About the MESH team

There are currently six permanent members of the MESH team, and a number of SSAF-funded MESH casual staff who assist with the Maths and Stats Drop-in sessions. All of the MESH team are very friendly and experienced mathematics, statistics and numeracy educators.

The permanent members of MESH are:

Merryn Horrocks, Lead Learning Advisor

Merryn holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) and a PhD from UNSW, and a Bachelor of Secondary Teaching from Charles Sturt University. She has worked as a design & project engineer in the industrial automation sector, as a researcher in healthcare technology and informatics, as principal scientist in an engineering research and development startup, as a sessional academic, and has run her own business in maths education. She has been involved in teaching mathematics in various capacities throughout her career. She especially likes making mathematics and statistics fun, intelligible and do-able for all students.

Adelle Colbourn, Learning Advisor

Adelle has a Bachelor of Science degree and a Diploma of Education from the University of Sydney and has worked her entire career in mathematics education. After teaching in a high school for six years, she taught maths and computer skills in the vocational sector for many years. She then followed some of her TAFE students around the corner to WSU, and has worked in the Mathematics Education Support Hub (MESH) for almost a decade. She is passionate about helping under-prepared students achieve success in their university studies.

Ash Bandarawickrama, Learning Advisor

Ash brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his work in mathematics education. He has established a solid academic foundation with a B.Sc. in Physical Science (Sri Lanka), an MBA in General Management (England), and a Diploma in Education and Training (England). As a qualified secondary teacher, Ash has held roles as a mathematics teacher and head of mathematics at high schools in England and Sri Lanka, and he has lectured in mathematics at higher and vocational institutes across Sri Lanka, England, and Australia. His commitment to helping students from diverse backgrounds succeed academically has been a hallmark of his career. He is pursuing a PhD in Mathematics Education at the University of Southern Queensland, focusing on the mathematical readiness for first-year undergraduates in quantitatively demanding degrees. With a keen interest in multiculturalism in mathematics education and a dedication to foundational and first-year teaching, Ash is well-prepared to make a meaningful impact in this field.

Barbara Gunn, Learning Advisor

Barbara has a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical), a Graduate Diploma in Education and a Master of Education (Gifted). She has worked as a research and design engineer in telecommunications and medical electronics, a project planning consultant, a process engineer and a financial controller. Her passion for mathematics led her to postgraduate study at Macquarie University, where she also worked in the Numeracy Centre and tutored first year mathematics and statistics courses. Barbara then taught mathematics, physics and science in secondary schools and worked in corporate jobs for the NSW Department of Education. In 2024, she returned to teaching in the university sector. Barbara enjoys helping people to understand mathematical concepts and apply them to practical contexts.

Elizabeth Camilleri, Learning Advisor

Elizabeth Camilleri has a BSc Physics and Mathematics and BPhil Physics from Macquarie University. Their career has revolved around their love of education, helping students with a wide array of abilities from primary school to university. Elizabeth’s curiosity for learning and passion for mathematics began with a love of puzzles and games. They have recently embarked upon a new learning endeavour, commencing their PhD in Data Science at Western Sydney University.

Susan McGlynn, Learning Advisor

Susan has a Bachelor of Education (Secondary Mathematics) degree and a Master of Education from the University of Wollongong and has worked for most of her career in mathematics education. After teaching Mathematics in high schools for many years, she worked in instructional design for six years before joining the Mathematics Education Support Hub (MESH) in 2014. She is passionate about helping students develop confidence in themselves as learners of mathematics, especially those who come from non-mathematical backgrounds.