This article has been republished from the ANU College of Systems & Society Newspage.
Alison Kershaw has spent more than 15 years making science more inclusive, human, and accessible.
She was part of the very first pilot cohort of the Master of Applied Cybernetics program at The Australian National University (ANU).
Now, her work has been recognised with the Unsung Hero of Science Communication Award, presented as part of South Australia’s National Science Week celebration.
For those who have studied or worked alongside Kershaw, the honour comes as no surprise.
“She is a very real and beautiful human. Capable. Caring. Articulate,” says Professor Katherine Daniell, Interim Director of the ANU School of Cybernetics.
“She is a leader in our alumni cohort, always seeking to give back and pay her investment forward for others.”
Championing access and inclusion#
Kershaw’s approach is driven by care, courage, and a belief that science belongs to everyone.
As Program Manager for Inspiring South Australia, Kershaw has been behind hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, enabling tens of thousands of people to engage with science.
She’s made sure those opportunities reach the people and places where it can make the biggest difference. This includes communities historically underrepresented in STEM, including First Nations people, women and girls, those living in rural and regional areas, and people with disabilities.
“We work collectively to deliver an amazing array of events to give people an opportunity to learn, connect, play, and discover what is out there and connect with the cool and interesting people who are doing science, technology, engineering, maths, medicine, and so much more,” says Kershaw.
Her initiatives include South Australia’s first First Nations Science Festival, gifted the Kaurna name Payirri-apinthirlu naalityangka, meaning ‘investigate with you all’.
She also hosted and produced the award-winning Be Curious mini-series with Channel 44, shining a light on South Australia’s own unsung science heroes.
“Of all the things I thought I would do in my career, hosting a TV show was not on the list,” she says. “I’m incredibly proud of this series.”
Over the years, she has launched an annual STEM Ambassador program for National Science Week, built partnerships with the Adelaide Fringe Festival, and even established a prize for art and science as part of South Australian Living Artists Festival.
“My greatest passion has been education and community engagement,” Kershaw says. “I delight in bringing ideas to life.”
Building a new way of learning at ANU#
In 2019, she joined the very first cohort of the Master of Applied Cybernetics at the 3A Institute, now the School of Cybernetics, at ANU. The program was something new, experimental, and collaborative: students didn’t just learn a curriculum, they helped create it.
“The best thing about the School of Cybernetics is that we are working to build something new. We’re not researching an already established discipline. We’re all working to build a new branch of engineering,” says Kershaw.
“The staff and the students who come from a ridiculously vast range of backgrounds bring their expertise, their skills and their passions to every conversation, piece of research, and project that we work on. It’s exciting to be part of building something that has never existed before, and that will help us shape and build a future that we all want to be part of.”
Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell, who led the Institute at the time, recalls Kershaw’s impact:
“Alison and I worked together to pioneer new ways of the State Government’s Thinker in Residence program to engage with the youth of South Australia and to test better consultation methods. Her work helped create new youth programs and engagement in regional and rural South Australia.”
That spirit of co-creation and inclusion would continue to define Kershaw’s career.
A lasting impact#
From Adelaide Fringe to TEDxAdelaide, from Fab Lab Adelaide to working with policy leaders through the Inspiring Australia Network, Kershaw has left her mark wherever science meets community.
The science communicator and cyberneticist has consistently built capacity, widened access, and reminded institutions that science is not just for scientists.
Her leadership has helped connect makers, researchers, artists, public servants, students, policy makers, media, and communities who might otherwise never have crossed paths or had the chance to be part of the conversation.
For Kershaw, the Unsung Hero award is not just recognition of past achievements; it’s a reminder of the importance of science opening up, being shared widely, and treated as something that belongs to everyone.
“My career has consisted of me saying yes to interesting things – nerd stuff, arts stuff, community development stuff and fun stuff – and it has all led me here. I can’t quite believe it!” says Kershaw.
“I’m lucky enough to have a career I love, that connects, educates and entertains people across the state,” says Kershaw.
“Thank you to the people, paid and unpaid, I have worked with over many years, who have made it all so much fun.”