16 September 2009
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| Phil Owen |
A Monash University Information Technology student with a talent for visually communicating big-bang science has won an international multimedia competition and internship which will see him participate in one of the most anticipated scientific events ever.
Phil Owen will go to Geneva in November, when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (or CERN) will be restarted and multiple head-on collisions between sub-atomic particles will, it is hoped, re-create the moments after the big bang and unlock the secrets of the cosmos.
As the multimedia intern for this ambitious and complex experiment, the 26-year-old will work alongside a team of scientists as they hunt down the holy grail of physics and potentially revolutionise our understanding of matter and the origins of the universe.
During his three-month internship at CERN, the third-year Berwick campus multimedia student will create a multimedia presentation of the LHC experiment that will help communicate its significance to the broader public.
Phil, who plans to become a science documentary filmmaker when he graduates from Monash, spent his entire mid-semester break working on his winning entry and stayed awake for three nights to finish it in time.
He said the competition seemed like "the perfect opportunity", marrying his multimedia skills and personal fascination with the LHC project.
"I didn't expect to win, but the competition was appealing to me for obvious reasons. I am absolutely thrilled to get the chance to be involved with such a significant, historic event, and I would like to help get the people around the world as excited as I am about the future discoveries at CERN," he said.
Phil's four-minute 3D animated film, "The Origins of Mass", drew praise from the judges for its clear narration and clean, clinical 2D and 3D graphics.
"I had some other plans for next year, but I don't mind putting them on hold for such an amazing opportunity".
For more information, contact Jane Castles, Media and Communications on +61 3 9903 4842 or 0417 568 781. | 
