Student leaders from high schools across the Sunshine Coast and Gympie will be empowered to inspire and help others through an exciting Leadership Day at USC on Monday 6 March.

About 60 Year 11 and 12 students from 10 schools are taking part in the initiative that will feature a Facebook Live event on the work of USC Engineering academic Dr Adrian McCallum, who is developing life-saving and affordable avalanche detectors.

The online, Q&A-style session will be run by USC’s 2016 Alumnus of the Year and Seven Local News newsreader Katie Toney.

Media are welcome to attend. The best times for photography/filming will be for the Facebook Live session from 12.15-12.45pm.

Dr McCallum, whose work has taken him across Antarctica, Greenland, the Himalayas and the Arctic, will discuss how engineering is more than just hard hats, plans and hi-vis vests.

“Engineers are problem solvers – providing clean drinking water, constructing earthquake-proof housing and developing avalanche detectors,” he said.

The Leadership Day also will include sessions on developing leadership and communication skills, run by USC Senior Human Resources Consultant Jodie Turner and Senior Lecturer in Communication Dr Greg Nash respectively.

Those unable to attend the Leadership Day can view the Facebook Live event at: www.facebook.com/events/1441560045917507/

Dr McCallum will also make a presentation to about 40 students from seven high schools at USC’s Fraser Coast campus on Wednesday 8 March.

— Terry Walsh