Celebrating outstanding teaching

The 2024 Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Teaching Excellence

SCU Staff Awards 2024
An outdoor portrait of Professor Tyrone Carlin - Vice Chancellor

Message from the Vice-Chancellor

Presenting our 2024 Vice-Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award recipients.

It is very important to me that we reflect on and recognise outstanding contributions to teaching and learning at Southern Cross.  This connects in a very deep way to our purpose as an institution and has profound and ongoing impacts on the lives of our students.

Southern Cross University academics are committed to an inspiring student experience. Our teachers make a big impact on students, fostering their yearning for knowing more and a focus on learning for life. They are curriculum innovators, educators and scholars of teaching.

These Awards celebrate our academics’ commitment, achievement and contribution to an exceptional student learning experience. These colleagues, as you will see below, have made a genuine and very positive impact on the University.

They are, in every way, outstanding and inspiring educators.

Professor Tyrone Carlin

Outstanding Teaching Awards – Top 10% 2024

The Outstanding Teaching Excellence Awards are presented to current continuing, fixed-term and casual academic staff from each Faculty and College who are recognised in the top 10% of teachers based on student feedback. These outstanding teachers have received consistently high student feedback across the previous 12 months.

Head and shoulders of Georgina Dimopoulos

Dr Georgina Dimopoulos

Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Business, Law and Arts

Jonathan headshot

Dr Jonathan Harlen

Lecturer

Faculty of Business, Law and Arts

Jennifer

Associate Professor Jennifer Nielsen

Associate Professor

Faculty of Business, Law and Arts

Meri Oakwood

Dr Meri Oakwood

Teaching Associate

Faculty of Business, Law and Arts

Portrait of Kylie Rose

Kylie Rose

Teaching Associate

Faculty of Business, Law and Arts

Head and shoulders of Tim Barringham

Tim Barringham

Teaching Associate

Faculty of Education

Woman smiling at camera

Dr Olivera Kamenarac

Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Education

Portrait of Joanna Merton

Joanna Merton

Teaching Associate

Faculty of Education

Portrait of Julia Meyers

Julia Meyers

Teaching Associate

Faculty of Education

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Greg Moon

Teaching Associate

Faculty of Education

Head shot of Sheryn Bailey

Sherryn Bailey

Lecturer (Teaching Scholar)

Faculty of Health

Portrait of Deborah Calleja

Deborah Calleja

Teaching Associate

Faculty of Health

Head shot of Lisa Couzens

Lisa Couzens

Lecturer

Faculty of Health

Portrait of Gabby La Forest

Gabby La Forest

Teaching Associate

Faculty of Health

Head and shoulders of Willa Maguire

Willa Maguire

Associate Lecturer (Teaching Scholar)

Faculty of Health

Dr David Reilly

Dr David Reilly

Teaching Associate

Faculty of Health

Louise headshot

Dr Louise Whitaker

Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Health

Professor Symon Dworjanyn with a seahorse picture in background

Professor Symon Dworjanyn

Professor

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Head and shoulders of Reza Ghanbarzadeh

Dr Reza Ghanbarzadeh

Lecturer

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Head and shoulders of Professor Scott Johnston

Professor Scott Johnston

Professor (Research Scholar)

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Head and shoulders of Associate Professor Mick Rose

Associate Professor Mick Rose

Associate Professor

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Dr Debra Stokes holding a drone with another drone flying in background

Dr Debra Stokes

Lecturer

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Head and shoulders of Bek Lehner

Bek Lehner

Associate Lecturer

Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples

Head and shoulders of Michael Brickhill

Dr Michael Brickhill

Associate Lecturer (Teaching Scholar)

SCU College

Head and shoulders of Sandra Clark

Sandra Clark

Lecturer

Educational Partnerships Board (The Hotel School)

Head and shoulders of Donna E Little

Dr Donna Little

Lecturer

Educational Partnerships Board (The Hotel School)

Inspiring Educators - 2024

Nominated by the University’s Deans, these select awards of recognition go to our colleagues who stand out and inspire others at Southern Cross for the quality and impact of their teaching.

