Reimagining the future of aerospace

The Dee and John Collier Scholarship is helping Tully's aerospace ambitions soar.

Tully's fascination with flight began early. Growing up around aircraft, she flew solo in a Piper PA-28 Warrior on her 15th birthday – the youngest age Australians can take to the skies alone.

Having reached the clouds, Tully turned her focus to outer space. She went on to study engineering at the University of Melbourne, specialising in aerospace, driven by a desire to understand the universe, solve complex problems and create technologies with lasting impact.

Five people smiling in front of a NASA sign at a space laboratory.

Tully at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as one of five Australian students selected for a NASA internship with the National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA).

In 2023, Tully, a then 21-year-old Gundungurra woman, was selected as one of only five Australians to undertake a three-month internship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory through the National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA), funded by the Australian Space Agency. The internship, designed to encourage Indigenous participation in STEM, placed Tully among world-leading scientists and engineers working at the forefront of space exploration.

For Tully, the experience deepened her commitment to aerospace engineering and expanded her sense of what the field could become.

But alongside her practical training, Tully was also developing a more purpose-driven vision, informed by her experience as an Indigenous woman.

“What would space exploration look like if we approached it from an Aboriginal worldview with responsibility first?” she asks. “Bridging Indigenous knowledge with advanced engineering concepts, aiming to bring unique perspectives and holistic approaches to science, is a passion of mine.”

Two people stand side by side in front of a small aircraft.
Tully began her flight training at the age of 14.

Fuel for ambition

The Dee and John Collier Scholarship is helping Tully turn that vision into practical action. Dee (BA 1960; GDipEd 1962) and John Collier (BE 1960) both attended the University of Melbourne, and John had an illustrious career as a mining engineer, making a major impact on the industry as an exploration leader worldwide. He left a bequest to support research travel at the University, and Dee is continuing this legacy by supporting students through the scholarship.

The scholarship has been critical in helping Tully pursue her Master of Mechanical Engineering. By supporting her academic studies, Tully has been able to pursue her final year capstone project working with an Aboriginal community in Alice Springs, exploring how aviation parts that would otherwise be sent to landfill can be repurposed and used again in local community contexts. Through the project, Tully is exploring how engineering and community knowledge can uphold an Aboriginal worldview of circularity.

“This project has been especially meaningful as it connects my engineering studies with my passion for Indigenous innovation and sustainability,” Tully says. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to spend time on this project as a result of having financial support.”

Engineering with purpose

Beyond her studies, the scholarship has also allowed Tully to engage in international learning opportunities. At Technische Universität Berlin, she completed the CanSat Satellite Design course, working alongside students from across Europe to design and launch a model satellite.

A woman poses next to a model satellite at an exhibition.

Tully, 2024 Dee and John Collier Scholarship recipient.

These experiences have broadened my global perspective.

“It’s also reaffirmed my commitment to a career that bridges advanced aerospace technology with responsible, community-led innovation,” she says.

After completing her masters degree, Tully hopes to pursue a PhD exploring ways Indigenous knowledges can be embedded within contemporary engineering research. Her long-term ambition is to work at a space agency as an aerospace engineer.

She envisions a future where scientific techniques, engineering innovation and traditional knowledge work together to advance both space exploration and sustainable technology.

“The recognition and support from receiving this scholarship empower me to be a stronger advocate for women and Indigenous Australians in STEM, as well as those from a rural background,” Tully says. “I want to use the platform and resources it provides to amplify underrepresented voices, work towards dismantling barriers, and foster a more inclusive and equitable engineering landscape.”

This article was first published on Pursuit. Read the original article.

Watch:  A First Nations vision for space exploration | TEDxMelbourne

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