Alumni Talks: Start-up vs Private vs Government

Navigating your career choices can be hard. As part of Your Science Career, UNSW Science presents Alumni Talks: Start-up vs Private vs Government. This tailored event for science students brings together successful alumni representing diverse sectors—start-ups, private corporations, and government agencies. Through engaging panel discussions, alumni share insights, challenges, and opportunities specific to each sector, offering valuable perspectives for university science students weighing their career options. A lively Q&A session encourages interactive dialogue, allowing you to delve deeper into topics of interest. The event culminates with a networking dinner, fostering connections between students and alumni, and providing a platform for meaningful conversations and mentorship opportunities.

Date: Tuesday 9 July
Time: 5:45 to 7:30 PM
Location: MCIC Event Space, Level G, Hilmer Building (E10), Union Rd, UNSW Sydney, Kensington NSW 2052
Food: Food and drinks included

Alumni

Mahiya Maliyat

Mahiya Maliyat is an Early Careers Advisor at Aurora Energy Research, overseeing the Graduate Programs across Australia and Japan. Her journey began while pursuing a Bachelor of Psychological Science at UNSW, where she explored diverse career pathways beyond traditional psychology. Intrigued by the intersection of human behaviour with organisational dynamics, Mahiya delved into the world of Early Careers and Graduate Development.

During her studies, Mahiya developed her professional skills at organisations such as Commonwealth Bank, Macquarie Group and PwC, growing her network across the APAC region.

Now as a graduate, Mahiya blends her knowledge of psychological principles with a passion for nurturing early talent to foster the next generation of leaders in the energy sector.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mahiyamaliyat/

David Posniak

David graduated from UNSW in 2015 with a Bachelor of Advanced Science double major in Archaeology Palaeoenvironments and Ecology and Class 1 Honours in Biological Sciences. Since then, he has worked with and volunteered for State and Federal government in different museums (Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Australian Museum and Australian National Maritime Museum) and agencies (Department of Agriculture - Northern Australian Quarantine Strategy and NSW Environment Protection Authority) across a variety of roles including customer service, technical photography, administration and project and program coordination. He currently works as a Project Officer with the NSW Environment Protection Authority coordinating projects for Return and Earn and the Hunter River Salinity Trading Scheme.

Outside of work, David is the President of Sydney's only LGBTQIA+ netball club, Surry Hills Netball Club, with whom he leads and coordinates a number of teams at Centennial Parklands Sports Centre's social netball competitions.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/david-posniak

Dave Sammut

Dave Sammut is a scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, author and mentor. He has spent 30 years in technology development and commercialisation, and is currently active in 5 companies. His focus right now is on his cleantech startup: Loop Hydrometallurgy, which is “Making copper green”.

Since 2013, Dave has volunteered to run a national mentoring program for STEM students and early career scientists, which is good. Unfortunately, Dave also thinks he’s funny and inflicts his standup comedy on audiences every chance he can, which is bad. So watch out for dad jokes tonight.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dave-sammut-8615374/?originalSubdomain=au

More to come...

Whether you are drawn to innovation, private enterprise, or public service, this event will equip you with the knowledge and connections to make informed career decisions.

First 20 people to arrive will receive a small welcome gift. Lucky door prizes will also be given during the event.