2022 Award Nominees
A Message from the Vice-Chancellor
I am delighted to be hosting the 2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Education and Research Awards.
These awards provide an important opportunity for our community to recognise and celebrate the significant work and achievements of our leaders in education and research.
To acknowledge the quality of what has been achieved through these awards is one part of a broader recognition of superlative efforts. The achievements of the 2022 recipients epitomise the talent and potential of our University, as they continue to develop and enhance innovation and excellence in research, learning and teaching.
The awards for Education Excellence highlight the importance of high-quality teaching programs to the University’s ambition. Our colleagues recognised this year demonstrate the very best in teaching innovation and education program development.
The awards for Research Excellence showcase the world-leading research undertaken by Monash researchers, and the powerful connections forged with government, industry and community.
These awards also recognise Monash staff who, through their dedication to honours and post-graduate supervision, have made a meaningful contribution to fostering emerging leaders in research.
I trust you will enjoy this year’s celebration of Monash University’s education and research excellence.
Professor Margaret Gardner AC
President and Vice-Chancellor
Meet our 2022 Nominees
Education Awards
Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
The Vice-Chancellor’s Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning shine a light on individuals and teams who are innovative and uplift education excellence at Monash.
Dr Laura Alfrey - Faculty of Education Dr Laura Alfrey is an empathetic and creative educator who develops and enacts intentional, evidence-based and rigorous approaches that positively influence, motivate and inspire student learning. Bringing together theories of constructivism, critical pedagogy and inclusion, Laura innovatively combines three key strategies to inspire learning: 1) democratisation of education to enable student voice and agency; 2) enacting inclusive education to proactively plan for and celebrate difference; 3) a systematic approach to formative feedback to inform teaching and better meet learner needs. A wide range of data is drawn on to suggest Laura is an educator of the highest quality. |
Dr Betty Exintaris - Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Dr Betty Exintaris is a passionate, dedicated and innovative educator with over 20 years of teaching experience in higher education. During this time, she has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to improving the overall student experience. Her contributions have been recognised, both nationally and internationally, through multiple awards, grants and invited conference presentations. In 2018, Betty was awarded by the Australian Society for Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (ASCEPT) for her contribution to the design and development of a first-year foundational physiology unit, How the Body Works, as part of the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons)/ Master of Pharmacy degree. |
Dr Filippe Falcao Tebas Oliveira - Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences Dr Filippe Oliveria is an early career academic with has a sustained impact on student learning and engagement. He convenes a highly successful unit consistently recognised not only in the top 9% of all units at Monash, but also considered to be outstanding by students. Based on SETU scores, Filippe is placed in the top 7% of educators at Monash. He also develops and coordinates externally accredited short courses for health professionals within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. These courses have gained international educational recognition in terms of continued professional development for healthcare professionals. |
Mitchell O'Hara-Wild - Faculty of Business and Economics Mitchell O'Hara-Wild fosters a supportive classroom environment with many teaching strategies that inspire his students. Drawing on personal industry experience, he forms strong motivating associations between the topic and its wider practical applications. Mitchell takes pride in distilling difficult statistical theory into simple explanations which build upon concepts familiar to his students. He uses professional streaming software and equipment to facilitate engaging online tutorials which are recorded and widely used by students from online and in-person tutorials. Despite sustained overwhelmingly positive student feedback, Mitchell continues to further refine his teaching style and suggest unit improvements. |
Rita Wardan - Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science Rita has over a decade of Teaching Associate and specialist women’s health clinical pharmacy practice experience. She uses this to bring real-life scenarios to facilitate and consolidate students' learning. She is passionate and knowledgeable about her expert field and her enthusiasm organically translates into inspiring and motivating her students on their journey into the pharmacy profession. Rita actively facilitates an open and safe learning environment for optimal student interaction. Rita is motivated by her desire to help foster the next generation of exemplary clinical pharmacists. She was awarded a Faculty Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning in 2021. |
Dr Joaquin Sanchis Martinez - Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Dr Joaquin (Ximo) Sanchis has designed and established an innovative stepwise method to systematically enhance engagement and motivation for online learning in students of a final year organic-chemistry unit. The approach utilises individual micro face-to-face interventions early in the semester to create an initial rapport, which is transferred to the online space through inquiry-oriented learning activities. As in a chain reaction, the connection grows in further phases without the lecturer's intervention and improves the lecturer-student and student-student interactions in the virtual plane. The student satisfaction with the learning process led to this unit being purple for two consecutive years. |
Dr Xingliang Yuan - Faculty of Information Technology Dr Xingliang Yuan established a cloud-based learning space that provides students with a dedicated experimental environment for hands-on activities in over ten units across Clayton and Malaysia campuses. Such an environment significantly improves the scalability and flexibility of designing, deploying hands-on activities, and drives students to practice and tackle problems in real-world scenarios. In addition, he leads the coordination of cybersecurity competitions at Monash. Under his leadership, Monash's student teams received top ranks and awards in both international and national competitions. His commitment enriches students’ learning experiences and introduces broad impacts for Monash cybersecurity. |
Dr Isaac Gross - Faculty of Business and Economics Dr Zac Gross is an early career academic who is passionate about teaching the latest economic developments in an engaging academic environment. Zac runs a “Careers in Economics” newsletter to encourage students to take up jobs in the field and regularly involves practising economists in his courses, giving students a chance to interact with potential future employers. Zac also developed a digital green screen technique that enables lecturers to present engagingly to students online without a professional studio. During the COVID-19 economic crisis, Zac incorporated the latest news and research to keep course content relevant to his students’ lives. |
Collaborative Design Team - Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
Left to right: Wendy Ellerton, Dr Amy Killen and Anna Conrick In 2020, Communication Designer, Wendy Ellerton, Industrial Designer, Dr Amy Killen and Spatial Designer, Anna Conrick were appointed Unit Coordinators of 'Collaborative Design Studio 1'. Together they co-designed the curriculum, resources, and specified software that supported staff and students to thrive. In their coordination roles, they successfully modelled Collaborative Design mindsets and processes which prioritize relationships, use participatory means, share power and build capability. Collaborative Design is about working with people in mutually beneficial ways, and their efforts have demonstrated what’s possible when we come together to tackle complex ill-defined challenges. |
Faculty of Law
Left to right: Karen Abidi and Lisa Di Marco Karen Abidi and Lisa Di Marco collaboratively re-designed the contract law units to implement an innovative blended and active learning program, drawing on a decade of evaluative teaching and their backgrounds as lawyers. The program models clear communication of complex legal information and develops core legal skills in a way that is engaging, creative, and motivates and inspires students to learn by its relevance to the real world and professional legal practice. Impact on student learning is evidenced by student evaluation and feedback, significant improvement in unit evaluation linked to learning outcomes, and recognition by a Law Faculty Teaching Award. |
Indigenous Australian Creative Practice and Ways of Knowing - Faculty of Art Design and Architecture
Left to right: Professor Brian Martin, Kimba Thompson, Moorina Bonini and Bradley Webb "Indigenous Australian Creative Practice and Ways of Knowing” is an Indigenous-led and Indigenous content focussed unit within the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture. The unit and team are recognised as being innovative in contributing to the education and student experience at Monash University. This application showcases the leadership and scholarship of the team and the teaching practices that enrich student learning and experiences. The application also demonstrates how the team prioritises learning in relation to Indigenous knowledge and culture by centring experience, research excellence and creativity within the unit. |
Awards for Teaching Excellence
To recognise educators who deeply engage students and, importantly, who also have made a broad contribution to enhancing the quality of learning and teaching at Monash.
