2012 recipients
Awards for Exceptional Performance by General Staff
Central Clinical School Student Support and Procedural Skills Team
Ms Duriye Varol (Team Leader), Ms Voula Klansek, Ms Sandy Haydon, Ms Susan McKenzie
The Student Support and Procedural Skills Team has implemented a number of innovative programs and processes that have greatly enhanced the quality of teaching and learning and the medical student experience at the Central Clinical School. The successful implementation and evaluation of these programs would not have been possible without these skilled and dedicated administrative and procedural skills staff.
Nepean Clinical School Education Team
Mr Birendrah Singh (Team Leader), Ms Tegan Bellamy, Ms Narelle Brown, Ms Sarah Whereat
The Team has taken the provision of medical education at the Nepean Clinical School to a new level. Team members have created a high quality environment for both students and teachers through innovative use of technology and the implementation of initiatives that have greatly enhanced the delivery of the teaching. Each member of the team has, or is pursuing, a higher degree in education, providing them with both insight into the pressures faced by students and the ability to provide effective support for teachers.
Northern Clinical School Administration Team
Ms Claire Bridgman (Team Leader), Ms Gina Dolphin, Ms Sophie Cher, Ms Kelly Bird, Ms Trudy Henson, Mrs Kay Worrell, Miss Kate Drabsch, Mrs Clare Barwick, Mrs Karyn Mossman, Ms Sue Barr, Ms Tracey Bayliss, Dr Farnaz Sanaei
The Northern Clinical School Education Team provides outstanding support to both staff and students as evidenced by feedback from tutors, volunteer pretend patients and students for the past three years. The Team continually strives to improve the student and staff experience and has implemented and evaluated numerous initiatives with this goal in mind. The team has created an environment in which both students and staff feel valued and supported.
Ms Jane Carpenter, Manager, Australian Breast Cancer Tissue Bank (ABCTB) Westmead Clinical School
The Australian Breast Cancer Tissue Bank was established through the award of an NHMRC Enabling Grant in 2004. Jane was recruited to manage the establishment of the resource and since 2005 has overseen the development of the bank from nothing to a major resource. The ABCTB is now a fully operational entity that is providing material to researchers nationally and internationally. Jane’s task was to be innovative in her approach operating in a lean environment where human and other resources were limited. Her exceptional skills and her commitment have been instrumental in the positioning of the ABCTB as the only large scale breast cancer biobank in Australia and one of very few internationally.
Ms Diane Hanlon, Children’s Hospital at Westmead Clinical School
Diane has held key positions within the Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health (DPCH) for 26 years. She is currently Office Manager as well as Personal Assistant to Professors Louise Baur and Cheryl Jones. She has consistently performed at an exceptional level throughout her employment with DPCH and beyond the requirements of her job description.
Her contribution to the Discipline and the medical program at large is exemplary in all areas, including student and clinician interface, coordination and timetabling of structured teaching in the Discipline and innovative use of technology.
Ms Pieta Joy, Manager of the Assessment and Evaluation Unit, Office of Medical Education (OME)
Pieta has worked in the OME since its inception in 2007 and was appointed Manager of the Assessment and Evaluation Unit. She has been instrumental in drafting and implementing new policies and procedures as required by changes to the assessment and evaluation programs following the 2007 Review of the medical program. Pieta is pivotal to the operations of the OME, and her dedication and commitment have proactively assisted the Clinical Schools in meeting the requirements of the new assessment procedures. Pieta’s role also requires her to communicate changes in the assessment program to the student body and to communicate with individual students about the results of their assessment. She has shown outstanding communication skills in dealing with the individual needs of students and has always made herself available to deal with student concerns about changes to the assessment program.
Mr Des Richardson, Pharmacology Laboratory Manager, School of Medical Sciences
Des Richardson joined the Department of Pharmacology in 1971 as a laboratory assistant and later as laboratory manager providing technical support of undergraduate practical classes. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments were needed for this purpose, requiring Des to use his diverse range of skills including dissection, calculations for solution making, maintenance of equipment and overall organisation and management of the running of practical classes. During the 1980s and 1990s analytical techniques such as gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were introduced and wet laboratories for science students were increasingly being replaced with computer-assisted learning programs. This and the ever increasing number of undergraduate students resulted in the replication of practical classes and a complex timetable management system. Des showed immense initiative in implementing these changes. His technical skills, positive attitude, generous support of staff and students and his total commitment to ensuring that undergraduate practical laboratories generate valid data has provided an outstanding and rewarding environment for undergraduate laboratory learning and teaching and for postgraduate research.
Ms Kim Russell-Cooper, General Manager, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre
Kim is responsible for managing the general strategic administration of the CTC with the focus on leading initiatives which facilitate the conduct of new research, education and collaborations. During the six years she has been in this role, she has implemented improvements in service provision for research within the University and beyond, streamlining review and administrative processes and saving costs. She has led many initiatives related to the CTC’s research, its collaborations and education program. She has created a positive working environment for CTC staff and has also made an outstanding contribution to the financial management of the CTC’s activities, introducing a suite of reports to improve management of projects and identification of efficiencies and cost savings.
Ms Heidi Mair, Curriculum Services Manager for the Master’s Program in HIV, STIs and Sexual Health, Westmead Clinical School
Ms Mair was initially appointed as an administrative assistant in January 2007, but she rapidly demonstrated high levels f commitment and enthusiasm and was promoted to her current position in August 2007. Since that time she has been responsible for numerous innovations resulting in major improvements to the provision of services to both students and staff. She makes an outstanding contribution to Sydney Medical School’s education and research goals through highly proactive, efficient and sustainable work practices. She is an extremely dedicated and effective administrator and has made exemplary contributions to the specialty of Sexual Health Medicine.
Ms Vicki Williams, Learning Support Officer, Sydney School of Public Health
Vickie has particular responsibility for e-learning in the School. With her exceptional technical expertise and exemplary organisational and interpersonal skills, she has made an outstanding contribution to the rapid development and expansion of flexible delivery for the School’s coursework programs. Vicki has demonstrated great sensitivity to the needs of the School, working proactively to ensure they are met, and an extraordinary capacity to provide high-level technical support and troubleshooting for students and staff alike.