Symposium Presenters

Chair - Associate Professor Linda Crane

Associate Professor Linda Crane is Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching at Bond University in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine. Linda was Project Co-leader on the successful 2013 Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching strategic priority project Supporting graduate employability from generalist disciplines through employer and private institution collaboration. She is currently Project Co-leader on the 2014 Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching strategic priority project Engaging postgraduate students and supporting higher education to enhance the 21st century student experience.

Professor James Arvanitakis

Professor James Arvanitakis is the Dean of the Graduate Research School and the Head of The Academy at the Western Sydney University where he is also a lecturer in the Humanities and a member of the University’s Institute for Cultural and Society.His research areas include citizenship, resilience, piracy and the future of universities. James is a regular media commentator appearing on ABC TV and local radio, and has his own segment on FBI Radio. In 2015, James will be releasing two new books: a new sociology textbook for Oxford University Press and has been commissioned by Palgrave to write a new book on innovative teaching. In 2012 James was named the Prime Minister’s University Teachers of the Year and In 2015, he was named an Eminent Researcher by the Australian Indian Education Council.

Professor Ken Udas

Professor Ken Udas was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Services & CIO at the University of Southern Queensland in 2013. Prior to joining USQ he co-founded an educational services company and served in senior administrative and teaching roles in online and adult education at UMass, PennState and overseas in New Zealand, Central Asia and Europe. Ken has been a long-standing supporter of open education.

Professor Sally Kift

Sally Kift is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at James Cook University and President of the Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows (ALTF).Prior to commencing at JCU in 2012, Sally was a Professor of Law at Queensland University of Technology, where she also served as Law Faculty Assistant Dean, Teaching & Learning (2001-2006) and QUT’s foundational Director, First Year Experience (2006-2007).Sally is a national Teaching Award winner (2003) and national Program Award winner (2007). She was awarded a Senior Fellowship by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) in 2006 to investigate the first year experience and is currently a Discipline Scholar in Law.

Professor Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith was appointed Vice Provost (Education and Student Affairs) at University College London (UCL) in 2012 where he takes the strategic lead for all matters related to education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Prior to his appointment at UCL he was Principal and Dean for six years of the School of Pharmacy, University of London. The School merged with UCL in January 2012. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.He is a member of the Health Education England Pharmacy Advisory Group and he co-authored the proposals to reform pre-qualification pharmacy education and training. He is Chair of Trustees at Pharmacy Research-UK, a Trustee of Villiers Park Education Trust and a Governor of City and Islington College.He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

PRESENTERS

Dr Sarah Richardson

Dr Sarah Richardson is a Principal Research Fellow in the Tertiary Education Research Programme at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).Dr Richardson directs a large number of educational research projects in the areas of international education, mobility, employability, learning outcomes assessment and graduate outcomes. Clients include the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Asia Pacific Economic Development Secretariat, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Education and the Abu Dhabi Education Council.

Professor Ron Adams

Ron Adams is Professorial Research Fellow in Victoria University’s Graduate Research Centre and Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Research School at Edith Cowan University.In the last decade and a half thousands of research students and supervisors from across Australia have taken part in his award-winning Demystifying the thesis program. Over the past two years Ron has delivered capacity-building workshops for research students and supervisors in Latin America and East Timor.

Associate Professor Barrie Todhunter

Barrie is Associate Professor in Project Management at the University of Southern Queensland.He is a registered Architect with a PhD in Education, an MBA and a Master of Project Management and has worked as an Architect in Brisbane and Europe. He has lectured in Australia and south-east Asia in executive teaching programs and was awarded a national Citation by OLT for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning awarded in 2012.

Ali Radloff

Ali Radloff is a Research Fellow at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) working in the Higher Education Research Program. She has worked on several research projects focused on university students’ experience, including working with Australian and New Zealand universities on the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement, the development of the Australian University Experience Survey and a Japan University Experience Survey.

OLT STRATEGIC PRIORITY PROJECTS PRESENTATIONS

Chair - Ms Helen McLean

Helen is currently a Senior Advisor Learning and Teaching at RMIT University. She is responsible for providing leadership and support to learning and teaching projects across a range of disciplines in design and social sciences. She has 14 years of experience in academic development in higher education with a focus on curriculum development and program quality. Helen is undertaking a PhD and investigating academic and student engagement with assessment practices that support learning in higher education.

Associate Professor Linda Crane

Dr Sally Male

Sally Male is an electrical engineer with a PhD on engineering competencies. She undertakes research in higher education at The University of Western Australia.Sally’s research interests are curriculum development, graduate employability, capability development, and gender inclusivity. Sally has taught electrical engineering and has extensive experience improving gendering inclusivity in engineering and computing. Sally is a Fellow of Engineers Australia.

