths is a great it can be applied in the becoming more aware of how th having.” – Gemma Conroy health sector. It’s a skill wor

rch Postdoctoral Resea Fellow, CSIRO Data61

PhD, Applied Mathematics, RMIT

Research scientist, urity CSIRO health & biosec

MATHS + DATA

Numbers and the human body!

MATHS+HEALTH

Numbers are all around us, from the alarm on your phone, to heating up food in the microwave. Every day throws some kind of sequence at us. And it’s important to pay attention because digits can also have an impact on your overall wellbeing

health that rely on here are plenty of jobs in d maths and data. knowing your way aroun dical lab technician, Think biostatistician, me ineer or geneticist. nutritionist, biomedical eng of the stats they study. e Sound fun? Check out som

The human

nose

can detect about

The average human adult has

2000 to 8000

tastebuds

Fun facts about the human body

1 trillion smells

Your heart beats about

Hair grows fast!

100,000

About 15cm per year. The only thing in the body that grows faster is

Blood

10%

of your body weight Your skin has

600

muscles

Without your

1000s bacteria

pinky finger, you would lose about

of different kinds of

50% of your hand strength

on it

Daily recommendations* Unsaturated fats

11-20g

Dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese etc)

3.5 serves

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Serves of fruit

2 serves Sugar

19-21g 14

Serves of vegetables

5-5.5 serves Steps per day

9000 to 11,500 steps

*SOURCE: DAILY ALLOWANCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR KIDS AGED 12 TO 18 YEARS ACCORDING NUTRITION AUSTRALIA AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION. ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR WHEN CONSIDERING A CHANGE IN DIET OR WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU.

makes

bone marrow

Your body has more than

times a day

MATHS+ECU

Hidden depths in data Real-world data skills are crucial for almost any job of the future

r and avid fisherman,” y father was a biolog y teache my first biolog y “So remembers Stacey Reinke. wing me the sho r, fou e or lessons were when I was thre different par ts of the fish.” adian couldn’t have known What the three-year-old Can lead to a field of study that was that her passion would a job across the globe. hadn’t been invented yet in Edith Cowan University Stacey is a senior lecturer at 100 universities under (ECU) – one of the world’s top Education (THE) Young 50 years in the Time Higher an expert in clinical and Universities Rankings – and biomedical metabolomics. dreds or thousands of “Metabolomics captures hun e,” she explains. chemicals in our blood or urin computational and nce scie “Then we use data for pat terns in the biolog y approaches to look re.” underlying chemical structu

Stacey reinke senior

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Top of her game

lecturer

ld-leading Suppor ted by a range of wor of ECU’s tre cen ch ear experts in the res mics olo tab Me tive gra Centre for Inte cey Sta y, log Bio nal atio and Comput terns pat al mic che se the for searches to a in conditions such as asthm t patients. trea to t bes how d tan ers und bet ter ing ign She also works on des ch has whi s, tern ways to find these pat a large e hav I hen “W : become a passion bers, num just it’s and t ase biological dat a k of different I get really excited when I thin then manage to way to visualise my data, and discover something new." new Master and Graduate As senior lecturer for ECU’s , rses, Stacey draws on maths Certificate of Data Science cou to n lear can nce so students statistics and computer scie s from all types of data. ght insi and extract knowledge

She is keen for students to be prepared to use their skills in the real wor ld, too. Like all lecturers at ECU, Sta cey is laser-focused on helping her students become "world ready" thro ugh industry-relevant courses, sup por tive study environments and wor ld-class facilities. This university-wi de focus has driven ECU to becoming the top-ran ked Australian public university for undergraduat e teaching quality for six years in a row in the latest QIL T rankings. “We try to make the teaching ver y applied so our students are ready for their future employment,” she says. In their final year, Stacey’s stu dents either lead a research project with academ ic and industry partners or take part in a 12-week work-in tegrated learning placement .

A data-driven future

I get really excited when I think of a different way to visualise my data, and then manage to discover something new” Bachelor of Science, Augustana University College

PhD in Biochemistry, University of Alberta

“We’re exposed to hundreds of thousands, if not billions, of bits of data every day and we have to try to process that,” she says. “So I think any industry now – from biotech and pharmaceuticals to defence and mining – is starting to rely on data-driven research, meaning there’s a ver y wide range of careers openin g up.” – Ben Skuse Postdoctoral research fellow, Murdoch University

Senior Lecturer, Edith Cowan University

MATHS + DATA

MATHS+HEALTH

S R O I R R A W 9 1 COVIDThe global pandemic has shone a light on scientists with the skills to understand and fight back against COVID-19

d Battle to stay aheaVasan, Laurence

SS A CSIRO team – including r – use maths and ipe Ku ael ch Mi d Wilson an e against time with hea lth knowledge in a rac s. ion new SA RS-CoV-2 mutat project leader, 19 DAs the CSIRO’s COVI rt of Australia’s Vasan has been at the hea the start. His pandemic response from first outside of China 92-strong team was the -CoV-2 (the vir us that to grow stocks of SA RS t to show that causes COVID-19), the firs al to test vaccines, ferrets are a useful anim w the vir us ho and the first to identify is mutating. Michael and “Now, I’m working with ly warning system ear an p elo Laurence to dev ions,” he says. concerning vir us mutat

Some of this work involv es designing new methods to track changes in the vir us, as well as platforms to hand le the enormous amount of data being collected fro m around the world. Ot her parts involve sim ulating how vaccines interact with new mutat ions of the vir us. Ultimately, the CSIRO res earchers want to apply their knowledge abo ut COVID-19 to develop “affordable vac cines and therapies that can withstand these mutations” and help end the pandemic. – Be n Sk use

SS Vasan

er COVID-19 Project Lead What do you love about you

r job?

pursue deep collaboration “I love the fact that we can mentary expertise. I learn bet ween teams with comple eagues in every single something new from my coll are paid to think about interaction. It’s humbling. We that will make a difference. – and solve – big problems g than that.” There’s nothing more fulfillin

SHUTTERSTOCK

Career advice for a future

i learn something in gues new from my colleact ion. every single intera It's humbling”

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

pandemic warrior?

skills and learn teamwork. “Take your time, gain broad roles around the world Interesting stints in various and knowledge nce erie gave me first-hand exp ource-constrained res in ts ntis of the challenges scie insights on how the same set tings face. It also gave me ntly by small businesses, problem is approached differe ies and healthcare big pharmaceutical compan me the need to operate commissioners. And it showed ” at speed during emergencies.

