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Scitech Manager - Emma Donnelly
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EMMA Donnelly is not your typical scientist.
The 27 year old loves fast rally cars, the beach, Japanese food and snow domes.
But science is still number one for the enthusiastic stargazer.
Ms Donnelly, of Claremont, was recently appointed manager of Scitech''s new Horizon planetarium, which takes people on a journey throughout our solar system and beyond.
''The stars of our galaxy are, literally, the stars of the show'' she said. ''As you hurtle through space, you will be seeing actual footage from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft.
''My favourite (star cluster) is definitely Pleiades, also known as the seven sisters, but I''m not sure why - maybe because it''s all female''
Ms Donnelly has been at Scitech since May 2000. Among other jobs, she worked in Scitech''s CSIRO laboratory doing science experiments with school groups, before she was given the job of managing WA''s first planetarium.
''Most of my current and previous roles have been about experiencing science with kids, and everyone knows kids are unpredictable at the best of times. Some of the stuff they say and think is hilarious.
''And, because of the diversity of my job, I know some things that seem quite normal in this environment, but when I talk to people outside my field I find out knowing these things isn''t that normal at all. I could give you four different recipes for slime off the top of my head and tell you the best way to make bubble mix.
''And that''s just the start - the number of science experiments I have memorised is ridiculous. These days though, I am slowly replacing that knowledge with names of stars, moons and various other items in our universe which is much more useful in my new role.''
Space is the theme of this year''s National Science Week which kicks off today, and one which Ms Donnelly has been eagerly preparing for.
Ms Donnelly, who was born in Busselton, has science running through her veins - both her parents are science teachers. Her father, Ted, is the head of science at Busselton high school, where he taught his daughter, and mum, Robyn, is a biology teacher who now works for the PEAC (gifted and talented students) program and as education manager of the Capel Wetlands Centre project.
''I was brought up in the science department at dad''s school. I was running around in there from age two - so I guess it rubbed off.''
Ms Donnelly studied a bachelor of science at UWA (major in geography) followed by a graduate diploma in science (zoology).
''I originally thought I wanted to be an environmental scientist, but no one told me it involved a lot of report writing, which I hate,'' she said.
''My ideal ambition was to be a rally car driver. I love cars, especially fast ones. But because I can''t do that, the closest thing is being able to fly through space which is what we do every day in the planetarium and it gives me a huge buzz.''
Ms Donnelly encouraged girls to do science at school. ''It''s a key to get you a lot of places, not just working in a lab. The skills you learn are transferable to so many jobs.
''Even I didn''t realise just how varied my skills would be - that''s why I slotted myself narrowly into thinking I''d graduate and become an environmental scientist. But I lasted about two weeks.
''I''d much prefer to do what I''m doing now - stand in front of a bunch of people and talk about the endless possibilities in space.''
Ms Donnelly is in charge of the day-to-day running of the large indoor venue.
''I get to play with really high tech equipment that does mind-blowing things. And I get to interact with people all day - both visitors to the planetarium and my staff. I love working with people.
''When there are 190 people sitting inside the planetarium, I have to make sure the show goes on. A big part of it is getting my head around the technology.
''We have $1.2 million worth of the latest digital equipment sitting in my office, so I''m sort of like the person in the ''projection room'' who makes sure the show runs smoothly.
''I''ll also help my staff do the live presentations before the show when we point out highlights of the Perth night sky, like where to find the Southern Cross, Orion and other favourites.''
The DigitalSky technology used at the Scitech planetarium can simultaneously display a star field of more than 10,000 stars from a database of 118,000 stars. It is able to simulate stars, planets, comets, nebulae and constellations with accurate size, location, and relative brightness.
''Although the shows are simulated, they accurately depict the look of the stars, sun, moon and planets,'' Ms Donnelly said. ''In fact, the images are so realistic that it is common to see members of the audience duck as the planets and stars move towards them!''
There are currently 2,500 planetariums operating around the world, including seven in Australia.
For further information on the planetarium visit www.scitech.org.au
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Acknowledgements |
Content courtesy of Louise Allan-Johnson. |
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