Flinders STEM Women Aurora photo contest

The 2021 Cochlear Aurora photo contest has now closed.

Thank you to all who entered. We will be reviewing and judging submissions in the coming weeks.

We will notify entrants with details of the awards ceremony at a later date.

If you have any queries, please email us at stemwomen@flinders.edu.au

Good Luck and thanks again.

stemwomen@flinders.edu.au

Cochlear Aurora Photo Contest 2020 Winners Announcement

In a special ceremony at Flinders University (on Thursday 11 February), coinciding with the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Flinders physics lecturer Associate Professor Maria Parappilly amongst other academics presented the winners of the 2020 Cochlear Aurora Photo contest.

First place in the individual honours for Years 11 & 12 students was awarded to YiAn Fang from Seymour College for her photo The magic of a crystal ball.

First place in the individual honours for Years 7-10 students went to Claudia Coggan from Glenunga International High School for her photo Cloven-Hooved Climate Change.

People’s Choice Awards for photos that made the most people talk about science went to Jade Whiting from Mitcham Girls High School, for Eye see the sea in the Years 7-10 category, and to Jessica Sampson from Wudinna Area School for Urban Rainbow in the Years 11-12 category.

The judges also awarded another prize for a photo that received 255 excellent scientific comments – to Year 8 student Alexandra Seal from Loreto College for Come Full Circle.

Read the full article

View the full list of winners

2020 Aurora Photo Contest finalists

Full list of winners

Years 11 & 12
1st Place and winning school	The Magic of a crystal ball	YiAn Fang	Year 12	Seymour College
2nd Place	Fingerprint flames	Cindy Bennetts	Year 12	Mount Compass Area School
3rd place and regional	Urban rainbow	Jessica Sampson	Year12	Wudinna Area School
4th Place	Pulse	Grace Willmore	Year 11	St Dominic's Priory College
Commendation	Time to reflect	Jennifer McGrath	Year 11	Scotch College
Commendation	Bubbly Beauty	Victoria Zhang	Year 12	Glenunga International High School
Commendation	Spring has sprung	Marcie Flynn	Year 12	Naracoorte High School

Years 7, 8, 9, 10
1st Place and winning school	Cloven-Hooved Climate Change	Claudia Coggan	Year 9	Glenunga International High School
2nd Place	Barriers	Sahana Meenachi Sundaran	Year 9	Glenunga International High School
3rd Place	Frozen Javelin	Stephanie Jones	Year 10	St Dominic's Priory College
4th Place	Dying to Survive	April Wright	Year 7	East Marden Primary School
Commendation	Underwater wonderland	Kaylis Mazurczak	Year 8	Mitcham Girls High School
Commendation	Earth's small saviours	Lucy May	Year 8	Hills Christian Community School
Commendation	Floating on metal	Adele Chiuchiolo & Ellena Cordon	Year 9	St Dominic's Priory College
Regional	Where the world begins	Maggie McKinnon	Year 10	Grant High School (Mt Gambier)

Special Category Awards
Optometry and Medicine Prize	Evolved	Tahlia Malins	Year 11	Thomas More College
Best Natural Photo	Halo on the Ranges	Lillian Woodroffe	Year 11	Australian Science and Mathematics School
Best STEAM (including Arts)	Come full circle	Alexandra Seal	Year 8	Loreto College
AIP Physics 7-10	Action Reaction	Isabella Lecong	Year 9	St Dominic's Priory
AIP Physics 11 & 12	The magic of a crystal ball	YiAn Fang	Year 12	Seymour College
Best STEMM (including medicine)	Beneath the leaf	Summer Buhlmann	Year 11	Wilderness School
People's Choice 7-10	Eye see the sea	Jade Whiting	Year 8	Mitcham Girls High School
People's Choice 11 & 12	Urban Rainbow	Jessica Sampson	Year 12	Wudinna Area School
Best Commitment to STEM Engagement		Educator Denise Kennedy		St Dominic's Priory College

The magic of the crystal ball

Fingerprint flames

Urban rainbow

Time to reflect

Spring has sprung

Bubbly beauty

Pulse

Underwater wonderland

Earth's little saviours

Floating on metal

Dying to survive

Cloven-hooved climate change

Barriers

Frozen javelin

Action reaction

Evolved

Beneath the leaf

Where the world begins

Eye see the sea

Full circle

Be inspired by our finalists

“

It was an incredible honour to win the award with my photo ‘Worthington Jet’ because of what it represents; the contest paves a way for young girls and women to have a career in the area of STEM and teaching them that their gender, age or whether they live in the city or country, should not restrict what they are able to achieve.”

Molly WIld Grant High School - Mt Gambier

“

I have always loved both science and photography and it isn’t often you get an opportunity to combine the two, so when I heard about the competition from my science teacher at the time, I thought that it could both be a bit of fun for me and a way to challenge myself as a learner and an artist.”

Amber McAuley Thomas More College

“

At the ceremony there were many presentations made by industry speakers and students that were very interesting. The student presenters in particular were very inspirational and educational, as they gave me an insight to different types of sciences that I didn't know could be studied. It inspired me to see young women achieving their goals with the science that they loved.”

