Inspiring NSW welcomes new Chair and Executive Committee members

Women smiling outside, in front of ships

Inspiring NSW is delighted to announce the incoming Chair and members of the Executive Committee. They have been appointed until March 2024.

The NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte said, “I am pleased to welcome the new Chair and members of the Inspiring NSW Executive Committee. In events across the state throughout the year, as well as during National Science Week this August, they will play an important role in engaging the wider community in the power of science and inspiring our next generation of scientists.”

Chair, Emily Jateff

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as the Chair of the Inspiring NSW Executive Committee this year. I believe that getting our researchers and scientists and their stories out into the community creates two-way public communication, and is one of the most powerful means of increasing scientific literacy as well as attracting our young people to STEM careers”.


Emily Jateff first fell in love with archaeology while down a Hellenistic-era well in Crete, and realising that people did this archaeology thing underwater, learned to dive, and had a great time working in the field for a while. She has since managed laboratories, curated exhibitions, taught students, written articles, helped make short films, talked in front of lots of different people, and conducted fieldwork on a variety of sites, including four dives to RMS Titanic in a Mir submersible.

She is now the Senior Curator of Maritime Trade and Industry and inaugural Curator of Ocean Science and Technology at the Australian National Maritime Museum where she develops programs and collaborates with science, industry and community to create content for the museum’s public-facing activities in ocean sciences, technologies, climate change and sustainability. She also leads the museum’s ten-year program in support of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.  

Emily is passionate about sharing Australian scientists’ and innovators’ stories of marine inventions with people across the nation and the world. Her goal is to use museums as a means of markedly increasing national and international ocean literacy.

“I am in awe of the great minds, can-do attitudes, and superstar science happening in our own backyard and cannot wait to help share these stories with communities across NSW” she says.

Member, Phoebe Cowdery

“ In my role on the Inspiring NSW Executive Committee, I aim to support Science Hubs in developing and maintaining programs with multiple partnerships, highlighting effective marketing and communication strategies to attract participants and audiences, whilst advocating for the long-term financial sustainability of programs”.


Phoebe Cowdery is an accomplished Creative Producer and Curator based in Central West NSW.  Her experience spans 30 years in arts and cultural practice. Phoebe is a founding member and current Board Member of non-profit arts and cultural organisation, the CORRIDOR project. As Creative Producer she has led the successful production of over 80 science and arts programs involving a broad range of participants and audiences.

As current convenor of the Orange Cowra Cabonne Science Hub, she has established an extensive network of key industry science experts associated with environmental agencies, museums, traditional ecological knowledge holders and artist/arts-workers who co-facilitate and author programs for schools, youth and community bringing awareness to the immersive world of STEAM. Her work is driven by environmental, social, and historic constructs, resulting in large scale public events, residences, exhibitions, workshops and forums involving cross-cultural exchange, that contributes to new learning models and experiences developed and expressed through science, arts and culture.

Phoebe says, “As a part of the Inspiring Australia network, our Hub has had the opportunity to collaborate with many scientists, artists, and members of the community, resulting in exceptional outcomes. Our work has generated broad interest in science, arts, and cultural practices within diverse regional communities”.

Member, Aleshia Lonsdale

“I am excited to join the Inspiring NSW Executive Committee and look forward to supporting new and exciting initiatives which connect people and celebrate the importance of First Nations knowledges and science in our everyday lives.”


Aleshia Lonsdale is a Wiradjuri woman from Mudgee in Central Western NSW. She is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator and Community Development Officer. Aleshia has worked on numerous cross sector projects utilising the arts as a powerful tool for education, empowerment, and change. She is currently the Aboriginal Arts Development Officer at Arts Out West and also curates the Kew-Y-Ahn Gallery at Hartley which is a gallery for contemporary Aboriginal Arts from across the region.

Aleshia has a passion for the maintenance and sharing of culture and heritage and working to amplify and celebrate the voices and experiences of First Nations peoples through projects which work at the intersection of science, arts and education. 

Alisha is a regular contributor to panels, conferences and events including the  Inspiring NSW Regional Science Hubs Leadership Lab in 2019.

Member, Mark Temple

“There are so many great science communicators in the NSW region and Inspiring Australia provides a meeting place to discuss ideas, provide funding and help bring these to realisation. I’ve been lucky enough to have support from Inspiring NSW over the years, and I’m excited to give back something and help the science outreach community thrive.”


Mark Temple is a researcher in Molecular Biology in the School of Science at Western Sydney University. He received University awards for Research (2019) and Engagement (2021) and has been proactive to promote his research to the wider community since 2018. In addition to being a scientist Mark is also a renowned musician having been a founding member of the internationally successful pop band The Hummingbirds. As a scientist he draws upon his creative past and uses music to bridge the gap between science and art.

Using this approach Mark has held successful STEM out-reach events at Joan Sutherland Theatre, City Recital Hall, National Art School, and the Australian Botanical Gardens. His combination of research work and out-reach performance has drawn praise in Smithsonian Magazine, NPR radio, New Scientist, Nature blogs, New York Times, LA Times, the ABC Science Show, and numerous other media outlets. As an academic Mark sits on numerous University committees and he has played an important role in the governance of the School of Science.

Mark is passionate about science teaching, science research and STEM out-reach. He says, “over the years, Inspiring NSW has been super important in helping me promote science ideas to the wider community. I’ve had so many great discussions with people within the Inspiring Australia community to help me think about how to reach out to community and how to create an engaging event. I’ve been involved with projects which were organised by the regional science hubs and those organised directly by Inspiring NSW. This has helped me better understand how to make my own events more engaging”.

Farewell to Corey Tutt

Emily Jateff succeeds Corey Tutt as Chair of Inspiring NSW. Appointed in 2021 during the tumultuous times of COVID lockdowns, Corey has made an important contribution to the work of Inspiring NSW during this period, especially to the recognition of Indigenous knowledge and  science.

“I’ve had a great time learning about the wider STEM community in NSW during my period as Chair of Inspiring NSW. It is now time to pass on the role to another STEM researcher and communicator while I focus on the growing demands of Deadly Science.  I look forward to seeing the continued engagement with Indigenous knowledge and our communities during National Science Week and throughout the year” said Corey.