Dr Belinda Cridge is the Technical Lead for Drinking Water and Learning Specialist at Water New Zealand, where she works at the intersection of public health, workforce capability, and sector development. Her role combines technical expertise in drinking water safety with leadership of workforce learning initiatives aimed at strengthening capability across the water sector. Belinda has a background in toxicology and environmental health, with particular expertise in chemical risk assessment and drinking water contamination. Prior to joining Water New Zealand, she worked as a toxicologist at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), where she provided scientific advice to support public health decision-making, including work with the Ministry of Health on drinking water management and environmental exposures. Earlier in her career, Belinda was a lecturer in toxicology at the University of Otago and has held research and teaching roles internationally, including at the University of Oxford. She holds a PhD in Toxicology from the University of Otago and has published widely on environmental toxicology, risk assessment, and science communication. Through her current work, Belinda collaborates with industry, researchers, and regulators to understand workforce capability and future skills needs in the water sector. Her interests include how complex infrastructure sectors create diverse career pathways and how workforce data can inform career development, lifelong learning, and more inclusive participation in essential infrastructure industries.

Ashleigh moved to NZ from Zimbabwe during high school and re-discovered a fascination for biology. She started working in analytical laboratories from her second year of university with a dream to be a forensic scientist. After completing a BSc and Postgraduate Diploma in Science at University of Waikato, she spent eight years working at ESR in the forensic labs. She moved to the University of Auckland in 2014, managing the teaching and research lab spaces and helping upcoming young Anthropology researchers achieve their goals. Since 2019 she has worked in the Faculty of Engineering and Design, managing their school engagement initiatives to encourage more young women to consider a career in Engineering.

Sylvia Nassar, Ph.D. (http://www.drsylvianassar.com/; https://sites.google.com/a/ncsu.edu/sylvia-nassar), is currently a Professor of Counselor Education and the Research Methods Coordinator for the College of Education at North Carolina State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1994 and her Master's degree in Guidance & Counseling from Eastern Michigan University in 1986. She has served in a variety of clinical mental health, school, and college settings over the past 40 years, and her initiatives have included promoting the professionalism of counseling and counselor education. Her scholarship spans multicultural, gender, and career development issues, with a special focus on Arab American acculturation and ethnic identity development. She has published over 100 books, refereed articles, and other instructional materials and has been a scholar-leader-advocate in her field in the US and globally across four decades. Dr. Nassar served on the CACREP (Council for the Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs) 2016 Standards Revision Committee and also has and currently serves on the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development's Multicultural Counseling Competencies Revision Committee. She has served as board member for the Census Information Center Advisory Board to the Arab American Institute, the National Board for Certified Counselors, and the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, and currently serves as a Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of Counseling & Development, senior personnel on the Workforce Development team of the Bezos Center for Sustainable Proteins. (https://bezoscenter.ncsu.edu/), and the director for Multicultural Issues of the International Institute for the Advancement of Counseling Theory (https://www.odu.edu/international-institute-advancement-counseling-theory). Dr. Nassar has held the Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair at Eastern Michigan University and visiting professorships at the Research Triangle Institute - International’s International Development Group, the University of Applied Labour Studies in Mannheim,Germany, and the Universidad IberroAmericana in Mexico City. Among Dr. Nassar’s most recent awards are the Global Advancement of Counseling: Community Capacity Award from the National Board for Certified Counselors, the Alumni Association Outstanding Research Award from North Carolina State University, the Robert O. Stripling Award for Excellence in Standards from the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, the Diversity Initiative Award from the National Career Development Association, and both the Arthur Hitchcock Distinguished Professional Service and the Fellow awards from the American Counseling Association.

Tece is the Programme Director and a Senior Lecturer at the Games Department of Media Design School at Strayer in Auckland, New Zealand. She has a PhD in computer science from University of Auckland, and her main research areas are games for health, games for impact, and game development education. Prior to pivoting to an academic career and teaching game development at Media Design School at Strayer, she held a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and worked as a software engineer in the defence industry in Türkiye. She has an infinite curiosity for the intersection between technology and human condition, is a tinkerer, a fan of science fiction and Forgotten Realms. She is an advocate for diversity of culture, talents and thoughts and has been organising an event called Girls in Games since 2013. Girls in Games aims to encourage young girls to consider games as a career path and bring attention to STEAM subjects.