The appointment of senior academic staff with a track record in research and teaching is important to Avondale’s strategic development as a higher education institution. Avondale’s strategic plan also envisages increased use of contemporary technologies for learning and teaching.
The 2010 appointment of Dr Maria Northcote to the Faculties of Education and Arts advances both these objectives. Dr Northcote has an impressive research record, including fifty-two publications, thirty-eight of them refereed. She brings particular strength in the development and use of multimedia and online resources for education. In previous academic positions she received the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at Edith Cowan University, and the Postgraduate Students’ Association Teacher of the Year Award at the University of Newcastle.
This semester she is working with lecturers in the Faculties of Arts and Education to develop and teach online units in distance education. An important aspect of her role will be to develop and extend research opportunities at Avondale and in collaboration with other institutions. She is currently researching concepts in professional development and the use of present and emerging technologies in education.
Dr Peter Kilgour joined the Faculty of Education in 2010, bringing senior experience in classroom teaching and education administration. He was previously Executive Director of Seventh-day Adventist education, Greater Sydney. Dr Kilgour is a specialist in mathematics education, has authored several publications in this field, and is keen to produce further research. Carola Parker, seconded from the Seventh-day Adventist school system in 2010, also brings extensive experience in teaching and school administration.
Dr Philip Brown, appointed as Vice President (Learning and Teaching) in 2009, brought to Avondale an extensive background in education administration, curriculum and assessment. He was previously Executive Principal, University of Western Sydney College. Dr Richard Ferret joined the Faculty of Theology in 2009 with a background in nursing and ministry. He is the author of a scholarly book entitled Charisma and routinisation in a millennialist community: Seventh-day Adventist identity (Edwin Mellen Press, 2008), and is engaged in ongoing research. In 2009 Pr Kayle de Waal joined the Faculty of Theology with broad experience in ministry. He is a New Testament specialist, currently finishing a PhD with the University of Auckland.
Tags: Carola Parker, Faculty of Arts and Theology, Faculty of Education Business and Science, Kayle de Waal, Learning and Teaching, Maria Northcote, Peter Kilgour, Philip Brown, Richard Ferret, School of Education, School of Humanities and Creative Arts, School of Ministry and Theology