Introducing Professor Mary Ryan

A message from the Executive Dean of Education and Arts, Professor Mary Ryan:

I am pleased to join ACU as the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education and Arts. I am passionate about the role higher education plays in shaping a better future, and this is particularly significant for disciplines across education and arts.

I previously served as the Dean of Education at Macquarie University. I am currently President of the NSW Council of Deans of Education (CDE), Chair of the Education Research Council for Australian Independent Schools NSW and sit on the NSW Education Standards Authority Policy Advisory Committee.

On a personal note, I have two adult children, who both live in Brisbane, and my husband Tony and I have lived in Sydney for just over five years. We love to stay active, and, like many others during the pandemic, started baking our own bread and making our own pasta (it’s lucky we are active).

In my first week at ACU I attended two events focused on areas that are very dear to me. First, an online world café organised by our NSW CDE, with secondary students, teachers, school systems staff, and academics, to explore questions about educational research that is responsive to our sector. Second, my research team ran a hybrid social lab with teacher educators on teaching for diversity, with a call for action to transform educational outcomes for all young people.

Just before commencing with ACU, I also had the pleasure of attending the Mass of Installation for ACU's fifth Chancellor, the Honourable Martin Daubney AM, in Brisbane. It was a magnificent event, and I enjoyed being part of the University Procession and meeting members of our university community. Our new Chancellor has an impressive background (and as it happens, we attended the same school in Toowoomba – but not at the same time). I look forward to his leadership into the future.

I do hope to get the opportunity to meet many of you in person as time permits. Please bear with me as I make my way around the country to each campus.