
2020 Excellence Awards
The Melbourne Graduate School of Education celebrated the success of our graduate students and the many achievements of our alumni and staff with the 2020 Excellence Awards.
Nominations from MGSE staff opened on 26 March and closed on 4 May 2020. The judging panel of MGSE Senior staff determined the winner of each category, which were announced in June 2020.
Social distancing restrictions were in place at the time due of the COVID-19 pandemic, so instead of attending the annual MGSE Awards ceremony, this year’s recipients received an Awards Pack in the mail.

Awards list
MGSE Staff Excellence Awards
MGSE Engagement Excellence Award – Associate Professor Suzanne Rice with Dr Jeana Kriewaldt and team (Ms Narelle English, Dr Ryan Dunn, Mr Matthew Harrison, Professor Lorraine Graham, Dr Jane Strickland, Mr Emlyn Cruickshank, Mr David Camilleri, Ms Sharon Klieve, Dr Gosia Klatt, Ms Catherine Reid, Associate Professor Neryl Jeanneret, Ms Sue Crebbin, Ms Georgia Dawson, Mr Luke Rowe, Dr Sean Kang and Ms Tess Murnane)
MGSE Engagement Excellence Award – Professor Lorraine Graham and team (Dr Lisa McKay-Brown, Professor Janet Clinton and Mr Kailesh Gunesh)
MGSE Professional Staff Excellence Award: Outstanding Service and Client Focus – Jeni Rasche
MGSE Professional Staff Excellence Awards – Dr Yvette Slaughter and team (Dr Edith Nichols, Associate Professor Caroline Cohrssen, Professor Joe Lo Bianco, Associate Professor Russell Cross and Mr Kailesh Gunesh)
MGSE Professional Staff Excellence Awards – Jenny Lowe
MGSE Professional Staff Excellence Awards – Pian Zhang
MGSE Teaching Excellence Awards – Dr Kathryn Coleman
MGSE Teaching Excellence Awards – Dr Lisa McKay-Brown and team (Professor Lorraine Graham, Dr Matthew Harrison, Ms Siobhan Merlo, Ms Anthea Naylor, Dr John Quach, Ms Sharon Klieve, Ms Kate Leigh, Ms Lois Grant)
MGSE Teaching Excellence Awards – Dr Aaron Jarden and team (Professor Lindsay Oades, Professor Dianne Vella-Brodrick, Professor Lea Waters, Associate Professor Peggy Kern, Dr Gavin Slemp and Dr Paige Williams)
MGSE Staff Research Awards
MGSE Early-Career Research Excellence Award – Dr Babak Dadvand
MGSE Mid-Career Research Excellence Award – Dr Zhonghua Zhang
MGSE Mid-Career Research Excellence Award – Dr Jenny Chesters
MGSE Research Leadership Excellence Award – Professor John Polesel
MGSE Research Mentor Excellence Award – Professor Emeritus Lesley Farrell
MGSE Research Partnership Excellence Award – Enterprise Professor Sandra Milligan and team (Dr Rebekah Luo and Megan Collins)
MGSE Research Supervision Excellence Award – Associate Professor Shelley Gillis
MGSE Special Academic Service Award – Professor Helen Cahill
MGSE Alumni Awards
Distinguished Career Alumni Award – Professor Helen Cahill
Early Career Alumni Award – Samantha Dodras
Early Career Alumni Award – Lucienne Heyworth
International Alumni Award – Dr Adelina Asmawi