2022 recipients
David Gardiner Teacher of the Year
Mr Paul Van Opdenbosch
Paul has pioneered emerging technology in film and animation production practices, bringing together students from multiple disciplines to enable a collaborative approach to filmmaking which mirrors industry approaches. Paul’s teaching produces exceptional quality student outcomes.
Leadership excellence
Dr Yasmin Antwertinger
Yasmin has displayed exceptional leadership in pharmacy curriculum development. Yasmin uses her experience to design and deliver learning experiences in higher education that are linked to industry and community.
Mr Andrew Drylie
Andrew has demonstrated significant leadership in the Security and Emergency Management space. He has a focus on the health and wellbeing of the entire QUT community – and has implemented a balanced risk approach which underpins QUT’s security and emergency management services.
QUT Centre for Robotics Executive Team
This team have developed a reputation as the Top Australian Research Centre in Robotics, with an overarching emphasis on an inclusive culture to prepare students for careers as academics or in industry.
Research excellence
Professor Alice Payne
Alice has pioneered research that reimagines approaches to textile waste. Her work brings together hundreds of stakeholders from across industry, community, non-profits and government to establish a national scheme that will transform how Australians make, use and dispose of clothing.
Professor Moe Thandar Wynn
Moe is a pioneer in delivering impactful outcomes using research-informed process-oriented data mining techniques for Australian industry stakeholders and her contributions to the field have broad impact both internally and externally.
QUT Fire and Wind Lab
As a team, Mahen and Anthony collaborate with building industry partners and government agencies such as Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to enhance resilience against bushfire and cyclone disasters.
Teaching excellence
Dr Sam Cunningham
Sam is a role model in teaching excellence. He works collaboratively within the Education Portfolio to ensure that academics with the Faculty of Engineering and across the university can innovate their teaching practice to benefit student outcomes.
Dr Wayne Kelly
Wayne is being recognised in Teaching Excellence for designing, developing, and delivering a new unit, Computing and Data for Engineers, to address the critical need for all engineers to be able to use, develop and adapt software to make sense of engineering data.
Early career teaching excellence
Dr Michael Cowley
Michael is being recognised for his exceptional leadership in the delivery of astrophysics at QUT. He brings a fresh but rigorous approach to teaching and has demonstrated a commitment to attracting underrepresented student cohorts to physics.
Dr Kirsty Volz
Kirsty is being recognised for her demonstrated commitment to building confidence in architecture students through innovative teaching. Kirsty brings her professional experience from industry to support her students alongside integrating key priorities such as sustainability.
Service excellence
Ms Michelle Kani
Michelle is responsible for delivering a graduation ceremony experience for students and staff that is second to none. Her vast event experience and drive has resulted in the improvement of graduation ceremonies into a modern and truly memorable event.
Ms Megan Pozzi
Megan has a sustained record of service excellence in the transformation of QUT’s support for learning strategy. She has expanded the reach of learning supports to engage over 10,000 students yearly and achieved an unprecedented parity of access of support for equity cohorts.
The 2022 Flood Crisis Timetable Rescheduling Team
Through a significant collaborative effort, QUT’s Central Timetabling Team and the Faculty and College timetablers rescheduled 7,725 timetabled activities in three days, enabling continuation of the student learning journey during the 2022 Eastern Australia Floods.
Library 24x7 Access Project
Andrew and Jennifer lead the innovative and successful project to trial opening QUT libraries on a 24/7 basis. Since the trial began in March, over 70,000 people have entered the two libraries after hours.
Sessional staff excellence
Ms Kylie Birkinshaw
Kylie is being recognised for her exceptional support of diverse learners, and her capacity to enhance the student experience. Kylie’s inclusive teaching, high expectations and use of growth mindset practices inspires her students to put in the effort to attain their goals.
Mr Jason Hay
Jason is being recognised for his exceptional student engagement, particularly during periods of shutdown. Jason is exceedingly generous with his time and goes out of his way to be the support that students need.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence
Mrs Lisa Henderson
Lisa has demonstrated commitment to the success, resilience, and empowerment of QUT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through her stewardship of the Oodgeroo Unit’s Accommodation Program.
