Honour roll recognises UniSA women
by Linda Hein
Fifteen UniSA staff, graduates and associates have been acknowledged by former Minister for the Status of Women, Jennifer Rankine on the inaugural SA Women’s Honour Roll for their outstanding contributions to the South Australian community.
Among the 147 South Australian women honoured for performance and achievements in championing diversity, leading the community towards respect and responsibility and exploring new directions through innovation, was a collective of five women from the Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences (EASS):
Emeritus Professor Freda Briggs AO, Emeritus Professor in Child Development and an international leader in multidisciplinary research addressing issues of child abuse and child protection; Emeritus Professor Alison Mackinnon, Emeritus Professor of History and Gender Studies and Foundation Director of the Hawke Research Institute until 2005; Professor Wendy Schiller OAM, a Professor of Early Childhood Education and Director of the deLissa Research Centre, who was noted for work in the area of collaborative arts education for children; Anne Glover AO, a lecturer in early childhood education and noted for training programs and leading international education projects for disadvantaged Indigenous children in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor; and Professor Barbara Comber, Acting Director of the Hawke Research Institute for Sustainable Societies and outstanding contributor to the literacy learning of young people in Australia through the development of outstanding research focussed on literacy and social justice.
Prof
Alison Mackinnon, cited on the roll for her contribution to
research, scholarship and leadership, said it was a great honour to
be nominated among so many diverse and extraordinary women.
"Personally I was extremely gratified that people felt my work worthy of nomination, but it’s also an important acknowledgement of the extraordinarily broad spectrum of women who contribute so vitally to South Australia," Prof Mackinnon said.
In addition two graduates of the de Lissa Institute of Early Childhood and Family Studies were named as finalists for SA Woman of the Year; Rhonda Dadleh, one of SA’s first trained Aboriginal early childhood educators who studied a Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) at the then South Australian College of Advanced Education (SACAE), and Katherine Leane, who graduated with a Bachelor in Human Services (Child Care) and was noted for her national support and advocacy for HIV positive women.
Pro Vice Chancellor of the Division EASS, Professor Pal Ahluwalia, congratulated all of the women, saying it was an outstanding achievement for such a high representation of staff and graduates from the Division to be honoured.
"It is very impressive that so many women associated with the University have been nominated, and more so that five of these women are from the Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences.
"As a Division, among a range of values, we promote the widest expression of the talents and scholarship of staff and encourage their leadership in community service, innovation in teaching, and excellence in research, so I am particularly pleased and proud they have been recognised for the outstanding work they do.
"It’s an important acknowledgment for their dedication and commitment in such vital areas like child protection, development and education."
Also named on the honour roll from UniSA were Professor Robyn McDermott, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Division of Health Sciences, noted for her achievements in improved primary care services to remote Indigenous communities in diabetes care and the prevention of complications; Assoc Professor Julie Mills, an Associate Professor in Civil Engineering, co-founder of South Australian Women in Engineering Group and member of the South Australian Women’s Advisory Council; Assoc Professor Jill Slay, noted as a leading scientific researcher in forensic computing at the Defence and Systems Institute; Professor Jennifer McKay, for her outstanding academic contribution towards the development of water management and water reform policies at state, national and international levels and 2008 Fulbright Senior Scholarship winner; and Maria Lane, former UniSA Manager of Aboriginal and Islander Support
Graduates Mary Ware, the first Aboriginal person to be elected to the Port Lincoln council, Wendy Koolmatri, an Aboriginal community activist, and Leann Symonds founder of parent and caregiver support programs were also named.
UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Høj congratulated each of the women for their dedication and outstanding service to the University and the wider community.