Dear staff,
As we come to the end of our first week of semester, I wanted to share with you some executive changes that will occur throughout 2024, as well as the name of our new health faculty.
Professor Aidan Byrne, Provost
After a distinguished career of almost 40 years, Professor Aidan Byrne will retire as Provost in early October 2024. During his 8 years at UQ, Aidan has successfully led the University’s largest portfolio of facilities and major research institutes. Under his leadership, these areas have continued to grow and evolve their world-leading teaching and research capabilities.
In this time, Aidan has also overseen the successful negotiation of two enterprise agreements and the implementation of a broad range of strategic initiatives, including the establishment of the annual enterprise-wide planning and budget process, the Plant Growth Facility, and the mechanism for staff disclosures and management of interests. He has also represented UQ on a number of external boards, including as a long-standing member of the Board of Translational Research Institute (TRI).
On a personal note, Aidan has been a trusted and a highly valued sounding board for colleagues across the University on a range of matters.
Professor Geoff McColl, Executive Dean, Faculty of Medicine
At the end of 2024, we will also farewell Professor Geoff McColl, who will be returning to Melbourne to be closer to family. Since taking on the role of Executive Dean in 2018, Geoff has overseen a substantial revision of the faculty’s governance, which included the re-establishment of the Medical School.
He has facilitated reviews of the Bachelor of Biomedicine, Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health programs, and implemented the Rural Medical Pathway, an innovative end-to-end training pathway for regional, rural and remote doctors.
Geoff has also led the establishment of the Health Research Accelerator (HeRA) program, which focuses on building significant interdisciplinary capability to address the major health challenges of our time, and has created a rich network of partnerships in the health and tertiary sectors, which will serve UQ well into the future.
Professor Doune Macdonald, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching & Learning)
Professor Doune Macdonald will take some well-deserved long service leave from mid-year prior to the end of her contract in early 2025. Those of you who have worked with Doune know her commitment to teaching innovation and her leadership in improving student learning outcomes borne out of her time as the inaugural Director of the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation, establishing its strength in online and professional learning.
She was instrumental in creating and implementing the UQ Student Strategy from 2016 to 2021, has overseen policy revisions such as students’ English Language Support and Graduate Attributes, co-led the revised staff Annual Performance and Development policy and processes, and played a key role in UQ’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doune has also curated significant partnerships with both the Queensland schooling sector and UQ’s industry partners.
I would like to personally acknowledge Aidan, Geoff and Doune for their enormous contributions to UQ and our community. Please join me in congratulating them on their outstanding achievements and thanking them for their dedication to UQ and the broader sector.
As their respective departures draw nearer, we will show our appreciation for their extensive individual contributions with appropriate farewells.
New health faculty named
I am pleased to confirm that Senate last night approved the establishment of the new faculty, to be known as the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, from 2025.
Since late last year, the New Faculty Steering Committee (NFSC), chaired by the Deputy Provost, Professor Pauline Ford, has been meeting regularly to develop a vision and implementation plan for the new faculty.
The priorities were to agree on the name of the new faculty and to respond to staff feedback that the new faculty name include all key disciplines that will be represented in the new faculty.
Informed by the feedback gathered during the consultation phase, the NFSC will continue to progress the establishment of the new faculty throughout the year including a proposed governance structure and an implementation plan ready for a ‘go live’ in January 2025. This work will be undertaken in consultation with faculty leaders and staff.
We will shortly commence the recruitment process for a new Provost, as well as an Executive Dean, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching & Learning).
We will continue to update staff on the establishment of the new faculty and executive appointments.
With best wishes
Debbie