Mr Joe Sambono
Joe is leading efforts to embed Indigenous knowledge and perspectives across the Faculty of Science teaching curricula. He has empowered academics to integrate Indigenous knowledge in a respectful way that demonstrates the breadth and depth of First Nations science and perspectives.
Innovation and creative practice excellence
Associate Professor Devakar Epari
Devakar has successfully translated biomedical research to the bedside with the invention and development of the Biphasic Plate, which has obtained market approval for use in the European Union and was implanted in March 2022 with excellent results for the patient.
Mrs Emily Rosemond
Emily has displayed outstanding leadership of QUT Sport, creating a sector-leading sporting program that harnesses sports technology to advance learning, research and student engagement.
Classroom to Boardroom
Classroom to Boardroom integrates research, teaching and industry partnership to provide first-year Business students with the opportunity to work on digital transformation problems with real world partners and experts from QUT research centres.
Sensational Summer Program
This unique offering was hugely successful with thousands of students participating in events aimed at building community and supporting students across various dimensions of their wellbeing, including social, psychological, financial, spiritual, academic and physical.
Inclusion and diversity excellence
Dr Sabrina Fawzia
Sabrina has shown exceptional commitment to empowering and supporting Indigenous Australian staff and students, women and culturally and linguistically diverse students in the Faculty of Engineering.
Ms Samantha Westhoff
Samantha has made a significant contribution to ensuring QUT’s social sport program is safe and inclusive for all students. Samantha has initiated and driven the development of a social sport model where everyone feels safe to participate.
National Indigenous Business Summer School Collaboration
This team led the inaugural National Indigenous Business Summer School program with five other Queensland universities – creating a five-day immersive visit to QUT for 15 Indigenous high school students from around Queensland.
TEDxQUT
This team have successfully implemented a Community Engagement Proposal with the objective to create an inclusive and accessible community platform for sharing ideas, challenging perspectives and developing connectedness.
Student learning excellence
Dr Sophie McIntyre
Sophie encourages students to unleash their creativity, experiment with innovative technologies, and supports them to deliver outcomes within real world constraints.
Mrs Loretta Smith
Loretta has enabled international students from diverse cultural backgrounds to enjoy learning in an English-speaking environment and achieve outcomes that allow them to pursue their goals of university education in their chosen fields.
Anytime, anywhere learning support - QUT Studiosity Project Team
This team have established a project that provides QUT coursework students with 24/7 online writing support. The team partnered with Studiosity and integrated the system into all BlackBoard sites, including quality assurance, data analysis, communications and reporting.
AssignmentWatch Academic Integrity Team
This team have developed the innovative, world-first software tool, AssignmentWatch, which detects academic misconduct through contract cheating sites and aims to prevent it before it occurs. They have a long-held commitment to assuring academic integrity.
Partnership and engagement excellence
Mr Ray Johnson
Ray has developed a portfolio of defence-related industry engagement and funding opportunities. He has enabled significant investment and engagement from industry partners into priority areas and has exemplified ethical leadership in progressing challenging commercialisation scenarios.
Professor Tony Kenna
Tony has developed a partnership with US-based biotech firm for preclinical testing of novel small molecule inhibitors to treat systemic sclerosis. This industry collaboration furthers the commitment to addressing unmet medical needs for patients with this autoimmune disease.
Palliative Care Curriculum for Undergraduates Team
Kylie, Sharon and Karen have developed the ‘Caring for Australian Indigenous Peoples affected by life limiting illness Toolkit’. The toolkit supports development of knowledge and skills to provide quality care for Australian Indigenous Peoples with life limiting illness, their families and their communities.
Wakka Wakka in Song: QUT and Murgon State High School Music Project
The team partnered with the Cherbourg community, Murgon State High School students and cultural advisors to write and record two new songs in both the traditional Wakka Wakka language and English.
