2020 Vice-Chancellor's Excellence Awards

Winner

Excellence in Teaching - Teacher of the Year

Dr Rhiannon White, Lecturer, Health and Physical Education, School of Health Sciences

Rhiannon is an early career academic (ECA) in her third year of employment at Western. Rhiannon teaches and coordinates two undergraduate units; Gymnastics and Dance, a third year undergraduate Health and Physical Education (HPE) unit, and Sport and Exercise Psychology, a second year undergraduate unit spanning HPE, Sport and Exercise Science (SES), and Sport Development. Rhiannon brings authenticity and currency to her teaching through incorporation of her research expertise on the mental health benefits of physical activity and the psychological factors that promote engagement in physical activity. Additionally, Rhiannon’s reflective practice enables her to align Gymnastics and Dance learning with the national HPE curriculum, and to develop authentic learning experiences and real-world assessment strategies that spark curiosity among students and develop career-ready attributes reflecting current needs in the physical education field. Rhiannon utilises traditional and technology-enabled environments to suit a range of students and learning objectives and her teaching style embraces self-determination to promote motivation towards learning. To provide student-centred and research-informed learning experiences, Rhiannon’s teaching philosophy is informed by industry, partnership pedagogy, evidence, and evaluation.

Nominated

• Dr Cameron McAuliffe, Academic Course Advisor, Urban Management and Planning, School of Social Sciences
• Tristan Rutland,Lecturer, Pathology, School of Medicine

Clinical Classroom Development Team (CCDT)

• Associate Professor Slade Jensen, Associate Professor, School of Medicine
• Dr Bronwen Dalziel, Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine
• Professor Iain Gosbell, Chair of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Medicine
• Charles McCafferty, Sessional Academic, School of Medicine
• Dr Elizabeth O’Connor, Lecturer, School of Medicine

Medicine in Context Community Team

• Dr Brahm Marjadi, Director of Engagement, Senior Lecturer, Community Engaged Learning, School of Medicine
• Dr Sowbhagya Michael,Associate Lecturer, Medication Education, School of Medicine
• Jen Spannenberg, Engagement Officer, School of Medicine

Professional Careers Leadership Team – School of Business

• Dr Karina Wardle, Academic Course Advisor,Lecturer, School of Business
• Raymonda Aoun,Engagement Officer, School of Business
• Amita Chand, Engagement Assistant, School of Business
• Kay Geronikos, Sessional Academic, School of Business
• Krishan Prasad, Lecturer, School of Business

School of Medicine PBL Leadership Team

• Dr Iman Hegazi, Director of Medical Education, Director  of Academic Program (Undergraduate), School of Medicine
• Dr Neeshaan Abrahams, Associate Lecturer in Medical Education, School of Medicine
• Dr Victoria Mansour,Associate Lecturer in Medical Education, School of Medicine
• Dr Elizabeth O’Connor,Lecturer, Medicine Education, School of Medicine
• Dr Kim Ramjan, Lecturer, Medication Education, School of Medicine

The Master of Project Management Teaching Staff Team

• Associate Professor Xiaohua (Sean) Jin, Director Academic Program, Project Management, School of Built Environment
• Dr Ali Al-Ashwal,Lecturer, Academic Course Advisor, School of Built Environment
• Dr Robert Osei-Kyei,Academic Course Advisor, Undergraduate Construction Management, School of Built Environment
• Professor Srinath Perera, Chair of Built Environment and Construction Management / Director, Centre for Smart Modern Construction, School of Built Environment
• Dr Sepani Senaratne,Director Academic Program, Undergraduate Construction Management, School of Built Environment
• Dr Krisanthi Seneviratne, Lecturer, School of Built Environment

Winner - Individual

Dr Nicole Church, Manager, Counselling Service, The Student Experience Office

Dr Nicole Church, Head of Counselling, is tireless in her commitment to fostering best mental health practices within Student Wellbeing Services while always collaborating with the broader University community. Her integrity and skilful management of the Counselling Service and Assessment and Referral Team enable a professional response to the continuum of student need. Staff are confident that student risk concerns are handled with competence and care. “She is truly an inspirational individual at Western who shows compassion and commitment to her role regardless of the external pressures."

