Mr Nathan Towney
Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor
Office PVC - Human and Social Futures
- Email:nathan.towney@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 4055 3001
Career Summary
Biography
Nathan is a proud Wiradjuri man from Wellington in NSW and an education leader. He holds a Bachelor of Teaching and a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education from The University of Newcastle.
Nathan’s appointment as the Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous, Strategy and Leadership role follows a four year tenure as the Principal of Newcastle High School.
Nathan will lead the University’s Indigenous Education Framework and connect with community groups outside the organisation.
Nathan’s personal and authentic approach fosters strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels. Nathan has a passion for innovation and change and has actively encouraged student-directed, passion-based and entrepreneurial learning. His approach to engaging and working with communities will be particularly valuable as the University looks to find ways for the institution to better connect with our regions.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Teaching / Bachelor of Health and PE, University of Newcastle
Fields of Research
Code | Description | Percentage |
---|---|---|
450299 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education not elsewhere classified | 100 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
Title | Organisation / Department |
---|---|
Pro Vice-Chancellor - Indigenous Strategy and Leadership | University of Newcastle Office of Indigenous Strategy and Leadership Australia |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Journal article (1 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 |
Pammer K, Freire M, Gauld C, Towney N, 'Keeping safe on australian roads: Overview of key determinants of risky driving, passenger injury and fatalities for indigenous populations', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 1-16 (2021) [C1] Social and cultural barriers associated with inequitable access to driver licensing and associated road safety education, as well as socioeconomic issues that preclude ongoing veh... [more] Social and cultural barriers associated with inequitable access to driver licensing and associated road safety education, as well as socioeconomic issues that preclude ongoing vehicle maintenance and registration, result in unsafe in-car behaviours such as passenger overcrowding. This in turn is associated with improper seatbelt usage, noncompliance with child restraint man-dates, and driver distraction. For example, in Australia, where seatbelt use is mandatory, Indigenous road users are three times less likely to wear seatbelts than non-Indigenous road users. This is associated with a disproportionately high fatality rate for Indigenous drivers and passengers; 21% of Indigenous motor-vehicle occupants killed on Australian roads were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of impact. In addition, inequitable access to driver licensing instruction due to financial and cultural barriers results in Indigenous learner drivers having limited access to qualified mentors and instructors. A consequent lack of road safety instruction results in a normalising of risky driving behaviours, perpetuated through successive generations of drivers. Moreover, culturally biased driver instruction manuals, which are contextualised within an English written-language learning framework, fail to accommodate the learning needs of Indigenous peoples who may encounter dif-ficulties with English literacy. This results in difficulty understanding the fundamental road rules, which in turn makes it difficult for young drivers to develop and sustain safe in-car behaviours. This paper considers the literature regarding road safety for Indigenous road users and critically evaluates strategies and policies that have been advanced to protect Indigenous drivers. Novel so-lutions to increasing road safety rule compliance are proposed, particularly in relation to passenger safety, which are uniquely embedded within Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. Safe driving practices have crucial health and social implications for Indigenous communities by allow-ing more Indigenous people to participate in work and education opportunities, access healthcare, maintain cultural commitments, and engage with families and friends, qualities which are essential for ongoing health and wellbeing.
