Star Recruits Join the Science Gallery Melbourne Team
Science Gallery Melbourne is excited to warmly welcome Namila Benson, Dr Ramas McRae and Dr Kristina Mah to the team, whose expertise spans cultural storytelling, inclusive education, eastern philosophy and emerging creative technology. Each bring an inspiring breadth of experience that will strengthen the Gallery's work at the intersection of art, science and culture.
Namila Benson
Namila Benson is one of Australia's most respected arts journalists, broadcasters and cultural storytellers and joins Science Gallery Melbourne through our partnership with BLAK C.O.R.E. For more than 30 years, she has developed and produced arts programming across radio and television, specialising in music, performance, visual arts and contemporary culture. Namila is widely recognised for her thoughtful approach to storytelling and dialogue, creating spaces where artists and communities can share their experiences with dignity and authenticity. Among her many achievements is a collaboration with the late Uncle Jack Charles to write his memoir Jack Charles: A Born-Again Blakfella.
Guided by her Tolai (matrilineal) Papua New Guinean Melanesian culture, Namila brings a deep commitment to cultural exchange, listening and collaboration. Namila is particularly looking forward to working with the BLAK C.O.R.E. artists, fellows and collaborators and helping to amplify First Nations creative voices and perspectives.
Dr Ramas McRae
Ramas McRae joins the Learning Experiences and STEM Centre of Excellence Team as STEAM Coordinator (D/HoH Programs) and brings a unique interdisciplinary background across arts, science and inclusive education, with extensive experience designing and facilitating creative, accessible programs with and for deaf and hard of hearing communities. Born deaf in communist Lithuania before moving to Australia, Ramas recently completed a PhD advocating improved mental health support and accessibility for deaf Australians and further explored as part of a Churchill Fellowship. Ramas has worked across a range of educational institutions, including Deakin University, Monash University, La Trobe University and Melbourne Polytechnic, is co-founder of Flow Festival and has contributed to numerous public-facing creative projects that bring together technology, participation and community engagement.
Dr Kristina Mah
Dr Kristina Mah joins Science Gallery Melbourne as Academic Specialist & Lecturer, Art and Computer Science, a joint appointment with the School of Computing and Information Systems in the Faculty of Engineering and IT at the University of Melbourne. A transdisciplinary artist, researcher and former World Karate Champion, Kristina's work combines emerging technologies, human-computer interaction, Eastern philosophy and embodied movement. She completed her PhD in Human-Computer Interaction in 2023, exploring how Buddhist philosophy and compassion-based practices can inform the design of future technologies.
Kristina previously held a Lecturer position in Design at the University of Sydney and has collaborated with leading research groups in Australia, Singapore and the United States. Her practice brings together artistic experimentation, technological innovation and human-centred design, making her uniquely positioned to contribute to Science Gallery Melbourne's growing role as a platform for interdisciplinary research and creative inquiry.
Greater inclusion and access
Namila, Ramas and Kristina join the Science Gallery team at a time when the gallery expands providing greater access to STEM, creativity and intercultural experiences to disadvantaged and culturally diverse young people. With the upcoming program including the Deaf Art Science Festival led by Ramas McRae and the Science Gallery Cafe staffed by deaf student baristas from Victorian College for the Deaf, ‘Who’s caring: Robots, AI and the art of being together’ by Kristina Mah as part of Melbourne Connect’s Innovation Week and the Future Careers Forum connecting high school students globally to inspiring jobs of the future. Science Gallery Melbourne’s commitment to access and inclusion has recently been recognised through being shortlisted for an Eureka Award for STEM Inclusion, one of Australia’s most esteemed science awards.
We are delighted to welcome Namila, Ramas and Kristina to the team and look forward to the ideas, collaborations and new possibilities they will help create at Science Gallery.
Images: Dr Kristina Mah; Namila Benson, photo by Nick Harrison; Dr Ramas McRae.