Vice-Chancellor's Special Award for Outstanding Commercialisation
Associate Professor Anthony Shield
Tony and PhD student David Opar developed the NordBoard Technology which is a fast, easy, accurate and reliable system for monitoring hamstring strength and imbalance. The technology has been patented and licenced to a spinout company looking to revolutionise the human and sport measurement industry.
David Gardiner Teacher of the Year
Associate Professor David Holmes
For making meaningful impact on student learning outcomes through redeveloping mechanical engineering design units, integrating authentic teaching content and assessment, and measurably improving student performance and satisfaction through his dedication to quality teaching.
Leadership excellence
Associate Professor Sara Couperthwaite
For her exceptional leadership across initiatives in teaching and learning, research and engagement.
Dr Marion Bateson
For developing and implementing interdisciplinary vertical integrated double degrees, developing the Advanced Science degree and re-designing the Bachelor of Science degree.
Research excellence
Professor Lindy Willmott and Professor Ben White
For significantly advancing end-of-life law, policy and practice in Australia through rigorous, evidence-based research.
QUT Planetary Surface Exploration Group
Dr David Flannery, Professor Balz Kamber, Dr Michael Jones, Dr Luke Nothdurft, Mr Peter Nemere, Mr Brendan Orenstein, Associate Professor Thierry Peynot, Professor Felipe Gonzalez, Dr Selen Turkay and Mr Julian Andres Galvez Serna
For their creative, aspirational, and innovative research, that brings distinct disciplines together to contribute to space exploration.
Teaching excellence
Information Systems Learning & Teaching Team
Dr Jason Watson, Dr Erwin Fielt, Mrs Sharon Altena, Dr Araz Mohammad Jabbari, Dr Rehan Syed, Mr Sri Nair, Dr Sander Leemans, Dr Rebekah Eden and Dr Kenan Degirmenci.
For their school-wide initiative to support sustainable best practices in teaching and learning, which quantified student expectations and needs during and after the pandemic.
Dr Brendan Moy
For his commitment to tackling student disengagement; employing innovative, research-informed, practical teaching experiences that bridge the gap between University and the real world.
Mr Darren Pearce
For his work to deliver engaging and innovative teaching to first year physics students.
Service excellence
Work Integrated Learning COVID-19 Response Team
Dr Ricky Tunny, Mrs Amy Hartmann, Ms Kiri Patterson, Mrs Mandy Madden, Mr Jonathan Mison, Miss Hannah Ling, Ms Sandra Gardner, Miss Caroline Clark, Mrs Hiromi Sowah, Mr Mark Wiltshire, Ms Imogen White, Mrs Stephanie Holden, Mrs Holly Sketchley, Dr Sandra Johnston, Associate Professor Christina Parker, Associate Professor Mary Hannan-Jones, Mrs Julie Burbery, Dr Natalie Pollard, Dr Scott Devenish, Dr Kerri-Ann Woodbury and Mrs Vicki Braithwaite
For their clear dedication to continuing Work Integrated Learning activities for more than 4000 Faculty of Health students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Academic Promotions
Ms Nico Williams and Mr Stephan Clemens
For enhancing the user experience for academic and support staff undertaking promotion activities.
Mrs Leigh Burgess
For conceptualising and delivering QUT’s first Sustainability Week.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence
Dr Craig Cowled
For consistently demonstrating commitment to excellence, success, and empowerment of QUT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff.
Ms Renita Anderson
For leading and delivering exceptional Marketing & Communications outcomes for the University, the Indigenous Strategy portfolio, Carumba, Oodgeroo and the Elder-in-Residence.
Innovation and creative practice excellence
Indigenous Australian Author Series
Associate Professor Debbie Duthie and Mr Kevin Yow Yeh
For conceptualising and delivering the Indigenous Australian Author Series, a collaboration between the Faculty of Health and QUT Library that celebrates excellence in Indigenous Australian storytelling.
Dr Aaron McFadyen
For his real-world application of research in the digital disruption of airspace approvals.
Inclusion and diversity excellence
Mrs Bridget Hughes
For significant contributions to QUT’s Indigenous Perspectives in the Learning and Teaching program.
