QUT+MATHS & DATA
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mate change – it’s loods, fire, pandemics, cli ars and the cost to been a tumultuous few ye nomy is huge. So just both society and the eco mathematicians. what is the damage? Ask e of today’s biggest Mathematicians tackle som predicting climate change societal challenges, from rstanding social trends, and bushfire risk to unde and so much more. combating online bullying ere mathematicians It’s not just disasters wh nce, banking, economy (working in risk and insura . evant. Think social good and policy) are super rel ery Ev l... nsport. Retai Conservation. Health. Tra g need for people with on str industry sector has a te, CareerCast has maths skills. US job websi rs among the “10 Best ranked maths-based caree ars. Jobs” for the past seven ye
the choices farmers make on their land have an impact on water quality”
Water wise Water is vita
l to cons and maintaining a goodervation and agriculture, of maths – just ask balance requires a lot Kate Helmstedt
SHUTTERSTOCK; QUT
I
kate helmstedt rese
arch fellow
CAREERSwithSTEM.com
n Queensland, the chemicals used on farms can enter the water system and make their way to the Ree f. Kate is a mathematician and senior lecturer at QUT and is resear ching how different regulation s mig ht influence farmers’ decisions and ultimately change their behaviour. “The choices farmers make on their land – such as how much fer tiliser to use and what they do wit h their rubbish – have an imp act on water quality and speed up the dec line of the Great Barrier Ree f,” says Kate. Kate works with a multidisc iplinar y team that includes soc ial scientists, economists and behavioural scientists to model different pol icie s. “There are lots of things soc iety gets from land. We need to fee d people, we need places to live , we need recreation,” says Kat e. “W e can use mathematics to trade off all those different objective s so we can balance our needs with biodiv ersity conser vation.” – Chloe Walker Research Assistant, CSIRO
Bachelor of mathematics and PhD, the university of queensland
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Research fellow and lecturer, QUT