Siobhan Hardiman - Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences Siobhan Hardiman supports students to connect their innate strengths with the social work knowledge and skills she teaches. Siobhan believes teaching and learning is a collaborative relationship, prioritizing this by observing how students understand material, and drawing on her own practice experience to adapt her facilitation and content to best support learning outcomes. Siobhan supports students to be equipped, confident and reflective, so they can be the best generation of social workers coming into practice. Students come from varied backgrounds, with diversities in identities. This picture drives Siobhan's goal to present social work in a way that is accessible and links to other learning across the course, so students understand how everything connects to their future work. Siobhan is passionate about social work, about creating change for people and wants to support those coming in the door behind her to do well for the wider community. |
Dr Lisa Powell - Faculty of Business and Economic Dr Lisa Powell’s teaching philosophy is built upon the recognition that educators have a critical role to play in collectively shaping equitable and sustainable futures. Lisa builds transformational educational experiences to develop in students the knowledge, skills, and mindset required to respond to global challenges such as climate change. Lisa brings unique perspectives into accounting education and research. By drawing upon her interdisciplinary knowledge and her passion for equity and diversity, Lisa develops creative and engaging learning experiences that promote an understanding of accounting’s broader role in social and environmental issues. This unique approach underpins her groundbreaking work in ‘rewilding’ accounting education, which fosters in students a relational orientation, enhances empathy and compassion, and promotes greater critical and holistic thinking. Lisa’s innovative teaching approach empowers accounting graduates to thrive in increasingly uncertain business environments and helps to ensure future accountants and business leaders are better prepared to address global challenges. |
Dr Amin Sakzad - Faculty of Information Technology Dr Amin Sakzad is deeply committed to improving the learning experiences of students, and regularly seeks feedback from both students and senior colleagues on new initiatives or approaches in his teaching. Through the creation and promotion of personalisation of authentic assessment-as-learning practices and gamification of learning, Amin has ensured high-quality teaching of Cybersecurity for undergraduate and postgraduate computing students. As the Director of Education in the Department of Software Systems and Cybersecurity (SSC), Amin’s initiatives have aroused students' intellectual curiosity, interest, enthusiasm and creative endeavour, with great impact and achievements in terms of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Amin’s leadership in securing educational funding from Australian government funding bodies and writing education-oriented scholarly papers have inspired colleagues within FIT (as well as three other universities across Australia), to replace their final scheduled assessments with authentic assignments. Amin’s teaching contributions at FIT were acknowledged by the 2021 Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award. |
Dr James Saunderson - Faculty of Engineering Dr James Saunderson is a member of the Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering (ECSE). Since joining Monash in 2016 as a Lecturer, he has developed, coordinated, and taught units in control systems (at 4th year level) and signal processing (at 2nd year level). As an educator he strives to be organised, clear, responsive, and empathetic. He was ECSE Director of Education during 2020, supporting staff and students in the transition to online learning and teaching. This upheaval provided an opportunity for Dr Saunderson to develop new cross-campus delivery models with Monash Malaysia, set up new peer mentoring and student feedback structures within the department, and implement assessment approaches to drive student engagement with online learning material. |
Dr Zala Volcic - Faculty of Arts Dr Zala Volcic has positively transformed the Bachelor of Media Communication (BMC) since assuming the directorship in January 2020. Under her leadership, the BMC introduced a range of activities to promote a community focused education approach and pioneered a broadly applicable model of compassionate pedagogy balancing flexible, empathic teaching with rigorous academic expectations. Informed by this philosophy, two key innovations demonstrate the transformation: 1) the creation of a degree-wide online site (Moodle) to build a community of practice with staff, students, and industry partners; and 2) the ePortfolio program to provide students with a showcase for their work during their studies. Her innovations, which created a learning environment that is intellectually stimulating and emotionally supportive, strengthened student engagement, enhanced the development of their media skills, and helped improve their job readiness. The result has been continuous growth and success of the degree over the course of the past three years. |
First Year Chemistry Team - Faculty of Science
Left to right: Dr Joel Hooper, Dr Victoria Blair, Dr Shah Taghavi, Dr Sara Kyne and Associate Professor Toby Bell. The First Year Chemistry teaching team are responsible for the design and delivery of multiple units across the Clayton and Malaysia campuses and typically teaches a large and diverse cohort of more than 1200 students per semester, one of the two largest cohorts in the Faculty of Science. Their collective goal is to engage their students in an inclusive and welcoming learning environment. To achieve this, they have developed problem-based active learning teaching strategies, integrated the laboratory experience with the curriculum, and developed new student feedback opportunities to enhance the student learning experience and support student transition from secondary school to university. In response to the challenges COVID-19 presented, the team worked together and rapidly transitioned to an effective online teaching model. Initiatives developed by the First Year Chemistry team have been well received by students and are now being implemented across the Faculty and University. |
Awards for Innovation in Learning and Teaching
To recognise innovation driving improvement in student engagement, teaching, learning or assessment.
Dr Geraldine Burke - Faculty of Education Since initiating Art Reach in 2005, Dr Geraldine Burke has built a legacy of empowering teachers, students and diverse groups in Australia, Oceania and Asia to embrace the transformative power of art-making for change. Geraldine is an advocate, leader and educator through the Art Reach program, which employs arts-based research collaborations to explore contemporary challenges and concerns. Art Reach fosters engaged teaching practice in preservice teachers by having them work with learning communities they might encounter in their careers. So far, 26 projects have engaged more than 2000 participants in collaborations with over 40 schools, major institutions and hundreds of community learners. Awarded the 2021 Faculty of Education Dean’s Award for Innovation in Learning and Teaching, Geraldine’s enduring vision of inclusive, community-connected, whole-of-life learning, and abundant enthusiasm for art-making innovation and leadership spreads the joy of horizontal learning through local and international communities as new knowledge is found and shared. |
Dr Tammie Choi - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Dr Tammie Choi received the 2018 Vice-Chancellors Diversity and Inclusion award for her unique international student support program named the International Student Acculturation Program (ISAP) in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food. The ISAP includes a theoretically driven cultural mentoring program, empowering international students to collectively address acculturative issues. During the covid-19 pandemic, Tammie extended ISAP to ISAP+ and led a series of education strategies to ensure international students, offshore and onshore, progress in their courses timely, and allowed the academic staff to focus on teaching. Tammie embraced the unprecedented covid-19-related challenges and capitalised on the opportunity to trial new models of overseas work-integrated learning (WIL) and an international alumni mentoring circle. Tammie also delivered the Monash Nutrition-first internship program to keep the international students engaged during the summer while fostering their unique cultural identity. These proactive strategies in the face of covid-19 have demonstrated innovation, and leadership, and are to be extended post-pandemic. |
William Lye OAM KC - Faculty of Law William Lye is one of His Majesty’s Counsel in Victoria, and the Convenor of Mooting, Advocacy, and Dispute Resolution at Monash Law School. He is an award-winning barrister and teaching associate, designing the online mooting program during the pandemic to successfully deliver a unique practical experience for Monash law students. He uses the approach Hear/See/Do to implement a wide range of strategies to train each student to actively listen to arguments, to proactively watch performances, and then courageously perform online as an advocate, as a judge, and as an anonymous peer-to-peer reviewer. He introduced a ‘buddy program’ for his alumni students to mentor the new cohort of students thereby building a network of future advocates. His radical shift in how oral advocacy is taught online has contributed to Monash law students’ success in winning national and international mooting competitions in the virtual courtroom. |
Gerrie Roberts - Faculty of Business and Economics With more than 30 years of experience as an education-focused academic, Gerrie Roberts has made substantial contributions to the teaching of Business Statistics at Monash. Notable accomplishments include relaunching MBA Statistics, breathing new life into first-year Statistics at Caulfield, and rehabilitating the equivalent Statistics at Peninsula. Her focus on interactivity has markedly enhanced student experience with substantial improvements in both engagement and performance. Based on extensive and ongoing industry experience, Gerrie brings practitioners’ insights into the classroom and is acknowledged by Faculty and University as a multi-award-winning educator. Recently, Gerrie continued to enhance Statistics by developing an approach that utilises Student Engagement Track Points. Gerrie’s innovative program ensures engagement and success which inspires students to learn and apply statistics. The results were immediate and evidenced by significant increases in lecture attendance, academic performance and satisfaction, coupled with significant reductions in failure rates. |
