In March, our Principal Scientist Dr Lulu He represented QFD at the Science Meets Parliament event in Canberra.
The event gave scientists the chance to build meaningful connections with Australian parliamentarians. Lulu He was paired with Zoe McKenzie MP for a one-on-one meeting.
“From a child raised in poverty and the only one in her family who went to university, to a scientist engaging with the Parliament of Australia, I know I’ve come a long way,” Lulu said.
“I learnt from this event that science and policy are interconnected. Science helps make informed policies to build a prosperous and resilient nation.”
“A good thing about science is that it is true, whether or not you believe it.”
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A proud moment
Another highlight for Lulu was meeting with her mentor Sue Barrell AO, a retired Chief Scientist from the Bureau of Meteorology.
“We’ve been catching up online for a year to talk about applied science and how it can be used to support organisational goals,” Lulu said. “Seeing her in person made this trip more meaningful.”
“Coming back from Canberra, I’ve decided to do two things I’ve been wanting to do for a long time to help turn my experience into real impacts for the department.”
“The first is to initiate a QFD Fire Science Fortnightly Newsletter. Fire Science should be generalised and readily applicable to support planning and operations. I will aim for simplified and non-overloading communication.”
“The other thing is, I’ve been volunteering at schools to talk about bushfire science with students and they ask many questions, which inspired me to write a series of bushfire science books for kids.”
“At his National Press Club Speech, Senator Tim Ayres said, ‘Fragmentation is what holds us back. Resilience cannot be built in isolation. Science can make Australia stronger and more resilient.’
“For QFD, science is not something we can bypass if we want to deliver outstanding services and develop policies that have positive, profound influence on society in the future.”
“It was my honour to represent QFD and engage with parliamentarians. I’m proud I’ve accelerated QFD’s scientific profile nationally. When I introduced myself, I was proud to say, ‘Hi, I’m Lulu, I work at QFD.’”
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To get in touch, search the QFD website or email [email protected].