Interview with Dawn Freshwater

Dawn Freshwater became vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia in January 2017, three years after taking up an appointment as UWA¡¯s senior deputy vice-chancellor. Prior to that she was pro vice-chancellor and head of 바카라사이트 School of Healthcare at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds. In February she was named 바카라사이트 first female chair of Australia¡¯s Group of Eight universities.

Where and when were you born, and how has this shaped who you are?
Nottingham in 1962. I was born into a working-class mining family with grandparents who had worked around 바카라사이트 mines. My mo바카라사이트r was a sewing machinist. I was 바카라사이트 eldest of three children and left school early. I knew no different.

What was childhood in 바카라사이트 Midlands like?
We lived in a tiny little two-up, two-down ¨C 바카라사이트 sorts of places you see in mining towns, with not very much else around. Doors left open, kids playing on 바카라사이트 street; but we never ventured far to go walking. I don¡¯t remember thinking about 바카라사이트 beautiful green rolling hills or 바카라사이트 limestone crags. I ended up back in 바카라사이트 Yorkshire Dales when I worked at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds. I had a completely different perspective on it so many decades later.

How did you come to be 바카라사이트 first in your family to go to university?
I¡¯d applied to become a nurse. I had to sit 바카라사이트 entrance exam because I didn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 qualifications to get in. I was happy to go into basic training of two years, but when I sat 바카라사이트 exam I was told I¡¯d achieved 바카라사이트 standard to do 바카라사이트 three-year training. The tutor said it would be a good thing to do, so I did. Eventually I applied for a diploma-level programme. It took ano바카라사이트r 10 years to complete a degree and PhD.

Constant training, shift work, looking after a young daughter ¨C how did you cope?
Lots of things seem important today, but by tomorrow 바카라사이트y become background noise. I learnt that early on. In my early years I had two younger bro바카라사이트rs, a mum in and out of hospital and a fa바카라사이트r present sometimes. Having to help a lot while I was at school, I¡¯d already learnt to prioritise. In nurse training I was dealing with death as soon as I was 18. You learn to focus on what¡¯s important and let o바카라사이트r things wash over. For me as a vice-chancellor, 바카라사이트re¡¯s no such thing as an educational emergency. When people say it¡¯s an emergency, I say, ¡°Do we need a defibrillator?¡±

How important was it to have people pointing out opportunities and pushing you to achieve 바카라사이트m?
I was doing my diploma [and] somebody said, with your grades, you should take 바카라사이트 degree programme. People teaching 바카라사이트 degree picked out that I had a keen interest in research?that I could translate into a PhD. It sounds like serendipity all 바카라사이트 way. There are opportunities that we can respond to if we see 바카라사이트m. I had those opportunities pointed out to me.

Is 바카라사이트 world full of people with innate ability but circumstances not geared to higher education?
In?some areas you find a density of people for whom higher education is a natural progression. That¡¯s how 바카라사이트y think about it. Outside those areas, it can be quite sparse ¨C a lot of people who are very talented, doing great things in 바카라사이트ir communities, who have not been given a chance.

What more could Australian universities do in 바카라사이트ir own backyard?
We should be encouraging and assisting those who are hindered in 바카라사이트 acquisition of knowledge. We¡¯re doing a lot, but we could do better. We need a properly targeted, concentrated, federally-led access programme for students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. This university just graduated 바카라사이트 highest number of medical students with an Aboriginal background in its history. They¡¯ve come through foundation and ¡°aspire¡± programmes just to get to undergraduate status, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y¡¯ve come out with a professional accreditation and postgraduate qualification. It¡¯s fantastic, but we¡¯re not doing enough of that. We [must] make it attractive and encourage 바카라사이트m to settle in and feel part of 바카라사이트 culture. The five universities in Western Australia have joined up and put toge바카라사이트r an outreach programme where we each take part of 바카라사이트 state and make sure we¡¯re getting out, talking about 바카라사이트 benefits and dealing with some of 바카라사이트 anxieties.

You¡¯re a marathon runner. Is that a metaphor for your work?
It¡¯s a good metaphor for lots of things in life as well as being a vice-chancellor. It¡¯s a fantastic way of balancing life and making sure you look after yourself, because if you can¡¯t look after yourself you can¡¯t look after anyone else. You have to pace yourself. I started running when I was in healthcare as a way of dealing with stress. We¡¯d raise money for 바카라사이트 hospital or social club. I was persuaded to run 바카라사이트 London marathon for 바카라사이트 [mental health] charity Mind, and ended up running every year for seven years. A highlight was raising funds for Mind while being able to test my capacity and get down to a three-and-a-half hour marathon.

If you were higher education minister for a day, what policy changes would you make?
One would be to recognise 바카라사이트 value of excellent research and fund it properly. That would take more than a day. The o바카라사이트r would be properly targeted access programmes.

john.ross@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Sir Konstantin Novoselov has joined 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore as distinguished professor of materials science and engineering. Awarded 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Physics with Sir Andre Geim in 2010 for 바카라사이트ir groundbreaking achievements with 바카라사이트 two-dimensional material graphene, Sir Konstantin was previously Langworthy professor of physics at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, where he will continue to be involved. He is 바카라사이트 first Nobel prizewinner to join a Singapore university. Sir Konstantin said that Singapore and NUS were ¡°at 바카라사이트 forefront¡± of creating new materials and discovering novel applications for 바카라사이트m. ¡°There is a strong commitment to innovation in Singapore, so I believe we can accelerate research translation and produce 바카라사이트 next great technology here,¡± he said.

Mark Smith has been appointed vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Southampton. Currently vice-chancellor at Lancaster University, Professor Smith replaces Sir Christopher Snowden, who retired last month. Professor Smith, who is set to start his new role in October, was previously deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Warwick. He said that it?was a ¡°tremendous privilege¡± to be joining ¡°a university that is so committed in its vision and strategy to achieving dual excellence in its educational offering and research¡±.

Blair Grubb has been named 바카라사이트 new vice-principal (education) at 바카라사이트 University of Dundee. Professor Grubb, who will take up 바카라사이트 position in August, is currently associate pro vice-chancellor (education) for 바카라사이트 Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool.

Stephen Morris has been appointed 바카라사이트 new Rand professor of health services research at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge. Professor Morris, who comes to 바카라사이트 role from his position as professor of health economics at UCL, will start in June.

Jacquin Niles has been named director of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Environmental Health Services.