Dr Yit Sean Esther Chong - Faculty of Business and Economics Dr Esther Chong is a strong advocate for continuous improvement in the mission of enacting meaningful learning that matters to students, organisations and the global community. Drawing upon her career experience in management consulting and corporate training, Esther mobilises an engaged learning process driven by professional facilitation skills, experiential insights and critical reflections. These are exemplified in purpose-driven collaborations with Dialogue in the Dark (a social enterprise for the visually impaired), NGOs and established firms in delivering learning activities that promote empathy, teamwork, and managerial best practice. As a service quality researcher, Esther applies evidence-based assessment strategies in delivering learning outcomes that translate into student success and SETU improvement in a core unit with large cohorts. Above all, Esther contributes to the community of practice via staff training and knowledge co-creation, which she believes is a vital platform of innovative awakening that inspires meaningful change to both individuals and communities. |
Year A Clinical Skills Team - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Left to right: Dr Sean Atkinson, Dr Kris Gilbert and Caroline Rossetti The Year A Clinical Skills Team are a small team of three part-time clinicians who teach clinical skills to 105 pre-clinical, graduate-entry medical students at the rural campus in Churchill. Clinical Skills is a face-to-face practical subject where students learn communication skills, history taking, physical examination, and procedures. When the pandemic led to the sudden cessation of face-to-face classes, this significantly affected clinical skills teaching, and there was no previous research on teaching these skills online to guide our online education program. Many medical schools used online didactic tutorials to replace the lost face-to-face program. However, the team developed an innovative approach and support program, which involved tutor-led history role-plays, student-led physical examination video submissions, and virtual hospital placement. Overall, the program was a success and kept students engaged throughout the pandemic with no student failures to date. |
Innovative Teaching (For) Architecture - Faculty of Art Design and Architecture
Left to right: Brendan Boniface, Associate Professor Ari Seligmann and Jacqui Alexander This application presents multi-pronged approaches to integrate new web-based multimedia collaborative platforms, supporting robust feedback-rich teaching and learning in architecture. Mural and VoiceThread were incorporated to create resilient teaching environments operating across synchronous, asynchronous, online and on-campus modes. In other words, digital collective teaching and learning spaces were designed to be used anytime, anywhere and at any distance. Employing select digital platforms reduced the number of interfaces that staff and students need to engage with while meeting complex multimedia teaching requirements. These efforts began as pilots for 30 students in Semester 1 2020, expanded to support diverse unit deliveries for 1200 students across the Department by Semester 1 2021, and continue to support teaching in 2022 after integration as University-wide platforms. New technologies were creatively integrated and precipitated teaching innovations fostering engagement. While increasing collaboration and feedback to advance architectural education, our efforts offer many broadly applicable lessons. |
Arts Educational Design team - Faculty of Arts
Left to right: Josephine Hook, Carmen Sapsed and Victoria Peel The Arts Moodle template is an innovative pedagogic model for the development of the Faculty’s LMS (Moodle) instance as an active learning environment. Designed and implemented by the Faculty’s Educational Design team, and supported by Faculty leadership, the template draws on a complex mix of learning theory, blended learning methodology and instructional design principles to establish clear navigation and coherent learning pathways for all our students. The response from students is overwhelmingly positive, evidenced in SETU results, surveys and focus groups. Further, the template supports the pedagogic work of Faculty educators to reconceptualise their content for digital-first education. Educators use the template to create dynamic learning experiences that connect students with disciplinary content, with each other and with their educator in the digital learning environment. Our leadership of this approach is central to a broader paradigm shift towards new modes of teaching and learning in the Arts Faculty. |
Awards for Industry and Community Education Programs
To recognise outstanding education programs delivered across industry and community sectors. It reflects Monash’s commitment to innovate and positively impact through education within enterprises or communities.
Bendigo Clinical Education Pathway Program - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Dr Lisa Hall In 2020, Bendigo Health identified that Doctors in Training are asked to do a considerable amount of teaching work in the hospital, but are provided with only minimal support to become good teachers. Monash Rural Health developed a staged and targeted professional learning program, delivered locally, about clinical teaching and education for hospital medical officers and registrars, with multiple exit points that would support applications for medical college specialist programs and provide a pathway to post-graduate study with Monash. The program also needed to support the recruitment and retention of clinicians, building the rural medical workforce in the region. Dr Lisa Hall developed the pathway, wrote the curriculum and developed the learning materials for the onsite delivery of Stage 1 in Bendigo. She also recruited and incorporated other key stakeholders, to support the delivery of Stages 2 and 3. |
Leading Virtual Learning - Faculty of Education and Faculty of Information Technology
Left to right: Associate Professor Mike Phillips, Professor Michael Henderson and Dr Zachari Swiecki Prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, there was already a growing recognition that teachers need to be able to productively engage with their students through online technologies. The global pandemic required teachers to work in ways online that they were unprepared for. The Leading Virtual Learning project, funded by the Department of Education since early 2020, set out to improve the technological skills of teachers and also to have an impact on how teachers see their skills, knowledge, identities, values and epistemologies. The researchers developed an innovative 6-week hybrid course and also developed a new method of analysis drawing on Epistemic Frame Theory. 99 participants have engaged with the course over the last 2 years resulting in statistically significant impacts on the ways in which teachers understand their role as virtual educators shaping the learning experiences of more than 10,000 VCE students. |
Micro-Credential: Applying Behavioural Science to Create Change - Monash Sustainable Development Institute
Left to right from the top row: Dr Filia Garivaldis, Dr Sarah Kneebone, Mark Boulet, Melissa Santoso, Geoff Paine, Emmy Riley, Professor Liam Smith, Associate Professor Annette Bos, Dr Denise Goodwin, Lena Jungbluth, Dr Stefan Kaufman, Dr Fraser Tull, Dr Abby Wild, Dr Alexander Saeri, Kazi Aubanty, Malaika Jaovisidha and Michelle Fadelli The behaviour change micro-credential, Applying Behavioural Science to Create Change, is a professional development program developed in response to growing demand from BehaviourWorks Australia’s consortium partners and collaborators for capability building in behaviour change. The course, endorsed by the Faculty of Science, is designed to enhance participants’ understanding of the key drivers and processes that influence behaviour and the tools and methods to apply behavioural science concepts to tackle key global and local challenges. Delivered fully online for 3 consecutive years to date, the course has already helped approximately 420 graduates from the state and federal government, regulatory bodies, and other units from a range of sectors, apply behavioural insights in their work. The course has received outstanding student outcomes including behaviour change knowledge acquisition and learning satisfaction. |
Compassion Training for Healthcare Workers - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Left to right: Dr Debbie Ling, Professor Craig Hassed and Adjunct Associate Professor Richard Chambers Dr Debbie Ling, Professor Craig Hassed and Dr Richard Chambers designed the Monash Compassion Training for Healthcare Workers online course. This self-paced four-week course teaches healthcare workers strategies to enhance compassion, avoid empathic distress and burnout, improve their own well-being and resilience and create more caring and compassionate workplaces. The course has attracted bulk enrolments from major healthcare networks including Peninsula Health, Northern Health, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Epworth HealthCare, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, NSW Ministry of Health, Timboon and District Health Service, Omeo District Health and the Centre for Mental Health Learning. Since its launch in March 2022, the course has run three times, and 264 healthcare workers have completed the course. This course has established Monash as a national leader in the compassion training space. The course makes an important contribution to strengthening healthcare worker well-being, preventing burnout, enhancing patient-centred care and building compassionate organisations. |
The Monash Clinical Legal Education Program - Faculty of Law
Left to right from the top row: Professor Jeff Giddings, Sally Andersen, Dr Cate Banks, Melissa Fletcher, Ross Hyams, Sara Kowal, Jennifer Lindstrom, Sylvia Maramis, Jennifer Paneth, and Dr Jacqueline Weinberg, (Joel Townsend and Fay Gertner not pictured) Monash has developed the largest clinical legal education program in Australia. Monash Law Clinics and South-East Monash Legal Service are two of the largest providers of free legal aid in Victoria, assisting thousands of clients each year. This distinctive community service has been part of the Monash Law Faculty since 1975. In recent years, the Monash Clinical Legal Education Program has grown significantly and now serves a broader range of communities through partnering with a diverse set of local, national and global organisations. The Program uses technology to support international communities in matters involving human rights, climate change and fair trade. Monash Law is the only Australian law school to offer a Clinical Guarantee, assuring every student a best-practice experiential learning opportunity. This enables students and their communities to benefit from clients receiving free legal assistance and advice through the involvement of some 700+ students each year. |
Awards for Educational Leadership
To recognise outstanding and significant educational leadership that has positively influenced educational practice at the University and/or faculty level and beyond (in local, national or international settings).
