Julia Gillard received an honorary doctorate from Curtin University yesterday, “in recognition of her outstanding contribution to education and social inclusion.” The former prime minister is also patron of the university’s John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library.

 Louise Ryan from UTS has won the Statistical Society of Australia’s Pitman Medal, for “outstanding achievement in, and contribution to, the discipline of statistics.”

 Nick Klomp will be the next vice chancellor of CQUniversity. Professor Klomp is now DVC Academic at the University of Canberra.

The estimable National Centre for Vocational Education Research has a new managing director. Simon Walker will take over in mid-October, moving from the WA Department of Training and Workforce Development. He replaces Craig Fowler who announced his departure in March.

Steven Roberts is confirmed as dean of ANU’s College of Business and Economics. Professor Roberts became interim dean last year.

Andrew O’Neil (Griffith U) is appointed chair of the research directors network at the Australian Business Deans Council.

Leigh Sullivan will join the University of Canberra as DVC Research and Innovation. He moves from the same role at Federation U. Professor Sullivan is a geo-chemist of substantial standing but CMM suspects a big part of his appeal to UniCanberra are his entrepreneurial skills. Fed U’s large technology park is in his portfolio there and UniCanberra has space.

Greg Winslett is the new deputy director of eLearning at UoQ’s Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation, charged with leading “a broader institutional approach”. Dr Winslett moves from UNE.

Harald van Heerde is moving from Massey U to UNSW where he will become a professor of marketing. He publishes prolifically, with a career-long H-index of 32.

CQU honours one of the regional university alliance’s own today, conferring an hon doc on David Battersby. Professor Battersby was VC of Federation U and founding chair of the Regional Universities Network.

Wendy Cross starts at Federation U as dean of nursing and healthcare, based at the Berwick campus, in Melbourne’s outer southeast. She joins from Torrens U.

Jazz piano great, Judy Bailey (Sydney Con of Music) wins the Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award (for “an outstanding contribution to music in Australia).

ANU has a new dean of the College of Health and Medicine. Russell Gruen will join in January from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University where he is executive director of the institute for health technologies.

Julie Owens is leaving the University of Adelaide, where she is PVC research strategy and moving to Deakin U where she will be associate DVC R.