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Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Six staff from The University of Western Australia have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to student learning in the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) awards.

They are:

Winthrop Professor Lawrie Beilin of UWA's School of Medicine and Pharmacology: for three decades of exemplary leadership in teaching and learning.  "When I was a medical student, my role models treated everyone as sentient fellow human beings.  They set me up for a career where I have a love of patient care and a passion for teaching and medical research," Professor Beilin said.

Winthrop Professor John Campbell Murdoch of UWA's Rural Clinical School : for leading the team which developed WA's first rural medicine curriculum, setting up a ‘bush faculty' despite many saying it couldn't be done.

Professor Carolyn Oldham of UWA's Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics : for increasing the diversity of student learning experiences in engineering, including encouraging the ‘Engineers Without Borders' competition in which students apply engineering skills to solving third-world problems.

Winthrop Professor Michael Tobar of UWA's School of Physics : for inspiring Physics students to reach their full potential through sharing knowledge between people of diverse backgrounds and experience.  By including all his students in ground-breaking research, they are transformed into successful research scientists.

Professor Paul Fournier of UWA's School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health : for 15 years of undergraduate teaching and postgraduate research supervision in exercise biochemistry, diabetes research, evolutionary biology, and nutrition biochemistry

Winthrop Professor Lesley Vidovich of UWA's Graduate School of Education : for motivating and inspiring students.  Professor Vidovich is particularly interested in social justice and in education in countries across Asia, Europe and Africa as well as Australia.

UWA Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bill Louden, said that teachers had the ability to transform lives. "A good and effective teacher inspires a passion for learning; lights the fire of intellectual endeavour; and motivates their students to pursue knowledge.

"Given the central role of education in shaping our wellbeing and our culture, it is great that the role of good teachers and supervisors is recognised and positively reinforced through these awards - both within our own university community, as well as the wider community," Professor Louden said.

"At UWA our teachers continue to work towards the University's aim of achieving international excellence, and towards becoming one of the top 50 universities in the world."

Citations, valued at $10,000 each, are awarded nationally to both academic and professional staff who have demonstrated sustained dedication to improving the quality of the student learning experience.  The UWA winners will receive their awards on Wednesday 11 August in the Perth Town Hall.

Media references

Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716

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