A world class scientist on a mission to share her enthusiasm with children says she's humbled by her Queen's Birthday honour.

Dr Michelle Dickinson has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

As well as setting up New Zealand’s first and only nano-mechanical research testing laboratory, she runs her own non-profit organisation Nanogirl - set up to inspire children, particularly girls, to get into science and engineering.

Dr Dickinson says science is everywhere.

"People think it has to be in a test tube, but you can look at the fact that the leaves are turning colour in the trees right now and figure out why that is or the fact that frost is forming on the grass and what's that doing with water."

She is one of the world leaders in the field of nano-mechanical engineering.

One of her great passions is trying to get children excited into science.

"Even if you don't understand science as a parent, just talk science with your kids.

"Go Google something, go YouTube thing just play around with it because it's not as intimidating as it seems."

Dr Dickinson says science is for everybody, and it would be great if the nation could see that getting children excited about science is the future for our economy.