People_
Our academic leaders
Faculties and University schools
Our deans bring expertise from both within and outside academia to their roles. They ensure the highest standards in teaching and research are maintained and lead their academic community’s external engagement.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Interim Dean: Professor Lisa Adkins, BA (Hons) Sussex, PhD Lancaster
Biography: Professor Adkins is an internationally recognized sociologist whose research is in the areas of economic sociology, social theory, and feminist theory. Her current research programme explores the rise and dynamics of the asset economy, and especially the restructuring of social stratification with the growth of asset-based wealth.
Professor Adkins has previously held posts at Goldsmiths, University of London, the University of Manchester, and the Australian National University.
Faculty of Engineering
Dean: Professor Willy Zwaenepoel BS Ghent MS PhD Stanford
Biography: Professor Zwaenepoel is an established leader in experimental computer science research. He was previously Head of School at the School of Computer and Communication Sciences at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) for nine years. Before this he spent almost two decades on the faculty at Rice University, USA. Professor Zwaenepoel has been elected as a Fellow of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Association for Computing Machinery.
Professor Zwaenepoel has worked in a variety of aspects of operating and distributed systems and is best known for his work on the TreadMarks distributed shared memory system, which was licensed to Intel and became the basis for Intel’s OpenMP cluster product.
The University of Sydney Law School
Head of School and Dean: Professor Simon Bronitt
LLB Bristol, LLM Cambridge
Biography: Professor Bronitt is a distinguished scholar whose research interests include terrorism law and human rights, comparative and criminal law, covert policing, family violence and mental health policing.
He joined the University in July 2019 from the University of Queensland, where he was Professor of Law and Deputy Head and Deputy Dean (Research) of the TC Beirne School of Law since 2014. He was previously Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security hosted by Griffith University, and before that spent 20 years at the Australian National University Law School, where he held a number of senior leadership roles.
Faculty of Medicine and Health
Executive Dean and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Medicine and Health): Professor Robyn Ward AM FAHMS, MBBS (Hons) UNSW, PhD UNSW
Biography: Professor Ward is an academic leader, cancer researcher and medical oncologist. She is a member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), chairs the Commonwealth Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC), and serves on the Council and Executive of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
Professor Ward joins us from the University of Queensland, where she was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Executive Dean (Acting) of the Faculty of Medicine. In 2013 she was made Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to medical research and patient care in the field of oncology.
Faculty of Science
Dean: Professor Iain Young BSc PhD Aberdeen
Biography: Professor Young is a biophysicist working at the interface of physics and biology, using soil as a model system to examine functionality in complex porous media over space and time. Before his appointment as Dean of Science, Professor Young was the inaugural Head of the University’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences.
Before joining the University of Sydney, Professor Young spent six years as a head of school at the University of New England, following extensive experience leading major research groups in his native country of Scotland.
The University of Sydney Business School
Dean: Professor Gregory Whitwell BEc (Hons) Monash PhD Melbourne
Biography: Professor Whitwell’s past appointments include Professor of Marketing and Senior Deputy Dean of the Australian School of Business at the University of New South Wales, and Deputy Dean and Director (Graduate School of Business and Economics) in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne.
The University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning
Head of School and Dean: Professor Robyn Dowling BEc (Hons) Sydney; MA, PhD BrCol
Biography: Professor Dowling is a distinguished urban geographer and planner and is internationally known for her work on housing and home, and the implications of climate change and technological disruptions for cities. Current research on the partnerships and relationships through which contemporary cites are governed places her at the forefront of theoretical conceptions of smart cities. Her recent election to a Fellowship in the Academy of Social Sciences is recognition of her significant national and international standing in the field.
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Head of School and Dean: Professor Anna Reid BMus (Perf) Sydney MA EdAdmin UNE PhD UTS
Biography: An alumna of the University of Sydney, Professor Anna Reid has been a tertiary educator her entire career. She undertakes research in musician identity, creativity theory and practice, cultural heritage and sustainability, and higher education. She is also a cellist and viola da gamba player.
