Equity diversity & inclusion

Inclusion of students with disability at UNSW

UNSW Engineering is committed to providing a supportive, equitable and inclusive environment where all staff and students can thrive. The Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee was established to drive this diversity agenda by facilitating, supporting and creating new initiatives, guidelines and activities and reviewing the progress of our equity and diversity goals.

UNSW Engineering EDI Strategy 2023-2027

We are excited and encouraged at the manner with which many within our Faculty, and UNSW more broadly, have already engaged in the development of this strategy and are delighted to present our White Paper: Engineering Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy 2023-2027.

EDI News

The Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Team with Committees

  • Rita Henderson 

    Professor / Deputy Dean Societal Impact & Translation

    Rm 516a, Hilmer Building

    School of Chemical Engineering

    (+61 2) 9385 5383

    r.henderson@unsw.edu.au 

    Tyson Namok

    Program Officer (Indigenous Engagement)

    t.namok@unsw.edu.au

    Bodean Hedwards

    Social Impact Partnerships Lead

    b.hedwards@unsw.edu.au

    Laura Hibbert

    Program Manager (Student Equity)

    laura.hibbert@unsw.edu.au

      • Rita Henderson / Chair (Associate Dean Equity & Diversity, School of Chemical Engineering)
      • Wendy Greenhalgh (Human Resources Business Partner, UNSW Engineering)
      • Abdallah Saffidine (Lecturer and EDI Officer, School of Computer Science and Engineering)
      • Arne Laucht (Scientia Senior Lecturer and EDI Officer, School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications)
      • Asal Bidarmaghz (Lecturer and EDI Officer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
      • Debbie Vadasz (Women in Engineering Manager)
      • Dorna Esrafilzadeh (Senior Lecturer and EDI Officer, School of Biomedical Engineering)
      • Jayashree Arcot (Associate Professor and EDI Officer, School of Chemical Engineering)
      • Kristen Splinter (Senior Lecturer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Representative – Women in Research Network)
      • Mahmood Sadat-Noori (Early Career Academic Network Representative and Lecturer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
      • Seher Ata (Associate Professor and EDI Officer, School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering)
      • Sonya Brown (Senior Lecturer and EDI Officer, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering)
      • Stephen Foster (Acting Dean, UNSW Engineering)
      • Deepak Mishra (ARC DECRA Fellow, Senior Research Associate, School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications)
      • Mahesh Suryawanshi (ARC DECRA Fellow & Lecturer)
      • Kristen Splinter / Chair (Senior Lecturer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Representative – Women in Research Network)
      • Julien Epps (Head of School, School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunication)
      • Nadine Marcus (Associate Professor, School of  Computer Science & Engineering)
      • Deepak Mishra (Faculty Postdoctoral Fellow,School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunication)
      • Xiaoyang Wang (Lecturer, School of Computer Science & Engineering)
      • Sasha Vassar (Lecturer, School of Computer Science & Engineering)
      • Julie Hatzi (Faculty Operations Manager, Engineering Operations)
      • Chasna Harper (TSA Officer, Engineering School Shared Services)
      • Ismet Canbulat (Head of School, School of Minerals and Energy Resources)
      • Rita Henderson / Chair (Associate Dean Equity & Diversity, School of Chemical Engineering)
      • Shiva Abdoli (Lecturer, School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering)
      • Jayashree Arcot (Associate Professor and EDI Officer, School of Chemical Engineering)
      • Andrew Dansie (Senior Lecturer, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering)
      • Rong Deng (Postdoctoral Fellow, School of PV & Renewable Energy)
      • Lucian Hiss (Faculty Executive Director, Engineering Executive)
      • Greg Leslie (Profssor, School of Chemical Engineering)
      • Luca Modenese (Senior Lecturer, Grad School of Biomedical Engineering)
      • Hendra Nurdin (Senior Lecturer, School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunication)
      • Simit Raval (Associate Professor, School of Minerals and Energy Resources)
      • Tommy Wiedmann  (Professor, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering)
      • Raveen De Silva - ( Lecturer (EF), School of Computer Science & Engineering)

EDI Information

If you’re interested in learning more about equity, diversity and inclusion—and contributing to a fair and just society—UNSW has some great training opportunities available to staff and students.

