Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Education Impact)

As Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Education Impact), Ben leads the University’s strategic impact agenda in research and education.

As a human geographer, Ben is passionate about participatory approaches to sustainable development and the role that education and engagement can play in creating resilience, capacity and well-being in communities. He has taught, researched and practised in the areas of community-based learning, participatory planning, sustainable development and community engagement. Ben also provides advice to various organisations and governments on strategic approaches to education, engagement and development.

Ben's contribution to community engagement in higher education, specifically service learning in built environment disciplines, has been recognised through a national Carrick Citation. For this work, he also received the Edith Cowan Authentic Learning Award from the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia. In 2019, Ben received the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Award for Best Industry Engagement and the Business Higher Education Roundtable Award for Excellence in Community Engagement for the national pilot program, Farming Together. Ben is the Immediate Past President of Engagement Australia.

About Research and Education Impact

Driving our impact agenda in research and education is fundamental to the crystallisation of our strategic objectives as a University and the authentic fulfilment of our purpose.

The research and education impact agenda focuses on applying connectivity and collaboration to advance the core academic functions of the University. This activity includes developing and growing our Research Impact Clusters to increase partnerships with industry and community​, alignment with our course portfolio and an investment model for research that supports growth in our focus areas​ while realising our ambitions for real impact.

The Office of the PVC (Research and Education Impact) has carriage of:

• Developing an overarching Impact agenda for the University
• Strategic partnering that applies the University’s intellectual property and assets at scale
• Initiative development that focuses on research and education impact through co-investment
• Identifying and nurturing research partnerships and funding opportunities that positively influence the University’s reputation
• Creating frameworks to grow the Research Impact Clusters through strategic industry connectivity
• Leading university-wide transformation programs that seek to enable greater industry and community connectivity
• Facilitating large multi-stakeholder collaborations focused on collective impact.

Contact the Office of the PVC (Research and Education Impact): pvcrei@scu.edu.au