Michael Kuiper Biomolecular modeller What does a biomolecular modeller do? “My work focuses on looking at proteins and how they interact with one another and small drug-like molecules. It’s very dynamic – we look at the new genetic data almost on a daily basis, and we work together with scientists who specialise in other areas, such as growing viruses in cells, or bioinformatics, to help get the bigger picture. Virtual reality has also been a terrific help in visualising the virus proteins that I use.”

my work is very dynamic. we look at the new genetic data almost on a daily basis”

Laurence Wilson Bioinformatician Best thing about your car

eer?

that gives me an excuse to “I’ve always loved science and stions. things and asking more que constantly be learning new nt when me mo the ; ect asp m-solving I’m fascinated by the proble ence that out or find that piece of evid you finally figure something to the best. At CSIRO, I also get proves your hypothesis is just has – doing research that focus on translational science d.” contributes to the global goo and ld a direct impact on the wor

shruthi Mangalaganesh

sh University csiro intern from Mona What have you learnt from

being on

this team? “I've always been fascinated by the science behind how the human body works. During my interns hip at CSIRO, I worked on the scientific project on SARS-CoV-2, focusin g on the virus mutation rate and the frequency of specific mutati ons in countries across the glob e. I helped with the development of som e codes to sor t the data – the re were over 200,000 entries – so it was easier to analyse. It has furt hered my passion and opened my eyes into what a career in research looks like.”

MATHS + DATA

MATHS+BUSINESS

+ TRADES + SECURITY + SOCIETY + AGRICULTURE + EDUCATION + HEALTH

5 o t 9 a n a h t e r Mo

rld. But it’s people who can It’s official – data runs the wo who will shape the future use maths to understand data

onic Bachelor of Electrive rsity Engineering, Curtin Un

Data Architect, Landgate, WA

n Architect, NSW Enterprise Informatio tion and Communities ca Edu of ent tm ar Dep

National Analytics Lead, Modis

“T

wered he world ’s economy is po is. nn De y em Jer by data,” says piece a s ate cre do we “Every thing , stored, analysed, of data that is processed develop new reported on and used to in many cases, products, ser vices and, disrupt entire markets.” ad for As Nationa l Analy tics Le uld know. sho Modis Australia, Jeremy and data ths ma At Modis, he is using panies com for ms skills to solve proble t tha s gie olo hn and build new tec work. ns tio isa an org y wa transform the ilt m bu an For example, Jeremy’s tea e a colony of digita l algorithm that works lik a complex ants scampering through of ns web of data to spot patter can lice crimina l activity so po zone in on crimina ls. Jeremy will also soon be desworking with the Merce

jeremy dennis big data

It’s impossible for scale me to express the un ities of amazing opport to that are availabletand people who unders maths and data”

architect

Benz EQ Formula E Tea m to help them try to win the FIA Formula E World Ch ampionship. “Millions of data points will be captured that represent everyt hing abo ut the race car 200 times per second,” he says. “W e will analyse this data to find any opportunit y to improve performance .” Maths and data skills ha ve clearly been key to Jeremy’s career, but he also sees these skills as being crucia l for alm ost all fut ure business careers. “There will be op portunities in every single industry for people who understand data, and maths is the language data uses.” The possibilities are endle ss. People with maths and data skills are increasingly needed in everyt hing from medic ine – where analysts uncover patterns in dat a to discover new treatments and drugs – to social media, where digita l content manager s track and react to trends so they can boost their company’s on line presence. “It’s impossible for me to express the sca le of amazing opportunities that are available to people who understand maths and data,” says Jeremy. – Ben Sk use

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

START YOUR CAREER HER E

maths+bus iness Stud Bachelor of M y athem

Australian Na atical Sciences, tional Univers Bachelor of Sc ity ience (Adv Commerce, Un anced Mathematics)(Honou iversity of New rs)/ South Wales Bachelor of M athematics (A pplied Mathem University of W atics), ollongong Bachelor of Co mmerce, Unive rsity of Adelaid e

maths+bus iness Jobs Cost estimator : $46K -$102K Fraud investig ator: $61K-$12 4K Digital strategi st: $52K-$144K Information ar chitect: $89K -$204K* *Source: salar ies according to payscale.com

Insuring fisno’trallgaboouot prdemiums

y ound The insurance industr so cool modelling ar es al is e er Th . ms ai cl d liv an may affect people’s how natural hazardsperts in data and analytics and that requires ex d’s largest ) is Australia and New Zealan nsurance Australia Group (IAG 1851 so they They’ve been around since general insurance company. big the years, IAG have answered all know their stuff. During the s? risk sodes strike, what are the questions: when weather epi the impact a cost perspective? What is What does that look like from ? ss and the community of climate change on busine g with m at IAG dedicated to workin tea ils per There’s a natural and s lyst ana tial spa scientists, geo actuarial consultants, flood m… tea the of e som et me us. Let’s statisticians to help protect

hilip Conway joined IAG with a background in engineerin g and a PhD in hydrodynamic model ling. His unique skills now hel p him in his role as the perils pricing manager. Philip’s team have built national models on hazards such as bushfires, floods and financial modules to identif y the risk s a customer is potentially exp osed to. One of the coolest projects Philip was par t of was the Pac ific Highway connecting Sydney to Brisbane. “I was responsible for develo ping the models that ensure d the roadway and bridges could withstand floods as well as not ma ke flooding worse for nearby com munities,” he says. “To this day when I drive on it, I see the contributions we made.”

Getting into STEM

“As a child I always had a pas sion for understanding how things – and the world – worked,” says Philip. “That passion, com bined with an affinity for solving pro blems, especially through ma ths , made me want to pursue a car eer in engineering.” A Swiss, Irish and Australian national, Philip prides himself in ensuring that communities across Australia are built in ways that are compatible with current and future potential natural disasters.

