President
Martin Bush is a Research Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne with expertise in the cultural history of popular science and professional experience in science communication and the museum sector. Particular interests include planetariums, public reasoning practices and the science communication work of the Ngarrindjeri Australian David Unaipon. His recent PhD from Swinburne University is on popular astronomy in Australia in the era of the lantern slide and his essay from the thesis on the Proctor-Parkes affair was a joint winner of the 2016 Mike Smith Student Prize for History of Australian Science.
Email: president@aahpsss.net.au
Vice-President
Gemma Smart is a Philosopher of Science studying at the University of Sydney. Her current research interests lie in the Philosophy of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, with a particular focus on the Philosophy and Science of addiction. Other research interests include Science and Ethics, Nature-based Ethics, Mysticism and the synthesis of Science and Spirituality.
Gemma’s background is in Environmental Science and Human Geography, and she has published on the social application and implications of Agricultural Science in remote developing regions, and homelessness among urban Indigenous Australians.
Email: vicepresident@aahpsss.net.au
Secretary
Dr Jacinthe Flore is a Lecturer in the discipline of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne. She is a historian of medicine and a science and technology studies scholar whose research explores the history of psychiatry, the biopolitics of pharmaceuticals, and digital transformations in mental health.
Email: secretary@aahpsss.net.au
Treasurer
Carmelina Contarino is an Honours Student in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. Her interests include Metascience and STS. Her current research focusses on the sociological impacts of philosophical choices of the Metascience reform movement.
She is also a Research Associate at the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics (CAIDE), and tutor at both the Melbourne Law School and the School of Computing and Information Systems.
Email: treasurer@aahpsss.net.au
Postgraduate Representatives
Samara Greenwood is a PhD Candidate in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne. Samara’s thesis explores the relationship between social contexts and science using an Integrated HPS approach. Samara also hosts The HPS Podcast and was awarded the Ian Langham Prize at the 2021 AAHPSSS Conference.
Rebecca C. Mann is a PhD Candidate in the School of History and Philosophy of Science at The University of Sydney. Rebecca’s thesis explores the intricacies of the concept of biological individuality and its use across disciplines, including biology, philosophy of biology, metaphysics, and ethics. Rebecca also has a Bachelor of Genetics with Honours from the Australian National University and a Diploma of Arts (Philosophy) from The University of Sydney. Rebecca has a keen interest in odd biological entities, with a particular fascination for social insects like the honey bee.
Communications Officer
Christopher Orrell is a PhD candidate in the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne. His research investigates the ways in which nineteenth century medical journals were used to construct scientific knowledge, as well as communities and cultures of profession based on shared claims to exclusive possession of said knowledge. His research is situated in the Digital Humanities space, and is focussed on developing a methodology that balances the usefulness of text mining with the subjectivity of humanities research. He has a BA in History from La Trobe University, a BA(Hons) in History from Monash University, and a MA in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Melbourne.
Email: webmaster@aahpsss.net.au
Committee Members
Ian Hasketh
Lucia Neco: I am a philosopher and biologist. I am currently the Project Coordinator and a Research Associate for the "Keeping Kinship in Mind" Project, coordinated by Prof. Rob Wilson at the University of Western Australia. I am fascinated by the philosophical underpinnings of the biological, cognitive, and social sciences, especially in the realms of social behavior and culture. Additionally, I actively contribute to the Philosophical Engagement for Public Life (PEiPL) network and engage in initiatives related to Philosophy for Children (p4c) in Perth, Australia. More at https://luciacneco.weebly.com.
Ian Tasker was born in New Zealand in 1959 and began his career in telecommunications with the NZPO before immigrating to Australian in 1984. He spent several decades in Information and Communications Technology. In 2004, he was published in the IAU; Commission 46 newsletter, vol. 62, Robotic Observatories in eEducation and eResearch (ROER), and in 2005 wrote a White Paper for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Why Program Management works across the value chain; employing diffusion of innovation marketing and eCommerce beyond project management limitation, which formed a section in a R&D proposal for Robotic Observatories in eEducation and eResearch, to be driven by a scheduling switch. Ian returned to academia in 2007 and completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Research Studies. In his thesis, Feasibility Study for a Planetarium at UWS: The efficacy of planetaria; astronomy and space science education, he developed a mathematical model to ascertain audience attendance that then set limitations on the technology centre’s design parameters and overall budget. Since then, Ian’s research interests have matured and he is currently addressing how internationally managed science is funded. He is in the process of publishing his research for a PhD by Publication, which will be supervised by Professors Ray Norris and Brett Bowden in 2020.