Meet our Council members

Council Member 2024Photo: as at Dec 2023

(L to R) Front Row: Ms Michelle McPherson, Chancellor The Hon. Patricia Forsythe AM, Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Alex Zelinsky AO, President of Academic Senate Professor Tania Sourdin.
(L to R) Back Row: Ms Julie Phillips, Associate Professor Brendan Boyle, Mr Jacob Carson, Deputy Chancellor Kevin Young, Mr Michael Di Rienzo. 
Not Shown: Ms Jennifer Leslie, Professor Jenny Martin

Official Members

The Chancellor, The Hon. Patricia Forsythe AM

BA, DipEd (Newcastle), FAICD

Patricia Forsythe is a Non-Executive Director and most recently was Australia's High Commissioner to New Zealand (2019 - 22), having previously been Executive Director Sydney Business Chamber (2006 - 2019) and prior to that as a member of the NSW Legislative Council (1991 - 2006).

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Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Alex Zelinsky AO

BMathSc(Hons), PhD, Hon DSc(UOW), GradDip(AICD), FAA, FTSE, FIEEE, Hon FIEAust, FAICD

Professor Alex Zelinsky AO is the University of Newcastle’s 8th Vice-Chancellor and President and commenced in the role on 19 November 2018. Prior to joining the University, Professor Zelinsky was Australia’s Chief Defence Scientist and leader of Defence Science and Technology within the Department of Defence.

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President of Academic Senate, Professor Tania Sourdin

BA, LLB, Grad Dip Leg Prac, LLM, PhD

Tania Sourdin is the Dean of the University of Newcastle Law and Justice School and the President of Academic Senate.  Tania has a background as a litigation lawyer and mediator, has a PhD in commercial dispute resolution and is the author of more than 140 publications, that include books, articles and papers.

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External members appointed by the Minister

The Deputy Chancellor, Mr Kevin Young

BE(Hons1), MBA(Newcastle), Hon FIEAust, FAICD

Kevin Young is a Non Executive Director and previous Managing Director with extensive experience in leadership within the water industry in Australia and overseas.

Kevin has more than 18 years’ experience as a Director. He is currently on the Board of TasWater, CityCare NZ and Apex Environmental NZ.

For 15 years he was Managing Director of Hunter Water and then Sydney Water.

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External members appointed by Council

Mrs Michelle McPherson

BBus(Accounting)(UTS), CA, GAICD

Michelle is currently the Chief Financial Officer of IAG.  Prior to this appointment, Michelle was the Group Chief Financial Officer, Deputy Chief Executive Officer as well as Company Secretary of nib holdings limited.

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Ms Jennifer Leslie

BCom, FCA(Aust), TFASFA, FGIA, MAICD

Jennifer is a non-executive director with fifteen years of board-level experience and a diverse career forged in the Hunter region.

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Adjunct Professor Michael Di Rienzo

Prof Michael Di Rienzo, Chief Executive of Hunter New England Health, is responsible for all services across the district from small rural community health centres to major tertiary referral hospitals.

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Ms Julie Phillips

BPharm, MSc(Sydney), Dip Hosp Pharm, MBA(Macq), MPS, AICD

Ms Julie Phillips is a pharmacist with a strong background in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, having worked as the CEO and Director of start-up Australian biotechnology companies operating in the life sciences sector.

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Elected academic staff members

Associate Professor Brendan Boyle

BBus(DkIT, Ireland), MBS(UCD, Ireland), PhD(Sydney)

Associate Professor Brendan Boyle is currently a lecturer of international management in Newcastle Business School. Brendan completed his Masters of Business Studies Degree in University College Dublin’s Graduate School of Business and completed his PhD within the Discipline of International Business
at the University of Sydney.

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Professor Jenny Martin

Professor Jenny Martin

MBChB, MA (Oxon.), FRACP, PhD, FAHMS, FRSN,GAICD

Professor Martin is a physician and academic healthcare leader with skillsets and experience in complex regulatory and performance environments in both health and education.

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Elected non-academic staff member

Elected student member

Mr Jacob Carson

Coming soon