Faculty of Health Cultural Safety and Indigenous Issues School Champions
Ms Marian Boman, Professor Mark Brough, Dr Leonie Cox, Mr Ali Drummond, Associate Professor Debbie Duthie, Mr Alex Dwyer, Ms Catherine Haden, Professor Melissa Haswell, Dr Shelley Hopkins, Associate Professor Philippe Lacherez, Associate Professor Trish Obst, Adjunct Professor Fiona Naumann, Associate Professor Tony Parker, Dr Jo Stephens and Associate Professor Helen Vidgen.
For increasing knowledge and application of culturally safe practices within the Faculty of Health.
Mr Lukas Starling
For creating a training module that allows for scalable, accessible training to increase staff awareness and knowledge of issues impacting LGBTIQA+ communities.
Student learning excellence
Place, People, Planet and Purpose: Design for transformative learning through transdisciplinary collaborations
Mrs Melanie Finger, Mr Dean Brough, Ms Sheona Thomson, Dr Deanna Meth, Mr James Macaulay, Dr Liz Brogden, Mr Andrew Scott, Dr Greg Mews, Dr Claire Brophy, Mr Scott Parlett, Mrs Melissa Guyatt, Ms Kathleen Horton, Ms Madeline Taylor and Ms Amanda Bellaby.
For the development of four innovative, large-scale, authentic transdisciplinary Impact Lab units, allowing students to learn through experiential, inquiry-led design challenges.
Dr Tatheer Zahra
For demonstrated commitment to the success of student learning by using innovative teaching approaches and blended learning materials.
Partnership and engagement excellence
The Healthcare Excellence Accelerator (HEAL) Initiative
Professor Evonne Miller, Professor Susan Carson, Associate Professor Marianella Chamorro-Koc, Associate Professor Janice Rieger, Associate Professor Jen Seevinck, Associate Professor Rafael Gomez, Associate Professor Sean Maher, Associate Professor Lindy Osborne Burton, Dr Manuela Taboada, Dr Anastasia Tyurina, Dr Natalie Wright, Dr Judy Matthews, Dr Abbe Winter, Ms Gillian Ridsdale, Miss Erina Wannenburg, Mr James Dwyer, Mr Sam Regi and Mr Guy Lobwein.
For their design-led methods that tackle real-world healthcare challenges.
eMental Health in Practice (eMHPRAC) team
Heidi Sturk, Emeritus Professor David Kavanagh, Dr Jennifer Connolly, Dr Ruth Crowther, Dr Tania McMahon, Dr Shelley Appleton and Miss Lauren Murase.
For their partnership across industry and academia that provides training and support in digital mental health.
The QUT and Brisbane Indigenous Media Association Partnership team
Mr Ryan Menner, Miss Jennifer Barnaby, Ms Laura Christie, Ms Tracey Jefferies, Professor Robyn Mayes, Dr Juliana McLaughlin, Dr Tony Peloso and Dr Penny Williams.
For building a strong partnership with the Brisbane Indigenous Media Association, embedding new research and learnings across both organisations
David Gardiner Teacher of the Year
Dr Kath O’Brien
For her unwavering commitment to inspiring students.
Dr O’Brien is an active member of the Course Governance Team and has implemented changes to curriculum which have transformed undergraduate learning.
She has been praised by colleagues and students for incorporating innovative technology to enhance engagement with online learning and has been recognised for her commitment to supporting students’ personal growth.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence
Chris Emzin
For leading the first incorporation of Indigenous Australian perspectives as a course learning outcome in a QUT degree and developing a new Indigenous justice placement unit.
Leadership excellence
Professor Lidia Morawska
For leading a group of 239 scientists from around the globe to sign an open letter to the World Health Organisation which ultimately forced the institution to admit there was no evidence to support their view that COVID-19 could not be spread in the air.
Quality Teaching Performance Assessment team
Dr Rebecca Spooner-Lane, Dr Nerida Spina
For successfully achieving ratification of the Quality Teaching Performance Assessment through the Queensland Teacher Registration Authority which included developing a suite of resources, training for staff and students and an online marking portal. Due to their efforts and innovation final year students across four universities, including QUT, can graduate this year.
