Paul Willis

RiAus Director Dr Paul Willis is probably best known for his 14-year career as a science broadcaster with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.  As well as presenting and producing on ABC television science shows Quantum and Catalyst, Paul has also been involved with numerous ABC television and radio science and current affairs programs.

At home in front of an audience, Paul has long been passionate about informing, educating and amusing people of all ages and backgrounds.  From introducing school children to life-sized inflatable dinosaurs with Dinosaurs at Large, to chatting about science over a pint during Science in the Pub, Paul has always been keen to seize the opportunity to talk about science in a variety of public forums, engage non-scientists and get people talking and thinking about science and society.  He was rewarded for his passion in 2000 when he was joint recipient of the Eureka Prize for Science Communication.

This extensive background makes Dr Willis the perfect fit to head RiAus, the world’s first sister organisation to the prestigious, 212 year old Royal Institution of Great Britain.  A national science hub dedicated to bringing science to people and people to science, RiAus strives to highlight the importance of science in everyday life by creating real and virtual spaces in which people can listen, talk and think about science in all its shapes and forms.

Dr Willis brings a solid research career in vertebrate palaeontology to his work as a science communicator, and has produced many academic reports and papers.  He has also authored or co-authored seven books on dinosaurs, rocks and fossils, as well as numerous popular science articles for a variety of publications.
With his extensive experience as a broadcaster, public speaker and Master of Ceremonies, Paul is the perfect speaker for all occasions – particularly those involving scientific and innovative topics. Always up for an adventure, Paul was the resident palaeontologist on seven Antarctic expeditions. He brings this enthusiasm and keen sense of adventure to his role as science communicator, ready and willing as always to engage non-scientists and stimulate community conversations about science, life, and everything.

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