Actuarial consultant

sylvia wang on the pricing and sultant at IAG. She advises ylvia Wang is an actuarial con a wide range of “My day-to-day job involves reinsurance of natural risks. to model comparison, gramming and building logics, tasks, from data analysis, pro orting,” she says. statistical modelling and rep

Phd Engineering, University College Dublin

Philip Conway

Bachelor Civil Engineering, University College Dublin

Perils pricing manage r

Senior Engineer, Wmawater

Perils Pricing Manager, IAG

to complete the maths s had doubts about her ability One of Sylvia’s course advisor re her degree would whe which made Sylvia question during her actuar y studies, but I’m glad I kept M, STE to gh decision to change tou a was it ll, era “Ov . her e tak be discouraged by others doing now,” she says. “Never going as I love the work I’m to pursue the path.” lot of passion and dedication if you love STEM. It takes a g. “You will be seeing es are evolving and convergin Sylvia thinks STEM disciplin s. “For example, ds working together,” she say people with diverse backgroun e cutting-edge g with medical experts to solv a statistician might be workin gists to understand the ers consulting with meteorolo medical challenges; or engine Astha Singh – ” re is a lot of collaboration. impact of climate change. The

Bachelor of International Business, University Of Technology Sydney

Master Of Actuarial Practice, Macquarie University

Master Of Data Science, University Of Sydney

Actuarial Consultant, IAG

LAUREN TROMPP / SHUTTERSTOCK

Change is key

MATHS + DATA

MATHS+TRADES

+ SECURITY + SOCIETY + AGRICULTURE + EDUCATION + HEALTH + BUSINESS

Build your own path Apostolidis Melbourne Chippy Chick Stef rial skills with mixes maths and entrepreneu building site management

Cert III in Carpentry, Melbourne Polytechnic

Diploma of Building and Construction, Swinburne University

elbournechippychick, tef Apostolidis, aka @m ts full of sunshine to shares active onsite sho ers. She’s also the her 150k Instagram follow dy Club, supporting and founder of the Tradie La trades (#tradieladyclub, networking women in the ippychick.com.au). @t lcbymcc, melbournech as a site manager It’s clear Stef loves her job k a few twists and too it carpenter & founder and car penter now, but the in-depth maths oss acr g tin get d an – ns Tradie Lady Club tur career she wanted. courses – to discover the ool sch h ing at hig “I wanted to do engineer ult maths units. fic dif re mo so I took up the lost track,” she says. I tried tutoring but just rtant for what I'm “I find maths ver y impo type of maths you need doing now, but it’s not the ry times table. It’s more to memorise, such as eve the methods of how to important to memorise and materials.” work out volumes, areas skills include time ths ma y Stef's day-to-da ls, ordering materials, management, paying bil jobs. “Reading plans is estimating and quoting standing numbers and critical in my job. Under that into a house takes symbols and conver ting derstanding,” she says. a lot of hard work and un students thinking of Her advice to high school you s is to focus on subjects study and career choice ng bei up d en at you will enjoy “because that’s wh you enjoy most and try at wh ut abo good at. Think .” – Heather Catchpole to envision that in a job

Stef Apostolidis

ERE R CAREER H START YOU

Year 12 certificate, Academy of Mary Immaculate

es Studenyt, d a r t + s h t ma t Managem uction Projec nstr Bachelor of Co of Technology Sydney University Management, ilding Design Bachelor of Bu Sydney University Western agement, truction Man Master of Cons of Adelaide University

de Jobs maths+trr: $4a4K-$95K

Carpente : $61K-$195K site manager Construction * er: $61K-$163K Project manag le.com ca ys pa s according to *Source: salarie

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

I can eat my a pile of dirt. I canluwnch outside on and dirt all day. I caork in sweat scratches, I can lift n get cuts and things, I love that, buvery heavy t that’s me” 20

Stef’s typical day

Get a coffee, get to run through of what site. morning involve. Make a list the day will of everything that needs to be comp Get the tools out, mu leted. sic on and start building or plan ning... @melbournechippychick

Quick study options Looking for non-uni pathways? Here are nine career areas where vocational pathways let you take your maths and data skills direct to employers

#1 CODING Maths used: logic, algorithms Employment: software engineer, dev ops, machine learning engineer, UX designer Course: Advanced Diploma of Information Technology bit.ly/ADipInTech

DIGITAL MARKETING Maths used: statistics, percentages Employment: social media marketer, digita l marketing manager, digital content coordinato r Course: Diploma of Social Media Marketing tafecourses.com.au/courses/digital-ma rketing/

CYBER SECURITY

ANCIAL #5 FIN MATHS Maths used: simple and compound interest, numeracy, probability, statistics Employment: accountant, bookkeeper, entre preneur Course: Accounting and finance courses, TAFE NSW tafensw.edu.au/courses/accounting-an d-finance

CONSTRUCTION 6 # MANAGEMENT

study: Most STEM vocational training is focused on engineering

80% Engineering 10% Agriculture and environmental science 8% Information technology 2% Natural and physical sciences* Employment: Construction is the biggest employer of VET STEM-qualified workers

15% Construction 15% Manufacturing 10% Other services 8% Transport, postal

Maths used: geometry, trigonometry, optimisation, measurement Employment: construction site manager, architect, urban planner Course: Advanced Diploma of Building and Construction (Management) bit.ly/ADipCons t

Maths used: algebra, statistics, calculus, differential equations Employment: project manager, civil/structural engineer, site engineer Course: Diploma of Engineering, University of Newcastle newcastle.edu.au/degrees/ diploma-in-engineering

female 20% of males and 9% of kers earn VET STEM qualified wor and above* 21

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Maths used: trigonometry, geometry, calculus, mathematical modelling Employment: transformer design engineer, eer electrical engineer, automotive electrical engin g, eerin Course: Diploma of Electrical Engin TAFE NSW bit.ly/DipEETAFE

#8 CIVIL ENGINEERING

$104,000

DATA SCIENCE

Maths used: statistics, mathematical modelling, abstract logic Employment: data scientist, data analyst Course: Online data science course, General Assembly generalassemb.ly/education/data-science-remote-online

Maths used: algebra, probability, algorithms Employment: information security analyst, digital forensics, pen tester Course: Certificate IV in Cyber Security bit.ly/Cert4Cyber

by the numbers

and warehousing 7% Public administration and safety

#9 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES Maths used: algebra, measurement, geometry Employment: graphic designer, digital media producer, furniture designer, fashion designer Course: Cert II in Creative Industries bit.ly/CertIICI Search your VET courses here: training.gov.au