|
Nova |
Grants and Funding
Summary
Number of grants | 4 |
---|---|
Total funding | $1,881,570 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20231 grants / $149,228
EMU (Education, Movement and Understanding) Programme$149,228
Funding body: Port Waratah Coal Services Limited
Funding body | Port Waratah Coal Services Limited |
---|---|
Project Team | Associate Professor Narelle Eather, Dr Andrew Bennie, Doctor Sarah Kennedy, Emeritus Professor John Maynard, Professor Philip Morgan, Doctor Nick Riley, Mr Nathan Towney |
Scheme | Research Project |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2023 |
Funding Finish | 2025 |
GNo | G2301185 |
Type Of Funding | C3100 – Aust For Profit |
Category | 3100 |
UON | Y |
20212 grants / $241,461
Cultural adaptation and feasibility trial of ‘Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids’ for Indigenous Australian families to improve cardiovascular health$145,461
Funding body: National Heart Foundation of Australia
Funding body | National Heart Foundation of Australia |
---|---|
Project Team | Professor Philip Morgan, Doctor Lee Ashton, Associate Professor Kathleen Butler, Mr Nathan Towney, Doctor Myles Young |
Scheme | Vanguard Grant |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2021 |
Funding Finish | 2022 |
GNo | G2100327 |
Type Of Funding | C1700 - Aust Competitive - Other |
Category | 1700 |
UON | Y |
Re-Imagining Evaluation A Culturally Responsive Evaluation Framework for NSW Public Schools$96,000
Funding body: NSW Department of Education
Funding body | NSW Department of Education |
---|---|
Project Team | Nathan Towney, Kathleen Butler, James Ballangarry, John Fischetti, Susan Ledger, Penny Jane-Burke, Matt Lumb, James Ladwig |
Scheme | RFQ - Pre-Qualification Scheme |
Role | Lead |
Funding Start | 2021 |
Funding Finish | 2022 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | C1600 - Aust Competitive - StateTerritory Govt |
Category | 1600 |
UON | N |
20201 grants / $1,490,881
Leadership Development for Middle School Leaders$1,490,881
Funding body: NSW Department of Education
Funding body | NSW Department of Education |
---|---|
Project Team | Associate Professor Jess Harris, Laureate Professor Jennifer Gore, Doctor Drew Miller, Mr Nathan Towney, Kylie Lipscombe, Sharon Tindall-Ford, Jessica Mantei, Kellie Buckley-Walker, Sue Bennett |
Scheme | Research Project |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2020 |
Funding Finish | 2024 |
GNo | G2001121 |
Type Of Funding | C2300 – Aust StateTerritoryLocal – Own Purpose |
Category | 2300 |
UON | Y |
News
News • 6 Jun 2023
2023 Reconciliation Award winners announced
The inaugural winners of the University of Newcastle’s ‘Reconciliation Awards’ have been crowned, signifying the achievement and glamour of the 2023 Reconciliation Ball.
News • 19 Jan 2023
Award-winning night of reflection Ngarrama returns
Building on the success of the inaugural event, the University of Newcastle is proud to welcome the wider community once again to Ngarrama.
News • 18 Jan 2023
Pro Vice-Chancellor Nathan Towney named 2023 Newcastle Citizen of the Year
University of Newcastle leader and Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous, Strategy and Leadership, Nathan Towney, has been selected as Newcastle’s 2023 Citizen of the Year.
News • 7 Jul 2022
University global experience pivots for home truths
A renowned scholarship program at the University of Newcastle will look very different this year, with students heading across New South Wales for a transformative cultural experience.
News • 21 Jan 2022
University of Newcastle launches Ngarrama – a night of reflection
On the eve of Australia Day, the University of Newcastle, in partnership with Awabakal Ltd and with support from the City of Newcastle, is proud to host Ngarrama — a free public event to engage the community in meaningful reconciliation through truth telling and historical acceptance.
News • 12 Nov 2021
Building positive relationships and serving the community are vital
Some wonder if good leadership matters. It has certainly mattered to me.
News • 12 Nov 2021
MGA Thermal wins AFR Higher Education Award for research commercialisation
MGA Thermal, a spin-out company of our University, has been announced as the winner of the inaugural Research Commercialisation award from the 2021 Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards.
News • 18 Mar 2021
Framework launched in commitment to Indigenous education and research
The University of Newcastle has unveiled a major piece in its longstanding commitment to Indigenous higher education, innovation and engagement with the launch of its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Research Framework, coinciding with national Close the Gap Day.
News • 15 Sep 2020
Indigenous medical students admitted through innovative program
Having helped train more than 100 Indigenous doctors, the University of Newcastle’s Thurru Indigenous Health Unit is recruiting for its next intake of aspiring doctors.
News • 29 Jul 2020
University of Newcastle joins back of jersey
The Newcastle Knights announced today that the University of Newcastle will take top position on the back of jersey for Indigenous Round.
News • 21 Nov 2019
The University of Newcastle launches Maligagu blueprint for Indigenous employment
Increasing the number of Indigenous people working at the University of Newcastle is just one of the goals of the Maligagu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy and Action Plan 2019 – 2021 officially launched by the institution today.
Mr Nathan Towney
Position
Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor
Office of Indigenous Strategy and Leadership
Office PVC - Human and Social Futures
College of Human and Social Futures
Contact Details
nathan.towney@newcastle.edu.au | |
Phone | (02) 4055 3001 |
Office
Room | CH260 |
---|---|
Building | The Chancellery |
Location | Callaghan University Drive Callaghan, NSW 2308 Australia |