UQ Ally Action Committee

The UQ Ally Action Committee drives greater inclusion and diversity of sex, genders and sexualities at UQ and the community it serves.

We will:

• facilitate consultation with the UQ community to ensure progress on inclusion and diversity of sex, genders and sexualities
• devise and drive actions in the LGBTQIA+ Action Plan
• provide leadership to the UQ Ally Network by encouraging engagement with events, programs and other initiatives pertinent to the UQ Ally Network
• provide advice to the Gender Steering Committee (GSC) as part of the UQ SAGE Athena SWAN program, and other formal committees as requested
• provide reports to the relevant governance structures on matters pertinent to gender, sex, and sexuality inclusion at UQ
• contribute to the UQ Australian Workplace Equality Index application process.

Resources

• UQ Ally Action Committee terms of reference (PDF, 157.9 KB)
• LGBTQIA+ Action Plan 2024-2025 (PDF, 261.4 KB)
• UQ Ally Action Plan Annual Report 2024 (PDF, 309.8 KB)
• UQ Ally Action Plan Annual Report 2023 (PDF, 426.7 KB)
• UQ Ally Action Plan Annual Report 2022 (PDF, 1.7 MB)
• UQ Ally Action Plan Annual Report 2020 (PDF, 2.2 MB)
• UQ Ally Action Plan Annual Report 2019 (PDF, 1.6 MB)

Ally Executive Champions

Professor Heather Zwicker, Executive Dean (Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences) and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Campus Culture & Leadership)

Professor Heather Zwicker is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Science (HASS). As Executive Dean, Heather is responsible for the academic and administrative leadership of the Faculty of HaSS, ensuring that its Schools, Centres, and Institutes contribute effectively to the University’s goals in learning, research, and engagement. Heather completed her Undergraduate degree with Honours in English at the University of Alberta in 1988, and her PhD in 1993 from Stanford University.

Professor Heather Zwicker joined UQ’s Ally Network as an Executive Champion in 2020. Heather is proud to acknowledge the University’s commitment to LGBTQIA+ staff and students. As Ally Executive Champion, Heather is looking forward to being able to give back to the queer community and she intends to focus on the expression of diverse gender and sexual identities.

Being an Ally Executive Champion allows Heather to help other people “live with more joy and less heartbreak”. Heather would like to see UQ approach LBGTQIA+ issues in an intersectional way – so that while we are creating a supportive environment for people of gender and sexual diversity, we are also addressing other forms of discrimination within our communities. According to Heather “it’s about learning from one another – which is what a University is all about.”

Dr Dino Willox (Director, Student Enrichment and Success)

Dr Dino Willox is Director, Student Employability, and a Senate Member, at The University of Queensland and a Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE. They are responsible for developing and coordinating the strategic direction, framework, and services that assist students to become game-changing graduates. Working in partnership with internal and external stakeholders, Dino’s work spans professional, academic, curricular, and extracurricular spaces, taking a multidimensional strategic approach to embedding employability. 

Dino is an Ally Executive Champion and works with colleagues and the UQ Ally Action Committee to ensure that diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality are recognised as vital for creativity and innovation and is a former Board Member and Secretary of the Brisbane based LGBTIQ Legal Service.

Dino’s pronouns are they / them.

Jennifer Karlson (Vice-President, Advancement and Community Engagement)

As Vice-President, Advancement and Community Engagement (ACE), Jen is responsible for UQ’s social impact focused portfolio. This includes oversight of The Queensland Commitment Program, global alumni engagement, community engagement and events, philanthropic partnerships, and relationship management systems and services.  As a member of the Vice-Chancellor’s senior leadership group, she is the principal advisor to the Vice-Chancellor on Advancement and Community Engagement Strategy and holds a deep commitment to supporting, celebrating, and enabling strong external partnerships throughout our university and our sector.

Jen is proud and deeply humbled to serve as an Ally Executive Champion and looks forward to building upon the important work that has been led out of UQ.  Her goal is to play an active role as a champion of efforts and practices that promote an inclusive, safe, and respectful environment for the LGBTQIA+ community. She believes that universities play a critical role in this ambition and a have a unique opportunity to continually learn from our diverse student learners, emerging leaders, alumni, researchers, and the broader UQ community.

Ally Action Committee Membership