Ingrid Rencken
Toowoomba
Summary
Dedicated educator and scientist with an understanding of secondary schools and science enabling a bridge to STEM careers and opportunities for young women.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Scondary Teacher
Downlands College
06.2025 - Current
- Developed engaging lesson plans aligned with curriculum standards.
- Implemented innovative teaching strategies to enhance student learning outcomes.
- Fostered a positive classroom environment promoting student participation and collaboration.
Education Officer
Primary Industry Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA)
01.2022 - Current
- Promoted AgCAREERSTART to schools and at career expos. This gap year program encouraged students to explore employment opportunities in agriculture.
- Devised an interactive spinning wheel activity to engage students at the career events.
- Hosted and presented a series of online career Q&A sessions about careers within agriculture. Videos were filmed using Google Meet, and edited in Canva to create short, curriculum-aligned career videos, with associated worksheets.
- Maintained national career advisor and agriculture teacher networks with updates on the AgCareerStart program and success stories to relevant schools.
- Presented a hands-on workshop at AgVision, showcasing agricultural careers.
- Developed and implemented educational programs to enhance primary industry knowledge among students.
Science/Agricultural Teacher
Downlands College
01.2019 - 01.2022
- Excellent communication, organisational and multitasking skills used in designing and preparing lessons for Year 8, 9 and 10 students.
Science/Agricultural Teacher
Toowoomba Grammar/Our Lady of the Southern Cross
01.2015 - 01.2018
- Contract teaching
Scientific Education Officer
Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE)
01.2012 - 01.2014
- Project management: Managed the Science Investigation Awards for 200 school students from Year 1 to Year 12, held at the University of Southern Queensland. Liaised with local schools, worked with the University of Southern Queensland to arrange the venue, judges, and science-related activities during the day, culminating in an award ceremony.
- Project Manager BEAMS: Created awareness of engineering opportunities for girls by using University of Southern Queensland engineering students to visit schools during science lessons to encourage the participation of girls in engineering.
Project Support Manager
Enviro Asset Management
01.2010 - 01.2011
- Completed Carbon Accounting course from Swinburne University. Prepared Carbon Audits with an agricultural focus, as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions within agriculture for local café and winery.
- Speaker at the Spring Vine Health Field Day on the benefits of measuring carbon emissions for the wine industry
Extension Officer
DPI & F
01.2007 - 01.2008
- Developed extension material promoting biodiversity on cotton properties and wrote articles for “Cotton tales” a publication advising growers on relevant cotton issues.
- Invited speaker by the Moree Catchment Authority to speak on “Natural pest control - Are there production gains from conserving native vegetation?” and convened a field day on the benefits of biodiversity on cotton properties.
PhD- Entomology
University of New England
01.2001 - 01.2006
- Awarded an industry scholarship from Cotton CRC to conduct research on cotton agroecosystems
- Designed experiments to evaluate the role of native vegetation surrounding cotton properties in supporting insect predators and the interaction between what occurred in the cotton crop and these resources
- Presented results of my PhD at numerous national and two international conferences; the World Cotton Conference (2003) and the XXII International Congress of Entomology (2004), highlighting the importance of spatial scale of agroecosystems
Education
PhD - An Investigation of the Importance of Native and Non-crop Vegetation to Beneficial Generalist Predators in Australian Cotton Agroecosystems
University of New England
Armidale, NSW, Australia01.2007
Higher Teaching Diploma - Biology and Mathematics
University of Cape Town
01.1990
Skills
- Lesson planning
- Student engagement
- Classroom management
- Curriculum development
- Educational program design
- Project management
- Communication skills
- Public speaking
- Workshop facilitation
Languages
German
Elementary
Timeline
Scondary Teacher
Downlands College
06.2025 - Current
Education Officer
Primary Industry Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA)
01.2022 - Current
Science/Agricultural Teacher
Downlands College
01.2019 - 01.2022
Science/Agricultural Teacher
Toowoomba Grammar/Our Lady of the Southern Cross
01.2015 - 01.2018
Scientific Education Officer
Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE)
01.2012 - 01.2014
Project Support Manager
Enviro Asset Management
01.2010 - 01.2011
Extension Officer
DPI & F
01.2007 - 01.2008
PhD- Entomology
University of New England
01.2001 - 01.2006
Higher Teaching Diploma - Biology and Mathematics
University of Cape Town
PhD - An Investigation of the Importance of Native and Non-crop Vegetation to Beneficial Generalist Predators in Australian Cotton Agroecosystems
University of New England