Dr Mugdha Rai - Faculty of Arts As an education-focused staff member, Dr Mugdha Rai is passionate about postgraduate teaching and learning and has a highly successful record as a leader and educator in postgraduate program management, design and delivery. Mugdha successfully developed and launched a new Master of Strategic Communications Management that effectively meets the needs of diverse student cohorts as well as Faculty and University strategic priorities. She is also a leader in adopting and promoting innovative approaches to online teaching and learning, working closely with Faculty of Arts leadership, the Monash Business School and Monash Online to design and deliver a new online Master’s program in Marketing and Digital Communications, recognised as an ‘exemplar’ in fully-online education practice. In the course of developing these programs, Mugdha has collaborated effectively with a range of stakeholders at different levels – internally and externally - to develop strong, robust working relationships that have enhanced our teaching programs. Her educational leadership and vision have also had a significant impact on the broader educational environment. The effectiveness of her ground-breaking course designs and delivery models have directly contributed to a Faculty-wide restructure and redevelopment of all postgraduate coursework programs. Mugdha has adopted a strong leadership role in mentoring key teaching staff within her programs as well as advising and supporting other Course Directors in the redevelopment of their programs and teaching. Her achievements, contribution and impact have been recognised by multiple awards and commendations, as well as excellent teaching and student outcomes. |
Dr Pearl Karen Subban - Faculty of Education As a leader and educator in the Graduate Programs (Faculty of Education), Dr Pearl Subban has led, coordinated and evaluated units taught in Australia and Singapore. She has oversight over the teaching and curriculum within selected Masters and Graduate Certificate courses. Additionally, she supports course leaders through mentoring and guidance to equip them to academically manage the courses they oversee. Within this context, she is responsible for reviewing individual teaching units, with a view to improving student outcomes, and refining content and delivery to improve their academic outcomes. Her work is framed by a social justice lens, her personal embracing of inclusivity and an awareness of diversity. Additionally, having worked in academia over two decades, spanning two continents, she is aware that students come into learning spaces with a range of needs and differing learning profiles which require acknowledgement, this knowledge is used pivotally to inform course development. Being of this mind, she guides staff to design programs of study which are cognisant of student variance, drawing on appropriate research to refine delivery. Additionally, during Course Advisory Team Meetings, she intentionally utilises opportunities to develop learning approaches which cater to the rich diversity evident in contemporary higher education. As a culturally diverse educator, the values of respect, dignity and honour are central to her leadership and teaching. Cultural, racial and linguistic diversity positions her intersectionally, allowing her to be sensitive to the needs of students and staff who arrive with differences to the accepted, mainstream norm. |
Research Awards
Award for Research Excellence by an Early Career Researcher (HASS)
To reward excellence by early career researchers (HASS) who have achieved, or are currently achieving outstanding research excellence and impact
Dr Luke Smythe - Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture Dr Luke Smythe is an internationally recognised historian of West German and abstract art, whose research has been published in leading journals of art history, in exhibition catalogues from globally prominent museums, and in two recent monographs. The first of these, on noted New Zealand painter Gretchen Albrecht, was selected as one of the top ten arts and literature books of 2019 by that country's most important newspaper and its highest-selling current affairs magazine. A revised and expanded edition is forthcoming. The second book, on German painter Gerhard Richter, who is among the most important living artists, has been described by one reviewer as “the single most compelling study I have read that covers the full sweep of Richter’s oeuvre.” Exhibitions curated by Dr Smythe of the work of globally-renowned artist Joseph Beuys have each received more than 150,000 visitors. Smythe regularly collaborates with colleagues in Europe, North America and New Zealand. |
Dr Kim Anh Dang - Faculty of Education Dr Kim-Anh Dang is an award-winning academic with an impressive track record for her career stage. She has built an international reputation for her work on the intersections of teacher-professional learning, English-as-a-Medium-of-Instruction (EMI), and globalisation. Pioneering in EMI, she is a world leader in an emerging field that is growing quickly as more universities worldwide seek to make curriculum offerings in English. With an outstanding record of publishing pioneering work in high-impact-international-Q1 journals, her research has advanced the field internationally, opening new lines of inquiry in teacher education and EMI (03 publications being the most-read/most cited articles in reputable journals). Kim has won several prestigious early-career-research awards from national and international research associations. Kim has demonstrated exceptional research leadership. She’s successfully led interdisciplinary-funded-research projects with external/international collaborators, and mentored 04 Monash academics, enhancing their research achievements. Co-convening Teacher-Education-and-Research-Innovation-Special-Interest-Group within Australian-Association-for-Research-in-Education, Kim’s co-hosted 02 national-research-symposia and 01 ECR-mentoring-program, benefiting over 100 academics nationwide. She is a Monash Education Academy Fellow and a Higher Education Academy (UK) Senior Fellow. |
Associate Professor Caroline Henckels - Faculty of Law Associate Professor Henckels is an accomplished academic who researches in the areas of public international law (with a focus on international economic law) and comparative public law. Before joining Monash, Associate Professor Henckels was a Vice-Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Law at the University of New South Wales. She has taught law at the University of Cambridge and the University of Melbourne and has acted as a consultant to the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer and the Human Rights Law Centre. She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, an LLM from the University of Melbourne and an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington. Her research has resulted in world-class publications that are both theoretical and practical, and that have made a significant contribution to knowledge and the development of the law. Her research has been cited with approval by numerous international tribunals, eminent professors and senior judges. Caroline’s reputation in research has led her to being appointed to the Editorial Board of the Journal of International Economic Law, and Associate Editor of the Journal of World Investment and Trade. Caroline’s grants submissions success includes a prestigious ARC linkage project that investigated the geographical indications for wine in Australia’s Free Trade Agreements and earlier this year, an ARC application for the 2023 DECRA grant round. |
Dr Luzhou (Nina) Li - Faculty of Arts Dr Li is an early-career researcher in communications and media studies who studies global media industries, the political economy of media, media policy and governance, and contemporary China. She is the author of the monograph Zoning China: Online Video, Popular Culture, and the State (MIT Press, 2019), which is recognized as by far the most compelling, authoritative account of China’s digital entertainment industry. This monograph is flanked by a track record of single-authored articles in Q1 journals in her field including Media, Culture & Society, Television & New Media, and International Journal of Communication. The recognition of her research excellence can be seen through the competitive research fellowships and industry research funding she has received so far. In 2020, she was awarded an ARC DECRA fellowship to study Chinese social media platforms and platform governance. |
Dr Susan Baidawi - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Dr Baidawi is an outstanding early career researcher with expertise spanning child welfare and criminal justice. After winning the 2017 Leon Piterman Award for her doctoral research, she was awarded an ARC DECRA (2019-21), an AIC Criminology Research Grant (2021), and research funded by the Disability Royal Commission. Dr Baidawi’s remarkable publication record includes 6 book chapters and 42 journal articles (20 first author), including a recent publication in Trauma, Violence & Abuse, the top social work journal worldwide. Dr Baidawi’s ARC Linkage-funded research formed the basis of the Victorian Ageing Prisoner and Offender Policy Framework 2015-20, and her DECRA research, a Children’s Court collaboration, informed the new Victorian Youth Justice Strategy. She was awarded the 2022 FMNHS ECR Deans Research Award and Publication Prize, the 2021 Australian Social Work Norm Smith Medal, the 2020 SPAHC ECR Award (Policy), and sits on the ACT Government Strengthening Child Protection Practice Committee. |
