Meet the Finalists 2019: Macquarie Business School

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In the lead up to the Academic Staff Awards, we will be profiling the amazing achievements of all of the finalists over the coming weeks.

This week, we take a look at the wonderful staff from the Macquarie Business School.


Research

2019-09-03-cristiana-fiorini-77Professor Deborah Schofield
Excellence in Research: Five Future-shaping Research Priorities

In 2017, Professor Schofield led the establishment of the Centre for Economic Impacts of Genomic Medicine. The Centre aims to provide internationally leading research on the potential of genomics and similarly ground-breaking innovations to improve human health and, as a result, have had significant impact on the economy and Australian community.

“The new research program and Centre were established because there is currently little research on the significant potential for genomics to not only transform medicine and the health system, but also to improve the social and economic prospects of families, and thereby deliver on some of the most compelling and complex policy objectives – including fiscal sustainability – of government,” Deborah says.

The study provides whole genome sequencing for diagnosis of patients and to assess currently unknown health and social costs of familial intellectual disability.

“A diagnosis facilitates targeted treatment and avoidance of ineffective treatment – some of which may have serious adverse consequences – and accurate advice for recurrence risk, which can result in families no longer having the condition in future generations,” she says.

2019-08-28-cristiana-fiorini-21Professor Chris Patel
Excellence in Higher Degree Research Supervisor of the Year Award

Professor Patel is an internationally recognised academic in the field of International Accounting and provides research leadership at Macquarie.

Over the past 11 years, Chris has successfully supervised 13 PhD students to completion and these students have gone on to have their own distinguished careers, both in the academic world and in making valuable contributions to society.

“My supervision has contributed to developing quality research at Macquarie University, resulting in publications and awards, as well as the engagement of students and graduates in the research community,” he says.

“Together with the staff who completed their PhD under my supervision, we are recognised as pioneers and leaders in International Accounting research. My profile has attracted quality students to my research program and contributed to Macquarie’s global reputation.

“My objective is to collaborate with my colleagues to build a dedicated team to accelerate world-leading research performance, and to provide internationally aligned degrees with global relevance.”

Learning and Teaching

2019-09-05-cristiana-fiorini-37Dr Paul Crosby
Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Student Nominated Award

As the unit convenor of ECON381 – Department of Economics PACE and Capstone unit – Dr Crosby designed and implemented a series of lectures and assessment tasks that equip students with an array of tools for their future careers. These tools demonstrate the versatility of economics, allowing students to apply their knowledge of the discipline to an array of contemporary issues.

“My goal is to ensure students complete their Macquarie economics journey with an experience that both empowers and inspires,” he says.

2019-09-05-cristiana-fiorini-51Dr LayPeng Tan
Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Student Nominated Award

Dr Tan believes building relationships with students is about meeting them where they are, attempting to understand them, and developing connections with them.

“‘Teach from the heart, for the heart summarises what teaching is for me,” she says.

“My role as a lecturer is beyond imparting knowledge; I am an enabler of student success. I help students to develop their full potential and capabilities so they can achieve their goals within, and beyond, the classroom.”

LayPeng also advocates for safe-to-fail learning environments and believes they are particularly important to international students and those at risk.

2019-09-03-cristiana-fiorini-20Dr Frances Chang
Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Sessional Staff Award

Dr Chang’s teaching philosophy focuses on experiential approaches to create positive learning environments.

“Our students come from diverse cultural backgrounds and they learn in different ways,” Frances says.

“I am always observing the different ways students learn and I ask myself ‘can I explain this better?’ ‘Is there a better analogy to highlight my explanation?’ and ‘Are there students requiring one-on-one attention?’”

Frances works hard to engage her students in learning and never takes them for granted.

“I include competitive strands in my teaching, for example hosting in-class games such as venture funds pitch presentations. I have found that students love this, and they work very hard to be the winning team!”

2019-09-02-cristiana-fiorini-40Dr Chong It Tan
Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Early Career Award

Driven by the Learning for the Future framework that envisions the creation of a connected learning community, Dr Tan’s teaching promotes student engagement through various activities in the classroom.

“In my opinion, creating engaging learning environments requires passionate enthusiasm and being approachable,” Chong It says.

“Excellent student learning outcomes start with planning and development. My teaching approach is deeply influenced by the motto ‘I want to teach a unit that I would want to take myself’.

“Ever since I embarked on my teaching journey five years ago, the most common feedback I receive are words like passionate, enthusiastic, approachable, engaging, interactive and even humorous. Above all, I think the word ‘care’ best epitomises my attitude towards striving to provide the best possible learning experience for students.”

2019-09-02-cristiana-fiorini-23Dr Prashan Shayanka Mendis Karunaratne
Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence
Vice-Chancellor’s Educational Leader Award

Dr Karunaratne has taught at Macquarie for over 16 years in Foundation, Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and Massive Open Online Course units across various fields including Economics, Econometrics, Quantitative Methods, Business Forecasting and Microsoft Excel.

“Students learn best when they are inspired to learn ­– the ‘why’; and when they are equipped to learn ­– the ‘how’,” he says.

Prashan has facilitated seven workshops for Macquarie academics, including the inaugural Macquarie University International College (MUIC) Learning and Teaching Festival in 2019 where he was the plenary speaker on ‘Engage, Equip, Empower – the ‘Why’ and the ‘How’ of Learning and Teaching’.

“I am also heavily involved in the University’s Widening Participation program LEAP (Learning, Education, Aspiration, Participation),” he says. “I believe in empowering students from disadvantaged backgrounds such as refugees and asylum-seekers, Indigenous Australians, as well as students in regional and remote Australia and I have participated in biannual LEAP campus events since 2015.”

Additionally, Prashan has successfully secured a 2019 Widening Participation grant for $15,000 where he will assist in creating a program to reach equity schools, cultivating aspirations for university and fostering a connected learning community.

mauricio-marroneDr Mauricio Marrone
Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Learning Innovation

Dr Marrone believes business students are increasingly presented with business scenarios, such as case studies, in an attempt to offer authentic learning opportunities while developing graduate skills. He explains that while case studies can stimulate class discussion as part of a learning activity or assessment, students mostly discuss pre-defined organisations that they can hardly relate to.

“Students have no vested interest in how their decisions and theoretical understanding impacts companies as they do not control how they operate,” he says.

To combat this, Mauricio has created a session-long experiential activity where students create their own case study. “I want my students to deeply engage with business issues, practice decision-making, and understand the immediate impact of their decisions, as well as develop skills transferable to any business context like critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.”


Celebrate with your colleagues

Don’t forget to register your attendance for the event today!

The Academic Staff Awards will be held on Monday 18 November from 3pm to 5.30pm in the Graduation Hall (14 Sir Christopher Ondaatje Avenue).

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