Mars Buttfield-Addison

Mars’ work is diverse, collaborative, and regularly NDA-ed. But it generally involves some combination of programming, data science, or design applied to signal processing, accelerated computing, video games, or educational content about STEM.

She loves hard problems in niche domains — especially when human factors, legacy constraints, or domain-specific technologies are involved.

Radio Telescopes

Control, monitoring, or processing software for radio telescopes and space-focused radars, with a particular focus on tracking objects like satellites or orbital debris. Experience includes bespoke code for instruments operated by CSIRO, the University of Tasmania, and Silentium Defence, as well as industry standard software used in radio interferometers around the world.

Educational Games & Software

• Code-along activities like National Science Week’s Swift Rockets.
• Minecraft-based lessons like CoRE Foundation’s award-winning Resource, Respond, Rescue.
• Regular contributions to game commissions via local studio Secret Lab.

Data Science & Machine Learning

Previously, Mars focused heavily on data science — from basic analytics, to complex simulation or deep learning. But she takes issue with the social impact of general-purpose generative AI models that now dominate the field, and has consequently moved away from data-focused roles outside of research.

Open Source

Mars is a regular advisor and contributor to the narrative framework Yarn Spinner. She also dabbles in custom LaTeX templates, and makes frequent bug-fix contributions to tools across astronomy, signal processing, and typesetting/publishing.

Other

Varied freelance work in video games and apps, with particularly focus on Unity games and Apple-native apps. Credits include everything from Programming and Design to Additional Art and Original Concept work.

Publications

• Practical Simulations for Machine Learning for O‘Reilly Media (2022).
• Practical AI with Swift for O‘Reilly Media (2019).

Further academic outputs are available on ORCID.

Public Lectures & Workshops

Mars has addressed audiences ranging from library and school events, to university graduations and Parliament House functions, and industry conferences all over the world.

Teaching & Curriculum Design

Regular roles running tutorial classes at the University of Tasmania, individual tutoring through their Centre for Aboriginal Education, and private tutoring for students with special needs.

Involvement in the design of app development courses at the university (ongoing), CSIRO’s Next Generation Graduates program on sustainable applications of machine learning (2024), and materials teaching narrative game design with Yarn Spinner for use across universities and high schools around the world (ongoing).

Museum Installations

• Interactive celebration of retro gaming culture Hint Line ‘93 as part of the Game Worlds exhibit at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne (2025).
• Mathematical function visualiser Sigmatica as part of the Beaker Street Science Festival exhibit at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart (2024).
• Minecraft works WesterosCraft as part of the Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (2018).

Radio

Hosting the fortnightly Space News segment on ABC Radio Hobart, and appearing as a regular expert guest on local and national radio for topics of technology or space. Selected recordings are available here.

Other

A variety of other media and methods for sharing information, including news appearances, online articles, travelling science shows, school visits, a wild variety of podcasts, and more. Also, enabling others to build and share their expertise, by organising conferences and student programs, and serving on industry boards as an advocate and organiser of student support efforts.

Industry Awards, Programs & Titles

• Tasmanian Science Communicator of the Year — Premier’s Awards for Science (2023).
• Superstar of STEM — Science & Technology Australia (2023).
• Local Winner, National Finalist, International Entrant — Falling Walls Lab (2022).
• Australian ICT Student of the Year — Australian Computer Society Digital Disruptor Awards (2019).

University Awards & Scholarships

• CSIRO Data61 PhD Collaboration Scholarship (2020).
• University Medal, First Class (2019).
• University Club Honours Scholarship (2019).
• Dean’s Honour Roll (2018, 2019).
• Apple WWDC Scholar (2018).
• M.J. Rees Prize for First Year Information Systems (2017).

Other

Mars has been written about in many a news article, included in a children’s book of notable Tasmanians (Little Tasmanian), once featured on the cover of Hobart Magazine, and more. Her work has been awarded grant funding from government, industry, and academic bodies, and an algorithm she designed while interning at Canva once earned her a patent (US2021-0326497).

But her favourite responses are the countless personal emails, letters, drawings, and occasional fancams she has been sent by young people who were reached by her STEM advocacy. She hangs them in her office to smile at every day.