2022 Winners
Community Engagement Award Winner
Guyati, Garraka wa Witing Spreech Pathology Project
Dr Gwendalyn Webb - School of Health Sciences, Dr Megan Barr - School of Health Sciences, Associate Professor Sally Hewat - School of Health Sciences, Kerryn Perram - University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health, Dr Susan Heaney - University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health, Leanne Innes - Office of Alumni and Philanthropy, Tina Imig - Marketing and Communications
Dr Webb and her colleagues have developed an inspiring community engagement initiative with Gunawirra, and Dalaigur and Scribbly Gum Dalai preschools, with multiple positive impacts on Aboriginal communities, as well as speech pathology (and other allied health) students on their placements within the schools.
Global Engagement Award Winner
School of Education
Professor Philip Morgan
Professor Morgan is the founder of award-winning family-based programs which have been translated globally. Healthy Dads Healthy Kids has been adapted in four countries in partnership with leading institutions including Leibniz Institute, Germany; University of Birmingham & Fatherhood Institute UK, England; Baylor College of Medicine, USA; and University of Glasgow, Scotland. His Daughters and Dads program has been delivered across England partnering with Women-in-Sport U.K. and in Austria, collaborating with SportUnion and University of Vienna.
Industry Engagement Award Winner
FASTLab (Future Arts, Science and Technology Laboratory) Team
School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Science, Dr Andrea Cassin, Associate Professor Craig Hight, Associate Professor Jon Drummond, Dr Kristefan Minski, Honorary Professor Mario Minichiello, Mr Michael Cuneo, Dr Nicole Carroll, Professor Paul Egglestone, Dr Ralph Kenke, Dr Simon Weaving
The FASTLab team has one of the most impressive industry engagement track records at the University. FASTLab has been awarded $1,018,606 in external research funding (from 2020). This is due, in part, to broad industry engagement, resulting in established and formalised relationships with more than 25 industry partners across its suite of research projects. Our industry partners are within the local Hunter region, throughout Australia and across the world.
Industry Engagement Award - Highly Commended
- Professor Kenneth Williams - School of Engineering
Research Supervision Award Winner
School of Health Sciences
Professor Suzanne Snodgrass
Professor Snodgrass is a prolific and highly effective supervisor. She has supervised 27 HDR students; 15 to completion, and 14 current. Her mentoring does not end with thesis submission. She provides mentoring post-graduation on academia and academic positions, job interviewing, collaboration links and careers, providing many letters of recommendation for fellowships and employment. Professor Snodgrass is a highly sought supervisor as a result of her supportive and caring mentoring style.
Early Career Researcher Award Winner
School of Engineering
Dr Michael Ruppert
Dr Ruppert is an early career researcher who has co-authored 50 research articles and book chapters, established collaborations across three continents and has been a CI on $1.7million in research funding. With a strong focus on practical and industry-ready research, Michael is leading the first phase of commercialisation of his microsensor technology with an industry partner in the Netherlands and currently leads an active collaboration with Breville, Australia.
Sessional Academic Teaching Award Winner
School of Information and Physical Sciences
Fran Baker
Described as a "lifesaver" by students, Fran is the most acclaimed sessional academic in the School of Information and Physical Sciences. Her approach to "values-based education" places student learning at the focus and is aligned with University values such as the 8-ways framework. Fran provides an engaging and safe environment for students to learn across tutorials, labs, lectures, and specialised consultation sessions for which she has developed dozens of innovative and impactful resources.
Teaching Award Winner
School of Psychological Sciences
Dr Myles Young
Dr Young began his career as a teaching-research academic in April 2020, during the escalating COVID-19 pandemic. In this highly stressful time for students, he increased the mean Quality Learning Environment (QLE)-Course score for two courses from the 5th and 6th percentile in 2019, to the 92nd and 79th percentile in 2020, respectively. Over three years, he has taught >900 psychology students and received an average QLE-Teaching score of 4.92/5 (92% Excellent, 7% Good).
Student Experience Excellence Award Winner
East Coast Tsunami Risk R/V Investigator Voyage
School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Associate Professor Hannah Power, Dr Kendall Mollison, Mr Murray Kendall, Dr Michael Kinsela
Associate Professor Power, Dr Kinsela Dr Mollison and Mr Kendall arranged for eight undergraduate students to have a 'once in a lifetime opportunity'. They took them on a research trip on the National Marine Facility ship RV Investigator where they spent five weeks undertaking hands-on science. They worked with state-of-the-art equipment and made the intellectual jump from students to scientists. The team organised significant media coverage and the production of video material that will be repeatedly used.
