Umberto Ansaldo will be head of Curtin U’s School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry, as of February. He will replace Steve Mickler.

The Australian Skills Quality Authority has appointed a 17-member stakeholder liaison group; Kerri Buttery (VETNexus), Andrew Cameron, (St Mark’s National Theological Centre), Margie Fixter (TAFE SA), Julie Healy (TAFE, Qld), Jo Kwai (Shafston House College), Linda Manning (Karen Sheldon Group), Serryn O’Regan (Evolve College), Karen Plowman (McDonald’s Australia), Christine Robertson (Open Colleges), Belinda Russon (Tranby National Indigenous Adult Education and Training), Alex Schroder (VETPrep Australia), Cara Schultz (NSW Rural Fire Service), Andrea Shea (Builders Academy Australia), Michelle Simpson (Tamworth Community College), Matthew Trott (Training Services), Sue Watts (Catholic Schools Office, Lismore), Simon Wiggins (Avidity Training)

Peter Tregear will be founding director of Uni Melbourne’s new hall of residence, Little Hall. He will move from dean of St Marks College, in Adelaide to start in December.

Peter Visscher (Uni Queensland)  is elected an associate member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation. Professor Visscher was a 2018 Laurate Fellow.