| Election of | an academic staff from the Faculty of Design and Society |
| Term | date of declaration until 31 December 2027 |
| Electorate | any academic staff member (continuing or fixed-term) from the Faculty of Design and Society can vote in this election |
| Ballot | opens Thursday 2 July 2026 closes at 3pm Thursday 16 July 2026 |
| Voting | vote now or see how to vote |
Candidates in ballot paper order
Candidates’ statements
Monika Proepper
I am an early-career, teaching-intensive, part-time lecturer in Interior Architecture. I am also a registered and practicing architect. As an FDS candidate for the UTS Academic Board, I believe I can offer a valuable perspective bridging academia and architectural professional practice, a core creative industry. I am particularly interested in ensuring our curriculum remains responsive to the changing needs of the creative disciplines, professions and higher education.
I am seeking election to the UTS Academic Board to represent the faculty and to support the Board’s work in overseeing academic quality, standards and continuous improvement across teaching, learning, research and community service. I value collaboration, transparent communication and want to ensure that creative disciplines have a strategic voice in the UTS community.
Timo Rissanen
I nominate for the UTS Academic Board to contribute to UTS’s central forum for academic leadership, quality and governance. I bring extensive leadership experience in curriculum innovation and academic program development, including current leadership of the Bachelor of Fashion Business and prior role as Course Director of Fashion and Textiles at UTS. I am experienced in designing industry-engaged curricula that strengthen student outcomes and align academic standards with evolving professional contexts.
Internationally, I have held senior leadership roles at Parsons School of Design, including Associate Dean of the School of Constructed Environments, where I contributed to strategic academic planning and interdisciplinary collaboration. These experiences underpin my commitment to maintaining rigorous, future-focused academic standards and fostering inclusive, collegial governance. I am motivated to support Academic Board’s advisory role in shaping academic strategy, enhancing teaching and learning, and ensuring the continued quality, relevance and integrity of UTS courses.
Michael Fabinyi
I am a Professor in the Social and Political Sciences program in the School of Communication and Social Sciences and have been at UTS since 2016. As an environmental social scientist, my research and teaching focus on understanding and addressing challenges facing the global marine environment. At UTS, I have served as co-coordinator of the Connected Research strategic initiative and have contributed to a range of faculty and school leadership and governance roles, including Discipline Coordinator, Research Coordinator, Faculty Board member, and member of the Human Research Ethics Committee. Through these roles, I have worked collaboratively with colleagues across diverse disciplines and developed a strong appreciation for collegial, transparent and evidence-based decision-making. If elected, I would be committed to ensuring that staff perspectives are strongly represented during this period of significant change at UTS.
How to vote in an online ballot
- Note your candidate choices and preference order
- Log in to UTS: Elections Online Polling Booth
- Choose the election you wish to vote in
- Select the candidates you wish to vote for
- Check your vote
- When you are ready, choose 'submit' to record your vote.
Conduct
Participants in elections (candidates, their representatives and voters) are expected to follow the same high standard of conduct and behaviour during the campaign process as is expected on campus generally. The behaviour of election candidates and their representatives should meet expected standards of conduct. See Code of Conduct for UTS Elections.
Concerns about security due to election-related conduct should be reported to UTS Security and Emergency Management. Phone 02 9514 1192 or dial ‘6’ on any UTS phone.
Further information
The schedule for this special election has information about the election rules, Returning Officer and Academic Board.
See Voting for information about votes, confidentiality, appointing a scrutineer and results.