Innovation Lab data scientist selected for prestigious leadership program
Posted on 08 Sep 2020
By Lachlan Pollock, Our Community
Our Community Innovation Lab data scientist Paola Oliva-Altamirano has been selected for a prestigious leadership program.
Dr Oliva-Altamirano, an astrophysicist, was today announced as a veski inspiring women STEM sidebyside participant for 2020.
The women-focused program supports mid-career emerging leaders wanting to progress or extend into leadership positions within a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) industry.
The program is led by veski a Victorian Government-supported body tasked with fostering innovation in Australia, with the support of the British Consulate General Melbourne.
Dr Oliva-Altamirano said she hoped her participation in the program would help her develop the skills required to bridge the information gap between technology and society.
“I would like to become a bridge between technology innovation and the social sector, tackling areas which need improvement and breaking the tech barriers between industry and civil society.
“This program is geared towards helping me achieve that.”
Director of Data Intelligence at the Innovation Lab, Sarah Barker, believes Paola is the perfect choice for participation in the program.
“Paola is truly inspirational. It is brilliant she has been recognised as an emerging leader in STEM in Australia,” she said.
“For Paola, data science isn’t just about coding and statistics. She is helping Australia’s social sector shift into the data era, that means designing systems responsibly. She strives to detect and address bias, promote transparency and surface risks.
“This will help Paola advance in her career and will also broaden her network of women in STEM, who I am sure will also benefit from Paola’s knowledge and insights.”
The veski inspiring women STEM sidebyside program is designed to help address the issue of women continuing to be under-represented at leadership levels across Australia. It supports women wanting to progress or extend into leadership positions within a STEM industry, enabling them to better foster and generate organisational cultural change and pave the way for future generations.
“Programs like these are super important because many women are brilliant and have wonderful ideas to serve the community, but they don’t always know how to execute them,” Dr Oliva-Altamirano said.
“The program connects those women with leadership experts and trains them so they know how to have their voice heard.”
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