Linking Science and Service

The Year 4 and Year 8 students at Saint Kentigern Girls’ School were fortunate to host parent, Dr Gretchen Weightman who spoke to the girls about biomedical development of rice. Understanding the nutritional needs of people in developing countries is relevant for the girls at present, as many of them have recently participated in the World Vision 40 Hour Famine.

Dr Weightman discussed the worries about global population increases and staggered us with the fact that that by 2050, the world population would be 9 billion. Because there simply won’t be enough food to feed this population, production of stable food groups such as rice and corn is an important consideration.

Dr Weightman further inspired the girls by explaining her own path into the world of science. She discussed next generation employment opportunities which now exist particularly as a result of technology, the development of the double helix and DNA profiling, and urged the girls to ‘lean forward’ towards global problems as opposed to stepping aside.