    • LGBTIQ & Ally Training: After completing the LGBQIT+ and Ally training, active allies become trusted, safe, confidential contacts who continue to learn, recommend areas for improvement at UNSW, call out discrimination when it's safe to do so, and encourage LGBTIQ+ voices. 
    • Disability Confident Training: Disability Inclusive Communications gives participants the skills and knowledge to confidently communicate with people with disability, while Disability Confident Managers training assists managers to confidently manage people with disabilities within their teams and facilitate an inclusive and enabling workplace. 
    • SBS Inclusion Program
    • Disability Inclusion Action Plan
    • Disability Resources
  • Carer's Fund  

    The Carer’s Fund is offered to eligible academics in UNSW Engineering whose careers have been, or will be, interrupted through a period of sustained primary carer status for at least 6 months. This includes maternity leave, primary carer leave or other approved leave for the purpose of being the primary carer for reasons including childcare, care of an immediate family member or household member or someone with strong affinity with the employee, and is to supplement any other UNSW Awards and Funding to be held concurrently.

    This award is targeted towards those in a continuing role or on a tenure track or long-term contract ceasing at least 2 years after returning to work.

    The purpose of the Fund is to provide eligible staff with funding to assist in maintaining their academic performance and trajectory which could likely be affected by the interruption.

    Accelerate fund 

    The Accelerate Fund is available to eligible staff in UNSW Engineering whose careers have been, or will be, interrupted through a period of sustained primary carer status for at least 6 months. This includes maternity leave, primary carer leave or other approved leave for the purpose of being the primary carer for reasons including childcare, care of an immediate family member or household member or someone with strong affinity with the employee, and is to supplement any other UNSW Awards and Funding to be held concurrently.

    This Fund is targeted towards those on a fixed-term contract, who are not eligible for the Carer’s Fund because they have less than two years remaining on their contract, when returning from carer’s leave. Eligible staff – academics on a fixed-term contract with less than two years remaining on their contract or professional staff in a research intensive externally funded position.

    The purpose of the Fund is to maintain career momentum and provide eligible staff with funding to assist in maintaining their career trajectory which could likely be affected by the interruption.

    Diversity in Engineering Academic Visitors Funding Scheme

    The Faculty of Engineering Diversity in Engineering Academic Visitors Funding Scheme provides funding to bring women, non-binary and gender diverse academics, and academics from low, lower-middle and upper-middle income countries, to UNSW for a short-term visit. The goals of the scheme are to:

    • Leverage the existing network between UNSW staff and their external contacts; 
    • Encourage recruitment of diverse researchers into the UNSW Faculty of Engineering and/or encourage stronger collaboration between UNSW Engineering and low, lower-middle and upper-middle income countries, to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals; 
    • Create a database of world-class, diverse researchers with ties to UNSW; 
    • Support research undertaken in collaboration with in-country academics from low, lower-middle and upper-middle income countries; 
    • Raise the profile of UNSW as an institution committed to supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion in engineering research.

    Joint Seed Funding Guidelines Engineering Human Rights Research Grant

    The Australian Human Rights Institute and UNSW Engineering have partnered to offer a Joint Seed Funding program to support multidisciplinary engineering-related projects in human rights. 

    The Australian Human Rights Institute (the Institute) was created as part of Strategy 2025 to enhance UNSW’s ability to create a world-class research institute focused on human rights to further the strategic goals of pursuing academic excellence and enhancing our social impact. Its interdisciplinary and evidencebased research informs an understanding of the root causes of human rights and challenges and innovates practical and sustainable solutions to create systemic change. UNSW Engineering supports engineering research that achieves social impact and facilitates interdisciplinary research and educational pedagogy. Its researchers collaborate both internally, across UNSW and with external organisations to build capacity; co-designing innovative translational solutions to grand challenges globally, with a strategic focus in the Pacific region.

    The UNSW Engineering Research Grant provides Seed Funding for engineering-related projects that strengthen human rights research at UNSW. The purpose of the Seed Funding is to establish or advance inclusive and interdisciplinary research between UNSW academic researchers, government, local universities, industry, and community. It is expected that the funded projects will result in an application for external funding and at least one publication. 

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