Rate My Professor Shanii Phillips

Shanii Phillips is an Adjunct Research Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Western Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Science Communication, completed in 2014, and a Master of Science in Science Communication with Distinction, awarded in 2018, both from the University of Western Australia. Her master's thesis, 'An explosive impact: How do science shows influence teenage audiences?', highlighted her interest in the influence of interactive science demonstrations on young audiences. Currently, she is a PhD researcher at the Australian National University’s Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, exploring improvements in inclusion within informal science learning organizations. Identifying as a 'pracademic', Phillips integrates science communication research with practical application.

Phillips has been with Scitech, Western Australia's science centre, since 2013, taking on various roles such as performing live science shows, delivering hands-on STEM workshops for families and school groups, developing programs and content, coordinating science theatres, and currently serving as Senior Customer Insights Analyst since August 2023, where she leads impact evaluation and audience research efforts. Her research specializations include science centres, informal science learning, evaluation of informal science learning, science capital, science communication for social justice, and inclusive science communication. Passionate about science communication's role in promoting informed decision-making and civic discourse on complex challenges, her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. In December 2024, she was appointed to the National Council of Australian Science Communicators. Key publications feature her lead-authored article '‘Explosions are always entertaining but…’: investigating the impacts of science shows on high school students' in Research for All (2025, with Miriam Sullivan and Ann Grand), a contribution to 'Exploring the multimodal affordances of digital coding devices in fostering creative thinking in early childhood education' in Thinking Skills and Creativity (2024), and, under her maiden name S.R.P. Austin, 'How are we performing? Evidence for the value of science shows' in International Journal of Science Education, Part B (2018, with Miriam Sullivan). These publications demonstrate her impact on advancing the evaluation and effectiveness of informal science education.