Meet the finalists of the ACT Women’s Awards 2026: Jasmine Fellows
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From transforming healthcare and improving women’s safety to opening doors in construction, automotive and sport, 11 remarkable women and gender-diverse people have been named finalists in the 2026 ACT Women’s Awards.
In the lead-up to the 2026 ACT Women’s Awards ceremony on Thursday 3 September, we wanted to get to know each of the finalists a little better. Today we meet Jasmine Fellows, recognised for national leadership in STEM communication and connecting young people with science and technology pathways.
Congratulations on being named a finalist in the 2026 ACT Women’s Awards! How did you feel when you found out?
There are so many women doing important work in Canberra; I am so grateful to be considered and recognised. It’s an honour to be standing side-by-side with the other finalists, all of who I greatly admire.
In a nutshell, tell us about the work or initiative that led to your nomination.
My nomination is for national leadership in STEM communication and connecting young people with science and technology pathways. I’m a journalist and editor, who’s spent more than 20 years making complex science easier to understand. Today, I lead publications that reach more than a million Australians each year.
One of the magazines I’m most proud of is Careers with STEM. The magazines reach every high school and every primary school in Australia. The stories in those pages help young people imagine futures they might never have otherwise thought possible.
What underpins my work is the belief that science and technology have the power to transform our lives. I want every Australian to feel confident making evidence-based decisions, and every young person to see a place for themselves in STEM.
Looking back, was there a particular moment, challenge or experience that set you on this path?
My mother, Mandy Leong, taught me that I could be anything I wanted to be, and that I could do anything with enough planning and practice. Mum says I was “born bored”, so she found ways to help me channel that excess of energy into creativity. She passed away from brain cancer three years ago, but her influence can be seen in my work every day.
As for my work in STEM communication, much of the inspiration came from high-school science teachers and CSIRO Education programs I participated in as a teenager. I particularly loved reading Double Helix magazine growing up, and I went on to be the editor there, helping forge STEM pathways for other young Australians.
What achievement are you most proud of – and why?
Imagination and ideas can changes lives. When I’m providing careers materials, people are making life decisions based on my work. I take great care in this, but also great pride.
When I was the Editor of Double Helix, we carried out a survey of past readers. We found out that 66% of the respondents were either working or studying in STEM fields. There was a time when 84% of the respondents were more interested in science than before they started reading Double Helix. While Double Helix may have only been a part of their journey into STEM, it was memorable support.
I particularly love hearing personal stories from readers who have gone on to work in STEM. I love the varied fields they’re working in. It’s really very special.
Is there a woman, mentor or role model who has inspired your journey?
I’ve followed in the footsteps of amazing Australian women: Heather Catchpole, Karen Taylor-Brown and Professor Merryn McKinnon. They have each fought for media representation of women in STEM. The STEM Equity Monitor shows there’s still a long battle ahead towards diversity in STEM, so we are all continuing our work!
There are so many women and mentors who have inspired me on this journey. I think that, in many ways, is the key: women coming together and lifting each other up. I hope I can be there for others as they have been for me.
What does being recognised as an ACT Women’s Awards finalist mean to you?
To be recognised alongside women contributing across so many different fields is genuinely special. I’m particularly pleased that the awards create space to recognise the breadth of inspiring work women are doing in the ACT.
I hope being a finalist also gives me an opportunity to shine light on the importance of investing in science for Australia’s future. We live in a country of scientific and technological opportunity. Australia needs another 550,000 STEM professionals by 2035. At the same time, we see headlines in the news about job cuts, restructures and funding uncertainty in science. It’s a confusing message for young people.
Australia’s total R&D investment has fallen from a historic high of 2.24% of GDP to just 1.69% today. Comparable OECD countries are investing 2.7%. Even CSIRO, our national science agency isn’t calling this out. Even when we get economic benefit from R&D, $3.50 for every $1 invested.
In order to get young people to invest their lives in STEM for the benefit of Australia, we must invest in them. That means creating a vibrant, ambitious and appropriately resourced sector, one that offers secure, rewarding and appealing career opportunities.
What advice would you give to a young woman or gender-diverse person hoping to make a difference in their own community or industry?
I used to think I’d have to compete hard with other women to prove myself. Now I know the world is big enough for all of us, and we do better lifting each other up. So find your people, find your fellow women. Good friends, mentors, colleagues and communities can make an enormous difference.
