The Real YouQ

Q: What is your favourite UQ memory?

A: Whether it be debugging code, finishing lab experiments, or regular evening classes, I’ve spent many long days on campus. Walking past the UQ lakes as day turns to dusk is still magical to this day.

Q: Is there a place you feel most connected to on campus and why?

A: I can’t escape the nostalgia whenever I’m visiting any of the UQ library spaces. It’s where I learnt how to study, connect with my peers, and master the work ethic required to become a professional.

Q: Looking back to the day you first set foot on campus, is there anything you wish to tell that person now?

A: It’s not only okay, but essential to be out of your comfort zone! That’s when we learn the most. 

Q: What’s the one fact that people wouldn’t know about you?

A: I’m an avid street and documentary photographer in my downtime. Chasing the light while walking through urban cityscapes is my happy place.

Is there a skill you wish you had learnt, or one that you’re currently trying to master?

A: I’ve worked as a scientist and teacher for over 2 decades, yet effective science communication to the general public still remains a mystery to me. A huge part of this involves online communication, which I’m trying to gradually get better at through regular posts on my website and YouTube channel. Learning about lighting and cinematography is what I’m obsessing over currently, and I’m halfway through a frame-by-frame deep dive of Roger Deakin’s filmography.

Q: What are 3 things you can’t live without?

A: This applies equally to work and play: camera, laptop, headphones (in that order).  

Q: What are you currently reading?

A: The Startup of You, by Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn) and Ben Casnocha (Venture Capitalist). Trying to embrace a growth mindset and find the time to learn new skills as a working professional (in academia of all sectors) is a daunting task. This book gives me a window to draw inspiration from entrepreneurs all over the world and not be complacent in my current role.

Q: Who are your real-life heroes?

A: In Science – Louis Pasteur. The amount of innovation Pasteur (the inventor of Pasteurisation) was able to deliver, given the constraints on knowledge and technology at the time, is truly staggering. 

In Art – Fan Ho. Fan’s minimalist graphical approach to black and white photography is a big inspiration.

Q: What drew you towards teaching?

A: I work on tiny molecules and microbes invisible to the naked eye so it can be difficult to extrapolate these rather abstract concepts to our everyday lives. Teaching allows me to impact hundreds of thousands of people about scientific ideas they have never experienced. There’s nothing like the immediacy of student feedback in the room (for better or worse!) when you have truly connected with them on a topic. 

Q: Who was the teacher that changed your life?

A: My family moved around quite a bit when I was young, and it was not easy to find my place in any of the schools I attended.  A grade 5 teacher (at my third primary school in 4 years) saw value in my writing and took time to give me that feedback. It shaped my whole approach to communication and put me on the path I am on today.