Russ Taunton
Corrimal High School, NSW
Dharawal
Teaching Fellow
Russ Taunton is a passionate and strategic educator transforming how students across the Illawarra region engage with STEM. With a background spanning trades, sports science and outdoor education, Russ brings a remarkable depth of experience to his leadership as Project Officer for the Illawarra Academy of STEM Excellence (IASE).
Since taking on the role, Russ has reinvigorated the program into a nationally recognised model of innovation and inclusion. Under his leadership, IASE has grown from 3 foundation schools to 79 partner and associate schools, forged deep partnerships with over 44 industry and tertiary organisations, and engaged students in over 26,000 curricular and extra-curricular STEM opportunities — many from low socioeconomic, First Nations and underrepresented backgrounds.
His work has led to a 239% rise in student STEM participation, with female and Indigenous student engagement more than doubling. Russ’s equity-first approach is grounded in high expectations, cultural inclusion and career-connected learning. Through hands-on projects, professional learning networks and strategic steering committees, he has built a thriving STEM ecosystem that aligns schools, communities and industry.
His mantra “you can be what you can see” fuels his mission to ensure that every student — regardless of postcode — can see themselves in a future shaped by STEM. Recognised for exemplary leadership by the NSW Department of Education, the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation and the Teachers Guild of NSW for Excellence in Education, Department of Education, Russ is also a mentor to educators across NSW through his contributions to the Virtual STEM Academy and state-level project officer network.
His work doesn’t just change classrooms — it creates pathways, sparks aspiration and sets students on trajectories they never imagined possible.