QUT Chancellor Mr Tim Fairfax AC has announced the appointment of Professor Margaret Sheil AO as the university's next Vice-Chancellor, effective February 2018.
Professor Sheil is currently Provost, deputy to the Vice-Chancellor and the Chief Academic Officer, at the University of Melbourne where she has led the implementation of the online strategy and other curriculum reform, business transformation and the recruitment and development of academic leaders.
A highly respected chemist, she is a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Mass Spectrometry (ANZMS); the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI); and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).
In 2016, Professor Sheil joined the ATSE Board and the Board of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).
QUT’s incoming Vice-Chancellor is an established university leader having a successful academic career at the University of Wollongong prior to her appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council (ARC) from 2007 to 2012; a role that saw her lead the development of the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) evaluation of Australian university research and the implementation of a range of initiatives to support women, early career and Indigenous researchers.
Professor Sheil has been a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council and the Cooperative Research Centres Committee; the Royal Australian Chemical Institute's Margaret Sheil Leadership Award was established in recognition of her work; and in 2017 she was awarded an Order of Australia, for her services to science and education.
Professor Sheil holds a BSc (Hons) in Pure and Applied Chemistry and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of New South Wales.
QUT Council, the university’s governing body, made the appointment yesterday afternoon.
At the end of 2017, QUT’s current Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake AO will leave the university after 15 years of distinguished service.
Professor Sheil said she was honoured and delighted to be appointed to lead QUT.
“Peter Coaldrake and his leadership team have placed QUT in a wonderful position and I look forward to working with new colleagues to ensure we deliver outstanding educational experiences and opportunities for our students and staff; together with the best possible outcomes for the Queensland and national economy,” Professor Sheil said.
Mr Fairfax congratulated Professor Sheil on her appointment.
“QUT enjoys a global standing, has a 'real-world' focus and is one of Australia's fastest growing research universities,” Mr Fairfax said.
“I believe our success has been achieved as a result of clear and strong leadership, an ambitious agenda and a highly strategic approach which is reflected in our rising international rankings.
“Professor Sheil is an entrepreneurial and inspirational leader who will continue to take our institution into the future with clarity and confidence.”
Media contact:
Janne Rayner, QUT Director Marketing and Communication
j2.rayner@qut.edu.au or +61 7 31383026 or 0478 408263
