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Five USC academics win national awards
The University of the Sunshine Coast’s strong reputation for quality teaching was further boosted today with five academics gaining prestigious Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) citations for 2011.
The national awards, worth $10,000 each, recognise the academics’ dedication to student learning in Business, Education, Nutrition and Dietetics, Social Work and for preparing young mothers for tertiary study.
USC’s recipients are Senior Lecturer in Accounting Dr Peter Baxter, Senior Lecturer in Social Work Dr Christine Morley, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics Dr Fiona Pelly, Lecturer in Education Kylie Readman, and Tertiary Preparation Pathway course coordinator Emma Kill.
They were among 185 individuals 
and 25 teams nationally to win Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, announced today by ALTC Chief Executive Officer Dr Carol Nicoll.
The citations will be presented at the 2011 Australian Awards for University Teaching ceremony at the Sydney Opera House on 16 August.
University of the Sunshine Coast’s Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Birgit Lohmann congratulated the five academics on their success in the highly competitive national scheme.
“These awards demonstrate once again the passion, commitment and professionalism of University of the Sunshine Coast staff,” Professor Lohmann said.
USC staff members have received 17 ALTC awards in the past three years. The individual citations for the 2011 award recipients are:
Dr Peter Baxter – for sustained commitment to creating opportunities for students to become successful accounting professionals, driven by a passion for teaching and the discipline of accounting.
Emma Kill – for “making a future”: pioneering innovative programs that enable young mothers and underrepresented equity groups to re-engage with and achieve a tertiary education.
Dr Christine Morley – for inspiring Social Work students to engage in critical reflection as an integral part of transformative learning and effective action for social justice.
Dr Fiona Pelly – for sustained leadership in the creation of professionally relevant and research-informed Nutrition and Dietetics curricula.
Kylie Readman – for developing and leading a collaborative, transdisciplinary assessment makeover” process: mentoring colleagues to improve assessment and enhancing students' learning experiences.
— Terry Walsh