Governance - The Board

Emeritus Professor John Hay AC

Chair, Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees

Qualifications

BA Hons. Western Australia and Camb, MA Camb, Ph.D. Western Australia, Hon. LittD Deakin, Hon. DLitt Western Australia, Hon. DUniv QUT, FAHA, FACE, FAIM, FQA

Experience

John Hay was vice-chancellor of the University of Queensland (1996-2008) and Deakin University (1992-1995). His previous appointments included: senior deputy vice-chancellor (Monash University) and professor of English (University of Western Australia). At the University of Queensland he developed major new initiatives in teaching and research, including establishing the institutes of molecular bioscience, brain research, bio-engineering and nano-technology, clinical research, sustainable mining and many others. He also established the new Mayne Centre Art Gallery and Australia’s first national collection of artists’ self-portraits.

He currently chairs the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (having chaired its predecessor bodies, the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching, the Australian Universities Teaching Committee and the Committee for University Teaching and Staff Development) and the Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees. He presently chairs or is a member of a number of state, national and international committees, including the National Library of Australia, and others ranging across many disciplines from the performing arts to science, technology, innovation, philanthropy, health, information systems, libraries, city planning and economic development.

In 2003 he was awarded a Centenary Medal for contributions to Australian higher education and in 2004 Professor Hay was made a Companion in the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours list. He is a fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian College of Educators.

Special Responsibilities

Chair of the Board
 

Mr M A Besley AC

Chair, Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies

Qualifications

FTSE, BE (Civil), B. Leg. S, HonFIE Aust., HonDSc

Experience

Mr Besley is the chairman of the CRC for Greenhouse Gas Technology and a former chairman of Leighton Holdings, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the Australian Research Council and the CIG Group. He is also a former chancellor of Macquarie University and president of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He has served on the governing bodies of a wide range of charities and other organisations, such as the Centenary Institute Research Foundation, the Fund Raising Committee of the Breast Cancer Council, Sir Ian McLennan Achievement for Industry Award, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, and the Australian National Gallery Council of Governors.

Special Duties

Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee

 

Professor Jane den Hollander

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Curtin University of Technology

Qualifications

BSc Hons, MSc Wits, PhD Wales

Experience

Professor den Hollander was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Curtin University of Technology (CUT) in 2007 after serving as Pro Vice-Chancellor for CUT from 2003 with responsibility for academic matters across the university.  Prior to this, she held positions at CUT and UWA in Australia and in Manchester and Cardiff in the UK.  She is currently the convenor of the Universities Australia DVC Academic Standing Committee, was on the Board of Graduate Careers Australia from 2006 to 2009, is a member of the AUQA Standards Committee and sits on a range of other committees and working.

 

Professor Margaret Gardner AO

Vice-Chancellor and President, RMIT University 

Qualifications

B.Ec Hons Sydney, PhD Sydney, DUniv Griffith, GAICD, FAIM

Experience

Professor Margaret Gardner was appointed as Vice-Chancellor in 2005. Previously she held the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Queensland. She has extensive academic experience, having held various leadership positions in Australian universities throughout her career.

Professor Gardner currently chairs the Museums Board of Victoria, RMIT International University Vietnam Pty Ltd and RMIT Vietnam Holdings Pty Ltd, and is a member of the Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR) and chair of its Education Action Group. 

 

Professor Daryl Le Grew

Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Tasmania 

Qualifications

MArch, Melbourne, Registered Architect, Victoria

Experience

Professor Daryl Le Grew was appointed Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Tasmania in 2003. Prior to this he spent five years as Vice-Chancellor at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and held posts as Professor of Architecture, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic) at Deakin University in Victoria.

Professor Le Grew is on the Board of Universities Australia, a member of the national Cultural Heritage Committee and the Commonwealth Learning and Teaching Performance Fund Advisory Group.

Professor Le Grew is a registered architect in Victoria, retaining an active interest in architecture in both Australia and New Zealand. 
 

Professor Ian O'Connor

Vice-Chancellor, Griffith University 

Qualifications

 BSocWork, PhD Queensland

Experience

Professor O’Connor was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Griffith University in 2005. Prior to this appointment he was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), Griffith University, President of the Academic Board of the University of Queensland and from 1995 to 2000 Professor and Head, Department of Social Work and Social Policy at the University of Queensland.

He is a Director of Open Universities Australia, Australian Universities Quality Agency, the Cape York Council and the Queensland Theatre Company. He is a Board member of Greencross Australia and was recently appointed a Smart State Ambassador by the Queensland Government. He also served as Board member of the Australian University Teaching Committee. He has advised or has been a member of many bodies involved in education, human services and social policy. 
 

Dr George Brown

Group Academic Director: Think Education Group 

Qualifications

B.Bus, Grad Dip Ed (UniSA), MEd Mgmt (Flin), PhD (Adel)

Experience

Dr George Brown was appointed Group Academic Director at Think: Education Group in 2007.  Prior to this he held senior academic positions with the Navitas Group, Le Cordon Bleu Australia, International College of Hotel Management and TAFESA.  Dr Brown was appointed to the New South Wales Register of Higher Education Assessors in 2008 and currently sits on the THE-ICE Board and ACPET National Higher Education Committee.  Dr Brown’s research interests surround higher education accreditation, quality improvement and the burgeoning problem of non-official higher education provision.

 

Professor Sandra Harding

Vice-Chancellor and President, James Cook University

Qualifications

B Sc (Hons), M Pub Admin, PhD, FAICD, FAIM

Experience

Professor Professor Sandra Harding is Vice-Chancellor and President of James Cook University. Her key scholarly interests reside around the sociology of work, industry and organisation. She has a keen professional interest in education policy and management and has undertaken a wide variety of external roles within the higher education sector and the business community.

She is currently the Chair of the Innovative Research Universities (IRU) alliance and a Board Member of Universities Australia. She has also served on a number of review panels and accreditation committees within the Higher Education Sector. Professor Harding is also a Director of the Australian Institute of Commercialisation Pty Ltd, Townsville Enterprise Limited, Advance Cairns, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, TropLinks Inc, and non-executive Director of the Global Foundation for Management Education Ltd (Montreal).