A/Professor Marianella Chamorro-Koc – Associate Professor in Industrial Design
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
A moment where we pause, reflect, acknowledge and feel proud about the achievements of women from all walks of lives in the world. From scientists, to advocates, to community leaders, to researchers and academics. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the incredible -and often invisible- work that women do everyday for the benefit of their families, communities, for the expansion of knowledge and society wellbeing.
What does it mean to be a woman in the Higher Education / Design sector?
Historically, women worldwide had to fight their right to access higher education. Nowadays we see more presence of women leaders at universities and in STEM fields, but the visibility and acknowledgement of our work continues to be a challenging feat. This is most evident in technology related fields. To me, being a woman in HE means a responsibility to support, foster and make way for the new generation of women in HE and in Design.
Tell us about a recent Research highlight / achievement.
Because of my research in design for disability, I was the first Design Researcher achieving a Fulbright Scholarship in Peru. I have continued this work in Design for Health and two of my recent achievements are: the completion of my ARC Linkage grant Seamless Journeys to Work for Young People with Disabilities, and the research with technology for empathy building I am doing with hospitals in the area of paediatrics.
Tell us about a woman who inspires you.
Australian Professor Genevieve Bell for her inspiring work in the intersection of culture and technological development; and Michelle Obama for her leadership strength and her ability to communicate and engage with all kind of audiences.
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