Celebrating our Southern Cross academic stars

Academics who are leading the way in teaching and research

Tobias Kretzschmar Coffee plant trial
Professor Tyron Carlin sitting outside

Message from the Vice Chancellor

Dear Colleagues,

Our annual academic promotions round is a highly significant event in the life of our institution.

It represents an opportunity for colleagues, their mentors and leaders to reflect on accomplishments across a range of important domains and on their ongoing professional development.

Our promotions processes and policies are defined by rigour. The standards set within the University for promotion call for an ongoing strength of contribution and the demonstration of a deep commitment to our values. The assessment of each application is a matter taken very seriously by a committee comprising senior leaders drawn from within the University and independent experts from other institutions.

I regard my opportunity to participate in this highly collegiate deliberative process as one of the most rewarding activities of each academic cycle. The discussions between the panel and those who apply for promotion are invariably interesting and consistently inspiring. They represent a distillation of so much of the excellence that we are all weaving through the fabric of the institution that we are collectively building.

Applying for promotion takes courage. Not every colleague who applies is successful, and this can be very disheartening. But our commitment as an institution is to work hard to illuminate the pathway to success for all, and some of the most wonderful discussions that I have been party to have been with colleagues who have not succeeded in their first application for promotion but who have worked so hard and with such conviction to reapply successfully at a later stage.

On the page below, you will see each of the colleagues who successfully applied for promotion in the 2024 round. I am delighted for each of them and invite everyone to congratulate them on the important milestone that they have achieved, as I do.

Sincerely

Tyrone

Congratulations to the newly appointed PROFESSORS – Level E:

Dr Wendy Boyd

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Dr Wendy Boyd

Dr Christian Swann

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An scu academic holds a ball and looks off camera

Congratulations to the newly appointed ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS – Level D:

Dr Louise Whitaker

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Louise headshot

Dr Erica Russ

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Dr Erica Russ on campus at Lismore

Dr Georgina Dimopoulos

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Georgina Dimopoulos

Congratulations to the newly appointed SENIOR LECTURER – Level C:

Dr Julia Caldicott

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Julia Caldicott

Dr Lewes Peddell

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Dr Lewes Peddell

Dr Kylie Day

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Indigenous Research Academic Kylie Day standing in from of a tree

Dr Liz Goode

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Dr Liz Goode

Dr Ruben Laukkonen

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Ruben headshot

Congratulations to the newly appointed LECTURERS – Level B:

Dr Michael Brickhill

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Michael headshot

Dr Katie Hotko

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Head and shoulders of Katie Hotko

Julie Young

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Julie Young