Recognising the faculty’s equity, diversity and inclusion leaders
The Monash University Faculty of Information Technology's 2025 Dean’s Awards for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) awards celebrate academic and professional staff who have made outstanding contributions to advancing EDI in the Faculty.
‘More than ever, it is crucial that we look to support our underrepresented, disadvantaged and marginalised communities, and ensure that their voices influence IT design and development,’ said Associate Professor Matthew Butler, Associate Dean (EDI) at the Faculty of IT.
‘This year’s winners have shown foresight and proactive leadership in ensuring our Faculty set that standard.’
This year, the Faculty recognises two individual winners and one team winner across the categories of Community and Education.
2025 award winners
Community
This category recognises staff who engage with the wider community to foster inclusion or support for underrepresented, disadvantaged or marginalised groups.
Aster Cosmos
Aster has led impactful initiatives to support neurodivergent staff at Monash, focusing on awareness, upskilling and collective advocacy, such as parking accessibility.
As a visible leader in neurodivergent inclusion, they bring an intersectional, collaborative and consultative approach that integrates their own lived experience with that of their peers.
Grounded in universal design and social justice, particularly the recognition and reframing of deficit narratives, Aster’s work has shifted culture, empowered self-advocacy and amplified marginalised identities.
Working across faculties and central teams, Aster is creating an environment where neurodivergent people can thrive, not just survive.
Education
This category recognises individuals or teams who have developed teaching practice, curricula or initiatives that foster inclusion for a diverse range of students.
Dr Rebecca Robinson
Dr Robinson designed and implemented a proactive academic mentoring program for IT students with disabilities, providing tailored support that enhances student engagement, wellbeing and academic success.
By collaborating with Monash’s Disability Support Services and offering training to mentors in mental health and inclusive teaching, the program has created a more equitable learning environment for students while raising the inclusivity capacity of teaching staff.
The initiative has delivered tangible outcomes and meaningful cultural change within the Faculty, contributing to a more supportive and accessible academic community.
Professor Aamir Cheema, Jinchun Du and Aster Cosmos
Professor Cheema, PhD student Jinchun Du and educational designer Aster Cosmos redesigned FIT3176 Advanced Database Design to embed EDI into every aspect of student learning.
Using real-world datasets and case studies on issues such as gender-based violence, Indigenous health, mental health, hate speech and the gender pay gap, students gained both technical expertise and awareness of equity and inclusion.
The initiative improved student engagement, achieved strong SETU results (4.80), and led to EDI content being adopted in six additional units across the Faculty. It now underpins a national project to embed EDI across six Australian universities.