Centaurus community heads

Dr Lynette Pretorius

Hi, I'm Lynette – the College Head for Centaurus. I grew up in South Africa and moved to Australia just before I started my university studies. I have qualifications in Medicine, Science, Education, as well as Counselling, and my PhD research was focused on investigating a gene activated in the hearts of athletes to see whether it can be used to treat patients with heart failure. Since completing my studies, I have focused my research on the areas of experiential learning and reflective practice, as a way to improve mental health and wellbeing, particularly in doctoral education settings.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, dancing, yoga, and science fiction (particularly Star Trek!). Through my experience of moving to a different country I have realised the importance of building a strong support network to help overcome the challenges of learning in a different language and culture. As such, I am proud to be part of Centaurus College and I look forward to getting to know all the new members who join the Centaurus community.

Dr Ros McFarlane

Hi everyone, I'm Ros, one of the Deputy College Heads of Centaurus college. I actually grew up in a tiny country town on the bottom of Western Australia and originally thought that three skyscrapers in the nearest city made it very impressive. Since then, I have travelled to cities that average more than three skyscrapers such as Copenhagen, where I studied and learned to speak Danish. In 2011, I moved to Melbourne to pursue my PhD in cross-cultural literature and to write poetry. I have since completed my thesis and I'm (slowly) getting there on my poetry book.

I'm currently working in the English Connect Program which I think is the best job ever as it combines different cultures, languages and making new friends. I've learned in my life that living in another language is not as easy as in the movies, and it's taught me a lot about determination, perseverance and the importance of reaching out to find supportive friends. And so, I would love to talk to you about engaging with people from different cultures, creative writing, and walking trails around Melbourne.