Dr Davide Orazi - Faculty of Business and Economics Dr Davide C. Orazi researches how people use consumption and extraordinary experiences to cope with stress and transform their daily life. He has published 16 journal articles (7A*/9A). His latest research has appeared in the highest-ranked journals in marketing (Journal of Consumer Research, 2022) and management (Administrative Science Quarterly, 2021). Davide is the first academic in the past 30 years at Monash to publish in ASQ, and one of only 10 in JCR. His research findings have been disseminated to the broader public by media outlets such as 7news, Business Insider, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, The Age, The Conversation, and The Guardian. Davide’s research addresses Monash University's strategic challenge to create Thriving Communities, specifically in the workplace and during leisure time. He is an advocate of how role-playing can develop transferable skills and lead to truly transformative experiences, and collaborates with industry and game designers to this end. |
Award for Research Excellence by an Early Career Researcher (STEM)
To reward excellence by early career researchers (STEM) who have achieved, or are currently achieving outstanding research excellence and impact
Dr Emma van der Westhuizen - Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Dr Emma T van der Westhuizen is an outstanding early-career researcher. Since completing her PhD, she has been awarded 7 competitive fellowships from NHMRC, CIHR and FRSQ and published 32 articles with ~2100 citations. Her outstanding research is published in top quartile journals including Physiological Reviews, Nature Chemical Biology and Nature Communications. Emma's research has a high impact with 11 of her research publications cited >50 times, which is >5x average. Her most significant contributions include the derivation and validation of a new analytical method for cell signalling data, which has been adopted by scientists worldwide. She proved different medications alter cellular communication by changing the shape of target proteins and provided ground-breaking methodology connecting adverse medication profiles with molecular properties. Emma enhances the broader scientific community in her roles as President Monash Parkville EMCR committee; Victorian representative, ASCEPT Drug Discovery SIG; EMCR subcommittee member, and Monash Neuroscience Network. |
Dr Qingdong Ou - Faculty of Engineering Qingdong Ou is an ARC DECRA Fellow at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and an Associate Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technology. He received PhD degree from Monash University in September 2019. His research involves the investigation of functional nanomaterials for photonic and optoelectronic applications. Particularly, he discovered topological polaritons and photonic magic angles in twisted bilayers of two-dimensional materials, which opens an entirely new field of “twist-optics” and was selected as “Top 10 Breakthrough of the Year” by Physics World. He has published >70 articles in leading journals, such as Nature, Nature Reviews Physics, Nature Communications, Science Advances, and Advanced Materials, resulting in >4,000 citations with an h-index of 31. He was awarded the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad in 2019 and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research by an Early Career Researcher from the Faculty of Engineering in 2022. |
Dr Munawar Hayat - Faculty of Information Technology Munawar is currently an ARC DECRA fellow and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of IT. His work addresses the limitations of deep neural networks, thus enabling them to learn with limited human supervision while being robust to biases in the data. His work has been funded by multiple competitive grants including the ARC DECRA fellowship, ARC Discovery Project, and 3 DARPA projects. He has been involved in the supervision of 10 PhD students and multiple Masters and Honours students. He actively publishes his work at top venues in his field and has won academic awards and competitions, including the Robert Street Prize, and Dean's list honourable mention award for best PhD thesis, supervisor of the year 2021 certificate, and image enhancement competitions held at leading AI conferences. |
Dr Scarlett Howard - Faculty of Science Dr Scarlett Howard received her PhD in 2019 with awards for outstanding research, media communication, and team excellence in research. She is interested in how miniature insect brains can perform complex tasks, learn rules, and acquire abstract concepts. Her work on numerical capacity in honeybees has greatly advanced our understanding of what tiny brains can do. She showed they can perform addition and subtraction, categorise numbers as odd or even, give value to the number zero, and learn to represent numbers symbolically. Dr Howard has won multiple fellowships, awards, and grants, most notably the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents French Award. She is an active advocate for science communication and volunteers her time to public talks, interviews, and media communication training. Three years post-PhD, Dr Howard has started her own lab at Monash University as the Head of the Integrative Cognition, Ecology and Bio-Inspiration Research Group. |
Award for Excellence in Enterprising Research
To reward excellence by researchers who have achieved, or are currently achieving, excellence in innovation and collaboration. The award celebrates successful, enduring partnerships with industry, government and other organisations
Design Research of time-saving security and medical products that can save lives - Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
Professor Daphne Flynn and Dr Nyein Aung Monash University Art, Design, and Architecture (MADA)’s Design Health Collab (DHCL) has led collaborations with industry partner Micro-X on CT and x-ray-based devices to deliver three projects with a total value of AUD 4,511,676. The DHCL team's expertise lies in using humanity-centred design to understand and activate significant, commercialised, high-impact health and well-being devices and services. Their approach ensures human factors are embedded in device development from concept development through to mocks ups and implementation, an approach leading to 5 design awards in the last 2 years alone. This core team has collaborated with researchers from the XYX and Mobility Design labs to deliver devices with and for Micro-X. XYX brings gender expertise, ensuring the design process captures the needs of all genders, particularly of women and non-binary people; Mobility Design brings expertise in transportation systems design, essential to the Airport Security Checkpoint design. |
Communicating Climate Change in Australia - Faculty of Arts
Left to right: Dr Lucy Richardson, Ana Ross, Dr John Cook, Tahnee Burgess, Mandeep Singh, Amelia Pearson, Ella Healy, Associate Professor David Holmes and Kate Bongiovanni. Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub (MCCCRH): Associate Professor David Holmes, Ella Healy, Dr John Cook, Dr Lucy Richardson, Ana Ross, Mandeep Singh, Amelia Pearson, Kate Bongiovanni and Tahnee Burgess. MCCCRH has solved how to communicate to audiences resistant to climate information through a unique methodology known as ‘non-persuasive communication’ — changing entire media ecosystems with high volumes of short, factual, easy-to-follow messages, repeated often, by trusted sources, to large audiences. MCCCRH has partnered with Australia’s largest media companies, to operationalise industrial-scale delivery of climate information over three years. This has included 2000 online columns with News Corporation; getting to air over 630 TV broadcasts of climate trends via almost 30 weather presenters, to 5 television networks, including SKY News; 49 video climate explainers on the Weatherzone App, as well as a climate reporting campaign known as ‘Time is Now’ with Australia’s most read online news outlet, News.com.au |
Building relationships with Australian Government agencies to improve citizens’ life experiences - Faculty of Education
Left to right: Professor Steven Roberts, Associate Professor Brady Robards and Dr Ben Lyall Collaborating since early 2020, Prof Steven Roberts, (Faculty of Education), A/Prof Brady Robards (Faculty of Arts) and Dr Ben Lyall (Faculty of IT) have brought together and led cross-university, interdisciplinary research teams and formed close partnerships with Australian Public Service agencies. Drawing on their sociology expertise, this team developed and sustained research relationships that affect real-life change and policy initiatives. The research provided key evidence for Australia’s Youth Policy Framework (August 2021) and helped shape the strategy and communications of the Australian Government's National Careers Institute and their school-leaver support programs. Their research has also informed numerous cabinet submissions and resulted in the development of analytic tools for Services Australia to better understand service interactions. The team’s work was described by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet as ‘important in building the reputation of academia and in particular, Monash University in conducting work with the Department. |
Monash-Woodside Energy FutureLab - Faculty of Engineering
Left to right: Professor Christopher Hutchinson, Professor Maria Garcia de la Banda, Dr Erin Brodie, Dr Lee Djumas and Dr Sebastian Thomas The FutureLab has a flat management structure, with two Co-Chairs, subject matter experts and a research & innovation manager, supported by a team of excellent students. Professor Christopher Hutchinson (metal additive manufacturing), Professor Maria Garcia de la Banda (data science) and Dr Sebastian Thomas (corrosion) have acted as key subject matter experts since 2016. In late 2019 Chris and Maria were nominated as Co-Chairs, reflecting their recognised value to our partners. The role of Research & Innovation Manager was performed by Dr Lee Djumas between 2018-2021, with Dr Erin Brodie taking over in mid-2021 when Dr Djumas was seconded to Woodside Energy to lead their internal roll-out of 3D printing. Major team achievements include the installation of 3D printed metal parts in critical service at Woodside and the initiation and ultimate establishment of the Woodside Monash Energy Partnership, helping Woodside to explore a transition to lower-carbon energy such as hydrogen. |