Winner - Team

Construction and Engineering Technical Team

• Dr Tosin Famakinwa, Cluster Manager, Computing, Construction and Engineering, Technical Support Services
• Trevor Johnstone,Senior Technical Officer, Built Environment and Architecture, Technical Support Services
• Raju Majji,Senior Technical Support Officer, Engineering and ID, Technical Support Services
• Dr Andre Urfer, Industry Partnership Advisor, Research Services
• Vincent Wozniak-O’Connor, Technical officer, Technical Support Services
• Professor Richard Yang, Associate Dean, Research and HDR / Discipline Leader – Mechanical, Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering, School of Engineering

The team received an urgent request from rural GPs to see whether WSU could make face shields to protect staff testing and treating COVID-19 patients. The GPs’ usual suppliers were out of stock, due to the pandemic. The Team seized the moment to conceive, design and manufacture face shields through laser cutting approved as entry in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods No. 339185 on 8th July, 2020. Western face shields are cheaper to produce, assembled without the use of tools, and the contour of the padding allows space for a face mask to be worn and passed the AS/NZS 1337.1 splash test.

Highly Commended - Individual

• Micaela Hogan, Project Support Officer, Project Management Office

Highly Commended - Teams

MECSH Support Team

• Tracey Bruce,MECSH Implementation Nurse Consultant, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Fiona Byrne, Senior Research Officer, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Kathy Donohoe, Research Assistant, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Emma Elcombe, Senior Research Officer, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Fakhra Maan,Executive Assistant to Director, TReSI, School of Nursing and Midwifery

Work Health Safety and Wellbeing Team

• Jules Smalley,Associate Director, Work Health Safety and Wellbeing, Office of Human Resources
• Kris Ambrose,Work Health Safety Technical Coordinator, Laboratories, Office of Human Resources
• Jessica Nour,Injury Management Coordinator, Office of Human Resources
• Matthew Barsoum,Work Health Safety and Wellbeing Officer, Office of Human Resources
• Dearne Richards,Work Health, Safety and Wellbeing Officer, Office of Human Resources
• Renae Dean,Project Officer, Major Projects, Office of Human Resources
• Emily Caws, HR Support Officer, Office of Human Resources

Nominated

• Jason He, Senior Analyst Developer, Information Technology and Digital Services
• Brett Richardson, Business Administration Officer, School of Health Sciences

Assistive Technology Specialists

• Scott Pendlebury, Campus Support Manager, North West, Information Technology and Digital Services
• Sally Leggo, Assistive Technology Specialist, Information Technology and Digital Services
• Natalie McLaughlin,Assistive Technology Specialist, Information Technology and Digital Services

