Vice-Chancellor
Rufus holds degrees in law, politics, economics, ethics, and theology from the University of Melbourne and Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.
During his time at Oxford, Rufus started his teaching career working as a tutor at Keble and Magdalen Colleges. He returned to Australia to undertake a post-doctoral fellowship where he continued deep interdisciplinary interests, publishing in the fields of both ethics and economics.
This led to a career in the consulting world, after which Rufus returned to academia at the University of Melbourne. He co-led the creation of a Master of Entrepreneurship and taught into the program as an Enterprise Professor in the Department of Management and Marketing. He was also a Principal Fellow in the University of Melbourne’s Department of Philosophy and taught as lead faculty for the Centre for Ethical Leadership. During this time he was Master of Melbourne University’s Ormond College.
Rufus’ research and writing have been published widely, including by Oxford University Press and Routledge. Most recently, he has coauthored a book called Ethics at War, which was published by Routledge at the start of 2024.
He has also authored a number of major public reports for the Australian Government, drawing on his expertise in ethics, management, and strategy.
Rufus' work on economic issues and his commercial experience has included being a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he worked on strategy, organisation, and public sector issues in Australia and Asia, being a Board Member of the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia, a Board Member of Innovation Science Australia, and a Director of the national law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth.
Rufus’ educational and social sector experience includes being President of Museums Victoria, the Deputy Chancellor of Victoria University, the founding Chair of the Board of Teach for Australia, a Director of the New York-based Teach for All, a Director of the Cranlana Foundation, and a Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
A collection of speeches, interviews and writing
University Executive Team
The UET's purpose is to make collective decisions on key matters with University-wide impacts, including matters submitted for Council consideration. UET meets weekly. University staff can access more information on the UET (staff intranet).
- Making decisions on emerging strategic and significant operational matters with cross-University impact, including research, teaching and learning matters, emerging issues related to academic functions and student activities, key matters that impact on staff performance and organisational culture, and decision papers for consideration by University Council and its committees.
- Endorsing University strategies, plans, budgets and performance measures, as developed through other University bodies and portfolios, for submission to Council.
- Monitoring KPIs and performance reports for key University strategies, plans and associated targets in order to identify emerging issues and resulting actions that will enable the University to achieve its objectives, and to report on performance to Council.
- Approving operational policies and endorsing policies, Ordinances, Governance Principles etc requiring Council approval
UET is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor or, if absent, the Vice-Chancellor’s nominee. Membership comprises:
Professor Rufus Black is Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Tasmania.
Rufus holds degrees in law, politics, economics, ethics, and theology from the University of Melbourne and Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.
During his time at Oxford, Rufus started his teaching career working as a tutor at Keble and Magdalen Colleges. He returned to Australia to undertake a post-doctoral fellowship where he continued deep interdisciplinary interests, publishing in the fields of both ethics and economics.
This led to a career in the consulting world, after which Rufus returned to academia at the University of Melbourne. He co-led the creation of a Master of Entrepreneurship and taught into the program as an Enterprise Professor in the Department of Management and Marketing. He was also a Principal Fellow in the University of Melbourne’s Department of Philosophy and taught as lead faculty for the Centre for Ethical Leadership. During this time he was Master of Melbourne University’s Ormond College.
Rufus’s research and writing have been published widely, including by Oxford University Press and Routledge. Most recently, he has completed a chapter on the Ethics of War, which will appear in a forthcoming book by Routledge.
He has also authored a number of major public reports for the Australian Government, drawing on his expertise in ethics, management, and strategy.
Rufus's work on economic issues and his commercial experience has included being a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he worked on strategy, organisation, and public sector issues in Australia and Asia, being a Board Member of the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia, a Board Member of Innovation Science Australia, and a Director of the national law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth.
