The Welfare Portfolio
ABOUT US
We are here for the students and our goal as a club is to improve the student experience. The welfare portfolio contributes to mental & physical health workshops, volunteering opportunities, and multiple fundraising events, giving students the opportunity to improve their own situation and to give back to the community.
What events do we run?
Safe-Talk
The Safe-Talk program is a suicide prevention course that gives attendees the life-saving skills needed to assist in getting a person struggling in a major mental health crisis, the professional help they need. Science Union is extremely proud of our work to improve the mental health on the UWA campus and will continue to run Safe-Talk and other workshops similar to it to continue our mission of improving mental health among young people.
Relaxation Workshops
On that same mission, we run workshops to offer students a break from their strenuous University schedule. We regularly run fun, creative and stress-free events including terrarium building, tote bag customising, and tie-dye workshops. These events run on campus and give students the opportunity to make friends and engage with many other students from across campus.
The last few years have brought its own challenges to the life of students, with online classes and isolation, bringing with it new stresses and challenges, and with that Science Union had to change how we brought those moments of fun to our members. We ran weekly online challenges for students, to maintain engagement with our members and offer them a break from the new and always changing university schedule.
Gender Diversity In Science (GDS) Breakfast
Our annual GDS breakfast aims to empower an entirely underepresented cohort in STEM to pursue greatness; with powerful non-binary and female speakers coming to share their stories about their careers and struggles. This event helps Science Union on our mission of achieving Equity across campus; Science Union pride itself on our constant work towards equity for every student and helping to rid UWA of discrimination. There are a lot of hidden “Old Boy’s Club” secrets throughout our entire industry and we refuse to let that trip up people moving into the field in the next few years.
Interfaculty Sports
'Interfac', as it is affectionally called, is a weekly event bringing together students from all the different faculties on campus to compete in a different sport every week. It is where we don our iconic and much-loved sports shirts, which offer a special and highly visible sponsorship opportunity to an audience of non-members.
Please visit the Interaculty Sports page to find out more about these events!
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Name: Meghana Vemulapalli (She/Her/Hers)
Studying: Masters in Biological Sciences (Conservation Biology)Fun Fact: Pelicans are my arch-nemesis (don't even ask)
About My Role: My role is to help coordinate the welfare portfolio and run wholesome events for science students. This means I run whole heap of the warm and fuzzy stuff, including our volunteering crawl, Relay for Life, and SafeTalk.
I also coordinate the Equity and Diversity subcomittee ensuring that both Science at UWA and Science Union are welcoming and diverse spaces. If you’re chasing some welfare opportunities im your gal so feel free to get in touch!
Contact me via email at vemulameghana5@gmail.comu
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Name: Millie McFarlane (she/her)
Studying: 2nd year double majoring in environmental science and management, and finance
Fun Fact: I’ve worked at Cole’s for a quarter of my life
About My Role: It’s my job, along side the other sports coordinator to help organise inter-faculty sport each week. We arrange for a Science Union team to be at the respective sport each week via advertising the event, primarily through social media. We also run sports events throughout the year and promote a healthy lifestyle on behalf of Science Union.
Contact me via email at 23334722@student.uwa.edu.au
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Name: Justine Harris (she/her)
Studying: 2nd Year majoring in ANHB, and Pathology and Lab Med
Fun Fact: No matter how many times someone explains to me traffic and why we can't just print off more money, I just don't get it
About My Role: As the welfare officer it’s my job to help wherever Eve sends me. I’ll be all around welfare events and helping out with everything that doesn’t fall under sports or volunteering like women’s breakfast and mental health training.Like every other member of SU, I'm here to help you get involved and get to know others while having a great time at uni! Feel free to ever shoot me a message if you have any questions or just want someone to talk to :))
Contact me via email at 23340695@student.uwa.edu.au
Meet the Welfare team!
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Name: Joel Brooker
Studying: 2nd Year majoring in Artifical Intelligence
Fun Fact: - I was once 5th in Australia in my section for both Irish Dancing and Portal speedrunning at one point
About My Role: As sports co-ordinator it is my job to help Millie run interfaculty sports every week. I am also the primary organiser for Science Unions social volleyball team for this year.
If you’re keen to get involved in sports of all forms feel free to message me
Contact me via email at 23409801@student.uwa.edu.au
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Name: Melissa Klifunis (she/her)
Studying: Recently graduated and getting started on my honours in women’s health!
Biggest Ick: Men running to catch the bus with a backpack on
About My Role: As the volunteering coordinator, I'm here to help you help others and the environment, whilst also getting you tons of volunteering hours. Also, like any other member of SU, I'm here to help you get involved and get to know others while having a great time at uni! Feel free to ever shoot me a message if you have any questions or just want someone to talk to :))
Contact me via email at 23081275@student.uwa.edu.au
Meet the Equity and Diversity Subcommittee!
Swasthi Jithesh
Haley Nary
Elise Cornfield (Middle)
Fran Kelly
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Name: Elise Cornfield
Major: 3rd Year Psych Student
Fun Fact: I once got a concussion at a house party and didnt even notice for 3 days
About My Role: It’s my role to ensure that the voices of sexually and gender diverse students are heard on Science Union and that all of our events are tailored to be accessible to all. I also act as a point of call for science students who have worries or questions about their gender and sexuality, how to deal with it in a university and academic context, and where to find other resources on the matter.
Contact me via email at 23126445@student.uwa.edu.au
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Name: Fran Kelly
Major: That’s a secret i’ll never tell x
Fun Fact: I’m a killer GK in netball (come to interfac and i’ll prove it xx)
About My Role: It’s my job to ensure that the women, both on committee and throughout UWA as a whole, have the opportunity to have their voices and experiences recognised. At it’s most basic this sees me helping to organise our gender diversity in Science Breakfast, but I also have my input into every event we run.
Beyond this I help to support the welfare portfolio as a whole, helping Eve wherever possible and ensuring all of our events and initiatives go off without a hitch.
Contact me via email at - 23409042@student.uwa.edu.au
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Name: Haley Nary
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Contact me via email at @student.uwa.edu.au
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Name: Swasthi Jithesh
Major: - 2nd Year Environmental Science Student
Fun Fact: - My favourite childhood cartoon character was Mr. Bean
About My Role: - It is my primary job to brainstorm and organise events which recognise combat the impact our society has on the environment - whether that be protests against fracking and coal mine sites like adani, or small community level aide like beach clean ups and tree planting activities.
As scientists it is our role to recognise and combat the effects of the Anthropocene era -standing against climate change and the exponentially increasing level of extinctions.
Contact me via email at - 23816549@student.uwa.edu.au