Bees+Tech is an unlikely, but essential, combination to tackle insect pollinator behaviour under our changing climate - Faculty of Information Technology
Associate Professor Alan Dorin Associate Professor Alan Dorin, Faculty of IT, has established extensive partnerships with the agricultural industry and leads a diverse, multidisciplinary, multi-university and industry team to develop technology to understand and manage insect-plant interactions, with a focus on crop pollination. His research reaches beyond computer science and provides an impact on the agricultural and beekeeping industries, conservation, and ecology. Notable achievements include the development of an in-field insect tracking system and highly detailed computer insect simulations to unravel how bees’ physiology and behaviours influence their interactions with flowers in nature and agriculture. The benefits of this vital information include improved strategies for crop pollination boosting yield and quality and maintaining food security under our changing climate. By raising the standard for insect pollination monitoring in the field, he has attracted collaborations, and significant investment, from major industrial Australian and international agricultural organisations and funding agencies. |
Ankere Therapeutics: A New Therapy for Respiratory Disease - Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Associate Professor Bernard Flynn and Dr Xu Han A/Prof Bernie Flynn is Head of the Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery Lab at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and CEO and Research Director of two Monash spinout companies. In the last 20 years, he has founded three spinout Pharma companies, brought two drugs into clinical trials (Phase-2), raised >$100m in commercial investment and attracted >$400m in pharma deals. His research is impacting medical health in CNS-disorders, cancer, cardiometabolic disease and respiratory disease. Dr Xu Han gained his PhD at Monash University in 2020 under the supervision of A/Prof Flynn and is currently a Research Fellow at Monash University working for Ankere Therapeutics contract. In his PhD, Xu worked on the design and synthesis of sphingosine kinase targeting agents. These drug leads and the spinout company formed on the basis of them, Ankere Therapeutics (2021, Series A $10mil), are the focus of this Award nomination. |
Monash-ENGIE Net-Zero Alliance - Monash Sustainable Development Institute
Dr Darren Sharp Climate change is recognised as a key challenge in the Monash Impact 2030 Strategic Plan. Scholarly work and global discourse recognise that to achieve net zero emissions, there is a need to fundamentally transform our urban infrastructure systems. Yet questions remain about how to effectively and inclusively engage people and communities in transitions. This is one of the key questions that Darren Sharp’s research is seeking to address through an interdisciplinary agenda using social innovation and action research in urban contexts. Working collaboratively with the Alliance research and operations team, Darren leads the coordination of the Net Zero Solutions Fund portfolio. Key to Darren’s approach to research is delivering high-impact interdisciplinary collaboration between Monash researchers across faculties including IT, Arts, MADA and Engineering with ENGIE Lab researchers in Singapore and Paris. Darren successfully led the development of the Linkage proposal which received a $1m grant from the ARC, and through this research is helping to pioneer a new interdisciplinary approach to net zero transformation at precinct scale working with CIs across the University using a Living Lab approach. Darren’s role in research contributes to enterprising excellence via coordination, scoping and delivery of deep dive projects, affinity events and leverage funding proposals which involves recruiting and supervising research fellows and facilitating events to strengthen collaboration between leading researchers from Monash and ENGIE Labs. His research activities benefit Monash through his work to establish, lead and participate in innovative research and partnership building that enhances the deployment of net zero solutions. |
Antigen-specific regulatory T cells to treat lupus and other autoimmune diseases - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Associate Professor Joshua Ooi Associate Professor Ooi’s research has received international recognition for his discovery of the key cause of autoimmune diseases. His work has been published as 1st author in the very top international journals, Nature, Nature Communications, PNAS (USA) and is recognised as a national and international leader in his discipline. This is evidenced by Best Science prizes from both the national Nephrology and Immunology societies, as well as highly prestigious international research awards. He has also received the prestigious Rosenstrauss Fellowship, and CIA funding from the NHMRC, Lupus Research Alliance, USA, and the US DoD. Importantly, Associate Professor Ooi is deserving of the Research Enterprise Award because he recently secured a very large Research Collaboration and Commercialisation deal with a leading multinational biopharmaceutical company worth >$188M. This funding will allow him to progress his patented cell-based therapeutics to treat autoimmune diseases as an internationally recognised leader in this novel therapeutic area. |
Award for Excellence in Research Engagement and Impact
To reward excellence by researchers who have achieved, or are currently achieving, outstanding societal impact. The award celebrates success in collaborative working, partnerships, engagement and knowledge transfer activities that have led to significant impact
Auslan Research - Faculty of Arts
Left to right from top row: Associate Professor Louisa Willoughby, Dr Meredith Bartlett, Dr Shimako Iwasaki, Dr Howard Manns, Dr Jim Hlavac, Dr Trevor Johnston, Dennis Witcombe, Ramas McRae, Dr Sarah Pasfield-Neofitou, Dr Cathy Sell, River Smith, Eleanore Hunter, Meredith Prain, Dr Jess Birnie-Smith, Rachel Miers, Heather Lawson, Stef Linder and Joe Sabolcec (Cathy Clark not pictured). Auslan is the sign language of the Australian deaf community. The Monash Auslan team is Australia’s preeminent cluster of Auslan researchers. For over 10 years we have led advancements in Auslan research and service provision, including the development of broadcaster standards for interpreters in emergency communication, curriculum development for the TAFE-sector Auslan training package, revamping Signbank (the Auslan dictionary), textbook writing and the development and delivery of training for Auslan interpreters and support workers working with deafblind clients. This work has been undergirded by three ARC projects (two in the area of deafblind signing and one on teaching Auslan to hearing adults) and extensive collaborations with a variety of industry partner organisations. The team also acknowledges our long-standing industry partnerships with Deaf ConnectED, Melbourne Polytechnic’s Auslan team, Expression Australia, Able Australia, and NAATI. |
YourGround: Mapping a safer Victoria for women and gender-diverse people - Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
Left to right: Associate Professor Nicole Kalms, Associate Professor Gene Bawden, Dr Gill Matthewson, Associate Professor Jess Berry, Isabella Webb, Dr Timothy Moore and Dr Xavier Ho XYX Lab operates at the intersection of gender, identity, urban space and advocacy. The team of architects, urban designers, and visual communication and digital engagement specialists use both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to conduct thought-provoking projects that build equity into urban life by developing and promoting co-design strategies and projects that address the needs of women, LGBTIQ+ people and other minority groups. Through their research and practice, they bring together planners, policymakers, local government and community stakeholders to make tangible the experiences of underrepresented communities in urban space and planning. The Lab's projects have a wide engagement to ensure impact with strong connections across all levels of government, alongside NGOs, NFP, and commercial partners. The Lab's design interventions have won more than 20 awards in the past 5 years, including Good Design Award (Gold) in both 2020 and 2021, and the Victorian Premier’s Design Award in 2019 and 2021. |
Increasing knowledge and capacity for the sustainable management of Australian soils - Faculty of Science
Associate Professor Vanessa Wong Soil scientist and President of Soil Science Australia (SSA) A/Prof Vanessa Wong, together with colleagues from SSA, have made a significant contribution in shaping the direction of government strategy and policy in the development and now, implementation, of the National Soil Strategy announced in 2021. SSA plays a key role in increasing knowledge and capacity in soil science via training and delivery of professional development activities in the NSS. These activities use the best available soil science research in training materials in their delivery to those land managers working on the ground. Concurrently, best practice on-ground land management activities are communicated to researchers to inform and contribute to research directions in a two-way flow of information. This process ensures that the latest research and best practice work hand-in-hand, linking researchers with land managers for the sustainable management of soils, a non-renewable resource, now, and into the future. |
The Future of Victorian Faith-Based Schools: A Community Consultation to Re-Assess the Ethical Responsibility of Schooling - Faculty of Education