Rufus’s educational and social sector experience includes being President of Museums Victoria, the Deputy Chancellor of Victoria University, the founding Chair of the Board of Teach for Australia, a Director of the New York-based Teach for All, a Director of the Cranlana Foundation, and a Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
Associate Professor Kristyn Harman is currently Chair of Academic Senate. She was, from 2020 to mid-2024, Deputy Chair, an experience that cultivated her deep interest in, and commitment to, university governance. Kristyn finds it fulfilling to collaborate with University of Tasmania colleagues in well-informed academic decision making, and to engage in initiatives designed to enhance the academic experience for students and staff alike.
In addition to Academic Senate, Kristyn chairs Standing Academic Committee, Academic Senate Nominations Committee, University Medals Selection Committee and the University Appeals Panel. Kristyn also serves on various university committees including the University Course of Unit Proposals Committee, University Research Committee, and Student Experience Committee, among others. As Chair of Academic Senate, Kristyn is an ex officio member of University Council and the University Executive Team.
As a social historian, Kristyn retains a fractional appointment in the School of Humanities and has held numerous School leadership roles. She is an award-winning researcher who is currently Lead CI on ARC DP230100267 ‘The Inception of Criminal Deportation in Colonial Australia’ and values the opportunities this is providing to engage in and share Tasmanian-centred research with the world. Kristyn has received several learning and teaching awards, most recently a CALE Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (team teaching award) in 2021 and a Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2019.
Beyond her roles at the University of Tasmania, at a national level, she is a member of the National Editorial Board of the Australian Dictionary of Biography and chairs the ADB Tasmanian Working Party. She has served on the executive committee of the Australian Historical Association. Locally, she chairs the Cascades Female Factory Historical Site Community Advisory Committee, is a committee member of the Convict Women's Press and a Fellow at Jane Franklin Hall.
Professor Ian Anderson is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic.
Professor Ian Anderson is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Tasmania. As an academic and public servant he has made significant contributions to Indigenous health and education. His extensive background in research, including public health and the social and cultural determinants of health, has enabled him to provide invaluable insights into program and policy development in these fields.
A palawa man, Professor Anderson was born in Devonport and is deeply connected to his traditional culture and community through his ties to Tebrakunna country in northeast Tasmania. He has an unwavering dedication to preserving and honouring his heritage. His non-Aboriginal family are largely of convict descent from across lutruwita/Tasmania.
Professor Anderson graduated from the University of Melbourne as a medical doctor in 1989 and was later awarded an honorary Doctor of Medicine. He was also awarded his PhD in Sociology and Anthropology in 2006. He is currently a public health physician and member of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine in the Royal Australian College of Physicians.
He was the first Indigenous Australian to be appointed as Deputy Vice Chancellor of an Australian University, and founded the Murra Indigenous Business Masterclass program at the Melbourne Business School, which has helped to increase the number of Indigenous people in senior leadership roles in the business sector.
Professor Anderson has been a national policy leader in Indigenous affairs, and higher education policy and programs. During his more than 20 years of working in higher education, he has promoted access to higher education for Indigenous Australians and for Australians from regional areas and educationally disadvantaged communities.
Through his exceptional leadership skills, extensive research contributions, and dedication, Professor Anderson has made significant contributions to Indigenous education and health in Australia.
Professor Anderson was awarded the Order of Australia in 2017 and in 2018 he was elected a member of the Academy of Social Sciences Australian and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
As a highly respected figure, Professor Anderson has inspired countless individuals and left an indelible mark on Indigenous education and health. He hopes his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of Indigenous leaders and scholars, to follow in his footsteps and continue the critical work of advancing Indigenous education and health in Australia.
Anthony is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Professor of Plant Science at the University of Tasmania. He is a strong advocate for the role universities play in both developing individuals and transforming societies.
Over 20 years, Anthony has served in senior academic roles at the University of Tasmania, including as a Head of School and Associate Dean Research, and served on the University’s Council, Academic Senate and numerous research and teaching committees. Anthony has provided academic leadership to the University’s Transformation Programs and is currently driving research excellence and research impact for Tasmania and from Tasmania to the world.
Anthony completed his BSc(Hons) and PhD at the School of Botany, University of Melbourne. He undertook post-doctoral research at the University of Adelaide and Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research in Massachusetts, USA, before joining the University of Tasmania.
