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The University of Western Australia has appointed Dr Helen Wildy as the new Dean of the Graduate School of Education, replacing Professor Bill Louden who takes up the position of Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor early next year.

Dr Wildy has extensive experience as a high school mathematics teacher, university lecturer and successful researcher in the fields of leadership and professional performance standards.  She has authored or co-authored publications and conference papers on professional standards, curriculum change, school reform and principals' leadership.  Her experience ranges across all education sectors including public and independent schools and the Catholic education system, locally and nationally.

Dr Wildy is director of the Australian part of the international PIPS (Performance Indicators in Primary Schools) project, involving pre-entry assessment and monitoring of literacy and numeracy progress of students in approximately 770 schools across Australia.

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson said Dr Wildy was eminently qualified to lead the Faculty through a period of change and in its efforts to meet the demand for high quality teachers in West Australian schools.

"The Faculty is expanding as it implements the newly introduced Masters of Primary Teaching and we are pleased to have Dr Wildy lead and guide the Faculty during this time," said Professor Robson.

Dr Wildy obtained a Bachelor of Arts (1967), Diploma of Education (1968), Bachelor of Education (1971), Master in Education (1991) and Doctor of Philosophy (1999) from The University of Western Australia.

She is currently Associate Professor of Educational Leadership in the School of Education at Murdoch University, where she coordinates postgraduate programs in leadership and research methods.

Dr Wildy will take up her role as Professor and Dean of Education in February.

Media references

Dr Helen Wildy  (+61 4) 10 421 331
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716