Resume

Alex Durie has been teaching chemistry since 1990 at both University level both in Australia and overseas. The organisations that he has worked for include, amongst others, the University of New South Wales in Sydney, the University of the South Pacific in Fiji and the University of Twente in Netherlands.

For many years he was involved in the development and teaching of a number of senior level chemistry and physics revision programs delivered by the Foundation Studies Program at UNSW that targeted better understanding of the scientific principles underpinning our modern understanding of the physical sciences.

Alex holds a Batchelor of Applied Science (Chemistry), A Masters of Science (Chemistry), a Graduate Diploma in Education and a Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training. Alex is currently accredited by NESA as a proficient teacher.

An ongoing interest in both research chemistry and in teaching of science lies at the heart of Alex’s teaching.

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Rafael Dutra was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and has worked in language teaching for over ten years. He currently teaches English as a Second Language and Brazilian Portuguese in Australia.

Rafael holds a degree in English Studies and Language Teaching, and a specialisation in Psychopedagogy. In 2013 and 2014, prior to the World Cup in Brazil, he was responsible for developing a very successful course, and materials for teaching Portuguese to English and Spanish speakers.

Raf is a passionate educator with vast language and teaching knowledge. He also loves Brazilian music and caipirinhas!

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Dr Andrew Dyer is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney Law School, having been appointed the inaugural Colin Phegan Lecturer in Legal Reasoning at the beginning of 2014.

A graduate of Sydney Law School and the London School of Economics, Andrew began his working career not as a lawyer, but in television, acting in and writing for various sketch comedy shows. He then worked at a large commercial law firm; as tipstaff to a judge of the NSW Court of Appeal; and, immediately before coming to Sydney Law School as a sessional lecturer in 2010, as a Researcher at the Judicial Commission of NSW.

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Dr Glenys Eddy is the author of Becoming Buddhist: Experiences of Socialization and Self-transformation in Two Australian Buddhist Centres (Continuum International Publishing, 2012), based on her doctoral thesis, undertaken in the Department of Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney. Her area of research, Western Buddhist belief and practice, derives from her ongoing interests in many related fields of inquiry, such as Buddhism, meditative practices, Western alternative religious practices, religious experience and self-transformation, Western Esotericism, Jungian psychology, and mind-body practices such as Tai Chi.

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Sarah Edelman (PhD) is a teacher, author and clinical psychologist in private practice. She worked for many years as a research psychologist and lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney, and continues to conduct workshops on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for the public and industry groups. Sarah also conducts workshops for mental health practitioners, and provides training for psychologists and GPs at the Black Dog Institute, Sydney. She is a frequent guest on 702 ABC radio, and has contributed many articles on popular psychology topics in mainstream media. Her book, “Change Your Thinking” (ABC Books) is a best seller in the self help genre.

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Lindley is an experienced corporate advisor and has worked on numerous private and public M&A and corporate transactions across sectors including food and agriculture, services, environment, technology, and education, as well as  digitisation. Her work involves mergers, acquisitions, divestments, fund raising, licensing, strategic consulting, distribution, and joint ventures. Since the mid-90’s Lindley has been very active in ASEAN, the Pacific, Asia, the US, and Europe, undertaking cross border corporate transactions and strategic work. Lindley is also the Group Managing Director of AFG Venture Groupand its various subsidiaries.   

Lindley holds a PhD in Philosophy as well as two undergraduate degrees, one in Accounting and the other in Banking and Finance. She also holds several postgraduate qualifications in Corporate Governance, Technology Strategy and Digitisation. She has also undertaken various Financial Services regulatory courses. She is a Senior Fellow of FINSIA, the Australian Financial Services Industry body, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in London. 

Lindley has been a state finalist in the Telstra Business Women's Awards for the Private Sector with fewer than 100 employees. In 2000, Lindley was admitted to the Australian Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame. Lindley is, and has been, a non-executive director of various Australian and international organisations focused on education, digitisation, technology, and infrastructure. She has run leadership programs for Asialink and the Foundation for Young Australians.

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Meaghan is a PhD candidate and works as a Research Fellow with the Centre for Disability Studies. She has a background in community based, applied research in disability and Quality of Life. Meaghan has received the University of Sydney World Scholars Award from the Faculty of Medicine to support her postgraduate studies on families, inclusion and social support. Prior to her current position, Meaghan was the supervisor of research at MukiBaum Treatment Centres in Toronto, Canada. In this position, she supervised students in the fields of psychology and social work from the University of Toronto and Guelph Humber University. She also conducted studies on the impact of transition upon Quality of Life, the effect of services on the quality of life of families, and the design, implementation and evaluation of a health and wellness program for individuals with complex disabilities, including nutrition, fitness, and bone density. In her current role she lectures in post graduate disability courses, works on inclusive education, facilitates focus groups and works on various research projects including acting as a State Expert in a national evaluation of the trial phase of National Disability Insurance Scheme. She also supports the Social Networking Group for people both with and without intellectual disabilities concerned with making and sustaining social connections, with a view to improving mental health.

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Originally from Cairo, Egypt Nahla El Ghazawi graduated from Ainshams Univerisity with a PhD in Arts (Languages and Literature), a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts. Nahla is the Deputy Principal of the Sydney Campus of the Australian International Academy. She is currently the head of the Arabic Department within the primary sector. Furthermore, she is a member of the Australian Council of Women Affairs (ACWA) and a volunteer broadcaster on the Radio Voice of Peace which focuses on social and welfare issues within the community.

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Rabbi Dr Benjamin Elton has been Chief Minister of The Great Synagogue since 2015. Born in Manchester, England, Rabbi Elton was educated at the Universities of Cambridge (MA) and London (PhD). He worked in the Ministry of Justice in London and then studied at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT) in New York. He received Semicha from YCT in June 2015, and in addition has Semicha from Rabbi Chaim Rapoport of London and Rabbi Natan Greenberg of Bat Ayin in Israel.

In addition to Benjamin’s 2014 book, Britain’s Chief Rabbis and the Religious Character of Anglo-Jewry, 1880–1970, he has authored several articles on Anglo and Australian Jewish history. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society of London, an Honorary Associate at the University of Sydney, and Orthodox Rabbinic Consultant to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Ben is married to Hinda Young, and they have a daughter, Lizzie.

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Nicholas was born in Australia, but has lived abroad extensively. In 2018 he returned to Sydney after a ten-year stint in Germany’s bustling and exciting capital Berlin. He is a professional German teacher, holding a master’s degree in German literature obtained at the Freie Universität Berlin. Nicholas teaches German at the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney, where he is also currently doing a PhD in Germanic Studies. He has designed and delivered language courses and is passionate about fostering creativity and achieving optimal results for his students.