Tim Ayres, comrade minister for Industry, Science and Research has an extra task – administering the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. “This appointment reflects Minister Ayres’ role contributing to oversight of the Office of Artificial Intelligence,” PM Albanese says.
Amin Beheshti starts as Head of the School of Computing at Macquarie U. It is an internal appointment.
Matt Cousins will leave ANU to become Faculty ED at Uni New South Wales, Canberra in the new year.
The Deans and Directors of Creative Arts 2026 Awards go to; Lisa Bennett – Flinders U (Innovation). Jennifer Deger – Charles Darwin U (Distinguished Creative Researcher). Lee Harrop (Breakthrough Creative Researcher). Hannah Foley– Uni Tasmania (Creative Arts Doctoral Student). Helen Marshall – Uni Queensland (Innovation). David Moore (Flinders U) – Creative Teaching. Blayne Welsh – Monash U (First Nations Creative Leadership). Kim Wikins – Uni Queensland (Innovation).
Sarah Flaim is now Director, Office of Research at Griffith U, moving from COO at the National Imaging Facility.
Amy Gledden will start as Monash U’s Deputy COO, January 4. She will move from ED Student Recruitment and Admissions at the university.
Knowledge Commercialisation Australia announces three new board members, Anna Grocholsky (Charles Sturt U), Stephen Lam (Harvard Law School), Natalia Alvarez (La Trobe U).
Claire Macken becomes PVC and President of Monash U, Indonesia. She moves from Minerva U in San Francisco, prior to which she PVC for RMIT in Vietnam.
Judith Reinhard is the new CEO of Cooperative Research Australia. She joins from miner Fortescue.
Jill Mayne Rogers (QUT) is the Australian Library and Information Association’s Queensland Library Achiever of the Year.
Aleicia Shekhar starts as Strategic Advisor, International Admissions Transformation at Uni Canberra. She was previously at the former Uni South Australia.
Lucinda Staley becomes head of Plant Industries Research at AgriFutures Australia, it is an internal appointment.
Gabriel Stefanus is now UNSW’s Future Students Manager for Indonesia. He moves from Education Centre of Australia.