COURTESY OF STEF APOSTOLIDIS / SHUTTERSTOCK / *SOURCE: AUSTRALIA’S STEM WORKFORCE REPORT, JULY 2020, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST

MATHS + DATA

MATHS+SECURITY

+ SOCIETY + AGRICULTURE + EDUCATION + HEALTH + BUSINESS + TRADES

Owning it: who’s protecting your data?

rity? nd with a career in cyber secu Fancy being the next James Bo you will help to protect t bu n rti Ma ton As an ive dr to You might not get ssies our country and your fellow Au

Maths+Sec urity jobs Cyber security analyst: $52K-$114K curity analyst: $60K-$134K Data modeler: $56K-$173K* *Source: salaries according to pa yscale.com Information se

ellak hamza sch fellow

csiro resear

Valuable info

LSIS KIEREN WHITELEY / SHUTTERSTOCK.

topics in “One of the top research balance utility cyber security is how to u want the and privacy," he says. "Yo protect to data but you also want .” als du the privacy of indivi ty uri sec on is Hamza’s work as h suc s ble involving weara gets. health and wellbeing gad ble as lua va lly rea is a “The dat nce and it can monitor performa users identify health issues, but it or ls tro have no idea who con trying are e “W can see it,” he says. l over tro con re to give the user mo decide can y the en Th a. their own dat be.” how private they want to entric security n-c ma hu the in is a Hamz gthening cyber en team which focuses on str

security by understanding human behaviour and perceptio ns. Hamza is also working on making mobile health app s safer. There are thousand s of these, focusing on everyt hing from sleep to stress, but, “there is no control over them,” he says. “So we are devising a too l to make sure those servic es satisfy the minimum requirements needed in terms of cyber security.”

Leading the way

The world’s most valuable resource right now is data”

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Maths+Sec urity study Certificate IV in Cy

ber Se Swinburne Unive rsity of Technolog curity, y (free TAFE co urse) Bachelor of Sc ience (Cyber Se curity), University of W estern Australia Bachelor of Cy ber Security, De akin University Master of Cybe r Security, Swinb urne University of Technology

ge of cyber ight now there’s a shorta increases the security workers, which cyber attack. a risk of us getting hit by wth network gro ty Australia’s cyber securi d 14,000 cyber un aro re AustCyber says there we last year. To fill the security jobs up for grabs ustry urgently gaps, governments and ind Hamza Sellak, need STEM-smart grads. Fellow at CSIRO’s a Postdoctoral Research exciting time to be at Data61, says it’s “a really global cyber security”. the forefront of local and ble resource right now “The world ’s most valua is the digital specialist is data,” he says. Data61 e agency, CSIRO, arm of our national scienc so Hamza should know.

Systems, Master Of Science In Information Multimedia, Decision Science, Networks And ersity Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah Univ

START YOUR CAREER HER E

“This could be a first in the world,” says Hamza. “I haven’t see n anything like this available in open app stores.” The work Hamza and his team do will help app developers be more cyber secure and ma ke Australia cyber-saf er. – Matthew Brace

Phd In Computer Science, nes Moulay Ismail University, Mek

CSIRO Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Human Centric Security, Data61

Secure your future Arming yourself with numeracy knowledge could be key to career success in defence and security e industry needs eel like a challenge? The defenc across a huge range of k wor mathematics graduates to tralia – and we don’t mean exciting careers all across Aus osure to the latest in secure just the forces. If you want exp t les of security-based jobs tha tech, check out these examp ple. peo d and data-skille are screaming out for maths

Australian Defence Force

People working in defence and security use their mathematical research methods to analyse data, as well as modelling and simulating solutions to help the Australian Defence Force (ADF) make informed decisions about national security. When the ADF needs answers, each team member steps up to research, problem-solve and find the answers to issues on the rise. Think: recruits, office management, police...

Online Shopping

Ecommerce relies on big dat a analysis and math modelling to gather info on cus tomers and their shopping habits. To keep all that on the down-low and completely confidential, ecommerce ser vices are now relying on data scientis ts to bring their in-depth cybersecurity knowle dge to build maths-based solutions to pro tect the data, and keep the information that is stored secure. Think: retail, entertainment, food delivery...

Cybersecurity

Data is all around us – our soc ial posts, search history, online purchases, music and entertainment preferences leave a stream of data that forms our digital footprint. So cybersecurity specialists wor k everywhere. AustCyber says there are more than 52 career pathways to choose from in the cybersecurity space. Think: banks, schools, health jobs...

Australian Navy

e The Australian Nav y’s maritim fleet, in s tion uisi acq on es capability reli what are the firepower and auxiliaries – so, al it can buy, given Australia’s nav most efficient combinations s uire req t on? That’s a job tha missions and fields of operati is talion of ‘what-if’ questions bat a ing skills in maths. Answer ised cial spe nk: nded peeps. Thi rewarding work for maths-mi e... – Astha Singh forc e enc def roles within the

r e e r a c d e t a l u c l a c A with Defence Science ingmei Teo, a mathematician ney, says a love of and Technology (DST) in Syd eer that mixes maths and problem-solving led to her car where I could make an the military. “I wanted a career she says. ,” impact or contribute to society te in Applied tora So she completed her Doc Adelaide, with of sity ver Mathematics at the Uni ch she now uses in whi , ase dise a focus on infectious Royal Australian Nav y. her current role assisting the

matical Bachelor of Matheof Adelaide ity rs ive Un , ces ien Sc

n she realised the Mingmei says it was at uni whe had in solving dies huge potential her maths stu uni, when using at like t Jus real-world applications. d to communicate maths in defence jobs you nee ulations and outcome. mathematical theories, calc blem that a client “You have to translate the pro ations or a mathematical might have into algorithms, equ then be able to explain your model,” says Mingmei, “and erstand.” – Astha Singh results in a way they can und

matics, PHD Applied Matheela ide University of Ad

mingmei teo mathematician

Maritime Capability Analyst, DST

Mathematician, DST

MATHS + DATA

MATHS+SOCIETY

+ AGRICULTURE + EDUCATION + HEALTH + BUSINESS + TRADES + SECURITY

l a i c o s g n i t t e G There are some big changes happening in the maths world, which is good for society at large

and STEM solutions e see it every day: maths things we use, such help create and improve teboards. They help as smartphones and ska build ost on time!), architects buses run on time (or alm dical me d an , fits nies predict pro better buildings, compa diseases. experts track and fight hi ryt hing,” says Na lini Jos eve s pin der “Maths un ving sol y, iet soc in e rol g reasin AO. “It is playing an inc ryone.” everyday problems for eve d such as Melbourne-base s Data science companie board with this firm Eliiza are already on company website the th focus on societ y, wi e: “This is more than setting the company ton

always look beyond the numbers”

