Industrial scientist Dr Katrina Wruck has been named the 2025 Young Australian of the Year for her pioneering work in the field of green chemistry.
The Mabuigilaig and Goemulgal woman was awarded the prestigious achievement for her work, which has led to the creation of the world's first reusable laundry system.
Her expertise has had a large focus on giving back to Indigenous and remote communities, including by transforming mining by-products into usable, non-toxic materials like laundry detergent in her profit-for-purpose business Nguki Kula Green Labs.
Dr Wruck's method of converting mining by-products to zeolite LTA - which itself can remove contaminants from water that cause hardness - will be commercialised, and the 30-year-old has also been a staunch advocate for Indigenous knowledge, regularly participating in community engagement programs.
"Rooted in my deep connection to Country, my work as a lecturer and researcher in green chemistry and material science at the Queensland University of Technology is driven by a commitment to addressing urgent global challenges, championing environmental sustainability and pioneering solutions to combat harmful contaminants," she said.
After being presented the award by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Saturday night, the Queensland University of Technology lecturer, who has said she is frequently told by students she talks to that she's the first Indigenous scientist they've met, said: "Representation matters."
"When kids, especially Indigenous kids, see someone like me in this position, it tells them that they belong, that their dreams are valid and their voices are powerful," she said.
Dr Wruck acknowledged both her Torres Strait Islander and immigrant heritage "as both integral parts of my identity," before highlighting the different meanings January 26 had for different people across the country.
"Here, in precolonial Australia, we had Country, known by 250 unique, self-determining nations. These societies were guided by chosen, initiated Elders – custodians of deep knowledge passed through thousands of generations," Dr Wruck said.
"That knowledge and sovereignty were disrupted by the forces of colonisation. Today, we still exist under the structures of the British empire.
"Tomorrow, January 26, is known by many names: Australia Day, Invasion Day, Survival Day. To some, it is a day of celebration, a public holiday. To others, it is a stark reminder of the violent dispossession, a legacy that continues to this day."
Speaking of her career in STEM, Dr Wruck told the crowd she stood before them as a neurodivergent black woman, labelling it "a golden trifecta that by all accounts, wasn't supposed to succeed".
"Early in my journey, I worked tirelessly to prove others wrong. But along the way, I realised I wasn't doing it for them, I was doing it for myself, for my family and for the community they represent," she said.
