OSA Ambassador - Sienna

We are excited to welcome Sienna as an OSA Ambassador again for 2024. Sienna is an experienced Oliphant Science Award entrant and was also the recipient of the Tall Poppy Award in 2021 for her Scientific Inquiry entry. 

Get to know Sienna!

How did you first get involved in OSA?
I first became involved in the Oliphant Science Awards in 2020 when I was in year 8 at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College. Our OSA coordinator took notice of my keen interest in science and passion for the subject, so we discussed the idea of me putting in an entry into the Oliphant Science Awards. In primary school, I was aware of the competition, but it wasn't until 2020 that I placed my first entry in the Scientific Inquiry category with my project, Starch Hydrolysis by Amylase and Detergents.

Why do you participate?
I participate in the Oliphant Science Awards because it provides me with an opportunity to challenge myself, expand my scientific knowledge and further develop my creativity and problem-solving skills, explore new concepts, and connect with like-minded individuals who share my passion for science. Additionally, the Oliphant Science Awards has opened doors to future educational and career options in the scientific field for me, as in 2021 I was honoured to be awarded the inaugural Tall Poppy Award, enabling me the opportunity to see science in action with Professor Justin Chalker as my science mentor for a year.

What advice would you give to other OSA entrants?
The advice I would give individuals entering into this competition is to choose a category they have a genuine interest in and a topic that aligns with their passions and curiosity. In turn, this will make the competition experience significantly more enjoyable, motivating the individual to dive deeper into their chosen topic and will encourage them to apply themselves as best as possible. This in itself is the greatest success, the best thing you can do is just try your absolute best because the competition is about the journey, not just the destination!

What is your favourite project that you have submitted?
My passion for the environment and the future of the earth drove me to construct my 2022 entry, Bioplastics - the solution to the current ecological crisis?. The purpose of my investigation was to determine which substrate (gelatin, agar, cornstarch) had the best mechanical strength and was the most biodegradable in bioplastic samples. This is my favourite project because the findings of this investigation benefit the wider community, it proved that the best bioplastic for optimal strength and biodegradability was agar. The current ecological crisis is being exacerbated due to the enormous use of conventional petroleum-derived plastic. Therefore, if agar bioplastics were promoted to be used in our daily lives, environmental sustainability would be supported. Future generations can live in a safer environment that is free of toxic petroleum-derived residue which would help to preserve the biodiversity of living organisms on Earth.