School of Nursing and Midwifery Teaching Continuity Support Team

• Kylie Docker, School Manager, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Pamela Balzano,Business Administrative Assistant, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Natasha Boyce, Business Administrative Officer, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Yuhong Chen, Technical Officer, Nursing and Midwifery – CPU, Technical Support Services
• Miranda Daly, Director of Academic Workforce, Sessional, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Greg Fathers, Team Leader, Nursing and Midwifery – CPU, Technical Support Services
• Emma Flack, Business Administrative Assistant, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Kylie Hartin, Student Experience Advisor, The Student Experience Office
• Debra Horsfall,  Timetabling Officer, Timetabling
• Leanne Hunt,Senior Lecturer, Deputy Director Clinical, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Georgia Jiang, Technical Officer Intern, Nursing and Midwifery – CPU, Technical Support Services
• Karen Mannix, Business Analyst, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Maria Matriano,Technical Officer, Nursing and Midwifery – CPU, Technical Support Services
• Leigh McCarthy, Senior Technical Officer, Nursing and Midwifery – CPU, Technical Support Services
• Nicole McIntosh, Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Nikki–Meller , Director of Academic Program, Undergraduate, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Leanne Moody-Hardaker, Technical Officer, Nursing and Midwifery – CPU, Technical Support Services
• Karen O’Keeffe,Workforce and Resource Support Officer, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Leone Pike,Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Jia Prasad, Technical Assistant, Nursing and Midwifery, Technical Support Services
• Jacqueline Rojo, Associate Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Marc Romero, Technical Officer, Nursing and Midwifery – CPU, Technical Support Services
• Rebecca Stamopoulos,Engagement Officer, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Owen Thornthwaite,Technical Support Officer, Technical Support Services
• Sue Willis, Director of Academic Program, Clinical, School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Beini Yuan,Technical Officer, Nursing and Midwifery – CPU, Technical Support Services

SoBE Professional Team

• Veronica De Paoli, School Manager, School of Built Environment
• Ridwan Haq,Business Administrative Officer, School of Built Environment
• Kym Robinson,Executive Assistant, School of Built Environment

Winner

Associate Professor Markus Riegler, Associate Professor Entomology, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment

Since joining Western in 2009, Associate Professor Markus Riegler has supervised, co-supervised and advised 25 PhD, one (1) Master of Research and six (6) Honours students. He has co-authored 70 peer-reviewed publications with research students, and students have won over 30 research awards. Graduates of his team have started research careers at universities, Government departments and companies in Australia and overseas. He has been HDR Director of HIE since its founding in 2010, and demonstrated leadership in the development and implementation of high-quality research training and mentoring for 150 HDR students at HIE.

Highly Commended

• Associate Professor Chwee Beng Lee, Associate Dean, Higher Degree Research, School of Education

Nominated

• Associate Professor Bahman Javadi, Discipline Leader (Computing), School of Computer, Data and Mathematical Sciences
• Associate Professor Scott Johnson, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
• Dr Feng Li, Senior Lecturer, School of Science

Winner - Staff Individual

Dr Olayide Ogunsiji, Director of Academic Workforce,  School of Nursing and Midwifery

Dr Ogunsiji has made substantial and excellent contributions to the engagement and sustainability effort of Western Sydney University; evidenced by her sustained commitment both within and beyond the University. In 2020, her research made a significant contribution to the Western high performance in Sustainable Development rating for gender equality, as reported by Times Higher Education. This same year, she was awarded the Blacktown Woman of the Year at the NSW Women of the Year Awards ceremony; and in 2019, she received a finalist and highly commended awards during the Blacktown City Council International Women’s Day celebrations.

Winner - Staff Team

Engaging Students for Community Wellbeing

• Dr Arianne Reis, Senior Lecturer, Leisure and Recreation Studies, School of Health Sciences
• Dr Rachel Bentley, Head Digital Content and E-Support, Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning Futures
• Sam Dessen, Rich media Developer, Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning Futures
• Rowena Saheb, Mental Health and Wellbeing Promotions Coordinator, The Student Experience Office

Student Partners who co-created the Engaging Students for Community Wellbeing module include:

The Engaging Students for Community Wellbeing Module is an innovative and timely example of a mental health promotion resource for tertiary students. The intuitive and proactive approach adopted by this multidisciplinary team of academics and professional staff is a testament to what can be achieved through partnership pedagogy. The most notable aspect of the Module is the genuine co-design process, inclusive of students from different backgrounds, each using their lived experience to strengthen a sense of belonging within the community, build the capacity of their peers to thrive and advocate for the idea that student mental health is everyone’s business.

