Dr Michelle Dickinson (MNZM) is a passionate researcher and teacher with a love of science and engineering.
Author of No 8 Recharged and The Kitchen Science Cookbook, Michelle has made it her life mission to make science and engineering accessible for all.
Her background in Biomedical and Materials Engineering have combined her interests to give her a unique insight into how nature and technology can learn from each other for scientific developments.
Currently you can find her as founder and Director of the social enterprise Nanogirl Labs Ltd, she is also an honorary academic in Engineering at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Awarded Member of New Zealand Order of Merit Michelle was winner of the Women of Influence award for science and innovation in 2016, was awarded the Sir Peter Blake Leadership in 2015 and was winner of the Prime Ministers Science Media Communication Prize and the New Zealand Association of Scientists Science Communicators Award in 2014.
Michelle strongly believes that science should be open, transparent and a topic of conversation over the dinner table, not just the lab bench, and her vision is to create positive role models in the world that our children can aspire to be like.
With this belief she is passionate about creating new ways for the public to interact with science including her television appearances, live Theatre Science Shows, science comedy podcast “Stupid Questions For Scientists” and science communication videos.
Tell us a bit about yourself, background and your current role
I’m currently the co-founder of Nanogirl Labs, a social enterprise designed to empower young people to increase their confidence around science and engineering.
Did you ever sit down and plan your career?
Yes, from the moment I sat down with a careers advisor at school I’ve always had a plan – yet I don’t think I’ve ever followed that plan in my actual career. Instead I’ve taken opportunities that have come up, many of which I didn’t even know existed when I was writing my plan.
Have you faced any particular challenges along the way and if so, how did you deal with them?
Being a woman in engineering has often meant that I am the only female in the room, and career wise that has felt lonely and like I was always having to prove myself. It’s taken me a long time to believe in my own abilities and my confidence has been thanks to great mentors who have helped me to believe in myself more.
If you could change one thing for women in the workplace, what would it be?
Imposter syndrome – for some reason many women struggle with it and it prevents them from applying for promotions at work or bringing up issues when engaging in a team. If we could teach women about what it was and how to work on some of the challenges that can hold them back I think we would see much more diversity in senior leadership.
How would you encourage more young women and girls into a career in STEM?
I think we need to break down some of the stereotypes around what jobs in science and technology are like. It’s not all hard-hats and greasy overalls but instead the field is full of oppurtunities where women get to be creators not just consumers of new technology.
How do you feel about mentoring? Have you mentored anyone or are you someone’s mentee?
I think mentoring and being mentored is so important. I love mentoring others and helping young women to figure out what their strengths are while opening as many doors as I can for them using my networks. Being mentored has helped me to focus on my own goals and use the lessons learned by others more established in their careers to gain a different perspective on things.
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
Quitting the stability of working as an academic for a university and setting up my own company. Our STEM programs are taught in 5 different languages around the world and it’s amazing to see how building an organisation that provides positive female role models can break down some of the barriers that prevent young people from pursuing technical careers.
What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?
I’m launching my new book The Kitchen Science Cookbook, which presents science in a recipe book to try and show people that science is everywhere and can be done with ingredients commonly found in the kitchen. I hope that by bringing science home to the kitchen it will help parents to learn together with their children as they go on a science journey of discovery and curiosity.
Dr Michelle Dickinson (MNZM) – prize winning nanotechnologist, researcher and educator – has made it her life mission to make science and engineering accessible for all. Her new book The Kitchen Science Cookbook is packed full of fun ‘recipes’, each teaching an important scientific principle in a format that is perfect for parents and children to enjoy together.
Available on Amazon. Find out more at https://uk.kitchensciencecookbook.com/
