The 2023 Deans’ Excellence Awards were held on Tuesday, November 14, at the Faculty of Business and Economics. Staff were recognised for excellence in three categories: Teaching, Research, and Diversity and Inclusion.
The winners of the 2023 Deans' Excellence Awards
Each award and commendation was presented by the Co-Deans of the Faculty of Business and Economics, Professors Ian Harper and Paul Kofman.
Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Awards
This award category was established in 2022 to recognise and celebrate individuals and groups who have made exceptional contributions to further the strategic objectives of FBE’s diversity and inclusion agenda.
The awards showcase the Faculty’s commitment to promoting and rewarding diversity and inclusion, reaffirming joint EQUIS and AACSB accreditations, aligning with the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), and building awareness of the importance of advancing diversity and inclusion in practice.
These awards were announced by inaugural Assistant Dean (Diversity and Inclusion) Professor Flora Kuang:
Thought Leadership and Intellectual Contribution Award
This award recognises thought leadership and intellectual contribution including (but not limited to):
- Research to better understand how business education can promote and advance diversity and inclusion;
- Successful applications for major grants, Linkage Projects or equivalent across diversity and inclusion priority areas;
- Research that facilitates and supports thought leadership, dialogue/debate among stakeholders, media, civil society organisations, and/or other interested groups; or
- The development of effective research and/or strategies for engaging with industry and partners and jointly exploring effective approaches to meeting challenges in diversity and inclusion practices.
Awardee: Dr Karinna Saxby (Melbourne Institute) for her research project ‘Keeping Medicare fair: Using administrative data to understand drivers of healthcare inequity in Australia’.
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion Award
This award recognises the promotion of diversity and inclusion including (but not limited to):
- Initiatives aimed at advancing diversity and inclusion internally or externally within communities for priority underserved groups;
- Development and implementation of policies and procedures that promote diversity and inclusion internally or externally;
- The implementation and/or support for events, programs, initiatives, policies, interventions, or alike, aiming to raise awareness and capability relating to diversity and inclusion; or
- Demonstration of exceptional leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion.
Awardees: Associate Professor Samuelson Appau and Precious Rametsana (MBSL) for their contributions to the Blue Nile African Australian Business Masterclass Program.
2023 Deans’ Research Awards
The Deans’ Awards recognise and reward excellence in research, research engagement and partnerships, research in business education, research training and lifetime exceptional distinction in research activities in FBE and MBS.
This was Associate Professor Michal Carrington’s first time presenting the awards in her capacity as Associate Dean (Research).
Prize for Exceptional Distinction in Research for Research Excellence at Level D-E
This award acknowledges research excellence by a researcher who published in a top-tier discipline journal in 2022 and showed exceptional distinction in research over two years or more.
Awardee: Professor Simon Loertscher (Economics)
Prize for Research Engagement and Partnership Award at Level D-E
This award is designed to acknowledge partnership development by a researcher as an outstanding example of research engagement with potential impact outcomes.
Awardee: Associate Professor Han Li (Economics)
Cynthia Hardy Award for Research Impact 2023
This award recognises research activities from Early Career Researchers that have resulted in or will very likely result in exceptional impact.
Awardee: Associate Professor Ekaterina Volkova (Finance)
2023 Deans’ Teaching Excellence Awards
The awards allow us to celebrate the achievements of our academics in the classroom where they seek to maximise the learning outcomes of our students and engage them in a fully immersive learning experience. These experiences allow us to keep placing students at the heart of what we do – a cornerstone of the Advancing Melbourne strategy.
Teaching awards have long been used to foster an environment of teaching excellence in FBE. This year’s award recipients have shown resilience, fortitude, adaptability and innovation in their teaching. All of them have led student-centred teaching approaches in what continues to be an environment in considerable flux.
Associate Dean (Teaching & Learning) Professor Peter Gahan presented awards and commendations to the following academics:
Carol Johnston Teaching Excellence Award
This award recognises and rewards the valuable contribution of teachers to promote excellent learning opportunities for students in the faculty.
Awardee: Associate Professor Michael Coelli (Economics)
Commendations: Associate Professor Andrew Yu (Management & Marketing), Wayne Coetzee (Accounting)
Ross Williams Career Achievement in Teaching Award
This award recognises and rewards the valuable career contributions of teachers in business and economics. The award recognises inspiring teachers who have motivated students to excel and have promoted excellent learning opportunities for our students in the faculty over a prolonged period. It is presented by Emeritus Professor Ross Williams.
Awardee: Dr Lawrence Uren (Economics)
Excellence in Teaching Award (Team Category)
This award recognises and rewards teaching excellence related to work that has taken place among a teaching team within a subject or at a course level.
Awardees: Emma Power and Professor Michelle Brown (Management and Marketing)
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (Level A/B Category)
This award recognises and rewards individual teaching excellence for an academic staff member holding a Level A or B appointment.
Awardee: Dr Ai Ming Chow (Management and Marketing)
Commendation: Dr Simon Anthony Tarantelli (Management and Marketing)
Dean’s Excellence in Tutoring Award
This award recognises and rewards the valuable contribution of tutors to promoting excellent learning opportunities for our students in the Faculty.
Awardee: Helena (Hai Ling) Luo (Economics)
Commendation: Martin Foon (Management and Marketing)
Student-nominated Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award
Each year, the Commerce Students Society (CSS) organise a student-nominated teaching award to recognise teacher excellence. The students gather data based on a survey tool whereby they nominate lecturers and rate them across five criteria. It is presented by CSS members.
Awardee: Associate Professor Joshua B. Miller (Economics)