With an international reputation in hop (Humulus lupulus L.) research, Anthony’s work spans cell and molecular biology, plant breeding, genetics, analytical chemistry and biotechnology. By working collaboratively with industry and government agencies for over 25 years, he has made a positive contribution to the bio-based economy and regional communities in the global context. Anthony has also developed a strong teaching practice for over 23 years. He has developed courses and undertaken major curriculum reviews and his teaching has been recognised at both a local and national level.
As Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Anthony has strategic oversight of the University’s research mission and translating research outputs to outcomes that contribute positive and meaningful impact for Tasmania, and from Tasmania to Australia and the world.
Professor Denise Fassett is a Registered Nurse and the Executive Dean of the College of Health and Medicine (CoHM) at the University of Tasmania. She has a Bachelor of Health Science, Graduate Diploma (Aged Care), Master of Nursing, and PhD from the University Technology Sydney.
Denise’s role in the University includes being a member of the University Executive Team, strategic and operational leadership, and accountability for the College’s performance. CoHM includes the Schools of Nursing, Psychological Sciences, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Medicine, Health Sciences, Paramedicine, and the Menzies Institute for Medical Research and the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre. The College footprint spans across Burnie, Launceston Hobart, and at Rozelle in Sydney.
Denise has a unique blend of expertise with a background in clinical, academic, health governance, and health regulation. She has lived and worked in all three regions in Tasmania and has called Launceston ‘home’ for over thirty years. In her current role, she is living and working in both Launceston and Hobart. Prior to becoming Executive Dean, Denise was Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Health Science and Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Denise has also been a member of the Tasmanian Health Organisation - North (THO-N) Governing Council (GC) and later the Tasmanian Health System (THS) GC and the THS GC Quality and Safety Sub-Committee, and the inaugural Chair of the Health Council of Tasmania. Denise was the former Chair of the Nursing Board of Tasmania from 2006 until the Board transitioned into the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme and a member of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) for nine years. She is currently the external Chair of the Nursing and Midwifery Board’s Accreditation Committee (NMAC) and a member of the Department of Health (Tas) Clinical Executive Subcommittee.
Mr Terry Bailey is Executive Dean of the College of Sciences and Engineering.
Terry has strong research, analytical and communication skills, developed through a career as law reformer, policy advisor and community educator, both at a State and Federal level. Significant public policy reforms that Terry has led include coastal legislation, biodiversity conservation legislation and climate change policy for NSW.
Between 2004 and 2010 Terry was the preparer of World Heritage nominations for the Australian Government, overseeing the Ningaloo Coast, the Australian Convict Sites and the Sydney Opera House World Heritage nominations.
Terry continues to provide World Heritage advisory services, including for the Murujuga Cultural Landscape, Flinders Ranges, Willandra Lakes Region and Cape York.
Since joining the University of Tasmania in 2013, Craig Barling has been appointed to key leadership roles focused on providing access to higher education for all Tasmanians and achieving long-term sustainability for the University.
In his current role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Student Services and Operations, Craig is leading the professional and student-focused teams responsible for the delivery of whole-of-organisation strategic projects, high-quality professional services, and the development of world-class facilities which enable our students and staff to learn and thrive.
Craig’s previous roles at the University included Chief Financial Officer, Executive Director Transformation, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Marketing Officer. Across these roles, Craig led significant strategic projects working directly with the Colleges and Schools, commercial operations, and academic support functions.
Most recently in the role of Vice President Strategy, Finance and Marking, Craig was responsible for the development of the University’s strategic plan, attracting students locally and from across the world through insightful analytics, marketing and recruitment activities and delivering a sustainable financial future for the University.
Prior to commencing at the University, Craig worked for News Corporation, initially as Chief Financial Officer of the Tasmanian Mercury newspaper, followed by the General Manager, Finance for News Victoria. Before joining News, Craig was a partner at international accounting firm Deloitte from 2005 to 2009, after starting as a graduate in 1997.