Dr Ilana Finefter-Rosenbluh Ilana is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, having previously worked in Harvard University as a postdoctoral fellow. Her research includes the investigation of dilemmas of educational ethics and the way they manifest in everyday enactments of injustice in schools. Exploring how educational practices can be improved under unjust conditions, her research was funded by major Australian philanthropists, including the Trawalla Foundation, the Besen Family Foundation and the Loti and Victor Smorgon Family Foundation. The project sought to address challenges faced by faith-based schools in their provision of an inclusive and accessible education for all. Involving a rigorous consultation process with philanthropists, benefactors, parents, teaching staff, educational leaders, students and community members, the project produced an impactful discussion paper; leading to the creation of an Independent Fee Assistance Board to ensure accessibility to low and middle-income children to the schools-- offering scholarship program funded by the Erdi Foundation. |
New Australian Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Psychotropic Medications in People Living with Dementia and in Residential Aged Care - Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Professor Simon Bell Professor Simon Bell is a pharmacist with an international reputation for leading research and education to identify and resolve medication-related problems in vulnerable population groups. He is a Professor and Director of the Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University. Professor Bell led the development of new Australian Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Psychotropic Medications in People Living with Dementia and in Residential Aged Care. The development of these guidelines was in response to findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety highlighting the need for immediate action to address significant over-reliance on chemical restraint. Professor Bell chaired the national multidisciplinary 18-member Guideline Development Group and conducted ongoing consultations with consumers and aged care provider organisations. Professor Bell and his team also managed the public consultation process that involved input from more than 25 organisations and interested parties across Australia. |
IFRC Limitless Academy: Supporting innovation capacity development in large-scale organisations - Faculty of Information Technology
Left to right: Dr Tom Bartindale, Joshua Seguin, Harrison Marshall, Peter Chen, Professor Patrick Olivier, Professor Rita Wilson and Dr Leah Gerber The IFRC Limitless Academy team at Monash University was led by the Faculty of IT’s Action Lab researchers in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts Translation and Interpreting Studies. Responding to the IFRC’s behest to support their youth volunteers’ capacity to develop COVID-19 response solutions, the team designed, developed, and implemented a year-long innovation capacity-building programme that has the digital infrastructure to support diverse and wide-scale participation that is intrinsic in large organisations such as the IFRC. This involved the development of 3 novel technologies (i.e. a digital media generator, a machine-assisted translation pipeline, and a multimedia feedback system), which enabled the program’s multimedia participation, multilingual access, and a scalable method of moderating entries and providing high-quality feedback. Overall, this work provides a blueprint for organisations seeking to support the development of their members’ innovation capacity at scale. |
Clearing the Air: Defending Legal Challenges to the Plain Packaging of Tobacco Products & Promoting Policy Space for Public Health - Faculty of Law
Professor Andrew Mitchell Andrew Mitchell is Associate Dean (Research) and Professor at the Faculty of Law, Monash University, and a member of the Indicative List of Panelists to hear WTO disputes. He has demonstrated distinction in international economic law within the broader context of public international law. Andrew's work has supported Australia and other countries in adopting plain packaging measures that have been proven to have significantly reduced levels of tobacco harm. Andrew’s research examined the legal issues raised by the different legal challenges made by the tobacco industry both nationally and internationally. It was unique because it applied sophisticated interpretive processes to previously uninterpreted legal provisions. Andrew’s research demonstrated that governments retain the requisite policy space under the law to protect public health through appropriate regulatory restrictions. Andrew’s work continues to influence Australia’s ongoing negotiation, amendment, and implementation of international agreements on trade and investment. |
Enabling mass grid integration of renewable energy resources: rooftop PV to large-scale farms - Faculty of Engineering
Dr Behrooz Bahrani and Dr Reza Razzaghi The power and energy sector around the world is undergoing a massive transformation, and Australia is leading the way. This has necessitated a close collaboration between industry and researchers to develop innovative solutions for the energy systems of the future. Dr Behrooz Bahrani and Dr Reza Razzaghi lead the Smart Power and Energy Systems research theme at the ECSE Department. Their research aims to develop solutions to deliver sustainable, economic and secure electricity supply efficiently. They extensively collaborate with the industry and other stakeholders to address pressing challenges that are hindering the uptake of new energy technologies and threatening reliability in power transmission and distribution networks. |
COVID Mental Health Modelling to inform the mental health policy response - Faculty of Business and Economics
Left to right: Professor Dennis Petrie, Associate Professor Sonja de New, Associate Professor Nicole Black, Professor Anthony Harris and Dr Johannes Kunz Prof Petrie, A/Prof de New, A/Prof Black, Prof Harris and Dr Kunz are health economists within the Centre for Health Economics. The innovative research by the team led to significant policy impact through the development of analytical tools to support the Commonwealth Department of Health’s mental health policy response to COVID-19 and beyond. The team worked collaboratively with interdisciplinary researchers at Australian National University (ANU) and KPMG, and the Commonwealth Department of Health (primarily from the Mental Health Division) to develop, through co-design, an analytical simulation model and a series of Fact Sheets on the impact of COVID-19 on mental wellbeing and mental health care use across Australia. This produced new evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic and its components, including lockdowns, school closures, JobKeeper and unemployment affected Australians. The evidence was presented to the Health Minister and Assistant Health Minister and has been critical in informing policy responses. |
Health and social care improvement and implementation science: The inaugural Health and Social Care Unit (HSCU) - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Professor Helen Skouteris Professor Helen Skouteris came to Monash University in 2017 as the foundation Monash Warwick Alliance Chair in Health and Social Care Improvement and Implementation Science. In 5 years, she has established Australia’s first Health and Social Care Unit (HSCU) now comprising 59 personnel from diverse career backgrounds and multidisciplinary expertise. Skouteris and the team she leads at HSCU has nurtured and consolidated long-term successful engagement with industry partners including Baptcare, MacKillop, Anglicare, Bestchance Child Family Care, Our Place, Good Shepherd, First People's Health and Wellbeing, Queen Elizabeth Centre, Alannah & Madeline Foundation, and government departments in Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania. Acting also as an implementation science living laboratory, HSCU drives the evidence needed through multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral expertise and methodologies that are contributing to better health and social care outcomes by informing policies and practices that have an immediate benefit for partners and those they serve in the “real world”. |
Combating Gram-negative ‘superbugs’: From drug discovery to clinical translation - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Left to right: Associate Professor Tony Velkov, Professor Philip Thompson, Professor Jian Li, Dr Kade Roberts and Professor Roger Nation "The internationally leading programs of Profs. Jian Li, A/Prof. Tony Velkov, Dr Kade Roberts (BDI), Profs. Roger Nation and Phil Thompson (MIPS) address the major global medical challenge of antimicrobial resistance. The nominees are international opinion and policy leaders in antimicrobial research and drug discovery, having made significant contributions to building Australia’s international reputation in the antimicrobial field. Their translational research programs have culminated in two major outcomes:
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Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Supervision
To acknowledge and reward research supervisors who have demonstrated exceptional supervision, mentoring and training practices to benefit and enrich the experience of their students
Associate Professor Alistair Evans - Faculty of Science A/Prof Alistair Evans is a zoologist and palaeontologist, with expertise in the evolution, biomechanics and development of mammals. Al has supervised 16 PhD and Masters students to completion and is currently supervising 9 students (6 as the main supervisor). His extremely broad research program enables students to work across disciplines from palaeontology to embryology, inspiring dynamic and innovative research and giving the breadth of expertise required in science today. Al has been a tireless advocate of funding and industry experience for HDR students, playing an instrumental role in the success of the partnership between Monash and Museums Victoria that has enabled students to work on multi-million-dollar exhibitions and research projects. His rigorous and supportive approach to research and supervision gives students life skills in critical thinking, teamwork and outreach, and is evidenced by students successfully securing permanent, fellowship, postdoctoral and industry positions in science. |