Professor Sally Varnham

Dr Sally Varnham is a Professor of Law at the University of Technology Sydney.
From 2011 to 2014 she was Chair of the University Academic Board and she is currently a member of the UTS Council.
She was admitted to the New Zealand Bar and practised law in Wellington and in London before beginning her teaching career at Massey University in New Zealand, crossing the Tasman to UTS in 2007. Her main research interest is in law and policy relating to all sectors of education and her theses for LLM (VUW) and PhD (UNSW) are in this area. She has a strong interest in the university/student relationship particularly student engagement in decision making and in university governance.
Sally is a co-editor of the recently published “Higher Education and the Law” (Federation, 2015), the first book of its kind in Australia. She was co-author, together with Professor Jim Jackson, of “Law for Educators: School and University Law in Australia” (2007, LexisNexis). Sally is widely published in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe and regularly presents at national and international conferences.

POSTGRADUATE STUDENT PANEL

Chair - Ms Alice Aitkenhead

Alice Aitkenhead is currently studying a Doctor of Medicine at Bond University after completing postgraduate studies in Public Health at the University of Melbourne. She is extensively involved in student life at Bond, as President of both the Postgraduate Student Association and Medical Students’ Society, as well as the Postgraduate Student Liaison on the Bond University Student Association. Additionally she is actively involved in the Australian Medical Students' Association. Her previous research investigated social determinants of health outcomes and she is passionate about promoting public health in the community. Alice looks forward to continuing research in the future and integrating this into her medical practice.

Ms Elissa Roper

Elissa Roper is studying the research award Master of Theology at the University of Divinity in Melbourne. She and her husband have four young children.Elissa has industry qualifications in Information Technology and has worked as a Network Systems Engineer. Theological study has proven to be fulfilling and inspiring and Elissa looks forward to a future in teaching.

Ms Ghada Saad

I arrived in Australia in 2008 as a skilled migrant with my small family looking for a better future for my children. Before I came I held an MBA and worked as a Marketing Manager for an international company for more than 12 years. Upon arriving to Melbourne, I joined the College of Business at Victoria University through their well-reputed DBA program. I am currently writing my thesis on young Egyptian Australians and factors affecting their career decision-making process. A study that I believe will contribute to reveal a few mysteries and assist in further integration of diverse communities in the Australian community.

Mr Harry Rolf

Harry Rolf is currently a part time PhD candidate with the school of Engineering & ICT at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. His research investigates international students’ use of mobile phones when seeking adaptation information while staying in Australia. When he is not studying, Harry is the 2015 National President at the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA). He has nearly 5 years experience as a postgraduate representative, having previously held the positions of Vice President National Operations Committee and South Eastern Regional Secretary at CAPA. He has also been Postgraduate President of the Tasmania University Union (TUU) 2010-12 and an elected representative on the TUU Board of Management 2010-14. Harry is a website and graphic designer by trade and is passionate about community, art, technology and higher education.

Ms Sadie Heckenberg

Sadie Heckenberg is currently undertaking a PhD in Indigenous Oral History at Swinburne. A Wiradjuri Women, Sadie was the 2014 Fulbright Indigenous Postgraduate Scholar. Her research focuses on Indigenous methodologies, Cultural Safety and protecting Indigenous spoken knowledge through intellectual property and copyright law. Sadie is the President for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association (NATSIPA), having previously been the Vice-President (Women). She has also held previous positions on the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) as 2014 Co-Vice President Equity, NATSIPA Liaison Officer and Women’s Officer, and as the Indigenous Officer on the Monash Postgraduate Association. Sadie is an academic with an enthusiasm for teaching and research.

EDUCATOR PANEL

Chair - Associate Professor Gary Hamlin

Gary is currently the Associate Dean Student Affairs in the Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine at Bond University where he was previously the Deputy Head and Curriculum Lead in the School of Medicine (2010-2013). Prior to this, Gary was at James Cook University for 14 years where he played key roles in the establishment of the Bachelor of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Veterinary Science, and led the curriculum renewal project for the Bachelor of Biomedical Science. Gary is an active health educator with experience on Australian Medical Council accreditation teams. His involvement in program development has nurtured interests in curriculum design, assessment and the student experience. Gary is a project team member on the OLT Commissioned Project Engaging postgraduate students and supporting higher education to enhance the 21st Century student experience.

Associate Professor Barrie Todhunter

Barrie is Associate Professor in Project Management at the University of Southern Queensland. He is a registered Architect with a PhD in Education, an MBA and a Master of Project Management and has worked as an Architect in Brisbane and Europe. He has lectured in Australia and south-east Asia in executive teaching programs and was awarded a national Citation by OLT for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning awarded in 2012.

Ms Josephine Hook

Josephine Hook is a Senior Educational Designer at Monash University. Her practice focuses on a coordinated and program-based approach to constructively align teaching, learning and assessment to enhance student engagement and learning. Jo and her team were awarded a Faculty of Business and Economics Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2014 and the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Programs that Enhance Learning in 2015.