Born and raised in Southern Tasmania, Craig is deeply connected to his family, his community and the natural surrounds. After extensive travel experience including assignments in Canada, the United States, Singapore and other parts of Asia, kunanyi holds the significant symbolism of ‘coming home’ shared with his wife and children.
Craig is a graduate of the University of Tasmania, a member of the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Craig currently serves as a director of Fahan School and is a fellow of the National Heart Foundation.
Professor Natalie Brown is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Launceston) and Executive Dean (Regional). From 2019 to 2024 she was the Chair, Academic Senate. She was the Director of the Peter Underwood Centre as Director in from 2017 to 2023, facilitating innovative partnerships to tackle the important issue of raising educational attainment of all Tasmanians.
Natalie began her career as a teacher of 7-12 Science and Mathematics, in both the North-West and Hobart regions. Her academic career began with a PhD in Plant Science, and research work in Agricultural Science. She was appointed to the Faculty of Education as a Lecturer in Science Education in 2001 and later became Program Director of the Bachelor of Teaching course prior to taking on a central University role in learning and teaching. While doing this role, Natalie continued to teach in both the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, as well as supervise research higher degree students.
Natalie has been the recipient of a number of teaching awards, culminating in a National Teaching Excellence award in 2013. Her research interests encompass student engagement, teacher professional learning, STEM education and Technology Enhanced Learning and Teaching.
Natalie is a firm believer in lifelong learning and has recently graduated from the Australian Company Directors Course, as well as having completed Level 1 and 2 Executive coaching courses and the UTAS-Melbourne Business School Executive Leadership Program.
Kristen is a proud Tasmanian and alumna of the University of Tasmania holding a degree in Business Administration (Human Resource Management). Following her studies, Kristen spent several years living and working on the mainland in various global organisations in senior Human Resources positions. Kristen’s passion for organisational development was established early in her career when working for adidas Australia where she partnered with colleagues across the Asia-Pacific region, developing strategies for aligning organisational culture across global borders.
Kristen spent ten years with Telstra in both generalist and specialist HR disciplines, contributing to transformational culture, engagement, and talent strategies. During this time, Kristen was responsible for the delivery of several significant organisation redesign initiatives.
In 2009, Kristen followed her heart back to her home state of Tasmania with a desire to serve the community to whom she felt she owed so much. Kristen has since worked as the Executive General Manager of People, Culture and Strategy for the Tasmanian Ports Corporation before joining the University of Tasmania in 2021.
Appointed as the University’s Chief People Officer in 2022, Kristen has led the delivery of the institution-wide staff engagement survey and the implementation of the University’s response. She is committed to nurturing an inclusive and safe culture, growing talent, supporting and enabling leaders, and ensuring all staff are supported to reach their goals, whether that be excellence in teaching, research or professional support.
Kate is a dedicated and strategic engagement and communications executive with extensive expertise in navigating complex policy landscapes and driving transformational change.
She commenced her career in the Australian Public Service working in Indigenous policy roles in Canberra and the Northern Territory and served as an adviser to the Hon Jenny Macklin MP during the Rudd and Gillard governments.
Since Kate joined the University in 2015, she has held a number of communications and engagement roles, including Communications Manager for the Northern Transformation Program and Director of Government Relations.
Appointed as Executive Director, Strategic Communications in 2022, Kate oversees the University’s approach to internal and external communications, government relations and stakeholder engagement. With a genuine passion for fostering stronger civic institutions, Kate strives to promote the University's achievements, build staff engagement and facilitate constructive policy and political engagement.
Rick has been the secretary to the UET since it was established five years ago. He has been at the University for over eight years in a variety of roles including General Manager for the Faculty of Health and General Manager Governance and Executive Services, providing experience in academic, operational and central governance portfolios.
Rick has an honours degree in economics from the University of Sydney and has extensive experience in public policy, strategy and governance through prior roles in the ACT Government, Tasmanian Treasury and Aurora Energy.
- Brand & Reputation Working Group
- Campus Design Working Group
- Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Working Group
- Markets & Revenue Working Group
- Sustainability Working Group
- System & Process Simplification Working Group
- University Academic Leadership Team
- University Strategic Forum