Addicted to maths

@monsoon0

Nalini Joshi is all about driving change in maths and striving for equality one of Australia’s leading rofessor Nalini Joshi, AO, is ir of Applied Mathematics at mathematicians. She is Cha ch king on cut ting-edge resear the University of Sydney, wor e prim e larg of ribution in fields as varied as the dist how diseases spread. Her and es tim val arri bus s, number k beyond the numbers.” loo s message to students: “Alway e to answer questions they “We want students to be abl says Nalini. “It’s more about have not come across yet,” questions that will help them enabling students to ask the future. invent the maths tools of the art, not just number e ativ cre a is s “Mathematic ’t become a discoverer so don crunching. You can use it to for ial ent ess it’s e aus bec ly let go of mathematics too ear re.” futu r you in ing com t’s wha paigner for equalit y in Nalini is also a passionate cam has suf fered sexism and Australia’s STEM society. She s at meetings and conference racism here, notably arriving in n bor was e (sh ale and Asian where – because she is fem itage) – organisers assumed her ian Ind has Myanmar but crew. she was par t of the kitchen r female maths professor eve t firs the t, fac in is, She only the third female and at the University of Sydney tralian Academy of Aus the mathematician elected to , munity, like any community Science. “The science com but ns itio pos r ry-level lecture needs diversit y, not just in ent ce Bra w the Mat she says. – in senior leadership roles,”

nalini joshi math ematician

ian Fellow, The Austr al Applied emy Of Science ad Ac Computational Andive Phd ) n Un rsity (Us (Honours), Mathematics, Princeto Bachelor Of Science y dne Sy Of ity rs ive matics Un Chair, Applied Mathe ina Sydney rg of Geo ity cil rs un ive Co Un rch the at Austr alian Resea Laureate Fellowship Sweet Austr alian

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

d a o r t n e r e f if d a Taking

sophia frentz senior data consultant

Sophia Frentz is on a mission to bring awareness to the data industry

ree in genetics rage data consultant. A deg ophia Frentz is not your ave nts for the s are not the usual requireme and a PhD in clinical genetic ks. boo tech are ripping up the rule job. But explosions in data and t for righ t’s wha pathways to get ting to “There are so many different try to et forg ’t don pathway you want but you,” says Sophia. “Take any in.” bra r you on will scratch the itch stuff. You don’t know what ssive, Melbournesultant with Eliiza, a progre con a dat Sophia is a senior solutions. a science to build large-scale based company that uses dat le and so we think of society as a who “Eliiza has ver y strong ethics y and bilit hia, who is autistic, has a disa consider all groups,” says Sop . m’) ‘the uses the pronouns ‘they’ and identifies as non-binary (so about also it’s me for ms,” they say, “but “I love solving complex proble sional fes pro A . ace kpl non-binary in the wor whether I have the right to be .” new is my non-binary status environment that respects ntific community too, reviewing how the scie tle, hus Sophia has a side y say. “Being t – the answer is ‘poorly’,” the defines gender. “Spoiler aler psychologically nt things physiologically and female means many differe some can’t, te and become pregnant, and – some women can menstrua . one rs often group all women as for example – yet researche treatment. iate opr ppr misdiagnosis and ina “It can cause harm through ce king.” – Matthew Bra I’m hoping to change that thin

University Bachelor of Mathe Australian National matical Sciences, ty of Sydney rsi Bachelor of Mathe r Science), Unive (Maths / Compute Bachelor of Science Trobe University (Mathematics), La Bachelor of Science

Jobs MathDasta+anSalyost:c$5ie1Kt–$y 100K –$129K Data scientist: $63K 1K–$134K Data engineer: $6 6K* gineer: $60K–$13 Machine learning en m .co ale ysc cording to pa *Source: salaries ac

just technology. It mean s considering how AI [Ar tificia l Intelligence] will drive va lue for businesses and soc iet y, and be used in transpare nt, ethica l and fair ways. ” Because maths is at the heart of so many solution s, it is also shaping the jobs of the fut ure. “Finance is a big area for maths grads but they mi ght equally choose a different field such as interrogatin g data from videos or image s to find patterns and tre nds… or working for YouTube, for example,” says Na lin i. Eliiza’s senior data consul tant Sophia Frentz says data science can eve n be used to help partic ularly margina lised groups suc h as those with a disabi lity, “even though most people still think tech is the cool blokes’ club”. Na lini has previously spo ken out about how wome n in particular are under-re presented at senior levels in

to alia. As part of her drive STEM education in Austr the up set ange, Na lini helped bring awareness and ch e, er Equit y (SAGE) initiativ nd Ge Science in Australia ion cat edu ognises higher which encourages and rec , d work on gender equity goo ing do bs and research hu ger big y pla EM ST d an As Maths diversity and inclusion. se erse societies, it ma kes sen roles in increasingly div themselves become more that STEM communities Brace diverse, too. – Matthew

Senior Data Consultant, Eliiza Technology, Strategy And Transformation Graduate Program, Deloitte Australia

ociet),yUniveSrsittyuofdSoyuth Australia Mathmastic+s (DSata Science

SHUTTERSTOCK SHUTTERSTOCK.