Associate Professor Bill Eckersley

Associate Professor Bill Eckersley is the Director of Learning and Teaching (Networks and Student Experience) in the College of Education at Victoria University in Melbourne.
He has worked in universities in the USA (University of Oregon), RMIT University and now at Victoria University. Bill has had extensive teaching and research experience in undergraduate and postgraduate teacher education programs.

Dr Kate Davis

Kate Davis is Course Coordinator, Master of Information Science and a lecturer in QUT’s Information Systems School. Kate is an innovative teacher with a track record of outstanding teaching performance in online, blended and dual mode learning design and delivery, which has been recognized through awards, award nominations, and her 2014 appointment as a QUT Transformational Teaching Fellow. Kate is currently leading a project that exploring students’ expectations, preferences and experiences related to studying in a dual mode degree.

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Chair - Professor Helen Partridge

Professor Helen Partridge is the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Scholarly Information and Learning Services) at the University of Southern Queensland.
Prior to this, Helen was a Professor at the Queensland University of Technology, where she coordinated library and information science (LIS) education. Helen received an ALTC Teaching Fellowship in 2008 that explored the impact of social media on the LIS profession and its education, and was later commissioned by the ALTC to produce a Best Practice Report on Blended Learning.
She has been a visiting Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society and Society, Harvard University.

Professor Keitha Dunstan

Professor Keitha Dunstan is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) and Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Bond University. She has been the Chair of Academic Senate since November 2012. Keitha’s first appointment at Bond was as Head of the School of Business in 2009.
Professor Dunstan is a Fellow of CPA Australia and a Chartered Accountant. She commenced her accounting career with Mann Judd Edmonds in Brisbane. Keitha moved into academia in 1989 when she joined Queensland University of Technology, Australia, where she remained until accepting her appointment at Victoria University of Wellington. Her research interests are in the areas of corporate governance and financial accounting. Keitha is a past New Zealand President of the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (2005 – 2007), a past co-editor of the “Pacific Accounting Review” (2002 -2006), a member of the editorial board of “Accounting and Finance” and was a member of the 2003 Business and Economics Panel of Performance Based Research Funding Evaluation in New Zealand.

Professor Selma Alliex

Professor Selma Alliex is currently Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of Fremantle Campus University of Notre Dame Australia.
Prior to undertaking this role Selma was the Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University.
Selma has been on the Board of several nursing and non-nursing organizations including research committees. Selma is the Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Notre Dame Australia.

Associate Professor Jonathan Powles

Associate Professor Jonathan Powles is Director, Teaching and Learning at the University of Canberra, where he is responsible for curriculum innovation, staff development for teaching and learning, academic policy, learning technologies and the university library. Originally a music academic, his areas of particular interest are authentic learning and professional preparation, connectivist learning and learning technologies, and higher education futures, including managing change.

Professor Sally Kift

Sally Kift is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at James Cook University and President of the Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows (ALTF).
Prior to commencing at JCU in 2012, Sally was a Professor of Law at Queensland University of Technology, where she also served as Law Faculty Assistant Dean, Teaching & Learning (2001-2006) and QUT’s foundational Director, First Year Experience (2006-2007). Sally is a national Teaching Award winner (2003) and national Program Award winner (2007). She was awarded a Senior Fellowship by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) in 2006 to investigate the first year experience and is currently a Discipline Scholar in Law.

CLOSING SESSION

Associate Professor Shelley Kinash

Shelley Kinash, PhD is the Director of Learning & Teaching and Associate Professor Higher Education (Adjunct to Faculty of Society & Design) at Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Shelley has been employed at Bond University since 2008 and has been a university academic for over twenty years.
Her PhD is in Education Technology from the University of Calgary, Canada and was completed in 2004. Shelley has co/led two completed national multi-institution (Category One) research projects funded through the Australian Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) – a co-led strategic priority project on graduate employability and a sole-led seed project on student evaluation.
Exemplar impact achievements of the graduate employability project include consultation to and engagement with the 2014 G20 Summit, hosting a national symposium with 150 delegates from 18 Australian universities, being the invited employability workshop presenter at the 2015 Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities conference and being selected as a finalist in the Australian Financial Review Higher Education awards. Shelley is currently co-leading an OLT national research project on the postgraduate student experience. Shelley facilitates professional development across the country and internationally, supporting academics to apply evidence-based approaches to making an outstanding contribution to student learning and to improve graduate outcomes.

Dr Grace Lynch

Dr Grace Lynch has over 30 years of educational management experience in Australasia, Singapore and Canada. An international scholar and highly regarded consultant, she has chaired many management and review committees and contributed widely to advisory boards. Her advice on educational underpinnings – the theory, rationale and analytics behind practice and planned outcomes – is crucial in the digital age where technology is both an enabler and driver of pedagogical change.