5 professors honoured for inaugural leadership award

The inaugural Payne-Scott Professorial Distinctions are a key component of the University's 2016-20 Strategic Plan and Culture strategy. The purpose of the Payne-Scott Professorial Distinctions is to celebrate outstanding leadership and mentorship at the University and to acknowledge leaders who truly live the University's values.

The 2017 cohort were nominated by their colleagues in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the University community. A core element of the University’s ethos is sustaining, developing and recognising good leadership. Such leadership qualities are evident through their mentoring of emerging academics and postgraduate students, their collaborative leadership and their exemplary teaching and supervision.

The Payne-Scott Professors have demonstrated their unwavering dedication to the University’s values, playing an active role in developing strategic initiatives and an ongoing commitment to the University’s core values. They are all outstanding in their respective fields. Not only is their work recognised globally, but they have played a major role in community engagement and public debate, as well as contributing to educational reform and innovation.

The Payne-Scott Professors will be engaged in activities throughout the year designed to further the impact of the cultural strategy. These activities will be communicated throughout the lifetime of the Award.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr Michael Spence noted that the awardees come from diverse fields, including environmental politics, computer science, mathematics, biomedical sciences and infectious diseases. 

"They may represent a broad range of academic disciplines, but they have something special in common: over a significant period of time, each of our awardees has demonstrated academic leadership that is imbued with teaching and research excellence and reflective of our University’s values," said the Vice-Chancellor.   

"Each recipient epitomises what makes our University such a remarkable institution, and what lies at the heart of our vision to be a place that enables all our people to thrive and realise their full potential." 

A significant number of nominations were received and, after careful consideration by the selection committee, five awardees were chosen.

Sincerest congratulations to the following scholars

Professor Nalini Joshi 

Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate
Fellow and Chair of Applied Mathematics
Faculty of Science

“Nalini has put mathematics on the map. Her success in all these wonderful initiatives and in presenting them to a wider public is grounded in her relentless e ort and passionate belief in the discipline, her very strong sense of quality and in the air of authority she embodies as an internationally very well respected and well‐known researcher.” - Professor Jacqui Ramagge, Chair of Mathematics, Faculty of Science 

Professor Judith Kay 

Professor of Computer Science
Chair of the Human-centred technology cluster
Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies

“Judy has been a leader and mentor in the School of Information Technology for multiple generations of students and academics, including me. She has shaped the way I think about, and value, all dimensions of academic life and service.” - Associate Professor James Curran, ARC Australian Research Fellow, Research Leader in Language Technology at the Capital Markets Cooperative Research Centre. 

Professor Philip Poronnik

Professor of Biomedical Sciences (Educational Strategy)
Sydney Medical School

“Phil has made a substantial impact on the University as a champion and leader of multidisciplinary research and education.” - Professor Stephen Simpson, Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre 

Professor David Schlosberg

Professor of Environmental Politics
Co-Director of the Sydney Environment Institute
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

“An intellectual leader in his eld, David is nonetheless always willing to respect and consider the views of colleagues. He is above all inclusive, and practises the principles of social justice that he tackles in his research.” - Dr Alana Mann, Media and Communications Chair. 

Professor Tania Sorrell

Professor of Clinical Infectious Diseases
Head of Westmead Clinical School
Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity

“Tania is one of those rare inclusive leaders who not only actively seeks out broad representation but genuinely listens and welcomes contribution from those present.” - Professor Donna Waters, Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.