UWS welcomes new Dean to the School of Education

Professor Michele Simons, Education Dean, UWS 
The University of Western Sydney is very pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Michele Simons as the new Dean of the School of Education

Professor Simons joins UWS from the University of South Australia where she has been the Dean and Head of the School of Education.  She has qualifications in Human Services and Adult and Community Education and a PhD from the University of South Australia.

Currently President of the Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) and Treasurer for the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) and the Council for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS), Professor Simons is also a member of the Academic Board for Le Cordon Bleu.

She has had experience serving on a range of government committees including the South Australian Teacher Education Taskforce and various state and federal government advisory groups for education and family services. 

Professor Simons says she is extremely pleased and proud to have the opportunity to lead the UWS School of Education a place she says has both a reputation for excellence and a deep commitment to its students.

“I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity to work with my new colleagues and the wider education community in Western Sydney,” says Professor Simons.

Professor Simons will bring a wealth of knowledge in the design and development of programs conducive to student learning at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and has a passion for working at the nexus between policy, practice and research in order to improve outcomes for learners across all sectors of education.

Her research interests include supporting learning for families and communities, vocational education and training (VET); workforce development; career development; and the theory and practice of evaluation.  She has published over 35 research papers covering topics including relationship and family life education, workplace learning, apprenticeships and traineeships, and workforce development for educators and trainers. Professor Simons’ more recent research interests have extended to include examining the sustainability of the teaching profession. 

Professor Simons is a well-respected researcher, having won a number of nationally competitive grants from the Australian Research Council and the National Vocational Education and Training Research and Evaluation (NVETRE) Program. Professor Simons is currently part of a team of researchers who won funding from the most recent round of ARC-Linkage Grants for a project examining the role that school principals play in retaining the best teachers. 

“Professor Simons is an outstanding leader in education, who shares the University’s vision for our School of Education and our commitment to Greater Western Sydney.” 

“She will no doubt continue to build upon the exceptional leadership and guidance of the School’s previous Dean Professor Steve Wilson and the excellent work of Acting Dean Dr Mary Mooney,” says Professor Reid.

Ends

19 November 2013


Photos By: Sally Tsoutas, UWS Photographer
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