Highly Commended - Staff Individual

• Dr Sebastian Pfautsch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Studies, School of Social Sciences

Highly Commended - Staff Team

Western Sydney University Farm Team

• Dr Roger Attwater,Senior Manager, Environmental Sustainability, Office of Estate and Commercial
• Dr Lyn Anderson,Environmental Coordinator, Office of Estate and Commercial
• Joe Kovacek,Farm Production Coordinator, Office of Estate and Commercial
• Alana Wade, Livestock Coordinator, Office of Estate and Commercial
• Clem Whale,Livestock Coordinator, Office of Estate and Commercial

Nominated

• Associate Professor Olivia Mirza, Associate Dean, Engagement, School of Engineering
• Associate Professor Sarah (Yixia) Zhang, Director, Grand Challenges Scholars / Discipline  Leader, Civil and Environmental Engineering / Research Theme Champion, Environment and Sustainability, School of Engineering

A study into the delivery of mental health services to remote and rural farming communities project

• Associate Professor Mark Antonio, Program Leader, Speech and Language, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development
• Anne Dwyer, Visiting Fellow, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development
• Dominque Estival, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development
• Dr Christa Lam-Cassettari, Infant Researcher, Interim Leader Baby Lab, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development
• Weicong Li, Research Officer, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development

Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC)

• Professor Srinath Perera, Director, Centre for Smart Modern Construction / Chair of Built Environment and Construction Management, School of Built Environment
• Dr Ali Al-Ashwal, Lecturer, Academic Course Advisor, School of Built Environment
• Associate Professor Yingbin Feng, School of Built Environment
• Associate Professor Mary Hardie, DAP, Undergraduate Building Design Management, School of Built Environment
• Associate Professor Xiaohua (Sean) Jin, DAP, Project Management, School of Built Environment
• Robert Osei-Kyei, Academic Course Advisor, Undergraduate Construction Management, School of Built Environment
• Dr Payam Rahnamayiezekavat, DAP, Postgraduate Construction Management, School of Built Environment
• Marini Samaratunga, Casual Research Assistant, School of Built Environment
• Dr Sepani Senaratne, DAP, Undergraduate Construction Management, School of Built Environment
• Dr Krisanthi Seneviratne, Lecturer, School of Built Environment
• Dr Matt Stevens, Lecturer, School of Built Environment
• Professor Vivian Tam, Associate Dean, Research and HDR / Associate Dean, International / Discipline Leader, CM, School of Built Environment
• Dr Liyaning Tang, Lecturer, School of Built Environment
• Dr Sameera Wijesiri Pathirana, Lecturer, School of Built Environment

Winner - Student Individual

Rose Lewis, Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Laws, School of Business

Rose is a Business and Law student whose communication and mentorship inspires the staff and students around her. As a consistent volunteer since her first semester, Rose has shown outstanding dedication to student engagement and involvement in decision making. A University Board Member and Go Global ambassador, Rose uses her cross-campus connections to promote students as genuine partners. Her strong support for transdisciplinary and innovative study experiences is evident in her engagement with four (4) overseas universities and the time she put into producing her award-winning travel videos which demonstrate the value of Global Citizenship for students of Western.

Winner - Student Team

CIB Student Chapter, School of Built Environment

• Priyadarshini Das, Doctor of Philosophy, Engineering (Civil)
• Buddhini Ginigaddara , Doctor of Philosophy, Engineering (Civil)
• Kasun Gunasekara, Doctor of Philosophy, Engineering (Civil)
• Amer Hijazi, Doctor of Philosophy, Engineering (Civil)
• Qinjun Liu, Doctor of Philosophy, Engineering (Industrial Design)

The CIB Student Chapter at the School of Built Environment at Western Sydney University has been established with a vision to provide a sound platform for students to engage in industry collaborated activities, research related discussions, knowledge sharing opportunities and international exchange with global stakeholders to take the modern construction conversation ahead. As the first CIB Student Chapter in NSW, the chapter has been an active advocate of a collaborative research culture and collective sense making with outcome oriented engagements that cater to the student community and represent the Western brand well to a global audience.

