Fellows Welcomed
UniSA is proud to welcome two luminaries in South Australian education as Fellows of the University. Geoff Wood and Lewis O'Brien were both presented with the title at recent graduation ceremonies, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to education and UniSA.
Geoff Wood
With
qualifications in science, engineering and education, Geoff Wood began his
career in education at UniSA's antecedent institution, the South Australian
Institute of Technology, a time he says he looks back on with “affection and
gratitude.“
After his time at the institute, Wood joined TAFE SA, where over the
years his roles included lecturer, super-intendent of operations, regional
director of operations, director of curriculum services, and director of the
Regency Institute of TAFE.
In the early '90s he worked with UniSA's current Vice Chancellor, Professor
Denise Bradley, to develop the first memorandum of agreement between a
university and a TAFE institution in South Australia – establishing a
foundation for continued collaboration between the two institutions.
In his current role as executive director of Education Services for the
Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology some of
his responsibilities include implementing training packages and developing
curriculum, developing learning materials and systems, marketing and
international activities, and student admissions.
Besides strengthening links between UniSA and TAFE, he has also helped
foster the University's relationship with the relevant state education
departments over the years, and supported the University as a key industry
stakeholder as part of the recent Australian Universities Quality Audit.
As UniSA's Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Rigmor George said when reading
Wood's citation, “Geoff has worked towards helping to ensure all South
Australians have a program of education and training available to them which
equips them for employment, enriches their lives and is enjoyable and
affordable.“
Wood said he was honoured to be made a Fellow of the University. “The
University of South Australia is an excellent organisation, improving all
the time, and it has been a pleasure to work with University staff over a
period of more than 10 years to improve relations between the University and
TAFE. Our organisations share a number of values, and among these is a
commitment to providing education and training opportunities to people from
every part of society.“
Lewis O'Brien
An
esteemed Aboriginal elder who was born in Narungga country on the Yorke
Peninsula, Lewis O'Brien worked as a fitter and machinist for 30 years,
before joining the SA education department as an Aboriginal education
liaison officer in 1977. His presence in that role made a real difference.
“In 1977 there were only nine Indigenous kids in year 12 in South Australia,
but a year later there were 27,“ he says. “Now there are 53 Aboriginal
students who are set to complete their SACE this year – it's increasing all
the time and seeing that gives me a lot of pleasure.“
As UniSA's Professor Paul Hughes said when reading O'Brien's citation, since
the '70s there is hardly a sector of Aboriginal education and training in
the state that the man respectfully known as 'Uncle Lewis' has not been
involved in developing. His involvement with UniSA stretches back 20 years –
both as a researcher and an advisor on Indigenous cultural issues. (He was
instrumental in naming City West's Yungondi Building as well as many other
places in Adelaide.)
He has just completed a book on his life, and says he's looking forward to continuing his journey of learning. “My next goal would have to be to speak Kaurna fluently. Languages are like species – you can't afford to lose them,“ he says. “Life's an education – I'll just keep doing what I do and see what comes.“