REER HERE START YOUR CA

Tauranga Girls College, New Zealand

@SophiaFrentz

Bachelor Of Science / Genetics (Honours), University Of Otago

Phd Medical Genetics, University Of Melbourne

MATHS + DATA

MATHS+AGRICULTURE

+ EDUCATION + HEALTH + BUSINESS + TRADES + SECURITY + SOCIETY

s r e b m u n y b g n i m r Fa Is ag your jam? Then you’re going to need strong maths and data skills

REER HERE START YOUR CA

e Stuiendcey ultur +Agric ate in Sc fic Mathr ofsAg rti Ce te riculture / Gradua ty arles Sturt Universi (Mathematics), Ch ience Sc of r elo ure / Bach e Bachelor of Agricult iversity of Melbourn Un e Th s), tic tis Sta ce (Mathematics and ien Sc of r elo ural Science / Bach Bachelor of Agricult , University of Tasmania (Mathematics) Trobe University s / Agribusiness, La Bachelor of Busines

Bachelo

re Jobs ultu-$1 s+Agrl enic 73K MathAg 6K $4 r: ee gin ricultura

of cultivating soil, griculture is the practice g livestock. And growing crops and raisin maths and data. at its core is a bunch of statistics and “A number of concepts in d in various fields of maths are extensively use science, animal and agricu lture, such as soil ltural engineering and crop production, agricu ” says Kanika Singh, agricu ltural economics, University of Sydney, a research fellow at the on optimising soil who is currently working in Papua New Guinea. management and hea lth a range of data Agricult ure also relies on and climate data sources. Think weather a for info on soil, for forecasting; sensor dat rainfa ll, sun light and temperature, humidit y, and plant genomics al farm equipment; anim ly sensed data ote research data; plus rem . nes dro d an through satellites

36K Biochemist: $52K-$1 5K-$103K $5 r: ee gin en l Environmenta -$87K* Soil scientist: $50K .com cording to payscale *Source: salaries ac

Cultivating your interest

How do agricu lturalists ma ke sense of all that data? Statistical modellin g combined with maths, according to Kanika.

Finding your field

When it comes to career pat hs, you’re spoilt for cho ice. Options include water an d irrigation engineering, soil science, plant and crop physiology (in agronom y and horticult ure), agricultural extension an d education, biosystems and machineries, and an imal science. “The agricu lture domain is quite dynamic, diverse and responsive to consumers of today, especially when it concer ns people's hea lth and ethics,” says Kanik a.

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ingh kanika stis t

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soil scien

start So what’s the best way to y? rne your agricu lture jou ence Besides taking all the sci ool, sch h hig in can classes you ed olv inv get o als you should ll in citizen science. This wi to y give you the opportunit earch actively contribute to res cool g nin initiatives, while gai ge. led ow new skills and kn ilding It’s also awesome for bu ons. cti ne con d communities an mbers me es abl en ce “Citizen scien ch ear res to ute trib con of the public to n,” generatio as partners in knowledge University the at le, mp exa says Kanika. “For earch project that of Sydney a rea l-world res ply using a tea bag!) eva luates soil hea lth (sim to get their hands offers students a chance rtance of maths in dir ty and learn the impo ers soil science.” – Louise Me

MATHS+QUT Kate Helmstedt mathematician

Water works H2O is vital to agriculture, and managing it properly requires a lot of maths e have to do uestion: what does agricultur Quite a lot. with the Great Barrier Reef? huge impacts Farming practices can have In Queensland, on surrounding ecosystems. s can enter the the chemicals used on farm ir way to the reef. water system and make the tician and the Kate Helmstedt is a ma ma Technology of sity ver Uni Fellow at Queensland different (QUT), and is researching how ers’ decisions farm ce uen infl ht regulations mig behaviour. and ultimately change their on their land “The choices farmers make use and what to r – such as how much fertilise an impact e hav – they do with their rubbish decline of the up ed on water quality and spe e. Kat s say f,” Ree the Great Barrier e been tried “Lots of policies and laws hav choices, but to get farmers to make bet ter

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ce Bachelor of Scienrs ity (Mathematics), Unive of Queensland

PhD in Applied ity Mathematics, Univedrs of Queenslan

it’s hard to figure out how they'll respond." Kate works with a multidisciplinary team that includes social scientists, economists and behavioural scientists to model different policies on how farmers work their land. “There are lots of things society gets from land. We need to feed people, we need places to live, we need recreation,” says Kate. “We can use mathematics to trade off all those different objectives so we can balance our needs with biodiversity conservation.” – Chloe Walker

There are lots of things society gets from the land”

Postdoctoral rsity Researcher, Univekel ey of California, ber

Senior Lecturer andT Research Fellow, QU

Risky business Irrigating hope for a better future using maths and data

Bulk water supply is going to benge the next big challe” for our generation Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) / Bachelor of Mathematics, QUT

Electrical Engineer, Aurecon

manager, decision & Risk Advisory, Aurecon

principal, Operational Risk + Assurance, Seqwater

COURTESY OF QUT

ater management is a big issu e in agriculture. Water authorities have a res ponsibility to ensure water is supplied not just to the taps in our homes, but also to farms for irrigatio n. Ellie Hubbard is principal, ope rational risk and assurance at Seqwater in Que ensland. She helps the organisation make bet ter bus iness decisions through understanding uncertainties and their effect on strategic objectives. Maths skills are fundamental to this, and enable her to establ ish an aligned view on what matters most across the org anisation, such as building a new dam or temporarily shu tting down a plant. Ellie studied maths and eng ineering at QUT and spent eight years working in design and construction before moving into risk management for asset operations. “I wanted a big ger-picture role where I could shape decisions early on,” she say s. “I think bulk water supply is going to be the nex t big cha llenge for our generation.” Ellie’s maths skills from her study at QUT are critical to her work. “Modelling and statistics are the skills I’ve ended up using the most.” – Chloe Walker

Ellie Hubbard principal, operational risk + assurance

MATHS + DATA

MATHS+EDUCATION

+ HEALTH + BUSINESS + TRADES + SECURITY + SOCIETY + AGRICULTURE

SIGNS you should be a maths teacher

See if maths + education is the right STEM path for you!

Your maths knowledge is > than most

as You’re known around school re time spa a maths whiz, and in your and ics tist you devour books on sta r you d equations. But to lea elor own class, you’ll need a Bach a r y) o dar con (Se of Education tics combined degree in mathema chers tea ths ma d Goo . ion cat and edu ths also stay across the latest ma nd news and developments, atte g chin tea courses, and research rp sha y sta ls skil techniques so their . and up-to-date

You = a good leader

If standing up in front of a bun ch of high school kids on the daily doesn’t sound like a fun time to you , you might want to choose anothe r maths career. However, if you love to flex your leadership skills and kno w how to motivate people to get the best out of them, you’ll absolutely be in your element in the classro om.

