2016 Vice-Chancellor's award winners announced

Tuesday, 6 December 2016

The 2016 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence recognised more than 70 remarkable academic and professional staff in every faculty and division, for their willingness to change the status quo, take on new challenges and provide inspirational leadership.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline McMillen presented individual and team awards across seven categories, including a new award for International Engagement, at the awards ceremony on Monday 5 December at The Conservatorium.

“I am proud to be in the company of so many excellent colleagues who are leading the way for UON’s curious, collaborative and courageous culture and shaping the future of this remarkable institution,” Professor McMillen said.

“On behalf of the University, I offer my sincere congratulations and gratitude to the recipients of the 2016 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence for their dedication to achieving positive results, and for daring to think differently and drive innovation in that pursuit.”

Download the 2016 Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Excellence program (PDF, 3.4MB) and view the photos from the award ceremony.

VC winners group shot

TEACHING EXCELLENCE AND CONTRIBUTION TO STUDENT LEARNING

Overall Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence

Dr Trevor Hilaire is a lecturer in Construction Management where approximately 50 percent of students study by distance. Trevor has a professional background in the construction industry and utilises this to foster a collaborative learning environment where mutual respect is valued and student development is supported. To provide learning opportunities not available elsewhere, he has developed an exclusive agreement with a leading global software developer to provide students with unique learning opportunities and support to prepare them for graduate life. Trevor is a valuable member of the Construction Management team, earning the respect of his colleagues and peers and building a strong rapport with his student cohort.

Highly commended

FACULTY TEACHING EXCELLENCE AND CONTRIBUTION TO STUDENT LEARNING AWARDS
DIVISION TEACHING EXCELLENCE AND CONTRIBUTION TO STUDENT LEARNING AWARD
SESSIONAL STAFF TEACHING EXCELLENCE AND CONTRIBUTION TO STUDENT LEARNING AWARD

PROFESSIONAL STAFF EXCELLENCE

Co-recipients of the overall Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Professional Staff

In 2016, the University of Newcastle was accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. Less than 5 percent of the world's 13,000 business programs achieve AACSB Accreditation, which is a multi-stage, multi-year process, involving extensive engagement with international accreditation committees, internal and external stakeholders and an international peer review team. Shree, as leader of the AACSB professional team, worked consistently and to great effect over a three year period, in partnership with an academic leader, to develop and implement a mission-driven plan that evidenced how UON met the fifteen AACSB quality standards. Shree’s contribution to the AACSB project was key to the successful accreditation of business programs at UON.

  • Writing Drop In Team, Ourimbah, Centre for Teaching and Learning, Academic Division: Emma Joel, Catherine Chinnery-Doyle, Michael Kilmister, Meg Vertigan, Carol Martin, Mata Taulilo, Amanda Clarke, Carol Lindell

The successful implementation of the Peer-supported Writing Drop In (Writing Drop In) program is a courageous initiative in establishing a model of learning support that is unique to the Ourimbah Campus and our students' needs. The Writing Drop In program has achieved its two goals; to significantly increase students' access to "just-in-time, just-for-me" academic support, and to offer a mode of support targeting the continuum of transition uniquely experienced by some Ourimbah students (that is, those who transition into TAFE or Enabling programs, and then continue onto a university degree).

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

TEAM AWARDS

  • Pre-Award Team, Research Grants, Research and Innovation Division: Kylie Hugo, Adam Koppers, Angela McPherson, Belinda Peden, Laura Medioli, Neroli Finlay
  • IT Security and Legal, Resources Division: Tess van Weerdenburg, Patrick McElhinney, Ritesh Bhakuni

EARLY CAREER RESEARCH AND INNOVATION EXCELLENCE

Overall Vice-Chancellor’s Award for early career research

Dr Amy Maguire's research investigates the legal complexities of topical issues such as the rights of refugees and Indigenous peoples, climate change governance, self-determination and capital punishment. Amy's research pushes productively across traditional disciplinary boundaries to produce work of significant originality that appears in leading Australian and international journals. She also makes her research publicly accessible through publishing outlets like The Conversation, through writing for newspapers and giving interviews on radio and television. This has led to her becoming one of Australia’s leading public intellectuals contributing to our understanding of key human rights questions and other international law issues.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

RESEARCH SUPERVISION EXCELLENCE

Overall Vice-Chancellor’s Award for research supervision excellence

Associate Professor Olivier Buzzi is an extremely enthusiastic academic who has built, over the years, an outstanding track record, which has integrated excellent research training with industry engagement, quality research and academic integrity. He has supervised many RHD students in whom he has instilled his own passion for research. Olivier has a demonstrated ability to nurture, respect and inspire his students, to successfully teach them complex concepts and to train them well beyond simple research skills. As a devoted supervisor, Olivier thoroughly prepares his students in every way, for their future career, be it in academia or in industry.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

HEALTH AND SAFETY EXCELLENCE

INDIVIDUAL AWARD

Shaun Manning, School of Engineering

TEAM AWARD

Melissa Musicka, Human Resource Services and Monica Rossignoli, School of Environmental and Life Sciences

INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

TEAM AWARDS

  • Conversational English Program (CEP) – Auchmuty Library: Rebecca Heath, David Probert, Jacqui Harris, Jane Neave, Sarah Coleman, Helen Robertson, Ben Bourke, Alison Edginton, Shaista Poonawalla (Library), Anne Burnett (ELFS)
  • School of Nursing and Midwifery team: Professor Sally Chan, Associate Professor Sarah Jeong, Associate Professor Pamela Van Der Riet, School of Nursing and Midwifery
  • Shaun McCarthy and Briony Johnston, Newcastle Law School

COLLABORATION EXCELLENCE

Team award

  • History Illustration (NHI) MOOC Development Team, Faculty of Science: Andrew Howells, Bernadette Drabsch, Clare Lloyd, Chris Hildebrandt, Kyle Holmes, Luke Boulton, Nick Barham, Daniel Atkins, Elizabeth Burns, Mali Webb.

Contact

  • Brigitte Hudson
  • Phone: 4921 5599

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