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Michael Robbins

Teaching Associate, Faculty of Business, Law and Arts

Michael consistently motivates and inspires undergraduate and postgraduate students to learn about taxation and taxation law. His student feedback commends his engagement, patience, and responsiveness. He simplifies the curriculum and uses his recent industry experience to create authentic learning experiences in the classroom.

Head and shoulders of Mandy Shircore

Associate Professor Mandy Shircore

Lecturer, Faculty of Business, Law and Arts

In addition to her outstanding contribution to the law discipline during the transition to SCM, Mandy has developed a law student engagement strategy that focuses on designing curriculum and assessments that motivate and engage students. Her student feedback is exceptional, earning commendations for her commitment, inclusiveness, patience and ability to build student confidence.

Amy headshot

Amy Mills

Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Education

Amy is an outstanding early career academic in early childhood education and care (ECEC). She embraces a student-centred and relational approach to teaching-learning, ensuring translation of theory into practice in ECEC. Furthermore, her contribution to professional experience in ECEC has been exemplary, again translating theory into practice in ECEC.

Head and shoulders of Katrina Austen

Katrina Austen

Lecturer, Faculty of Health

Katrina Austen is an inspirational role model for her students and other academic staff. She embraces creativity and the arts in her teaching. For example, she uses real life case studies and applied learning so her teaching is relevant and exciting. She is also leading a team to implement a very interesting Scholarship of Learning and Teaching (SoLT) project entitled The Aged Care Classroom. In partnership with Duncan McKimm, CEO of Clarence Village Aged care, Grafton.

Portrait of man in front of leafy backdrop

Professor Steven Purcell

Professor Steven Purcell, Faculty of Science and Engineering

Statistics is a difficult topic for 1st year students to grasp. Steven excels in delivering fabulous outcomes: In 2024, student feedback for STAT1002 (4.25) was above the faculty average (4.19) and above the SCU average (4.16). Here is what students had to say:” this unit was laid out well, I have never studied this subject before and had moments where the information really helped me understand things”. “Excellent teaching team & support for learning”, “The instructors were amazing”.

Head and shoulders of Mustafa Ucgul

Dr Mustafa Ucgul

Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Science and Engineering

Mustafa’s outstanding service as course Coordinator for the Bachelor of Engineering Systems. Mustafa’s consistent leadership to improve student outcomes and satisfaction by engaging in course development, unit improvement and assessment design is exemplary. His impact for the undergraduate Engineering cohort is visible in the course trends (course satisfaction, success and improved retention).

Head and shoulders of Rachel Lynwood - image is black and white

Rachel Lynwood

Senior Lecturer, Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples

Rachel's focus has been on further capacity building in the continuing Unit Assessor and teaching role for the unit INDG2001 Health and Indigenous Australian Peoples. The continuing enrolment pattern of large numbers averaging between 730-830 means that her academic leadership has been required to strengthen and further develop in managing casual academic staff that mark and teach in the unit to manage the large cohort. In 2024.

Darlene Rotumah stands among trees

Dr Darlene Rotumah

Lecturer, Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples

Darlene is actively engaged in the creation of a culturally safe learning environment. She is committed to fostering an inclusive space that respects and values cultures backgrounds and worldviews and perspectives. Darlene her dedication to promote an atmosphere of mutual respect, understanding and open dialogues where everyone feels safe and supported in their learning journey. Darlene is constantly seeking to her scholarship and her skills as a lecturer in the field of Indigenous knowledge.

Portrait of Dr Nell Cook

Dr Nell Cook

Teaching Associate, SCU College

Nell has worked consistently to enhance curriculum, teaching and student outcomes achieving ten consecutive green success ratings over the last three years, positively impacting over 2,000 students in their learning of academic literacy skills at SCU.

Virginia Cook

Virginia Cook

Teaching Associate, SCU College

Virginia (Ginny) teaches across multiple College units, consistently motivating and inspiring her students to succeed and achieve their goals. She has a high level of innovation and creativity in her teaching and delivery methods embracing new technology and pedagogies.

Discover more staff awards

Research Awards
Professional Staff Awards
2023 Teaching Awards