It’s fast, it’s furious…and it’s a great way for new researchers to present their project to a room full of engaged conference participants.
It’s called In the Wine Light – an evening session held during the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference (AWITC) – where a group of current wine and viticulture students are selected to present what they are doing, how they are doing it and why it is important… in three minutes.
Dr Mango Parker, a Research Scientist with the Australian Wine Research Institute, well remembers her moment in the ‘wine light’ in 2019 when she was crowned the winning presenter.
“It was one of the most terrifying nights of my life, but it was also heaps of fun,” she said.
In the Wine Light presenters at the 2019 Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference
Mango’s presentation was about how phenolic-free glycosides from grape marc can increase wine flavour.
Mango said it was important for student researchers to present to the wine sector, and the AWITC attracts the best audience every three years.
“It is a challenge to communicate your research and the value of it to those who can benefit from the research in their daily life, rather than the way you would present to other researchers.”
“These days it’s not enough to be a great scientist, you also need to be able to communicate your science. This event is a great opportunity to hone those skills, in a friendly, supportive and fun environment, as well as getting direct feedback from the people who count.
“It’s also a great opportunity to connect with wine and viticulture student researchers, as well as established researchers and practitioners from the broader wine sector. The community of wine and viticulture researchers tends to be spread out across the country and across institutions, so it’s nice to come together for events like this at the AWITC.”
Dr Mango Parker
Jo Hargreaves, Senior RD&A Program Manager from Wine Australia said the event was important because it provides early career researchers with an opportunity to succinctly answer two key questions: ‘what are they researching and why does it matter?’
“In doing so it sharpens their communication skills as well as their project purpose. It’s also an entertaining and enjoyable evening for conference participants to be introduced to future researchers and projects in grape and wine science,” Jo said.
In the Wine Light will be held on Tuesday 28 June 2022 from 5.30pm to 7pm and is co-sponsored by Wine Australia and the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO).
Students will be judged by a panel and the winner will receive a prize. Researchers are selected for the event by the AWITC Poster Committee and will be contacted in May.