Student learning and research excellence
Dr Christine Devine
For her extraordinary contribution to student learning and research as a STEM Educator including the development of the Kitchen Lab – an experiential learning program to assist students in developing technical and transferrable skills.
Teaching and research excellence
Dr Erin O’Brien
For her leading research on anti-slavery policy which directly engaged policymaking and was cited in federal parliamentary inquiries.
Associate Professor Marianella Chamorro-Koc
For creating an industry-led research-teaching nexus, championing design for sustainable local manufacturing and propelling her Industrial Design students’ industry engagement and entrepreneurship.
Service excellence
Peter Coughran
For pioneering QUT’s first LGBTQIA+ support group for international students and providing workshops and a safe space for isolated students to share stories and form friendships.
Semester 1 Online Assessment Delivery Team
Megan Duffy, Bergita Shannon, Phill Gillespie, Tim Morris, George Fullerton, Toya Bratovich, Joe Lyons, Marselan Wignall, Ralph Bebendorf, Craig Comerford, Gregory E. Steele, Bert Wei, Peter Dubowski, Ed Baak
For supporting extensive online assessment in Semester 1. The team provided 16 hours of support for six days to facilitate 300 online assessments taken by thousands of students.
Learning designers team, Education portfolio
Mr Robert White, Ms Angela Carden, Mr Paul Fenn, Ms Katherine Harkin, Mrs Michelle Fox, Ms Rebecca McLeish, Ms Amanda Bellaby, Mr James Macaulay, Ms Vikki Ravaga, Mrs Peta Statham, Mr Timothy Baillie, Mr Andrew Kemp, Ms Tanya Wolfe, Ms Hyacinth Steele, Mr Roger Cook, Dr Pranit Anand, Dr Briony Wainman, Dr Henk Huijser, Mrs Sharon Altena, Mr Steven Kickbusch, Mrs Joanne Hobson
The learning designers were integral in enabling the university to transform from an on-campus mode to online and remotely accessed mode to deliver high quality learning within extremely short timeframes.
Innovation and creative practice excellence
Compass Project Team
Dearne Tronc, Paul Loveridge, Jo Allder, Sidara Engelhardt, Chris Baldwin
For delivering CourseLoop which provides new capabilities to map, connect and visualise real-world curricula. With more than 1600 users, both academic and professional staff have praised the digital solution which encourages a high-quality student experience.
Inclusion and diversity excellence
Dr Rachael Murray
For advocating to ensure equal opportunity for equivalently qualified people, resulting in a conference gender equity policy and for establishing the SMARTwomen network to support teaching and research academics.
Pathways to Politics team, QUT Business/QUTeX
Glenda Markwell, Jamie Forster, Karen Foelz, Karina Gurowski, Kimberley Bowden, Patricia Munguia Llort, Professor Vicky Browning
For working to increase female participation in all levels of government by delivering the QUT Pathway to Politics Program for Women with an excellent satisfaction rating.
Partnership and engagement excellence
Adam Davies
For leading the development of the QUT Campus to Country project to ensure the university’s campuses reflect and recognise Indigenous Australian cultures.
Dr Rafael Gomez
For driving the BMW-Group / QUT partnership and advancing collaborative research innovations, student internship experiences and graduate career opportunities.
Leadership excellence
Professor Christopher Barner-Kowollik
For building exceptional research capacity through establishment of the QUT Soft Matter Materials Laboratory and providing a rich and intellectually stimulating environment for the development of junior researchers.
Ms Megan Campbell
For facilitating ongoing interdisciplinary research collaborations and health industry partnerships and fostering a safe and healthy environment for the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation.
Dr Paula Dootson
For an initiative that aligns QUT academics who are researching the topic of trust, ensuring that synergies are identified and that the research is conducted in a coordinated and collaborative fashion.
Mr Ali Drummond
For driving measures to strategically advance Indigenous Australian health issues and strengthen QUT’s Indigenous Health capabilities within operational and educational settings.
Professor Louise Hafner
For her contemporary approach to higher degree research student supervision and collaborative leadership approach that empowers others to achieve QUT’s research goals.