Professional Staff Excellence: Individual Award Winner
University Library
Debbie Booth
Debbie has demonstrated exceptional achievement to deliver ‘next-level’ research capabilities and services with immediate results for our research community. Collaborating with colleagues across the University she contributed expertise to deliver quality research metrics benchmarking tools and training resources; demonstrated best practice service with these tools for THE impact rankings and an internal academic excellence dashboard; and presented a successful proposal to incentivise open access publishing in high-ranking paywalled journals.
Professional Staff Excellence: Team Award Winner
Regional Campuses Team
Jessica Brennan, Karen Tucker, Shendelle Hayde & Regional Campuses
The Executive Dean - Central Coast Campuses Team has provided outstanding service to its stakeholders throughout 2022. The Team works diligently to deliver a high-quality experience for all campus stakeholders. The Team has worked with internal and external groups throughout 2022 to ensure that the many events taking place at the Ourimbah and Gosford campuses run smoothly and are well coordinated and efficiently delivered.
Professional Staff Excellence: Early Career Award Winner
Change and Improvement Team
Kristy-Jai Chantrey
Kristy-Jai (KJ) has been with the University for two years and has made a significant impact over this time. She is the driving force behind our Adaptability Framework, which supports all staff through change (a Looking Ahead strategic deliverable). She’s now rolling out the Continuous Improvement initiative. This has brought more than 50 professional staff together in a highly motivating way to build their networks and ignite a positive change culture across the University.
Leadership Excellence Award Winner
School of Medicine and Public Health
Associate Professor Amanda Dawson
Associate Professor Dawson has a strong commitment to the quality of the pre-vocational phase of the medical education continuum. Her leadership roles nationally and internationally in medical education are examples of her capacity to work collaboratively towards targets and deliver outcomes effectively. Her leadership role locally has involved the responsive and thoughtful management of a team of academic and professional staff. In this capacity she has demonstrated an ability to inspire others and build a robust connection with the University’s aspirations.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award Winner
School of Information and Physical Sciences
Professor Regina Berretta
Professor Berretta is driving cultural change within the College of Engineering, Science and Environment as a tireless champion of equity, diversity and inclusion. Her data-driven approach is a breath of fresh air and delivering exciting initiatives to improve gender equity particularly for women in STEMM and women in leadership. Her engagement extends beyond the University to create career opportunities for women STEMM students in industry.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Award Winner
Laboratory Safety Improvement Initiative
Lynn Herd - Change and Improvement Team, Natalie Evans - Change and Improvement Team
The Laboratory Safety Improvement Initiative was established to identify, develop and implement lab safety improvement initiatives across four domains: Governance; Space Management; People, Culture & Practices; and Infrastructure and Facilities. This major initiative facilitated collaboration across Colleges and Divisions and has resulted in many tangible improvements to support our staff and students to undertake their outstanding learning and research in the safest ways possible.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Award - Highly Commended
- Associate Professor Sean Halpin - School of Psychological Sciences
Inspiring Excellence Academic Award Winner
School of Psychological Sciences
Professor Scott Brown
Professor Brown - an outstanding and busy researcher, educator and engager - generously offers his time to colleagues to share his expertise and insight. He has a warm and unhurried manner. His personalised School-based mentoring program for early-mid career academics is an outstanding example of the University's commitment to excellence and equity. Scott undoubtedly inspires excellence.
Inspiring Excellence Professional Award Winner
Human Resource Services
Diane Bunch
Diane epitomises all the qualities of an exceptional mentor. She inspires her mentees to seek new opportunities and explore their interests. Her passion for coaching and developing others is evidenced by her ongoing commitment to her mentees to help them realise their career goals. Diane always makes herself available to others, and it is her approachability and the kindness she brings to the mentor/mentee relationship that makes her such a special mentor.
Values Award Winner
School of Architecture and Built Environment
Hannah Cheetham
Hannah is an extremely diligent, proactive and valuable staff member who has demonstrated her ability to impart and uphold strong ethical values through her role as the Design and Build Project officer for out(fit). Hannah engages with a diverse range of volunteers to impart construction knowledge to underrepresented groups within the construction industry. She also consistently engages in community collaboration to deliver meaningful projects that are enriched and informed by the communities they serve.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.