Alan Brien, Scitech CEO

Alan_Erica__010 As Chief Executive Officer for the past ten years, Alan Brien has seen Scitech grow into Australia’s leading science centre.

Under his guidance, Scitech has undergone a major refurbishment including the installation of the largest digital planetarium in the Southern Hemisphere: Horizon and the expansion of Scitech's Outreach programs in partnership with Rio Tinto WA Future Fund.

Read an extended bio about Alan

See what Alan is talking about in his blog:

2012 National Science Week wrapped up

Congratulations to everyone who was involved in this year’s National Science Week. There was well over 300 science events held in WA alone which saw everything from science festivals, music and comedy shows to the popular Molecular Origami. It’s great to see this science engagement continue with online interaction from visitors sharing their Scitech experiences, and to make this even easier we’ve introduced a free public WiFi zone.

In the workshop, our teams are busy developing the next feature exhibition, Science Fiction, Science Future, which will hit our floors in November. Out on the floor, our dinosaurs in Explore-a-saurus continue to be a favourite with visitors.

Lastly, the parking at the City West complex has changed with the introduction of a new barrier gate system. Free parking for Scitech visitors will still be available. So please ask the friendly staff at our ticket office how to validate your free parking when you arrive.

I look forward to seeing you these school holidays!

Outstanding Outreach and Professional Learning efforts

Time to wrap up another financial year and what a fantastic 12 months it has been. I would like to make a special mention to our Outreach and Professional Learning teams, which continue to deliver outstanding science engagement programs in our community.

Outreach’s Aboriginal Education Program has recently wrapped up a six-week tour of the Kimberley, visiting some of WA’s most remote communities. Also touring the area was Scitech’s Professional Learning program, providing teachers with support and training for teaching science in line with the new National Curriculum.

Thanks to the ‘roaring’ success of our current dinosaur exhibition, we have received record visitation so make sure you pop down and visit our toothy friends. You can also check out wild weather in our Planetarium, create lava lamps in the CSIRO Lab, or enjoy the dino shadows puppet show...whatever you are chasing these school holidays, Scitech has it covered!

Cultural exchanges

I recently joined Outreach on an Aboriginal Education Program tour in the Pilbara. The trip was both extremely interesting and rewarding. I congratulate the team on the valuable work they do in these remote areas. It was great to see the teams being so adaptable, especially when English is a second language for most of these students. The cultural exchange was amazing to witness and the workshops were not only interactive and engaging, but also generated a direct link between science and everyday lives.

Looking ahead, Scitech recently submitted its 2013-2018 Business and Operational plan to the Minister for Science and Innovation. Scitech plays a vital role in WA's economic and social future and the fostering of a scientifically-literate community. We look forward to working with the Minister and his team in delivering this vision over the next five years and beyond.

Super staff and volunteers

The foundations of Scitech are built around the passionate staff and volunteers who are committed to making science an engaging and rewarding experience for the Western Australian community.

I am constantly amazed at the enthusiasm and motivation of the staff who infuse newfound ideas and creativity into our programs, activities and exhibitions.

Our staff are busy putting together a plethora of fun and engaging activities to make these school holidays an enjoyable experience for all.

So we hope to see you here this April, and don’t forget to stop for a chat with our staff – you won’t believe the stories they have to tell...

A prized entity

Wow! What a busy time of year it is at Scitech.

We celebrated yet another fantastic National Science Week in August with over 200 amazing science events being rolled out across the State.

Scitech also hosted another year of RoboCup in August with students coming from far and wide to showcase their robotic inventions.

On another front, we recently received the results of a Ministerial Independent Mid-Term Effectiveness Review of Scitech. The Report which has been provided to the government confirms that, "Scitech remains highly mission-driven and continues to perform in a cost-effective manner...and remains one of the State's most prized entities in the science and technology communication arena."

The outcome of the review will help shape our business operations and facilities moving forward into our next five-year plan.