Excellence in the contribution to student learning and research
Dr Michael Mu
For outstanding supervision and support of higher degree research students, including generous sharing of expertise, feedback and knowledge.
Design for social impact in first-year experience
Mr James Macaulay, Dr Deanna Meth, Mr Dean Brough and Mrs Melanie Finger
For the development of Impact Lab 2, that has made a meaningful contribution to more than 600 first-year work integrated learning experiences across seven study areas through six direct community partnerships.
Teaching and research excellence
Professor Margot Brereton
For designing new technologies that benefit diverse groups, including children with intellectual disabilities, older adults and Indigenous communities.
Dr Judith Howard
For designing and enacting a strategic program for undergraduate, postgraduate and professional education to prepare “trauma-informed” educators of the future.
Professor Ben Mathews
For instrumental research that has influenced major reforms to legislation, governing policy and practice in the reporting of child abuse in Australia and overseas.
Service excellence
Mr Tim Buckley
For providing personalised support and improving the QUT International College student experience.
Mrs Kathryn Cameron
For developing a program of interventions that promote physical and mental wellbeing for staff in the Library Resource Services team.
Miss Bree Smith
For her innovative, collaborative and solutions-focussed approach to the Faculty of Education’s financial planning.
QUT Sport
Ms Paula Stuart, Miss Nicole Clayton, Mr Michael Jordan, Miss Adele Rose, Mr Jacob Argent, Mr Nicholas Lynch, Mr Dylan Poulus, Miss Casey Sims and Mr Tom Fisher
For boosting the profile of sport at QUT through cross-portfolio collaboration, engaging more students to take part in sporting opportunities on campus and in the community.
Innovation and creative practice excellence
Dr Aso Hajirasouli
For the design and delivery of the International Design Workshops, which have provided free support to international students in the School of Design.
Research Management Systems Upgrade / Business Process Management
Mrs Janne Barnes, Mr Jeremy Gibson, Dr Kanika Goel and Dr Wasana Bandara
For their impactful and innovative partnership that has supported high quality research by implementing systems for researchers and research administrators.
Room 17 Goes Large
Miss Sarah Stanke, Mr Moss McGregor, Dr Freya Wright-Brough, Miss Emma-Lee Steindl, Associate Professor Donna Hancox; Mr Yanto Browning and Associate Professor Michael Whelan
For the development and implementation of a post-school transition model for increasing inclusion and participation of students from diverse backgrounds in university.
Excellence in partnerships and engagement
Associate Professor Anup Basu
For high-impact research on the superannuation savings of Australian workers that has informed the Australian Government’s Superannuation System Review.
Dr Cassandra Cross
For forging transdisciplinary research partnerships and enhancing engagement within and beyond the QUT community.
The Cherbourg and QUT Basic First Aid Paramedic Program
Associate Professor Debbie Duthie, Professor Mark Brough and Dr Jo Stephens
For development of the Paramedic Science Basic First Aid Awareness program, which educates culturally safe students and staff who are integral to improving the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians and communities.
QUT Giving Day Team
Ms Phoebe Escott-Kenny, Ms Claudia Steiner, Mrs Kimberley Hellberg and Mr Ben Nicoll
For building a culture of philanthropy through innovative communications and a novel giving platform on QUT’s Giving Day 2019.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence
Mrs Bianca Hill-Jarro
For service excellence in support of Indigenous Australian law and justice students from recruitment to post-graduation.
Miss Melanie Saward
For embedding Indigenous Australian perspectives into the curriculum of first year units in the Creative Writing discipline.
Miss Fiona Smallwood
For a significant and ongoing contribution to the recruitment and retention of Indigenous Australian students in QUT’s Oodgeroo Unit.
David Gardiner Teacher of the Year
Mr James Duffy
For his longstanding commitment to students in the first year of the QUT Bachelor of Laws degree and leadership in curriculum innovation with a focus on law student mental health.
Student as partner
Mr Lewis Holmes
For increasing student participation with health, safety and environment initiatives.
