Tasmania’s leading science, technology, engineering and mathematics educators, researchers, communicators and innovators have been recognised at the 2026 Tasmanian STEM Excellence Awards.
Six awards were presented at The Forest in Hobart on Tuesday night, recognising achievement across research, innovation, education and science communication.
The Premier’s Tasmanian STEM Researcher of the Year was awarded to Professor Jane Alty from the University of Tasmania’s Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre. A neurologist and researcher, Professor Alty leads TAS Test, a digital brain health platform that uses movement, speech and cognitive tasks completed on a smartphone to test for neurodegenerative conditions at home.
The Tasmanian STEM Early Career Researcher of the Year was awarded to Dr Ke Liu from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tasmania (PhD 2022). Dr Liu models agricultural systems to help farms respond to drought, heavy rainfall and climate extremes, and co-leads an international collaboration investigating crop performance under extreme conditions.
Lisa Johnston from Smithton Primary School was named Tasmanian STEM Primary Teacher of the Year. Ms Johnston established the school’s first robotics club and has introduced hands-on projects including the FIRST LEGO League BioGlow challenge, with a focus on encouraging girls and underrepresented students to participate in STEM.
The Tasmanian STEM Secondary Teacher of the Year award went to Erica Noble from Tasmanian eSchool. A former researcher, Ms Noble teaches Digital Technologies and STEM to students across Tasmania and has developed project-based learning programs in renewable energy, climate science, coding and robotics.
Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith was named Tasmanian STEM Communicator of the Year. An astrophysicist and science communicator who has lived and worked in Hobart since 2018, Professor Harvey-Smith reaches audiences through television, radio, books and events including Beaker Street and the Festival of Bright Ideas.
She also founded the Future You program, which encourages young people to explore STEM careers.
Aspecthera won the Minister’s STEM Innovation of the Year Award. The company was spun out of research at the University of Tasmania by Professor Jason Smith and Associate Professor Nuri Guven and is developing an eye-drop treatment designed to prevent diabetic retinopathy and vision loss.
2026 Tasmanian STEM Excellence Award winners
Premier’s Tasmanian STEM Researcher of the Year
Professor Jane Alty, Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania
Tasmanian STEM Early Career Researcher of the Year
Dr Ke Liu, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania
Minister’s STEM Innovation of the Year
Aspecthera
Tasmanian STEM Communicator of the Year
Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, University of New South Wales
Tasmanian STEM Secondary Teacher of the Year
Erica Noble, Tasmanian eSchool
Tasmanian STEM Primary Teacher of the Year
Lisa Johnston, Smithton Primary School