“Poh has motivated and inspired countless students to excel in what is commonly regarded as a difficult discipline – mathematics”

Her award was announced last night at the Universities Australia conference, along with 12 other individual and team awards for teaching.

Dr Wah Hillock is director of the university’s first year maths programme. “Through Poh’s concerted efforts, failure rates have plummeted, not through the lowering of academic standards, but through improved student understanding. Poh does not just open doors, she guides her students through,” the award states.

Other awards (with apologies to anyone missed) go to

Career achievement: David Boud (Deakin U)

Teacher of the year, science: Poh Wah Hillock (Uni Queensland)

Indigenous Education: Benjamin Wilson (Uni Canberra)

Science: Beth Loveys, Karina Riggs (Uni Adelaide)

Science – early career: Jessica Danaher (RMIT)

Engineering – early career: Nic Connelly (RMIT)

Health: Paul White (Monash U), Jodie Copley (Uni Queensland)

Society: Xiaoping Gao (Uni Wollongong)

Art: Steven Pace (CQU)

Enhance learning – diversity: Rosalie Goldsmith, Caroline Havery, Neil James, Emily Edwards, Deborah Nixon, Joseph Yeo (UTS)

Enhance learning – diversity: Kelly Linden, Neil Van der Ploeg, Noelia Roman, Sarah Teakel, Ben Hick (Charles Sturt U)

Curriculum: Debbie Starkey, Cameron Moore, Therese Gunn, Vicki Braithwaite, Pamela Rowntree, Ajesh Singh, Noirin Neligan (QUT)

Curriculum: Melanie Finger, Claire Brophy, Dean Brough, Liz Brogden, Bethan King, James Macaulay, Deanna Meth, Gregor Mews, Lisa Scharoun, Sheona Thomson

Plus in CMM this morning, all the winners of citations for “outstanding contributions to student learning.” “They are oft over-looked amongst the plaudits for the prize-winners,” a learned reader remarks.