Co-Chair, Women in STEMM Australia

Sarah Chapman is the Head of the Department of Science at Townsville State High School and is in her twentieth year of teaching. She is passionate about inspiring, engaging and empowering people through STEM.

Sarah commits extensive portions of her own time lifting the profile of STEM education, by working with students, teachers and the broader community. In a voluntary capacity, she is the Founder of the Townsville STEM Hub and Co-Chair of Women in STEMM Australia.

In 2019, Sarah was awarded a Commonwealth Bank of Australia Teaching Award Fellowship. In 2018, Sarah was selected as one of ten national STEM Ambassadors by Science and Technology Australia, and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. She was awarded a Barbara Cail STEM Fellowship in 2016, which involved international travel to research best practice in engaging young people in STEM. Sarah was awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s Secondary Science Teaching Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in 2013. In 2014 she was selected as a Queensland Government Science Champion. Sarah’s work has also been recognised with a prestigious Peter Doherty, Outstanding Teacher of Science Award in 2008 (Queensland Government) and an Australian Award for Teaching Excellence in 2009 (Teaching Australia).

Sarah is an inspirational keynote speaker and workshop presenter at local, state, national and international STEM events. She is also regularly consulted by a range of institutions for advice around vision and direction of STEM engagement and education.