The University Ducks

The best nomination across all the Colleges  is awarded the ‘University Ducks’ (like Dux… it’s a terrible pun but an excellent bronze duck statue). This award is given to the educator who not only has provided an outstanding student experience in their College – it is the outstanding experience for the whole University. We’re proud to announce that the 2024 University Ducks goes to:

Winner: Dr Huong Nguyen

College of Business, Government and Law

Winner: Dr Huong Nguyen
Honourable Mentions: Brooke Crabtree & Dr Edwin Tongoi

College of Education, Psychology and Social Work

Winner: Dr Cara Rossi
Honourable Mentions: Dr Carl Salt & Dr Raj Brij

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Winner: Associate Professor Gareth Butler
Honourable Mentions: Katie Cavanagh & Professor Chris Hay

College of Medicine and Public Health

Winner: Dr David Lam
Honourable Mentions: Larissa Taylor, Joshua Tranter & Dr Elke Sokoya

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Joint Winners: Toni McPherson & Nathan Chesterfield
Honourable Mentions: Laura Crowe-Owen, Rebecca Milton, Kate Hoskins & Christopher Lee

College of Science and Engineering

Winner: Dr Claire Moore
Honourable Mentions: Dr Narelle Hunter & Dr Pepe Velasquez

Most Supportive Supervisor

A University-wide award for staff supervising a dissertation (Bachelor’s thesis, Honours, Masters or PhD level) or research project. A way to celebrate supervisors who provided exceptional guidance and support, helped student progression and achievement and brought students into the community of scholars in a meaningful way.

Joint Winners: Dr Patrice Whitehorne-Smith (CEPSW) & Dr Joyce Ramos (CNHS)
Honourable Mentions: Dr Jeffrey Gil & Kristy Burfield

Teaching Assistant (TA) that Saved the Day

This is a whole of University award to recognise the special role of teaching assistants, tutors, demonstrators, supervised study leaders, etc. in creating the student learning environment and to acknowledge exceptional work in offering guidance and support to students which teaching assistants do.

Winner: Lakshana Sankaramoorthy
Honourable Mentions: Sam Antoniades & Marina Phillips

Innovation in Digital Teaching

This award recognises staff members who have shown exceptional skills in utilising digital platforms for teaching, engaging students as active participants in their learning, and creating online spaces for student-staff interactions. These individuals demonstrate innovative approaches to online teaching and have made a significant impact on student engagement and collaboration. Their efforts have contributed to a more interactive and inclusive learning environment.

Winner: Dr Victoria Bridgland
Honourable Mention: Caleb Lewis

Outstanding Wellbeing and Student Support Award

The Wellbeing and Student Support Award celebrates academic staff members who prioritise and promote student wellbeing. This award acknowledges the exceptional efforts of educators who go beyond their role to support the mental, emotional, and physical health of their students.

Winner: Dr Maryanne Kelton
Honourable Mentions: Dr Lauren Woolbright, Dr Jeremy Ryder, Professor Tim Windsor & Dr Maarten Immink