Professor Geoffrey Webb - Faculty of Information Technology Professor Webb, Research Director of the Monash University Data Futures Institute has supervised to completion over 30 Honours and Masters-level minor thesis students, 2 Research masters and 22 Doctoral researchers. His dedication, deep understanding of each student’s needs and ability to scaffold them to independence reflects his own research excellence. This is evidenced by the outstanding achievements of his students. His recent honours graduate, Geoffrey Pascoe, became a Rhodes Scholar. All 5 of his PhD students who have graduated in the last 5 years have gone on to employment in academia (4) or industry (1). Two of his recent PhD graduates received Mollie Holman (Monash University best PhD thesis) Awards. There is very strong industry demand for the data science skill sets Professor Webb develops in his students, with 11 going on to industry positions including two in highly competitive industry research laboratories - Oracle Labs and DiDi AI Labs. |
Associate Professor Ben Capuano - Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Ben has successfully supervised 23 PhD students to completion since commencing HDR supervision 18 years ago, including 11 completions in the last 5 years, and is recognised for sustained excellence in postgraduate supervision. Ben has co-supervised 19 Honours students (17 First Class Honours) which has proven to be a fruitful pipeline for HDRs. He is the main or co-supervisor of 12 current graduate research students. Publications arising from his student’s research include 8 reviews and 52 primary manuscripts (Nature Chemical Biology, Nature Communications, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and Medicinal Research Reviews). HDR completions from his lab have achieved outstanding employment outcomes in industry and academia, and become leaders in their respective disciplinary fields. |
Professor Alex Fornito - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Professor Alex Fornito is currently a Sylvia and Charles Viertel Foundation Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Brain Mapping and Modelling Research Program at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health. Prof Fornito's research develops new imaging techniques for mapping and modelling human brain networks. He applies these methods to shed light on brain function in health and disease, with an emphasis on uncovering foundational principles of brain organization, understanding how genes shape brain architecture, and mapping how brain networks are disrupted in psychiatric disorders. Prof Fornito is a Clarivate Analytics Highly-Cited Researcher and has published over 185 peer-reviewed articles, 7 book chapters, and 1 popular textbook on brain network analysis. He has received numerous national and international awards and holds editorial roles with multiple academic journals. He is the Chair of Education for the Organization for Human Brain Mapping and a past Chair of the Organization’s Australian Chapter. |
Marian Crawford - Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture Marian Crawford is a visual artist whose artworks explore the relationships between the book, fine art printmaking processes, and the printed image in contemporary culture. She has presented her creative works publicly, nationally and internationally, for over twenty years. Her artworks are regularly selected for presentation in national awards, and she was selected as the 2015/16 Siganto Fellow at the State Library of Queensland, a residency award focused on the production of artist books. Crawford’s scholarly articles and essays investigating the field of printed artworks and artist books are regularly published. Her artworks are held in various public and private collections including The British Library, London, UK; and the National Gallery of Victoria. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Melbourne University), a Bachelor of Fine Art (Victorian College of the Arts) and a Master of Arts (by Research), from RMIT University, Melbourne. |
Professor Andrea Whittaker - Faculty of Arts Andrea Whittaker has supervised 28 HDR candidates to completion, with 8 PhD supervisions since 2019. A number of her previous students now hold a range of senior positions. Andrea is currently the Director of the Social and Political Sciences Graduate Program and as Director has introduced measures to improve a sense of connection and cohort among HDR students. She encourages candidates to see themselves as colleagues-in-the-making bringing their own assets and experience, with Andrea seeing her role as providing guidance, support, critique and care (and celebration) along the way. Andrea has developed a set of practices based upon principles of building rapport, focus, clear goals and accountability, open door / open communication, regular dialogue, excitement and compassion, and was proud to receive a nomination from the MPA for Supervisor of the Year in 2021. She sees supervision as a joy and a privilege of academia and tries to convey her enthusiasm and belief through each supervision. |
Professor Yulia Merkoulova - Faculty of Business and Economics Yulia Merkoulova is a Professor of Finance in the Department of Banking and Finance. Yulia completed her PhD at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Before joining Monash University, she worked at the Erasmus University, the University of Stirling and the University of Glasgow. She also held visiting positions in the US and Canada. Yulia has extensive teaching and administrative experience, ranging from basic undergraduate to advanced PhD level. She supervised over 50 PhD, MSc and Honours student dissertations. Yulia's main research interests are in corporate finance, behavioural finance, and derivatives. Her research was published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Financial Economics, the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, the Journal of Corporate Finance, the Journal of Banking and Finance, Financial Management, and Energy Economics. She presented her research at major national and international academic and practitioner conferences." |
Award for Professional Excellence in Research
To reward professional staff members who have recently achieved, or are currently achieving, outstanding contributions to the success of Monash research. The award celebrates success in those who go above and beyond to make a positive impact via their work as part of the Monash Research Community demonstrating sustained and significant achievement
Katherine Knight - Faculty of Information Technology Katherine joined the Faculty of IT (FIT) professional staff team in 2005 and has provided outstanding support to Monash researchers and graduate research students, stepping into leadership roles and creating management systems that have improved outcomes. Within the Faculty Research Office, she designed a process where all applications receive consistent support from administrators experienced in ARC requirements. This program's success led to the creation of the faculty’s first Research Development Coordinator role. As Research Services Manager, she conceived and operationalised strategic initiatives that led to a doubling in research income and awarded ARC Fellowships. As Research Performance Manager, she has developed new data access strategies to improve the quality of strategic decision-making. Finally, she has consistently shown a willingness and capacity to step up to cover vacancies in senior roles. Her passion for research and researchers has played a major role in creating a thriving research culture in the faculty. |
Faculty of Science
Left to right: Dr Anh Chau, Johanna Laurent and Steven Guo The Faculty of Science Graduate Research (GR) Team consisting of Steven Guo (Senior Administration Officer), Johanna Laurent (Senior Graduate Research Coordinator) and Dr Anh Chau (Research and Graduate Research Manager) is a small, dynamic and high-performing team. They are responsible for operationalising the Faculty’s GR agenda and coordinating a world-class Higher Degree by Research (HDR) program that supports students so they may thrive and make a global impact. |
Faculty of Engineering
Left to right: Reeta Kumar, Katja Gutwein, Dr Gary Annat and Dr Haleh Rafi The Engineering Faculty Research Office (FRO) team under the leadership of Reeta Kumar has been working tirelessly to foster research activities in the Engineering Faculty over many years, especially during the last 5 years given the multiple challenges experienced across the university and higher education sector. The team members are Katja Gutwein, Gary Annat and Haleh Rafi. Despite arising difficulties, the FRO team continues to deliver exceptional support not only to academics but also to leadership and strategic planning at the Faculty level. FRO assists with the management of multiple projects, the development of new research initiatives, quality improvement, as well as research policy and procedure development for compliance with legislation. Above are just some very limited highlights of the work by the FRO team who manages the research activities in the Engineering Faculty with a research income close to $60m and 1000 publication outputs per year. |
Cameron Nowell - Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Cameron has led the imaging and flow cytometry capabilities at MIPS since its inception 9 years ago. Bringing experience in imaging (optical and electron) along with a range of other lab skills such as molecular biology, biochemistry and microbiology helped the facility provide a holistic approach to imaging. Not just offering tools for imaging, but project support from initial design to final data analysis. The approach of the facility is that an image is the first step. The data that can be mined out of it using advanced analysis is where the true value lies. This has helped Cameron be part of many and varied projects ranging from pharmacology to SARS-CoV-2, honey bees and even coral growth. He has been an author on over 100 papers with >3100 citations in many high-impact journals including Cell, Cancer Discovery, Nature Nano., Immunity and Nature Immuno. |
