School of Chemical and Physical Sciences at VUW

As part of our new Master of Space Science and Practice, we took our class to the New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA) where they had the chance to interview Dr Jess Dallas, Head of Policy about all things space policy related. Their excellent questions ranged from New Zealand's participation in the development of international regulation for the space environment, through to how the NZSA engages with NZ citizens in its decision-making processes.

Jess also talked about her journey from a science background into policy development, and may have inspired at least one student to consider a career at the NZSA! Thanks to Jess for being so generous with her time and providing some fascinating insights for students and lecturers alike—we all learned a lot.

On the evening of Wednesday 29 July the Royal Society Te Apārangi and its Wellington Branch hosted a special lecture from Emeritus Professor John Lekner.

The event drew an excellent crowd, including members of the public, former colleagues, and many students who had had the pleasure of being taught by John. John’s talk was titled ‘Electroporation in Cancer Therapy, and Beauty in Physics’, covering two areas that John is particularly passionate about, namely the beauty inherent in physics and its ability to improve the lives of all of us.

Overall, the evening was a wonderful celebration of an amazing (and ongoing) career and a chance to provide a well-deserved thanks to John for his many amazing contributions to theoretical physics research and teaching.

Lifetime Achievement Award for Professor John Lekner | Te Wānanga Matū / School of Chemical and Physical Sciences | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Professor Lekner has been presented with the inaugural Royal Society of New Zealand Wellington Branch Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to science.

How molecules have influenced an ‘all in’ career

Professor Bridget Stocker’s inaugural lecture, Targeting diseases the organic way, is a homage to the people she has learned from, worked alongside, and shared knowledge with.

Read about Bridget's story and find details about her professorial lecture on our website: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/06/how-molecules-have-influenced-an-all-in-career

Professor Stocker represents the balance of life as a scientist while raising four kids.

Four students from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington have been awarded scholarships to intern at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. Congratulations to SCPS students Angela Xue, Laura Doyle, and Zhen Hong (Zac) Chai!

NZ space scholarships show students a new world | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Four students from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington have been awarded scholarships to intern at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California.

Project Kororā, New Zealand's first comprehensive student-led CubeSat initiative, has been recognised for their work at the Wellington Gold Awards.

The interdisciplinary team of over 100 students, spanning engineering, space science, law, and the arts, have been working hard behind the scenes to develop a 3U Cube Satellite as part of the university's commitment to space innovation.

The name Kororā comes from New Zealand’s little blue penguin, which is roughly the same size and weight as a 3U CubeSat. The penguin symbolises our mission: to dream boldly and build something extraordinary together, proving that even a flightless bird can inspire a journey to space.

You can visit the Project Kororā website to follow the mission.
https://projectkorora.space/

SCPS is proud to celebrate the launch of TwoPhold!

TwoPhold is a start-up developing advanced materials to improve solar panel performance and push photovoltaics to the next level.

Co-founders Nikita Shumilov and A/Prof Nathaniel Davis are grateful for the support so far, and more is to come soon.

You can follow their journey: https://www.linkedin.com/company/twophold/posts/?feedView=all

When SCPS PhD candidate Kiersten Kneisel arrived at the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne, she was stepping into one of the most powerful scientific facilities in the Southern Hemisphere—and one that would play a key role in her PhD research.

Read about her experience at the link below:
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/science-engineering/about/news/2026/using-the-synchrotron-to-help-develop-cleaner-energy

Did you catch VUW Senior Lecturer in Space Science Dr Morgan Cable on the news? Watch her describe how NASA's Artemis II lunar mission was important to test systems for future travel to the moon and see how the human body reacts in deep space.

Scientist says Artemis II trip "critical" for future moon plans Victoria University's Morgan Cable says the mission was important to test systems and see how the human body reacts in deep space.

Congratulations to David Flynn and Chase Zemke-Smith on their achievements at last night’s Ki te Pae Staff Excellence Awards.

Chase received the Te Maruako Tutor Excellence Award, and David was awarded the Professional Staff Excellence Award.

Celebrating women in science helps open up a pathway for younger women and girls into traditionally male-dominated fields—if you can see it, you can be it.

Today, February 11th, we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Globally, only one in three scientists are women, meaning science is missing out on a huge number of talented women who could make a real difference, from quantum computing to clean energy.

We would like to showcase some of the amazing women we have in the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. We asked them to describe themselves, how they got into science, what they love about their job or studies, and what messages they would have for younger women getting into science. You can read their full stories at the link below.

https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/scps/about/news/scps-celebrates-international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science