Our academic leaders

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Dean: Professor Lisa Adkins, BA (Hons) Sussex, PhD Lancaster

Biography: Professor Adkins is an internationally recognized sociologist whose research is in the areas of economic sociology, social theory, and feminist theory. Her current research programme explores the rise and dynamics of the asset economy, and especially the restructuring of social stratification with the growth of asset-based wealth.

Professor Adkins has previously held posts at Goldsmiths, University of London, the University of Manchester, and the Australian National University.

Read Professor Lisa Adkin’s academic profile.

Faculty of Engineering

Dean: Professor Hesham El Gamal

Biography: An information theorist by training, Professor Hesham El Gamal is widely regarded for his work in wireless communications, among the academic community as well as the entrepreneurial and business sectors, for having led 16 US patents, co-founding a successful start-up and influencing wireless standards.

Professor El Gamal obtained a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Maryland and was a key figure in delivering the global aspirations of Ohio State University as the Chair of the Electrical and Computer (ECE) Department and was the Founding Academic Director of the Institute of CyberSecurity and Digital Trust.

During his tenure as Deputy Dean of the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Engineering, Professor El Gamal helped lead the revitalisation of the Faculty’s academic confirmation process and criteria, launched a new mentorship program and introduced a new process for School External Academic Reviews.

Read Professor Hesham El Gamal's academic profile.

The University of Sydney Law School

Dean and Head of School: Professor Fleur Johns BA LLB Melbourne, LLM SJD Harvard, FASSA

Biography: Fleur is a leading scholar of international law, with a particular focus on international law and technology, law and development, law and diplomacy, and international legal theory. 

Before rejoining Sydney Law School in 2025, Fleur was a Professor in the Faculty of Law & Justice at UNSW Sydney, where she held an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship. Fleur has also held visiting appointments in Europe, the UK, the US and Canada. Fleur currently serves on a range of editorial boards listed below. She was elected a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia in 2020 and served on the Academy’s Executive Board between 2022 and 2024 as International Secretary. She is a graduate of Melbourne University (BA, LLB (Hons I)) and Harvard University (LLM, SJD) and is admitted to the New York Bar, having practised law in New York for several years.

Read Professor Fleur John's academic profile.

Faculty of Medicine and Health

Interim Executive Dean: Professor Nancy Baxter MD MBA PhD FRCSC FACS

Biography: Professor Baxter is a clinical epidemiologist, colorectal surgeon and health services researcher. She has over 400 peer-reviewed articles and her work has had continual research funding for almost 20 years. As a medical leader, Professor Baxter is committed to achieving gender equity in the health profession in her lifetime. She is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Before joining the University of Sydney, she was Head of the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and a Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto.

Read Professor Nancy Baxter's academic profile

Faculty of Science

Dean: Professor Marcel Dinger PhD,  Waikato FRCPA

Biography: Marcel Dinger is Professor of Genome Biology and Dean of Science at the University of Sydney. He has 22 years' experience in genomics as both an academic and entrepreneur.

In addition to his research career, Marcel is co-founder of four start-ups in biotechnology and IT. He is a board director of Pryzm Health, a digital health enterprise focused on optimising patient care by empowering physicians with AI-based clinical decision support technology, and GenieUs, a genomics and machine-learning technology start-up dedicated to finding new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. He is President and Executive Committee Chair of the Australasian Genomics Technologies Association (AGTA), the principal body for the promotion of genomics research and technologies in Australasia.

Marcel served as Head of School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences at UNSW Sydney from 2019 to 2022 and is a former Director of the governance board of National Centre for Indigenous Genomics (NCIG), an ANU-based centre focused on using genomics to improve the health and well-being of Australia's First Peoples, and former Director of Scientia Clinical Research, a world-class clinical trials facility with a focus on early stage clinical research.

Read Professor Marcel Dinger's academic profile.

The University of Sydney Business School

Dean: Professor Leisa Sargent PhD, Toronto GAICD

Biography: With over 30 years of experience, Professor Sargent is a recognised strategic leader who is deeply committed to partnering with the leaders of today to address the urgent need for impact on the critical range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges facing business, from driving productivity through participation, innovation, and entrepreneurship to building healthier, fairer, and more sustainable organisations and industries.

A distinguished scholar in organisational behaviour, Leisa has been published widely in leading journals across the globe and has secured competitive government and industry grants in Australia and overseas.

Leisa previously held concurrent appointments at UNSW, Senior Deputy Dean, Business School and co-DVC Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Read Professor Leisa Sargent's academic profile.

The University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning

Dean: Professor Donald McNeill MA Glasgow MCD Liverpool PhD Cardiff

Biography: Donald is Professor of Urbanism and an internationally recognised leader in scholarship on the design and governance of cities, with an academic career spanning over 25 years in the UK and Australia. 

Appointed to the University of Sydney in early 2020, he served as Associate Dean Research at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning between 2021 and 2024. His teaching specialisms include urban design, urban theory and the history of cities. He has been a Chief Investigator on seven Australian Research Council grants, including a Future Fellowship. He is currently working on ‘The university and the city’ and ‘Indigenising the built environment’ ARC projects.

Donald has previously held academic appointments at Strathclyde, Southampton, King’s College London, and Western Sydney University.

Read Professor Donald McNeill’s academic profile.

Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Head of School and Dean: Professor Anna Reid BMus (Perf) Sydney MA EdAdmin UNE PhD UTS

Biography: An alumna of the University of Sydney, Professor Anna Reid has been a tertiary educator her entire career. She undertakes research in musician identity, creativity theory and practice, cultural heritage and sustainability, and higher education. She is also a cellist and viola da gamba player.

Read Professor Anna Reid’s academic profile.