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October 20, 2017
Leadership, service and impact recognised in 2017 University Fellowships
Community leaders and educators honoured as 2017 University Fellows.
For exceptional service to the University and the community, four individuals were last night (Thursday 19 October) conferred the highest recognition at the 2017 University Fellowship and Alumni Awards.
Sandra McCarthy, Ian Brown, Christine Thompson and Paul Sharrad were presented with University Fellowships in recognition of their excellence, leadership, service and impact.
University Fellowships confer the highest recognition for exceptional service to the University and its communities, while Alumni Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of UOW graduates worldwide.
Deeply committed to social justice, Sandra McCarthy has spent her career creating meaningful connections and building and sharing knowledge to enhance human health, both locally and globally.
Sandra served as Mayor of Kiama Municipal Council (KMC) between 2000 and 2012, following a five-year term as Deputy Mayor. Sandra remains Kiama’s longest serving Mayor, bestowed the honorary title of Emeritus Mayor in 2012 in recognition of her enormous contribution and impact. She was also named NSW Local Government Kiama Woman of the Year in 2012.
In 2014, she was one of just 30 high-performing rural women to receive a new scholarship offered by the Australian Institute of Company Directors with the aim of lifting female representation on boards. She shares her expertise as a board member of Healthy Cities Illawarra, Community Options Illawarra and Blue Haven Aged Care Facility in Kiama.
Sandra is deeply engaged with the University and driven to strengthen its connections with community to improve public health. An Honorary Senior Fellow with the UOW Centre for Health Initiatives (CHI), she undertakes collaborative research in social marketing and dementia friendly initiatives. She has tutored and presented guest lectures at UOW for Public Health, Social Sciences, University of Wollongong Sydney Business School and CHI, and served as a member of the University of Wollongong Council from 1998 until 2001.
She holds a UOW Master of Public Health and Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies Administration, and is a BOSTES accredited teacher with more than 25 years teaching experience at secondary and adult education level. Sandra is a vocal advocate for the importance and benefits of lifelong learning, and is sought after as a speaker at conferences both in Australia and abroad.
In a distinguished career at the forefront of education, Ian Brown has demonstrated a gift for innovation and leadership, and a depth of understanding and commitment to teacher education in Australia that has transformed the sector.
Ian spent his early career as a primary teacher and then a visual arts education consultant in the NSW Department of Education. He joined the University of Wollongong in 1986 as a casual lecturer in the (then) Faculty of Education, subsequently serving as an Associate Dean, Head of School and Acting Dean of Education. He was made an Associate Professor in 2005 and Professor in 2015.
He has made a sustained and outstanding contribution to teacher education in Australia, and was instrumental in the UOW School of Education achieving Australia’s top ranking for teacher education in 2015 and 2016 in the QILT (Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching) program. He has worked to shape education policy at state and national level and has forged effective partnerships for the advancement of teacher education, particularly between UOW and the NSW Department of Education and public schools.
Ian is deeply committed to the internationalisation of education and student mobility. He developed key relationships for the University, particularly with Thailand, that have delivered hundreds of professional experiences and immersion activities for UOW students; as well as exchange programs and policy advocacy opportunities from which academic staff have benefited.
As a researcher, Ian has made an enduring contribution – particularly in the field of visual literacy. Profoundly passionate about the arts and their place in the total education of children, he has led and contributed to many powerful visual literacy projects. His collaborative Voices of Children: Exploring Childhood and Culture through Visual Literacy initiative encouraged children from different cultures to explore their lives through image and text.
A foundation member of the team responsible for the design of UOW’s $44 million Early Start initiative, Ian has been integral to its success. He has also transformed UOW’s outreach through involvement in countless visual and performing arts education programs, both in and beyond the region.
Christine Thompson was admitted as a Fellow for taking the concept of ‘giving back’ to a whole new level, dedicating her life to supporting others and building a strong and connected community.
She enjoyed a long career as a teacher and careers advisor prior to her retirement in 2008. She joined the UOW Campus Alumni Chapter as a volunteer in 2008, taking on the role of Chair of the Chapter in 2010. She has since led and inspired a group of more than 20 volunteers in the running of the Alumni Bookshop, with all proceeds funding equity scholarships and prizes for ‘excellence’ for UOW students. Thus far, in excess of $285,000 has been raised and placed in perpetuity to ensure that scholarships and prizes continue, regardless of the bookshop’s operation.
Christine also finds the time to contribute to the University and its community in numerous other ways, including advising on alumni engagement strategy and initiatives through the Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Development Group, on which she served from 2010 until its disbandment in 2014.
Christine’s goal in life is to leave the world a better place for having been here. Confirmation that she has already achieved her aim is shown in the many lives she has touched with her warmth and encouragement, the values she upholds and the deep connections she has forged. Under her expert guidance the Alumni Bookshop has carved out a revered place in the hearts of students, staff, alumni and the people of the Illawarra. She has built an engaged community on warmth, giving and mutual respect.
As both an acclaimed researcher and engaged educator, Paul Sharrad has not only made a significant and sustained contribution to scholarship in his field, but also to the University’s international reputation and engagement.
Paul joined UOW in 1987 as a Lecturer in English, beginning a 27-year career with the University that culminated in his appointment as Associate Professor in 2000 and Senior Fellow in 2014. He shaped research, teaching and administration through a number of executive roles including Head of Department, Head of Postgraduate Studies and Associate Dean (Research), and through his considered contributions to numerous committees at Faculty and University level.
Paul is internationally renowned for his research in the field of English literature and was at the forefront of developing postcolonial studies in Australia. As a researcher, Paul has authored three books on Indian English fiction, 67 book chapters and 71 journal articles, and co-edited countless other written works. He has delivered in excess of 100 conference papers internationally and been a visiting lecturer and fellow at universities in Europe, North America and Asia.
Beyond this, he has organised donations of library books for earthquake-damaged campuses in Pakistan, school supplies for tsunami-ravaged Samoa and Australian study resources for Indian libraries.