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100 % Your care factor is lly chers you’ve had – they rea

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Think about all the best tea ate right? Teachers need to cre cared about their students, ted por sup ls fee ne everyo learning environments where t person to always jump in firs the ’re you If . ted pec and res encouragement, teaching to lend a helping hand or give ers could be for you. – Louise Me

You have A+ attitude

Do you think maths is amazin g? Are you the first to share a maths meme or fact with your friends and fam ? Are you generally a positive per son? If your maths enthusiasm level riva ls Eddie Woo’s and you’ve got a can-do attitude, then inspiring studen ts to love algebra, geometry and logarithms could totally be your dream job.

You know how to ÷ and conquer

Teachers are the masters of multitasking! How are your jug gling skills? As a maths teacher, not only will you need to plan lessons, teach and set homework for dozens of students, you’ll have to mark, write reports , chat with parents and help out with school duties.

Josh Ross is using his background in finance to help those in need access education pany to earn big bucks, any people start their own com he managed investments in could give back. Along he areas such as healthcare, gam but Josh Ross wondered how ing eting tick a and tix, retail. His financial know-how ani Hum d nde fou coh Jos te, proved a handy skill when ma t bes his with get ting his startup off the gro booking fees to josh ross und and it helped him decide platform that uses profits from on a workable idea. ged nta dva Hu disa p ma hel nitix suppor t projects that “Pa rt of the process is figuring out whether your idea children access education. makes economic sense at sca we t tha a ide the on d le,” says Josh. “If you “We got fixe financially model an idea and e the it doesn’t make sense, could use business to improv you can kill it before wasting ,” ney mo g kin ma just of mo ney on it.” ead world inst Josh’s advice for maths wiz t tha is sion mis r ard “Ou s with an h. says Jos entrepreneurial flair is to stu the n give be uld dy sho sof d tware development. chil ry eve “It’s really powerful and rele vant to businesses of opportunity to thrive and give all shapes and sizes,” he say s. “If you are a sof tware back to their community.” developer and naturally com is h Jos tix, mercial, you can go into any Through Humani type of business.” – Gemma around Conroy connecting Indigenous kids , ion cat edu lity qua d goo h Australia wit ms. Humanitix is also scholarships and other progra d to work on literacy and par tnering with Room to Rea START YOUR girls in developing countries. ng CAREER HER life skills programs for you arie cqu E Ma at and accounting Josh studied applied finance m a an t as g h kin s wor +EDUCATION n seven years University and spent more tha Study Bachelor of Co nagement where Ma ds Fun mmerce/Compu ark term Wa at ter Science, UN investment analyst Bachelor of M SW athemat

ics Education, University of W Bachelor of Ed ollongong ucation (Secon dary Educatio / Bachelor of Sc ience, University n: Mathematics) of Sydney

Our mission is that every child should be given the opportunity to thrive”

maths+EDU CATION Jobs Mathematics te acher: $5 9K-$103K Software deve loper: $50K-$10 3K* *Source: salaries according to pa yscale.com

Bachelor of Applied Finance/Commerce (Accounting), Macqua rie University

A ticket to learn

Partner/Senior Invest ment Analyst, Watermark Funds Ma nagement

Co-founder, Humanitix

@Humanitix_Tweet

MATHS + DATA

MATHS+EDUCATION

Class of YouTube these teachers From behind the maths desk, are also famous on YouTube!

From: Texas, USA Joined YouTube: 2007

PatrickJMT

Patrick is a mathematics teacher at Austin Community College and is on a mission to help people improve their maths game and grasp of basic mathematical principles. He says his videos are “nothing fancy” and “just clear explanations”, which is what we think is really cool about them! Check out his channel if you need help with things such as trigonometric functions, integrals and logarithms.

Subscribers: 1.22 million Total views: 351,168,486

Eddie Woo Joined YouTube: 2012 From: Sydney, Australia clas k sroom lessons at Cherrybroo

actual Eddie uploads videos of his about they’re fun! He’s passionate Technolog y High School. And ir the on ts den ths resources for stu creating free Australian ma nnel). cha his s call he e (or WooTube, as favourite medium – YouTub all its iced not he e onc but ths at school, Eddie says he didn’t love ma and ul utif bea e am bec it s, connection pat terns, relationships and on you! maths will definitely rub off for iasm hus ent surprising. His

Subscribers: 1.17 mi llio n Total views: 78,342,539

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Matt Parker of Stand-up Maths

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Based: London, UK Joined Yo

uTube: 2009 Although Matt originally stu died mechanical engineerin g at the University of Western Aus tralia, he made the switch to mathematics and physics whi le writing comedy on the side . He then taught maths in Aus tralia before moving to London , where he speaks at schools, helps students communicate maths and makes awesome videos. His goal? To get more people excited about maths! Hilarious and informative, Matt’s videos are per fect for anyone who likes their pi with a side of laughs.

Subscribers: 801K Total views: 83,333,324

Professor Leonard

Live & on-demand

Subscribers: 509K Total views: 40,442,843

Q&A with STEM professionals

From: California, USA Joined YouTube: 2011

If calculus is just not clicking for you, take a trip to Professor Leonard’s virtual classroom. He’s a professor of mathematics at Merced College and he posts entire lectures from his calculus classes. You’ll also find algebra, pre-algebra and statistics videos on his channel. Tip: his videos are looooong so grab some popcorn and settle in. Professor Leonard gets two big thumbs up from us because his lessons are easy to follow and they give you a lot of confidence!

Tune in to connect to and hear from young professionals from the Careers with STEM magazines!

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Eddie uploads videos of his actual classroom lessons ... his enthusiasm for maths will definitely rub off on you”

Krista King

SPACE CYBER SECURITY TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING MATH&DATA FUTURE SCIENCE DATA SCIENCE CONSTRUCTION Catch all the on-demand webinars to watch when you want.

Subscribers: 221K Total views: 33,153,392

From: Indiana, USA Joined YouTube: 2010

Krista is your geeky, trusty maths tutor taking the frustration out of maths one YouTube video at a time. She makes videos on ALL the maths topics: calculating simple interest, graphing polar curves, integrals, imaginary numbers... she even teaches you how to put the sum in summation notation. Thanks, Krista! We are also big fans of her cheat-sheet style notes and formula sheets you can use as you follow along in her lessons. – Louise Meers

Subscribe to Careers with STEM On-demand or the Careers with STEM weekly e-news for updates.

