Sharing science with community ‘a real buzz’

Dr Elizabeth Carpenter, Kudos Award Winner.

Interactive and memorable science presentations to many Waikato community groups have earned Dr Elizabeth Carpenter of AgResearch this year’s Science Teacher/Educator/Communicator Kudo award, sponsored by Wintec.

The Science Teacher/Educator/Communicator award is one of eight awards that make up The Kudos awards.

The Kudos awards are NZ’s only regional science excellence awards. They are held annually to celebrate and honour scientists and science educators in Hamilton City and the Waikato region.

The Kudo award for Science Teacher/Educator/Communicator and $4,000 is awarded for a major, recent contribution toward encouraging an understanding and appreciation of science to Waikato young people and the wider community.

Dr Carpenter is well known for her tours and talks at AgResearch labs for high school students and teachers and she also teaches an evening community education class at Fairfield College in Hamilton called “What makes you sick? What makes you tick?”

Dr Carpenter says that she gets ‘a real buzz’ out of sharing her knowledge with her audiences and encouraging interests in science.

Dr Carpenter was up against three other finalists from around the Waikato region to win the award.

Other Kudo finalists were Beverley Cooper, a senior lecturer at The University of Waikato, Paul Lowe of Morrinsville College, and Annette Taylor and David Riddell who were nominated as a team for their work together as science writers for the Waikato Times and as editors for various publications.