Highly Commended - Student Individual

• Wenyi Olivia Zhang, Master of Teaching (Birth-5 Years/Birth-12 Years), School of Education

Nominated

• Deborah Bennetts, Master of Teaching (Birth-5 years/Birth-12 Years), School of Education
• Ariana Kong (nee Villarosa), Doctor of Philosophy, Nursing and Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery

Winner

Tanya Cook, Executive Officer, Student Services, The Student Experience Office

The Student Assistance Fund team was established in April 2020 (and continuing until at least 2021), an integral component of the University's response to COVID-19. The team led by Tanya Cook, comprises professional staff members from various Schools/Units, many of whom had not worked together previously. By capitalising on individual strengths, Tanya unified this group of individuals to become a highly effective team in record time.  She was the driving force behind the development of an all-encompassing assessment and distribution process and worked with other units within the University to secure their buy-in with the ultimate beneficiary being the student experience.

Highly Commended

• Fiona Towney, Director Badanami Centre for Indigenous Education, Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education, Strategy and Consultation

Winner

Professor Juan Francisco Salazar, School of Humanities and Communication Arts

Juan Francisco Salazar is a world-leading researcher in the interdisciplinary field of environmental humanities and a recent awardee of an Australian Future Fellowship. His internationally acclaimed research and award winning creative practice both explore the coupled dynamics of social-ecological change, with a focus on people and places where the environmental and cultural challenges of living sustainably are starkly exposed. Underpinned by a collaborative ethos across the arts, humanities and natural sciences, his work demonstrates an ability to secure competitive grants and industry funding and translate research into meaningful outcomes for a range of local communities.

Winner

Professor Brajesh Singh, Centre Director, Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment

Professor Brajesh Singh of the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment is an internationally recognised leader in the fields of functional microbial ecology and environmental biotechnology. Through his research and leadership, he has advanced understanding of how soil function and microbial biodiversity may be managed to promote quality, productivity and sustainability in agriculture and other land-based sectors. As Director and founder of the Western Sydney University-based Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation he is instrumental in promoting the development, dissemination and adoption of evidence-based approaches in support of food security and environmental sustainability across Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and globally.

Nominated

• Associate Professor Gregory Cohen,Associate Professor in Neuromorphic Systems-Algorithms, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development
• Dr Feng Li,Senior Lecturer, School of Science
• Professor Basant Maheshwari,Professor – Water, Environment and Sustainability, School of Science
• Professor Vivian Tam, Associate Dean, Research and HDR /Associate Dean, International / Discipline Leader, Construction Management, School of Built Environment

Winner

Deborah Mitchison, NHMRC Research Fellow, Translational Health Research Institute

Deborah's substantial (79 publications) and impactful research has uncovered predictors for the development, course, and health service use associated with eating disorders, and has been cited in clinical guidelines, led to the development of the first eating disorder treatment registry in Australia, and increased international research and public awareness of marginalised groups such as males with eating disorders. Deborah's early achievements are evidenced through multiple fellowship funding and research awards. She is a devoted HDR supervisor and mentor to other ECRs, and makes a substantial contribution to professional service and advocacy.

Highly Commended

• Dr Mike Armour,Senior Research Fellow, NICM Health Research Institute

Nominated

• Dr Abhishek Gupta, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Nanoscale Group, School of Science