Kayla Wong Unley High School

“

Winning this award, "Best Natural Photo" and "Best Physics Entry" to me, is just amazing! It's a great recognition of the work that I've done. Receiving the award not only gives me the motivation to keep going on the road, but I have also gained more faith in myself.”

Laura Bellido Glenunga International High School

“

I really enjoyed listening to the industry speakers and students because it gave me an opportunity to see how others have created exciting careers in STEM. I was inspired by their stories and work to pursue my own passions and continue learning as much as I can about what interests me.”

Tahlia Malins Thomas More College

“

Winning this award boosted my confidence, and seeing all the other amazing submissions and reading the connections other people were making between science and the world around us meant I was noticing patterns in nature and appreciating natural beauty more. I definitely see myself studying a STEM degree at University, with a particular interest in forensic and investigative science. Unfortunately, I could not attend the awards ceremony as I was participating in a science camp on Heron Island Research Station in the Great Barrier Reef. This contest has inspired me to be more appreciative and aware of the world around me, and to take more notice of the little details and intricacies that make our world so beautiful."

Nevie Peart Australian Science and Mathematics School

The Cochlear Aurora Photo Contest 2019.

To view past finalists and winners select the link below.

For further information please email stemwomen@flinders.edu.au

Past finalists

Background information

The Cochlear Aurora Photo Contest was devised and founded by Associate Professor Maria Parappilly and has been running since 2015. Flinders University partnered with Cochlear Asia Pacific in 2016 in support of women in STEM.

The photo competition has two major prize categories:

Female school students in years 7 to 10, in South Australia or Northern Territory
Female high school students in years 11 to 12, in South Australia or Northern Territory

Prizes totalling over $4500* are awarded to students and their schools in the several categories

*Prize pool may change without notice.

The photo competition has four major prize categories:

1 x $500 Female school students in year 7 to 10 (from South Australia or Northern Territory).

1 x $500 School of the 1st prize award winner in Year 7-10 (Sponsored by ASBMB) (from South Australia or Northern Territory).

1 x $500 Female high school students in year 11 to 12 (from South Australia or Northern Territory).

1 x $500 School of the 1st prize award winner in Year 11-12 (from South Australia or Northern Territory).

Additional prize categories may include:

Beach Energy prize for the Best Natural photo will be offered ONLY in Year 11- 12 Category

Australian Institute of Physics Best Physics Photo Prize will be offered in both categories.

Best STEM Entry from Regional SA Sponsored by the college of Science and Engineering (Drawn from both Categories).

Best STEMM Entry Sponsored by the Office of Communication, Marketing and Engagement

Best Medicine and Optometry Prize sponsored by the College of Medicine and Public Health

The Cochlear Aurora Photo Contest (the Contest) is run exclusively by Flinders University ABN 65 542 596 200. Flinders University reserves and retains all rights (including intellectual property rights) arising from or associated with the Contest including the right to hold and advertise the Contest.

Photo submission guidelines

Convey the fact that ‘Science is everywhere!’
Be creative, unique and eye-catching.
Convey directly or indirectly the essence of the title/content.
Be an original photo taken by the student.

Judging criteria

Entries will be judged on the quality of the photo, creativity of the concept, clear communication and explanation of the photo.
Judging will be based on the weighting as follows:
60% Photograph
35% Description
5% Title,
Judges decisions is final.

Students are only allowed to enter one photo; multiple entries are not permitted.

The 2021 competition closes at 5pm , 8 October 2021.

Aurora photo contest guidelines and submission details

Eligibility

If you are a female student currently enrolled in Years 7 - 12 at a South Australian or Northern Territory secondary school you are eligible to enter the contest.

Guidelines

The Cochlear Aurora Photo Contest (the Contest) is run exclusively by Flinders University ABN 65 542 596 200. Flinders University reserves and retains all rights (including intellectual property rights) arising from or associated with the Contest including the right to hold and advertise the Contest.

The Cochlear Aurora Photo Contest opens 14 May 2021 and the deadline for submissions is 5pm Friday 8 October 2021. Students submitting an entry agree to their name and photo being displayed or presented at Flinders University and other media sources should they be a winner or a runner up. The winners of the prizes will be announced at an Awards Ceremony at Flinders University on a date to be confirmed.

The submitted photo must:

convey the fact that ‘Science is everywhere!’
be creative, unique and eye-catching
convey directly or indirectly the essence of the title/content
be an original photo taken by the student.

Students are only allowed to enter one photo; multiple entries are not permitted.

Joint entries by up to 2 students is permitted; multiple entries by joint entrants are not permitted. Only one prize will be given for joint entries.

Judging criteria

Entries will be judged on the quality of the photo, creativity of the concept, clear communication and explanation of the photo.
Judging will be based on the weighting as follows:
60% Photograph
35% Description
5% Title.
The judging panel will review all valid entries and select the winning entries.
The explanation must be written by the student(s) and must not contain any copyrighted material.
The judging panel’s decision on the winning entries is final.

How to submit an entry

Students must:

Complete the online registration.
Upload a jpeg file of the photo (high resolution - 300 dpi)
Use this naming convention for the photo: Aurora_Surname_School name, eg: Aurora_Smith_Henley-High