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Newly appointed Diversity Champions call on the UNSW Sydney community to join their networks

Published on the 07 Jun 2021

A record 18 new Diversity Champions have been appointed to further advance initiatives to ensure UNSW is a diverse and inclusive community.

The Division of Equity Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) is pleased to announce the new cohort of UNSW Diversity Champions, who have been appointed for a two-year term from May 2021 to May 2023 to drive change across the University in their respective diversity areas.

Cultural Diversity Champions

  • Dr Rohitash Chandra | Senior Lecturer, School of Mathematics & Statistics
  • A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng | Associate Professor, School of Population Health
  • Roselle Nunes | Front Office Supervisor, Kingsford Legal Centre
  • Tuhina Pandey | Senior Engagement Officer, Pro Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience Portfolio

Disability Champions

  • Bani Aadam | PhD Candidate and Tutor, School of Social Sciences
  • Dr Veronica Jiang | Lecturer, School of Marketing
  • Roshana Sultan | Program Manager, Kirby Institute
  • Isabelle Vertucci | Peer Connections Officer (Equity), Pro Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience Portfolio

Gender Equity Champions

  • Dr Andy Kaladelfos | Senior Lecturer, School of Law, Society & Criminology
  • Dr Negin Nazarian | Scientia Lecturer, School of Built Environment
  • Professor Timothy O’Leary | Head of the School of Humanities & Languages
  • A/Prof Susana Vaz Nery | Associate Professor, Kirby Institute

LGBTIQ+ Champions

  • Sophia German | PhD Candidate and Research Assistant, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences
  • Professor Lucas Lixinski | Professor, Faculty of Law & Justice
  • Dr Éidín Ní Shé | Senior Lecturer, School of Population Health
  • Christopher Pearce | Lecturer, Faculty of Law & Justice

Parents and Families Champions

  • Mei Lee | Student Services Manager, Student Hub
  • A/Prof Keith Ooi | Associate Professor, School of Women’s & Children’s Health

“We were very pleased with the depth and breadth of experience of all the candidates for this new term. As a result, the selection panel decided to make more appointments across the portfolios than first envisaged. This includes the newly created ‘Parents and Families’ portfolio, for which we hope to appoint more Champions as time unfolds,” said Kate Wilson, Director, University Diversity & Inclusion.

“Through these portfolios we are creating a strong leadership team across these equity areas for the University, building upon the rich work done by previous Diversity Champions. Each portfolio group of Champions will work closely with EDI and build an online network of students and staff.”

Join the Diversity Champions’ Networks

UNSW students and staff are invited to join any of these Teams channels to connect with colleagues from diverse communities, share knowledge and work together on collaborative projects.

For further information, contact the University Diversity & Inclusion Team: DITeam@unsw.edu.au