TRUSTEES

Sue Leslie is a science graduate with a BSc Hons in Botany. She has been a secondary school science teacher for more than 25 years and during that time she has worked with science teachers in many schools, both primary and secondary, to help improve their science teaching.

She has written and presented papers on science teaching and was invited to speak at a science conference in Malaysia by the Malaysian Education, science and research division of the Ministry of Education. She has worked for Evaluation Associates (an independent education consultancy) and provided strategic advice, PLD and evaluation services to client schools.

Sue was previously the Assistant Principal at Diocesan School for Girls and is involved in supporting the Sir Paul Callaghan Academy, presenting on assessment and evaluation in science.

After three and a half years in London teaching at a small prep school she has returned home to a safer New Zealnd and is working as a project manager back at Evaluation Associates.

Richard Hartshorn is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Professor Hartshorn has been recognised locally, nationally, and internationally for excellence in teaching and education, including the UC Teaching Medal (2009), the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies award for Distinguished Contribution to Chemical Education (2023), and the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry sciPAD Denis Hogan Chemical Education Award (2019). He has served more than 10 years on the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Committee on Chemistry Education.

He is a co-author of an Australian high school chemistry text (“Nelson Chemistry VCE Units 3&4”, Nelson Thomson Learning, Melbourne, Australia, ISBN 0 17 009469 3. 2000, 512 pages, and related texts) and of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) publications on chemical nomenclature that have been translated into multiple languages.

He has been a member of the Trust Board for the National Science-Technology Roadshow since 2007 (Chair 2011-2020). He also served on the Trust Boards for Science Alive! (2007-2018) and Rutherford’s Den (2010-2015), and established the UC Science Outreach Programme in 1998, leading it until 2005.

Among other international roles, he has been Secretary General of IUPAC 2016-23, and has just been elected Vice President of CODATA. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry.

Professor Hartshorn’s research interests are the coordination chemistry of dinuclear and heterodinuclear systems. He has a long-standing interest in chemical nomenclature and new ways of systematically naming and representing chemical compounds.

Dr Kaitlyn Martin (Tangata Tiriti, she/her) is a Lecturer in STEM Education in Te Kaupeka Ako Faculty of Education at Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha the University of Canterbury. Kaitlyn is a science educator, researcher, and communicator who has worked with students from ECE, primary, secondary, and tertiary levels in STEM. Her interests span formal and informal science learning experiences with a special appreciation for the areas of biology, astronomy, and digital technologies.

Kaitlyn’s passion for science communication was born while reading Evolutionary Biology during her honours degree at the University of Edinburgh. She completed her teaching qualification in the MOSAIC programme at the University of Pittsburgh, gaining dual qualifications in Science/Biology and Special Education teaching as well as a Master of Education. In 2016 Kaitlyn came to Otepoti Dunedin to purse doctoral studies in student engagement with science and mobile filmmaking with the Centre for Science Communication at the University of Otago. Her research aims to develop experiences, strategies, and knowledge about how to improve STEM attitudes, literacy, and aspirations in a world in need of informed, active, and critical citizens.