Nathan is a proud Wiradjuri man from Wellington in NSW and an education leader. Nathan’s appointment as the Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous, Strategy and Leadership role follows a four-year tenure as the Principal of Newcastle High School. Nathan led the development of the University’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Research Framework. The University of Newcastle will be a culturally responsive place of excellence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and research. A place where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the community feel connected, and culturally safe. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and knowledge is woven into each pillar – our relationships with communities, students and staff, the way we teach, learn and research and how we foster reconciliation in our regions. In addition to this Nathan is leading a coordinated approach to Indigenous Health Research for the region. Working with stakeholders including the local health districts, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Central Coast Research Institute, Awabakal Aboriginal Medical Service, NSW Regional Health Partners and the local community. Nathan’s personal and authentic approach fosters strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels. Nathan has a passion for innovation and change and has actively encouraged student-directed, passion-based and entrepreneurial learning. His approach to engaging and working with communities will be particularly valuable as the University looks to find ways for the institution to better connect with our regions.
Category: 2021 Speaker
Mrs Tracy Chalk
A senior leader specialising in strategic and structural transformation, Tracy joined the University of Newcastle as the Chief Marketing Officer overseeing the centralisation of brand, marketing, communications and student recruitment. This role followed two years at the University of the West of England where she led a complex transformation of marketing, communication, internal engagement, alumni relations and philanthropy. Tracy entered the Higher Education sector at The Australian National University where she spent seven years leading development of the University’s brand and marketing strategies.
Mr Charls Catahan
Charls Catahan is an undergraduate mechanical engineering student at Thailand’s Suranaree University of Technology. He was born and raised in the Philippines, and he chose the institute to pursue his bachelor’s degree. He was a member of several organizations in high school, including Youth for the Environment for School’s Organization. He is particularly interested in utilizing new technologies to address environmental issues.
Professor Kent Anderson
Professor Kent Anderson is an international lawyer specialising in the Asia-Pacific. He is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Global, at the University of Newcastle.
Kent has an eclectic background, having been an academic in Australia, US and Japan; a marketing manager with a US regional airline in Alaska; a commercial lawyer in Hawaii; and most recently senior adviser for higher education to two Australian Ministers of Education.
Kent served on a number of boards including National Library of Australia, Ministerial Council for International Education, Higher Education Standards Panel, New Colombo Plan, Canberra Grammar School, and President of the Asian Studies Association of Australia.
Miss Areej Salah
A member of the Global Ambassadors of Sustainability, a member of Kaaf Volunteers, a member of Keys, and a VP of AIESEC. I am a student of management and marketing at Ahlia University. Where I won 3rd place in the student research competition. And a President of ABC (Ahlia Business Club). And a treasurer of the Toastmasters Ahlia club. And part of the AUMUN team. I’m interested in anything related to the SDGs, and I’ve worked on many projects related to them, such as the Green Initiative, Youth Speak, Youth Impact, Youth Entrepreneurship, Youth Future, and Career Programme. And a winner of Bahrain Climate Action and many hackathons such as the Green Youth Hackathon, etc. I’m also interested in debates, and I’ve participated in many MUNs, toastmasters, and the World Scholars Cup. Currently, I’m licenced in First aid and certified in Human Resources Management.
Mrs Anna Clark
Anna Clark is the Sustainability Strategy Coordinator at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Working under the direction of the Associate Principal for Global Sustainability, alongside the Research Engagement team, Anna is responsible for the management and coordination of the university’s sustainability activities. She has been in this role since earlier this year, prior to which she worked as part of a team investigating the environmental management policies and sustainable development strategies of mining activities in East-Central Africa. With a background in the geosciences, Anna started at Heriot-Watt University in 2014, organising the delivery of a training portfolio for PhD researchers linked to the oil & gas industry, which aimed to equip them with an understanding of the environmental impact of the exploration and production of hydrocarbons. Anna has a keen interest in the electrification of domestic heating and transport, and her pet cats and dog.
Mr Nam Truong
Hoang Nam Truong is a senior student at Can Tho University which has a reputation for top-notch education in Mekong Delta, Vietnam (the year of 2017-2021). During the past few years, he has worked as a student leader in several projects and organizations such as the president of the English Club in his College, Deputy Head of the Organisation Board of Hult Prize at Can Tho University 2019. In 2019, he joined the workshop at the National University of Singapore, name Festival Of Ideas Future thinking & Scenario Workshop for Youths. In 2020, he has become one of two delegates from Vietnam to participate in the 8th ASEAN Student Leaders Forum at Chiang Mai University. He was involved in several community projects, the most remarkable one was Engineers in Action (EIA). He once said EIA helped him to be equipped with several essential skills such as flexibility and decision-making in solving accidental problems, negotiation incorporation, and life-long learning awareness which was inspired by professional professors he has worked with.
Professor Preethi V.
Dr.V.Preethi received her Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering from the Anna University, Chennai. She completed her MS in Environmental Technology from Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Spain. Her main research activities concern about Advanced oxidation Technologies for Waste gas, Wastewater Treatment and Hydrogen Production, Air Quality Modelling, Waste Gas Treatment by Biofilteration, Biogas production from Waste, Photocatalysis for environmental, energy and health applications, and synthesis, characterization of nanomaterials for photoconversion purposes. She is the author for 24 publications in peer-reviewed journals with high impact and more than 25 oral communications in international conferences. She is also the author of 3 patents. In 2015 she was awarded the Young Scientist Award for Hydrogen Energy and Advanced Materials (HEAM) by National Institute of Technology, Bhopal and Indian Association of Hydrogen Energy and Advanced Materials. Apart from that she also received 5 other national and International awards for her innovative research findings. She has worked as a researcher in Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and UAB, Spain. She has 13 years of experience in both research and teaching. She organized and conducted two International Conferences on Sustainable Environment and Energy (ICSEE 2017 & 19) funded by DST, Government of India. She is the principal Investigator for a project titled ‘Recovery of Hydrogen from Industrial Waste Streams’ funded by DST, Government of India.
Dr Reiko Sodeno
Reiko Sodeno is a professor in the Department of Architecture and Environment Systems, College of Systems Engineering and Science, Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) of Japan since 2018. She received her Ph.D. in Global Environmental Studies from Kyoto University, Japan. She has worked for various environmental problems, such as waste management, climate change, ozone layer depletion, air pollution control, water pollution control and international cooperation at the Ministry of the Environment of Japan for more than twenty years. Based on this experience, she is currently studying on environmental policies and social systems focusing on the context of sustainable development goals (SDGs). She also actively contributes for society as a member of committee or council of Japanese government and municipalities, such as Cabinet Office, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and Saitama prefecture. She is a fellow of the Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management.