Faculty of Education celebrates excellence at 2021 Awards Ceremony

Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education Professor Amy Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles hosted the event, awarding recipients for their outstanding contribution to the Faculty of Education and their academic achievements in 2021.

The Awards Ceremony is held each year to celebrate the achievements that contribute to the realisation of the Faculty of Education's mission which is to lead and empower profound educational change, now and for a sustainable future. Awards presented at the ceremony included the following categories; Research Awards, Teaching and Learning Awards, Professional Staff Awards, Dean's Honours List and SAGE Service Awards.

Highlights included the SAGE Award for Service, which acknowledged the service of the Student Advisory Group for Education (SAGE) leadership team – Angela Ashcroft, Christina Bijkerk and Kurt Breed – in forming a diverse and passionate community of students.

Faculty Manager Simon Brown was awarded the Professional Staff Award for Service for his excellent work leading the implementation of the new Academic Workload Framework for the Faculty of Education, while Mr Patrick Bruck was named Educator of the Year for outstanding work in his teaching methods, evidenced by feedback from his mean student satisfaction score of 4.86/5. See complete list of student and staff awards below.

Southern Cross University Vice Chancellor Professor Tyrone Carlin congratulated all award recipients for excellence in their study and work.

“The origin story of our University has everything to do with Education,” he said at the ceremony. “It has always been a core part of our identity and a core part of our DNA.”

Executive Dean Professor Amy Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles spoke to the future trajectory of the Faculty of Education.

“The Faculty is at a point in time of monumental change and transformation,” she said. “The new strategy presents an exciting roadmap for world leading success that matters.”

Award and Winners

2020/2021 Dean's Honours List for students who received a GPA of 6.5 or above:

Undergraduate students: Chantelle Duke, Trisha Makepeace, Ebony Aston, Karen Hill, Georgia Whitford, Ebony-Rae Devine, Taylor Slattery, Jarrod Taylor, Angela Ashcroft, Brett Anderson, Vickie Stokes, Kiran Heckrotte, Ashleigh Larrescy, Michelle McLeod, Jenny Morey, Sarah-Jane Read, Christopher Eastman, Hayden Goldstraw, Grace Forrester, Peita Bates.

Postgraduate students: Sophie Bakhuys, Cassandra Martin, Karen Corden, Maria Ting, Alice Walton       , Teagan Kujat, Kristle Kwok, Tahlia McGahey, Frances Mason, Deborah Johnson, Phillip Chambers.

2021 SAGE Award for Service: Student Advisory Group for Education (SAGE) leadership team Angela Ashcroft (President), Christina Bijkerk (Vice-President) and Kurt Breed (Secretary).

2021 Professional Staff Award for Service: Mr Simon Brown, Faculty Manager. 

2021 Professional Staff Award for Innovation and Improvement: Mrs Penny Bredenkamp, Executive Assistant to the Executive Dean.

2020/2021 Higher Degree Research Publication Excellence Award: “Student Retention in Higher Education: Why Students Choose to Remain at University” published in the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice by authors Dr Johanna Nieuwoudt and Megan Kelly. 

2020/2021 Higher Degree Research Supervisor of the Year: Professor Alexandra Lasczik, Associate Dean of Research.

2020 Researcher of the Year: Associate Professor Wendy Boyd, Associate Dean of Research.

2020 Early Career Researcher of the Year Award: Dr Maia Osborn.

2020/2021 Outstanding Research Publication: “Attracting, retaining and sustaining early childhood teachers: an ecological conceptualisation of workforce issues and future research directions” published in the Australian Educational Researcher by authors Associate Professor Marianne Fenech, Associate Professor Sandie Wong, Associate Professor Wendy Boyd, Associate Professor Megan Gibson, Professor Helen Watt, Professor Paul Richardson.

2020/2021 Educator of the Year Award: Mr Patrick Bruck.

2020/2021 Commendation for Teaching Excellence: Jenna Warne and Dr Richard Waters.

Media contact: Jessica Nelson, media office at Southern Cross University, 0417 288 794 or scumedia@scu.edu.au