Rio Tinto has teamed up with Murdoch University to support the STEM Outreach Programme for regional high schools, as part of a joint initiative to boost student engagement in science-based subjects.

This month, high school students in Western Australia’s Great Southern region will be engaged in hands-on activities that demonstrate the real-life applications of STEM skills as part of the Rio Tinto-Murdoch University STEM Outreach Programme.

Murdoch University’s roaming metallurgists Graeme Thompson and Ken Seymour will be in the region for four days from March 26-29, visiting Great Southern Grammar, North Albany SHS, Bethel, Albany SHS, St Joseph’s and Mt Barker Community College.

“The students will be treated to a fiery show, as some of these experiments have quite a bit of energy released,” said former science teacher Mr Thompson.

“We will demonstrate how iron oxide and aluminium can react to create molten iron ore at 2500 degrees and cause ‘water to catch fire’.”

“The molten iron ore reaction is used to fuse railroad tracks together, so it’s a good demonstration of chemistry’s power and application.”

Students will get hands on experience during the sessions, extracting copper metal from ore using acid, steel wool and electricity and be given an “ore bag”.

Fostering a culture of innovation

“To enable our company to continue to supply the metals and minerals essential for human progress, we need to focus on building capacity in future generations and fostering a culture of innovation by supporting education programmes in STEM disciplines, ” Rio Tinto General Manager Communities and Communications Linda Dawson said.

“Together with long-term partners like Murdoch University we are proud to be actively supporting STEM pathways to develop a pipeline of graduates who are STEM-literate and engaged potential future employees,” Ms Dawson said.

Rio Tinto’s partnership with Murdoch University commenced with the ‘Be A Metallurgist For A Day’ programme (2012-2016). The current three-year partnership (2017-2019) inspires students’ interest in extractive metallurgy and innovative Information Technology, both of which are critical to the State’s future prosperity.

“It is estimated that 70 per cent of future jobs will be STEM related and these will the key to the State’s economic growth and development,” Murdoch University Provost Professor Romy Lawson said.

Murdoch University is one of only three universities in Australia that offer a degree in Extractive Metallurgy.

“We want students to see mineral extraction as an exciting, and well compensated career option,” Professor Lawson said.

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