Meet the new Chief Scientist of WA

The Cook Government announced nan assignment of a caller Chief Scientist of Western Australia past week.

Professor Sharath Sriram is only a fewer weeks into his caller role, but he’s buzzing pinch ideas and a clear imagination for nan future.

His mission? “To supply independent technological proposal to beforehand Western Australian interests,” says Sharath.

“To usage STEM exertion and invention to make WA a amended spot to unrecorded and be.”

A SCIENTIST, STRATEGIST AND STORYTELLER

For nan Chief Scientist, it’s not each laboratory coats and subject experiments.

Sharath’s caller domiciled falls astatine nan intersection of authorities policy, invention and nationalist engagement. 

In his day-to-day job, Sharath provides proposal to nan authorities and members of nan nationalist service. “Trying to style up nan department’s policies to amended support nan government’s imagination to execute maximum impact,” says Sharath.

If we had to sum up nan occupation description, it comes down to knowing nan imagination of authorities ministers and staff, creating strategies to support it and past refining nan transportation of those strategies.

Although nan Chief Scientist is simply a scientist, he won’t beryllium doing a batch of subject experiments. 

He must besides guarantee Australia – and nan world! – knows astir everything happening successful STEM and invention correct present successful WA.

When asked what excites him nan astir about nan role, Sharath says, “WA’s ambition!”

Caption: An early illustration of WA’s ambition, nan Goldfields Pipeline to pump h2o 566km to Kalgoorlie.
Credit: Getty Images

BECOMING CHIEF SCIENTIST

The WA Government called for expressions of liking for nan domiciled backmost successful November.

Never 1 to miss an opportunity, Sharath threw his chapeau into nan ring.

Just arsenic nan hiring process was gaining momentum, nan WA State Election was called and nan authorities went into caretaker mode, which efficaciously pressed nan region button.

“Everything went quiet, and past it each ramped up very quickly,” says Sharath.

“They extended an invitation, and pinch a mates of discussions, it became real.”

A BALANCING ACT

Sharath has been based successful Naarm/Melbourne astatine RMIT University.

He plans to proceed his domiciled arsenic a interrogator and pedagogue with the part-time duties of Chief Scientist, which he sees arsenic a use alternatively than a challenge.

“It ensures I person my digit connected nan pulse,” says Sharath. “I cognize nan symptom points nan manufacture faces. And I return each those lessons nan assemblage faces and put them into strategies.”

And while it whitethorn look puzzling that nan Chief Scientist of WA comes from Victoria, he brings a caller perspective, without affiliation aliases biases, and tin enactment focused connected doing what’s champion for nan state.

A CAREER DRIVEN BY CURIOSITY

Sharath attributes nan occurrence of his profession to 1 elemental force: curiosity.

Growing up successful India, he studied electronics and communications astatine university.

While galore of his peers were diving into coding and software, Sharath wanted to build nan computers themselves, which steered him into engineering. 

“I wanted to make things,” says Sharath. “That’s what is nosy for me.”

In 2004, erstwhile he moved to Australia pinch his wife, Professor Madhu Bhaskaran – a starring fig successful STEM and co-chair of Women successful STEMM Australia – his profession began to evolve. 

He taught assemblage students, participated successful world investigation astir aesculapian exertion astatine RMIT University, co-led nan Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group and created nan Discovery to Device investigation facility, wherever Sharath describes his activity arsenic “making subject fabrication reality”.

Caption: Professor Sharath Sriram pinch Sleeptite CEO Cameron van den Dungen
Credit: Supplied Sharath Sriram

Having seen firsthand really agrarian communities successful India were often trim disconnected from healthcare, Sharath is passionate astir getting aesculapian exertion into location and distant areas – a accuracy that benefits WA’s surface science and communities.

He has influenced subject and invention argumentation for immoderate clip arsenic a committee personnel of Science & Technology Australia.

“You request to beryllium unfastened successful your profession and drawback opportunities arsenic they come,” says Sharath.

A self-described workaholic, erstwhile Sharath isn’t working, he enjoys baking, cooking and playing video games pinch his son.

STEM FOR ALL – AND EARLY

Sharath is simply a fierce advocator for diverseness and inclusion successful STEM, peculiarly erstwhile it comes to women’s careers successful nan field.

His efforts person contributed to nan Australian Research Council considering parental time off arsenic 2 years – irrespective of existent long – which helps level nan playing section for women successful science. 

He is besides passionate astir early puerility subject education.

A headstart successful science, technology, engineering and maths acquisition not only perchance changes nan lives of young people, it tin besides alteration nan early of STEM.

His proposal to young group willing successful pursuing STEM?

“Always beryllium funny because you ne'er cognize what you mightiness find,” says Sharath.

He encourages group to inquire questions and activity retired opportunities. To beryllium unafraid to perceive no. To deliberation agelong term. 

He believes STEM tin amended people’s lives and that you tin beryllium portion of that.

With specified a passionate, affirmative mindset starring nan state, WA’s technological early is looking very bright.