2024 recipients
Our 2024 Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Excellence recipients
Living our values
Professor Dr Muhammad Aziz Rahman | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
This award recognises the excellence in collaborative worldwide research into critical public health issues and providing mentoring and leadership opportunities to colleagues and students. |
Excellence in leadership and transformational change
Karen Schneider | Institute of Education, Arts and Community |
This award recognises the excellence in facilitating student placements and employment, fostering community connections, and building a capable and confident team. |
Excellence in inclusion
Aboriginal Education Centre | Global and Engagement |
This award recognises the excellence in work to attract and retain students, resulting in an uplift in the number of TAFE students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. Winner of the Wurreker Award for Innovative Koorie Learner Pathways TAFE. |
Excellence in innovation
Semester 2 Squad | Chief Learner Experience Office |
This award celebrates the innovative digital approach taken to boosting mid-year enrolments, with excellent results achieved, to carry over into 2025 enrolments. Exemplary collaboration across several teams. |
Excellence in community engagement and impact
Professor Singarayer Florentine | Future Regions Research Centre |
This award celebrates a significant positive impact to Federation and the environmental sector via the ‘Biodiversity Across the Borders’ conference. |
Research excellence
Associate Professor Jiefeng (Jerry) Hu | Power Electronics and Renewable Energy |
This award celebrates securing the ARC Future Fellowship and associated funding for Federation, and development and mentoring of colleagues and HDR students. |
Research excellence (early career)
Dr Azadeh Noori Hoshyar | Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability |
This award celebrates exceptional productivity in the important area of research combining AI and healthcare. |
Vocational teaching excellence
James McKenzie | Renewable Energy and Engineering |
This award celebrates the new and innovative practices James has established in engineering in wind-energy at TAFE, his strong collaborative relationships with industry, and exemplary demonstration of the University values. |
Enhancing the student experience
Food Relief Initiative | Student Partnerships and Engagement Team, and the Student Access and Retention Team. |
This award celebrates the innovative, student-led initiative that had a broad and positive impact across campuses and addressed the significant issue of food insecurity for students. |
Special Commendation recipients
Excellence in leadership and transformational change
Academic Services Team | Chief Operating Office |
This award celebrates creating a unified, centralised service model. |
Excellence in innovation
Research Services | Chief Operating Office |
This award celebrates the Competitive Grant Support Program and capacity building for researchers including early career. |
Dr Peter Sellings | Institute of Education, Arts and Community |
This award celebrates the pilot of a new badged stream of the Bachelor of Secondary Education at Horsham. |
Kylie Turville | Information Technology Services |
This award celebrates the positive and innovative approach to problem solving and innovations to fdlGrades. |
Excellence in in community engagement and impact
Ready Set Go project team | Retention, Innovation and Student Experience |
This award celebrates career exploration and aspiration-building of secondary and primary students in East Gippsland. |
Research excellence
Dr Meagan Dewar | Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability |
This award celebrates groundbreaking research in tracking avian influenza, particularly in Antarctic zones and locally. |
Research excellence (early career)
Elissa Dabkowski | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
This award celebrates collaboration on community health projects and mentoring of colleagues and students. |
Excellence in industry engagement and impact
HIGHER EDUCATION - 2024 Partner Conference ‘Collaborative Horizons’ | Admissions, Corporate Finance, Quality and Accreditation, and Pathways teams |
This award celebrates Global Professional Services team collaboration with local industry. |
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING - Stuart Birkin | Skills and Education |
This award celebrates Stuart's ongoing service, consistent performance, and funding achievements. |
Enhancing the Student Experience
TAFE Learner Excellence Committee | TAFE, Aboriginal Education Centre and Institute of Education, Arts and Community |
This award celebrates a highly student-centric approach to create a positive impact on the student and learning experience at TAFE. |
Excellence in delivering the Co-op model
Janine Shields | Project Management Office |
This award celebrates exceptional dedication to supporting the Co-op Steering Committee. |