MATHS + DATA

FUN STUFF

Picture it! SOURCES/PHOTOGRAPHERS: JAMES O’DONOGHUE – PLANETARY ASTRONOMER AT JAPAN SPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY (SPACE) / CREATIVE COMMONS (PILLARS OF CREATION) / NADIEH BREMER (MARBLE BUTTERFLIES) / VISUAL CAPITALIST (VISUALISING THE HUMAN FOOTPRINT) / SHUTTERSTOCK

Data visualisation is an emerging area that helps us to better picture the true meaning of data

Space

galactica l. Think d planet Earth – they’re Maths and data go beyon from planet to ce tan und suns; and dis aro s axe on ing nn spi e tim le visua lisation of ce. All maths. This to-sca planet and size differen ation. compare size, tilt and rot the planets allows us to

Pillars of Creation Scale, measurements and observations are all involved in the awesomeness that is 3D. Here it shows the star formation Eagle Nebula via images captured on a very large telescope. This visualisation of the threedimensional structure of the Pillars of Creation within the star formation region Messier 16 (also known as Eagle Nebula) is based on new observations of the object using the Very Large Telescope in Chile.

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Marble Butterflies Using data to create art makes for some pretty spectacular results. Growth, evolution, sequence and patterns are all covered. This image was made using real data of the flight paths of butterflies.

Visualising the Human Footprint Calculating the patterns of human occupation and impact in urban areas via art is a pretty interesting way to look at maths and data. This map of the world shows cities by population data revealing hotspots of urban agglomerations at a glance.

MATHS + DATA

FUN STUFF

Hi Toby! Congrats on 600K+ YouTube subscribers! How did you get so many?

Teaching Assistant, Australian National University

ube subscr We asked scientis in growing your YouT d ve ol inv s th ma e th about

Content Creator, YouTube

countinuTgub..er.Toby Hendy 600K ant, d mathematician and Yo ibers!

it resembles an scriber growth that looks like There is a section of my sub to grow. Now my growth nd an audience it was easier exponential cur ve. Once I fou os become popular. spikes when par ticular vide is a bit steadier but I do see Do you pay much attention to the YouTube algorithm?

rics but there are a few video met infamously mysterious beast, rs. use to ed par com The YouTube algorithm is an lay videos to disp sider when choosing which is it n whe o vide a that the algorithm would con on k clic the percentage of users who , rate gh rou k-th clic o the is One of these rithm will show your vide to rough rate is high then the algo k-th clic r you If m. the to presented n the thumbnail or title. then you might need to redesig more people, but if it’s low Do you use maths in any other ways when making your videos?

lyse a video’s maths and statistics to ana There are opportunities to use lly well might rea understand trends in data analytics. Someone who can e. anc rove a channel’s per form be able to use analytics to imp

Produced and published by: Refraction Media

Why is it important to present maths in creative and fun ways?

Any tips for others wanting to follow a maths path?

that interest nd time pursuing the ideas I would advise people to spe ise Meers w where it might lead. – Lou them because you never kno

, astronomy and the Check out Toby’s maths : youtube.com /user/tibees eos vid histor y of science

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Co-founder, CEO & Publisher: Karen Taylor-Brown Co-founder, CEO & Head of Content: Heather Catchpole Managing Editor: Astha Singh Digital Editor: Louise Meers Deputy Editor: Pippa Duffy Sub-Editor: Gavin Dennett Art Director: Katherine Power Issue editorial advisors: Donna Buckley, S. Ryan Meyer, Linda McIver Writers: Matt Brace, Heather Catchpole, Gemma Conroy, Hannah Diviney, Louise Meers, Astha Singh, Ben Skuse, Chloe Walker

Bachelor of Science (Physics/Mathematics), University of Canterbury

lly a creative endeavour. tool, but at its heart it is rea Mathematics can be a useful new ideas in order to hematicians need to develop For example, academic mat maths and treating it ideas come from playing with progress the field and these rcome “math-phobia”, e my videos help people to ove like art. At the ver y least I hop ativ cre e side of maths. to help more people see the and ultimately I would love

This issue went to press on 21 April 2021. Printed in Australia by IVE.

Cover image: Lauren Trompp

Honours in Physics (First Class), Australian National University

Did you notice any patterns as the number of subscribers went up?

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Student Internship, Australian Astronomical Observatory

process. e 2011 so it has been a long to my channel, ‘Tibees’, sinc faster. n bee has n I’ve been uploading videos the e growth sinc ch 100,000 subscribers, but It took me until 2018 to rea

Careers with STEM: Maths+Data 2021 is a publication and trademark of Refraction Media. Copyright © 2021 Refraction Media, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner or form without written permission. If you would like to reproduce anything from this magazine, email: info@refractionmedia.com.au.

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Think Mathematics. Think QUT. Early in high school, Alex Vosten believed math was just endless numbers and symbols. He soon realised that through mathematics he could use his brain as a problem-solving machine. He studied QUT’s Bachelor of Mathematics, majoring in Applied and Computational Mathematics, and discovered that the backbone of every industry, from business to politics; from global issues like climate change and population growth, to social networking; is maths. “I love the process of finding problems and solving them – it helps me every day; from being a better cook to beating the traffic, to potentially making life-saving discoveries.” His passion and skills for mathematics led him to participate in real-world research. “My project focuses on Computational Biology, where I study the behaviour of cells to help in medical research.”

He believes this will give him the opportunity to make a positive contribution in understanding the degenerative disease of Alzheimer’s. While Alex was developing his skills in mathematics at QUT, he soon realised another passion, teaching. “One of my favourite aspects of the course was being offered a job to teach after graduating – it cements my understanding and means I am able to give back to the university that’s given me so much. As well as being paid to teach something I love.” From study, to research, to teaching, Alex used his love of mathematics to embrace all QUT has to offer.

QUT STEM 35 CRICOS No: 00213J

MATHS + DATA

Study WHAT MATTERS STUDY DATA SCIENCE AT ECU

When you choose to study Data Science at ECU, you learn to decode large amounts of data into useful information that can help solve real-world problems.

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Data science is a significant area of growth, providing employment opportunities in Australia and around the world. Our strong industry links provide students with the most up-to-date information and important networking and internship opportunities, while our flexible study options allow you to fit study around your life. We offer a range of data science courses including: - Bachelor of Science (Data Science Major) - Graduate Certificate in Data Science - Master of Data Science - Master of Bioinformatics

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