Macquarie’s commitment to student learning and teaching excellence has been recognised, with four individuals and one team of educators being named winners at the 2021 Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT).

All five awards were in the same category, Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, which recognises contributions to the quality of student learning in a specific area of responsibility over a sustained period.

The Awards were established in 1997 by the Australian Government to celebrate and reward excellence in university teaching. Since then, these annual Awards have become a valued form of recognition for university educators Australia-wide, and acknowledge the impact educators have on the learning and teaching experiences and outcomes of university students.

Macquarie has been increasingly successful in the Citation category, from one successful application in 2018 to five successful applications in 2021. This growing success is a reflection of the Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Awards program with all five of this year’s winners having been Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Award winners in 2020.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Awards program underwent significant transformation in 2019 and has been evaluated and revised each year. Workshops, mentoring and alignment of our Macquarie learning and teaching awards to the AAUT awards are just some of the innovations that have been implemented since 2019.

“I am so thrilled that we are able to support our excellent teachers to showcase their contributions to student learning and that they are being recognised for their efforts at an elite national level,” says Professor Dominique Parrish, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning & Teaching

Our warmest congratulations to these outstanding educators:

Trish Behan, Macquarie University College

For sustained commitment to leading impactful and collaborative mental health initiatives to support staff and enhance student experience. 

Zara Bending, Macquarie Law School, Faculty of Arts

For inspiring the next generation of legal scholars, advocates, and changemakers through holistic mentorship and transformative learning design. 

Associate Professor Kevin Brooks, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences

For sustained excellence in teaching the psychology of perception through innovative research enhanced learning and teaching approaches that support, engage, and motivate diverse student groups.

Dr Rimante Ronto, Department of Health Systems & Population, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences
Category: Early Career

For excellence in inspiring, motivating and engaging public health students in transformative, innovative, and real-word learning.

Team of: Dr Morwenna Kirwan, Professor Catherine Dean, Associate Professor Verity Pacey, Dr Kelly Gray and Alexandra Bhatti, Department of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences

A collaborative and innovative approach to curriculum development that delivers connected, flexible and immersive digitally enhanced earning experiences to support and engage medical and health science students.