Scott Sleap

As an esteemed Australian educator and pioneer in STEM, Dr. Sleap has garnered numerous accolades, including a University of Newcastle Alumni National Leadership Award and the Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Secondary Science Teaching. Recognised as a Commonwealth Bank Teaching Fellow, he is also a proud Winston Churchill Fellow. In 2023, Dr. Sleap dedicated two months to studying space and STEM education, outreach, and workforce development in the United States, collaborating with organisations like NASA, Lockheed Martin, NSF, National Space Council, and the White House.

Actively involved in the space industry, Dr Sleap advises both the NSW Government and the Australian Space Agency. Contributing to several space strategies, including the soon-to-be-released National Space Plan, he co-developed the National Space Workforce Initiative with UNSW Canberra Space and the NSW Space Research Network. Currently, he collaborates with a diverse array of space industry groups in Australia and the US, playing a pivotal role in organising and attracting conferences to NSW.

Previously, Dr Sleap served as the Director of a Defence-funded workforce development program, recognised by the OECD as the world's best practice. He received a global chairman's award from BAE Systems for his work in aerospace workforce development.

Dr Sleap has significantly impacted aerospace education, helping establish the first Aerospace Systems Engineering degree at the University of Newcastle and helping introduce aero skills and engineering certificate courses to support the F-35 sustainment program. As the current leader of the STEM Industry School Partnerships (SISP) program within the NSW Department of Education, he has designed numerous innovative STEM programs, benefiting over 100,000 students. In 2021, he co-founded the Australian Virtual STEM Academy.

A Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle's College of Engineering, Science, and Environment, Dr Sleap earned his education degree with first-class honours in 1996. Presently, he serves as the Managing Director of Sleap Business Consultants, specialising in STEM education, workforce development, project and event management. Simultaneously, he manages a family pastoral business in the Hunter Valley, focusing on cattle production.

In 2016, Dr Sleap completed his PhD in Engineering at the University of Newcastle, thanks to a research scholarship. During his postgraduate studies, he co-authored numerous academic papers with the late Laureate Professor Scott Sloan, a fellow of the Royal Society of Science.