Winner

Learning and Teaching Coordinator Team

• Abdullah Al Aabed, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Accounting, Economics and Finance, The College
• Abbas Ranjbar, Learning and Teaching Coordinator Associate Degree in Engineering
• Charlise Bennett, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Health Science, The College
• Michael Casey, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Mathematics, The College
• Maria Charalambous, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Academic English, The College
• Dr Buddhima De Silva, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, ICT, The College
• Ben Fletcher, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Design, The College
• Kritika Gupta, First Year Experience Coordinator, ICT, The College
• Frank Gutierrez, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, ICT, The College
• Dr Carissa Hanes, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Health Science, The College
• Gabriela Jakubowicz, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Academic Skills, The College
• Despina Kamper, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, The College
• Benjamin Kelley, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Engineering, The College
• Mitchell Liddle, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Arts and Communication, The College
• Dr Zdenka Misanovic, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Engineering Mathematics and Engineering Computing, The College
• Dr Philip Newman, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Physical Sciences, The College
• Robert Paluzzano, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Construction Management and Building Design, The College
• Paul Rouillon, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Law Enforcement, Human Rights and Criminal Justice, The College
• Chantal Rozairo, Permanent Teacher – Arts, The College
• Natalie Quinlivan, Learning & Teaching Coordinator (Literature and Sociology)
• Dr Virginia Shepherd, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Biological Sciences, The College
• Dr Mona Shrestha, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Social Sciences and Psychology, The College
• Bader Unnisa Mehdi, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Management, Marketing and Law, The College

The Learning and Teaching Coordinators (LTC) have been critical in keeping the largest part of The College (the Academic Pathway Programs) not only going, but also maintaining high standards of teaching and student success. Results at the end of Term 1 showed that student performance was comparable to the performance of students in 2019 (which was delivered as a face to face offering), but in some areas, student performance improved on the previous year.

Within a matter of a few weeks, this team was able to transition their students over to a fully online delivery, help support their teachers transition to a new way of teaching, all whilst adapting to a new style of remote management of their teaching groups.

Highly Commended

Project Emerald Team - The Undergraduate Certificates @ The College

• Anthony Mitri,Executive Director, Academic Studies, The College
• Michelle Abad, Student Activities Assistant, The College
• Maria Dent, Casual Timetable Support Officer, The College
• Neil Dutfield, Senior Project Manager, The College
• Jack Isherwood, Permanent Teacher – Sociology/Social Ecology, The College
• Mitchell Liddle, Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Arts and Communication
• Rachel Renwick, Casual Teacher – Arts, The College
• Joel Walker, Director, Support Services, The College
• David White, Manager, E-Learning, Academic Pathways Programs, The College
• Dr. Nicolene Murdoch, Chief Executive Officer, The College
• Mary Byrne, Executive Director, Operations, The College
• Amanda James, Senior HR Partner, Office of Human Resources
• Jess Huckstadt, Co-Director, Student Administration and Operations, The Student Experience Office
• Lizette Delacy, Co-Director, Student Administration and Operations, The Student Experience Office
• Terri Bryson, Course Data Management Coordinator, The Student Experience Office
• Dr Kate Liddell, Associate Director, Quality and Reviews, Office of Quality and Reviews
• Sarah Misdom, Marketing Manager, Pathways and Programs, Office of Marketing and Communication
• Wendy Barker, Senior Executive Officer, The College

Nominated

• David Curtin, Academic English Teacher, Academic Pathways Program – Academic English, The College
• Anca Sarkizians, First Year Experience Coordinator, Academic Pathways Program – Law Enforcement, Human Rights and Criminal Justice, The College
• Dr Mona Shrestha,Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Social Science and Psychology, The College
• Maria Calabro, Education Coordinator, English Programs, The College

Project Emerald/Blended Learning Team

• Neil Dutfield, Senior Project Manager, The College
• Stacey Figueira, E-Learning Coordinator, Blended Learning, The College
• Virginia Furse, Editorial Team Leader, Blended Learning, The College
• Jeremy Kam,Editor, Blended Learning, The College
• John O’Connor, Blended Learning Coordinator, Blended Learning, The College
• Dr Trudi Semeniuk,Editor Team Leader, Blended Learning, The College
• Roshan Shrestha, Casual Blended Learning Officer, Blended Learning, The College
• Carole Stanford, CasualLearning Experience Designer, The College
• Dolores Turro, Editor, Blended Learning, The College
• Dr Sam Frost, Casual Pearson Test Centre Supervisor, English Test Centre, The College